Whether you’re hosting a large or small gathering, or spending the night in, I’ve got you covered.

I’ve compiled my best and easiests appetizer, cocktail and mocktail recipes for you to ring in the New Year!

No matter how you are ringing in the New Year, New Year’s Eve food and drinks are key to celebrating. But, let’s make things easy!

When it comes to cocktails OR mocktails, we all need something to cheers with! Many of my cocktail recipes also contain instructions to help you make them a mocktail too.

Cocktails & Mocktails for New Year’s Eve

Easy Cocktail Recipes for Your New Year’s Eve Gathering

The Best Pomegranate Aperol Spritz Holiday Cocktail

This pomegranate aperol spritz is the perfect holiday cocktail! Made with just 4 ingredients, everyone will love this festive sip!

Check out this recipe

Winter Spiced Old Fashioned

This spin on the classic Old Fashioned cocktail uses a spiced simple syrup that brings lovely warming notes to this Wintery sip.

Check out this recipe

Blood Orange Martini (an easy vodka cocktail recipe)

This Blood Orange Martini is a fresh twist on a cosmopolitan! Make these blood orange vodka drinks for any occasion during citrus season.

Check out this recipe

Cranberry Rosé Fizz

This Cranberry Rosé Fizz is the perfect cocktail for the holidays and to celebrate the New Year! A combination of tart and sweet, this Cranberry Rosé Fizz is garnished with sugared rosemary for a lovely sparkling touch.

Check out this recipe

Easy and Festive Christmas Cosmopolitan Cocktail

This Christmas Cosmopolitan is a festive twist on a classic cosmo. With a cranberry-rosemary simple syrup, it's perfect for the holidays!

Check out this recipe

Delicious Mocktails to Cheers With

Winter Spiced Kombucha Punch

This Winter Spiced Kombucha Punch is full of seasonal flavours like vanilla and chai paired with fresh fruits! It’s a festive, non-alcoholic drink you can enjoy all season long.

Check out this recipe

Citrus Vodka Cocktail (see the options in the recipe to make this a mocktail!)

With fresh citrus juice, ginger beer & vodka, this Citrus Vodka Crush cocktail is a bright, colourful drink to sip on during the holidays.

Check out this recipe

Ginger Honey Sparkler

A lovely sparkling mocktail with ginger, honey and rosemary.

Check out this recipe

Appetizers for New Year’s Eve

Simple ingredients and easy to make appetizers for the holidays and New Year’s Even so you can spend more time with the one’s you’re gathered with. Many of these appetizer recipes have become instant favourites for me too!

Quick & Easy Dip Appetizers for a New Year’s Eve Party

Easy Goat Cheese Appetizer with Fig Jam & Pecans

A simple holiday appetizer, this easy goat cheese dip with fig jam and pecans is sure to please all your guests! Make it in under 10 minutes!

Check out this recipe

Easy Garlic & Herb Cheese Holiday Appetizer

Make this easy cheese appetizer for your guests in under 10 minutes! With garlic & herb Boursin cheese, fresh herbs, walnuts & lemon, it's a joy to share.

Check out this recipe

The Best Cranberry Whipped Feta Dip (holiday recipe!)

This quick & delicious cranberry whipped feta dip is the perfect holiday appetizer! Make it with just 10 ingredients & under 20 minutes!

Check out this recipe

Easy Cheesy Baked Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

This easy cheesy baked pesto dip is packed with flavour and juicy sun-dried tomatoes. It's an easy appetizer for the holidays and game-day!

Check out this recipe

Quick Whipped Ricotta Dip with Hot Honey Appetizer

Make this creamy whipped ricotta dip with hot honey for a quick & delicious appetizer! Top with rosemary & walnuts, for savory & sweet bite!

Check out this recipe

Easy Pizza-Inspired Olive Oil Dip with Burrata Cheese

Make this Olive Oil Dip with Burrata Cheese in 10 minutes! Enveloped by pizza-inspired flavours, this burrata appetizer is hard to resist.

Check out this recipe

Strawberry Basil Goat Cheese Dip

A festive goat cheese dip appetizer made with strawberry jam, honey and fresh basil. A perfect dip for entertaining any time of year!

Check out this recipe

Baked Feta Appetizer with Dates, Pistachios & Honey

Make this Baked Feta with Dates, Pistachios and Honey in just 20 minutes! This easy appetizer is a true crowd-pleaser during the holidays!

Check out this recipe

Bite-Sized Appetizers

Bite-sized appetizers are great to make when serving a crowd! Many of these appetizer bites can be made ahead of time or at least prepped so that they can be quickly put together for your New Year’s Eve guests.

