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Creating A Piece of French History: Cannelés #ActsOfSweetness

Cannelés Acts of Sweetness

Have you ever heard of Cannelés? I can honestly say I had never heard of these delicious pastries prior to working on this recipe.

Cannelés are little speciality pastry from the Bordeaux region of France. These little cakes have a crisp, caramelised coating with a slightly chewy and soft inside. They are small enough to eat out of your hand and have a divine taste that will leave you craving for more (we are the whole batch before we realized how many calories were in one but honestly felt no regret at eating so many they were that good!).

Cannelés Acts of Sweetness

Cannelés have a very rich history that spans over the last three hundred years. One of the oldest stories tells of the nuns in a convenant in the Bordeaux region who used to make these special little cakes using leftover egg yolks from the local wine makers. Another tale tells of the residents of Bordeaux using spilled flour from loading docks to make these pastries for poor children. This video from Redpath shows the wonderful history of Cannelés:

I love to bake and when I received the challenge to create these delicious pastries I could not wait to get started!

Cannelés Acts of Sweetness

For this recipe you will need:

  • two cups of milk
  • 50 gm of butter
  • one vanilla pod
  • 7/8 cup of flour
  • 1 cup and 1 tbsp of Redpath sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • two eggs and two egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup of dark rum
  • silicone cannelés mould

Cannelés Acts of Sweetness

Directions:

1. Place the two cups of milk, 50 gm of butter and one vanilla pod in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it has begun to boil, remove the pan and allow to cool.

Cannelés Acts of Sweetness

2. Mix together 7/8 cup of flour, one cup and one tbsp of sugar along with one tsp of salt into a large mixing bowl.

Cannelés Acts of Sweetness

3. Place the two eggs and two egg yolks in a small bowl and beat lightly.

Cannelés Acts of Sweetness

4. Combine the warm milk (remove the vanilla pod) along with the eggs into the large mixing bowl. Whisk it together until the batter is smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup of dark rum and place the vanilla pod back into the bowl.

Cannelés Acts of Sweetness

5. Cover the mixture and leave in your fridge for 24-48 hours.

6. Pre-heat oven to 240C or 460F. Prepare your silicone moulds by placing them on a baking sheet and heating them in the oven for four to five minutes.

Cannelés Acts of Sweetness

7. Remove your mixture from the fridge and spoon in the batter into each mould. You want to leave roughly 0.5-1cm room from the top to prevent your cannelés from overflowing.

Cannelés Acts of Sweetness

8. Cook the cannelés at 240C/460F for fifteen minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 190C/375F and bake for another 50-60 minutes or until the cakes have a golden bronze colour. Remove the cakes immediately from the moulds (they shake out so well!) and let them cool on a wire rack. They are best eaten when warm so don’t be shy to eat them within an hour of baking.

Cannelés Acts of Sweetness

Have you ever tried a cannelé before? Do you have a special pastry that you just love to make?

Disclosure: I received some of the above mentioned materials in order to create this recipe. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

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March Break Fun with Linky! #WW

March Break #WW

Last week we were off enjoying March Break and here is a glimpse of our week!

We attended a Raptors game (where unfortunately they lost) but my son taught me a lot about basketball and it was fun to just spend some one on one time with him. He has quite the humour!

March Break #WW

We went for a couple of hikes as the weather has finally let up and the snow is starting to melt. The views by the lakefront were spectacular!

March Break #WW

We went bowling where my eldest and I tried to re-gain our Number One Title but we lost to my husband and youngest son (we still say there was definitely some cheating going on by those two!).

March Break #WW

To top it off we baked and baked!!

Mommy and Me Baking During March Break #DKCanada

What have you been up to this week?

Make sure to link up below so that I can visit you too!

 

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Who Is Egg-cited for Easter – This Kinder Mom Is! #KinderSmiles #KinderMom

Kinder Canada

The sun is finally shining and the snow has melted (in my part of Canada because I know my friends in the East are still having quite a bit of snow falling!) and Spring has finally come. We have been busy preparing our hearts and home for Easter and our children are excited for all the fun that Easter brings – time with family and all of the Easter egg hunts!

Kinder Canada Easter

I have been busy preparing the children’s baskets this week, preparing crafts for the boys and working on our Lenten promises. While it is usually a busy time in our family it is also the most rewarding.

