Triple Chocolate Brownies Recipe and Easter Dessert Ideas

New: Triple Chocolate Brownies and Easter Dessert Ideas

What's up: Chocolate Stout Cookies, Annexe Resto review, Double Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe

Holidays are always a great excuse to pull out a favourite tried and true recipe, or if you’re feeling adventurous, to test out a new one. Every baker must have a solid brownie recipe in their repertoire that they can easily fall back on. If you’re looking for a good, no-fail, back-pocket brownie recipe, this one is a must-try. These triple chocolate brownies are drizzled with semi-sweet chocolate and stuffed with dark and white chocolate chips. They are super easy to make, look amazing and they’re sure to hit the spot this Easter weekend. The tops are slightly crunchy with a moist, rich, and chewy inside. What more could you want from a brownie? 

Rich, chocolatey brownies for Easter

Headed to a celebration the holiday weekend? These will be perfect for any party. If you’re looking for more Easter dessert ideas, here a few tasty ideas to impress the guests.

Easter Dessert Ideas

1. Classic Tiramisu (egg-free!)

2. Chocolate-covered pound cake bites (finger-friendly food sure to please any palate)

3. Cupcakes (customize them with chocolate eggs and marshmallow bunnies)

4. Strawberry Sponge Cake (welcome Spring back with a pop of colour in your dessert) 


If you've run completely out of ideas and options and none of the above work for you, just pop  a bag of Cadbury eggs into your favourite perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe and voila, Easter chocolate chip cookies. 

Easter chocolate chip cookies

Chocolate Stout Cookies recipe for St. Patrick's Day

New: Chocolate Stout Cookies for St. Patrick's Day in Newfoundland
What's up: Annexe Resto Review, Double Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe, Homemade Bacon and Egg McMuffin

Can’t live in Newfoundland without partaking in a bit of that Irish culture. St. Patrick’s Day is a much bigger deal here than in Vancouver so I couldn’t let it pass by without whipping up a little St. Patrick’s Day dessert. And what better to bake than something with a nice bottle of chocolate stout—chocolate beer cookies! These cookies won’t exactly give you a buzz but they will hit you with a nice rush of sugar and satisfy that sweet tooth. 

M&Ms and Chocolate Beer make these cookies perfect for St. Patrick's Day

Although the beer itself had a nice, strong taste with hints of chocolate, very little of that unique flavour came through in the cookie. Overall it’s a good basic double chocolate cookie recipe, no complaints there, but if you’re looking for something special, perhaps using a strong beer, or adding a few extra ounces of beer might do the trick.

Chocolate Stout Cookies for St. Patrick's Day

I got this recipe from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures and made a few of my own alterations.

The Breakfast Series: Double Chocolate Chip Muffins and Where to get muffins in Vancouver

New: The Breakfast Series: Double Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe and where to get muffins in Vancouver

Whats up: Homemade Bacon and Egg McMuffin, Lemon Bars and Fluffy Pancakes

Breakfast, lunch, dessert, snack, muffins are great any time! So far, I’ve tasted two main types of muffins, the traditional moist, fluffy muffin, and the cakier muffin that could also pass for a cupcake if it had frosting on top. Both are delicious but today’s recipe for Double Chocolate Chip Muffins produces some fanastically chocolately and moist traditional muffins. 

Decadent double chocolate chip muffins

This recipe uses a lot of baking powder, but it’s done in such a way so you don’t taste it at all and produces the biggest, muffins with an excellent muffin top to bottom ratio. The muffins are moist, not cakey, and deliciously chocolatey. Next time I may want to try throwing in some fresh brewed coffee to enhance that chocolate flavour, just a thought! 

Moist and soft Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

Read on to find out where to get vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, and dairy-free muffins in Vancouver. 

