by on June 27, 2019   •   12 Comments Bakeshop

Fudgy Chocolate Two-Bite Brownies (GF, DF)

I‘ve discovered the perfect picnic brownie and so naturally I’ve been making them on repeat. As is my custom with a favourite new-to-me recipe, I had to share it with you.

We’ve already had our first wave of summer visitors and we spent many happy hours exploring Nova Scotia beaches while they were here. With 10 hungry folks to feed, I needed a sweet treat the toss in the picnic basket that had a few redeeming qualities (my parents are extreeeeeemly health conscious).

Fortunately, Peace, Love & Fibre had just landed in my kitchen, the latest (and greatest!) cookbook from the Queen of Fibre herself, my friend, Mairlyn Smith.

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by on May 6, 2019   •   8 Comments Bakeshop

Sweet and Savoury Scone Recipe Round-Up

It was almost exactly one year ago when I shared my recipe for Vanilla Cream Scones with you all, as well as details on an elaborate tea party.

A few friends and I had gathered to celebrate the Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan, and we toasted their happiness with many cups of tea – and a few gin & tonics. Today, as I sat down to write this post, the same Royal couple announced the birth of their son. Welcome Baby Sussex!

Now more than ever, it seems fitting to share a sweet and savoury scone recipe round-up with you.  These are my favourites – plain and simple, cheesy and fruity. You’re bound to find a recipe you’ll love forever.

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by on April 3, 2019   •   5 Comments Bakeshop

Glazed Mini Lemon Poppyseed Tea Cakes

These simple and elegant tea cakes are bursting with citrus flavour; serve them at your next spring gathering.

We Canadians have to wait for spring just a little longer than seems fair.

Each April we wait impatiently for the first rhubarb of the season and then we bake it into everything from hearty muffins to delicate galettes. We still have weeks – maybe months – to go until strawberries arrive at the markets, and until then, we’re juicing lemons and squeezing clementines for our kitchen baking projects.

Citrus is definitely the inspiration for these cakes. I wanted to create a delicate tea-time treat that evoked the feeling of spring while still using the winter ingredients we have on hand.

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by on January 29, 2019   •   30 Comments Bakeshop

How to Make the Best Muffins Ever – Revisited

Nine long years ago I posted a customizable basic oatmeal muffin recipe here on Simple Bites and declared it the ‘best muffin ever’.

It was a bold claim, but one that I was prepared to stand behind. You, my readers, preheated your ovens, gathered ingredients and started baking. Now, nearly a decade later, the post has over 300 positive comments, millions of views, and hundreds of believers.

Today’s post answers the question: is my simple one-bowl muffin recipe still the best? I’ll also share a few small tweaks I’ve made to the recipe over the years, plus my favourite flavour combinations.

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by on December 29, 2018   •   1 Comment Bakeshop

Espresso Chocolate Cheesecake

Happy holidays to all of you lovely readers.

This week has included a heap of festivities with friends and family as well as plenty of downtime to relax. Our new home is proving to be very cozy and every day we’re feeling more settled.

We’re currently snowed in, and since the fridge is still full of leftovers, there’s really no need to do anything else but hibernate – until  New Year’s Eve that is. We’ve been invited to friends for a party on the 31st, so I’m brainstorming what I could contribute.

Since we’re in the middle of the dark days of winter, my mind turned to chocolate…and coffee….and then I remembered this cheesecake.

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