Jessiker Bakes

Good Karma Friday the 13th

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:03:00 +0000

Have a great day! And some good karma only with this delicious cheesecake. I don't know about you but today hasn't been unlucky at all for me. Have a blessed weekend!

Brownie in a M&Ms Cup

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:11:00 +0000

So, four days ago I had a craving. For a brownie.

You know, those cravings? The ones you try to ignore but no matter what everything begins to look like a brownie? Well yeah, I ignored it for a day. And it only got worse

Then I tried to buy one, that was a disaster. Took two bites out of it and threw it away. I didn't want to bake a whole batch...because then I might eat a whole batch.

Wait, what? Bake just one? In 60 seconds? Seriously? That's a brilliant idea!

So, that's 4 tbsp of flour, 4 tbsp of sugar, 2 tbsp of oil, 2 tbsp of cocoa powder, 2 tbsp of water, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt mixed with the flour. Looking good so far. Now we need a cup.

Meet my favourite cup. Hi cup.

And my favourite M&M. You know, despite everyone thinking pink is my favourite colour, I actually prefer green. My walls are green. This bed sheet i'm lying on while typing this is green. My towel is green. Okay, you get the point.

Pink is second.

Okay let's mix the water with the oil, and add in 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Okay, add the sugar and the cocoa powder. Now mix! You can use a fork, that's what I did.

Now the flour and the salt. Get ready for it.

PLEASE DO NOT EAT THIS LIKE THIS. Well, technically, you could, since there are no raw eggs or so...but come on we only have to wait like a little bit to cook it! Hold on!

~~And because I'm greedy~~ Just for kicks I added in some chocolate chips. Yes, I opened an entire container of chocolate chips to get a tablespoon. The craving was that bad.

Into the microwave you go! Say a little prayer that it doesn't explode everywhere.

I put mine on 75 seconds. Next time I'll do only 60 seconds though, for a more fudgy product.

Come to Mama.

Can I just take a minute while this is cooling to admit that I ate this WAY too quick, burnt myself and forced myself to be patient. Have you ever smelt brownies baking? Yes, well imagine that happening in less than a minute. I couldn't wait, literally.

Let's dig in.

This was actually, like, really good.
Really really good.
Maybe not bake in your oven amazing, but it only missed that by 15 seconds literally. The next time I do this will be at 60 seconds. This result however was (when I finally waited for it to cool) chewy, and all the delicious flavours of a brownie. Oh yes.

She's also very happy.

2012 Detox: Grilled Chicken Salad with Feta, Dried Cranberries and Apples

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 23:06:00 +0000

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This detox was well needed. After all the chicken (yes), the pasta (oh yes), the baked macaroni and cheese (oh MY)...the christmas cake...I am GUILTY of eating so much, I needed this.

Plus water.

Of course I had salad. But salad plus all the above is sort of...cancelled out.

Again, this well needed and definitely loved.

Don't get it twisted. This salad is delicious. I've been making an effort to have a salad everyday and my mother makes the best salads. This is my favourite one; it's so simple, but so delicious. I get that some people are anti-salads but this definitely filled me.

Give it a try. It's so easy to make and will cure you of your holiday guilt ;).

Grilled Chicken Salad with Feta, Dried Cranberries and Apples

Cubed Grill Chicken
Shredded Lettuce
Chopped Tomatoes
Green Peppers (sliced)
Red Peppers (sliced)
Yellow Peppers (sliced)
Dried Cranberries (try these )
Cubed apples
Cubed Cucumbers
Crumbled Feta Cheese - my favourite flavour is the Tomato and Basil one
Vinaigrette

Combined the lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers and toss. Add in the cranberries and apples, then cubed grilled chicken. Toss again. Crumble feta cheese on top and drizzle a bit of vinaigrette on top. Enjoy!

LAST Day of 2011! Top Twelve Memories from Jessiker Bakes 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:27:00 +0000

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

It's December 31, 2011.

Didn't this year just start?

...No?

Well, this year has definitely been a life lesson. Probably the biggest life lesson year of all years ever, both personally and for my business. I grew 100% as a person and I learned so much.

