EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK

What’s not to love about this comforting weekend dish that allows you to eat dessert for breakfast when it’s made with tender and rich French brioche soaked in a sweet vanilla custard? It’s the perfect way to transform a loaf of bread into something magical, especially when it’s filled with fresh local peaches and raspberries. Tip: Soak the bread overnight, giving the custard plenty of time to soak into the buttery cubes of toasted brioche. The casserole then gently cooks in the slow cooker to produce pudding-like results, loaded with the warmth of cinnamon, nutmeg and sweet summer fruit.

Tip: To skin the peaches, drop them one at a time in boiling water for 30 seconds and then ice water for 10 seconds and gently peel away the skin. I did this in my Canadian Signature 28 cm Fry Pan.

Peach Raspberry Slow Cooker French Toast Casserole Ingredients 10 cups French Brioche loaf, cut into cubes 6 large eggs 2 cups table cream 1 cup milk (I used 2 %) 2 tsp pure vanilla extract 3 tbsp granulated sugar 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground nutmeg ½ tsp kosher salt 2 cups peaches, skinned and cubed (reserve 1 cup for serving) 1 cup fresh raspberries (reserve ½ cup for serving) Powdered sugar, for sprinkling Pure maple syrup, for topping

Directions Heat oven to 350°F. Cube brioche bread and place on parchment-lined baking sheets spread out in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes until bread starts becoming crispy but not too brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. While the bread is in the oven, skin the peaches – see my tip in the post above. Whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, vanilla, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour custard mixture over the bread in a large bowl and mix gently. Gently mix in the peaches and raspberries. Let sit for at least 10 minutes, but it is better to refrigerate overnight.

I’ve been using their 6-Quart Slow Cooker nearly every day instead of using my stove. It offers programmable temperature settings and time options, making it so simple to use for so many recipes. This Spinach and Artichoke dip is the perfect slow cooker recipe. You just put everything in the slow cooker and let it do its thing for two hours. It’s that easy! I also baked sourdough bread in their gorgeous 6.2L Dutch Oven, because that creamy garlicky dip needs to be spread on a crusty slice of bread.

                                     Bake bread in the Dutch Oven

Spinach and Artichoke Dip Ingredients: 2 cans (400g) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 2 packages (600g) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 1 cup onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 cup (250ml) sour cream 3/4 cup milk 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan 1/2 cup goat feta cheese, crumbled 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 tbsp red wine vinegar 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 package (250g) cream cheese, cubed

Directions: Place artichoke hearts, spinach, onion, garlic, sour cream, milk, Parmesan, feta, mayonnaise, vinegar, salt and pepper into the slow cooker. Stir until well combined. Place cream cheese on top. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 hours. Uncover and stir until cream cheese is well combined. Cover and cook on medium heat for an additional 15 minutes. Tip: When draining the spinach, squeeze all the liquid out of the spinach so that your dip does not end up being watery.

Silver Hills Bakery is a family-owned company, making plant-powered foods from organic sprouted whole grains and a simple list of ingredients. All their products are plant-based, non-GMO, and are all certified Glyphosate Residue Free, displaying the Bio-Checked Non Glyphosate Certified seal. Did you know that sprouting ensures your blood sugar levels stay steady and provides energy to power you through a full day’s activities. When grains begin to sprout, vital enzymes are released, breaking down starch stores and digestive inhibitors. This is why sprouted grains have lower glycemic index levels as well as increased soluble fibre and protein.   Silver Hills Bakery is giving you a chance to win $1,000 to celebrate summer. The Contest is open to residents of Canada (excluding residents of the province of Québec) and the United States.  Click here for official contest rules.

