redcottagechronicles.com - Sweet adventures in a tiny cottage kitchen

What happened to February?!

By Maureen On March 1, 2014 · Leave a Comment · In around the home

March 1st…..already! What happened to February this year. It seems I blinked and it was over. Maybe it was the consistently cold weather (we have had more cold weather alert days this winter than the last 4 winters combined!), or the almost daily snow. And of course Valentine`s Day, and the Family Day long weekend when we enjoyed dinner with our friends Heather and Dave and their cuter than ever son Ty! That boy makes us all smile

And of course the Olympics! I have to admit the hockey always gets most of my attention.

Whatever it was I am glad it is over! I barely spent any time in the kitchen. I just wanted to cozy up and do nothing. Winter has really taken its toll this year and I cannot wait for spring. I love seeing the tulips at the Farmer`s Market. It is a sure sign spring will be here….eventually!

Sam and I revamped our tiny dining room. This is a sneak peak. I will do a feature post when the room is all dressed and ready for its debut! My mom had some amazing marine maps that belonged to my grandfather and I choose one that will fit perfectly with the casual costal feel I am going for. It is huge though, and I still have to figure out how to frame it.

When I did venture into the kitchen it was at 5:30 in the morning to whip up a batch of maple walnut muffins to bring to my sisters for the 7AM gold medal men`s hockey game! Totally worth it! Both the muffins and the game. The recipe comes from Taste of Home and you can find it here. I made only 2 changes, using maple extract instead of vanilla and coconut oil instead of butter which gave it a subtle coconut flavor. I will making these often, and next time will use half whole wheat flour and half all purpose.

Speaking of Taste of Home, I have recently been appointed a volunteer field editor and one of my duties include reviewing recipes found either in their print publications or on line. Beginning in March, each Wednesday I will post a recipe and review!

Looking forward to March, even though we are expected below zero temps until at least the middle of the month! We are not big into St.Patrick’s Day, but clocks spring ahead in a little more than a week and the first official day of spring is later in the month! So, March isn’t all that bad

Tasty Tuesdays No. 50

By Maureen On February 25, 2014 · 2 Comments · In Link Party

Welcome back to Tasty Tuesdays! Technical difficulties kept me out of the party last week

So glad you are back and ready to link up. Personally I would love to see some healthy recipes linked up this week. Think clean eating, paleo, low sugar, vegetarian, or whatever healthy eating recipes you want to share!

Each week, our team of 10 amazing bloggers hosts this fabulous party! We’re so glad that you’ve stopped by to party with us!

Without you, we wouldn’t have a party at all. So we think you’re pretty special and deserve to benefit from linking up with us each week. Here’s how:

Before we get to the party, we have a couple of ground rules to ensure that everyone has an enjoyable time:

Due to aforementioned technical difficulties I did not have the chance to check out all the links from last week. I am sharing those from week 48! I will be catching up today

My Farm Life Diary – Passion Fruit Lemon Curd

The Brunette Baker – Malted Milk Ball Squares

Bakewell Junction – Cinnamon Roll Cake

Organizer By Day – Chocolate Peanut Butter Hearts

Ma Niche – Paris-Brest

If you were featured, we’d appreciate if you spread the word by grabbing one of our featured buttons & displaying it anywhere you see fit on your blog!

Even if you weren’t featured, you can spread the word about the party by grabbing this button:

Tasty Tuesdays # 48

On February 11, 2014 By Maureen

Welcome back to Tasty Tuesdays!

Each week, our team of 10 amazing bloggers hosts this fabulous party! We’re so glad that you’ve stopped by to party with us!

Without you, we wouldn’t have a party at all. So we think you’re pretty special and deserve to benefit from linking up with us each week. Here’s how:

Before we get to the party, we have a couple of ground rules to ensure that everyone has an enjoyable time:

My Farm Life Diary – Passion Fruit Lemon Curd

The Brunette Baker - Malted Milk Ball Squares

Bakewell Junction – Cinnamon Roll Cake

Organizer By Day - Chocolate Peanut Butter Hearts

Ma Niche – Paris-Brest

If you were featured, we’d appreciate if you spread the word by grabbing one of our featured buttons & displaying it anywhere you see fit on your blog!

Even if you weren’t featured, you can spread the word about the party by grabbing this button:

Tasty Tuesdays

On February 4, 2014 By Maureen

Welcome back to Tasty Tuesdays! I cannot believe it is February already. January went by like a blur!

