Tim Hortons is a bit of a Canadian Institution.  It is a coffee/doughnut shop that  feels like a second home to many Canadians.  I worked there for a time prior to moving over here to the UK.   

 

When I worked there, they would have a baker come in every night and he would work from 10:00 pm until about 6 in the morning baking cakes, frying doughnuts, baking pies, etc.  

When you went into work in the morning there would be trays and trays of the freshly finished goodies sitting and waiting to go out onto the shelves.

 

I understand that they don't have in-store bakers these days, and that all the goods are brought in baked and frozen, ready to thaw out and pop onto the shelves.  

Its called progress, but I understand that their goodies are not as nice as they used to be, or so I have been told. 

 

I can't help but think that in losing the personal touch, in favour of more profits, they have lost something very special  . . . it is a common complaint today. 

   

One of my favourite doughnuts that they sold was the "Dutchie."   It was a square, sultana filled, yeast-lifted and sugar  glazed doughnut.  

You could also get them as donut holes. I understand that they no longer make them, and mores the pity.  They were a real favourite of many people. 

 

My daughter and I were talking one day and I was telling her that one of the things I missed from Canada was the Dutchie Doughnut, and she informed me that they no longer make them.  

Can we please have a minute of silence here to mourn their loss?

  

Well, you know how that goes . . .  when you can't get something you love any longer  . . .  it increases your craving for it. 

 

For months now I have been craving a Dutchie Doughnut!  Craving, craving, craving  . . . 

 

Today I decided to scratch that itch and make some from scratch.  They were very simple to make.  

I searched online and found a recipe for them on the Chatelaine Magazine page (another Canadian Institution), the difference being they called them Duchesse Doughnuts . . .  

 

Duchesse . . .  Dutchies  . . .  a rose  by any other name.  Any Canadian worth his salt knows these are Dutchies.  Their recipe made 12.  There is no way on earth I wanted to be tempted by a dozen Dutchies  . . . 

 

So I cut the recipe in half, with great success and made us a lovely half dozen puffed and glazed, raisin studded delights! 

  

I also added a half teaspoon of cinnamon to the dough because if my memory serves me well, they had just a hint of cinnamon flavour, but that could just be my rose coloured glasses  . . . 

 

Oh boy am I ever glad I only made six of these!  They are indeed very dangerous to have around.  I think I am going to have to lock up the extra four!  They were very easy to make and tasted every bit as good as my memory of them was! (Just make sure your oil is hot and you keep an eye on it so that it doesn't cool down too much when you add the doughnuts to it.) Today you can call me a very happy Canadian Ex-pat, with a lovely satisfied grin on my face.  Nom Nom! 

 

Todd was wanting some cake, but of course my oven isn't working reliably at the moment, so I was in a bit of a quandary as to what to do.  I don't really like store bought cakes very much.  They are always dry in comparison to homemade.  Yes, we are very spoilt!  Then I remembered my bread machine and I remembered seeing some recipes in it's manual for baking cakes.  You can also make jam in it and fruit compotes, although I never have. 

  

My bread machine is the Panasonic Automatic Bread maker, Model No. SD-2501

  

I figured I didn't have anything to lose and so I picked the Apple & Ginger recipe, which sounded really good.  I also had everything I needed to make it . . .

  

Golden syrup, Granny Smith apples, preserved ginger  . . .

  

Cloves, cinnamon  . . .

 

Todd adores anything with cloves and ginger and cinnamon and apples . . .  they are his favourite things to eat!  I was pretty certain he would love this cake.

 

It was actually very easy to put together . . .

 

Todd was out when I started it and as soon as he came in, he said, oh boy something smells good!  that's always a really positive sign! 

 

It has  a beautiful texture.  Its a bit sturdier than a normal cake . . .   I would say more like a tea loaf. 

  

Lovely flavours with the cinnamon and cloves  . . .  and those bits of preserved ginger.  I adore preserved ginger!

 

It is well studded throughout the loaf  . . .

 

The Demerara sugar on top gives it a lovely crunch! (This is Turbinado sugar in North America)

  

This is the perfect cake to sit down and enjoy a nice hot cuppa with!

If you don' t have a bread machine, you can still bake this in a normal loaf tin. Use a medium loaf tin, line with baking paper and bake at 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4 for 50 to 60 minutes.

 

One thing for sure, not having a working oven is inspiring me to step outside my comfort zone and try some new things I had not considered before!  Don't worry if you are not the owner of a bread machine.  You can still bake this delicious cake in a regular loaf tin and oven!!

 

I was wanting something fresh and crunchy to eat the other day, and then I remembered the Deli Kitchen Skinni Wraps I had in the freezer, so I took them out to thaw and started thinking about what I was going to do with them! 

