redcottagechronicles.com - Sweet adventures in a tiny cottage kitchen

Tasty Tuesdsays #2

By Maureen On December 10, 2013 · 2 Comments · In Uncategorized

Welcome Back to Tasty Tuesdays!

A big thank-you to everyone who linked up last Tuesday! Over 200 links of amazing recipes to browse!

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 everyone has a good time:

1. Say It With Cake - How to make mini cakes 2. Cooking with K – Gingerbread Oreo Truffles 3. Farm Fresh Feasts – Citrus and Honey Wholegrain Muffins 4. Jazzy Gourmet - Turkey Cranberry Pizza Supreme 5. Jo and Sue – Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Pizza Sticks

I was featured on Tasty Tuesdays at Red Cottage Chronicles

Even if you weren’t featured, you can spread the word by grabbing the button below and displaying it on your blog!

I party & get pinned at Tasty Tuesdays on Red Cottage Chronicles

Christmas in Niagara On The Lake

By Maureen On December 9, 2013 · 2 Comments · In Around Niagara, Christmas

There is always a lot to take in during the first full weekend of December in Niagara On The Lake! Friday evening begins with the Candle Light Stroll which is always a magical evening. You can read all about last year’s stroll here! We didn’t have snow this year, but it was sure cold enough to know it is almost winter!!

Saturday we go on the Holiday House Tour hosted by and benefiting the Rotary Club. Six gorgeous homes dressed up for Christmas, several wineries for tasting the latest vintages and a few historical landmarks all decked out in their finest! Unfortunately no pictures are allowed inside the houses, but I was able to snap a few (with permission) of some of the festive desserts in one home!

Grab a cup of coffee or tea and join me on a photo tour of a some of the sweet sites from a fun weekend….

This is the Prince of Wales Hotel, which is a beautiful historic property always dressed up for the holidays!

Since my daughter works in the Old Court House (which by the way is said to be haunted, as is much of the town) I was able to go up and take this photo of the crowd beginning to gather down below!

Did a little window shopping!

No-one with a sweet tooth will be left disappointed in this town!

Festive windows both inside and out!

Chocolate cake anyone!?

A chocolate truffle tree!

And yes, they are chocolate nutcrackers with mini cakes on their heads! Does it get any better?! Willow Cakes and Pastries have some very talented staff! My iphone photos really don’t show just how incredible their work really is!

Hope you enjoyed a quick tour of my weekend! So much sweet inspiration, I have to get back in the kitchen ASAP!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Tartlets

On December 4, 2013 By Maureen

With all the baking that goes on in my kitchen at Christmas time, not to mention the rest of the year, these Chocolate Peanut Butter Tartlets are a favorite. I have to admit I sometimes find it hard to choose what will go onto my cookie trays this time of year. There is just so much to choose from. There are the non-negotiable additions such as the Cherry Chews and the Toblerone Shortbread, and of course Grampie’s Favorite Squares, I like to add plenty of different flavors. These tartlets do just that. Not to sweet and just the right size!

I prefer to roll my dough in balls and press into shape with a tart shaper. I believe I got mine from Pampered Chef. It has seen a lot of use over the years! Alternatively you can roll the dough and cut circles to fit your tart pans. This mini tart pan is perfect for these tartlets.

The fluffy peanut butter filling is creamy and smooth. I drizzled a homemade caramel sauce over top for a touch of extra sweetness!

I think they would be a perfect treat with a big mug of hot chocolate!

I would love to know, what flavors are going on your Christmas cookie tray?

ENJOY!

