Fresh Apple Cookies
So soft, so moist, so tasty. And good for you too, with apples and whole wheat flour! From The Best of Bridge.

Preheat oven to 375.
Mix 2 cups of flour (your preference, I use half whole wheat half all-purpose) with 1 tsp baking soda. Cream together 1/2 cup of butter, 1 cup of brown sugar, packed, 1 tsp each cinnamon & cloves, 1/2 tsp each nutmeg and salt and 1 egg, beaten. Add 1/2 flour mixture to butter mixture and mix. Add 1/4 cup of milk and mix. Add 1 cup chopped apples, 1/2 cup of nuts (I like slivered almonds) and 1 cup of raisins to remaining flour mixture and combine with butter mixture. Mix until combined and drop spoonfuls onto a greased sheet (or parchment paper). Bake for 10 minutes.
Glaze while warm with 1 cup icing sugar mixed with 1 tbsp butter, 1/4 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 1/2 tbsp milk.

Blueberry Bran Muffins
This is the absolute best bran muffin recipe I have ever made and tasted. I added blueberries, but have made them with wheat gherm, coconut, nuts, raisins.















Oven at 400F, muffin pan lined with papers (I used large or extra-large). In a med. bowl mix 1/4 cup canola oil, 1/4 cup molasses, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1 cup milk (I often use buttermilk) and 1 1/4 cups bran (wheat or oat). In a small bowl (I use my large glass measuring cup) mix 1 cup flour (I use whole wheat), 1.5 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt. Stir and dump in all but a tiny bit into the wet mixture and stir. In the remaining bit of flour mixture, coat 1/2 cup berries/nuts/raisins and mix into mixture. Fill muffin papers and bake for 16-18 minutes. The key here is to not overcook them. If you do, people will take a bite and smile but think "this is why bran muffins suck, they are so dry".

Mince Pies
Every year, since I can remember, mince pies have been made in copious dozens and consumed at alarmingly fast rates in my family. Combined with a dry sherry, there is nothing else that makes me feel more Christmassy than this. They are to be eaten at all times of the day, including for breakfast. In our home, Santa gets a glass of Sherry and two mince pies on Christmas Eve. No milk and cookies for that old gent. And because I have to phone my mum EVERY year to ask the same question about baking temperature, I thought I might as well post the directions etc. to making delicious mince pies (or mince tarts).
There are some vital tools that you will need, many of which I have only found in the UK. My tart pans and cutters came from England but I'm sure you can use something else. Before I had the cutters I used different drinking glasses.
Make your favourite pastry (I use the "flaky pastry" recipe from the Joy of Cooking) and roll it out on a floured surface to about 2 mms thick. Cut out 12 large circles (bottoms) and 12 smaller circles (tops). Grease the tart pan and line each tart section with a bottom. Fill each tart with about 1.5 tsps of Crosse and Blackwell's mincemeat. This is the key. Almost all other mincemeats are pretty awful tasting but the Crosse and Blackwell line is delicious. Using warm water, wet the edge of a top and place wet side down on the filled tart. Push/tuck the top into the bottom. Snip the top with scissors and paint the top with milk. Bake in a 400F oven for about 20 minutes. Tarts should slide right out of pan, or you didn't grease them enough. Cool and serve.
Being filled:









Snipped and milked:









Ready to bake:









Ready to eat:

Nelson brownie recipe
Possibly the easiest recipe I've made and always yummy. You can add anything to it, like nuts, cocount, marshmallows, whatever.

In an 8x8 non-stick pan:
1/2 cup butter/marg, melted and cooled
1/2 cup cocoa & 1 cup sugar, mix in
2 eggs, beaten, mixed in
1/2 cup flour, mixed in
nuts, etc.

Bake for 25 minutes at 350 F.

Lassy Mogs
When we first moved back to Canada, I bought some President's Choice Lassy Mogs and was so addicted to them that I could put away an entire bag. In one sitting, no joke. So, I decided to look for a recipe but couldn't find anything that was clearly a Lassy Mog. However, I did find a comparable recipe and, with a couple of modifications and translation (it was in french), here's what I now call Lassy Mogs.