Black Bean Burgers What you need 1 tsp olive oil 1/2 cup mushrooms, roughly chopped 1/4 cup bell pepper, roughly chopped 1/2 cup corn kernels 1/4 cup onion, roughly chopped 1 cup fresh spinach, lightly packed 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp kosher salt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper 1/8 tsp ground paprika 2 tbsp rolled oats 1/2 tbsp flax seeds 1 tbsp water 1/3 cup cooked brown rice 1/8 tsp all-natural liquid smoke 3/4 cup black canned beans, rinsed What to do Sauté vegetables in oil and seasonings until softened and set aside. Add oats and flax seeds to a food processor or blender and blend on a low speed for 10-12 seconds. Add water, beans and rice and pulse 6-8 times. Add sautéed vegetables and pulse 6-10 times until desired consistency is reached. Form a patty with blended mixture and refrigerate for 1 hour. Heat a greased pan over medium to medium high heat and cook both sides of the patty until heated through. Serve with your favourite burger toppings.

To celebrate the start of summer, I made this delicious seasonal fruit filling for my Rhubarb, Strawberry & Raspberry Galette in my Paderno 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker. It’s such a versatile appliance and designed with the precision control you need to deliver your best cooking moments. It’s so simple, all you have to do is put the ingredients in the slow cooker and ta-da you end up with a thick fruity filling. To save even more time, I used the Paderno 3-Cup Food Chopper to chop the strawberries. One less thing I have to worry about! 

On a side note - I like to buy a whole lot of rhubarb while it’s in season. I wash and cut it in 1/2” slices. Place on a parchment lined pan and freeze in a single layer. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer container to be used when rhubarb isn’t available at the market. I actually do this with a lot of summer fruits. There’s nothing like finding summer fruit in the freezer when it’s not in season anymore and you have the need to bake. 

Rhubarb, Strawberry and Raspberry Galette with Brown Butter Frangipane

Now that spring is here, it’s time to introduce bright, fresh and spring forward flavours. My first rhubarb bake of the season is a rhubarb, raspberry and apple compote crumble cake. The rhubarb’s tartness complements the sweet raspberries and apples. Then there’s the crumble topping. I like using Rogers Foods 100% Canadian Grown Porridge Oats and Healthy Grains for my crumble as they are a rich source of both soluble and insoluble fibre, with no added salt and sugar. This irresistible buttery, cinnamon spiced coconut crumble topping adds the perfect flavour and texture balance to the tender cake and fruity compote. My oat crumble takes the cake! 


Rhubarb, Raspberry and Apple Compote Crumble Cake with Healthy Grains

YIELD: 16 pieces PREP TIME: 30 minutes BAKE TIME: 40 minutes

Ingredients Compote: 2 stalks rhubarb (150g) cut into ½-inch pieces 1 cup raspberries (170g), fresh or frozen 1 Jazz or HoneyCrisp apple (150g) skin on, cut in chunks ¼ cup (125 mL) brown sugar, packed ¼ cup (60 mL) water

Crumble Topping: 1 cup (250 mL) Rogers Foods Original Porridge Oats & Healthy Grains ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, room temperature ¼ cup (125 mL) brown sugar, packed 1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon ¼ cup (60 mL) unsweetened shredded coconut

Cake: 2/3 cup (150 mL) white sugar ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 egg, room temperature 1 tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla extract ¾ cup (175 mL) 2% plain Greek yogurt 1 ½ cups (375 mL) Rogers Foods No Additive All Purpose Flour 2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt

Follow this link for the complete recipe. 

What could be bad about oats and bananas with chocolate? They are easy, delicious and filling. What you need: 3 cups old fashioned oats - I use @rogersgrains oats 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt 2 tsp baking powder 1 cup ripe banana, mashed 2 tbsp olive oil 2 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla 2 cups milk 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Oatmeal Pumpkin Date Scones What you need: 1 cup AP flour ¾ cup whole-wheat flour 1 ½ tsp baking powder ¾ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt ¼ cup sugar 1 ½ sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1 1/3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 30g dates, pitted and chopped ½ cup pumpkin purée ½ cup buttermilk or kefir 1 large egg, beaten lightly for top

