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This cake was a troublesome one to bake! Maybe I just don’t have enough patience, but I’m still undecided about whether I would make it again. It’s a really nice cake, light and fresh, and perhaps that outweighs the trouble I had in preparing it.

Lining a springform pan with parchment paper is not fun. Trying to spread very thick and stiff batter in the lined pan is not fun. But it all worked out in the end, and that’s even with using the wrong size of pan; recipe calls for an 8-inch, I only had a 9-inch. The cake took slightly less baking time, and was probably a bit flatter than it should’ve been

But it was still quite tasty. The chocolate flakes bring a lot of sweetness, and the layer of pear adds moisture and a refreshing quality to the make. I especially like the frosting; almost fondant-like, the lemon is the perfect flavour to compliment the pear and chocolate.

Iced Pear-Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Makes 8 – 10 servings

CAKE
1½ sticks butter, softened
¾ cups superfine sugar (I used regular granulated sugar and ground with a stone mortar and pestle)
3 large eggs
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
4 ounces (4 squares) semisweet chocolate, finely grated (I put the chocolate in a food processor)
1 can (14-ounce) pear halves in syrup

FROSTING
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted (I ended up having to double the frosting recipe, so, two cups sugar)
2-4 teaspoons lemon juice (and 5-8 teaspoons lemon juice; I stopped measuring after a while because it was tough to get it to the right consistency)

Chocolate sprinkles, to garnish (I used some of my food-processed chocolate squares)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-inch springform cake pan. Line the base and side with parchment paper.

2. Beat the butter and superfine sugar in a bowl with a wooden spoon or electric beater until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in eggs, 1 at a time, with 1 teaspoon flour, beating well after each addition.

3. Mix the vanilla extract with 1 tablespoon cold water and beat into the creamed mixture. Gradually fold in the remaining flour, baking powder, salt, and the grated chocolate until blended.

4. Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread level. Drain the pears and dry on paper towels. Cut into slices and arrange on the top of the batter in the pan. Spoon the remaining batter over the top and spread level.

5. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire rack and let cool.

6. Mix the confectioners’ sugar with the lemon juice until smooth (add the lemon juice into small increments and beat well after each addition). Spread on top of cake. Sprinkle the chocolate on top. Let frosting set about 2 hours, then serve

I’m not a chef, or a cook. I much prefer baking. But sometimes, you just need a sandwich, and even a non-cook can make a tasty one.

Nothing beats a buttery, flakey croissant. Except when you top it with some ham and cheese.
Montreal has lots of bakeries to choose from when trying to find the perfect croissant. This time, , Kouign Amann is the croissant bakery of choice.

A ham ‘n cheese croissant is pretty easy to make; most of its success lies in the croissant itself, so make sure you get the right croissant. Slice. Slather on some mustard on the top (this time, we used a combo of Dijon and an artisan blue cheese mustard). On the other side, a couple slices of black forest ham, grated Swiss cheese and a sprinkling of fresh parsley. Close the sandwich, sprinkle yet more cheese and parsley on the top, and pop the thing into a toaster oven or oven and toast just until the cheese starts bubbling.

The more you eat, the more tasty protein you get, when your bean is soy, to the tune of 12% per delicious bite.

Edamame, a Japanese appetizer commonly served steamed and dressed with nothing more than a sprinkle of salt, has become a staple of Japanese sushi houses. I’ve ordered these in such houses and paid an arm and a leg, so I said to myself, how hard are these to make?
Not hard at all, apparently.

First, you get some water. Steam your bean for 3 to 5 minutes (if the beans are frozen, which they almost always are).

Prepare your dressing. A variety of dressings are acceptable – for these beans in particular, I used a sesame oil, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup base. On top of that, I added two salts, one large coarse one (for the occasional surprise) and your average table salt (for more even seasoning). I also added Mexican chili spice and rooster sauce, to balance out the maple syrup and to add a bit of heat to the dish. On other days, I would have used a bit of lemon and olive oil instead of the spice and sesame oil. And crushed garlic’s always an obnoxious but welcome guest, right?

Once the beans are done, give them a fast rinse under cold water (we’re serving them in the pod, so you want to make sure the pods people are sucking the beans out of are clean!) and toss them in the dressing.

I baked these for the weekly snack session we have at work Friday afternoons. A Congolese woman was visiting, and after tasting one, promptly informed me that she knew a nice Congolese man that would happily marry me. Any baked good that inspires marriage proposals has gotta be good!

And good they are. They’re like a tropical pecan pie. The lemon cuts the sweetness nicely, and the texture of the buttery, crumbly crust with the sticky, gooey filling is a fun combination. I particularly like the vanilla-soaked raisins, and pecans really should be the nut of choice.

Coconut-Lemon Bars

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160C)
Prep 20 minutes
Bake 45 minutes
Makes 24 squares

CRUST
1 large lemon (peel and juice)
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup lightly packed brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING
1 cup raisins
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup pecan or walnut pieces

CRUST
Lightly oil a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, then line it with parchment paper.
Finely grate peel from lemon and squeeze juice.

Place half the peel in a large bowl. Add butter and brown sugar to the lemon peel. Stir until mixed. Gradually stir in flour just until combined. Press crust firmly onto the bottom of prepared baking dish.

Bake in centre of oven until light golden around the edges, 15 minutes.

FILLING
Meanwhile, for filling, stir raisins with vanilla in a small, microwaveable bowl. Cover and microwave on high for 30 seconds.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs with the sugar and salt until well mixed.
Measure out 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, then stir into egg mixture, along with coconut, nuts, reserved lemon peel and raisins.

Bake in centre of oven until centre is slightly jiggly and top is dark golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove pan to a wire rack.
Let cool completely before cutting into squares. They will be easier to cut if refrigerated overnight first.
If making ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 2 months.