This spicy apple galette with coffee glaze has a chai-spiced crust that’s rustic and fragrant. The apple filling is balanced with acidity, spice, and gentle sweetness. A smooth coffee glaze is literally the icing on top. Apple galettes are an easy and impressive-looking fall dessert I love to serve warm, topped with vanilla ice cream.
These mini pumpkin cranberry muffins are a result of my most recent visit with Atlantic Superstore in-store registered dietitian Kristen Gaudet. I visited Kristen in the summer to talk about weight management and switching to a more plant-based diet. With cooler weather setting in, I returned and asked Kristen to help me meal plan lunches for my three-year-old daughter, Elodie. She suggested serving bento box lunches, featuring local fruit and vegetables, and I instantly fell in love!
This post was sponsored by Atlantic Superstore; however, all views and opinions are my own. I will never endorse anything I don’t use or love! Thank you for supporting brands that help make kellyneil.com possible.
Baking is a salve to my grief and this apple cider cornflake crisp is a result of that. My grandmother and my mother died, three days apart, three weeks ago. I feel lost. Helpless. Broken. Spending time with my daughter, and baking are the only things that bring relief. Baking, a skill taught to me by my Mum so many years ago, is something I carry with me, a constant reminder that she was real. She existed. And she will continue to live through me and my recipes.
Homemade Chai Spice is the ultimate warming spice blend for cool weather. My rule of thumb is to use it anywhere I use cinnamon (except cinnamon rolls – let’s just say it can be too much of a good thing). Though I’ve been making chai spice for years I recently bumped up the amounts of cardamom and white pepper for extra spiciness. We love it sprinkled on our breakfast yogurt, mixed with maple syrup over pancakes, or baked into cakes. In fact, we love it so much I’ve listed 30 ideas for how to use it below!
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Read MoreToffee Apple Upside Down Cake With Chai Spices is a recipe you need as cooler temperatures set in! SweeTango apples combine with the peppery bite of homemade chai spice, and the nuttiness of spelt flour come to make an apple cake recipe perfect to enjoy with a cup of hot tea.
This post was sponsored by SweeTango Apples, however all views and opinions are my own. I will never endorse anything I don’t use or love! Thank you for supporting brands that help make kellyneil.com possible.
This post was first published on September 30, 2018 and was last updated July 28, 2019.
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Read MoreRoasted Squash, Chorizo, And Blue Cheese Strata is a recipe written by my friend Kathy Jollimore. She and I wanted to collaborate on a project for a long time, and finally, last Sunday, we got together to make this gorgeous breakfast strata. With Chorizo sausages from Ratinaud, Chef Jason Lynch’s Dijon mustard, and Blue Harbour Cheese’s Urban Blue, it’s a simple breakfast or brunch recipe showcasing some of Nova Scotia’s best ingredients.
This post was first published on December 2, 2014 and was last updated September 25, 2019.
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Read MoreRoasted Butternut Squash Pie Filling is better than pumpkin pie filling. There. I said it. I love this pie crust recipe by Ina Garten – it’s terrific. My pie crusts always look a little raggedy and I have long accepted I will never make a perfect-looking, beautifully braided pie crust. This butternut pie filling makes up for my lack of pie crust making skills. It’s creamy, sweet, and lightly spiced. It’s basically perfect and it it’s what’s on the inside that counts right?
This post was first published on November 16, 2014 and was last updated August 18, 2019.
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Read MoreBacon Fat-Roasted Beets With Double Smoked Bacon And Shallots is a great side dish for Thanksgiving dinner or any other family meal like turkey or roast beef. A colourful mix of red and yellow beets tossed with double smoked bacon, aged Balsamic, and roasted shallots captures all the right flavour notes – smoky, salty, earthy, acidic, and sweet.
This post was first published on November 4, 2014 and was last updated August 18, 2019.
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Read MoreOld Fashioned Apple Pan Dowdy is a recipe that simply feels right to make in the fall. Each year I watch sweet, fragrant apple blossoms mature through the heat of summer into crisp red-skinned spheres. As the days grow shorter, the fruit falls to the ground, withering, absorbed unto the earth. And then it begins again. The life-cycle of the apples reminds me of Elodie Gallien – my maternal grandmother – and her losing battle with Alzheimer’s. The autumn, and the apples, raise thoughts inside of me, both sweet and sad.
