Decadent Chocolate Chip Squares

Decadent Chocolate Chip Squares
Decadent Chocolate Chip Squares

This is one of my most favorite squares!  I have been making this recipe for years.  It’s good any time of the year and is often found in my summer picnic basket.  With its rich, gooey chocolate center and a slightly crunchy topping, it’s a real treat for sure, especially for chocolate lovers.

Decadent Chocolate Chip Squares
Decadent Chocolate Chip Squares
Decadent Chocolate Chip Squares

Ingredients:

Base:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
⅓ cup butter, softened
⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
2 egg yolks

10 oz. chocolate chips

Topping:
2 egg whites, beaten stiff
⅛ tsp cream of tartar
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup macaroon coconut

Method:

Assemble ingredients.

Prepare 9” square pan by lining with tin foil and spraying with cooking oil.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Base:
In small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Cream butter and brown sugar together. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add dry ingredients and stir just until dry ingredients are incorporated.

Evenly press dough into prepared pan.

Evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips over the dough. Set aside.

Topping:
In clean mixer bowl, beat the two egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form.

Beat in the brown sugar, adding a tablespoon at a time.

Add the vanilla.

Fold in the coconut.

Spread the topping evenly over the chocolate chips.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until topping is browned. Remove from oven and place pan on wire cooling rack. Let cool completely. Lift tin foil and square from the pan and cut into squares.

Decadent Chocolate Chip Squares
Decadent Chocolate Chip Squares

 

Decadent Chocolate Chip Squares

Ingredients

  • Base:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch salt
  • 1/3 cup butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 10 oz. chocolate chips
  • Topping:
  • 2 egg whites, beaten stiff
  • 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • ½ cup macaroon coconut

Instructions

  1. Assemble ingredients.
  2. Prepare 9” square pan by lining with tin foil and spraying with cooking oil.
  3. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  4. Base:
  5. In small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  6. Cream butter and brown sugar together. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients and stir just until dry ingredients are incorporated.
  7. Evenly press dough into prepared pan. Evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips over the dough. Set aside.
  8. Topping:
  9. In clean mixer bowl, beat the two egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Beat in the brown sugar, adding a tablespoon at a time. Add the vanilla. Fold in the coconut.
  10. Spread the topping evenly over the chocolate chips.
  11. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until topping is browned. Remove from oven and place pan on wire cooling rack. Let cool completely. Lift tin foil and square from the pan and cut into squares.
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Chocolate Chip Squares
Decadent Chocolate Chip Squares
Decadent Chocolate Chip Squares
Decadent Chocolate Chip Squares

Rhubarb Salsa

Rhubarb Salsa
Rhubarb Salsa

I am always developing ideas for ways I can make use of rhubarb. We have a long-established rhubarb patch at the end of the garden that always produces large beautiful red stalks. It was planted circa 1993-94 and is the German Wine variety. Because of its rich red color, it lends itself to colorful dishes. While we freeze lots of rhubarb for winter usage, I try to make good use of it while it is fresh. There’s just something so satisfying in being able to go to the garden to pick a few stalks of rhubarb just as I need them for a dish I am making.

Rhubarb Salsa
Rhubarb Salsa

Today, I am sharing the recipe I developed for Rhubarb Salsa. As you know, there has to be some kind of base for the salsa – something that gives it its bulk, if you will. For example, in many salsas, that tends to be a tomato base. In my recipe, which is a sweet salsa, I am using rhubarb as the base. Use young, thin rhubarb stalks for this recipe. Continue reading Rhubarb Salsa

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

Strawberries and rhubarb are always a winning combination as their flavors and textures play off well against each other.  On PEI, there is a very short window of opportunity to have both fresh rhubarb and Island strawberries available at the same time. So, if you are lucky enough to have both available, now is the time to make this delicious Strawberry Rhubarb Pie!

While it is possible to use frozen rhubarb in the strawberry rhubarb pie recipe I am sharing, the strawberries do need to be fresh, not frozen, since frozen berries will release too much moisture into the pie filling.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

Lightly spiced, this pie is a summertime treat, especially when served with a scoop of high-quality French vanilla ice cream.  This is a double crust pie and you can find my pastry recipe by clicking here.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients:

Pastry for two-crust 9” pie

3 cups rhubarb, cut into ½” pieces
1½ cups fresh strawberries, sliced

1¼ cups white sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ginger
Pinch nutmeg
1½ tsp grated orange rind
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp butter cut into pieces

Method:

Assemble ingredients.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Grease 9” pie plate. Roll out pastry and line pie plate, trimming pastry to fit.