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5.0 from 1 reviews

Chocolate Peanut Butter Tartlets

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 20

Ingredients

For the crust:
1 cup flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
¼ tsp salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg yolk
2 tbsp. cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
For the filling:
2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
½ cup smooth peanut butter
5 to 6 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

For the crust:
Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment blend the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar and salt on low speed until well combined.
Add the butter pieces and mix until mixture resembles course crumbs.
In a small bowl whisk together egg yolk, cream and vanilla, and add this to crumbly mixture, and blend until dough comes together fully.
Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Then, when sufficiently chilled remove from refrigerator and break off pieces of dough to roll a ball about 1½ in diameter. Drop each ball into the mini tart pans. Using either a dough press or just your fingers, press dough into bottom and up sides of each tart pan.
Return to refrigerator for 30 minutes until finally baking at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool completely.
For the filling:
Combine sifting confectioners sugar, peanut butter and 4 tablespoons of cream. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth, adding additional cream as necessary to come to a creamy, yet thick texture.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a 1M tip with the peanut butter mixture and pipe into each cooled tart shell.
Drizzle caramel sauce over top of each tart if you wish.

Tasty Tuesdays

On December 3, 2013 By Maureen

Welcome to Tasty Tuesdays. I am so excited to be co-hosting!

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. Fruity Snowman @ Kiddie Foodies 2. Pomegranate Cider @ Living Better Together 3. Ginger and Thyme Shortbread Cookies @ Season of Sweets

4. Gluten Free Scotch Toffee Bars @ The Seasoned Homemaker 5. Banana Split Cookies @ The Rebel Chick

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:

Fun News from the Red Cottage Kitchen

On November 29, 2013 By Maureen

If I have gained nothing else from my blogging journey so far there are three things that have made this journey both scary and exciting at the same time. The scary is that I have had to learn to step outside my comfort zone. The second is of course all the people who are following along on this journey with me, leaving comments, following along on Facebook, Twitter or Blog Lov’n or sending a supportive email! And, then their are the wonderful bloggers who have become “virtual” friends that one day I hope to get a chance to meet in person.

Without these blogger friends I don’t think I ever would have had the nerve to apply to be a permanent co-host of one of my favorite linky parties. Because there is always a little part of me that feels “just not worthy” to run with the big guns, if you will. Blogs I have been following from afar before even blogging myself. Never in a million years did I think I would be chosen, but went ahead and applied anyway, and……………………………wait for it…………………

…………………….you could have knocked me over with a feather when I got a Facebook message from the host suggesting I check my spam folder, she had sent me an email. I checked straight away to find that I had been accepted as a permanent co-host and was I still interested. I think I was taken aback by the fact that someone I don’t even know had faith in my ability and chose me. I certainly did not want to let her down.

The conversation with myself went something like this…Oh, my, yes, I think so, can I do this, I have never co-hosted a link party before, I am not technically inclined, I shouldn’t have applied, I don’t know enough about HTML, how does it work, I will fail miserably, she wants me to send her a picture, oh my giddy aunt, ….this is what went through my head in the initial 30 seconds of reading the email. Then, a deep breath, and the little voices of all those blog friends encouraging me and reassuring my decision to jump in with both feet!

Oddly enough the most difficult thing….the dreaded picture. This is way outside my comfort zone. I am the one hiding behind others in pictures. To say I am camera shy is an understatement. But, mission accomplished!

I cannot tell you how wonderful the host of this party has been in accepting my perceived shortfalls and talking me through step by step. Genuinely kind and sharing in her knowledge and skill. I no longer feel like a newbie in high school trying to fit it! After a few emails back and forth, the excitement took over from the doubt and I haven’t looked back.

So, without further adieu I am so glad to introduce you to a new feature each Tuesday on The Red Cottage Chronicles…

I, along with 9 other exceptionally talented bloggers will be hosting Tasty Tuesdays! The ultimate link party where…..

Of course there are a few simple “rules”, which just ensure that everyone who links up will benefit from the exposure…

I will wait until Tuesday to unveil all 10 party hosts, and the blog buttons but in the meantime get thinking about what yummy creation you are going to link up next Tuesday! Just one link gets spread across all 10 blogs. I can only imagine how hard it will be to pick my favorites!

Can’t wait to welcome you to the party!

In the meantime I will be busy in the kitchen this weekend with Christmas baking. Sunday I will be posting my recipes for chocolate tartlets with caramel and peanut butter cream!