Hot Cross Buns

I originally posted this recipe last year around Easter, but since it is that time of year again and I'm currently making my second batch of Hot Cross Buns, I thought I would re-post in case anyone is interested in a Hot Cross Bun recipe ... and this time with more pictures.

Hot Cross Buns - from America's Best Bread Machine Baking Recipes
1 cup water
1/4 cup skim milk powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/4 tsp yeast
1 cup raisins

1. Measure all ingredients except raisins into bread pan. Select dough cycle. Add raisins at add ingredient signal.

2. When done, turn out onto lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide into 12 portions. Roll each into a ball and place on prepared baking stone. Gently flatten each ball with the palm of your hand. Cover and let rise for 35-45 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 375. Mix together 1 egg white and 1 tbsp of water and brush over buns. Using a knife, cut slits in the top of the bun, to make the shape of a cross.

4. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes until tops are brown and they sound hallow when tapped.

Makes one dozen buns.

Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp
4-5 apples, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup melted butter

1. Arrange apples in a greased 8x8 baking pan. (I made a double batch in these photos)

2. Combine dry ingredients.

3. Stir in butter until well coated and crumbly.

4. Spread crisp over apples.

5. Bake at 375 for approximately 30 minutes, until apples are soft and crisp is crispy.

Makes 6 servings.

Shaina's Best Brownie's Ever

My friend Shaina and I like to talk about food. A lot. We talk about the food we are eating, the food we wish we were eating, and sometimes, the food we never want to eat again. So when I told her I wanted to make brownies as a treat for the premier of Lost, and she told me she had the best brownie recipe EVER, I didn't doubt her. Because my Shaina would not lie to me. Not about something as important as chocolate.

And I was right to believe her.

Because she was telling the truth.

These are the best brownies ever. So good, in fact, that the entire pan was polished off so quickly - not solely by me, I might add - that I did not manage to even snap a photo of the finished product.

So I introduce you to the best (and quite possibly, easiest) brownies ever.

Shaina's Best Brownies Ever
2 sq unsweetened baking chocolate (or 6 T unsweetened cocoa powder)
1/2 cup butter (plus 2 T if using cocoa powder instead of baking squares - you need the extra fat)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup unsifted flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup chocolate chips

1. Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Do not lick the spoon after this step. It won't taste good. I promise.

2. Remove from heat and blend in sugar. Do lick the spoon after this step. It will taste good. I promise.

3. Beat in eggs one at a time.

4. Stir in remaining ingredients.

5. Grease an 8x8 pan - bake around 25-30 minutes at 325 degrees, sprinkling with chocolate chips after 10 minutes.

Enjoy the yummy deliciousness - thanks to Shaina!

Almond Bark

This is definitely the easiest and quickest yummy that we make. It takes about 10 minutes, not counting chilling time and it's one of my FIL's favourites.

Almond Bark
1 package semi sweet chocolate chips

2 T shortening

1 1/2 cups whole almonds

1/3 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 T shortening

Melt chocolate chips with shortening.

Stir in almonds.

Spread as thinly as possible on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.

Melt white chocolate with second amount of shortening, until runny. Drizzle over chocolate. Use a wooden skewer to blend white chocolate in with dark chocolate.

Chill until set. Break into irregular pieces.

Ting-a-lings

This is an old family favourite. While some of our Christmas baking recipes have been acquired over the past few years, I remember enjoying tingalings each year when I was a little girl. They are simple and delicious!

Tingalings
1 pkg butterscotch or peanut butter chips

1 pkg chocolate chips

1 can chow mein noodles

1 cup salted peanuts

1. Melt both chips, stirring constantly, then add noodles and peanuts. Stir to coat.

Drop by the spoonful on a cookie sheet and refrigerate until set.

Rice Krispie Roll

This recipe is my Grandma V's recipe. I grew up loving it. Since Grandma has been gone, my sweet cousin Em has carried on the tradition by making two logs each year for our family reunion. One for me and one for the rest of the family. It's the best!

Grandma's Rice Krispie Roll
3/4 cup corn syrup

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup peanut butter

4 1/2 cups Rice Krispies

1/3 cup butter

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

2/3 cup cocoa

1. Heat corn syrup, sugar and peanut butter over medium until smooth and runny. Stir into rice krispies. Spread as thinly as possible on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Chill.

2. Sift together icing sugar and cocoa.

3. Melt butter. Pour into icing sugar and cocoa mixture. Stir until well combined. Spread over rice krispies, as thinly and evenly as possible.

Roll into a log. Chill and cut into 1/2 inch slices.

**After writing this post, and hearing from Lisa, I realized that the directions for this step were not clear enough.

If you DO try to make it, I suggest cutting it in half before rolling it, to make two smaller rolls rather than one large roll. Cut it in half down the middle so you have two squares rather than one large rectangle. Then, roll from the inside toward the outside edge so the chocolate layer will be enclosed in the rice krispies. It will work out better and look nicer. In the picture below, half of the sheet has already been cut off and rolled and the part that is currently being rolled is just one half of the original sheet.

Also -- if possible, try to do the rolling when you have an extra set of hands around. It is helpful to have one person rolling and one person piecing the log together as you go, or else it might fall apart and look very patch-like.

If you are having trouble with the rice krispies sticking to your fingers, you might want to place a cup of cold water beside you, so that you can dip your hands into it occasionally as you roll.

Make an extra one, just in case you've got someone like me hanging around :)

Raspberry Chocolate Crumble Bars

This one is hubby's choice. My mom started making it a few years back and now it's a must have each holiday season.

Raspberry Chocolate Crumble Bars - Mom
Crumble:

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Filling:

1 can sweetened condensed milk (or make your own)

1 300g pkg semi sweet chocolate chips, divided

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup raspberry jam

1. Combine butter, flour and brown sugar, mixing until crumbly. Press 2 1/2 cups crumble mixture in a greased 9x13; reserve remaining crumble. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, until golden.

2. Heat sweetened condensed milk and 1 cup chips until smooth. Spread over crust.

3. Stir walnuts and remaining chips into reserved crumble.

Sprinkle over filling.

Heat jam for about 30 seconds and stir until smooth and runny.

Drizzle over top.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until set.

Let cool and cut into bars. Makes about 40 bars.

Peanut Butter Balls

Peanut Butter Balls

1 cup peanut butter

2 T butter

1 cup icing sugar (this is the Canadian term for powdered sugar or confectioners sugar)

1 6 oz bag semi sweet chocolate chips

2 T shortening

Mix peanut butter, butter and sugar. Place in freezer for 1-2 hours.

Once nearly frozen, form peanut butter mixture into small balls.
Put back in freezer for a few hours to harden.

Once your balls are hardened (um....why is balls such a funny word?), melt chocolate with shortening in a small pot over low heat on the stove.

Drop balls, a few at a time into chocolate. Use a fork to fully coat them. Pick up, allow excess chocolate to drip off and place on a tray of somesort.

Allow peanut butter balls to chill in the fridge or freezer for a few hours until chocolate is hardened.

Makes 2-3 dozen, depending on the size.