Easy Herb & Walnut Mini Cheese Balls Appetizer

Make these herb & walnut mini cheese balls for a quick & delicious appetizer! A perfect bite-sized appy for Christmas, New Year's or gameday.

Check out this recipe

Easy Roasted Boursin Stuffed Dates with Pistachios

These Easy Boursin Stuffed Dates are roasted to perfection with chopped pistachios, orange zest and honey for the perfect appetizer bite!

Check out this recipe

Easy Garlic Bread Bites

These easy garlic bread bites are the perfect appetizer! Butter, spices, parmesan cheese and biscuit dough – your guests will love these!

Check out this recipe

Easy Buffalo Chicken Puff Pastry Bites Appetizer

These buffalo chicken puff pastry bites are the perfect game-day appetizer! Cheesy, spicy and crunchy, they're a must-make delicious bite.

Check out this recipe

Easy and Quick Holiday Brie Crostini Appetizers

Make these quick holiday brie crostini appetizers in 10 minutes! Top with seasonal jams, nuts & a honey drizzle for the perfect holiday bite.

Check out this recipe

Roasted Feta Stuffed Dates Appetizer with Walnuts

Make these Feta Stuffed Dates with walnuts in under 30 minutes! These roasted dates are the perfect appetizer for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Check out this recipe

Puff Pastry Appetizer Recipes

I love to use puff pastry in appetizer recipes because it’s so versatile! The buttery puff pastry can be found in the frozen section of most grocery stores which makes it very accessible for holiday and New Year’s Eve appetizers.

5-Ingredient Puff Pastry Cheese Twists with Gruyère

These 5 ingredient Puff Pastry Cheese Twists are the perfect make-ahead appetizer! Serve with hot honey, mustard or on a cheeseboard.

Check out this recipe

Puff Pastry Baked Gruyere with Fig Jam & Rosemary

Make this melty, delicious Puff Pastry Baked Gruyere appetizer in just 30 minutes. With fig jam & rosemary, it's a perfect savory bite.

Check out this recipe

Easy Apricot Jam & Gruyere Cheese Puff Pastry Bites

For a quick and impressive appetizer make these Apricot Jam & Gruyere Cheese Puff Pastry Bites! All you need is 6 ingredients & 30 minutes!

Check out this recipe

Puff Pastry Baked Brie with Fig Jam Appetizer Recipe

This baked brie with fig jam recipe is the perfect holiday appetizer! Quick & easy to make with 4 key ingredients, guests will love it.

Check out this recipe

Delicious Desserts

And we can’t forget one more sweet to end the evening with! These are two of my favourite chocolate desserts because neither of the recipes are too sweet. Both the chocolate bark and brownie cookies are the most delicious bite to share with friends and family!

5-Ingredient Snickers Chocolate Bark (viral recipe!)

This 5-ingredient date chocolate bark tastes just like a favorite snickers candy bar but it's a healthier version that's much easier to make!

Check out this recipe

Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Cookies

These easy Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Cookies are everything you love about brownies BUT in cookie form! Chewy & decadent & hard to resist!

Check out this recipe

The post 30 Recipes to Make for New Year’s Eve appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

My perfect weekend morning starts a little something like this – coffee, family and a delicious bite for breakfast.

That’s where these scones come in – I love to pair these scones with a cup of coffee for Sunday brunch!

Fresh baked bakery-style blueberry muffins are one of my favourite Sunday brunch recipes to make ahead of time. However, during Saskatoon berry season these Saskatoon Berry Scones take first place!

They’re tender, fluffy and studded with juicy Saskatoon berries and have a hint of lemon. Serve with butter for the most divine lemony saskatoon berry scones bite.

Why you’ll love these Saskatoon Berry Scones

• The scone dough comes together all in one bowl!
• These delectable scones are one of the best ways to enjoy Saskatoon season.
• You don’t need any fancy equipment to make these scones; no food processor required.

What are saskatoon berries?

Saskatoon berries are native to the Canadian Prairie provinces, the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, Alaska, British Columbia and the northwest and central USA. They’re different than juicy blueberries as they’re smaller and have a sweet and nutty flavour. I first discovered them at a farmer’s market when I moved to the Canadian Prairies and they’ve been one of my favourite berries ever since! You can find them at farmer’s markets during the Summer season and during the cooler months, they’re sometimes sold in the frozen section of the grocery store. When I find them during the Summer I purchase a ton and freeze them myself too!