This post was first published on October 3, 2014 and was last updated September 1, 2019.
This Old Fashioned Apple Pan Dowdy post is part of The Nanny Project, an ongoing personal series exploring the relationships and connections between grandmothers, recipes, the past, and present. I started The Nanny Project in the fall of 2014 and wrote it as a bi-weekly column in The Chronicle Herald from October 2017 until the spring of 2019.
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Read MoreHomemade Granola with Honey And Sesame Oil is one of my favourite large batch-snacks to both make and eat. When I’m busy and on the go I eat it by the handful. When I have time in the mornings I add a dollop of apple butter or plain yogurt, or a splash of milk and eat it like cereal. The recipe makes a large amount, however it stores well in a large airtight container in the cupboard for up to one month. The recipe is also customizable for any nuts or dried fruit you have on hand.
This post was first published on September 28, 2014 and was last updated July 27, 2019.
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Read MoreOvernight Crockpot Apple Butter will fill your house with the scents of fall – apples and spices, plus a caramel note from brown sugar. It’s a gorgeous treat dolloped on homemade granola, spooned over ice cream, or served on the side of pork roasted with rosemary. We love it in the mornings spread on whole grain toast with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese.
This post was first published on September 27, 2014 and was last updated July 27, 2019.
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Read MoreDate And Plum Puffs With Rum Sauce came about because I had it in my head that dates and plums and rum would be good together and I was right! As the name implies, Date And Plum Puffs With Rum Sauce are very rummy (and very yummy). They are a perfect little appetizer to serve at a party with sparkling wine!
This post was first published on September 25, 2014 and was last updated August 11, 2019.
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Read MoreWhipped Brown Butter Spread With Cardamom And Vanilla is terrific on toast, bagels, scones, waffles, or anywhere else you like cinnamon sugar butter. The butter is browned in the microwave in this recipe, however, you can use a large pot on the stove if you prefer.
This post was first published on February 3, 2014 and was last updated August 17, 2019.
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I’ve been experimenting with meat jams and fruit butters lately and this one turned out pretty damn good if I do say so. It simmers overnight in the slow cooker and makes your house smell like Christmas! Here’s the recipe, inspired by My Baking Addiction:
Slow-Cooker Apple Cranberry Butter
5 large or 7 medium-sized Honeycrisp Apples
1 bag (340g / 12oz) fresh cranberries*
1/2 C dark brown sugar
1/2 C organic cane sugar (I used Just Us! Fair Trade Organic Sugar)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 vanilla bean – seeds scraped out, pod reserved
1 star anise pod
3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
3-inch cinnamon stick (I use Sri Lankan cinnamon that I get from The Spiceman)
1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla (I always buy Neilsen-Massey Madagascar vanilla at The Paderno Store in Bayer’s Lake – Tahitian if they’re out)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (I LOVE grinding the Sri Lankan cinnamon sticks – the flavour is unmatched)
– peel, core and chop apples – in a large bowl, toss the apples with cranberries, sugars, lemon juice and vanilla bean seeds – place mixture in slow cooker – bundle star anise and cardamom in cheesecloth, or a fresh tea filter, and place on top of apples along with reserved vanilla pods and cinnamon stick – turn to low and slow cook overnight (or 8-10 hours)
– in the morning, remove spice bundle, vanilla pods and cinnamon stick – purée cooked apples with an immersion blender until smooth – add pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, sea salt and ground cinnamon – cook on low 1-2 hours longer – store in mason jars**
*if you don’t have cranberries just substitute the weight in apples
**if not canning, store in fridge and eat within 2 weeks – if canning, will keep on shelf for at least a year, probably longer
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After spending the last two weeks developing and cooking savoury dishes, yesterday I heard the call of flour, butter, sugar, eggs and… olive oil?!?
I was going to make these because a) they look amazing and b) my friend Carlo keeps asking me to make them, but, seeing as I had no whipping cream in the house (a highly unusual occurrence) I had to work with what I had.
I used this recipe from the Food Network for the cake and I added one teaspoon of freshly crushed cardamom seeds. I filled mini Martha Stewart cupcake liners 3/4 full with cake batter and baked for 10 minutes at 350.