1 cup butter/marg
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup molasses
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt, nutmeg
1 cup raisins
1 cup dates, cut up
2/3 cup coconut

Cream butter, sugar and eggs. Stir in molasses and vanilla. Mix dry in separate bowl and add to wet. Stir in fruit and coconut. Mixture will be very stiff. Loosely shape into balls on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 10-11 minutes at 375˚ F.

Making granola bars
I have been making a pan of these every couple of weeks so Ben can take granola bars to work. They are very yummy and full of goodness. The recipe hails from Aunty Amandy.


Morning Sunshine Bars
1.5 cups of whole wheat flour
1.5 cups of AP flour
2 tsp BP, cinnamon
1 tsp BS
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup fruit (mashed banana, applesauce, pumpkin, something liquidy)
2/3 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup oil
2 cups grated carrot
1 cup chopped dried fruit (dates, raisins, apricots)
1/2 cup nuts

1. Mix dry ingredients (up to eggs)
2. Mix remaining "wet" ingredients (up to dried fruit)
3. Add dry to wet in batches and stir well
4. Mix in last two ingredients (will be quite stiff)
5. Bake 375 F for 30 minutes in a 13 x 9 pan that is lined with parchment paper. Cool and cut into long, thin bars. Makes about 32 bars.

Date Squares
Yum, yum. These are mighty tasty. I recently made a double batch and played Date Fairy and delivered some to friends/neighbours, much to Ben's dismay. He thinks these are his absolute favourite dessert and would prefer that I didn't give any away.
Della's Date Squares

2 cups dates, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp BS, salt
1 1/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
2/4 cup marg

1. In a medium pan, mix and heat first 4 ingredients. Cook for 15 minutes over m/l heat and let cool.
2. Mix remaining ingredients and press half of mixture firmly into a square 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper.
3. Spread cooled date mixture evenly over base.
4. Lightly press remaining crumb mixture evenly on top of dates.
5. Bake 20 minutes @ 375F.
Makes 20 squares.

Baking chez moi
Here is the craziness that my kitchen turns into when I decide to do some mass baking.
This weekend I made Chunky Monkey Muffins, Nana Elsie's apple crumble and sour cream chocolate cake. And this is all before I accept delivery of a white (no choice in colour) KitchenAid Professional Bowl Lift Stand Mixer that was on sale through Airmiles (2400 points instead of 3200, still leaving us enough to fly to Ontario in August). About 18 months ago, a similar mixer went 'on sale' through Airmiles and we didn't get it, figuring it would be there for a while and then it was, poof, just gone from the Rewards list. So this time, when I saw it 'on sale', Ben and I briefly hesitated and then I ordered it. Seeing as all the taxes and shipping are paid too, it's a pretty good deal.
My mum asked for this recipe, which is funny because she has the original book but can't find it. It's a really really yummy moist cake and I would highly recommend you make some now.

Mme. Jehane Benoit's Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
6 tbsp butter = 90 mls (just under 1/2 cup)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cup flour
1.5 tsp BP
1 tsp BS
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sour cream (you can sub. plain yogo)
1 pack chocolate chips
1 tbsp sugar

1. In an electric mixer, combine butter, sugar and eggs and beat for 10 minutes (um, as if I have 10 minutes to stand there holding the electric mixer. Maybe when I get my new Professional White Kitchenaid stand mixer that we ordered through airmiles on Saturday, yes)
2. Mix dry and add to wet. Fold in sour cream.
3. Pour in a 9x13" greased and floured (or lined with parchment paper) baking pan.
4. Scatter chips evenly across top and sprinkle with sugar.
5. Bake 35 minutes at 350 or until cake pulls away from sides and smells done.

And the next shot is of the Valley of Chocolate Chips...

Butterfly Buns
My nana would be most proud to see that I sent these to Clara's class today for her birthday treat. A simple chocolate cake recipe baked into bun shape and then cooled. You cut out the middle and fill with a dollop of jam and either sweetened butter cream of whipping cream and decorate with wings (the centre cut into two).