Tonight I'll be celebrating with my friends and fireworks and fun! If you're staying in don't forget to check out my last blog post about my twelve favourite recipes you can use for new year's eve.

But now it's time for me...yes me! Here are my top twelve memories from my blog for this year! (Make sure you have some cool music playing in the background from January to December 2011.

PS I've NEVER shared one of them with you the very last one is a surprise

1) Jessiker Bakes Official Launch Tasting!

Of course, this was my business' launch and is the top memory for me! I had so much fun and got some great exposure!

2) My First Newspaper Article for Jessiker Bakes

I was so surprised the day this came out! I didn't know when it was coming out and boom! There it was. Above is the link to the online version of the article. Here's the link to the blog post: here

3) My First Newspaper Interview
This was very fun! You can click the link above for the full interview

4) Happy 1st Birthday Jessiker Bakes!

My business turned one!!

5) Jessiker Bakes at Relay for Life

The annual cancer fundraising charity project, finally Jessiker Bakes took part as a business!

6) My First Time Baking on Film!

No link for this, but I have to give Rachel Ray MAJOR props for being on camera! The heat from that light is NOT cool!

8) My First Video Interview

I was nervous, but the set up was definitely very fun.

9) My First Wedding Cake

Too many words for this here, but this was definitely an experience and a half.

10) Keep Calm and Fight On Bake Sale

So much work was put into this! We raised a lot of money for the Jamaica Cancer Society and it was definitely all worth it.

11) My First Video Blog!

Bahh!! The bloopers in this make me crack up! This just came out but I had soooo much fun!!

12) YES! My final and one of my MOST favourites! My first printed Magazine Article!!

Kingston Kitchen invited me to do two recipes for their very first magazine and I LOVED the layout!!! These are just snaps from my phone but it gives you a good idea of what they look like:

It wasn't until I finished this blog post that I realized what an active year 2011 was. I just want to say thank you to everyone who made this year so great for me!

I hope you had an amazing year and here's to bigger and better things in 2012!

Top Twelve Favourite Jessiker Bakes Recipes for 2011: New Year's Eve Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:47:00 +0000

I'm not quite sure what I'm doing for New Year's Eve, but once it involves friends and fireworks, I'm sure it'll be amazing.

What are you doing ? Whether you're staying in or not, I wanted to share not only some great New Year's Eve recipes but my top twelve favourite recipes of 2011 from Jessiker Bakes.

Happy New Year when it comes!

APPETIZERS

Bruschetta

Oven Fried Onion Rings

Smoked Salmon Rolls

ENTREES

Shrimp Stroganoff

Deviled Crab with White Cream and Basil Sauce

Stuffed Crust Gouda and Mozzarella Vegetarian Pizza

SIDES

Four Cheese Baked Macaroni

DESSERTS!!

Mini Lemon Meringue Pies

Macerated Strawberries Cheesecake

Sauvignon Blanc Cupcakes

Black Velvet Baby Cakes (Guinness Cupcakes)

Double Berry Creamy Ice Cream with Graham Cracker Pie Crust Bits

Merry Christmas Gift! Jessiker Bakes Video Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 01:54:00 +0000

I hope you all had a great Christmas. I for one don't want to see anymore food for now... So, as a gift, I have a video blog for you! My friend Nicholas over at the really cool site teamnosleep.com has been asking for me some time to for the site and his upcoming website and Christmas just seemed like the best time to release it it's me, in my element, baking and doing what I do. It also includes bloopers at the end *cringes* but I love this video! It was me being me and doing what I love to do. Let me know what you all think!

Happy Holidays!

Love,

Jessica

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 21:44:00 +0000

Merry Christmas from me to you !! I certainly do hope you enjoy it 100% and spend it with the people you love!

Christmas Brownie Trees

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The easiest Christmas recipe!

Everyone knows I love Christmas and I wanted to share something you could actually do with ease. Of course I encourage brownies from scratch like these here, but let's be real, shopping for gifts for ~~yourself~~ others is hard work right? So, you may not exactly have that lovely spare time. That being so, let's go to the easy stuff.