Now, many of you know I use Nanny Burke’s Buttercream as my go to, but I felt like trying something different yesterday, and besides, who doesn’t love Sweetapolita?!? (If you don’t know Sweetapolita, go there, right now. She is amazing!!!) I used her recipe for Whipped Vanilla Bean Frosting and I added one teaspoon of Orange Blossom Water which I bought at the Mid-East Food Centre on the corner of North and Agricola. Oh my it was good.
My piping skills still need work, but I still thought these were cute, and far too tasty, not to share.
Chai-Spiced Rice Krispie Squares are a jazzed up version of a classic treat. A touch of homemade chai spice added to the melted marshmallows conjures images of falling leaves and cozy sweaters.
This post was first published on September 27, 2011 and was last updated August 30, 2019.
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One of the beauties of Twitter is the ability to hold conversation with people you would not normally meet. Last week, Tim Pratt of Real, Creative Eats tweeted about his weekend trip to the Earltown Maple Syrup Festival. I responded with a big ‘I LOVE MAPLE!!!’ tweet to which I then got a response from@AuthenticCoast with a link to the DesBarres Manor Inn recipe for Sweet Potato Soup with Nova Scotia Maple Syrup.
DesBarres Manor Inn is one of Nova Scotia’s stunningly beautiful historic properties that has been faithfully restored to the full splendour of it’s 1837 heritage. Located in the town of Guysborough, along the scenic Marine Drive of our Eastern Shore, DesBarres Manor has become a go to for lovers of local food and wine.
‘From our spectacular open kitchen, our culinary team uses fresh ingredients from the Manor’s organic garden along with seasonal gourmet treasures from local farmers and fishers to create contemporary Canadian cuisine with an East Coast flair. Seasonally inspired menus are complemented by the Proprietor’s extensive wine collection, offering you a personal selection of fine wines from around the world. Combined with our attentive service, the DesBarres Manor dining room creates a culinary experience as warm as our people.’
I followed DesBarres’ recipe to a T and the end result was pretty good but I was left wanting a little more of a flavour kick. Maybe it’s because I’ve been working for the Bertossis too long but my tastebuds have developed a serious need for intense flavour.
DesBarres Manor Inn Sweet Potato Soup with Nova Scotia Maple Syrup
1 Tbsp Olive Oil, 1 tsp chopped garlic, 1/2 C chopped celery, 1/2 C chopped onion
1 Litre Chicken Stock, 2 Lbs peeled and diced Sweet Potatoes
4 Tbsp Maple Syrup, 1/4 tsp Nutmeg, 1 C Whipping Cream, 4 Tbsp Brandy
Sour Cream and Garlic Chives to garnish
Kelly’s Modified Sweet Potato Soup with Acadian Maple Syrup
1 Tbsp Olive Oil, 1 clove chopped garlic, 1 stalk chopped celery, 1/2 med onion, chopped
1.5 Litre Chicken Stock, 2 Lbs peeled and diced Sweet Potatoes
8 Tbsp Acadian Maple Syrup, 1/2 tsp Nutmeg, 1/2 tsp Cardamom, 1.5 C Milk, 4 Tbsp Brandy, pinch of dried chili flakes
**Sautee garlic, celery and onion in olive oil 2 minutes
**Add chicken stock and sweet potato – bring to the boil – reduce heat – simmer one hour or until potatoes are soft
**Puree – add all other ingredients – simmer 15 minutes
**Garnish with sour cream and garlic chives
I simmered my sweet potatoes for one hour as the recipe calls for. I should have taken them from the heat when I checked them at 1/2 an hour because that’s when they were done. By the end of one hour, my sweet potatoes had reduced too much and were so thick that I had to add more liquid, hence the increased measurements of stock and milk in my version. Also, my whipping cream was expired so I had to substitute milk for cream.
The only real difference in my version is the seasoning. I doubled the Maple Syrup because I found the original amount got lost among the sweetness of the potatoes. I increased the amount of nutmeg and then added cardamom to bring forth another flavour dimension. The pinch of chili flakes, once pureed, rounded out the bottom end of the sweetness with a little fire. I ate my first bowl with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped baby chives (I couldn’t find garlic chives). The chives added a nice hint of oniony crunch but I think the soup could stand alone without the sour cream.
All in all, this was a really nice recipe from one of Nova Scotia’s best!!
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