Dessert By Candy

A Look Back At 2014

I made a resolution at the beginning of the year to push myself out of my culinary comfort zone. In 2014, I tackled unfamiliar cuisines, challenging baking projects, and childhood favourites that I thought I could only indulge while dining out. And let’s not forget I jumped feet first into the world of confectionery! Even though every project seemed a little out of my reach at the time, I learned from both successes and failures. I am confident to say that I have become a better cook thanks to a year of learning. Let’s take a look back at some of the highlights.

10. Swedish Baking

Between travels to Sweden and my fascination with goodies sold at the IKEA Swedish Marketplace, I wanted to learn more about Swedish baking. Rather than wait for my next trip to the Scandinavia, I rolled up my sleeves and recreated the experience in my own kitchen instead. Last year I made kanelbullar (cinnamon buns), lussekatter (St Lucia buns), prinsesstårta (princess cake), and semlor (cardamom almond cream buns). I love them all, especially the technically challenging princess cake. It was the first time I made a dome cake freehand, covered with tinted marzipan, and formed little marzipan roses. Plenty of cake decorating techniques that I mastered in one baking project!

Healthy Holiday Supper

Holiday celebration is often synonymous with decadent food consumption, especially for those occasions which food plays a central role. This year, I defied tradition and designed a menu for Christmas supper that did not sacrifice taste for a healthier twist. It was every bit as enjoyable and I looked forward to leftovers even as I finished the last bite on my plate. I call that a win-win situation.

Healthy Christmas Supper

Smoked Sturgeon Goat Cheese Spread on Pita Cracker
Mushroom Pate on Seeded Cracker
Arugula, Pear, Walnut Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette 
Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb with Herb Crust 
Mint Relish 
Freekeh with Crimini Mushroom
Garlic Broccolini 
Buche de Noel with Ricotta Orange Chocolate Filling and Chocolate Frosting 
Coffin Ridge Sparkling Pear Cider

Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

It is Boxing Day in Canada and that means another Christmas has come and gone. Updates at Dessert By Candy were few and far between in the last few weeks. First I was overwhelmed with Candy By Candy pop up shop. Once that was over, I faced the conclusion of an important chapter of my professional life. After 14 years as a software developer, I bid (perhaps temporary, perhaps permanent) farewell to the tech industry. It is scary to leave the familiar and comfortable. Most emotionally-challenging though, is the fact that I no longer see my colleagues everyday.  Fortunately, my mind is already pre-occupied by some opportunities ahead. I will be more involved with the food industry and there will be lots of new things to learn. I hope to share with you more exciting news as my plans take shape.

As soon as I packed my belongings from my cubicle, I came home to prepare my kitchen for two baking classes. It is rare that I have free time on my hands so I sent out an open invitation to all my friends back in early December offering free baking classes to  anyone interested. On Sunday afternoon, three friends came to my place and we spent an afternoon making double cheese & chive bread, sundried tomato loaves, and strawberry marshmallows. The following day, I guided a  culinary-savvy 14-year old to make macaroni & cheese, pumpkin cinnamon rolls with eggnog glaze, and fluffy peanut butter nougat. Three recipes in each class and all done in four hours flat, not a minute overtime! It made me so happy that my students enjoyed the class and picked up some useful tips.

With everything going on, I somehow still managed to fill my days with plenty of holiday cooking and baking. Mind you, planning was minimal at best and I simply flew by the seat of my pants. Last night I finally had a quiet moment to organize the massive collection of photos I took over the last few weeks and made a mental tally. I must admit I outdid myself.

Kristlemas Special Bar

When I planned for Candy By Candy pop up shop, I designed the collection based on tried and true recipes. On one hand, I knew that those were popular items I made in the past with predictable yield. On the other hand, I was bursting with creativity and wanted to try new things. It was hard to suppress that creative urge and not veer from my game plan. When I finished with all the planned recipes and still had a bit of time on my hands, this Kristlemas Special Bar was the result.

I created this milk chocolate bar with Christmas on my mind. It is a twist on my popular Peanut Butter Nougat Bar. Instead of peanut butter, the fluffy nougat is packed with Nutella. It sits on top of a thick layer of tender hazelnut shortbread with hints of cinnamon and allspice. To complement this mellow flavour, I chose to enrobe the bar in milk chocolate. This chocolate bar tastes sweet but with a warm spicy kick.

Candy By Candy Pop Up Shop

Every year I come up with a list of things that I want to accomplish. Often the list is made up of new things to learn and challenges that push me out of my comfort zone. For 2014, running my own pop up shop tops the list. Back in summer, I had a false start and sadly put away my plans. A few weeks ago, all the stars aligned and I am excited to announce that Candy By Candy is up and running! It is with great pleasure that I invite you to drop by online or at my first market at Stratus Vineyard’s Kristlemas Market on December 14!

For my first foray of pop up shop, naturally I go with what I do best: handmade candies and chocolate treats. I’ve been honing my confectionery skills for years but I made improvements by leaps and bounds in the last 12 months. For every batch of candies that I made, I kept detail notes on every aspect but especially how well they were received. But product development is only a small fraction of the entrepreneurial experience.