Desserts and Sweets

Chocolate Cherry Almond Torte – Gluten Free, Grain Free, Refined Sugar Free

Chocolate possesses a number of interesting technical properties not dissimilar from wine. The region, the surrounding vegetation and the soil are some of the key factors in the character of the cocoa bean and the overall taste of the chocolate. The origin of the Chocolate Cherry Almond Torte recipe is not clear but what is clear is that the quality of the chocolate significantly influences the result. For the purposes of this article, I have taken the vintage Chocolate Cherry Almond Torte recipe and re-developed it so that it is suitable for gluten-free, refined sugar-free and grain-free dietary options. It is a great make-ahead cake and one that will feed a crowd.

Chocolate Cherry Almond Torte plated with cherry syrup reduction and softly whipped cream

Chocolate Cherry Almond Torte – Gluten Free, Refined Sugar-Free, Grain Free

Equipment: 9 – 10″ x 2” high Spring Form pan with removable bottom
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My Mom’s French Canadian Tourtière

By Denise Pare-Watson

CHC CANADA 150 FOOD BLOG CHALLENGE SERIES

Prelude: I am a proud Canadian. When the Culinary Historians of Canada invited food bloggers to participate in the “CHC Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge”, I knew that I wanted in! What a great way to celebrate and honour Canada’s 150th birthday by featuring a different Canadian dish or discussing a topic which reflects on what it means to be Canadian. For the month of May, in honour of Mother’s Day (May 14), CHC invited food bloggers to share recipes relating to mothers, recipes and techniques passed on by our mothers or grandmothers, or from our mother’s culture. I am honoured and proud to share a historical and famous recipe for My Mom’s French Canadian Tourtière.

Food has been such a significant part of my French Canadian heritage and some of my clearest childhood recollections are about food. It is not only the memories of the food that are so clear but the smells, the tastes and the surroundings that are so vivid. Holidays would not be the same without Mom’s tourtiere. In our family, the Christmas Eve menu always included a large tourtiere to enjoy before midnight mass.

Skip to Tourtière Recipe

There are a number of food traditions that are very important to my family, but my Mom’s famous tourtière is the most requested. I have had many versions of tourtière – from chefs colleagues, relatives and friends, but none can compare to my “Little Mom’s” French Canadian Tourtière. (More on “Little Mom”).

My Mom’s version of tourtière is more savoury than traditionally prepared tourtière due to the use of sage and poultry seasoning as opposed to the warm spices typically used (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice). Mom always insisted on a mixture of ground meat: beef, veal and pork. This combination makes a huge difference in the overall taste and texture of the tourtière filling. The aromatic fragrance of the tourtière mixture simmering is magical. Writing about it makes me nostalgic. Although I have adapted the process somewhat, I follow her recipe method and always make enough to share with family and friends, which was her tradition.

My Mom’s French Canadian Tourtiere

My Mom’s French Canadian Tourtière became quite famous in a small village in Ontario. Everyone loved it when she made her tourtière pies for church or village social events. As a matter of fact, the ladies of the village church approached her many years ago for her tourtière recipe to make and sell the pies for the parish fundraising efforts. She not only generously shared her tourtière recipe – she also taught them how to make it….

Apple Cream Pie – The Pie That Stole My Husband’s Heart

By Denise Pare-Watson

Apple Cream Pie – The Pie That Stole My Husband’s Heart

Also Known as: “Better Than Beer Pie”

And Also: “Pie in a Bag”

This Apple Cream Pie has many names because there are many stories connected to it. The name that I like best is “The Pie That Stole My Husband’s Heart”. The first time I made it was for my guy over 40 years ago when we first started dating. Making this pie was a huge step for me because up until then, my attempts at pie crusts were marginally successful (you can read all about my adventures in pie crusts here).

I am not one to give up easily, so I watched, I learned and I practiced at my Mom’s side. In time, I became fairly confident making this special recipe for my guy and his brothers who were busy working on their family farm. I may have stolen three hearts that day because the feedback about my pie was outstanding. They proclaimed that ‘this pie is better than beer’ and that was high praise coming from self-described starving university students more accustomed to beer as their primary source of nutrition.

The interesting thing about that original pie recipe was that it was baked inside of a paper bag. I have always been a curious cook and baking a pie inside a paper bag really piqued my interest. The result was a soft juicy filling with a flaky crust. Ever since that day, any request for an apple pie was always for ‘The Pie in a Bag’.