Valentine's Day & Tangy Delicious Lemon Bars

New: Valentine's Day & Tangy Delicious Lemon Bars

What's up: Homemade Bacon and Egg McMuffin, Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

Growing up, Valentine’s Day was always one of my favourite holidays. The best part was always checking my Valentine’s basket at the end of the day to see how many Valentine’s cards I’d received from my classmates, and even better, how many candies I’d collected over the week. Cinnamon hearts, Conversation hearts, Hershey’s Kisses, Cherry JuJubes, chocolate hearts, strawberry marshmallows, every pink red and white candy available. Only twice a year did I receive this much candy, and boy did I love it. Despite all the candy however, nothing ever beat that awesome mom who brought in Valentine’s cupcakes or heart-shaped cookies. Not the overly frosted, solid, store-bought ones, but the nice, fluffy cupcakes with the smooth, creamy strawberry frosting and the colourful sprinkles smattered on top. Delicious. 

Perfect lemons for the perfect lemon bars

Lemon bars are the perfect treat for any occasion.

However, this year, we are aiming to please a slightly more mature crowd, so this Valentine’s day, we have some spectacularly sweet and sour lemon bars. With that deliciously buttery crust and tart but satisfying tang, nothing beats a good old fashion lemon bar. 

Tangy and sweet old fashioned lemon bars

This lemon bar recipe has a good balance of sweet and sour with a nice solid, buttery crust. A little extra sweetness, sprinkle a generous dusting of icing sugar. 

I got this recipe from Loveveggiesandyoga.

The perfect chunky, chewy, crispy chocolate chip cookies

New: The perfect chunky, chewy, crispy chocolate chip cookies

Whats up: Kale chips and where to get the best sandwich in Vancouver, Little Nest review

Everyone likes their cookies different. My favourite cookies are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside with large chunks of chocolate on the inside—the kind of texture that you get from the bakery or local eateries.

I recently tried out the famous Jacque Torres’ chocolate chip cookies recipe and I have to say, it was pretty darn good. I’ve tried dozens of chocolate chip cookie recipes, searching for the perfect cookie and although this may not be the perfect recipe, it comes pretty close. 

Freshly-baked chunky, chewy, crispy chocolate chip cookies

Instead of using chocolate chips, using chocolate chunks adds a delicious melty chocolate element to the cookie. With the right baking time it bakes perfectly with a crispy edge and chewy, soft centre. There’s a bit too much sugar in the cookie for my liking, so I decreased the sugar as I do with most recipes and threw in a few white chocolate chips.

Perfectly melted chunky chocolate inside

I also always wondered why my cookies never looked quite as good as the ones in the store. They tend to puff out or not flatten. Apparently, the secret to a nice, flat, chewy cookie...?

Christmas Goodie Countdown Day 7 – Classic Tiramisu & homemade ladyfingers

New: Christmas Goodie Countdown Day 7 -- Classic Tiramisu & homemade ladyfingers
What's up: Cream puffs, Caramel popcorn,  Chocolate fruit and nut thins & Mixed nut brittle

Tiramisu is hands down, one of my favourite desserts. With that rich, creamy taste, a hint of cocoa and an aromatic hit of Kahlua, all in one bite. The perfect tiramisu has a good balance of liquid to cake. Soggy tiramisus are just hard to choke down no matter how good it may smell, and dry tiramisus just don’t have enough of that coffee liquor taste a good tiramisu is known for. I used an easy, egg-free recipe to whip up this classic tiramisu. This delicious coffee-flavoured, creamy Italian dessert is easy to make and requires no baking (unless you decide to make your own ladyfingers).

Classic, simple, eggless Tiramisu

Christmas Goodie Countdown Menu 

1. Christmas Cookies 

2. English Toffee 

3. Homemade Marshmallows 

4. Caramel Popcorn 

5. Cream Puffs 

6. Nut Brittle & Fruit and Nut Thins 

7. Classic Tiramisu & Homemade Ladyfingers

Piped homemade ladyfingers

Christmas Goodie Countdown Day 6 -- Chocolate fruit and nut thins & Mixed nut brittle

New: Christmas Goodie Countdown Day 6 -- Chocolate fruit and nut thins & Mixed nut brittle

What's up: Cream puffs, Caramel popcorn, Homemade marshmallows

Homemade gifts are the best! Not only are they meaningful, but when you make it yourself, you know it’ll be good. A DIY gift also means you can customize it the way you want, personalize it to each person you’re gifting it to, making the present that much better.

