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Monday 30 July 2012

Cake Pops

We are pleased to introduce our latest addition to the menu: Cake Pops! If you are new to the wonderful world of cake pops, they are almost like a cake-truffle-on-a-stick. And we all know anything "on-a-stick" is a good idea.

Cake pops are a superb choice for parties, because they are bite size and look pretty darn adorable! The possibilities for flavours and decorating are limitless. The cuties shown here were a Chocolatey-Swirl flavour. Some were dipped in white chocolate and coated with chocolate sprinkles or chocolate drizzle, and the others were dunked in a semi-sweet chocolate.


We make cake pops in virtually any flavour of cake you want, and decorate them accordingly. Have a theme for your party or gathering? Let us know and we can come up with a cake pop for you! Our basic cake pops start at $12.50 for 1 dozen pops.
Make your dessert table pop! (ooh that was bad.) But seriously, these are a real crowd pleaser. Try them out, and fall in love.

XO Lari

Wednesday 18 July 2012

Recipe Feature: Grand Granola



So, granola in my house is always in high demand. As soon as we run out, the Ma and Pa are on my case requesting more! We used to always have store bought granola on hand, but as soon as I figured out how easy it is to make homemade granola (and how much more fantastically delicious it is), we have never gone back. I make it about once every two weeks. And then it is gone. And people complain. But no fear, all you have to do is make more, and the complaints disappear... magic... 

There are about this many ways to make granola:
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And they are all delicious.
It is not really a recipe, but a ratio. Put in whatever you have. And if you don't like the ratio, put in a different amount. Yes?

Perhaps a little more guidance would be useful...This is how I make mine!
3 cups oats, a lot of chopped nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans, pine nuts), handful of seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax), healthy stuff (wheat/oat bran, wheat germ), shredded coconut.
Mix it up!
In a saucepan over low heat, melt together 1/2 cup of any type of oil (olive, canola, sunflower, coconut etc.) with 1/2 cup of any type of sweetener (honey, maple syrup, agave nectar etc.)
Once the sweetener and the oil have combined, take off the heat and add whatever flavourings/spices you like. My favourite is vanilla and cinnamon. 
Pour this over the oat mixture, stir to coat and season with a pinch of salt. Bake one a rimmed baking sheet @ 350 for 15ish minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. (*Note!* bake in two batches, as there will be too much on the pan if you do it all at once, and it will not toast evenly. I learned this the hard way.)

Once everything is golden and toasty, pour the granola out of the pan and spread onto parchment paper (or else it will stick to the pan!) At this point, if you are a fan of dried fruit, sprinkle it over the top. I myself, am a big fan. I usually use a mix of raisins and dried cranberries. Chopped dried apricots are also quite pleasant.

Let your masterpiece cool completely, then store in a glass jar so you can admire your handy-work. Only after you taste some for a quality control check. Which is probably the most important step... of any cooking experiment. Am I right?

Enjoy your own homemade granola! Or, if you prefer, buy a jar of mine! It is pretty grand if I do say so myself.
And I do.

XO Lari


Tuesday 17 July 2012

Introducing...

Hello friends! Please stay tuned... We are super stoked to announce that The Sweet Shoppe will be opening soon...
XO Lari