Devilishly Good Cinnamon Buns

I was a pretty lucky kid. My mom loves cooking and was always in the kitchen making lots of goodies—truffles, pies, fresh bread, jam, and oodles of oatmeal coconut cookies. Now that mum is on the other side of the planet though (the Canada – Australia issue), I have to recreate these homey feelings all by myself… and while it’s not quite the same, it is ever so satisfying to recreate a beloved childhood recipe and have it taste exactly the way you remember.

There are a few very specific recipes that remind me of my mother’s kitchen: blueberry pie, almond bread, granola, and these cinnamon buns. While definitely a treat, I remember quite a few pack lunches at school containing one of these cinnamon buns… and nothing quite satisfies like a fresh cinnamon bun, does it? As I said, I was a lucky kid to get treats like these so often!

These cinnamon buns do take a few steps to get them just right, but pulling apart a fresh batch will be so worth it, trust me. Enjoy!

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Edited: August 3rd, 2011

Healthy Beef Lettuce Cups – Quick Dinners

Can I just gripe for a second about the lack of variety of recipes on the internet when it comes to ground beef? It’s a staple in my freezer, but let’s be honest, it rarely gets used for much beyond tacos, chili, and pasta dishes. The internet seems to have the same lack of inspiration. I was pretty happy to stumble across this little gem of a recipe after ambling around on my iPhone for ideas.

This quick weeknight dinner takes about twenty minutes to make, and is made extra-healthy with the addition of quinoa. You won’t even know it’s in there! The quinoa adds lovely body to the beef, and also makes the dish stretch a lot further than your 500 g / 1 lb of beef would otherwise. I have to admit too that I love serving up dishes in lettuce cups. They add such crunch and juiciness! Plus, they’re guilt-free which is always a bonus. This dish is somewhat reminiscent of the Chinese restaurant favourite San Choy Bau, but the spices I’ve used are almost Moroccan in flavour. Get ready for a new weeknight fave!

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Edited: January 26th, 2011

Apple Streusel Muffins

One day not so long ago, I found myself awake at 5:30 am. For someone who works from home and is a complete night owl, this was incredibly odd—but unable to fall back asleep and with sunlight streaming in the window, I was left with little choice other than to rise and shine. And what does one do at ridiculous hours in the morning? Why, bake, of course!

These “good morning” muffins turned out incredibly if I do say so myself. Sweet and moist and definitely healthy, they made a nice batch for breakfasts and lunchtime snacks. Freeze half the muffins once cooked to preserve freshness, and reduce temptation.

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Edited: November 29th, 2010

Spiced Aztec Cookies

These are not chocolate chip cookies! Cinnamon, chocolate, and a bit of cayenne pepper make these unique cookies exotic and delicious. They’re minimal effort, and as the dough needs to be refrigerated, you can keep it on hand for when you need a quick batch. My mum would make these cookies around Christmas, for dinner parties or for hampers for family.

I made these for our recent Christmas in July dinner party, and they were devoured! So as requested, here’s the recipe. More Christmas-themed food is on the way too, never fear!

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Edited: July 27th, 2010