Bake for Family Fun Month

There’s something about the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies that reminds us of home, safety, security and love. When we think about our grandparents or our parents dawning that apron in the kitchen it reminds us that kitchens are made for bringing families together. When your senses are overloaded with the delicious smell of apple crisp baking in the oven, you know that everything is okay.

Bake for Family Fun Month is all about reminding us to share love and tradition with our families. It prompts us to recall a time in our lives when we stood on the step stool wanting to pour the flour into the mixing bowl.

Bake for Family Fun Month was established to encourage the retention of a family ritual that dates back further than we can remember. It is a wholesome tradition that teaches us science, cooperation, love and simplicity.

Our world moves so fast these days. Slowing down to enjoy a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie, you know the kind that’s still warm and the chocolate is slightly melted, is an experience worth sharing with your family.

We asked our employees what their favourite homemade baked item is and we’ve sought out a recipe to get you started baking in the kitchen.

Jennifer Berry, Manager of Family and Resource Development

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/3 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Lightly coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
3. Mix flour and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside.
4. With a spoon, mix butter, peanut butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl until smooth.
5. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.
6. Add flour mixture and stir until combined.
7. Cover dough and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
8. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and bake for 8-10 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes; allow to cool in the refrigerator for another 20-30 minutes.

Ann Adams, Director of Finance and Administrtion

Skor Bars

Ingredients: 

Crust

• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 cups flour

Middle and Topping

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 package milk chocolate chips
• 1 package Skor bits

Instructions

1. Mix together butter, sugar and flour. This will make a cookie crumble mixture.
2. Press firmly into buttered (or parchment lined) 9×13 pan. The parchment will make it easier to remove from the pan and to cut.
3. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, warm the condensed milk and butter in a sauce pan until blended.
5. When the crust comes out of the oven, use a paper towel and tea towel and gently press the crust down (don’t burn yourself!). This extra firmness while it cools will make it less likely to fall apart later.
6. Pour the condensed milk/butter evenly over cookie base after it comes out of the oven.
7. Bake for about 12 – 15 minutes longer.
8. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the fresh-from-the-oven pan.  Bake for 2-3 minutes.
9. Evenly spread the chocolate over the top.  Add Skor bits on top. Gently press so they stick in the chocolate
10. Let cool fully before serving.

Tasha Hodsdon, Events and Volunteer Coordinator

Lemon Squares

Ingredients:

Crust:  

• 3 sticks (3/4 lb.) butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:  

• 6 eggs, room temperature
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup flour
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Butter a 9 x 13 baking pan, then line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper. This is optional but will make removing the bars from the pan much easier.
2. Make the crust by creaming the butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour.
3. Using your hands, press the dough into the bottom of prepared pan. Chill the pan while the oven preheats to 350° degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the crust for 12-15 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
4. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour the lemon mixture over the crust and bake for about 35 minutes, until filling is set. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least one hour.
5. Cut into squares and dust with confectioners’ sugar. Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Lynn Chauvette, Associate ReStore Manager

 Linzer torte

Ingredients:
 

• 250 grams flour
• 250 grams sugar
• 250 grams margarine cut in chunks
• 250 grams hazelnuts whole
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp cocoa
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 to 2 tbsp Kirsch
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 to 5 tbsp jam, raspberry or gooseberry

Instructions

 Preheat oven to 325 Farhenheit

1. Grate hazelnuts; on baking board place flour, hazelnuts, baking powder and margarine.
2. Make a recess in centre of this mixture. Add to recess egg, cocoa, cinnamon, sugar, cloves and Kirsch. Knead dough with hands until smooth and even.
3. Butter and flour a round detachable cake mould. Divide the dough in two. Roll half the dough and line bottom of mould. Evenly cover with layer of jam. Roll rest of dough, make circles and on each of these circles 4 ovals, place all around mould.
4. Place some ovals on centre of torte. Whip 1 egg yolk and brush torte with yolk. Join the sides of the mould around the bottom.
5. Bake about 1 hour. Verify with needle. Detach the sides. Let cool. Let stand in a cool place for 2-3 weeks.

Scott Simpson, Associate ReStore Manager

Toronto Maple Leafs Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookie:

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour

Icing:

• 5 tbsp meringue powder
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1 tsp CLEAR vanilla extract
• 1 cup water
• 2 lbs powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit
2. In the bowl of your mixer cream butter and sugar until smooth, at least 3 minutes.
3. Beat in extracts and egg.
4. In a separate bowl combine baking powder and salt with flour and add a little at a time to the wet ingredients. The dough will be very stiff. If it becomes too stiff for your mixer turn out the dough onto a countertop surface. Wet your hands and finish off kneading the dough by hand.
5. DO NOT CHILL THE DOUGH. Divide into workable batches, roll out onto a floured surface and cut. You want these cookies to be on the thicker side (closer to 1/4 inch rather than 1/8).
6. Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.