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The Ultimate Canadian Maple Butter Tarts

By Denise Pare-Watson

Urb’n’Spice Ultimate Recipe Series

Is there anything more Canadian than butter tarts made with pure maple syrup? I truly believe you will agree that these Ultimate Canadian Maple Butter Tarts are hard to beat. Maple is as much a part of the Canadian food scene as poutine, tourtière or Nanaimo Bars. This particular recipe is also included in an article pertaining specifically to maple for the Culinary Historians of Canada‘s CANADA 150 FOOD BLOG CHALLENGE. You can read all about it here.

Skip to Recipe

My Mom always made this family favourite with maple syrup and I have carried on that French Canadian tradition. The filling for this tart recipe is essentially a custard (similar to pecan pie filling or cheesecake). The addition of maple syrup is delightful and oh, so Canadian. While many butter tart purists prefer their baked treats without embellishments, roasted pecans or walnuts and/or raisins are a great addition.

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Maple – A Timeless Canadian Tradition

By Denise Pare-Watson

CHC CANADA 150 FOOD BLOG CHALLENGE

I was excited to learn that this month’s challenge is maple, a favourite in both sweet and savoury recipes. Even before I began my research for this article, I was very much aware that maple has evolved from its humble beginnings as a natural sweetener. Maple syrup is one of Canada’s quintessential food products.

Skip to Maple Butter Tart Recipe

I sometimes think that we, as Canadians, take maple syrup for granted – it is not just for pancakes and waffles. We have what the rest of the world wishes they could access as easily as we can. Many of my international colleagues have Canadian maple syrup on the top of their shopping list whenever they come to Canada.

Maple Butter Tartlet with Pecans | urbnspice.com

The Ultimate Canadian Maple Butter Tart

Maple Syrup is uniquely Canadian with 80% of the world’s production coming from Canada and 91% of our domestic production originating in Quebec. My research indicates that in 2015, Canada had an annual maple syrup production of 8,908,000 gallons, generating revenue of $358 million CDN.

Canada’s maple syrup has health benefits that far exceed any other natural sweetener. It has over 60 anti-oxidants and minerals including calcium, copper, manganese, potassium, zinc and sodium, which offer a number of health-related benefits.

Why is maple syrup so timeless in its uses and its benefits? As a chef who works in recipe development on a daily basis, I have noted that the use of maple syrup has evolved into an important lifestyle and culinary movement – essentially the elimination of white and brown sugar and the reintroduction of natural unprocessed sugars such as honey and maple syrup. These ingredients are being substituted for granulated sugar in home kitchens as well as commercial kitchens. Canada’s Maple syrup has specific health benefits, which makes it a superior alternative to sugar. (See the topic Maple Syrup Substitution in Recipes below).

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Australian Meat Pies

By Denise Pare-Watson

Urb’n’Spice Freezer Reserve Series

Have you ever had an Australian Meat Pie? If you haven’t, you are missing out on one of life’s great pleasures. We had an opportunity to enjoy several traditional Australian Meat Pies at a ‘footy’ (Aussie Rules Football) while travelling in Australia. Joining the jovial and boisterous (and slightly intoxicated) crowd on the buses to the game was an experience we will never forget.

Each and every footy fan (even the babies) donned vibrant scarves in the colours of their favourite teams. The atmosphere was friendly and the excitement was infectious as fans chanted and waved their scarves wildly.

We typically see in North America hot-dog and taco chip vendors walking up and down the stadium steps. In Australia, the meat pie vendors troll the stadium steps at the footy games selling their pies. Australians eat over 270 million pies every year. That is a lot of pies considering their population is 24.3 million.

What exactly is an Australian Meat Pie? Australian Meat Pies are made of well-seasoned meat packed into pastry shells. They are also commonly known as Aussie Meat Pies. These meat pies could be considered their national fast food.

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Coconut Orange Pudding – Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Egg free, Nut free and Refined Sugar Free

By Denise Pare-Watson

The Inspiration of Urbnspice Series

The inspiration for this Coconut Orange Pudding recipe came about due to a few points:

I had some coconut milk liquid (leftover from making whipped coconut cream)
I needed a dairy-free dessert for a lactose intolerant guest
I wanted a somewhat lighter dessert option
I had some Sunflower Butter Crumbles that I wanted to try in several different recipes (more on that later).

