apple blueberry pies on a stick

 

today is national "something on a stick day", so i couldn't think of anything more fitting then pies on a stick!!!! i just love making pies in all sorts of shapes & sizes. of course the smaller they are the cuter they are. these pies are filled with fresh blueberries and apples. it isn't a combination you see often, but it works so well together & the blueberries aid in a beautiful colour to the filling. to really let the fruit shine through, these pies are actually sugar free! i don't usually add a lot of sugar in general to my pies as i want the fruit to bring the natural sweetness. this filling is sweetened with a pinch of stevia & a splash of zevia's gingerale. instead of using water in the filling, i included zevia's gingerale to provide a kick of flavour & a hint of natural sweetness. zevia is a zero calorie soda naturally sweetened with stevia as well! i brought these to a family dinner & not one person could tell they were sugar free. they were devoured in minutes! this recipe is perfect for anyone trying to keep a sugar free diet or for anyone who loves pie as much as me:)

ingredients

for the all butter pie dough

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 tablespoons ice water

for the pies on a stick

  • 1 all butter pie dough (see recipe above)
  • 1 1/2 cups apples, peeled & diced
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 tablespoon powdered stevia
  • 1/4 cup zevia's gingerale
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 egg, whisked for egg wash
  • 12 wooden candy sticks

directions

for the all butter pie dough

  • in a large food processor add the flour and salt. pulse 2 times to blend.
  • add the cubed butter. pulse until a pea sized crumb mixture is formed.
  • add the vanilla & water one tablespoon at a time until the crumbs begin to come together. turn out onto a floured surface and shape dough into a disk.
  • wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

for the pies on a stick

  • preheat oven to 375 degrees. line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • in a skillet over low heat add the apples, blueberries, stevia, gingerale, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon & salt. continuously stirring, cook until the fruit begins to break down & softened, about 5 minutes.
  • in a small mixing bowl whisk together the lemon juice and cornstarch. pour over the fruit filling and stir until mixture thickens, about 60 seconds.
  • remove from heat & let cool to room temperature while you roll out the dough.
  • on a floured surface roll out dough to 1/8th inch thick. cut into 12 3 inch rounds.
  • add a tablespoon of filling to the center & brush the edges with egg wash.
  • place a wood stick in the center & top with a second round of dough. using a fork, press down the edges to seal.
  • brush the top with additional egg wash & place on prepared baking sheet. repeat this step 5 more times, or until no more dough remains.
  • bake for 15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
  • let cool to room temperature before serving.

thank you to zevia for sponsoring this post! xo

lemon lavender scones

 

scones are such a simple, rustic, morning treat to whip up. they involve no kneading, chilling or rolling. with spring around the corner i wanted to create something fresh & lemony! i love adding citrus zest to my baked goods, as it really adds a fresh flavour to just about anything. i also incorporated the flavour of lavender into these scones, as lavender season is around the corner. while the snow doesn't seem to want to go away here, i am bringing the flavours of spring inside. i made these scones with bob's redmill organic all purpose flour & cane sugar, then topped them with a sparkling decorative sugar. the decorative sugar makes for the perfect crunch on top! i love topping all my baked goods with a sprinkle of this sugar.

happy spring!!!

ingredients

for the scones

for the glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • lemon zest, for garnish

directions

  • preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • in a large mixing bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, zest and lavender until evenly mixed.
  • add the butter and work into the dough using your hands or a pastry cutter until a pea sized crumb mixture is formed.
  • in a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla extract, lemon juice and heavy cream until smooth, about 60 seconds.
  • add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until the dough comes together.
  • turn out onto a floured surface and shape into a 1-inch thick circle.
  • slice into 8 evenly sized wedges and transfer to a lined baking sheet.
  • brush the top with cream and sprinkle with decorative sugar.
  • bake until the top and edges are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
  • while the scones bake, prepare the glaze. beat sugar, vanilla extract & lemon juice together until smooth. set aside until ready to use.
  • drizzle scones with glaze, garnish with lemon zest & let cool to room temperature before serving.

this post was created in partnership with bob's red mill! 

fig honey cake + blogiversary + cookbook

 

today marks THREE years of hey modest marce! but it also marks my most exciting annoucement to date. i have been hinting at in on social over the last little while, but i am thrilled to officially share the news with you.. I'M WRITING A COOKBOOK!!!!!! insert ALL the emotions

well technically, i wrote a cookbook. i spent the last year baking up a storm & shooting so many amazing recipes. being able to tell people i was working on my first cookbook has seriously been a dream come true. the book will be released in the spring of 2019 with penguin canada! it is called bake the seasons & it is filled with both sweet + savoury recipes. cakes, pies, cookies, galettes, muffins, stratas & so much more!

it all started about a year ago when i recieved an e-mail from penguin canada. i met with the editor & director of cookbook publishing, then spent the next month working on my proposal. the team loved the proposal & next thing i knew i was signing my first book deal! i spent the next year recipe testing, styling & shooting each recipe. so much hard work has gone into this book! it has been so hard to keep it a secret from everyone while trying to keep up with the blog on a regular basis, but now the secret is out! we are currently in the design phase of the book (the big cover photo decision!!!!), so i will be sure to keep everyone updated from here onwards! no more secrets.

as for now, cheers to many more years of modest marce, my first cookbook & this fig honey cake! thank you to everyone for following along my baking journey over the last few years. literally none of this would have happened without you!

xo

ingredients

for the honey cake

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cups raw sugar
  • 1/2 cup good quality honey
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • for the honey buttercream*

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup good quality honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6-8 fresh figs, halved

directions

for the honey cake

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter, sugar & honey until fluffy.
  • add in the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla extract & oil. mix until combined.
  • in a separate bowl sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder & salt. alternate between adding the flour mixture & the milk to the stand mixer. beat until smooth after each addition.
  • evenly divide batter amongst 3 greased & lined 6-inch round cake pans.
  • bake for 20 minutes or until the top bounces back to touch.

  • let cool while you prepare the frosting.

  • for the honey buttercream*

  • in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter, sugar, honey & vanilla until fluffy, about 8-10 minutes.

  • frost cake, top with fresh figs & drizzle with honey if desired.