une gamine dans la cuisine

Raspberry Oatmeal-Cinnamon Bars

2013-05-24T21:35:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I crave several hefty spoonfuls of oats and brown sugar - with a smooch of something fruity. In my world, oatmeal isn't necessarily "healthy." It's wicked, and rebellious, and loves skipping gym class to hang out with sugar and butter.
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Lemon Cornmeal Cake with Candied Lemons

2013-05-20T12:02:00.002-04:00

Currently: A slice of this darling cake (the very last!), lush trees, lilac bushes blowing in a looming spring storm, and a thick-rimmed glass of iced coffee. I absolutely relish the month of May!

Rain makes its own night, long mornings with the lamp left
on.
Lean bean grass sticks to the floor near your shoes,
last summer’s pollen rises from damp metal screens.

This is order, this clutter that fills clearings between us,
clothes clinging to chairs, your shoes in a muddy grip.

The hard rain smells like it comes from the earth.
the human light in our windows, the orange stillness
of rooms seen from outside. The place we fall to alone,
falling to sleep. Surrounded by a forest’s green assurance,
the iron gauze of sky and sea,
while night, the rain, pulls itself down through the trees.

~ Anne Michaels, in The Weight of Oranges

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Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2013-05-13T13:20:00.002-04:00

Every now and then we all have our struggles with self-doubt and superfluous insecurities. Sometimes a sliver-sized fragment of my own self-consciousness will splinter off and lodge itself into my blog. In dark times I'll compare my site with other food blogs and berate myself for not being as successful, especially when I discover a gorgeous newbie blog that already has a gazillion followers and resplendent acknowledgments in Saveur and Gourmet, etc..

So when I was contacted by Martha's Circle last week, asking if I'd like to join, needless to say - I was Beyond elated! Unfortunately, due a conflict with my current ad network (which I adore!), I had to turn down the offer. But it was just what my blog and I needed - irrefutable proof that one doesn't necessarily need an SLR camera, or the fancy bells and whistles of Photoshop, to get "noticed."

I hope you don't mind me sharing that bit of exciting news. I'm a chronic wallflower, but sometimes the warm glow of a spotlight feels soft, and cosy. If une gamine dans la cuisine were a cat, she'd be purring like a lioness. :)

Now, lets talk cookies.
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Mother's Day Dessert Ideas

2013-05-10T18:42:00.000-04:00

Brown Sugar Buttermilk Pie

My days have been blowing around in a strange windstorm this entire week. I thought Monday was Wednesday and Wednesday was Thursday. Now that it's Friday, I feel inadequate - as though I haven't earned the right to thoroughly enjoy my beloved weekend bounce.

I almost forgot about Mother's Day too! *Eep!* So instead of sharing the cookie recipe I'd promised via Instagram and Facebook...and Twitter (Sheepish am I), I'm digging through the archive and sharing some of my favouite recipes that you, and your fabulous mom, might enjoy.

The peanut butter, oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe will make it's gracefully, clumsy appearance next week. Promise.

{Note: The link to each recipe is just below it's corresponding photo.}

P.S. Fellow food blogger, and talented photographer, Jehanne (The Cooking Doctor), has just released a wonderful Mother's Day newsletter - complete with beautiful step-by-step directions on how to make rose cake pops! More details Here.
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Moonshine Banana Blondies

2013-05-06T13:23:00.002-04:00

"What a strange thing!
to be alive
beneath cherry blossoms."

Kobayashi Issa, in The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, and Issa, translated by Robert Hass

I have a bad habit of mourning the ending of something I love before it's truly even started - an all-consuming book, an impromptu party, a much-anticipated film, lemon cake, a vacation, etc...

Currently I have a massive crush on spring and summer. Of course, in vintage form, all I can think of is their fleeting presence. If only it were possible to place a wedge under the door of time - just so we could linger a little bit longer in the warmth and lush beauty of May, June, July, and yes, even sultry August. (And if only I could figure out how to take my eyes off dark horizons and live in the moment.)

Luckily I can always rely on baking to help me stay focused on "the now." Whiskey helps with "the maybe!"

P.S. I used normal whiskey in this recipe. Moonshine just sounds mysteriously intriguing.
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Raspberry Cornmeal Thumbprint Cookies

2013-05-02T13:28:00.000-04:00

When I was in grade school I remember a rather bully-ish boy who liked to stick his index finger into everyone's peanut butter and jelly sandwich. For this reason the phrase "thumbprint cookie" is slightly off putting. I'm all for diving into food with both hands, but the idea of deliberately poking something seems offensive and unsanitary. Luckily as a child I didn't know that the jam-filled confections were called thumbprint cookies. To me they were tasty, jewel-toned medallions, filled with magical powers that would help me save Fantasia from The Nothing - and hide me from food ravaging bullies.