Ingredients needed for these saskatoon berry scones

Saskatoon berries: Saskatoon berries are the key to these scones!

Milk: I like to use 2% milk (or whole milk) in this recipe for both the dough and brushing on the tops of the scones; I have not tested this with other percentages of milk

Flour: all purpose flour is the base for this scone recipe

Sugar: a must to provide some sweetness to the dough

Baking powder: baking powder gives these scones lots of lift

Lemon: lemon zest is a must in these scones to add flavour; you’ll need 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest which is about 1 large lemon

Butter: you’ll need 1/2 cup of butter for this scone recipe

How to make these Saskatoon berry scones

Step 1: Pre-heat your oven to 375F and line your baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2: In a bowl whisk flour, sugar, salt and baking powder and until combined.  Then, whisk in the lemon zest.

Step 3: Cut the cold butter into cubes, add to the flour mixture and then using your fingers combine the butter into the flour mixture until you get small pieces of butter left *You can also use a pastry cutter if desired instead of your hands.* Add in the berries to the flour mixture and stir gently.

Step 4: Stir in 1 ¼ cup of milk until the dough just comes together. If you notice the dough is still a bit dry / there is flour remaining, add in an extra ¼ cup of milk and stir once more to bring dough together.

Step 5: Take the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface and knead gently, fold dough about 2-3 times and then shape the dough into a circular or rectangular disc.

Step 6: Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into 8 triangle shaped scones and put each scone onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.  Brush the tops of each scone with a little bit of milk and sprinkle a little bit of coarse sugar on top of each. Bake in the oven for 22-25 minutes until golden on top.

Step 7: Enjoy warm! Or, let the scones fully cool on a wire rack and then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Expert tips for making these Saskatoon berry lemon scones

• For the best scones, make sure you use cold butter (not room temperature) to ensure you get a flaky scone once baked.
• Use 2% or whole milk to ensure the best-tasting scone! Lower percentages of milk or non-dairy milks will result in a tougher, less flavourful scone once baked.
• To save time, you can grate the cold butter on the large side of a cheese grater right into the dry ingredients. Then, use your hands to combine the butter into the dough, until you only have small pieces of butter left.

Common questions

What if I can’t find Saskatoon berries?
A great substitute if you can’t find Saskatoon berries are wild or regular fresh blueberries.

Can I use frozen Saskatoon berries?
You sure can! I’ve tested this recipe with both fresh and frozen Saskatoon berries and they both work well.

Why do you separate the scones on the baking sheet?
While some scone recipes you’ll find have the scones bake close together on the cookie sheet, this scone recipe bakes better when the Saskatoon berry scones are separated on the baking sheet when baking.

How to store

Enjoy the scones fresh out of the oven. Or, let the scones fully cool before storing them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Warm scones in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds if desired.

More delicious baked goods from the blog

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins with Streusel Topping

Lemon Blueberry Blondies

Apple Pie Breakfast Cookies (Gluten Free Option!)

Print

Saskatoon Berry Lemon Scones

My perfect weekend morning involves these fluffy Saskatoon Berry Lemon Scones that are packed with Saskatoon berries and lemon flavours.

Course Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine American

Keyword breakfast scone, coffee, saskatoon berry, scone

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8 scones

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest (from about half a lemon)
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
• 1 cup Saskatoon berries (you can substitute blueberries)
• 1 ¼ - 1 ½ cups 2% milk
• 1/4 cup milk for brushing
• optional: coarse sugar for topping

Instructions

• Pre-heat your oven to 375F and line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder and whisk combine.  Then, whisk in the lemon zest.
• Cut the cold butter into cubes, add to the flour mixture and then use your fingers to combine the butter into the flour mixture until you get small pieces of butter left. Add the Saskatoon berries to the flour mixture and stir gently.
• Stir in 1 ¼ cup of milk until the dough just comes together. If you notice the dough is still a bit dry / there is flour remaining, add in 1 tbsp of milk at a time, up to ¼ cup of milk total (4 tbsp) and stir once more to bring dough together.
• Take the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface and knead gently, turning over about 2-3 times and then shape the dough into a circular or rectangular disc.
• Cut the dough into 8 triangles and put each scone onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.  Brush the tops of each scone with a little bit of milk, top each with a sprinkle of coarse sugar (optional) and then bake in the oven for 22-25 minutes until golden on top.