Coconut Orange Pudding: dairy free, gluten free, nut free, egg free, refined sugar free | urbnspice.com

Coconut Orange Pudding | urbnspice.com

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The Art of Doing Without

By Denise Pare-Watson

CHC CANADA 150 FOOD BLOG CHALLENGE Series

Prelude: I am a proud Canadian. When the Culinary Historians of Canada invited food bloggers to participate in the “CHC Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge”, I knew that I wanted in! What a great way to celebrate and honour Canada’s 150th birthday by featuring a different Canadian dish or discussing a topic near and dear to our hearts each month. The topic for the February “CHC Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge” is called doing without. This topic hits close to home for many Canadians, especially if you have a family member who has lived through difficult economic times. I am sure that there are many Canadians with countless stories of recent times or that have been passed down through the generations. My family is no exception. The Art of Doing Without is more of a skill – essentially a life skill.

My French Canadian Grandmother – Meme (Mimi to us) and my Mom told us of many difficult times during their lives where they did without or utilized what they did have in some creative ways. My parents & grandparents had a lot of influence in the development of my frugal nature.

Careful, cautious and thrifty were important characteristics of my forbearers. I draw on those traits daily in my own kitchen. In this article, I will share a few of their stories, recipes and techniques that have been passed down to me regarding how to make the most of what is available.

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Pistachio Chicken Pastry Puffs

By Denise Pare-Watson

I want to tell you why I came up with the idea for Pistachio Chicken Pastry Puffs. You would think that a girl who specializes in pastry arts would be totally focussed on creating a dessert. To be honest, I played with the idea of making pistachio brittle. That particular confectionery is gorgeous to look at, delicious and used frequently as a garnish for desserts either as a wafer-thin shard or crushed as praline. I am quite sure that I have made several hundred pounds of pistachio brittle over the years.

Pistachios are often used in both the sweet and savoury kitchen. When I think back to the wonderful dishes we made at my workplace that included pistachios as an ingredient, it occurs to me that they were typically very special dishes reserved for VIP events.

It is little wonder – they are expensive little nuts. Perhaps one of the reasons why they are ‘trop cher’ (too expensive for everyday use) is that it takes so many years (8 to 10 years) before the medium-sized deciduous tree produces its first major crop. (That reminds me of the cork trees in Portugal where the bark is harvested every nine years – an interesting fact.) So that aside, the uniquely similar properties of the pistachio nut is what inspired me to make a special appetizer dish that would feature them at their finest. A savoury bite like Pistachio Chicken Pastry Puffs seems apropos to this very pretty and tasty nut.

Pistachio Chicken Pastry Puffs cut on a diagonal

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Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla

By Denise Pare-Watson

What do you think of when Cinnamon Rolls are mentioned? Does it create food memories of cinnamon-spice gooey sticky buns or cinnamon pinwheels with a cream cheese glaze? Does it make your mouth water when the fragrance of cinnamon buns are wafting through the kitchen while they are baking in the oven? Can you wait even five minutes before you twist off a bit off of one corner of a freshly baked hot-out-of-the-oven cinnamon roll? That is familiar to me on all accounts.

And, if you are anything like me, a cinnamon roll feast is something that we seldom make now at home unless there is a special function where a large quantity is required. Then, I remember why I loved making cinnamon rolls so much. There is just something about working with a really nice dough that is just so satisfying.

Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla

Do you know the difference between cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns? I wonder about things like that. Actually, there really is no difference at all. The terms cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns are often used interchangeably. There are certainly many different ways of making cinnamon rolls. Do you prefer the buns baked tightly together on one tray or individually baked in muffin tins? Do you like the cinnamon rolls individually baked free form or each contained in a pretty pan? Do you go off the beaten path and create something a little unconventional like a twisted cinnamon ring or chop the cinnamon roll dough to create an interesting effect?

Cinnamon Ring for special occasions

It does not really matter how you decide to bake them – what really matters is the quality of the ingredients that you use. I am quite fussy about the butter and eggs, of course, but what is really important for this baked good is the quality of the cinnamon. The cinnamon that I prefer is either Ceylon or Korintje variety from The Vanilla Food Company – the quality of their cinnamon is unsurpassed.

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