Fondant is used for decorating cakes (especially wedding cakes), cupcakes, and fancy cookies. It creates a beautiful and smooth covering that makes your homemade desserts look professionally made. Fondant is actually quite easy to work with, but store bought fondant is expensive and, in my opinion, doesn’t taste good. Homemade marshmallow fondant, however, is easy to make, is much more affordable, and tastes good. Thanks to the step-by-step photo instructions from this website, I was able to make my first wedding cake.
Posts Tagged ‘food’
Stir Fried Snow Pea Shoots with Garlic
In Other Asian Foods on September 12, 2011 at am
Living in an apartment that faces north prevented me from growing my own vegetables until now. This summer, I rented a community garden plot and tried gardening for the first time. I wasn’t as successful as I had hoped, because I was (too often) too lazy to make the trip to the plot and water it. I was the most excited when a single Japanese eggplant started to grow. I proudly inspected it for a couple of weeks while researching recipes that would be worthy of this adorable, surely to be delicious, eggplant. But before it was fully grown, a rabbit ate it. I was really disappointed. Luckily, I was able to enjoy a bunch of young and tender snow pea shoots.
Favourite Moist Chocolate Cake or Cupcakes Recipe (using buttermilk)
In Cupcakes on September 8, 2011 at am 
Update: I discovered a similar chocolate cupcake recipe (see here) that I like a bit more than this one. The difference is very slight and the two recipes differ mainly in the ingredient, cornstarch. I still recommend this original favourite below, too, as it is delicious and has never failed me.
I have tried many chocolate cake recipes, but this is only the second recipe that I have posted so far. Can you tell I’m picky when it comes to chocolate cake? The first one posted is my favourite casual chocolate cake recipe that incorporates mayonnaise (recipe here). The recipe I’m sharing now uses buttermilk and vegetable oil and yields a fantastic chocolate cake that is very moist and chocolatey. Through recipe testing, I discovered that making cake with vegetable oil results in a better moistness than making cake with melted butter. This recipe is very quick and easy to make and I’ve used it successfully many times for cupcakes, mini cupcakes and even a wedding layer cake (see here). As a layer cake, this cake has the perfect texture; it isn’t too dense and it slices beautifully because it holds its shape well. In my opinion, this recipe makes the best mini cupcakes. I made mini chocolate cupcakes with vanilla swiss meringue buttercream for coworkers to celebrate an engagement and everyone loved them. The compliments were endless and people loved the ratio of cake to frosting, so resist the temptation to frost your cupcakes too heavily. I’ve also included a recipe below for a simple, spreadable chocolate frosting if you don’t have the time or the ingredients to make swiss meringue buttercream. Update: I recently made a chocolate layer cake with chocolate swiss meringue buttercream and the chocolate swiss meringue buttercream was amazing. I highly recommend you try it. See here for instructions.
Coconut or Macaroon Popsicles Recipe
In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks, Other Desserts on September 6, 2011 at amBefore I knew it, summer was almost over and I hadn’t made any popsicles yet. I fully plan on enjoying homemade popsicles well into fall this year. This sophisticated, coconut popsicle is creamy and has a lovely chewy texture. The toasted, shredded coconut floats to the top (which then becomes the bottom of your popsicle) and creates a macaroon like texture. If you want the whole popsicle to taste like a macaroon, then you might want to add an extra pinch of salt and use up to 1 cup of toasted, shredded coconut.
Momofuku Chicken Wings with Vinaigrette Recipe
In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks, Meat and Eggs on September 1, 2011 at am
This is a very easy and delicious recipe that comes from the famous momofuku restaurant’s cookbook by David Chang. I made this for Krystal and Ed as a late night snack the last time they visited, and they were still talking about these wings a few days after they had gone home. I usually prefer deep fried chicken wings over oven-baked wings, but this vinaigrette was so good, that I didn’t miss the deep fried at all.
Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies
In Cookies on August 23, 2011 at amMalted milk powder is probably most commonly known as being an ingredient in malts (malted milk shakes) and in the chocolates, Maltesers or Whoppers. It can also be used in homemade pancakes, waffles, ice cream or gelato, hot chocolate, cake, and cookies, etc. In our home, we grew up with the malted milk drink, Horlicks. As an infrequent treat before bed time, my dad would make it for us with boiling water or hot milk and sugar. Once in a blue moon, he would randomly call out, “Who wants Horlicks?”, and we would all yell, very excitedly, “I do! I do!”. You see, we lived in, for the most part, a junk food and sugar free home. To this day, I still get a little bit excited every time I decide that I deserve a hot cup of Horlicks, but it never tastes as good as when my dad makes it. I associate malt drinks with comfort and I’m loving experimenting with malted milk in baked goods.
Pasta with Brie, Tomatoes and Basil (A Great Summer Garden Dish)
In Pasta, Rice, and Doughs on August 18, 2011 at am
A neighbour was kind enough to give me a large basil plant. I wanted to use it for something different than the standard pesto and this pasta recipe was perfect for that. If you have a garden with tomatoes and basil, this is an easy pasta dish that will help you use up a lot of both. It’s also perfect for cheese lovers as it contains an entire pound of brie. This is a great option for entertaining.
Healthy Dog Treat Recipes (300th Post!)
In Cookies, DIY and Crafts on August 11, 2011 at amThis is Cooking with Alison’s 300th post! I am dedicating it to my dog, the old man Blue. You’re the love of my life. May you be with us for the 400th, 500th, 600th… posts too.
Wheat and corn are common fillers used in most commercial dog food and treats. Not only do dogs have difficulty digesting gluten and corn, these ingredients have been linked to various allergies and health problems. Luckily, it is incredibly easy and cost-effective to make your own healthy, human-grade treats. All of the following treat recipes are gluten free, corn free and soy free, and can be conveniently stored in the freezer. Please share your homemade dog treat recipes by posting a comment! Please note that if your dog has, or is predisposed to, any health concerns, you should consult a veterinarian before trying anything new.
Photo above: Homemade peanut butter, bacon, and carrot dog biscuits. Recipe below.
Kalbi Recipe (Korean BBQ beef short ribs)
In Meat and Eggs on August 8, 2011 at am
One of my favourite Korean foods is kalbi/galbi (BBQ beef short ribs). Luckily, these are incredibly easy to make at home, but it might take a few tries to master the timing for the perfect doneness, because these can be tough and too chewy if they are overcooked or undercooked (a tiny bit of pink is perfect in my opinion). These are best cooked over a charcoal BBQ, but any grill or cast iron pan will work too. Every home and restaurant makes their kalbi slightly differently (some even using Coke and/or Sprite) so adjust the sweetness and saltiness to your taste. This is best served with Japanese rice (sticky rice) and kimchi. The side shown above is chap chae, a Korean glass noodle dish (recipe here). For John’s house warming party, I made thinly sliced prime rib using this recipe and served them in lettuce wraps with kimchi. They were one of the party favourites.
Jap Chae Recipe (Korean Glass Noodle Dish)
In Rice and Noodle Dishes on August 5, 2011 at amJap chae (or chap chae) is a flavourful Korean glass noodle dish that can be served as a side dish or as a main course. [Note that Korean glass noodles are made with sweet potato starch and are thicker than Chinese cellophane noodles, so be sure to check the ingredients so you don’t purchase the wrong ones.] Enjoy this noodle dish warm or at room temperature (but not cold). 
The flavour and ingredients of chap chae vary slightly depending on the restaurant or home, so feel free to use whatever vegetables or protein you like (ie. spinach and peppers) and adjust the seasonings to your taste. Although many people add thinly sliced beef to their jap chae, I prefer this as a vegetarian/vegan dish. Also, this is the perfect make-ahead dish for entertaining, bbqs, or pot lucks, because it tastes better over the next day or two.
French Picnic (Pique-Nique) Menu and Recipes
In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks, Main Course on August 2, 2011 at am
I made a French themed picnic (pique-nique) basket for Ed and I, but I was feeling too sick to go outside, so we enjoyed it in our pyjamas at home. (That’s the second picnic that has been foiled this summer.) Below, I have shared our menu, a simple and wonderful recipe for tomato salad, as well as other French picnic menu ideas. (See Southern themed picnic menus and recipes here.)
Cooking with Alison 
