Cheers to dessert! A stout float for St. Paddy's Day

Stout Float with Irish Whiskey Caramel

Two facts about me: I love ice cream and I love beer. 

So, on this St. Patrick’s Day, I thought to myself why not mix the two into a slightly sacrilegious grown up float?  True beer aficionados may scoff at the combination but, to me, this desserty cocktail is simply scrumptious.  To really up the Irish on a day like today, I’ve whipped up an Irish whiskey (with an ‘e’) salted caramel sauce to drizzle atop a classic crowning swirl of canned whipped cream.

If you're looking for something a little more traditional, check out my recipe for stout cupcakes and Irish Cream buttercream on the Your Morning site!  You can also check out a video of the segment here!

Sláinte and happy drinking!

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Stout Float with Salted Whiskey Caramel

Make 2 servings (with extra caramel leftover)

1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream
3 tbsp whiskey
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
2 – 4 scoops vanilla bean ice cream
1 tall can of stout
Whipped cream from a can for that classic soda fountain feel

For the salted whiskey caramel, pour the water into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and top with the sugar.  Do not stir this mixture at all prior to adding the cream as this will cause crystals to form and prevent your caramel from being silky smooth.

Cook the water and sugar mixture until it becomes a deep golden colour, approximately 10-13 minutes.

Remove the caramel from the heat and carefully whisk in the cream and whiskey.  Return the caramel to the heat and cook, stirring frequently over medium-low, until the caramel has thickened quite a bit.  This should take approximately 8-10 minutes.   If there are lumps in your caramel after adding the cream, that's ok.  Just keep whisking over the heat and they should dissolve.

Once thickened, remove the caramel from the heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla, and salt.  Set aside and allow to cool.

For the stout floats, divide the ice cream between two pint glasses then slowly top each with half a can of the stout.  Top each a swirl of whipped cream, a drizzle of salted whiskey caramel, and enjoy with a straw and spoon!

Everybody loves cheesecake (even vegans and gluten free-ers)

Baked Cherry "Cheesecake" (V/GF)

When we bake, it is often with others in mind.  I mean, sure, we’ve all had those days where one cookie turns into twelve and before we know it we’ve polished off a full batch all by our lonesome…  Frankly, I find this random act of gluttony rather impressive and, not to be too predictable, sometimes the only cure for a bad day or a broken heart is a batch of cookie dough smashed into a pint of ice cream.

But at its heart, baking tends to prove that that classic kindergarten lesson of “sharing is caring” has no expiry in life.

So, as baking = sharing in my books, I love to experiment with recipes that cater to those people in my life with various types of restricted diets.  Here is one I’m particularly proud of for its ability to satisfy the vegans, gluten free-ers, and regular old omnivores in the crowd.  I just dare you to find a pro-dairy, gluten-scarfing pal who will scoff at this oh-so-close to the original “cheesecake”.

An added bonus for the baker?  This recipe is made almost entirely in a food processor so dish doing is kept to a minimum.

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Baked Cherry "Cheesecake" - Vegan & Gluten Free

Makes 1 cheesecake (7" springform or 9" pie plate)

Oat and Almond Crust (GF)
¾ cup gluten free rolled oats
¾ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup shredded sweetened coconut
3 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
¼ cup coconut oil, melted

Filling
150g soft/silken tofu (about half a package), pressed for about 20 minutes to remove excess moisture
1 Tbsp egg replacer (or 1 ½ tsp tapioca, 1 ½ tsp potato starch, and 1/8 tsp baking powder)
¼ cup water
1 cup vegan cream cheese
¼ cup unsweetened coconut or almond milk
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ - 1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp coconut or almond extract, optional

Cherry topping
1 ½ cups frozen sweet cherries, defrosted and liquid reserved
½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ tsp vanilla or almond extract
1/8 tsp nutmeg

For the crust, preheat your oven to 350F and lightly grease a 7” springform pan or 9” pie plate.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the gluten free oats, almonds, coconut, sugar, cinnamon, and salt and pulse until it all resembles coarse sand.  Meanwhile, melt the coconut oil over low heat or in your microwave.  With the food processor running, pour the melted coconut oil through the chute and continue to blitz until everything is well mixed.  Dump the crust mixture into your prepared pan and, using your fingertips or the bottom of a glass, evenly press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan.  If using a springform, just press along the bottom and wrap the outside of the pan with aluminum foil to avoid any of your crust or cake leaking out onto the bottom of your oven.  If using a pie plate, press the crust up the sides to create a full crust.

Pop your prepared crust into the oven to bake for 20 minutes then allow it to cool at room temperature while you prepare the filling.  Leave the oven set to 350F for the filling.

For the filling, start by pressing your tofu and blooming your egg replacer with ¼ cup water.  To press the tofu, I like to use coffee filters.  Just line a dinner plate with 3 or 4 filters, place the tofu on top, and cover with another 3 or 4 filters.  Place another dinner plate on top of this and allow the tofu to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.  For the egg replacer, mix the replacer with the ¼ cup of water listed in the recipe and allow this to sit for 10 – 20 minutes to allow the starches to hydrate.