Icing Instructions

1. In a mixer, combine meringue powder, light corn syrup, clear vanilla extract, and water.
2. Using a hand whisk, mix ingredients until the mixture becomes foamy.
3. Add the powdered sugar to the mixture.
4. Hand whisk the mixture until the powdered sugar is incorporated and looks soupy. (I do this step so the powdered sugar doesn’t fly everywhere when I start the mixer in the next step.)
5. Attach the paddle attachment and beat mixture on medium-high for about 4-6 minutes.
6. The mixture should begin to thicken and whiten.
7. Mix until the icing forms peaks.

Decorating

1. Divide the icing in half.
2. Colour one half of the icing royal blue.
3. Fill a pastry bag with a round tip with the blue icing and begin squeezing the bag to draw out your maple leaf shape. Once you’ve achieved your shape, fill the inside of the maple leaf with icing and let dry.
4. Fill a second pastry bag with white icing with a round tip and write “Toronto Maple Leafs.”
5. Store remaining icing in a container and cover the top with plastic wrap touching the icing surface. Be sure to cover the edges of the icing. Any exposure to air will dry out the icing.

Lisa Voycey, ReStore District Manager

Mincemeat Tarts

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. store-bought tart shells or a tart shell recipe of your own
• 1 jar ready-made mincemeat (Cross and Blackwell Mincemeat)
• 1 tsp. grated lemon peel

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°Fahrenheit
2. Combine mincemeat and lemon peel, and mix well.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out piecrust to ⅛-inch thickness. Cut into 4-inch rounds. Set aside scraps.
4. Press rounds into the bottom and up sides of muffin cups to make the tart shells.
5. Fill ⅔ of each muffin cup with mincemeat.
6. Roll out piecrust scraps and cut into star shapes or strips. Place atop tarts in a pretty design.
7. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool, and then remove from pan.

June Harrow, Manager of Events and Donor Relations

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup soft margarine or butter, (two 1/2 cup sticks of butter)
• 5 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 6 tbsp buttermilk, (reg milk will work too)
• 2 tsps baking soda
• 1-1/2 cups ripe bananas, about 4-5 small
• 1 cup nuts, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients together. Let mixture sit for 1 hour in the mixing bowl in room temperature. (Note: Due to banana size, the mixture may not all fit into one loaf pan; do not overflow your pan. Use two loaf pans for the extra batter).
2. Pour into greased loaf pan(s). Bake 60-65* minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If using a Bundt pan, bake for 50-60* minutes at 300 degrees. Ten minutes before final cooking time, check doneness with toothpick. When toothpick comes out clean from middle of the loaf, it is done or when center of loaf is close to 195-200 degrees Fahrenheit. (Note: It's okay to let the crust get very dark if cooked for longer, it is supposed to be and won't hinder the taste).
3. Let stand until almost cool. Loosen bread from sides with sharp knife and set aside. Enjoy!

Trish Eady, Communications and Office Coordinator

Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

• 6 large apples (or 12 small apples)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup quick cooking oatmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
•  ¼ teaspoon baking soda
•  ¼ teaspoon baking powder
•  ½ cup butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Peel, core, and slice apples. Place in a baking dish.
3. Mix together ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over the sliced apples and toss to combine.
4. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix until crumbly. Top the sliced apples evenly with the crumbly oatmeal mixture.
5. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm.

Recipe Note: Trish likes to make double crisp topping. Delicious!

Rob Cikoja, Director of Construction

Kifla

Ingredients:

• 250 grams of Flour
• 200 grams Butter
• 100 grams Walnuts (ground)
• 70 grams Vanilla sugar
• 1 Egg white
• icing sugar (this recipe is not in bullet points and is written out with quantities at the end if u care)

Instructions

1. In a bowl, put the flour, then add the ground walnuts, vanilla sugar, 1 egg white and the butter (add touch of water if need be).
2. With your hands, mix together (try to do it quickly as warm hands will help melt the butter).
3. Once it is mixed, shape it into an elongated ball and cut into 4 even pieces.
4. Each piece roll into a sausage shape and then cut into 2cm wide pieces – then with each piece shape them into a kiflice.
5. Place the kiflice on baking paper (sprinkled with flour).
6. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 150°Celcius.
7. Take them out and plate them – sprinkle with icing sugar and enjoy!