Kinder eggs have always been a family tradition in our home. Our children look forward to finding them in their Easter baskets on Easter morning – not to mention how much their Mom loves those mini eggs!!

Kinder Canada Easter Collection

This year Kinder Canada is celebrating Easter in a big way on Facebook by unwrapping your very own Kinder egg online!

So how does this work you may ask?

Between March 16 and March 31st head over to the Kinder Canada Facebook page and open the new Kinder Easter tab at the top of the page. Tap the image with your mouse to unwrap the egg. The Kinder egg will reveal either an instant prize or a message to try again. Every time you unwrap a Kinder egg you are automatically entered in to a grand prize draw. Awesome, right? Make sure you get those entries in soon because this unique giveaway will end soon.

Kinder Canada Easter Collection

 

How do you celebrate Easter? Are Kinder eggs a part of your tradition like they are in our home?

Make sure you are following Kinder Canada on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with new products, games and giveaways!

Disclosure: I am a #KinderMom and receive perks associated with this affiliation. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

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March Break Fun with Mommy and Me Bake #DKCanada

Mommy and Me Bake #DKCanada March Boutique

What better way to spend the March Break (or any time really) than baking with your child! DK Canada introduces Mommy and Me Bake, a book full of fun recipes and ingredients for your child and you to make together.

Mommy and Me Baking During March Break #DKCanada

About Mommy and Me Bake

Mommy and Me Bake introduces children to the fun and exciting world of baking. This book is full of easy to read and follow classic recipes to help children bake along with their parents.

My Thoughts

Talk about the perfect first recipe book for children of all ages! Mommy and Me Bake contains large, bright photos that are perfect for children. The steps are easy to follow (even for the baking impaired adult!) and are in large, bold font.

The recipes take on new names that will entice your children: Crunchy Cookie Cutouts, Fruit Boats and Cookie Blossoms. The names got our children excited to try out the recipes especially with the animated introduction picture for each recipe.

Mommy and Me Bake #DKCanada

We had an incredible time baking with these recipes. Mommy and Me Bake makes it easy to follow, understand and explains the science behind baking making it a fun experience for all. The hard cover and thick pages make it easy to keep in the kitchen while baking without ruining the book.

What is your favourite recipe to bake?

Make sure to check out the March Break Boutique over at DK Canada!

Mommy and Me Bake #DKCanada March Boutique

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Get Science Inspired with Netflix! #StreamTeam

netflix

March Break is here!! WOOHOO!! Time to spend some time with our kids doing what they love best – crafts, experiments and baking! March also signals the start of Science Fair season. The subject of science can broken down into three categories: natural sciences (biology, fundamental forces), formal sciences (math, logic) and social sciences (human behaviour and societies).

Netflix helps us get our creative juices flowing this month with plenty of educational and science based films that inspire, educate and entertain. The hardest part will be choosing what to watch first!

Get Inspired with Science Based Films on Netflix Canada!

Why not start with one of everyone’s favourite topics – volcanoes. Deadliest Volcanoes explores the wonder of these sleeping giants that millions of people live in the shadow of. This show follows scientists around the world exploring volcanoes, the likelihood of eruption, when it may and how deadly an eruption could be.

Some other great titles for your older child and yourself: Nova: Hunting the Elements, Cosmos and Let Your Mind Wonder.

Maybe you have a young crowd and the wonders of Miss Frizzle’s bus may suit them better. The Magic School Bus (my favourite show as a child!) returns!

Be Science Inspired with Netflix Canada

Some other great children titles: Sid the Science Kid, Fetch! with Ruff and Animal Mechanicals.

Follow up these great shows with your own science experiment at home by making a volcano erupt! You can find the whole experiment instructions on Meet the Dubiens or you can follow my mini version using three ingredients.

Become Science Inspired with Netflix!You will need:

  • plastic water bottle
  • six drops of dish washing detergent
  • two tbsp of baking soda
  • one cup on vinegar

Directions:

Place you plastic water bottle in a baking pan to capture the eruption (and save yourself a major cleanup!). Fill your water bottle about 3/4 with warm water and add the dish washing detergent and baking soda.

Slowly add the vinegar to set off your eruption!

What activities have you been up to this March Break?

Disclosure: I am member of the Netflix StreamTeam and receive perks with this affiliation. All opinions expressed are my own.

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