Let's get a brownie (look at that gorgeous crackle top) and a Christmas tree cookie cutter.

Okay, now place the cookie cutter over the brownie. WARNING: This part is not as easy as it looks. You might be tempted to eat the brownie. If this occurs, get another brownie.

Still with me? Okay good. Press down.

That wasn't so bad! P.S. You cannot waste the 'scraps'. Find something to do with them. I'm sure you'll think of something great.

You can even get a little fancy if you want. Enjoy!

Giveaway Winner! Everyone's a winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:36:00 +0000

And the winner is....

Tiffany Gabay!!!

Congratulations Tiffany, as previously stated you win any pastry worth up to $5500 from Jessiker Bakes!! Email me your details so that we can arrange for your prize !!

Other winners!!
So I think everyone who answered at least 4/5 correct should win something! You will all get a gift package courtesy of Jessiker Bakes! Here's to Christmas!

AbiDemi Williams - she got all correct!
Jessica Chung
Apryl July
Nikole Ross
Kadeem Knight
Ornella Green

PS just so you know the answers:

1. Jessiker Bakes started on April 18, 2010

2. Graham crackers, melted butter and sugar

3. I love to bake bread (average 2 hours rising time then 45 to 1 hours baking time) and cheesecake (the whole thing of prepping, baking,cooling in oven then cooling on counter plus chilling in fridge takes about 24 hours).

4. Butter and flour the pan/ grease it.

5. Eggs!

P.S. I will be emailing you all

Deviled Crab with White Cream and Basil Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:17:00 +0000

A delicious recipe to have at your Christmas parties!

Crab is one of my favourite things to make, and if you were to prepare this recipe for friends and family at a Christmas party I promise they'd be coming back for more! Similar to it's cousin Crab Cakes in ingredients, Deviled Crab is like slightly frying crab rolled in seasoned breadcrumbs. It's a lot softer than crab cakes but has such a succulent taste. The cream is the perfect touch to this appetizer like food. Or, you can have it as a meal and just increase the quantity size.

Deviled Crab with White Cream and Basil Sauce
Serves 1

Crab recipe from AllRecipes.com, Sauce adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients

3-1/2 ounces crabmeat
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1-1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup clam juice/chicken stock
1 tablespoon white wine
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh basil, minced

In a mixing bowl, place the crabmeat, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper sauce. Mix thoroughly.

Shape the crab mixture into cakes and roll in bread crumbs.

In a medium skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Saute the cakes about 5 minutes. Turn, then cook for another 5 minutes or until golden brown.

For the sauce: In a 1.5 quart saucepan, heat the 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. slowly add the flour to the oil, stirring constantly. Cook for 5 minutes.

Slowly add the clam juice, whisking constantly and vigorously. Pour in white wine, sugar, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer. Then add cream, parsley, and basil. Simmer, but do not boil. Mixture is done when thick enough to evenly coat the back of a spoon.

Serve the sauce over the crab cakes.

Christmas Giveaway #1 !!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:12:00 +0000

Welcome to Christmas Giveaway number 1 of the season!! Let's get started!

IN ORDER TO ENTER YOU NEED TO DO TWO OF THE FOLLOWING THREE:

Like us on Facebook

Subscribe to RSS Feed

RULES:

It’s so easy! First, you need to live in Jamaica to enter this competition. All you have to do is answer these five questions correctly about Jessiker Bakes and baking (all the answers can be found on the blog) and the first one to send it to jessikerbakes@gmail.com with the most correct answer wins! Remember to put your full name, number and location in the email!

QUESTIONS:

When did Jessiker Bakes start?
What are the three ingredients typically used in making the crust of a regular cheesecake?
What is Jessica’s favourite thing to bake and how long does that process take on average? (two possible answers here either one is correct)
What is the most important thing to do to a cake pan before putting the batter in it?
Fill in the blanks. ____ are typically used in recipes with a little amount of flour as a holding agent

PRIZE:

A dessert of your choice worth $5500 Jessiker Bakes bucks f or you or someone you love (the gift of giving this year guys!)