Making Baklava is not as difficult as one would think … and this pistachio walnut baklava is oh so good. Nothing beats buttery layers of phyllo. How cute are these round and ruffled little pastries? Anna Olson's baklava is so good you will get sticky fingers from eating it right out of the pan. Pistachio Walnut Baklava What you need: Nuts ½ cup walnut pieces ½ cup shelled pistachios 1 Tbsp granulated sugar ½ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground cloves Assembly ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted 1-1 lb pkg (16 sheets) phyllo pastry, thawed Syrup 1 cup granulated sugar ½ cup honey ½ cup water 1 lemon, cut in half ½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground clove What to do: Nuts For the nuts, pulse the walnuts and pistachios with the sugar, cinnamon and cloves in a food processor until evenly chopped (but not finely ground). Set aside. Assembly To assemble, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and brush a 9-x-13-inch (23-x-33 cm) baking pan with some of the melted butter. Cut all the phyllo pastry sheets in half and stack one half on top of the other – cover the stack with a piece of plastic wrap topped by a damp tea towel (this will prevent it from drying out). Lay out a sheet of phyllo pastry and brush it lightly with butter. Top this with a second sheet of phyllo and brush it lightly with butter. Using a long-handled wooden spoon or piece of doweling, place the spoon handle along the short end of the pastry and roll up the pastry over the spoon (but not too tightly). Scrunch the phyllo down the spoon to pull it off and also “ruffle” the pastry at the same time. Shape this into a small circle and place it in the buttered baking pan and repeat with the remaining pastry (15 baklavas fit into the pan nicely – you may have a few extra phyllo sheets left, but these may also go to “practice”.) Brush the tops of the baklavas with any remaining butter. Place a generous spoonful of the nut filling into the centre of each baklava circle and press in as much as you can. Bake the baklavas for about 30 minutes, until a rich golden brown. While the baklava is baking, prepare the syrup. Syrup For the syrup, bring the sugar, honey, water, lemon (squeeze the lemon juice into the pan and drop the lemon halves in), cinnamon and cloves up to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer this for 5 minutes, stirring to make sure the sugar has dissolved and then set aside, but reheating before using (removing the lemon halves). Hot from the oven, spoon the syrup over the baklavas, using a brush to fill in any gaps. Let the baklavas cool to room temperature on a rack before enjoying. The baklavas can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Handwritten recipe cards that are passed down from generation to generation very often show the love that went into those recipes with stains and the wear and tear of them. For me nothing beats a tried and true old-fashioned recipe like this one that’s been handed down from my Grandmother who I called Bobba, which reminds me of someone so special, and takes me back to my childhood.

It turns out that some of the recipes are as special as the fond memories associated with them and others not so much. I have taken the original recipe and made it my own, and I hope you enjoy my version of my Bobba’s Banana Chocolate Chip Bread.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

What you need: 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour ¾ tsp baking soda ½ tsp cinnamon 1 tsp salt 3-4 overripe bananas, cut into chunks 1½ cups sugar ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled 3 large eggs 1 tsp pure vanilla extract ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Golden, rich and dense fully describes this Almond Apple Cake. Almond paste gives a sweet melt-in-your-mouth texture along with apples are a dream together in this delectable cake.

What you need: Cake 1 cup flour ½ cup rolled oats 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp allspice 1/8 tsp cardamom 1/8 tsp nutmeg ¼ tsp salt ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 7 ounces almond paste, grated ½ cup sugar ¼ cup dark brown sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 2/3 cup milk, at room temperature 1 cup peeled and grated apple

Glaze ½ tbsp melted butter ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted 1/8 tsp salt 1/8 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp pure almond extract 1 tbsp milk

What to do: Preheat oven to 350°F and spray an 8-inch square metal baking pan with nonstick spray; dust with flour. Whisk together flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter, almond paste, and sugars in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour mixture. Mix in milk and apples, then add remaining flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth with an offset spatula; tap pan sharply to reduce air bubbles. Bake for 45 minutes, until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. For the glaze, whisk together melted butter, powdered sugar, salt, cinnamon, almond extract, and milk until smooth. Transfer to a small piping bag and drizzle over cake; let set before serving.