If you didn't grow up loving The NeverEnding Story, please give it another chance. Maybe we can be friends again. (If you are too young to have heard about the movie, I don't want to know!) ;)

Even though I'm slightly uncomfortable with the title, these thumbprint cookies were splendid, and simple, and a bit magical - they certainly disappeared in the blink of an eye.
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Clementine Olive Oil Cake

2013-04-29T11:34:00.000-04:00

I love the feeling of sunlight on wrinkled morning sheets. My late April mornings are crisp and cold, but thanks to a gentle early sunrise, their edges have softened, significantly. And whilst winter is still trying to make itself heard, his windy voice is now a hollow echo - we're no longer bumping into each other with awkward elbows and disgruntled sighs.

This morning's sunbath was particularly difficult to depart from. My pillow was perfectly cool, and the sheets had the inviting warmth that comes from being slept on all night. Why is it that a bed reaches it's peak comfort level as soon as the alarm goes off? After several minutes of basking and stretching and hitting the snooze button, I remembered the bundt cake sitting on my kitchen table. Nothing awakens the body and mind quite like the promise of cake, and strong, creamy coffee.
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Brown Butter Strawberry Streusel Bars

2013-04-25T12:07:00.000-04:00

Invitation

Oh do you have time
to linger
for just a little while
out of your busy

and very important day
for the goldfinches
that have gathered
in a field of thistles

for a musical battle,
to see who can sing
the highest note,
or the lowest,

or the most expressive of mirth,
or the most tender?
Their strong blunt beaks
drink the air

as they strive
melodiously
not for your sake
and not for mine

and not for the sake of winning
but for sheer delight and gratitude—
believe us, they say,
it is a serious thing

just to be alive
on this fresh morning
in this broken world.
I beg of you,

do not walk by
without pausing
to attend to this
rather ridiculous performance.

It could mean something.
It could mean everything.
It could be what Rilke meant, when he wrote:
You must change your life.
~ Mary Oliver, from Red Bird

Sending thoughts and brightly-coloured wishes of hope and healing to everyone touched by the events of last week. xo
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Meyer Lemon Buttermilk Bars

2013-04-18T20:15:00.002-04:00

My camera and I are in the middle of a dispute; I'm calling the board colour in these photos - Caribbean blue - my fickle camera insists it's toothpaste green. Depending on what device you're on, I'm sure it's a retina-awakening mixture of both. I have been waiting several months to start using this board, which I felt was too bright for winter. So, indecisive hues or not - I decided it was time to go Caribbean.

In case you were wondering, the colour on the paint tube said "turquoise." We're both wrong (and heavy on the snark).
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Lime & Ginger Cream Scones

2013-04-13T14:13:00.000-04:00

Happy weekend, everyone! Today I'm sharing a breezy, simple, scone recipe. Scones, as I've only just learned, are not very camera friendly. Either that or I'm over-thinking the art of photography (a huge taboo, I'm sure!). But I think we can all relate to not liking something - and redoing the redos to the point where up is down, east is west, and your jagged, growing mound of frustration could easily rival Mount Everest. Yes?

I'm probably just sick of this dull, grey, sleepy weather. It feels like a heavy, cold, wet, cloak that I can't quite shake off my sun-thirsty shoulders. Once the temperature catches wind of what the calendar is screaming, I'm sure I'll be happier, and less frustrated...about everything. Thank goodness for sugar, flour, cream, and ovens.
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Strawberry buttermilk skillet cake with Strawberry-Cointreau Reduction Sauce

2013-04-08T12:20:00.000-04:00

I can't even begin to tell you how much I love my skillet, Moody Blue! Not only can she flip an omelette with the grace of a Cirque du Soleil acrobat, she also has a sweet spot for procuring tender, fluffy, cakes. Thanks again for introducing us, Averie!

Due to an obnoxiously long winter, and perhaps some too-early expectations on my part, this season's strawberries are still on the tarter end of the spectrum - thankfully, sugar and buttermilk (and Moody Blue!), can take the surly out of just about anything.

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Caramel-Filled Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

2013-04-01T18:40:00.002-04:00

Happy first of April, everyone! My mind is having a difficult time wrapping itself around the fact that my food blog is four years old. Sometimes at 2:18 am, when I can't sleep, and in between playing with my Monopoly app (Al cheats!), I find myself trying to come with a clever tagline. Everything that floats through my head sounds cheesy, or trite, or phony - like a too-much-makeup induced infomercial perma-grin. So, if it's all the same, I'll stick with my usual nonsensical style of food blogging.

It's a lot like me, this little blog - full of idiosyncrasies, random bouts of self-deprecation, and an innate ability to go from speaking with flowery words to tripping, gracelessly, over comma's and the phrase "super-*insert ambiguous adjective*."

