caramel s'more pie

 

because it is not quite camp fire season, i am bringing s'more time inside with this deconstructed s'mores pie. the thick graham cracker crust is my absolute favourite type of crust.. i always give myself a little extra. to be honest, because of the crust alone i like this s'more pie better then your average s'more! the filling is made with two types of dark ghirardelli chocolate; twilight delight + dark & caramel. i topped it off with a fluffy marshmallow meringue. the pie crust & filling needs to be made a few hours in advance to allow the chocolate custard layer to set properly. you can finish it off with fresh meringue right before serving. if you don't like meringue you should first try this one, i promise you will change your mind. BUT if not, an alternative would be to top it with marshmallow fluff! just don't forget to torch the top with a kitchen torch or in the oven using the broiler. it puts the final toasted s'more touch taste & look to it.

ingredients

for the graham cracker crust

  • 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

for the caramel chocolate filling

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 4 large egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue topping)
  • 4 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped (8 squares of ghirardelli twilight delight)
  • 4 ounces dark caramel chocolate (8 squares of ghirardelli dark & caramel)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

for the marshmallow meringue

  • 4 large egg whites
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions

for the graham cracker crust

  • in a mixing bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, salt & vanilla. stir until combined.
  • press the mixture firmly into a greased pie dish creating a 1-inch crust around the edges.
  • bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes & let cool completely before adding the chocolate filling.

for the caramel chocolate filling

  • in a saucepan add milk, cream, sugar, cornstarch, sea salt & egg yolks. whisk until the egg yolks have broken up.
  • cook over medium heat, constantly stirring until mixture thickens.
  • remove from heat & immediately stir in dark chocolate, caramel chocolate, vanilla extract & butter until silky smooth.
  • pour into pre-baked graham cracker crust & let set in the fridge for 2-4 hours.

for the marshmallow meringue

  • when ready to serve, prepare the marshmallow meringue. in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment add the egg whites. whip until soft peaks form.
  • gradually add the sugar & vanilla. whip until stiff peaks form.
  • spread over pie & using the broiler or a kitchen torch brown the top until golden brown to resemble a toasted marshmallow.
  • serve immediately!

this post was created in partnership with ghirardelli chocolate! you can find the two types of chocolate i used here &  here. 

like what you see? get it here. copper sauce pot | copper double handled pan | shun knife | cutting board | linens

salted vanilla + chocolate truffle cupcake

 

it's national truffle day! FINALLY a day i can get on board with. aside from the obvious of celebrating by stuffing my face with endless LINDOR truffles, i thought it would be nice to bake them into something too! a salted vanilla cupcake, stuffed with a surprise milk chocolate LINDOR truffle. if a surprise gooey chocolate truffle isn't enough, i finished them off with a drizzle of truffle ganache & a sprinkle of sea salt. i know my sister in alberta is beyond jealous looking at this right now, because these are one of her favourite chocolates too. good thing it's her birthday this week & she will be flying home.. should i be a nice sister & save her one!? when i worked downtown, there was a LINDOR store in the concourse of my office building. they had piles & piles of different flavours of truffles i didn't even know existed! i was like a kid in a candy store. what is your favourite flavour of truffles?!

ingredients

(makes one dozen cupcakes)

for the cake

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cups white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
    * 12 LINDOR truffles, whole

for the frosting

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups icing sugar, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • coarse sea salt, for topping (like sprinkles)

for the chocolate ganache

* 6 LINDOR truffles, roughly chopped

  • 1 teaspoon heavy cream

directions

  • preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  • in the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter and sugar. add the egg & vanilla extract, beat until light and fluffy.
  • in a separate bowl sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. gradually add it to stand mixer at low speed, alternating with the milk.
  • divide the batter evenly amongst 12 lined cupcake tins. place a whole LINDOR truffle in the centre of each cupcake & push down.
  • bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • for the buttercream add the butter, sugar, vanilla & salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. beat until frosting is light & fluffy, about 8 minutes.
  • while the buttercream is whipping make the chocolate ganache. melt truffles in a microwave safe bowl. Add cream & stir until silky smooth. let cool slightly.
  • pipe each cupcake as desired. drizzle with truffle ganache & a sprinkle of coarse salt.

this post was created in partnership with lindt chocolate. happy national truffle day! 

balsamic roasted chickpea salad

 

because it is almost everyones favourite swimsuit season, today i am trading in my slice of cake for a delicious spring salad! radishes are one of my favourite vegetables to include in a salad because of the crunch factor. i eat them like apples to be honest, is that weird? idk. the dressing of this salad features various maison orphee oils & vinegars. a company who i feel in love with after i was on the hunt for the perfect dijon & whole grain mustard. bonus points because maison orphee is canadian & the sunflower oil + mustard are both produced in quebec city! the recipe for the dressing came from the maison orphee app where you can find various salad dressings & marinades. i decided to keep this salad vegetarian & use chickpeas as the protein. a cost friendly & vegetarian alternative to meat, but feel free to add some grilled chicken breast to the salad. lastly, because plain chickpeas are bland & boring, i marinated them in balsamic vinegar before roasting them. the leftover chickpeas make for a tasty healthy snack, enjoy!

ingredients

for the roasted chickpeas

for the salad

  • 5 ounces baby arugula
  • 1 seedless cucumber, sliced thinly
  • 1 bunch of radishes, sliced thinly
  • 1 cup roasted balsamic chickpeas
  • 4.5 ounces soft goat cheese

for the balsamic dressing

directions

for the roasted chickpeas

  • in a mixing bowl add the chickpeas & balsamic vinegar. let sit for 30 minutes.
  • strain the vinegar & add the olive oil, salt + pepper.
  • on a lined baking sheet roast at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. stir once in between.

for the balsamic dressing

  • in a mixing bowl or salad dressing jar add the olive oil, sunflower oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, brown sugar, salt & pepper. whisk/shake until well combined.

for the salad

  • in a large serving bowl add the arugula, cucumber, radishes, chickpeas & goat cheese.
  • toss in the fresh balsamic dressing & serve immediately.

this post was created in partnership with maison orphee. i used the following maison orphee products to create this recipe: sunflower oil, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, grey sea salt & dijon mustard. download the app here to get 100+ bbq marinades & vinaigrette recipes!