Each week, our team of 10 amazing bloggers hosts this fabulous party! We’re so glad that you’ve stopped by to party with us!

Without you, we wouldn’t have a party at all. So we think you’re pretty special and deserve to benefit from linking up with us each week. Here’s how:

Before we get to the party, we have a couple of ground rules to ensure that everyone has an enjoyable time:

1. My Family Mealtime - Legendary Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

2. Delightful Made - Mango Peach Smoothie

3. Peanut Life Adventures - Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

4. The Scent of Oranges - Fruit and Nut Muesli

5. Say It With Cake - Red Velvet Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

If you were featured, we’d appreciate if you spread the word by grabbing one of our featured buttons & displaying it anywhere you see fit on your blog!

Even if you weren’t featured, you can spread the word about the party by grabbing this button:

Hazelnut Crusted Orange Chocolate Tart

On February 2, 2014 By Maureen

Oh, how I love this tart. The smell of orange and chocolate together reminds me of my poppa. Sounds strange, but it smells like the candy cupboard did at their house. Still does, a little bit. While the smell of that cupboard may have faded, the memories have not. You see, my poppa (my mom’s dad) was the captain of a lake ship called the Chicago Tribune. It travelled between Quebec and Chicago. He docked at loading dock of the Chicago Tribune newspaper to unload their newsprint. While the ship was being unloaded poppa would visit a candy store next to the loading dock and stock up on candy to bring home for us! The candy was kept in this same cupboard for all the years I can remember. Long after he retired the cupboard still smelled of all the candy. My nephew lives in the house now, so I can still open the double doors and stick my head in hoping to breath in the memories. But I realized while I was cooking up some orange curd, and melting chocolate side by side that those memories are alive in my kitchen.

ENJOY!

Hazelnut Crusted Orange Chocolate Tart

Author: Maureen Reynolds

Serves: 8

Ingredients

CRUST:
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
⅔ cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1 vanilla bean
3 tablespoons ground almonds
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup all purpose flour
⅔ cup ground hazelnuts
FILLING
⅔ cup granulated sugar
½ cup fresh squeezed orange jucie
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature and cubed
TOPPING
½ cup 35% whipping cream
4 ounces dark chocolate, melted and cooled
3 teaspoons granulated sugar

Instructions

CRUST
In a large bowl beat butter and confectioners sugar and beat on low just to combine.
Split vanilla bean, scrape out seeds and add to sugar/butter mixture. Add ground almonds and salt and beat on low until ingredients are combine and smooth.
With a wooden spoon beat in egg.
Sift in flour and add ground hazelnuts and stir with wooden spoon just until combined.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, flatten into disk and wrap in plastic wrap.
Chill for 30 to 60 minutes.
FILLING
Whisk sugar, orange juice, egg yolks and while egg in a metal bowl.
Place bowl over pot of simmering water and gently whisk the mixture until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes. You can step away now and again, and just whisk gently.
When the curd has thickened remove from heat and strain into a bowl, and whisk in butter until it is completely melted.
Chill curd until set, approximately 2 hours
TOPPING
Beat whipping cream on high just until it starts to thicken.
Add sugar and melted chocolate and continue whipping until thick.
ASSEMBLY
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove tart dough from fridge. Using 4 inch fluted tart shells with removable bottoms, roll dough and cut to fit. Place dough into tart pan and trim top edges if necessary. Place tart shells on a baking sheet and dock each with a fork.
Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven to cool.
Spoon filling into each prepared tart shell and smooth with an off set spatula.
Fill a piping bag with chocolate whipped cream fitted with a large plain tip and pipe a mound of whipped cream into the centre of each tart.
Garnish as desired.

I garnished my tarts with shelled hazelnuts dipped in melted sugar. Roast whole hazelnuts for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and remove skins. Insert a toothpick into the bottom of each one. Prepare a piece of Styrofoam so that it hangs slightly over the edge of the counter, placing a heavy book on it to support it. Heat 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat until melted, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add an additional 1/2 cup sugar and continue stir and heat until it changes to a light amber liquidy paste and finally to a dark amber caramel color. Remove from heat and set bottom of pot into a bowl of cold water to stop cooking process. Remove from water and allow to sit for a moment. Dip each hazelnut into caramel, remove and hand upside down by sticking toothpick into Styrofoam and allow it to form a long drip. Allow to harden. Trim length of drip if necessary.