Notes

• For the best scones, make sure you use cold butter (not room temperature) to ensure you get a flaky scone once baked.
• Use 2% or whole milk to ensure the best-tasting scone! Lower percentages of milk or non-dairy milks will result in a tougher, less flavourful scone once baked.
• To save time, you can grate the cold butter on the large side of a cheese grater right into the dry ingredients. Then, use your hands to combine the butter into the dough, until you only have small pieces of butter left.
• What if I can't find Saskatoon berries? A great substitute if you can't find Saskatoon berries are wild or regular fresh blueberries.
• Can I use frozen Saskatoon berries? You sure can! I've tested this recipe with both fresh and frozen Saskatoon berries and they both work well.

The post Saskatoon Berry Lemon Scones (My Perfect Morning) appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

There is nothing more comforting than a bowl of this hot soup with a slice of buttered bread during the cooler months. With a hint of dill and tasty egg noodles, the flavour combination is wonderfully cozy.

All you need is a big pot of this Chicken Noodle Soup, your favourite bread and butter, and your family and friends for a perfect Winter Gathering.

One of my favourite things to do is host people at our house for delicious food and drinks.

I love getting together for easy-going meals where we can enjoy each other’s company over great food. This Chicken Noodle Soup packs a ton of flavour and most of the recipe time is spent at the beginning prepping the ingredients.

Ingredients in this chicken noodle soup

Chicken: You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts in this recipe.

Vegetables: A mix of carrots, onion, celery, mushrooms, broccoli and peas make this soup extra delicious.

Spices & Seasonings: Dried dill, thyme and rosemary plus salt and pepper make up most of the spices. Plus we use a bayleaf and a bit of soy sauce to round out the flavours.

Noodles: I absolutely love egg noodles in this recipe but you could truly use any favourite noodle.

Once everything is simmering away in the pot all you have to do is enjoy your guests’ company until the soup is done.

Print

Chicken Noodle Soup

With a hint of dill and tasty egg noodles, the flavour combination in this Chicken Noodle Soup is wonderfully cozy. All you need is a big pot of this Chicken Noodle Soup, your favourite bread and butter, and your family and friends for a perfect Winter Gathering.

Course dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword soup

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 -6

Author Jess

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 375 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced into small pieces
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper

Vegetables

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup sliced carrots sliced into circls
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 cups broccoli florets

Spices & Broth

• 9 cups chicken broth
• 2 1/2 tsp dried dill
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp soy sauce or tamari sauce
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 150 g egg noodles
• 1/2 cup frozen peas

Instructions

• Add extra virgin olive oil to a large soup pot and heat the pot to medium-high.   
• Add the chicken pieces, salt and pepper. Cook the chicken, stirring occasionally until done, about 5-8 minutes. 
• Turn the heat off and remove the cooked chicken from the pot, leaving any oil and/or brown bits in the pot. Set aside the chicken.
• Turn the heat back to medium-high on the soup pot and add 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to the pot. Then add the onion, celery and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes, until vegetables are soft and start to brown.
• Add in the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes, stirring once. 
• Add in the carrots, mushrooms and broccoli, sautéing for 5 minutes and stirring occasionally. 
• Add in the chicken broth, dill, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, soy sauce and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and then turn the heat down to keep the soup at a simmer for 20 minutes, covering the pot partially with the lid. 
• Add in the chicken, noodles and peas, simmer for 5-10 mins until noodles are done. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. 
• Remove the bayleaf and serve with crusty bread and butter.

The secret ingredient in this soup is the dill; it adds wonderfully to the overall flavour and goes so perfectly with the chicken and egg noodles.  If you’re a lover of dill like I am, I think this is the soup for you!

Expert Tips for making this chicken noodle soup

• Prep and measure all of the vegetables and seasonings ahead of time if you’d like to make it a much faster cooking experience.
• Cook the noodles separate from the soup; then just add to your soup bowl and pour over the soup when done. This helps keep the noodles from going soggy (if they were cooked directly in the soup).
• Make it on the weekend and enjoy for lunch or a dinner during the week! Just store the soup and noodles separately in the fridge; heat the soup over medium-low heat until warm enough; and then add the noodles to your bowl before serving up the soup.

So, set aside an afternoon or evening, invite your friends and family over to enjoy this Chicken Noodle Soup and the coziness of a Winter Gathering.

Looking for more soup inspiration?

More delicious soup recipes from the blog

Easy Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Roasted Tomato Soup

Cauliflower Soup

Simple Potato Leek Soup

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Chicken Noodle Soup for a Winter Gathering appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

I can hardly believe it’s the New Year but I’m so very excited to get back in the kitchen, developing and photographing recipes and sharing all of my monthly favourites with you!

