Vintage Kitchen Vixen

How to Make a Layer Cake from Scratch

June 14, 2019 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

Layer cakes are the favourite go-to for birthdays and special occasions. Learn how easy it is to make your own layer cake from scratch. All you need is a few ingredients and a couple of hours!

MAKING A LAYER CAKE FROM SCRATCH

Every June in Québec, people go crazy over les fraises du Québec. They’re these beautiful small strawberries that are full of flavour and seem to be everywhere you look. If you go into a bakery, they advertise that their strawberry tarts are made with Québec strawberries. Anyone who uses them basically shouts into a megaphone that their strawberries are local. It’s madness, but as the days get warmer and my own strawberry plants start developing, I find myself excited for the approaching season.

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Maple Walnut Fermented Steel Cut Oats

June 11, 2019 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

This maple walnut fermented steel cut oats recipe tastes delicious hot or cold. Try making it in large batches for easy breakfasts throughout the week!

THE BENEFITS OF HOMEMADE OATMEAL

Growing up, a big pot of cinnamon raisin oatmeal frequently made an appearance on the breakfast table. I was a lucky kid.

Oatmeal is nutritious, it’s filling, it’s easy to make, and best of all, it’s cheap. It’s one of those slow burning fuels that keeps you going all morning and doesn’t make you come crashing down before noon.

Of course, not all oatmeals are made equal. Those sugar laden packages of artificially flavoured instant oatmeal aren’t anyone’s friend. I’m looking at you, smiling quaker!

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Wild Violets and 5 Things to do with them

June 7, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 4 Comments

Wild violets are as lovely as they are useful. Here are several different ways to put these pretty purple blooms to good use!

Wild violets were the last thing I was expecting to find in my backyard when I moved into my new home.

It was late September when the house was purchased. All there was to see outback was a neglected garden patch with the last stragglers of a tomato harvest.

It was December when I moved in, and by then there was a thick blanket of snow on the ground. Winter passed, and as it started warming up, I was eager to see what I had to work with.

Finally, the snow melted and the drab brown lawn turned emerald. One day, I looked outside and was delighted to see hundreds of wild violets coming into bloom.

RELATED: Wild Dandelion Salad Recipe

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Pastry Cream for Beginners

June 4, 2019 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

Pastry cream is a breeze to make, but most people shrug their shoulders and pick up a box of instant vanilla pudding instead. Not in this kitchen! Ditch the box and learn how to make your own pastry cream from scratch.

Not everyone goes around calling it pastry cream. The French call it crème pâtissière and the popular North American term is pudding, but in my circle, it’s called pastry cream, so that’s what I’m going with.

It’s a simple concoction of milk, eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla. Some recipes call for butter to give it an added richness, but while butter makes everything better, it’s completely optional.

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How to Make Choux Pastry (and what to do with it)

May 31, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 2 Comments

Choux pastry (a.k.a. pâte à choux) is a wonderfully light dough that’s used to make gnocchi, cream puffs, and éclairs. Learn how to make it yourself and dazzle everyone at your next party!

CHOUX PASTRY: YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND

Choux pastry is one of my greatest allies in the kitchen.

It’s a versatile recipe that can be turned into savoury appetizers or classic desserts that most folks just can’t get enough of.

Unfortunately, a lot of people seem to shy away from attempting to make their own because it looks intimidating.

What this means for you is that when you give this a go yourself, you will wow your family and friends, impressing them with your kitchen prowess.

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How to Make Juicy Cast Iron Skillet Burgers

May 28, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 3 Comments

Learn the theory behind how to make your own juicy cast iron skillet burgers so you’ll never need to look up a recipe or buy frozen burger patties again!

homemade cast iron skillet burger patties

THE LAST HAMBURGER RECIPE YOU WILL EVER NEED

While writing this post to see what the leading brand of frozen patties was, I ran a quick internet search and was surprised to see the results overflowing with recipes.

Recipes for the “Juiciest Hamburger Ever” and “How to Make Perfect Burger Patties” and “The Classic Burger Recipe”. Um, excuse me?

Growing up, I watched my mother make burger patties so many times that the idea of digging up a recipe never occurred to me.

My dad taught me how to make pancakes and homemade kefir milk, and my mom taught me how to make flavourful burgers from scratch.

I don’t think she ever used a recipe to make her burgers, and by the end of this post, you won’t need to either.

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