Once pressed and bloomed, toss all of the ingredients for the filling in the bowl of your food processor and blend until smooth.  At this point, give the mixture a taste and feel free to adjust the amount of nutmeg, lemon juice, or extracts.

Pour the filling onto the prepared crust, place your pan on a baking sheet, and bake in your preheated oven for 45-50 minutes if using a springform and 35-45 minutes if using a pie plate.  At this point, the filling should look slightly set and matte on top.  The filling will still be quite liquid but that is totally ok!  The cheesecake is done baking and can be removed from the oven to cool at room temperature.  Once room temperature, pop the cheesecake into the fridge for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.

For the cherry topping, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small saucepan and whisk to combine.  In a glass measuring cup, measure 2/3 cup of the juice from the defrosted cherries.  If there is not enough juice, just top it up with water to reach 2/3 cup.  Add the juice/water to the sugar mixture and whisk to combine.  Bring this mixture to a boil over medium heat and cook for 2 minutes until thick.  Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice, extract, and nutmeg.  Set aside to cool.

When cool, fold in the cherries and spoon over the chilled cheesecake.  Pop this back into the fridge until ready to serve.

Carrot Cake aka The only cake I want for my birthday

Carrot Cake

Confession: I am not all that big on cake.

Don’t get me wrong, I love baking and decorating all sorts of cake-ish confections and the celebration and excitement that goes hand-in-hand with bringing a cake to the table is unlike anything else.  That childlike joy that lights up the faces of true cake lovers like my sister-in-law Jenna is probably one of the best things to see on an adult human’s face but digging into a big slice of double chocolate, super fudgy, oh-so sweet cake is not something I crave.  I am and forever will be a savoury over sweet lady. 

Now, please excuse me while I immediately contradict what I’ve said above by introducing you to my good friend Carrot Cake.   I love carrot cake for its sneaky ability to feel just a wee bit savoury while still satisfying the cake-lovers in the crowd.  This carrot cake is so wonderfully moist and can easily be baked up into two lovely loaves (bake for 45-50 minutes) or 24 muffins (bake for 20-25 minutes).

If you are a fan of raisins in your baked goods, feel free to toss a handful into the mix.  I am of the opinion that grapes are grapes, raisins are raisins, and raisins should never try to become grapes again like they tend to do when reconstituted in baked goods.

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Carrot Cake

Makes 2 – 9” round cakes

4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup vegetable oil
2 oranges, zested
2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
¼ - ½ tsp grated nutmeg, to taste
¼ - ½ tsp ground clove, to taste
3 cups coarsely grated carrot, about 5-6 medium carrots
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
½ cup finely chopped fresh pineapple
Cream cheese frosting, recipe follows
Optional garnishes: candied pecans or walnuts, candied orange slices

Preheat your oven to 350F and prepare two 9” round pans by lightly greasing and lining the bottom of each with a round of parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugars with a whisk until slightly light and fluffy.  While whisking, slowly pour in the oil and continue to whisk until fully incorporated.  Stir in the vanilla and orange zest and set aside.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.  Add this dry mixture to the wet and, using a wooden spoon or spatula, fold the mixture together until just combined.  Add the carrots, nuts, and pineapple and stir just until everything comes together.

Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 40 – 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for about 20 minutes then carefully turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Once cool, frost your lovely little cakes with some cream cheese frosting and garnish to your heart's content! 

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 – 8oz packages brick cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 - 6 cups powdered sugar
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
½ tsp cinnamon

Using either a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.  Begin adding the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time mixing on low in between each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Keep adding icing sugar until your cream cheese frosting is a spreadable consistency and finish by beating in the salt, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Candied Oranges: They go with pretty much everything

Candied Oranges

I really can’t get over how beautiful and versatile candied oranges are.  Those sweet little chewy rounds are wonderful scattered atop cakes, stacked on a cheese board, or even popped onto the edge of a cocktail glass.

The orange-infused syrup that results from the candying process is just an added bonus.  Save it for cocktails or pour a good glug over French toast this weekend.

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Candied Oranges

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 oranges, peel on and sliced as thinly as possible*

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  When boiling, add the orange slices, reduce the heat to low, and place a circle of parchment paper over the liquid to ensure that the orange slices stay completely submerged.

Simmer the citrus for 2 – 2 ½ hours then remove from the heat and allow the whole mixture to cool to room temperature. 

For a softer candied orange, remove the orange slices from the syrup and allow them to dry on a cooling rack for a few hours before using or packing into an airtight container with a small piece of parchment separating each slice.

For a chewier orange, heat your oven to 250F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the orange slices in a single layer on top.  Place a second sheet of parchment on top of the orange segments followed by another baking sheet.  Pop this into the preheated oven for 1 hour.  When done baking and the pan is cool enough to handle, remove the top pan and layer of parchment.  Carefully peel the candied orange slices from the bottom sheet of parchment and allow to cool.  Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container for storage.

Whether you want softer or chewier oranges, be sure to save that delicious syrup for cocktails or anything else that could use a syrupy orange kick!

*If, when slicing your oranges, you find it difficult to get thin and even slices, feel free to halve the orange and slice semicircles of the fruit for candying.