I hope you all had a lovely holiday season and are feeling refreshed. From recipes to make in January and my favourite cookbooks, I’m ready to get started with 2019! Let’s get to it!

We ended last year with a trip to Ontario for Christmas. It was lovely to see family and friends and enjoy each other’s company over many delicious meals and drinks.

We spent time reading, relaxing and playing board games, and took some time to enjoy the gorgeous weather by Lake Ontario.

I came home with a couple new cookbooks including The Pretty Dish from the How Sweet Eats blog. And, I also dove right into Love Real Food from blogger Cookie & Kate; a vegetarian cookbook that I am LOVING for ‘meatless Monday’ recipes!

One of my goals for this year is to cook a new dish once per week. Scott and I used to do this but were not consistent so back to it we go! It’s a great way to really dive into the cookbooks I already own and discover some new favourites.

So, What’s In Season to make this month!?

Apples – Mojito Smoothie

Beets – Roasted Harvest Vegetable Bowls

Citrus – Tropical Blood Orange Smoothie

Kale – Sweet Potato Kale Flatbreads

Peppers – Green Pepper & Mushroom Pita Pizza

Sweet Potatoes – Savoury Turkey Breakfast Sausage Egg Muffins

Beyond cooking new recipes in the first couple weeks of 2019, I’m planning on taking things slow, enjoying more time at home and with our dog, Doug, and reading. To me, there’s value in taking a bit of a step back to acknowledge accomplishments from last year and give space to dream and create amazing things in the New Year.

I can’t wait to share all of that creativity with you this year so stay tuned for all of the deliciousness to come!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s In Season – Monthly Favourites appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

I spent most of July on vacation, enjoying visits with family and friends and feasting on all of the amazing fruits and vegetables in season.

And, we’ve also been thoroughly enjoying sipping coffee on our back deck and reading on weekend mornings. So come on over for some travel adventures AND recipe ideas for what to cook in August!

We headed east to Toronto and area for visits with family and friends in mid-July and the weather was spectacular!

Scott and I went for a couple of lovely bike-rides along the Waterfront Trail along Lake Ontario.

We also spent a bunch of time around my parent’s backyard pool because you just can’t beat sunny, bluebird Ontario summer days. And, we always joke that it’s like being at an all-inclusive resort – there’s always snacks and drinks! (Thanks Mom & Dad for being the best hosts!)

Much of our vacation centred around enjoying the outdoors and food with family and friends. We even took a day-trip out to Prince Edward County for lunch at the Drake Devonshire which has the most lovely lake-view from their patio.

Then, we then toured around to a couple of wineries.  We stopped in at Rosehall Run which has one of my FAV sparkling wines, the Pixie, and checked out The Grange’s variety of wines plus their new cider and stunning views.

We stopped in at Hinterland which I had not been too before and absolutely LOVED their Les Etoiles Sparkling Wine.  The tasting room was beautiful and open-air concept which continued to a patio that looked out at the vineyard.

I find Prince Edward County so magical and serene; I love visiting when I’m back in Ontario when I can for the scenery, wine and the food. If you are ever in Ontario I highly recommend going!

Before we headed back to Calgary we spent a couple of days in Toronto. One morning we had croissants and these Italian ‘donuts’ called bomboloni which are one of the best bites of food I’ve ever had at Sud Forno. I will DEFINITELY be going back there again! And, we also made a lovely family dinner on the weekend featuring an epic rib-eye steak that was made for sharing.

It was truly a wonderful trip and when we got back to Calgary it was hard to get back into the swing of things! But one lovely surprise when we returned was our garden in full bloom, specifically the radishes! These French Breakfast Radishes are AMAZING.

I’ve been enjoying them on sourdough, making many lunches of my Toasts with Radishes, Pea Shoots & Feta recipe. They’re also delicious with just butter and a sprinkle of salt on toast too.

We’re definitely cooking seasonally lately, especially with all of the fresh produce we get weekly from our YYC Growers food share and from our garden. So, here are some of my favourite recipes that you can make in August:

Apricots: Easy Apricot Jam

Berries: Aloha Breakfast Bowl

Corn: Roasted Summer Vegetable Salad

Peaches: Peach & Prosciutto Summer Foccacia

Strawberries: Strawberry Lemonade Rosé Punch

Tomatoes: Heirloom Tomatoes, Mozzarella & Sourdough Bread Board

I can’t wait to make some of these recipes on repeat the next couple of weeks while all of the produce is in season! AND if you’re looking for a cool treat, I made three easy Fresh Fruit Popsicle recipes for the Italian Centre Shop here in Calgary including Strawberry-Basil and Peach & Mint flavours!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s in Season – Monthly Favourites appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

Jams, marmalades, butter and peanut butter filled the table plus warmed bread made for an easy and delicious breakfast.