White and Dark chocolate fruit and nut thins

Christmas Goodie Countdown Menu 

1. Christmas Cookies 

2. English Toffee 

3. Homemade Marshmallows 

4. Caramel Popcorn 

5. Cream Puffs 

6. Nut Brittle & Fruit and Nut Thins 

7. Surprise! 

Today, we have chocolate fruit and nut thins and mixed nut brittle (or brickle). These are very easy to whip up and require only a few ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Depending on who you’re making these for, you can choose your own combination of chocolate (semi-sweet, milk, white, dark), nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios), and fruit (dried cranberries, apricots, crystallized pineapple, ginger, coconut flakes). Go wild with the combinations and make them as festive as you’d like!

I got this recipe from Appetite for Discovery.

Christmas Goodie Countdown Day 4 -- Crunchy (easy) Caramel Popcorn

New: Christmas Goodie Countdown Day 4: Crunchy Caramel Popcorn
What’s up: Homemade almond marshmallows, English Toffee & How to wrap up your homemade gifts

Delicious crunchy caramel popcorn

The days to Christmas are flying by so fast it’s getting hard to keep track! So many celebrations and so many holiday desserts to enjoy! Caramel popcorn is next up on my Christmas Goodie Countdown. It’s super inexpensive and delicious—who doesn’t love that sweet, caramel taste? Beautifully packaged Caramel Popcorn can make a great hostess gift or just a tasty snack for yourself right off the pan. 

Christmas Goodie Countdown Menu 

1. Christmas Cookies 

2. English Toffee 

3. Homemade Marshmallows 

4. Caramel Popcorn 

5. Cream Puffs 

6. Nut Brittle & Fruit and Nut Thins 

7. Surprise! 

Fresh, homemade caramel popcorn

Most caramel popcorn recipes are very similar with a coating of butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and a dash of baking soda. If you’ve got someone who prefers salty snacks, substitute the caramel for parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast or buffalo sauce.

Christmas Goodie Countdown Day 2 -- English Toffee

New: Christmas Goodie Countdown Day 2 -- English Toffee & Wrapping your Goodies

What's up: Easy Christmas Cookies Day 1 of my Christmas goodies countdown

1. Christmas Cookies 

2. English Toffee

3.  Homemade Marshmallows

4. Caramel Popcorn

5. Cream Puffs

6. Nut Brittle & Fruit and Nut thins

7. Surprise!

Day two of my Christmas goodies countdown. Today, we have one of my all-time favourite treats for any time of the year: English Toffee. This delicious treat is not only super easy to make (and almost impossible to mess up!), but it is SO much less expensive than buying a bar or two from Purdys. Before I found this recipe, I’d spend $4-$5 on a single bar of English Toffee. It was delicious and worth every penny for that delicious toffee goodness, but seeing how easy it is to make, I just can’t justify spending $5 when all the ingredients combined to make a whole tray cost that much. 

This is an extremely easy recipe for the Best Toffee Ever. I got this recipe from Allrecipe.com. 

Decadent English Toffee recipe

Delicious and ridiculously easy to make--English Toffee

Easy Christmas Cookies and My Seven Day Christmas Goodies Countdown

New: Easy Christmas Cookies and My Seven Day Christmas Goodies Countdown

What's up: Toffee Pecan Banana Bread Recipe

Only seven days until Christmas. Unbelievable how fast this month has flown by. If you haven’t hopped on the baking train yet, follow me for the next seven days as I bake up a storm of simple, but decadent and delicious Christmas treats. You can share them with your family and friends by wrapping them up in some cellophane, tossing them in a tin, or just keep them for yourself and eat them straight off the tray. Here’s what’s on the menu:

Seven Days of Christmas Countdown

Chocolate Sable Cookies

1. Christmas Cookies 

2. English Toffee 

3. Homemade Marshmallows 

4. Caramel Popcorn 

5. Cream puffs 

6.  Nut Brittle & Fruit and Nut Thins 

7. Surprise! 

First up: Christmas cookies. What’s Christmas without Christmas cookies? If you’re not up for all that rolling, cutting out and icing and dough freezing and decorating, here are a few recipes for some fabulous, fancy, delicious but easy Christmas cookies you can serve at your next party, wrap up for gifts or bring to work. Cookies today include: Chocolate Sable and Traditional Shortbread Cookies.

