Recipes – Beauty | Style

Bailey’s Irish Cream & Cocoa Mousse

I know that it’s only November, but every year I promise myself that I will start prepping for the holiday season early to prevent stress later on and I never do it. I end up running around like a headless chicken the week before Christmas trying to get everything done, and then I end up disappointed by the 27th because I didn’t do half of the things that I wanted to do. Oh well, there’s always next year…

So this year I am determined to start early. For real this time! Last night was my first attempt at this by testing out my first Christmas recipe…. wait for it…. Bailey’s Irish Cream & Cocoa Mousse!! And, not only was it delicious, it was incredibly easy! (it’s also egg-free for anyone who isn’t fond of the idea of having raw egg in your desserts)

Bailey’s to me screams holidays, and as soon as December rolls around, I need a giant bottle of it in the house at all times. This recipe calls for the original Bailey’s, but you can use any of the new flavored ones too. You can also choose to skip the cocoa part if you just want some straight-up Bailey’s flavour… I would love to hear how you customized this recipe! You can also have a lot of fun with decorating too, imagine how decadent it would look with some chocolate curls and gold leaf.

Makes 2 generous size desserts, or 4 “regular” sized ones

Ingredients:
1 package of unflavored gelatin (around 2.5 tbsp)
2.5 tbsp cold water
1/4 cup boiling water
1/3 cup white sugar
2-3 tbsp (to taste) high quality cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup heavy cream/whipping cream
1/2 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
1 tsp vanilla
Grated chocolate for garnish

Steps:
1. Stir gelatin and cold water and let stand approx. 1 minute
2. Add boiling water and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Put aside
3. Add cream, sugar and cocoa to stand mixer, and beat until stiff peaks form*
4. Add Bailey’s, vanilla and gelatin and keep mixing at high-speed until mousse like texture forms
5. Spoon into bowls (I love martini glasses for festive presentation!), sprinkle on grated chocolate and refrigerate until set, about 1-2 hours

*Make sure you place your mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for a few minutes beforehand

Please let me know if you try this, I’d love to hear what you think!

-SS

Spiced Apple Bundt Cake

Something that you might not know about me if you’re new to my blog is I love baking! Something about transforming ingredients into something tasty makes me feel accomplished and relaxed. It’s always a huge bonus when people enjoy what I bake too. It feels like my contribution and I love that.

This past weekend was Thanksgiving in Canada so we went to stay with my in-laws (who are great!) and I wanted to bring something “Thanksgiving-y” for everyone to snack on. There’s so many things you make with pumpkin but I figured we were already having pumpkin pie so I craved something different, but still Thanksgiving/Fall themed.

I ended up deciding on making a spiced apple bundt cake and it was SO good! It was super easy to make, mostly required ingredients you usually have in the kitchen, and it stood up to the 3 hour drive really well.

Everyone loved it and it’s definitely a recipe that I will keep on rotation! The apples add a little sweetness to perfectly compliment the spice flavor from the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, and a slice is perfect with either a rich, creamy butter or even a cream cheese icing.

I originally planned on taking pictures throughout the entire baking process, but I totally forgot! So all I have is this one pic that I took at the end.

Ingredients:

3 cups All- purpose flour
1 1/4 cups Brown sugar
2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground ginger
1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg
2 Eggs
2/3 cup Oil
1 1/4 cups Sour cream or Greek yogurt
4 apples, peeled and chopped (I prefer Macintosh)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F
Grease and flour bundt pan
Mix all dry ingredients and set aside
In a mixer, add eggs, vanilla, oil and sour cream/yogurt until combined
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients
Fold in apple pieces
Pour into bundt pan (batter will be thick)
Bake for approx. 1 hour until toothpick comes out clean
Enjoy!

Feel free to share your favourite Thanksgiving/Fall Baking recipes!

-SS

Hello, October!

And just like that, in the blink of an eye, another season rolls in…

I realize that Fall technically started over a week ago, but now that it’s October 1st I feel as though I can’t deny it any longer, Fall is officially here.

So what does the new season mean to me? To be brutally honest, I struggle with this time of year. It’s not my favourite and I basically start counting the days until Spring arrives. But, no matter what time of year it is, a new season presents you with a clean slate and a chance to start over.

Here is a list of what October means to me and what I have to look forward to:

Fashion. It doesn’t matter what season it is, each one brings a fresh opportunity to revamp your style and adjust to the changing seasons, and that is always an exciting feat!
Beauty. Dark, everything dark! I have a nail appointment at the end of the week and I’m already looking forward to getting a rich dark shade! I’m also trying to decide what I want to do with my hair…
Food. With the colder weather coming in, it’s only natural to start craving heartier meals and freshly baked home goods. As someone who loves to bake, this is always an exciting time for me. I love trying to find the balance between comfort food and healthy and I love, love that Fall is a great excuse to start adding cinnamon to just about everything!
Thanksgiving. This only applies to Canadians (or Canadian impostors like myself ;)) The holiday feels extra early this year since it’s next week! We are heading out of town to visit our in-laws (I love my in-laws!) but I will make sure I post my favourite Thanksgiving recipes and traditions… to be repeated a month from now for American Thanksgiving!
Christmas. I know, did I really have to go there?! I mean, there’s 10 people in my family alone (plus in-laws, etc) so yes, I do have to go there, because Christmas in my family is insane so if I don’t start planning and prepping in October, I end up stressed with no time left.