I made this Easy Apricot Jam with those slow, cozy cottage mornings in mind, perfect on a slice of toast for breakfast.

I absolutely love apricots; they are plentiful in the summer and easy to find. Apricots are slightly tart and with the addition of a bit of honey in this jam, it provides the perfect balance.

Made with just 4 ingredients and taking only 20 minutes of your time, I think you’ll enjoy how versatile this jam is!

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Easy Apricot Jam

Fresh, homemade apricot jam that is ready in under 20 minutes! This Easy Apricot Jam is made with just 4 ingredients and is perfect on toast, as a topper to granola & yogurt, or even as a crostini appetizer!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Canadian

Keyword easy apricot jam, easy jam

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes minutes

Total Time 19 minutes minutes

Servings 1 cup

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 3 cups apricots, chopped (about 8-10 apricots depending on size)
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey
• pinch salt

Instructions

• Add chopped apricots, water, honey and a pinch of salt to a medium-sized pot and stir together.
• Turn the heat to medium and bring to a boil. 
• Once it reaches a boil, turn to medium-low heat and let simmer uncovered for 12-14 minutes until apricots have softened and turned to a thicker, jam-like consistency.
  
• Take the pot off of the heat and let cool before enjoying.
• This jam will last about 2 weeks in the fridge.

It’s the perfect seasonal jam to make for easy weekend breakfasts as a topper for toast. Start with toasting a piece of sourdough bread in a frying pan on medium heat, just for a few minutes per side or until your desired doneness. Then, top with fresh ricotta, the Easy Apricot Jam and a drizzle of honey.

Or, simply butter the sourdough and top with the jam. Either ways its delicious!

This combination is the perfect hit of savoury and sweet for breakfast. You could also use the apricot jam as a topper for yogurt and granola. Or, make crostini topped with the ricotta and apricot for a perfect summer appetizer!

The opportunities with this Easy Apricot Jam are endless so I hope you enjoy this lovely taste of the summertime.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Easy Apricot Jam appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

A couple of months ago I was chatting with my friend Clare and we realized we had fond memories of having tea and coffee with our grandma’s, always over delicious baked goods.

Clare mentioned that her and her Great-Grandmother had a tradition when she would go over to visit that involved teacups. Given my love for pretty serving pieces that I love to use, I had to know more!

We got together one afternoon and over my Oma’s Apple Sponge Cake, I chatted with Clare about her memories while I photographed her amazing antique teacup collection.

Having both an English Grandmother and Great-Grandmother it only made sense she’d have a love for all things tea!

As a child Clare spent days and nights with her Great-Grandmother, learning to quilt, sew and taking several tea and cookie breaks in between. Each time when she would leave her Great-Grandmother’s house she was allowed to pick one tea cup from the china hutch, to take home and begin her own collection.

The collection is comprised of family heirlooms from New Brunswick that were brought across country when the family moved and lots of fun colourful pieces that were acquired over the years – creating this lovely backdrop for endless entertaining possibilities.

As you can see, Clare has this amazing collection of teacups that carry such special memories and whenever she uses one of those teacups, she can be transported back to those lovely afternoons with her Great-Grandmother.

For me, seeing Clare’s collection reminded me a lot about my Oma (German grandma).  A tradition that I can remember since I was very young was having ‘coffee’ around 3-3:30PM every afternoon which involved everyone sitting down, enjoying coffee from teacups and of course a delicious baked good.

That is where this simple Apple Sponge Cake comes in as its a cake I remember having at ‘coffee’ and its the perfect accompaniment to coffee or tea.  It’s a light sponge with a buttery outer crust that forms from baking the cake in a springform pan. Plus the apples add the perfect sweetness and you can top this cake with either an apricot jam glaze or simply icing sugar.

Total time: 75 minutes (30 minutes preparation, 45 minutes baking)
Servings: 10-12
Equipment: springform pan, electric mixer

Ingredients:

2 large apples (i.e. Gala), peeled and each sliced into about 16 slices
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1 tsp lemon zest
3 eggs
2 cups all- purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp milk
2 tbsp butter, melted

For the topping you simply sprinkle icing sugar over the cake once cooked OR make the apricot topping:
2 tbsp apricot jam
1 tbsp water

Instructions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350F and butter the springform pan.

Peel the apples and cut each apple into about 16 slices. Set the apples aside.