TIMELINE:

You can enter from now until Next Tuesday December 13, 2011. Tune in the for the next giveaway next week! The winner will be announced on December 15, 2011.

Gingerbread Man Month: Gingersnap Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 15:31:00 +0000

It's December!!! I've been silent for a while but I'm definitely back! Christmas is my favourite holiday and I can't wait until it's Christmas Day!!

I wanted to share with you a recipe I'm did that will actually be featured in something this month (shhh I'll tell you later). I'm giving you a preview of it from now and I can't wait until it comes out! It's Gingersnap cookies!

I won't share the prep pictures with you since I don't want to share everything that will be in the recipe, but these cookies were DIVINE! I made huge versions of them shared them with my friends (if they were here, I promise, I would eat every.single.one) who came back for seconds!

I know a lot of people don't love ginger so I didn't overpower them ginger. It even converted non ginger lovers! (no pun intended...hehe).

You've got to try these. Every step including rolling the balls into sugar is so important (and don't worry doesn't taste like sugar). Enjoy!

Gingersnap Cookies

Makes 4 dozen smaller cookies, about 1 dozen and a half huge cookies

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
¾ cup salted butter (1 ½ sticks), room temperature
1 large egg
¼ cup molasses*
2 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon allspice

sugar for rolling

*don't have molasses? Mix 1/2 cup of dark corn syrup with 1/2 cup of brown sugar as a suitable substitute.

Instructions

1. Cream the sugar and butter in a large bowl with a fork. Mix in the egg and molasses.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice and ginger. Mix into the egg/molasses mixture in 4 parts.

3. Roll dough into 1 inch size balls or use a 1 ¼ -inch ice cream scoop. Roll in sugar to coat thoroughly. Place on a cookie sheet with baking mat or parchment paper (you will need more than one if making the entire recipe).

4. Bake 12-14 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool partially before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Recipe adapted from Spoonful of Sugar

Guest Blog Post by Blog Content Guild - Easy Dinners Make for Happy People!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:35:00 +0000

It's almost December! Until then, check out this helpful guest blog post by Blog Content Guild that I know a lot of you will find useful!

Love,

Jessica

Easy dinners make for happy people

Life is busy, and giving enough time to everything is a balancing act that few can pull off well. Oftentimes you can make your way through the whole day without issue, and the one thing that brings you down is dinner. Planning out some easy dinners will help make sure your whole day is stress-free.

Stay stocked

How many times have you gotten home and started too cook, only to realize you don’t have the ingredients you need for the recipe? It’s always a good idea to keep basic food options on hand in your pantry. Things like pasta, canned sauces, hamburger meat, cheese and a variety of fruits and vegetables will go a long way toward making sure you always have ingredients for at least one recipe. Baked spaghetti only has a few ingredients and is a good option for a low-maintenance meal. You can also make classics like macaroni and cheese without many ingredients. If you get tired of the basics, you can get a little creative if you have some extra spices around to make Mouse’s Macaroni and Cheese.

One-pot meals

Sometimes the cleanup for dinner seems to take longer than the meal itself. You can avoid this situation with one-pot meals that make cleanup a breeze. The concept is simple: Make your entire meal in a single pot or cooker. It’s a little bit more complex than throwing everything in and hoping it turns out, but not much. Chicken stew is a delicious option for your first one-pot experiment, and it takes less than an hour from start to finish. In the winter months you can use a crock-pot to make a spicy chili to keep you warm. One-pot meals aren’t all soups. You can also make interesting options like Chinese noodles or a vegetable sausage skillet. Once you start following a one-pot philosophy, you’ll never want to go back to your old ways again.

The easy way out

If easy classics and one-pot options still don’t leave you with enough time, you can always go the easy route. No, it’s not fast food (who needs all those extra calories and fat?), but it’s just as quick. Make a visit to your local grocer on the way home, and you’re sure to find some pre-made options that are tasty and nutritious. Many stores have salad and bean bars to get you started. Then, you can choose from delicious options like barbecue chicken. Some places even have ready-to-heat meals like pizza or lasagna that only need a few minutes in the oven before they’re done. These options can get expensive if you choose them every day, but they’re great for those days you just can’t bring yourself to think about cooking.

