Author Archive: My Kitchen Wand

As Christmas turned into New Years last year, I discovered the remains of several things in the fridge. One of them was eggnog and by then most people had had “more than enough thank you very much“. Not wanting to toss it down the sink, I put this bread pudding together and finished up leftover […]

Sometimes all the old traditions just can’t hold a candle to CHOCOLATE! And if you are not going the warming spice route then what better winter wonderland flavour than peppermint? Ready to perk you up, it also freshens breath when cuddling up around a cozy fire, especially helpful when there is a second cuddler. The […]

Yes! I admit it,  I am late, I apologise. The good news is even though these cookies are traditionally eaten in Holland and Belgium last night, they are also enjoyed the whole Yule season. St Nicholas is the patron saint of brewers, sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves and pawnbrokers, just to name a few. But […]

Think of this as the start of an idea. The final finished product will depend entirely on what unique bits and pieces you bring to the project and how many little hands get their fingers in the mix. Hot chocolate on a stick can be finished up for a child’s stocking in a cup with […]

Pumpkin pie may be the tradition at this time of the year but pumpkin pudding can be a quick to finish option when time is of the essence and this week in particular that is perfect for me. Make in advance, keep in the fridge and finish just before serving. Double quick if you have […]

Marzipan is an tasty confection of powdered almond and sugar with a touch of rosewater. With ingredients like that it would be easy to guess that it began its worldly travels in the Middle East, and you would be correct. Brought back to Europe as explorers returned home, marzipan was for centuries food for the […]

The general rule of thumb for makers of cold process soap is done by Remembrance/Veterans Day to be ready for Christmas/Yule. If you didn’t make the deadline there is an option, hot process soap! In hot process soap making the oils and lye are heated once combined, pushing the mixture through the curing process so […]

The concept of overnight/no knead breads is not new but they are popular these days. I have shown a few here this year, usually made with specialty flours. I am not expecting everyone to pop out to their closest organic mill, so when I finished up a batch of yoghurt, I thought I would use […]

An Italian friend of mine calls orzo “baby food”. It does however make a very nice side dish or full meal, especially for someone dealing with a sore mouth….me. I really enjoyed the full flavour of the fresh ginger when most everything else around me was pretty bland but you could cut it down if […]

The times have been are a changing and with daylight saving time gone for a few months, warm and cosy is the goal during this darker time of the year. In addition there are holidays coming and with the holidays an opportunity for gift giving ( not that you really ever need one ). Beeswax […]