For the sponge cake, use an electric mixer or hand-mixer with a whisk attachment.  Whisk the soft butter for 2 minutes on medium speed.

Add the sugar, vanilla extract, salt and lemon zest, whisking for 2 minutes on medium speed until you obtain a smoothie mixture, scraping the sides of your mixing bowl as needed.

Whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing for about 30 seconds on high speed after you add each egg.

In a separate bowl, mix together your flour and baking powder.

Then, add the flour mixture into the mixture in two instalments, alternating with the milk, whisking on medium speed briefly after each addition (flour-mix-milk-mix-flour-mix-milk-mix).  You will have a mixture that is more like a dough than a batter once all is combined.

Transfer the mixture into the springform pan and smooth the top to make it even.

Arrange the apples in two circles on the sponge cake mixture. Then melt the 2 tbsp of butter and pour the melted butter over the apples.

Put the cake in the bottom third of the even to bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

As the cake is getting close to being done mix the 2 tbsp apricot jam with 1 tbsp water in a small pan. Bring to a boil and then immediately remove from the heat.

As soon as you take the cake out of the oven, pour the apricot jam mixture over the cake.

Then, release and remove the ring part of the pan. Loosen the cake away from the bottom of the pan, then leave to cool on a wire rack.

Alternately, if you don’t use the apricot jam mixture as a topping when the cake has cooled sprinkle the top with icing sugar.

Then, enjoy a piece of this delicious cake with a cup of tea or coffee and family or friends!

This cake is best enjoyed within two days of baking.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Teacups, Grandmas and Apple Sponge Cake appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

I have been having picnics with friends since I was about 13 or 14 years old. My friend Heather and I would ride our bikes to meet-up about half-way between our two houses, somewhere near beautiful Lake Ontario.  My mom would help me pack some snacks including cheese and a baguette (yes my obsession with cheese and bread started at a very young age, thanks mom!)

I’ve even had picnics in a canoe (yes how Canadian can you get, ha!) My friend Corinne and I head out to the mountains for the day, find a lake to paddle on and just enjoy our picnic while out on the water.

Picnic is defined by dictionary.com as ‘an excursion or outing in which the participants carry food with them and share a meal in the open air,’ so it seems we’ve been getting it right since I was young.

There is just something about being out in nature, hanging out with a best friend and eating some delicious food – to me that is what having a picnic is all about.

And, that is where my favourite place in Calgary comes into play because Alforno Bakery & Café is going to be offering ‘picnics to-go’ just in time for the Summer!

I grabbed my friends, Kristan and Kendall and we headed out to Prince’s Island Park in Calgary to test out Alforno’s picnic offering and oh my we were in food heaven. Alforno’s picnic hits all the right notes for me…. Sandwiches, fresh baked bread and of course, cheese!

The cheese board was the perfect way to start the picnic. Accompanied by apples, a flavourful fruit chutney and crostini, their assortment of soft and hard cheeses rotates to keep things exciting and tasty!

We tried the Sirloin Sandwich and Ham Sandwich, both of which were full of flavour. I love the classic ham and double-cream brie on baguette which is accented by the mustard seed butter so that was a real winner in my books. And, the sirloin sandwich has this insanely delicious blue cheese aioli that makes you want to go back for more.

Just like me, Alforno knows Calgarians love their food and spending time outdoors. What better way to spend a summer afternoon than putting both together with the ultimate picnic!?

You can now order your picnic from Alforno by 5pm the day before you’re planned outing and then head on in to Alforno the next day after 12pm to pickup your picnic!  You can personalize your picnic basket to include your choice of sandwich from their delicious Ham & Brie, Roasted Vegetable and Sirloin, a baked-in-house cookie, their famous Berloni Tiramisu or Chocolate Mousse and an ice-cold bottle of water. Plus, if you’re feeling extra hungry you can add a cheeseboard, variety of salads or olives to your picnic too!  #AllTheFood

How exactly can you order your picnic basket? Email Andrew@alforno.ca or call 403.454.0308 before 5:00 PM the day prior to your picnic outing. Then, pick it up from 12PM onwards and picnics are available to order Monday through Sunday each week.

So grab your family and friends this summer, pack up some delicious food and drink from Alforno Bakery & Café and then walk on over to your fav spot in Calgary.  Lay down a blanket, enjoy the food and company of the perfect picnic!

I might just see you out there this Summer!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

P.S. Thank you to Terralynn from Teatro Group for taking photos of us too! And to Kristan and Kendall for taking time to picnic with me!

