mango strawberry mini galettes

 

i hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend! it was ridiculously hot here, but i managed to get a couple bike rides & hikes in. last night we went to niagara on the lake (my absolute favourite place) for ice cream & walked the longest trail of life. we kinda got lost which may explain why it was never ending, but all in all it was a perfect sunday night. the night before that we went to the ice cream farm i grew up going too, i guess you can say ice cream was a theme this weekend! i also made these cute little galettes! because MANGOS! how could i forget about mango season?! i used to get so excited every time my mom would bring one home from the market because it's not your boring old apples & bananas (no offence guys). these galettes make for the perfect fruity summer treat & come together much quicker + easier then a full on pie! no need to be a fancy baker for this rustic dessert. i usually go with a butter & shortening based crust when i make pies, but for these galettes i decided to stick to a full butter based crust. i love how the strong flavour of butter comes through! try not to eat them all yourself.

ingredients

(makes 4 mini galettes)

for the dough

  • 1.5 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold & cubed
  • 1/4 cup ice water

for the filling

  • 2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh mangos, chopped
  • 1/3 cup raw sugar
  • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions

for the dough

  • in a mixing bowl add flour, salt & sugar. stir until evenly mixed.
  • add cubed butter & using your hands work the butter into the flour mixture until a crumb like consistency is formed.
  • add the ice water & shape into a disc. if dough seems a bit wet, add a touch more flour. if dough seems a bit try, add a touch more ice water.
  • wrap in cling wrap & let rest in the fridge for an hour or over night.

for the filling

  • in a mixing bowl add strawberries, mangos, sugar, lemon juice, salt & cornstarch. toss until combined.

for assembly

  • preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • divide dough into four balls & roll out into a circular shape (between 1/8 inch & 1/4 inch for thickness).
  • add filling to the centre & fold in the edges.
  • brush with egg wash if desired & sprinkle with a touch of raw sugar.
  • bake for 20-25 minutes or until the dough begins to lightly brown.
  • serve warm or cold with fresh whipped cream!

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homemade marshmallow s'mores

 

the best part of summer? s'mores & campfires. so how can you possibly make a classic camp fire treat even better? make your own marshmallows & pair it with fun ghirardelli chocolate squares! the dark chocolate caramel & sea salt milk chocolate brownie squares are my personal favourites (yes you read that correctly, salted brownie chocolate). plus they come in a perfectly portioned size for a s'more. now these homemade marshmallows.. i have told myself for TOO long that i was going to make homemade marshmallows, but was too intimidated by the idea. it seems like they would be difficult to make because who really knows what is in a prepackaged marshmallow! i really don't like store bought marshmallows unless it is roasted over a fire, but this homemade version doesn't even compare! it is like eating a sweet fluffy cloud & they were beyond easy to whip up. like seriously, so easy. you may just have to deal with a kitchen covered in powdered sugar, but hey.. that pretty much happens to me every time i pull out the bag of powdered sugar. there is never any going back. these require quite a bit of mixing time to get the marshmallow to the perfect light consistency, so it will be easiest to use a stand mixer. once you get the hang of it you can add in all sorts of flavours to the marshmallow itself to be eaten on it's own or packed in a s'more! i can't wait to experiment with different tea & fruit infusions! imagine matcha flavoured marshmallows with white chocolate s'mores. oh the possibilities;)

ingredients

for the vanilla marshmallows

  • 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup water
  • 3/4 ounces gelatin
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 2/3 cup white corn syrup
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup corn starch
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

for the s'mores

directions

for the vanilla marshmallows

  • line a 13x9 baking dish with parchment paper & grease with oil.
  • add 1/2 cup water & gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer. let stand until the gelatin softens, about 10 minutes.
  • add remaining cup of water into a sauce pan over medium heat. add sugar, corn syrup & salt. stir until sugar dissolves.
  • increase heat to high & boil (do not stir) until temperature reaches 230-250 degrees, about 6-8 minutes.
  • using the whisk attachment, turn on mixer to low speed & slowly pour in boiling hot syrup.
  • once syrup is mixed evenly with the gelatin, add vanilla & increase speed to high. beat until mixture is thick & fluffy, about 15 minutes.
  • pour into baking dish immediately & let stand at room temperature until firm, about 2-3 hours.
  • sift corn starch & powdered sugar over mixture before slicing. toss each slice in the powdered mixture as well.

for the s'mores

  • toast vanilla marshmallow square in the oven or over a camp fire.
  • top with desired chocolate square & sandwich between two graham crackers.

this post was created in partnership with ghirardelli chocolate! thank you for supporting the sponsors that keep hey modest marce up & running. xo

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lavender lemonade

 

what a week it has been! i am officially no longer a city girl & have left toronto. moving is so exhausting, couldn't be happier that it is over with. i have quickly settled in back home, unpacked a lot of boxes, took over the den with a big table of props & have worked out my new shooting area. next up is painting the room! since being home this week, i have had just about every meal outside. aside from my mom being obsessed with eating outdoors, they just redid the deck this month & can't get enough of it. i think this lavender lemonade is the perfect drink to be sipping on the new patio with the sunshine beaming. this lemonade can easily be transformed into an adult cocktail if you are hosting a barbecue, bonfire or pool party. just add one ounce of vodka per serving. cheers! xo

ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon dried lavender (or 2-3 tablespoons fresh)
  • 1/2 cup raw sugar (i used obelo panela sugar)
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 cup ice water
  • sliced lemon, for garnishing

directions

  • in a sauce pot over medium heat add the lavender, raw sugar & hot water.
  • continuously stir until the sugar has fully dissolved & remove from heat.
  • let the lavender steep for 5-10 minutes, depending on how strong of a flavour you want. strain mixture & let cool completely to room temperature.
  • in a pitcher filled with ice add the fresh lemon juice, ice water & lavender syrup. stir until evenly combined.

NOTE: if you want the classic yellow colour of lemonade, you can also use regular white sugar!

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