Piping Chocolate Sable Cookies

I got this recipe for Chocolate Sable Cookies from UTryit. Not only are these delicious little melt-in-your-mouth cookies amazing to eat, but they’re beautiful to look at! They are chocolatey without being too sweet and the coffee really helps to bring out that cocoa flavour. 

Toffee Pecan Banana Bread Recipe & things I have to do this winter

New: Toffee Pecan Banana Bread Recipe

What's up: French Crullers, Taiwan night markets

Toffee Pecan Banana Bread

I can’t even begin to count the seemingly infinite number of banana bread recipes I’ve tried out over the years. Banana breads with yogurt, with banana breads with apple sauce, banana breads with mayonnaise, vegan banana breads, carrot raisin banana bread, and although they were alright for the most part, my quest for the perfect banana bread continued.

One day, I stumbled upon this strange recipe that called for banana bread batter mixed into a crumbly topping—something I’d never heard of. Could this be what was missing from all these other banana breads?

This moist, but reasonably dense banana breads is one of the best banana breads I’ve made yet. I took this great recipe for the Best Banana Bread (ever) and made a few alterations to make it my version of the Best Toffee Pecan Banana Bread (ever)! My favourite part is the toffee sprinkled on top. It adds a deliciously rich, caramel crunch to the bread.

I made two of these in mini loaf forms and one in a cake form. This fancy banana bread makes a fantastic gift and it’s easily transportable. You can wrap it up with parchment paper and tie it up with some ribbon or craft straw, or use some cellophane.

Delicious doughnuts round two -- Baked or fried?

New: Delicious doughnuts round two

What's up: Must trys at the Taiwanese night markets 

After much success with my mini baked doughnuts recipe, I thought I’d give honey French crullers a try. The recipe is surprisingly easy, much like when you’re making cream puffs and the simple honey glaze is delicious. I’ll definitely be using the honey glaze on other things.

Deep-fried honey-dipped French cruller

I got this recipe from UseRealButter. These doughnuts are deep-fried, but they can be baked as well which I think I will try next time because I’m not crazy about the whole house (and my hair) stinking of oil for hours.

However, I think when you buy them, hands down, the deep-fried ones are tastier. Take a look at Krispy Kremes versus Tim Hortons. When you bite into a Krispy Kreme, those things just melt in your mouth. Tim Hortons doughnuts, while delicious, have more texture and take a few more chews. So when deciding which cooking method to use, consider that.

Also consider that doughnuts are about 200 calories each, which is still less than eating a whole bagel!

French Crullers with a Honey Glaze recipe

Makes: Just over a dozen

Rating: 3.5/5 

Ingredients

1 cup water
6 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
3 large eggs
1-2 egg whites, slightly beaten
Vegetable oil for frying

Halloween cupcakes and a great new cupcake recipe

New: Halloween cupcakes and a great new cupcake recipe

What's up: Dark Table Restaurant: Dining in the Dark, The Perfect Thanksgiving gravy and Thanksgiving Desserts

 It’s almost time for Halloween and of course another opportunity to search for the perfect cupcake recipe. In comparison to the previous recipe I tested out, this recipe uses only egg whites. 

This perfect cupcake recipe checks off on every factor on my perfect cupcake checklist. It has a fluffy, springy texture, a wonderful, non-eggy, non-floury taste and yes, it uses one more egg than I really want it to use, but it’s just the egg whites so it’s not so bad. It’s a bit sweeter than I would like it to be, but that can be remedied by decreasing the sugar a bit.

This recipe is also great for baking cakes, which is what the original recipe intended it to be for. However, you can’t argue with these fantastic cupcake results. I got this recipe from Bakerita and included a few of my own little changes.

