Author Archives: lolitahale

I love Focaccia bread! My favourite lunch is taking two thick slices of fresh Focaccia bread with creamy havarti and a generous slice of field tomato in between. As a side for our thansgiving dinner yesterday, I made a Parmesan Rosemary Focaccia. Focaccia is enjoyed in any season, but when you make it at home,Continue reading “Cast Iron Pan Focaccia Pizza”

We are in the throes of Indian Summer, where the evenings hint at the chill of the upcoming fall months and the afternoons are reminiscent of the dog days of summer! I have been picking fall tomatoes and beans that have run rampant across a garden grown wild and this is the time where theContinue reading “Zucchini, Zucchini!”

It’s Friday night. My daughter and her friend were hanging out downstairs in our rec room. I heard them come upstairs and root around in the cupboards and pantry, all the while muttering things like, “There’s no junk in this house!” (there isn’t) and “I’m soo hungry!” Now that I can help with. I hadContinue reading “Pop-in-your Mouth Peanut Butter Cups!”

I grew up on cakes and loaves where there was generally some component of fruit and nuts in each creation. This may be a reflection of my mother’s European background or merely because we always had a fruit cellar filled with shelves of Mason jars full of fruit, available all year round. This cake isContinue reading “Make-Ahead Pie Dough Cake aka “Muttis Kuchen””

One of the staples in my baking cupboard is usually a bag of coconut and some cans of sweetened condensed milk. The coconut can be sweetened or unsweetened. I use the smallest cookie scoop I own and find that these minis are perfect for serving on a cookie platter for dessert or as a snackContinue reading “Coconut Macaroon Crunchies”

Same Pavlova recipe as last time, with a few modifications resulting in a light and summery dessert! With only meringue, whipped topping and some strawberry sauce/jam, this dessert is as light as a cloud! Meringue: 4 egg whites and 1 cup white sugar, 1/2 teasoon Vanilla extract Topping: 4 cups Dessert Topping Mix 1/3 cupContinue reading “Strawberry Whip Meringue”

Once again, a neighbour dropped off some peaches at my door with a note saying to use them quickly! I didn’t have time to do anything with them right away. But this morning, I noticed that the peaches were so ripe that some of them were starting to spoil. What’s the best thing to doContinue reading “Peach Cobbler”

Want to make a dessert that takes 5 minutes to make, 2 hours to bake and will disappear from your guest’s plates within seconds? This dessert needs bits of your time throughout the day and is a gorgeous and light way to end a meal with family and friends! INGREDIENTS 5 large egg whites 1Continue reading “Blueberry Lavender Pavlova”

My lovely neighbour, Dinie, sent me a message that she had some berries growing along her fenceline that I would be able to use in my baking. Never one to say no to the offer of fruit that I can try to bake something with, I headed over and discovered thorny branches laden with theseContinue reading “BOYSENBERRY TARTS”

July is full of fruit that needs to be tasted, used and enjoyed! Since there is so much to choose from, I have come up with a versatile recipe that can be used with any local fruit that’s available as the seasons change! I’ve worked with several pastry combinations and have come up with aContinue reading “RUSTIC FRUIT TART”