Category Clarkson

Sweet Bliss: Le Delice Pastry Shop

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Lorne Park, Mississauga is a darling, French-inspired bakery: Le Délice Pastry Shop. It’s been there for 27 years. How did I not know about this?! Actually, my friend has been raving about it for quite some time. It is her neighborhood’s tried-and-trusted, go-to spot for desserts with wow factor; the Raspberry Clafouti is renowned at dinners in her neck of the woods.

She took me there for the first time yesterday. What took me so long?! I nibbled on samples of Pumpkin Cheesecake and Pecan Shortbread – sweet bliss! I came back with some photos to share with you and some pies and croissants for my family. So worth the trip.

Husband and wife team, LeRoy (pastry chef) and Lisa MacDonald, pour a lot of love into their business. And only the best ingredients: fresh whole eggs, sweet butter, 35% whipping cream, and the very best Belgian chocolate. Everything is handmade and beautiful. Thank goodness they seem so young and energetic. Let’s hope they continue for another 27 years.

Yesterday was the last day for pre-ordering from their Christmas menu. From now to Christmas choose from what is available behind their counter. They are trying hard to keep the selection plentiful but get there on the sooner side of now! Oh, it’s going to be a very Merry Christmas chez nous! Wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy 2016.

Open Monday December 21st
Tuesday to Friday: 8 am to 6 pm
Saturday: 8 am to 5 pm

Le Délice Pastry Shop
(in the Centennial Plaza)
1150 Lorne Park Road
Mississauga, Ontario
L5H 3A5
905-278-9684
www.ledelicepastryshop.com

For more details, please visit their website or my instagram.

Read More

Easter Feast: Part Two

UPDATE: Crawford’s Village Bakery is closing November 30, 2014.

Happy Easter! This week, I’ve got notes on my ham and tips on potatoes and homemade desserts for your Easter feast, including a treasured heirloom recipe I served at our family Easter last weekend. Please scroll to the bottom for the recipe.

But first, here are some ways to put a little spring in your step this Easter. Easter is in full bloom at Terra Greenhouses – just look at the sea of gorgeous pink or blue hydrangea blooms.

Terra_Hydrangeas

And of course, there’s no place like Springridge Farm for Easter fun. Click here for what you need to know before heading out to Springridge Farm’s Easter Festival, held on Good Friday April 18, Saturday April 19 and Sunday April 20, 2014: www.springridgefarm.com/easter-egg-hunt.htm (be sure to check out the video link). Say hello to the baby chicks.

Every Easter, Starsky Fine Foods sells these adorable baked lambs that make a sweet table decoration.  And look at the colourful Easter palms.

Easter_Starsky

You can find pussy willows at Herridge’s Farm Fresh Market, which opened yesterday.

Pussy_Willows_Herridges

By the way, the quiches we ordered last week from Crawford’s Village Bakery were as delectable as their pies: Crawford’s famous pie crust filled to the brim with a generous, flavourful custard that wasn’t too rich.

The Country Ham that I ordered from Heatherlea Farm Market was easy to prepare and I was pleased with the results. Basically, I just removed the skin, trimmed the fat and scored it, then placed the ham cut-side down in the slow cooker, added a bit of water, and let it slow cook until the fat rendered and the meat reached a safe temperature. After I let it rest, I glazed it according to the recipe (see Easter Feast: Part One), let the glaze rest, and then carved it. I have never smelled a more aromatic ham. It was so succulent and tasty straight out of the slow cooker. If you are planning on making this recipe, be aware that the six pound ham just fit in my oval seven quart slow cooker and served sixteen people with leftovers.

What goes better with ham than scalloped potatoes? If you are craving a casserole of thickly sliced potatoes in a rich and creamy sauce with lots of sharp cheddar cheese, I really like Chef Michael Smith’s recipe: Potato Cheddar Casserole.

Herridge’s Farm Fresh Market has Ontario greenhouse rhubarb, a harbinger of spring. Click here for an easy Rhubarb Torte recipe that will make a confident baker out of an apprehensive one and a rhubarb lover out of anyone: www.olivetoeat.com.

Rhubarb_Torte

On her blog Cook Me Quick, my friend Carol posted the original recipe for the heavenly carrot cake that the Cheeseboard Café used to serve. Oh, I’ve got lots of good memories of waitressing with friends at the Cheeseboard during my school years; the food was so good that it sparked an interest in cooking in me. The Cheeseboard Cafe’s Carrot Cake recipe can be found here: http://cookmequick.com/2013/10/02/cheeseboard-cafe-carrot-cake/

Here is what I made for our feast:

Broken_Window_Glass_Cake

Grandma Brown’s Broken Window Glass Cake

Makes one 9” x 13” pan, serving 16 +

I treasure my grandmother’s handwritten recipe for this family favourite we used to serve every holiday. It’s a ridiculously retro dessert but it’s light, refreshing, and appealing to all ages. The colourful cubes of Jell-O look like a church stained glass window. I am reviving this cheery cake to our annual Easter feast with a tip of my Easter bonnet to Grandma Brown.

