A little bit of Ojibway kitchen magic

We love to share with our guests and friends a few of our kitchen’s favorites. From Ojibway’s homemade granola to a Smor’s Layer Cake to Whoopie Pies, you will find lots of kitchen inspiration and delights to impress your own guests around the dinner table. Enjoy!

Peach Strudel

August is peach season in Ontario, and we have eaten some delicious peaches this summer! Breakfast strudel is a staple on the Ojibway buffet served when campers and parents are leaving at the end of Mid and End-season.

INGREDIENTS

• Puff pastry rolled into a (roughly) 10”x14” rectangle

• 6 ripe peaches

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 2 tbsp butter

• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp of water, for glaze

Icing:

• 2 tbsp butter

• ½ cup confectioners’ sugar

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract or bourbon

Method

1. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon, cut in butter with a pastry blender.

2. Slice peaches and pile the sliced peaches in the center of the puff pastry.

3. Dot the brown sugar mixture over the top of the peaches.

4. Brush the edges of the puff pastry with egg wash.

5. Fold the puff pastry over the peaches like a wallet and seal the edges of the puff pastry.

6. Brush egg wash over the outside of the puff pastry.

7. Cut steam vents in the top of the puff pastry.

8. Bake at 400F (or 350F if you are using a convection oven) 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown. The filling should be bubbling. 

9. For icing: melt butter and add to confectioners’ sugar. Add vanilla, or bourbon, and beat until smooth.

10. Let strudel sit for 5 minutes, after being removed from the oven, before drizzling icing over the top.

11. Enjoy!

Whoopie Pies

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled 

• 1 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder 

• 1 teaspoon baking soda 

• 1 teaspoon fine salt 

• ¼ teaspoon baking powder 

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar 

• 1 large egg 

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

• 1 cup buttermilk 

COOKIE DOUGH FILLING:

• 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature

• 1 cup light brown sugar packed

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/3 cup milk

• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour bleached flour toughens baked goods

• 1 cup miniature chocolate chips

METHOD

Step 1

Make the pies: Heat oven to 350° F with the racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment.

Step 2

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

Step 3

Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, then the vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Step 4

Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk in alternate additions (scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary), beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until combined.

Step 5

Spoon the batter into 24 mounds (about 3 tablespoons each) on the prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. An ice cream scoop works well for measuring out the pies, small sized for more bite sized pies, or much larger if you like!

Step 6

Bake, rotating the sheets once, until the pies spring back lightly when touched, 10 to 14 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 7 - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Icing!

In a mixer, cream together butter, both sugars, vanilla extract and milk. Add flour and chocolate chips and stir into batter with wooden spoon.

Step 8

Top half the pies with the frosting, dividing evenly, and sandwich with the remaining pies. An cream scoop works well for measuring the icing, use a spatula to spread the icing out to the edges of the pie. Enjoy!

MAPLE POTS DE CRÈME

INGREDIENTS

Maple Custard:

·          1 1/2 cup whipping cream

·          1 1/2 cup milk

·          1/3 cup maple syrup

·          4 egg yolks

·          2 eggs

·          1/2 cup granulated sugar

·          1/2 teaspoon maple extract

Warm Pear Topping:

·          2 tablespoons butter

·          2 firm ripe pears, or apples, peeled, cored and diced (about 2-1/2 cups total)

·          2 tablespoons maple syrup

METHOD

Maple Custard: In saucepan, heat together cream, milk and maple syrup over medium heat just until bubbles form around edge.

In bowl, whisk together egg yolks, eggs and sugar until smooth; slowly whisk in cream mixture. Strain through fine-mesh sieve into pitcher; stir in maple extract. Pour into eight 6-oz (175 mL) ramekins. Place ramekins in roasting pan; pour in enough boiling water to come 1 inch (2.5 cm) up sides. Cover with foil.

Bake in 325 F (160 C) oven until edges are lightly set yet centers are still slightly jiggly, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer ramekins to rack; let cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 2 days.)

Warm Pear Topping: While custard is chilling, in skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat; cook pears, stirring often, until browned and softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in maple syrup; cook, stirring, until pears are coated, about 1 minute. Scrape into bowl. Bring to room temperature. Serve over custard.

One batch not enough? We understand. Click here to book a visit to Ojibway and mange tout!

Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette

(This recipe is actually from SmittenKitchen.com, where we get lots of our Ojibway Recipes, and totally delightful!)

INGREDIENTS

For the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into
pieces
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water

For the filling:
1 small butternut squash (about one pound)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons butter (if you have only non-stick, the smaller amount will do)
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced in half-moons
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
3/4 cup fontina cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces), grated or cut into small bits
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves

1. Make pastry: In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Place the butter in another bowl. Place both bowls in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove the bowls from the freezer and make a well in the center of the flour. Add the butter to the well and, using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Make another well in the center. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add half of this mixture to the well. With your fingertips, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Remove the large lumps and repeat with the remaining liquid and flour-butter mixture. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Prepare squash: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel squash, then halve and scoop out seeds. Cut into a 1/2-inch dice. Toss pieces with olive oil and a half-teaspoon of the salt and roast on foil lined (for neatness sake) sheet for 30 minutes or until pieces are tender, turning it midway if your oven bakes unevenly. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Caramelize onions: While squash is roasting, melt butter in a heavy skillet and cook onion over low heat with the remaining half-teaspoon of salt and pinch of sugar, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir in cayenne.

4. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Mix squash, caramelized onions, cheese and herbs together in a bowl.

5. Assemble galette: On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Spread squash, onions, cheese and herb mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the squash, onion and cheese mixture, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open.

6. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature. Serves 6.

Give it a try! Then click here to book a visit to Ojibway and compare your galette with ours!

Summer dreaming: Smitten Kitchen’s S'More Layer Cake

INGREDIENTS

Prep time: 35 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 1 hour 10 mins

Serves: 8-12

This recipe is from Deb Perelman's Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.

Ingredients

• cake layers:

• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 cups honey (not cinnamon-sugar topped) graham-cracker crumbs, finely processed to a powder (about 14 2½-by-4⅞-inch sheets). Alternately, you can buy pre-ground honey graham-cracker crumbs and enjoy them mercilessly for the next month or two.

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• ¾ teaspoon baking soda

• ¾ teaspoon table salt

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ⅔ cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup dark brown sugar

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

• 2 cups buttermilk, well shaken (or 1⅓ cups milk and ⅔ cup sour cream)

• filling:

• ½ pound milk chocolate, chopped small

• ¾ cup heavy cream

• 2 pinches of salt

• frosting:

• 4 large egg whites

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, line them with circles of parchment paper, then butter or coat with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, graham-cracker crumbs, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl down after each addition. Add a third of the dry ingredients, then half the buttermilk, a third of the dry ingredients, the remaining buttermilk, and then the remaining dry ingredients, mixing between additions until combined. Scrape down bowl, and mix again briefly if needed. This is an excellent opportunity to lick the beaters. The batter is delicious!

3. Divide batter between prepared cake pans, smoothing tops. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Cool in pan on rack, then run a knife between the cake edges and pans before inverting each layer on a rack, discarding the parchment paper, and flipping back upright onto a rack. Let cool completely, a process you can speed up in the fridge.

4. Make the filling:

5. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Combine the heavy cream and salt in a small saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Pour over the chocolate, and let sit for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Set bowl over another bowl filled with ice water, and stir it until it firms up to a spreadable consistency. You can also let it cool down in the fridge, stirring it from time to time so it thickens evenly.

6. Prepare the cake:

7. On the cooling rack, use a long serrated knife to level the top. As Deb suggests, it's only fair to place the scraps in a bowl where your housemates can enjoy them. Place one layer on a cake stand or plate. Spread chocolate thickly over the bottom layer. Place the top layer over the bottom layer. Admire.

8. Make the frosting:

9. Place egg whites, granulated sugar, and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a saucepan with simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, about 3 minutes. Transfer the bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat, starting at low speed, gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, 4-7 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix until combined. You'll want to use this immediately.

10. Frost the cake:

11. Spread a thin layer of the frosting over the top and sides, covering all of the crumbs (and binding them to the cake). Make sure not to dip the crumb-y knife back into the frosting! Transfer the cake to the fridge for 5 or 10 minutes, to let it set a bit, then generously coat the top and sides with additional frosting. Pipe the remaining frosting in marshmallow-like dollops decoratively over the top. With a kitchen torch on a low setting, lightly brown the top, creating a toasted-marshmallow effect.

It’s a long recipe, we know. Click here to book a visit to Ojibway and we’ll have some waiting for you!

Ojibway Granola

INGREDIENTS

12 Cups Large Flake Oats

6 Cups Shredded Coconut

1 ½ Cups Vegetable Oil

1 ½ Cups Honey (local organic honey is preferred)

4 Cups Pumpkin Seeds

15 Cups of dried Fruit

Mix oats and coconut in a large roasting pan. Put pot on stove with oil and honey, emulsify the mixture over medium heat, pour over oats and coconut and mix well. Put in 350 F oven, stirring every 10 – 15 minutes until the mixture is toasted… it can burn quickly, so watch carefully!

Add 4 Cups of pumpkin seeds to the oats and coconut, after the first stirring.

Stir in 15 cups of dried fruit once the oat mixture is out of the oven… we use 5 cups each of raisins, dates, and cranberries.

There really is no better way to start your morning. Click here to sign up for a visit to Ojibway and you’ll be sure to have some every morning!

Molasses Cookies

Ingredients

2 cup white sugar
½ cup molasses
2 eggs
1½ cups shortening
4 cups flour
4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Assembly

1. Mix white sugar, molasses and eggs together well.

2. Sift flour, baking soda and spices together, cut in shortening.

3. Combine the sugar mixture with the dry ingredients, mix well.

4. Roll into balls and dip in white sugar, press down. Bake cookies, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, at 375 F for 8 – 10 minutes. These cookies freeze well.

But why go through the effort yourself? Click here to sign up for a visit to Ojibway this summer and we will be sure to have some waiting for you!

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 Ojibway Maple Butter Tarts Recipe (with Currants!)