Duchess Bake Shop Memories and a Giveaway

Mini Paris Brest Pastries from Duchess Bake Shop.

Duchess Bake Shop is our favourite place for fine French baked goods and pastries in Edmonton. Dan and I have visited since Duchess opened, and have brought many friends, family, and out of town guests for a taste of France in Edmonton.

Back in 2009, Dan and I had been attempting unsuccessfully to make macarons in my small galley kitchen. When Duchess opened in October 2009 to great fanfare, we were very keen on visiting specifically because of their macarons. We learned that one of the owners, Giselle, had become fascinated with macarons while in Japan and had spent time perfecting the homemade macaron. This inspired me in my pursuit of the elusive homemade macaron. If you've followed along in my journey, you would definitely see all the different macarons I've baked.

Behind the counter at Duchess Bake Shop in 2010 

Even though we visited Duchess many times over the following months, it played a special part during a memorable day in May of 2010. We were invited to an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at what happens in the kitchen before the doors opened. Little did I know that the invitation was just part of a series of special surprises Dan had planned before he proposed to me!

Behind the scenes in Duchess' kitchen in May 2010.

Dan & I in Duchess in 2010 (we look so young!)

As many of you may have heard, Duchess released their self-titled cookbook last Wednesday (November 12, 2014). This cookbook resonates with me not only because there are beautiful pictures accompanying the step-by-step instructions, but also, this is the first cookbook where I've tried every item!

A tower of croquembouche at the cookbook launch!

A tower of Macarons.

Giselle Courteau at the Duchess Bake Shop cookbook launch.

Giselle has generously given two signed copies of Duchess' cookbook as a giveaway for two lucky readers! This giveaway is only open to readers who live in and around Edmonton or in Calgary. If the winner(s) resides in Calgary or area you must be able to meet with me in Calgary on either Saturday November 29, 2014 or on Sunday November 30, 2014. Arrangements will be made if the winner(s) live in Edmonton or greater area.

You can also purchase their cookbook in Edmonton at Provisions or online. Good luck to everyone and I look forward to reading your bake shop memories.

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Made in Blog Awards 2014

Hello everyone! The Made in Blog Awards 2014 is here! The Made in Blog Awards are all about promoting Canadian bloggers, so it is a great way to look out for new blogs and content in a range of different areas! If you have the time, please do me a big favour and click on this link HERE, to vote for me in the "Cooking" category. All you need to do is click the blue "Vote for Me +1" button. No registration is required and anyone can vote. You have until November 26, 2014 to vote. After that all blogs with the most votes are then judged by a panel. Thanks so much for the support and I really appreciate it! 

Easy Crustless Quiche Recipe & A Giveaway!

When my husband and I made the Taiwan Red Bean Wheelcakes back in September, we were trying out various recipes that could be used on the Nordic Ware Eggs Plus Pan. One thing that you should know about my husband is that he is a huge proponent on ensuring that every single one of our kitchen gadgets must not be single function kitchen tools (with the exception of a can opener). This means that any kitchen gadget that lives in our kitchen must be able to be used for different recipes. 

The first recipe we made with the new pan was actually not the Taiwan Red Bean Wheelcakes but instead Crustless Quiches!

So below is the recipe for the Crustless Quiches. Make sure you read all the way to the end for exciting details on how you can win the Eggs Plus Pan for yourself!

Crustless Quiches

Ingredients

• approx. 1 cup of milk
• 4 eggs
• 3-4 filling ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, cheese, spinach etc.. The sky's the limit!

Directions:

1. Dice up all the ingredients into smaller pieces as the quiche cooks fairly quickly.
   
2. Beat eggs and milk together in a bowl. Transfer the filling to a bowl with a spout and pour the egg mixture about half-way up each reservoir. Oiling each reservoir beforehand is optional (the pan is non-stick).
   
   
   
   
3. Once the egg mixture begins to cook, slowly add fillings to each crustless quiche. You can even put different fillings in each one and customize to everyone's preferences!
   
4. Cook the crustless quiches on medium for about 10 minutes, or until the tops are cooked and the egg is no longer runny looking.
   
5. Using a silicon spatula gently loosen the quiche from the pan and serve onto a plate.
   

We tried putting the top on the pan initially, but realized that this would soften the quiches as the pan begins to cook with steam. If you want crispy quiches, leave the top off.
It goes without saying that having individual quiche creations is great. However, you could easily use the pan for multiple uses such as making two crustless quiches, a sunny side egg and sausage all in the same pan. The pan also has a little pamphlet that comes with further ideas on how to use it.

Or, you could always make the Taiwan Red Bean Wheelcakes from my previous post!

Giveaway!

Now for the eggciting part of this post! Nordic Ware has given me an Eggs Plus Pan to give away to one lucky reader! This pan will be shipped directly to you from Nordic Ware and is open to Canada and the U.S! Enter the giveaway in the Rafflecopter below with your details. Make sure you leave a comment as that is the minimum requirement for entering the giveaway. Good luck!

Prize: One (1) lucky reader will receive a Nordic Ware Eggs Plus Pan.

Duration: Giveaway will be open until November 30, 2014.

Who Can Enter: Open to residents of Canada and the USA.

How to Enter: Please follow the instructions in the rafflecopter below. Remember that leaving a comment is mandatory.

