Author Archives: Admin

No more hot yoga

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Hot yoga is for lunatics. I have no idea why you would go back.

I went with my mom and her partner, Donna, because they have been doing hot yoga regularly. It was free, and I wanted to be able to say that I’ve tried it and I still think they’re crazy.

105 degree room was too much for me. The yoga would have been mostly doable for me, but woozy head and fear I might pass out had me lying on the floor for at least half of it.

Lebkuchen!

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Recipe is from the Rose’s Christmas Cookies book.

These cookies require a food processor to make. The “hand mixer” option starts off “Finely grate the nuts…” (hazelnuts and almonds). Yeah, right. If you find and buy almond and hazelnut meal, you’d be in good shape, but a food processor makes this a snap.

On Monday Caroline helped me make a double batch of these, and yummy noises were happening all around.

Notes:

1) 1 batch of the glaze makes enough for 3-4 batches of cookies. Make a half batch of glaze and a double batch of cookies and you’ll be in good shape. (Also, gum arabic is a pain to find.)

2) My oven is lying about it’s temp. Everything takes longer, so I’m starting to bump temps up a little for this one.

3) No matter the temp of your oven, the cookies should brown noticably. I had to double the listed baking time before they were properly done.

4) We used quinoa flour (calls for 2.5 TBL AP flour) for a gluten-free cookie.

Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Cupcakes

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Cinnamon Cupcakes:

1 box of yellow cake mix
add 1 rounded tablespoon of ground cinnamon
Follow cupcake baking directions on your box (I made 2 dozen small cupcakes)

Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting:
(Note: I’ve made this into a half batch of the original recipe found here, and I still had way too much.)

2 and 1/4 sticks butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 cups confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (was half and half)

Frosting Directions:

1. Beat together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until fluffy and pale in colour.
2. Add 3 cups of the powdered sugar and the vanilla extract and beat, starting on low and moving up to high, until it is fully incorporated.
3. Scrape down the bowl and add the cream. Beat to incorporate again.
4. Add another 1 cup of the powdered sugar and beat, starting on low and moving up to high, until fully incorporated. 5. Check the consistency of the buttercream. If it needs to be thicker, add more powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add more cream. In either case, add only a small amount (tspn – TBL), beating after each addition, until it reaches the consistency you like.

Assessment:

These cupcakes are very good, but the frosting is very very sweet. My search for the perfect buttercream frosting will continue. Or I may do my own experiments with more butter and less sugar.