mixed berry ricotta pancakes

 

i hope everyone had a lovely weekend! the rain has FINALLY stopped in our neck of the woods, or at least i hope so because our basement can't handle much more water. i feel like that was a month straight of rain, but alas the sun is shining & we were able to squeeze in some gardening yesterday afternoon! i don't actually know what i am doing when it comes to gardening (zero green thumb), but so far it is looking pretty good outside. we planted various green plants & lined the garden with a rustic grey stone out front. more importantly we planted blackberries & rhubarb out back! i am really hoping the plants take & i will have fresh fruit straight from my backyard all summer long! eventually we hope to have a full garden, but baby steps. these berry pancakes are a little way to celebrate all that hard work gardening this weekend. i mixed fresh berries both into the batter AND topped them with berries. for the flour i used a mix of bob's red mill white flour & bob's red mill stone groud whole wheat flour. the whole wheat flour gives the pancakes extra nutrients as it is made from dark northern hard red wheat with the bran and germ still intact! lastly, the ricotta cheese makes for the fluffiest pancakes. it is very mild in flavour so it more so offers a unique texture to the base. just don't skip out on whipping those egg whites! a very important step when making the perfect pancakes or waffles.

ingredients

  • 3/4 cup whole ricotta cheese
  • 1/3 cup raw sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs, separated
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup bob's red mill white flour, sifted
  • 1/3 cup bob's red mill whole wheat flour, sifted
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • 1 cup fresh berries, roughly chopped
  • fresh berries, for serving
  • maple syrup, for serving

directions

  • in a large mixing bowl whisk together the ricotta, raw sugar, vanilla & egg yolks.
  • slowly whisk in the whole milk until smooth.
  • sift in the white flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder & sea salt. stir until a lumpy batter is formed.
  • in a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks until stiff peaks are formed. gently fold this into the batter.
  • fold in the berries.
  • over medium heat grease a skillet & add 1/4 cup of batter. cook until golden brown on each side. repeat this step until no batter remains.
  • top with fresh berries & maple syrup before serving!

chamomile creme brulee

 

if you haven't noticed by now i LOVE baking with tea. it just takes one simple, additional step to steep the tea in hot milk & any recipe is instantly transformed. i can't believe until now, i didn't share a recipe for creme brulee made this way! creme brulee is almost all milk & cream (ok just cream), so this would be the most flavourful way to use tea in a dessert.

when baking with tea, the quality of tea is very important. this recipe features smith teamaker's meadow no. 67 tea blend (i also use this blend in a mother's day cake which will be up on the lacanche canada website very soon). if you aren't familiar with smith tea, they are a portland based company who produces each and every sachet of tea themselves! this helps ensure they produce the very best tea possible. the meadow no. 67 tea is a caffeine free blend of golden egyptian chamomile flowers, fragrant hyssop, rose petals, linden flowers & cape rooibos. it is so dainty & delicate! it makes for the perfect blend to serve mom for mothers day. the tea on its own is so beautiful i had to take a photo of just the tea leaves. who knew tea could be that pretty?! i find tea blends infuse best when they are loose leaf so you can get a stronger extraction. smith's tea sachets are amazing for this because their sachets are very large so the tea has room to expand fully & instead of straining out the tea, you just have to remove the sachet (how easy is that)!

P.S. smith teamaker's are offering a discount code just in time for mother's day! receive $10 off any purchase of $50 or more on all smith products including merchandise & limited edition items through mother's day for US & CANADA (yay!) using code modestmarce. you can check out the mother's day collection of tea here & the top thirteen blends here!

ingredients

  • 4 cups heavy cream
  • 2 sachets smith teamaker's chamomile tea (meadow no. 67)
  • 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch of sea salt
  • 6 large egg yolks

directions

  • preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  • in a saucepot over medium heat add the heavy cream & tea. bring to a simmer & remove from heat. let steep covered for 15 minutes before removing the tea sachets.
  • in a mixing bowl whisk together 1/2 cup sugar with the egg yolks until light & frothy. slowly temper in the tea infused cream & whisk until blended. stir in the vanilla & sea salt.
  • divide the liquid between 6-8 greased ramekins & place in a large roasting pan.
  • fill the pan halfway with water & bake for 45-55 minutes.
  • remove the creme brulees from the water bath & place in the fridge until the custard sets (about 4 hours)
  • once ready to serve, sprinkle the tops with remaining sugar & torch the until caramelized.

NOTE: if you do not have a torch, use the broil setting in your oven and let them brown for 20-30 seconds. make sure it doesn't burn! this step happens VERY quickly so don't take your eyes off of the oven.

this post was created in partnership with smith teamakers. recieve $10 off any purchase of $50 or more on all smith products including merchandise & limited edition items through mother's day for US & CANADA using code modestmarce!!!

creamy overnight chia oats (dairy free)

 

is it just me or does life seem ten times busier the second spring hits? maybe it is because as the weather warms up & the sun stays out longer i feel like i am supposed to be outside doing things & getting stuff done! whereas in the winter i am perfectly content staying cozy in front of the TV with hot cup of tea. with more projects on the go these days, i am opting for much more simple meals & desserts in the kitchen! recipes with not a lot of prep work involved or recipes i can prepare before bed, like these overnight chia oats! they take no more then five minutes to mix up & come morning you will have a healthy breakfast waiting for you. i love topping mine with the fresh fruit & berries in season. we are going to plant some blackberry bushes next week so i can't wait to see how those go.. freshly picked berries everyday!

this particular recipe is kind of a cross between over night oats & chia seed pudding. two very similar dishes i opted to use both oats & chia in my morning breakfast bowl! instead of milk, i used nutpods dairy free creamer. we almost never have regular milk in the house as i am a nut milk addict! nutpods is my go to creamer for coffee in the mornings but i also like to use it in my baking too. it helped make these overnight oats so creamy & delicious, while still being healthy. nutpods is made from heart-healthy almonds & mct-rich coconuts. they come in a variety of flavours but i stuck to the unsweetened original for this recipe as i prefer to add in my own flavours when recipe developing! i go over the border to get my fill of nutpods (a luxury i have living across from niagara falls, new york), but this month they will be available online for canadians too! yay! happy may friends:)

ingredients

  • 3/4 cup rolled oats
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 cups nutpods original creamer
  • 2 tablespoons raw honey or pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • fresh berries, for serving

directions

  • in a large mixing bowl add the oats, chia seeds, cinnamon & nutmeg. stir until combined.
  • pour in the nutpods creamer, honey & vanilla. mix well.
  • divide amongst 4 glass jars (i used weck jars) & let rest overnight covered in the fridge.
  • top with fresh berries, a sprinkle of cinnamon & enjoy!