Dinner doesn’t have to ruin an otherwise good day. You have to eat, and it’s always better when it’s a stress-free affair. If you keep these options in mind, you’ll start looking forward to dinner instead of dreading it every day.

Happy Thanksgiving - Graham Cracker Crusted Pumpkin Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:30:00 +0000

I'll stop pretending like I wasn't baking during my so-called hiatus. It didn't work!

Anyway, I wanted to share with you something you could bake for your Thanksgiving dinner today! It's a delicious Pumpkin Pie straight from the genius Rachel Ray! So you know it's good! I topped it with some whipped cream and it's a delightful treat!

Graham Cracker Crusted Pumpkin Pie
P.S. the original recipe calls for granola bars but I didn't have any on hand so I just used Graham Crackers and loved it! I used about 1 1/2 cups of crumbs.

INGREDIENTS

1 box (8.9 oz.) crunchy granola bars, broken into chunks
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 eggs, lightly beaten, plus 1 egg white
1 can (15 oz.) pure pumpkin puree
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°. Grease a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Using a food processor, grind the granola bars with 2 tbsp. brown sugar. Add the butter and egg white and pulse until the crumbs are moistened. Pat the mixture evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake until the edge is crisp and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, the pumpkin puree, eggs, cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Pour into the piecrust. Bake the pie until the center is almost set, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:55:00 +0000

Let's just forget about the Hiatus right now - it's not even working!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Courtesy of ~ramy on Deviantart

Okay, so we don't traditionally celebrate Thanksgiving in Jamaica (except at American private schools and other companies here) but there is SO MUCH to give thanks for!

I'm watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade which is about to finish and I am just in such a wonderful mood! There is so much to be thankful for! I just want to thank GOD for my

Family
Friends
Business
Baking Skills!
Car!
All my material possessions haha like my phones and laptops and readers!
The ability to be reading and writing this and watching the parade because I am HEALTHY AND WELL!

THAT IT WILL SOON BE CHRISTMAS!!

You can look forward to tons of Christmas posts from me next month! It is CERTAINLY my favourite holiday (I am so excited!) and I have so much planned! Love you all and have an amazing Thanksgiving!

Celebrate it or not, I plan to buy some turkey and have a mini Thanksgiving with my family!! I'll let you know!

Love,

Jessica

Hiatus

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:55:00 +0000

UPDATE:

It's been one day and I've baked three things already! So, I decided that I'll be back on November 30, 2011 instead to share one last fall recipe with you. The truth is I shouldn't leave you stranded with no explanation: I have exams coming up and I need to focus on them! You will hear from me very soon though. I decided to give you a preview of what to expect for this holiday (my favourite) season!

I'll be taking a much needed hiatus until December. I'll be back soon! I wish I could give you a better reason as to why, but perhaps when I come back.

In the meanwhile, enjoy your November :).

Love,

Jessica

Pumpkin Doughnuts - Two Glazes

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:44:00 +0000

I'm not sure words will allow me to express how amazing these were.

And I REALLY meant that.

Let's be realistic here.

I had ~~one~~ six.

SIX.

I wanted to lie and say five...but my hands typed six as in a confessional.

Thank God they're small. I literally had to ask Jesus to take the wheel and keep me away from them.

I'm taking a whole batch to school to avoid me eating them all. And leaving the other at home for the rest of my family members (please eat them before I come home!)

The pumpkin adds such a unique and delicious flavour that I would I guarantee you will enjoy these. And the best part?

They ACTUALLY taste like doughnuts! Hallelujah!