How will the winner be chosen: The winner will be chosen at random and will be notified via email. The winner will have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

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SPUD Delivers in Edmonton & A Brown Sugar Glazed Carrot Recipe

When I was at the Food Bloggers of Canada Conference in Vancouver last month, I met one of the people from SPUD. SPUD is a grocery delivery service which focuses on sustainable and organic produce. When I talked to Julia, the Communications Manager for Vancouver, she mentioned that SPUD Edmonton had just launched so I was more than excited to try it out.

When you sign up for the SPUD service on their website you can pick and choose what types of produce, meats, snacks, dairy, fish and more that you want delivered in your box. Our box featured their Fresh Harvest Box. Once you order your box they let you know which day your box will be delivered. For us, we were told that our SPUD box would be delivered on a Tuesday between 3pm and 9pm. Granted, the time frame is very wide which makes it difficult for someone to be home during that time period. Thankfully, you are able to put in special instructions and/or indicate a safe place for them to deliver your box.

We were super excited to open our box when we received it. All of the produce including the veggies and fruits looked fantastic and fresh. Care was even taken to ensure that the tomatoes would not get crushed as they were placed into a paper bag. There is also a divider in the box to help keep produce in place.

If you want to try SPUD out they have a great discount where if you buy $60 or more you will get $40 off your first order before November 15, 2014! Just use my special code CREDM-ZZZLIL or click here.

SPUD is also in other cities! So if you are in other cities in Canada such as Calgary, Vancouver & area or Victoria to Nanaimo, you too can take advantage of their services. They are also in San Francisco & Bay Area and Los Angeles & Orange County in the States. 

With the great produce that we got, I decided to use the carrots in a dish to highlight how fresh they were. 

Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of carrots
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Wash and peel the carrots.
   
2. Cut the carrots with a sharp knife into even pieces. This will help them cook evenly.
   
3. In a large pot add 1 cup of water, butter, brown sugar, a pinch of salt and the cut carrots. Turn the temperature up to high. Once the water mixture begins to boil, stir the carrots and turn down the temperature to a simmer. Place the lid on the pot for 6-7 minutes.
   
4. Using a flat spatula gently stir the carrots around until they are soft enough to eat. Serve & enjoy!
   
   

Home made Pumpkin Spice Macaron Recipe and Answers to Common Questions

If you have been following along with me on twitter & Facebook, you will know that it has been a busy few weeks! First, in mid October I had the most amazing opportunity to travel to Vancouver to attend the Food Bloggers of Canada Conference where I met lots of fellow food bloggers, ate delicious meals and networked with several brands (more on the conference in later posts!).  I have also been baking a lot of macarons lately and recently have been teaching macaron classes! So, today's post comes from one of the macaron classes that I did this past weekend. Seeing that we are still in the season, the two ladies decided on making pumpkin spice macarons!

The recipe for the pumpkin spice macarons are actually covered in my Macaron 102 and Macaron 103 posts, so head on over to those two posts for the step by step directions. Also, if you haven't seen my post for making your own pumpkin spice make sure you take a look at that one as well!

I often get asked about what is involved with learning how to make macarons. 

Location?
You can make macarons in the comfort of your own kitchen! Over the past 3 years I have tried and tested many macaron recipes in a apartment kitchen with no special ovens. Lately, with the houses I have visited to make macarons I have brought along a simple oven thermometer ($5) to keep the baking temperature consistent. So, it goes without saying that you CAN make macarons in your home kitchen.

Special Equipment?
I have found that heavy baking pans (also known as heavy commercial jelly roll pans) are essential for making macarons. 

I also use a stand mixer such as a Kitchen Aid in order to beat the egg whites quickly and consistently. However, if you are comfortable doing this by hand such as using a whisk or a hand mixer it is possible.

A silicon baking mat (e.g. silpat) is nice to have, but not essential for baking macarons. You can use parchment paper.

For other equipment and ingredients that you will need, please read my Macaron 101 post. 

Do I need any special skills before trying to bake macarons?
No, you do not need any special baking or pastry skills before trying to make these delicious treats! The mixing process (also known as the macaronage) requires special attention to ensure that you do not over or under mix. Lastly, piping same sized macaron shells can be tricky at first but practice makes perfect! Each batch of my macarons produces around 60 shells so you will get lots of practice!

How much time do I need?
I tell my friends who want to learn, that it takes at least 4-6 hours for their first batch of macarons. This is mainly due to the time it takes to prep the ingredients, mix, pipe, resting time, bake and fill the macarons.

As well, what surprises many people is that the best time to eat and enjoy a completed macaron are after they have rested in the fridge (in an airtight container) for 2 whole days!

How long do homemade macarons last?
I typically freeze a portion of my completed macarons in the freezer and they are good for a month in an airtight container. The macarons in the fridge will usually stay fresh for about 5 days or 1 week after filling.

When you are ready to eat the macarons, take them out of the freezer and keep them in an airtight container to defrost for at least 2-3 hours.  Ensure you keep the lid on the macaron container while they defrost on the counter at room temperature.

My intention for this post is to show that macarons can be made at home. I was extremely happy that I had the opportunity to share my excitement for making macarons with some new friends! Please post any questions that you might have in the comments below!