brunch caesar cheeseboard

 

who is ready for easter this weekend?! i think one of my favourite things about easter (aside from all the chocolate) is that my family always celebrates over a brunch gathering. it is the only holiday where our celebration takes place in the morning, so it gives us the opportunity to create a breakfast inspired menu. however, no matter what time of day the celebration is there should ALWAYS be a cheeseboard involved. this cheeseboard is inspired by a classic brunch cocktail: the spicy caesar! i pulled from all the flavours of a caesar, as well as the traditional things you would find in an ultimate caesar bar (hard boiled eggs, pickles, shrimp, olives, asparagus, etc.) for this board i stuck to strong flavoured cheese such as Castello's Traditional Danish Blue & Castello's Tickler Extra Mature Cheddar. i also brought in some spice through the sopressata and Castello's Cream Cheese with Sweet & Spicy Peppers. after all, you can't have a caesar without a little spice! or a lot of spice if you are anything like my dad.

happy easter & happy cheeseboard making! this one is sure to be a brunch hit, just don't forget the caesars to pair along with it.

ingredients

  • 150 grams Castello Traditional Danish Blue
  • 150 grams Castello Tickler Extra Mature Cheddar
  • 1 Castello Cream Cheese Ring with Sweet & Spicy Peppers
  • 100 grams prosciutto, sliced very thin
  • 100 grams spicy sopressata, sliced thin
  • 100 grams marinated shrimp
  • 24 garlic crostinis
  • 4 hard boiled eggs, halved
  • 4 mini garlic dill pickles
  • 10 spears roasted or pickled asparagus
  • 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 12 kalamata olives
  • sliced lime, to garnish

directions

  • place the Traditional Danish Blue, Tickler Extra Mature Cheddar & Cream Cheese with Sweet & Spicy Peppers onto desired cheeseboard.
  • surround cheese with prosciutto, spicy sopressata, shrimp & crostinis.
  • fill remaining spaces with hard boiled eggs, dill pickles, roasted asparagus, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives.
  • garnish with fresh lime slices & serve!

NOTE: to roast the asparagus i simply trimmed & blanched the asparagus beforing tossing it with salt, pepper & olive oil. i then roasted it at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes, until slightly browned. blanching it first is what helps keep the asparagus bright & vibrant, so don't skip this step!

this post was created in partnership with Castello cheese! thank you for supporting the brands that help me doing what i love. xo

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!