Fudgy Brownie Cake with Salted Caramel Drizzle

Last year for my sister's birthday, I put together quite the elaborate fondant cake that included as many things as I could think of, that she enjoyed. This year, I decided to take a different route and opted instead to focus on her favourite dessert - brownies! For as long as I can remember she has loved brownies, and for her, the richer the better. I swear if she put her mind to it, she could polish off an entire pan by herself, though unlike me she has control, so maybe not ;) In any case, since it was her birthday, and birthdays require cake, I decided to mix up the usual presentation and give her a true brownie cake.

To counteract all the sweet, I added some salted caramel drizzle to the top - it definitely could have used more salt to pair with the cake, or maybe it just needed more drizzle? Ether way, the leftover salted caramel is phenomenal on ice cream! You can find the recipe here on Food Wishes.

Molasses Tart

If you've never experienced a freshly baked Molasses Tart filled with jammed, wild Newfoundland berries, you don't know what you're missing! Hands down one of my all time favourite desserts. I'm not sure where the recipe originated - probably a G.F.S. Cookbook somewhere along the way - all I know is that my mom has been making these tarts for as long as I can remember.

A few weeks back I decided to give the recipe a go, myself. One thing I've learned about family recipes (or at least my family's recipes), is that you must always call the person who gave you the recipe, the first time you attempt to make it - trust me on this! Guaranteed, time and time again, there will be tweaks and adjustments in their head that haven't quite made it to the original recipe you've copied. I can't even begin to tell you the number of times I've prepared one of my mom's recipes only to have it turn out completely different, then discover when chatting after the fact, that I should have...  doubled the sauce portion, halved the dough recipe, left out such and such ingredient, included such and such ingredient (listed nowhere in the recipe), baked for only half the time, or 3/4's of the time, or way longer... all actual examples I've encountered over the past few years. It's laughable at this point, and I know now to give her a call, butttt it can still be frustrating if I forget, or if I can't get ahold of her when I'm making it.

Note: This recipe yields 4 tarts - mom typically halves the recipe and prepares 2, but I prepped the full amount - I'm always wary about having enough crust for double crusted pies, so I figured I would make it all and use the leftovers in my mini cupcake tray to make mini tarts!

Lemon Panna Cotta with Blueberry Sauce

I love trying new recipes, especially desserts! However, like a good chunk of the population these days, I'm constantly trying to 'eat better', which means my experiments in the recipe world usually revolve around meals or apps or snacks... not desserts. God knows I have no restraint when they're in my house. In any case, special occasions present the opportunity for experimentation with sweets, and for Valentine's Day I gave Panna Cotta a try. After the tasty rack of lamb, I knew we would want something refreshing and this recipe from Italian Food Forever, sounded ideal.

I had never had panna cotta prior to making this recipe, so I wasn't sure what to expect - it was amazing! It requires a bit of time to set up in the fridge, but, once it does, it is silky, creamy and incredible. The Lemon Panna Cotta on its own was good, but the topping made it better again. I would highly recommend this recipe.