The perfect Thanksgiving gravy and Thanksgiving dessert ideas

New: The perfect Thanksgiving gravy and Thanksgiving dessert ideas

What’s up:   What to bring to a potluck party and Chocolate Covered Pound Cake, Cheap baking substitutes

I look forward to Thanksgiving dinner every single year, counting down the days to that moist, delicious turkey. For me, the two most important components of Thanksgiving are the savoury, flavourful gravy that can only be perfected with real turkey juice and a decadent dessert to top it all off.

The Perfect Gravy

The secret to the perfect gravy is browning the flour. Skip the package, because all you really need is flour, turkey juice, a bit of broth or water, and some salt.

Depending on how much gravy you’re making, throw about a cup or two of flour into a pan and let it brown, stirring every once in a while. Once it has reached a nice, light brown colour, add in the turkey juice and broth/water until it reaches a nice, thick, gravy consistency. Use a whisk to mix the liquids in and break up the lumps. Add salt/pepper.

If it’s still lumpy after, run it through your blender or use a hand blender to smooth it all out.

Thanksgiving Dessert

Make sure to go out with a bang and finish off your perfect Thanksgiving dinner with the perfect Thanksgiving dessert. Here are a few tasty, simple desserts I’ve tried.

Traditional Cheesecake

This is a super easy recipe, I topped mine off with candied pecans and whipped cream.

What to bring to a potluck party and Chocolate Covered Pound Cake

New: Recipes - What to bring to a potluck party and Chocolate Covered Pound Cake

What’s up:  Restaurant Review - Romer's Burger Bar and where to get the best burgers in Vancouver, Cheap baking substitutes

Potlucks, parties and picnics, they’re tons of fun, and a great way to try out new bites, but, the question is, what to bring? What will make everyone happy? What won’t break the bank? What is the perfect potluck recipe? The perfect potluck party dish should be:

1. Tasty. It should still taste good even if left out on a table for hours
2. Inexpensive. Especially if making large quantities
3. Impressive. Something to show off your skills
4. Shareable. Everyone should be able to grab a piece
5. Presentable. Sure casseroles are tasty, but after a few digs, it doesn't look quite as appetizing

This recipe for chocolate covered pound cake is from Make it Naked.  These tasty bites are unique, easy to make and will taste great even when left out on the dessert table for hours. With the chocolate covering, the pound cake doesn't need to be as sweet so I decreased the sugar.

Bite-sized chocolate covered pound cake

Strawberry coffee cake and must-have summer desserts

New: Strawberry coffee cake and must-have summer desserts
What’s up: Restaurant Review - Le Faux Bourgeois , Cheap baking substitutes

Summer in Vancouver never lasts as long as I hope it will and it definitely doesn’t last long enough for me to enjoy all my favourite summer treats. You’ve got a week, maybe two weeks left to indulge in the warmth of our shortest season, so before it ends, make sure you give one of these delicious summer desserts a try:

Taiwanese Shaved Ice

Delicious and simple. This dessert is simply a pile of what only could be described as fluffy snow topped with fruit jellies, sweet beans, fresh fruit and a drizzle of condensed milk. Try it at The One restaurant in Burnaby, or Frappe Bliss in Richmond. There's also a great place (so great I can't remember the name currently...) inside Crystal Mall near Metrotown where you can pick seven different toppings for about $5. 

Taiwanese shaved ice with fresh fruit and ice cream

Taiwanese shaved ice for the slightly more daring with red beans, grass jelly, ice cream and taro

Mini Doughnuts Recipe & Vancouver's Best Doughnuts

New: Cheap Baking Substitutes, Best places to get doughnuts in Vancouver and Baked Mini Doughnuts recipe 

What's up: Oakwood Canadian Bistro Review, Birthday Goodies, Measurements

Baked mini doughnuts recipe

Has anyone else noticed the new doughnut fad? They’ve always been around, but recently, they’ve been gaining more popularity as something that doesn’t necessarily need to be eaten with coffee or tea. Doughnuts are getting much fancier nowadays with flavours such as salted caramel, earl grey or even bourbon bacon. They’re even getting popular as a wedding cake alternative.

