Hello 2017, and Sticky Upside Down Apple Gingerbread Cake

It's January.

Which means I've been pinning all of the detoxifying salads and cleansing smoothies.  I've joined photography challenges and seven day juicing challenges, and even looked at fitness challenges.

I bought a new planner.

And I've been eating Ferrero Rochers and pizza, and crackers with Brie and fig jam, and Eggs Benedict and smoked salmon and burgers with fries.

I've had zero smoothies.  I made a salad with dinner one night, but reached for the fresh baguette and butter instead.  I've walked back and forth to my car.  My planner is still blank.  I did manage to go through a closet and put a few bags of clothes together to donate, so there's that.

The mind is willing.  It's so ready.

Yet today, the second day back to school, we're having another snow day.  I think that makes five so far, and winter has only just begun.  So I made myself coffee with Bailey's and egg nog, and contemplated taking down the Christmas tree.

And I looked at the apples in the fruit basket, almost past their prime, and thought about baking.  Not muffins this time.  Gingerbread.  I should have posted this recipe in December, because it's amazing, but gingerbread is something that goes well with winter, not just Christmas.  And there's always apples waiting to be baked into something good.

Sticky Upside Down Apple Gingerbread Cake

Ingredients:

Butter for greasing pan

4 tbsp butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

pinch of salt

4 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges each

2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup molasses
1 cup buttermilk*

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F.  Grease a high sided 9" cake pan.

Melt butter in a small saucepan.  Add brown sugar and simmer over medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.  Stir in salt, remove from heat, and pour into bottom of cake pan.
Overlap apple slices in a circular pattern on top of the caramel.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and spices.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together with the brown sugar.  Add the molasses, then the melted butter and combine well.  Stir in buttermilk, then flour mixture.  Stir together and pour over apples in prepared cake pan.

Bake 45-50 minutes until centre of cake is set.  Mine cracked...that's OK :)  Let cool in pan on cooling rack for 15 minutes, then turn out onto plate large enough to catch any caramel spills or wayward apples.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream.  Tastes just as good once it has cooled.

*If you don't keep buttermilk on hand, make your own buttermilk with one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar for each cup of milk. Put the tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar in your measuring cup, then add the milk to measure one cup of buttermilk. Allow to sit for a few minutes before combining with the other ingredients.

Happy New Year!

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Christmas - in January

Remember how I took December off?

Well, I don't want to look back years from now and see a big gaping hole where Christmas 2015 should be.  So, despite the fact that we're more than halfway through January (what?!), I'm sharing a random mash up of photos from Christmas.

Because it happened :)

There was the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train.

We decorated.  One tree,

two tree,

three tree.

Outside.

Cookies.

Ugly Christmas sweaters.

The aftermath.  Note the lack of ornaments on the bottom half of the tree.  Some puppies think they make good snacks.

Adult colouring books were a thing.

Star Wars Lego.  In every room of the house.

And setting the table with our good dishes for the first time since we've moved into this house.

 And just like that, it's official.  We had Christmas in 2015.

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Happy New Year

Well hello there.  Happy New Year.  

I am just now emerging from the madness that was December.

Shopping, cooking, cleaning, wrapping, and getting it all done at the last possible minute.

Meals and snacks merged, and became all day food.

Despite the stress and excess that overshadows Christmas, there was cherished family time.

And some much needed time away from work, school, and hockey.

I am desperately feeling the push and pull of time.  The change in seasons and another new year brings on a familiar melancholy.  

Pushing forward, while wistfully looking back.

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It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas

Slowly but surely, it's happening.  The glitter and greenery are coming out.  The kids have their tree up, and the garland is on the stairs. My morning coffee is coming in holiday cups, and last night there was eggnog in coffee.

Fa la la, it must be December.

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Hello 2014, Happy New Year!

We greeted 2014 with waffles yesterday morning.  Belgian Waffles, fresh off the waffle iron seemed a good choice to start the first day of the new year.  Watching the Winter Classic was a great way to spend the afternoon, before heading out to the toboggan hill.

It was cold, and colder still today, -25°C.  As I watched the boys go up and down the hill, I reflected on the time we've enjoyed as a family these past couple of weeks.  It was a busy, happy time.  And it was the most wintry Christmas that I can remember having in a long time.  It snowed almost every day. 

Lessons were learned.  Like the importance of shovelling the driveway before trying to drive out of it.

An ice storm caused a lot of damage just days before Christmas, but those icy trees were a beautiful sight.

We celebrated Christmas three times in three days in three different cities.

Our leaning tree is the one in the middle.  

We ate and drank, and ate some more.  Turkey of course, a spectacular whole filet mignon, and a perfect ham.  Cookies, nuts, chocolates, cakes, and never ending snacks.  My Spinach Dip made a few appearances, as did my Pizza Buns which I'll have to share with you.  I discovered a new favourite red wine,  decided that Cosmopolitans are dangerously delicious, and was reminded that I still don't like champagne.

Fun was had by all, indoors and out.

And the Belgian Waffle recipe that I use?  The one that came with my Cuisinart Waffle Maker:

Buttermilk Belgian Waffles

4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon table salt

3½ cups buttermilk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

4 large eggs, lightly beaten 

Lightly coat waffle maker with cooking spray.  I try to avoid using cooking spray and prefer to rub a small amount of vegetable oil around the surface with a bit of paper towel.  

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla, butter and eggs in a separate bowl until well combined.  If you don't keep buttermilk on hand, make your own buttermilk with one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar for each cup of milk.  Put the tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar in your measuring cup, then add the milk to make one cup of buttermilk.  Allow to sit for a few minutes before combining with the other ingredients.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined.  Pour two cups of batter onto the prepared, preheated waffle maker. Quickly and carefully spread the batter evenly. Close the cover and cook until indicator light lets you know waffles are ready!  Serve immediately.

This recipe makes 20 waffles, go ahead and cut the quantities in half if you're not feeding an army.  Also the 2 cup measure of batter is for a four slice square waffle maker.  You may have to adjust the amount if you have a different waffle maker.  As amazing as the kids think it is to watch the batter ooze out the sides when you've used too much batter, it's a helluva mess to clean. 

We top our Belgian Waffles the same way we top our Oven Baked French Toast, with maple syrup, strawberries and powdered sugar, but the waffle topping possibilities are endless.  How do you top your waffles?

Happy New Year!

Thank you for featuring me!

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