Baked Pumpkin Dougnuts by Buns In My Oven

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose or white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
Cinnamon and sugar, for rolling
1/2 cup butter, for dipping

Instructions

If using a babycakes donut maker, turn it on to preheat. Otherwise, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a donut pan or regular cookie sheet.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together the dry ingredients.
Beat in the pumpkin, eggs, milk, and butter until well combined.
Fit a pastry bag with a large tip and fill with the donut batter. Alternately, fill a large ziploc bag and snip off the end.
Pipe into the donut maker, donut pan, or just pipe in circles on a greased cookie sheet. The dough is thick enough that it should stay in the general shape you pipe it in while in the oven.
If using the donut maker, cook for about 3-5 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick.
If using the oven, bake for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Cool on a wire rack.
Melt the 1/2 cup of butter in a small dish and mix together cinnamon and sugar in a second dish for dipping.
Dip the donuts in the butter (PS I just sprayed them with PAM Butter Flavour Spray) and then the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Store in an air-tight container.

recipe adapted from food.com

Cream of Pumpkin Soup with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Croutons

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:53:00 +0000

Every year, we celebrate my parents' birthdays together as a family, whether it means going away together or having a dinner together. This year among other celebrations we went out for dinner.

Here's the thing: my parents are born a week apart (insert "awws" right here).

We even went to the same restaurant because it was that good!

My favourite part? My appetizer - Cream of Pumpkin Soup. It's been on my mind since then and I knew I just had to make it again.

All you need to do is use the same pumpkin puree we made earlier this week to make this easy and delicious soup.

Those who know me well know I don't like thin, chicken broth-like soup. I want the thick, creamy ones which is exactly why tomato soup is my favourite soup (with grilled cheese please!).

And let's not forget the croutons! They are the perfect touch to this already dessert-esque soup.

P.S. when you make this, give me a call, I'll be conveniently down the road.

One Year Ago: Blueberry Tarlets

Cream of Pumpkin Soup with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Croutons
Makes enough for 3 people

Pumpkin Soup slightly adapted from Kitchen Flavours

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Olive oil
1 onion, chopped into rings
2 cups pumpkin puree
300 ml (10.5 oz can) of Chicken stock
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Now heat olive oil in a large saucepan, then gently cook the onions for 5 mins, until soft but not coloured.
Add the pumpkin puree to the pan, then carry on cooking for 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally until it starts to soften and turn golden.
Pour the stock into the pan, then season with salt and pepper.
Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 mins until the pumpkin is very soft.
Pour the cream into the pan, bring back to the boil, then purée in a food processor, then back into the pan for about 2 more minutes of stirring.
For an extra-velvety consistency you can now push the soup through a fine sieve into another pan.
SERVE AND ENJOY!

Croutons

Ingredients:

2 slices of bread
Cinnamon
Butter
Sugar

Preparation:

Butter both sides of the bread lightly.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar on both sides.
Toast in toaster oven for about 3 minutes on medium setting or until desired crunch level (my words, just invented that haha).
Cut into 1 inch size croutons. Place immediately into soup. Devour.

The soup can now be frozen for up to 2 months.

Reheat the soup if needed, taste for seasoning, then serve scattered with remaining pumpkin pieces and dollop of fresh cream.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:03:00 +0000

Why buy it when you can make at home with ingredients you already have?

As you can my seasonings are...well used.

Yummy and the perfect touch to all your pumpkin-y desserts...I mean meals. I mean it's not pretty, but what seasoning is?

Not that I eat dessert all day long...

Pumpkin Pie Spice by Joy the Baker

makes about 2 tablespoons

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

big pinch of cardamom (or you can substitute mace)

Blend all spices together, working out any lumps that might occur. Store in an old spice jar.

How to Make Pumpkin Puree

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 19:52:00 +0000

Let's kick off Pumpkin Fall Week at Jessiker Bakes with the traditional how to make pumpkin puree from scratch! It's better than buying it in the tin because it not only tastes better, but the process is so easy you'll have no problem learning how to do it. So let's get started.

I would say I used erm, a lot of pumpkin? like probably 1 kg which is about 4 cups of yummy pumpkin puree. I bought mine pre-cut because it's easier and that's how it was at the supermarket!