 

Beautiful doughnut wedding cakes

Regardless, I’ve always loved doughnuts. Whether it’s the ordinary Tim Horton’s, rich Krispy Kremes or the decadent ones from Cartem’s Donuterie, I love them—unfortunately they do not reciprocate my love, much like most of the sweets I adore. The sugar, the fat, the additives. So what better way to combat these than baking my own doughnuts! I also finally got around to buying one of these adorable little mini doughnut pans. 

Wilton mini doughnut pan

Feeling that doughnut craving coming on? Here are some of the best places to get doughnuts in Vancouver:

Cartem’s Donuterie: One of the newest additions to Vancouver’s dessert scene. Has a great selection of unique doughnuts.

Romer’s: Yes, it’s a burger place, but their Drunken Doughnuts are to die for. Little sugary deep-fried mini doughnuts with Kahlua Nutella , Limoncello and Maple Whisky dipping sauces on the side.

Tim Hortons: Cheap doughnuts that (almost) never disappoint. I’ve only had one stale apple fritter there in my life. Great variety of traditional flavours, baked doughnuts, affordable prices.

Edible Flours (vegan doughnuts): Even you vegans can enjoy a tasty doughnut in Vancouver. This vegan bakery has chocolate, raspberry, maple and vanilla doughnuts for vegans and those with a gluten-free allergy.

Restaurant Review -- Soirette Macarons

New: Soirette Macarons review, About 

What's up: Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes, Measurement Quicksheet, Birthday Freebies

We’ve all heard of Thierry and Thomas Haas, but sitting on an obscure block of Pender Street near Coal Harbor is Vancouver’s newest addition to the macaron family, Soirette. 

Although the space was small, the bakery was whimsically decorated with a sky blue and white theme. Little round tables lined the shop and if you look carefully past the elegant display of mouth-watering macarons, you may catch a glimpse of the adorable little arrangement of macarons sitting on miniature stools. 

This tiny little bakery holds a large variety of delicate little macarons including the typical raspberry, lemon, vanilla, chocolate and a few atypical flavours including Malibu (as in the white bottle with the orange sunset), lavender (like the flower), pink peppercorn, passion fruit, caramel fleur de sel, and violette. Occasionally Soirette has special flavours, such as a Guinness-flavoured macaron coloured an emerald green with a sheen of pearl green dust on top. My favourites were pistachio and maple.

The Perfect Vanilla Cupcake

New: Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes, Birthday Goodies, Measurements  

(Almost) Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

Too sweet, too dense, too eggy--I am always on the hunt for the perfect vanilla cupcake, and although I’ve come across a few great ones that I would reuse and proudly serve my willing guinea pigs, my search continues.

What makes the perfect vanilla cupcake you ask? For me, the top 5 things I look for are:

1. Fluff factor: springiness/fluffiness of a cupcake. 
2. Eggs/Butter ratios: My max is 4 eggs and 2 cups of butter. Any more is just overkill. Sure it may taste better, but is it really worth the cholesterol?
3. Sweetness: The less the better. You’re already going to frost them, why do you need so much sugar in the cake itself? 
4. Texture: Cupcakes shouldn’t taste like muffins or cakes, the perfect cupcake should have a density close to a light cakey doughnut. 
5. Taste: Not too eggy, not too sweet, not too flourey. I personally really like the flavour of Original Cupcakes’ cupcakes. That’s probably as close to perfect tasting as you can get.
   
   

   

   Baking my (almost) perfect vanilla cupcakes

While this recipe isn’t my perfect cupcake, it does taste pretty good. It’s an easy cupcake recipe and you end with a relatively fluffy, not too dense vanilla cupcake. It’s a little too sweet for my taste even without the icing, but again, still pretty yum in my books.

I got this yellow cupcake recipe from Just Every Day Me’s blog but the recipe’s originally from the Food Network and includes a few of my own alterations.