Four words in one delicious bite - Cinnamon. Apple. Tahini. Muffins.

This @food52 recipe for Cinnamon Apple Tahini Muffins is not overly sweet and is packed with apples. The tahini makes them so moist and gives them a lovely nuttiness in every bite.

Cinnamon Apple Tahini Muffins What you need: 2 cups AP flour 1 tbsp baking powder 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground cardamom 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup tahini 1/3 cup butter, melted 1/2 cup milk 1 egg 1 cup diced, peeled apple (about 2 medium apples)

What to do: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners, or grease each tin. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and brown sugar. Whisk together the tahini, butter, egg, and milk. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in the chopped apples. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cups. Bake the muffins for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown on the top and just set. The muffins should still look slightly under baked.

Serves: 12 muffins

I’m still on my peach journey. I’ve been looking for more peach baking inspiration and to my delight I came across Laura’s Peach Pull-Apart Bread. It’s so more-ish, lick your fingers sticky and good for sharing but once you’ve had a taste, you may not want to.

What you need: For the dough: 3½ cups flour, divided 2¼ tsp yeast ¼ cup sugar ½ tsp salt 1 cup low-fat milk ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 large egg, at room temperature For the filling: 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed ½ cup light brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon pinch of nutmeg 2 tbsp milk 1½ cups diced peaches For the glaze: 1 tbsp unsalted butter ½ cup powdered sugar ⅛ tsp cinnamon 1 tbsp + 1 tsp milk

What to do: Combine 2 cups (280 g) flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large mixer bowl; mix on low speed until incorporated. Heat milk in a microwave-safe measuring cup for 45 seconds to 1 minute, until very warm (120-130°F). Add warm milk, butter, and egg to flour mixture and mix until combined; mix in remaining 1½ cups (210 g) flour. Switch out the flat beater for a dough hook, and knead dough for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough is ready when it feels tacky but doesn't stick to your fingers (if necessary, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time while kneading). Place dough in a large bowl coated with nonstick spray and cover with plastic. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 40 minutes. To check if dough has doubled, lightly flour two fingers and press them down into center of dough. If indentations remain, dough has risen enough. When the dough is ready, gently press down dough; cover and let rest 5 minutes. While the dough rests, prepare the filling. Combine butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and milk in a small saucepan over medium low heat; whisk until melted and smooth. Spray a 10-inch tube pan with nonstick spray; place pan on a foil-lined baking sheet. Turn dough out on a lightly floured board and use a floured bench scraper to cut dough into four sections. Cut each section into six pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Layer the dough balls in prepared pan and top with peaches. Drizzle brown sugar mixture over peaches. Cover loosely with plastic and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 35 minutes. While the bread rises, preheat oven to 350°F. Bake 35 to 37 minutes, until golden and a tester comes out clean (tent with foil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning). Cool in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes before removing sides of tube pan; cool 30 more minutes before removing bottom of pan and glazing. For the glaze, cook butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it foams, turns clear, and then turns a deep brown, about 6 minutes (or microwave, see note below). Whisk together brown butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and milk in a small bowl; transfer to a small piping bag. Drizzle glaze over bread and let set before serving.