Disclaimer: Thank you to Alforno Bakery & Café for sponsoring this post.  Thank you for supporting the brands that I support. All opinions are my own.

The post A Picnic in the Park with Friends appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

So, I wanted to share with you my list of favourite movies of which I highly recommend watching them whilst cuddling up on the couch with hot chocolate and popcorn.

Love Actually
I watch this while I bake, while decorating the tree, while relaxing, truly all. the. time

Elf
Will Ferrell as an elf, hilarity ensues

Christmas Vacation 
makes me laugh every. single. time

The Holiday
two words – jude law (ok but seriously, its just a super cute story)

Four Christmases
growing up our family would go to TWO Christmas dinners on Christmas day – this movie has FOUR, so I can relate

Fred Claus
sometimes unknown when I tell people but if you like Vince Vaughan definitely give it a shot

Home Alone
still a classic to this day

One Magic Christmas
truly a feel-good movie that I remember watching from a very young age

Polar Express
I loved the book growing up so the movie is a keeper

Scrooged
another one that not that many people talk about, more of a modern-day christmas carol

Perhaps you’ll find a movie on this list you haven’t seen before or be reminded of a great one you’ll want to watch again. Whichever it is, I hope you’re able to enjoy some down-time with a great holiday movie this season.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Favourite Holiday Movies appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

There are DEFINITELY some serious kitchen fails that go on behind the scenes that never usually make it past the kitchen…spilling bacon grease in the oven, breaking corks when opening wine bottles and going overboard with spices (aka my chipotle chili which my husband is still sweating from to this day).  Not everything goes perfectly well the first time you make a recipe or hey even if you’ve made it 100 times it can go sideways…so come along on this journey of kitchen fails with me for dose of laughter and recognizing that we all have our ‘moments’ in the kitchen.

“The case of the missing sugar”
Did you know that table salt and sugar look eerily similar?  I learned this lesson pretty quickly.  I was baking and had all of my ingredients out on the counter.  I swore up and down the ‘sugar’ I took out of the pantry was ‘sugar.’  It was in the same container as sugar, why would it be salt?!  My husband and I had recently merged all of our kitchen items together when moving so I guess there had been some sort of mix-up with what I thought was the official ‘sugar’ container versus ‘salt container.’  So, I dumped in a nice, leveled cup of SALT into my cake batter and carried on adding additional ingredients. It wasn’t until I tasted the batter that I knew something was not right about this cake – why on earth did it taste salty! ‘That’s the salt container’ my husband said to me. Apparently the salt and sugar containers were interchangeable and I did not know this – after this baking adventure, I made sure to label each container for future use.

“Peas can loose their lovely bright green colour quickly”
There is this lovely and easy pea soup recipe that I love to make in the fall and winter.  I’ve made it often and it had never failed to be delicious and beautiful to look at!  Just last winter, I was whipping up a batch of the soup which involves adding frozen peas to a boiling broth, letting them cook briefly and then pureeing the soup.  I’m pretty sure I was distracted (possibly by an episode of Scandal), that I let the peas cook a little TOO long and all of a sudden when I looked in the pot they were not their glowing green colour anymore! I immediately took them off the heat and went to puree the soup.  Lets just say the soup still tasted OK but unfortunately the colour wasn’t anything to take a photo of and as my husband said, “it wasn’t your best honey.”

“Rice Krispie Hockey Puck”
You’re probably thinking to yourself, how on earth can you mess up rice krispee squares?! Oh I have my ways, let me tell you.  I love a good ‘rice krispie’ square – soft, gooey, sweet and crunchy bars that are ‘easy’ to make and a tasty little snack.  One day I wanted a quick little dessert so I decided to make a batch of squares in a snap (no pun intended). I had legitimately made these about 100 times growing up but apparently this time I was overconfident.  I followed all of the instructions, melting butter and marshmallows, mixing in the rice krispies, spreading them out into the pan and then letting them set.  Later, when I went to cut them into squares I was greeted by a hard rock of squares that I couldn’t even cut through! My husband (and I, after a moment of how the heck did I screw these up) laughed hysterically at the very fact I had somehow failed at making the squares and had made a rice krispie hockey puck instead.  I still to this day don’t know how I managed to mess these up.

The moral of the story is, we ALL have our moments in the kitchen, good and not-so-good BUT as long as you have a great attitude and can laugh at yourself, it can be a fun and enjoyable place to make dishes for the ones you love.

Have any of your own kitchen fails? Share your stories below, I’d love to hear from you!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post My Kitchen Fails – ‘The Untold Stories’ appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.