Desserts and Treats

Smoked Maple Butter Tarts with Sea Salt are a Taste of Canadian Delight

August 15, 2017 by Kathryn 103 Comments

Butter tarts are one of the most popular Canadian desserts of all time, and with good reason! The sweet, rich, caramel-like flavour of a butter tart is pure bliss. But the butter tart is also a great dessert for experimentation! Whether you top a butter tart with chocolate ganache or mix in candied bacon, the results are sure to be delicious.

I’d never really put my own twist on the butter tart, though, so when Breville sent me The Smoking Gun, a unique smoke infuser that let me add real wood-smoked flavour to foods without a lot of effort, I decided to use it to make my own unique butter tart recipe. And my Smoked Maple Butter Tarts with Sea Salt won rave reviews from everyone that tried them! [Read more…]

Add Holiday Magic to Your Table with this Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake Recipe

December 14, 2016 by Kathryn 49 Comments

When it comes to holiday dessert, there’s nothing quite as show-stopping as a cheesecake. Creamy, decadent and unexpectedly versatile, it’s the ultimate dessert for any special occasion. And of course, a great cheesecake has to be made with Philadelphia Cream Cheese! The flavour and texture guarantee perfect results every time, even for a cheesecake-making novice!

But as good as cheesecake is, it can always be even better! So, in my hunt for the most decadent holiday dessert imaginable, I decided to combine two delectable desserts into one mouth-watering masterpiece…a Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake! A half recipe of classic Philadelphia New York Cheesecake is layered between rich and flavourful Red Velvet Cake and covered in a cream cheese icing for a holiday dessert that’s simply irresistible! [Read more…]

This Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Cracker Brittle Recipe Will Be Your New Favourite Holiday Treat

November 25, 2016 by Kathryn 25 Comments

I absolutely love holiday baking, and I’ve mentioned before that I often go overboard making sweet treats for family and friends during the holidays. But because I’m a busy mom, I do tend to favour quick and easy recipes over fussy and finicky ones. In fact, one of my favourites has always been a simple cracker brittle made with nothing more than crackers, butter and brown sugar.

So, when Kraft Canada challenged me to come up with a delicious holiday recipe featuring everyone’s favourite couple, Kraft Peanut Butter and Baker’s Chocolate, I decided to put a new twist on my old favourite by turning it into a peanutty, chocolatey treat. And the resulting Peanut Butter Chocolate Cracker Brittle was absolutely addictive! With just a few ingredients and less than fifteen minutes, you’ll have a full pan of decadence for your next holiday gathering! [Read more…]

Gourmet Tomato Bruschetta and Chocolate Mousse Ready in Minutes with the Braun PureMix Blender

October 19, 2016 by Kathryn 27 Comments

For the last few days, I’ve had a blast testing out the Braun PureMix blender. From smoothies and milkshakes to soups and sauces, there’s so much I can do with this versatile machine. I especially love using it to crush ice; the special pulsing setting for crushed ice gives perfect results every time!

But as much as I loved using the blender for basic recipes, I really wanted to get a little more gourmet with my Braun PureMix recipe creations. So I decided to create a gourmet appetizer and dessert with the blender: Tomato Bruschetta and Chocolate Mousse!

[Read more…]

Try a Salted Mango Mousse Recipe and Check Out Windsor Salt’s New Look-Giveaway

June 15, 2016 by Kathryn 136 Comments

One of the reasons I love cooking with salt is its almost magical ability to change the character of another food when the two are paired together. Salted caramel has become a staple in any dessert-lovers recipe box, since the salt cuts the richness of the caramel while also enhancing its sweetness. Chocolate and sea salt are used in much the same way. But one of the lesser known pairings is salt and fresh fruit. So when Windsor Salt wanted me to spread the word about its new packaging and logo design with a recipe creation, I decided it was time to highlight that pairing in my recipe!

I first tried salt and fresh fruit at the recommendation of Chef David Wood. He recommended eating fresh, ripe pineapple sprinkled with coarse salt, and promised the saltiness would make the pineapple even more sweet and flavourful. He was right, and pineapple with salt has been one of my favourite summer desserts for years now. Since the salt had worked so well with the tropical flavour of the pineapple, I had a feeling it would work well with other tropical favours too. And after creating this Salted Mango Mousse recipe, I was proven right!

Salted Mango Mousse

A creamy mousse made sweeter and more delicious with a touch of Windsor Kosher Salt!

Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 4 minutes

Total Time 14 minutes

Servings 4

Author Kathryn

Ingredients

4 ripe mangoes peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. lime juice
1 package 7g unflavoured gelatin
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup chopped fruit mango, strawberries, kiwi, etc
2 tsp. Windsor Kosher Salt

Instructions

Puree mangoes in food processor until smooth. Mix in sugar, lime juice and gelatin powder until fully combined.
Refrigerate for approximately 20 minutes, until mango mixture just starts to thicken.
Meanwhile, whip cream until it forms stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the mango mixture until well mixed.
Pour into individual serving dishes and refrigerate until set, about four hours.
Top with chopped fruit and sprinkle 1/2 tsp. Windsor Kosher Salt over each serving. Serve immediately.

The combination of sweet and creamy mango with the bite from the salt was every bit as delectable as I had hoped it would be. The slight crunch added some great texture to the dessert as well. And while I initially added kiwi on top to ensure a good blend of colours, I was thrilled with how well the flavours went together too. This tasty treat could easily be customized with different chopped fruit on top as well. I’m going to try strawberry and mango next time!

Looking for other great recipes using mango? This tropical Mango Bread recipe is a must-try! It freezes wonderfully so that you can enjoy the taste of mango at its best in the coming months!

Whipping up this dessert gave me a new appreciation for just how versatile salt can be, and Windsor Kosher Salt is a personal favourite since it adds that extra bit of crunch and flavour to any dish. Keep an eye out for the new Windsor Salt boxes in stores across Canada and give this dessert a try the next time mangoes are on sale. You’ll be amazed to see how much more magical a tropical fruit can become with a little help from Windsor!