Peach Galette With Brown Butter Frangipane

Celebrating these sweet golden Niagara peaches by folding them into a rustic butter crust. Then things get even better because that’s what happens when you add a brown butter almond-flavoured pastry cream. The bonus is that everyone gets their own Mini Peach Galette with Brown Butter Frangipane. Or if you feel so inclined roll out the dough to make one large rustic galette. WHAT YOU NEED For the Crust 1 ¼ cup flour 1 ½ tsp sugar ½ tsp salt 4 oz butter, cut into small cubes, chilled in the freezer for 20 minutes 4 to 6 tbsp ice water Brown Butter Frangipane 3 tbsp cold butter 1/8 cup sugar ¼ cup almond flour 1 egg Peach Filling 2 large ripe yellow peaches, pitted, sliced into ½-inch slices 3 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp flour ½ tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp butter 1 egg A sprinkling of coarse sugar (optional) Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt, until well mixed. Add the cubed butter and pulse 8 times. The butter should still be the size of peas in the mixture. Slowly add the ice water, a tablespoon or two at a time, pulsing after each addition, until the dough just begins to clump. Turn out onto a clean surface and form into a disc. Do not overwork the dough. Sprinkle with a little flour and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for an hour. While dough is chilling, start the frangipane. Brown butter in small sauce pan until the milk solids sink and turn dark brown. Stir occasionally as it browns to keep from burning. In a bowl whisk together, sugar and almond flour. Whisk in brown butter. Allow the mix to cool down for a few minutes before whisking in the egg. For the peach filling: Gently toss peaches with flour, sugar, vanilla: Preheat the oven with the rack in the middle position to 425°F. Whisk the egg and set aside. Once the dough has chilled remove from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about a 12-inch diameter for one single galette or 3-4 inches in diameter for the mini galettes. Gently lift up the rolled-out dough and place it on a parchment lined baking sheet. Spread the frangipane on the dough, leaving ½ inch edge. Arrange the peach slices in an overlapping pattern in a single layer in the center of the dough. Dot with a little butter. Fold the outer edges of the dough round over the filling. in an accordion fashion. Use a pastry brush to coat the dough with an egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Place in the oven and bake at 425°F for about 15-20 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with ice cream.

You’ve Never Tasted Frosted Zucchini Brownies As Good As These

I love this time of year because we have access to bushels full of fresh summer zucchini that can be added to baked goods. These Zucchini Brownies are a chocolate lovers dream. They are unbelievably moist and rich. Most often I see recipes that require the zucchini to be pressed well to remove the excess moisture. This recipe does the exact opposite. The moisture from the zucchini is an integral part of the recipe. It may seem weird when making the mixture, as it is quite dry. But as it stands, the moisture comes out of the zucchini, and “moisturizes” the mixture.

ZUCCHINI BROWNIES What you need: 1/2 cup coconut oil 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 tbsp vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 3 cups finely shredded zucchini - don’t drain 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks

What to do: Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a 9x13 pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper. In a large bowl combine oil, sugar, and vanilla until fully incorporated. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined. NOTE: the batter will be very dry. Fold in zucchini by hand. Allow batter to rest for 5-10 minutes. Add in chocolate chunks and stir again. Batter should appear wet. If it’s not wet, let it stand for 5 more minutes and stir again. Spread brownie mixture into the pan and bake for 25-35 minutes. Brownies are done with an inserted toothpick is removed with crumbs. There should’nt be wet batter on the toothpick

BROWNIE FROSTING What you need: 3 tbsp unsalted butter - softened 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tbsp honey 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup confectioners sugar 3 tbsp whole milk

What to do: Combine room temperature butter, cocoa, honey, vanilla and confectioners sugar with a hand mixer for about 30 seconds. Slowly add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach desired consistency. Spread frosting on cooled brownies.

This dish embraces all that summer has to offer with juicy plump heirloom tomatoes rising as the star of this recipe.

This very easy dough comes together quickly and as you fold it’s craggy edges, you know this is going to be good. The crust should not be perfect - cracks and uneven folds are what galette’s are all about.

Tomatoes and goat cheese are a combination made in deliciousness dreams. Then the taste game is raised by adding caramelized shallots and honey. All said, these few ingredients make for a herbaceous savoury taste that works really well with the creamy goat cheese and lightly charred heirlooms.