 

We are always being told to eat a "Rainbow."  A mix of five or more servings of vegetables and fruits in a day.  I have heard as many as 8.  This can be a bit hard to do, but it isn't impossible, and your heart  and body will thank you for it! 

 

I love the Deli Kitchen Skinni Wraps!   The come in plain and multi grain. 

 

They truly are very thin and coming in at less than 100 calories per wrap, they are the wise choice for someone who is trying to low carb it and eat healthier! 

 

Plus they come in a handy packaging which boasts a peel and stick closure, which means they will stay fresh for longer.  They also freeze very well. 

 

They also boast a unique rectangular shape with a pointed end, which makes them perfect for filling and rolling up tightly, no matter what you choose to fill them with! 

 

As you can see I chose a variety of fresh veg to fill mine with . . .  courgettes (zucchini), carrots, red cabbage, mashed avocado, rocket, carrots and two colours of fresh peppers . . . . 

  

I spread a thin layer of hummus over each wrap before I added the vegetables and then I added the crisp and fresh veggies in rows . . .  a beautiful rainbow of colours and textures and flavours!  Because the mashed avocado is a bit wetter than the others, I chose to put it in the middle.

  

Mmmm  . . .  I love mashed avocado and this was lightly flavoured with tangy lime juice, which also helped to maintain it's bright green colour! 

 

I adore hummus also and this was perfect for the base on which to layer everything else.  You can make your own or use a good, well flavoured store brand.  I used a Lemon, pepper and coriander one.

 

Its just loaded with flavour and it is my favourite! 

 

I often eat hummus with crisp vegetables for dipping!  This was kind of like that in a tasty wrap! 

  

It looked really pretty when sliced . . . 

 

And those lovely wraps held everything in beautifully, making these easy to eat and enjoy! 

  

I love eating rainbows!

 

I love these Deli Kitchen Skinni Wraps, both the Multi Grain ones and the Plain ones.  Totally yummy!  You can buy them at Sainsbury's here in the UK.    Their delicious range also includes Sliced Focaccia, Plain Subwich, two kinds of folded flatbreads and three kinds of sandwich thins.  As a diabetic I do try to watch my carb intake most of the time and I have found these thinner, healthier options really helpful in doing that, plus they are also delicious.  I can have my sandwich and eat it too!  You can find their products in a variety of different shops, to find out which products are available where, do check out their website.

 

I have always loved prunes.  I used to make a beautiful Prune & Apricot Coffee Cake, which I haven't made in a very long while.  Note to self:  As soon as the oven is fixed, bake one.

 

We tend to associate prunes with  the elderly and care homes  . . .  tinned yucky prunes that have a really pasty consistency and are blecch.  (Sorry, don't like tinned prunes!)

 

Ready to eat, dried pitted prunes however, are lovely.  Sticky and sweet, sightly chewy.  As appealing as raisins or dried apricots. 

 

This recipe I am sharing today is one that comes from this book.  A Thousand Ways to Please a Husband, by  Louise Bennett Weaver and Helen Cowles LeCron.  It was originally published in 1917, and reads like a diary.  Its quite good actually.  I have cooked a few things from it, and all are very good. 

 

The original recipe actually called for finely chopped Dates.  I couldn't find any in my larder, so I used prunes instead . . .  with great success! 

  

I also added chopped toasted walnuts  . . . for a bit of interest and crunch. 

 

A simple batter containing soft bread crumbs, flour, baking powder, eggs, milk, sugar and suet . . .  beaten together.  I added some vanilla and lemon extracts.

 

Some people don't like to use Suet, or have a problem finding it.  You can use frozen vegetable shortening, grated if you wish, and you could also use butter, but, personally, I think butter would make it very rich.

 

It is a steamed pudding  . . .  you simply mix the batter together and then pop it into a buttered pudding basin, or buttered individual pudding basins.  If you do it as one large pudding, it will take roughly twice the time as the individual ones.

 

Don't worry if you don't have individual pudding basins, you can also use custard cups  . . .  even small tins, about the size of a mandarin tin.  Just make sure you butter them well. 

 

There is a lovely lemon sauce that you can also make to spoon over the finished puddings  . . . 

 

Its lush and low in fat . . .  but large on flavour  . . .  don't be tempted to skip it.  Its gorgeous. 

 

You could of course also serve it with ice cream or even pouring cream  . . . 

 

Just don't skip the lemon sauce! 

 

When I make it again (and I WILL!) I am going to add some chopped dried apricots . . .  they are so jewel-like and taste fabulous with prunes!

 

Bottom line  . . . with prunes, or prunes and apricots . . .  with dates . . .  toasted nuts or not, this is one very gorgeous pudding.

 

Your family is sure to love it.

Any leftovers can be reheated gently in a steamer for about 10 to 15 minutes.