Set your oven to preheat at 350. I know, I know, I had just wiped it off so it looks wet.

Meet the pumpkin family. But...what's that in the background?

Mr. Knife...Uh oh...I think they know what's coming..

Let's scoop out all the insides..allllll the stringy inside and the seeds. But don't throw the seeds away!!!

We're going to clean them and use them in another recipe! Trust me, they're great.

He's back! Hi-yaahhh!
I think I'm enjoying this too much. Cut those pumpkins into smaller sizes.

Perfect! Lay them out on a baking tray now...and season with some salt and pepper...

And into the oven for 45 minutes.

All done! Now watch what happens when I peel off a piece of the back...

It comes off super easy! Go ahead and peel those babies off, then throw the chunks into a food processor.

Okay so, we're going to blend blend blend...until it's much smoother.

Since I'm going to be using it right after, I put it into a sealed container to go into the fridge.

All done! Look, free advertising. Store in your fridge until needed, or, if you're not going to use it for now (like, this week) you can store the pumpkin puree into plastic zip bags and place them in the freezer laid flat.

Voila!

Five Fabulous Fall Friday Finds

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 22:56:00 +0000

I just love that I could add Fall in there!

I bought pumpkin and so I plan to be going crazy with it! In fact, I'm going to share some of the things I plan to try with it:

YES I realize everything is pumpkin themed. Please blame it on the heavenly smell of cinnamon rolls from my oven blinding my senses to show you anything else!.
Now you have to buy pumpkin (evil laugh)

1) Pumpkin Doughnuts (OMG) by Labna Love in the Kitchen

2) Roasted Butternut Pumpkin Soup with Crunch Maple Croutons by Veggie Num Num. Just a side note: Pumpkin soup is a must.

3) Afraid of frying? Try these babies instead. Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts by Food + Words

4) Don't knock it until you try it! Toasted Pumpkin Seeds by A Muse In My Kitchen

5) DUH! Pumpkin Pie!!!! by Jo Cooks

Keep Calm and Fight on Bake Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:01:00 +0000

If you keep up with my Facebook, then you would have known about the Bake Sale that Jessiker Bakes and Rotaract put on with all proceeds going to the Jamaica Cancer Society for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

I'm not just going to post the same pictures on Facebook, but also the "before" pictures and the night before to reveal some of the madness and fun that occurred!

But first, the bake sale. It was a success!! We sold everything and we are very happy with the amount we made. There were over 400 desserts so I'd say that's quite a success!

THE BEFORE!

Dearest Friends Jessica and Tanaka and Rotaractors helping to put up the banner, unpacking the car and setting up!

A few of a hundred odd cupcakes

We had to keep it somewhere!

Lisa, Chris and Vanessa helping out for hours!! Making frosting pink here

Dominic and Amanda cake popping!

I COULD NOT HAVE DONE THE DESSERT PREPARATION WITHOUT MY FRIENDS!!!!!! You guys are amazing! Literally, all I had to do was the baking and these wonderful people did the rest - decorating, setting up, selling...So just a special thank you to everyone who helped out!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:11:00 +0000

Have a spooky and wonderfully creepy Halloween!! Enjoy this flashback Halloween recipe for Spooky Sugar Cookies!

Guest Post on Candid Cinni

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:51:00 +0000

It's a super busy week so I'm a little bit behind.

Meanwhile, check out my guest blog post on Halloween treats on Candid Cinni!

Love,

Jessica

Five Fabulous Friday Finds

noreply@blogger.com (Jessiker) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:04:00 +0000

Celebrate Friday with these wonderful finds themed to the fall and Halloween season!!

1. Cream Of Pumpkin Soup And Chicken Glazed Swiss Mushrooms by Cold Republic

2. This gorgeous Chocolate Pumpkin Cake by The Little Epicurean

3. Roasted Apples by Not Without Salt

4. Another Boo-tiful (ha!) Chocolate Fudge Cake with Ghost Meringues by The Pastry Affair

5. Spicy Pumpkin Taco Dip also by The Pastry Affair (perfect for your Halloween parties!)