But *cheers* to another four + years. And a huge Thank You - to everyone who visits (new and old!). And thank you to my fellow food bloggers too! You're an amazing group of beautiful people. (Even if I am, at times, super-jealous of your fancy cameras, product giveaways, and Anthropologie photo props.) XO
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Blueberry Pie with Chocolate-Ginger Crust

2013-03-27T17:20:00.002-04:00

This pie really wanted to look like an actual pie, and I was actually craving a real pie - instead, we ended up with a coquettish tart. Not quite the deep-dished deity I'd been hoping for, but still very scrumptious, and stuffed with enough blueberries to fulfill my latest yen for anything that's something-berry.

Okay then - now that we've sorted that out, lets speak of crumbly crusts and unintentional lattices, shall we?
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Double Chocolate Coconut Cookies

2013-03-23T17:13:00.000-04:00

Since I'm the only person within edible distance who enjoys the sweet flakes, I feel delightfully selfish when I bake with coconut - it almost makes me question the depths of my wickedness. Almost.

Alas, it had been far too long since my last coconut-ing - I may have gone overboard on the amount used in this recipe (although I don't recall hearing myself complain). Rather than traversing the preferred soft and chewy route, these cookies took an unexpected Friar Tuck-in-Sherwood Forest-like detour - one that was nubby, and bumpy, and plumpy, and pleasantly crisp (unless inhaled directly from the oven).

*Think* ginormous versions of chocolate coconut haystacks!
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Heartland Turtle Bars

2013-03-18T20:03:00.002-04:00

Winter, in classic curmudgeonly style, refuses to relinquish it's icy grip and pass the seasonal crown over to reticent spring. Yet despite the frozen ground and breathy morning air, I am enjoying tiny prequels of what's to come - birds are singing at daybreak, the trees don't *feel* quite as stark as they did a month ago, and, joy of all joys, the sun is kind enough to emit a hazy light well past 4:30 pm! As a food blogger, longer days are as enticing as sweet cream butter on crusty farmer's bread.

Also, I am back in the kitchen - baking up quite a floury storm of bars, cookies, and brownies! It's strange, but I actually missed cleaning sinkfuls of bowls, measuring cups, and eggy whisks. {Don't tell my flustered future self I'm saying this, but right now, I'm kind of ok with not having a dishwasher. shhh} On second thought, maybe you should remind her...she's a bit fickle, that one.
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Cadbury Creme Egg Brownies

2013-03-15T08:49:00.001-04:00

I can't believe that it's been a week since we last saw each other - my fault, I'm afraid. Between house sitting, a pulled tooth, and misplacing my camera, I have not had much time to play, sing, dance, or bake in the kitchen. Luckily I know some fabulous food bloggers who are willing to step in and keep une gamine going - and my camera was discovered hiding inside the bowl of my stand mixer (apparently after enough wine, a silver bowl bears a striking resemblance to a wooden cabinet).

Last December I did a guest post on Roxana's Home Baking. Today, I'm more than happy to have Roxana on une gamine Until I'm elbow deep in flour and sugar again, I'm positive that her delightful Cadbury Creme Egg brownies will satisfy your sweet teeth!

Thank you, Roxana! Take it away...

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Ginger Rum Molasses Cookies

2013-03-08T14:58:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday, everyone! Thank you for the kind well-wishes in my cookie butter blondie post. Having survived wire braces (thanks, early 90's), a retainer, and one root canal - the tooth extraction was not too traumatizing - I just like to be melodramatic, it makes the reality of a situation feel like a fluffy purple pillow.

Thanks to a hunger-induced shopping spree, I'm forced to extend the soft food "diet," slightly - Häagen-Dazs looks awkward and out of place amongst my frozen vegan, organic hippie food. Lucky me, I was able to enjoy these soft cookies (via several small mouse bites). White wine has also been a close companion these past few evenings - apologies to anyone who may have encountered some tipsy Tweets.
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Cookie Butter Blondies

2013-03-04T16:55:00.000-05:00

Cookie Butter. Two words which, when combined, evoke dreamy images of golden, splendiferous bliss.