Grandma Brown preferred strawberry, cherry, and lime Jell-O for the cubes; I like to replace one red coloured Jell-O with grape if I can find it (Walmart) or orange. Make the Jell-O cubes early in the morning on the day before you plan to serve the dessert; they need to chill until firm before you fold them into the filling. Defrost the Cool Whip in the fridge while preparing the Jell-O. Later that day, finish the dessert and let it chill overnight.

Special Equipment:
3 (8”) square pans
1 (9” x 13”) rectangular pan

Ingredients:

Jell-O Cubes:
1 pkg. 3 oz. (85 g) grape or orange Jell-O
1 pkg. 3 oz. (85 g) cherry or strawberry or raspberry Jell-O
1 pkg. 3 oz. (85 g) lime Jell-O

Filling:
1 cup canned pineapple juice
½ cup white sugar
1 pkg. 3 oz. (85 g) lemon Jell-O
1 container (1 litre) frozen Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed or 2 cups whipped cream

Crust:
2 ½ cups Graham cracker crumbs
¾ cup (scant) brown sugar
½ cup melted butter
Butter for greasing pan

Directions:

  1. Place the frozen Cool Whip in the fridge to thaw for 4 to 5 hours while the Jell-O sets.
  2. Jell-O Cubes: Prepare the grape, cherry, and lime Jell-O separately; empty each flavour into three separate 8-inch square pans. Add 1 cup of boiling water to each pan; stir well to scrape gelatin granules from bottom of pan and dissolve thoroughly. Add ½ cup of cold water; stir thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap; chill in fridge until firm, at least 3 hours. When firm, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (but leave in pan) and proceed with next steps.
  3. Filling: Empty 1 package of lemon Jell-O in a large bowl; set aside. Place 1 cup pineapple juice with ½ cup sugar in a small pot and bring it just to the boil, stirring frequently; watch carefully and remove it from the heat as soon as the first bubble appears. Pour hot pineapple mixture over Jell-O and stir thoroughly until dissolved completely.  Add ½ cup cold water. Mix well. Chill in fridge to partially set (set your timer for every 15 minutes to stir and check for readiness); it should be partially thickened and cool but still in liquid state.
  4. Crust: Meanwhile, mix crumbs with butter, and sugar; stir well. Set aside about 1 cup for garnish. Pat remaining crumb mixture firmly and evenly over the bottom of greased 9×13-inch cake pan to make a crust; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
  5. Fold Cool Whip into partially set lemon Jell-O. Gently fold in Jell-O cubes. Pour into graham cracker crust. Sprinkle reserved 1 cup of crumb topping over top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 6 hours or overnight. Serve chilled the next day.
Read More

Herridge’s Farm Fresh Market: Spring In Full Bloom

Spring is in full bloom at Herridge’s Farm Fresh Market. After a long winter, I thought I’d treat you to a little eye candy. Look at the beautiful rainbow of colours on these cut tulips,

Cut Tulips at Herridge's

and the gorgeous orange and pink on these potted tulips. I love orange and pink together. It somehow seems very French.

Herridge's Orange and Pink Tulips

I love tulips the most when they are closed up like this, in graceful modesty.

herridge2

Friendly, furry pussy willows always bring back fond childhood memories of my mother cutting a few branches for me to bring to my favourite teacher, Miss Russell. Miss Russell still sends me birthday and Christmas cards. She’s the best.

Pussy Willow's at Herridge's

What olive about Herridge’s is that it is so easy to breeze right in, through the sea of beautiful flowers (like these happy pansies),

Pansies at Herridge's

into a quaint little market filled with local, farm fresh produce, fresh bread, and friendly faces.

Herride's Strawberries

These brussel sprouts are absolutely perfect – firm with tight, bright green, shiny, unblemished leaves. I brought home a basket to roast in the oven. It makes them taste so delicious. I’ll teach you how to do that sometime.

Brussel Sprouts at Herridge's

The first treasures of spring: rhubarb and asparagus. Ontario field asparagus arrived this week at Herridge’s! It’s a little early yet for local field rhubarb but this is Ontario greenhouse rhubarb. Field rhubarb will be coming very soon. I have a wonderful recipe for rhubarb that I am going to post in a couple of days.

Rhubarb and Asparagus at Herridge's

If you have a green thumb, you can grow your own asparagus. Herridge’s sells asparagus rocks and potato seeds. They also sell hanging baskets, potted flowers, annuals, herbs, and vegetable plants.  Look at these adorable babes of spring – baby lettuces, so tender and sweet,

Baby Lettuce at Herridge's

waiting for a loving gardener to tuck them into a bed of soil.

Red Leaf Lettuce at Herridge's

At its present location since 1972, Herridge’s Farm Fresh Market and surrounding farm is family owned and operated since 1950. Availability changes everyday, according to Mother Nature and the season. Be sure to visit often to enjoy Herridge’s own harvest and other locally grown treasures.

Olive Herridge’s Farm Fresh Market. It’s a little farm market that’s big on fresh and friendly.

Herridge's Farm Fresh Market

Herridge’s Farm Fresh Market
780 Southdown Road
Mississauga, ON
L5J 2Y4
Tel: 905-822-0981
 
Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday & Holidays: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Open 7 days a week from April to December 24th.


View Larger Map

Read More