The addition of honey just elevates this recipe. It brings out all the best flavours of all the other ingredients. One last addition was to add sesame seeds to the egg coated crust for a little more texture. Try it …. It’s worth it.

What you need: For the dough: ½ cup salted butter 1 ½ cups AP Flour, sifted pinch of salt pinch of sugar 1/3 cup cold water – approx. 2 tsp sesame seeds

For the filling: 2 shallots, thinly sliced 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling 8 oz goat cheese 2 – 3 tbsp honey 3 – 4 heirloom tomatoes, sliced ½ tsp sea salt & ground black pepper 2 tbsp fresh thyme 1 large egg, beaten

What to do: Begin by preparing the dough. Using a handheld cheese grater grate butter into a small bowl, then freeze for 10 minutes. While butter freezes, combine flour, salt, and sugar in large mixing bowl. Place cold grated butter and flour mixture in a food processor and pulse until you get mealy texture. Slowly begin adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until dough takes shape. Pour the dough onto lightly floured surface before shaping into a flattened round. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for 45 minutes until dough is firm and cold. While dough chills, in small skillet combine shallots and 2 tsps EVOO. Sauté over medium flame until shallots are lightly caramelized. Remove from heat to cool. Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, sprinkling the top with a touch of flour.

With a floured rolling-pin roll out the chilled dough into a 1/8″ thick sheet, then transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet. Crumble goat cheese in a circular motion over the rolled-out dough, leaving a roughly 2″ border along the edges. Drizzle a heavy serving of honey over goat cheese, then evenly top with caramelized shallots. Next, liberally season sliced tomatoes with salt & pepper before layering over goat cheese and shallots. Generously drizzle additional EVOO over tomatoes, then lastly sprinkle with thyme. Fold up the edges of the dough around the tomatoes, then brush the crust with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake galette for 50-60 minutes until the crust is golden and the tomatoes have begun to char, then cool for 2-3 minutes before serving.

My friend Suzie @justcrumbs created @bakeitforwardproject. She’s been baking it forward each week for the past four years, trying to spread the word about how awesome people feel when “random acts of sweetness” happen. She is one of the kindest most caring people I know, always thinking about other people, supporting her family, friends, friends of friends, acquaintances and so many others.

She writes on her blog that at some point she realized that she “never wanted good thoughts to go un-shared”. So she started writing letters…the old fashioned way, with real paper in a real envelope and a real stamp and placed in a real mailbox. At the beginning of every month, she would write a letter to someone who needed to hear how awesome they really were.

Head over to her blog to read her really inspirational post about what BAKE IT FORWARD MEANS to Suzie. http://www.justcrumbs.ca/2017/02/17/what-bake-it-forward-means-to-me/

I was supposed to have lunch with Suzie today, but due to some adverse weather conditions and both of us having a long drive, we had to take a “rain check”. I made her a batch of gluten, dairy and grain free brownies, but you would never know that they are so free. They are intensely fudgy and everything a brownie should be. This was to be my bake it forward to Suzie…. they are coming your way soon.

Gluten Free Brownies

What you need: 2/3 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips 5 tbsp coconut oil 2/3 cup coconut sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla paste 2/3 cup almond flour 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder ½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 2/3 cup additional chocolate chips What to do: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. In a small saucepan, gently melt chocolate and oil over low heat until smooth and glossy. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs until slightly lighter in color and the mixture streams down evenly in “ribbons”. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients–almond flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Whisk the egg/sugar mixture into the saucepan of melted chocolate until smooth. Stir in vanilla and mix in. Stir in the dry ingredients and fold until just mixed. Fold in the additional chocolate chips. Pour batter into your prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake at 350 degrees 20-24 minutes, or until edges are set and the center is still ever so slightly underdone. (The remaining heat should set the center as it cools) Sprinkle with coarse salt, if using, and allow brownies to cool before slicing.