Long before I ran an impatient spoon through a freshly opened jar, my mind had already made itself up - I was head-over-heels in love with cookie butter - long before we had been properly introduced. Rather presumptuous, I know. But my uncharacteristically bold assumption proved to be spot-on.
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Burnt Sugar Bundt Cake with Caramel-Rum Frosting

2013-02-27T15:01:00.001-05:00

Today, from a distance, I saw you,
walking away, and without a sound
the glittering face of a glacier
slid into the sea. An ancient oak
fell in the Cumberlands, holding only
a handful of leaves, and an old woman
scattering corn to her chickens looked up
for an instant. At the other side
of the galaxy, a star thirty-five times
the size of our own sun exploded
and vanished, leaving a small green spot
on the astronomer’s retina
as he stood on the great open dome
of my heart with no one to tell. ~ Ted Kooser, After Years

Yesterday's heavy, wet snowfall was a not-too-subtle reminder that winter is still around - stoic and seemingly immobile as ever. No worries, I'm house sitting in a lovely home, with a gorgeous view of last night's storm, and I have another pot of coffee brewing in the kitchen. I'm happy - slightly nostalgic (for...what?), but happy.

Also, I'm beginning to see what all the fuss is about when it comes to big bundt cakes.
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Crème de Menthe World Peace Cookies

2013-02-22T15:50:00.001-05:00

Wednesday, as I was walking down my long driveway to retrieve the mail from a tragically windswept mailbox, I felt spring stretch out her lethargic limbs and yawn like a sunbathing cat. It was a soft rustle, followed by the unforgettable aroma of moist earth and green rain. It was brief- like a kiss from someone in a dream, someone you know but haven't met (yet?). Such intimate moments of forgotten nostalgia never last long enough. But then again, neither does spring. Yet despite my tendency to lament the passing of things before they even arrive, I always relish the subtle nuances of early spring. She's quiet, and lacks the look-at-me drama of summer and winter- we get along beautifully.

Another sweet prelude to spring - Girl Scout cookies. Sadly, I was never a girl scout myself (not even a brownie!). In some way, buying boxes of Thin Mints and Samoas makes me feel as though I'm making up for lost opportunities.

If I'm completely honest with myself, I just really, really...really love the cookies.
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Farm Stand Buttermilk Doughnuts

2013-02-17T10:56:00.000-05:00

Every few years I like to treat myself to homemade fried doughnuts. Were it not for the lingering odor of oil, I'd probably make doughnuts more often...maybe too often.
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Strawberries and Cream Biscuits

2013-02-13T16:18:00.000-05:00

Enjoying strawberries in the middle of February is liberating- it's laughing in the face of winter (something I find thoroughly fulfilling).

Last weekend I was lucky enough to find strawberries at the grocery store- they were not very sweet, but I still took pleasure in pretending that I was surrounded by the month of June- if only for a little while...
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Triple Lemon Bundtlette Cakes

2013-02-10T15:35:00.000-05:00

"Here I purchase your silence.
I agree: I give you mine
with one provision: that we do not understand each other."
~ Pablo Neruda, from "I want to know..." in The Sea and the Bells

February is an awkward, clumsy sort of month- at least for me. My wobbly, pale, winter legs want to rush onward, toward March- with it's promise of green-scented air- yet my wistful mind wishes it could go back to December, when everything was cosy, and snow covered, and certain. With February, I'm never quite sure what to expect...such a tease, this fickle month.

Lemons are, and always will be, my happy place. When my thoughts become lost in a haze of unpredictable, ever-changing weather, and the alarmingly swift passing of time, lemons offer comfort and perspective.
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Salt-N-Pepper Sandwich Cookies with Strawberry Jam

2013-02-04T17:04:00.000-05:00

During these bitterly cold and blustery winter days, I like to indulge. Spring is still a watercoloured, half-remembered dream. It's so easy, and soft, to toss wrinkled thoughts of strappy sandals and swimsuits on the shelf- and simply listen to the windswept siren's call of indulgence.

My happy undoing usually comes in the form of a creamy soup, an all-butter encrusted pie, a ridiculously-rich layer cake, cured, roasted meats, salty-sweet brownies, and cookies. Always cookies...my comfort zone in stormy weather.

I'm also taking solace in the fact that my favorite actor, Jamie Bamber, will be appearing weekly on my television screen. The medical drama, "Monday Mornings," begins it's hopefully-long life tonight on tnt (at 10pm!).

The shiny pilot of a bright, fresh show deserves to me marked with cookies. (A layer cake would be trying too hard, and a pie is too humble.)
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Cinnamon-Caramel Ganache Layer Cake

2013-01-29T14:29:00.000-05:00

Okay, so maybe I do have a little bit of a chocolate lover hidden somewhere- deep down inside. She's rather small, this inner chocolate-loving stranger, but when she meets the right cake, at just the right time, she's quite willing to make a midnight run and leave her lemon obsession at home for a few hours.

I made this cake for my mom's birthday- she adores chocolate in a way that most people adore chocolate. Due an apparent selfish streak, I wanted to find a recipe that strayed from my dislike for the mundane chocolate-on-chocolate repertoire. Half-eaten cake slices on dainty, flowered plates should never happen.

Thanks to this recipe, everyone (including me) devoured every last fork-clinging morsel.
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