In small bowl, mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, spices, and grated orange rind.

In separate bowl, beat egg with orange juice. Blend in dry ingredients.

Add rhubarb and strawberries and stir gently to mix.

Transfer filling to prepared pie crust.

Dot with butter.

Dampen edges of pie pastry with a finger dipped in water.

Roll out remaining pastry for top crust. Place over filling and trim to fit. Crimp or press edges of pastry together with fork tines to seal.

Cut slits in top of pastry and prick with fork tines in several places to allow steam to escape as the pie bakes.

Circle edge of pie with a collar of tin foil to prevent over-browning. Remove this collar after 35 minutes of baking to allow edges to bake and brown.

Place pie on rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake 15 minutes at 425°F then decrease temperature to 375°F and bake for approximately 45 minutes longer or until pastry is golden brown and fruit is cooked.

Remove pie from oven and cool completely before slicing and serving.

Yield: One pie,  apx. 8 servings

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

If you have made this recipe and enjoyed it and/or wish to share it with your friends and family, please do so on social media but be sure to share the direct link to this posting from my website.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

Yield: 1 - 9" pie, apx. 8 servings

A lightly spiced double-crusted pie that combines two of summer's best flavours.

Ingredients

  • Pastry for 2-crust 9” pie
  • 3 cups rhubarb, cut into ½” pieces
  • 1½ cups fresh strawberries, sliced
  • 1¼ cups white sugar
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ginger
  • Pinch nutmeg
  • 1½ tsp grated orange rind
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 tbsp orange juice
  • 1 tbsp butter cut into pieces

Instructions

  1. Assemble ingredients. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Grease 9” pie plate. Roll out pastry and line pie plate, trimming pastry to fit.
  3. In small bowl, mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, spices, and grated orange rind.
  4. In separate bowl, beat egg with orange juice. Blend in dry ingredients. Add rhubarb and strawberries and stir gently to mix. Transfer filling to prepared pie crust. Dot with butter.
  5. Dampen edges of pie pastry with a finger dipped in water. Roll out remaining pastry for top crust. Place over filling and trim to fit. Crimp or press edges of pastry together with fork tines to seal. Cut slits in top of pastry and prick with fork tines in several places to allow steam to escape as the pie bakes.
  6. Circle edge of pie with a collar of tin foil to prevent over-browning. Remove this collar after 35 minutes of baking to allow edges to bake and brown.
  7. Place pie on rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake 15 minutes at 425°F then decrease temperature to 375°F and bake for approximately 45 minutes longer or until pastry is golden brown and fruit is cooked.
  8. Remove pie from oven and cool completely before slicing and serving.
  9. [Copyright My Island Bistro Kitchen]
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Homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Ice Cream

A Canada Day Picnic in St. Peter’s Bay, PEI

Picnic at St. Peter's Bay, PEI
Picnic at St. Peter’s Bay, PEI

One of our usual Canada Day traditions is to go on a red-themed picnic. This year, we headed East to the Greenwich National Park, not far from St. Peter’s Bay. I have been to this park several times before and am always awestruck by its natural beauty.  Before I share photos of our Canada Day picnic, I thought you might like to see photos of the beauty that is Greenwich.

Greenwich National Park, PEI
Greenwich National Park, PEI (Blue Heron in Foreground)

From the parking lot, the trek on the path through the fields and woods and out over the floating boardwalk to the magnificent beach and back is about 5 km. It’s mostly flat terrain (except for a very short jaunt through the woods) and, for the most part, easy walking.

Boardwalk at Greenwich National Park, PEI
Boardwalk at Greenwich National Park, PEI

The only hitch is that you have to share nature with the mosquitoes on the walk on the trail through the field and the woods to reach the boardwalk so, if you head to Greenwich, be sure to bring along some insect repellent to make the experience more enjoyable. Depending on the weather, some sunscreen is also advised.  It’s also a good idea to bring along some water to stay hydrated.

The pink sand dunes of Greenwich National Park, PEI
The pink sand dunes of Greenwich National Park, PEI

The photo you see above is a typical scene along the floating boardwalk at Greenwich National Park.  The pink sand dune in the background is all the work of Mother Nature. At the end of the boardwalk, you arrive at the magnificent beach shown in the photos below.

Entering the beach at Greenwich National Park, PEI
Entering the beach from the end of the floating boardwalk at Greenwich National Park, PEI

You won’t find a finer beach anywhere than this one at Greenwich. I always refer to it as the perfect, unblemished jewel amongst our system of national parks on the Island.

Beach at Greenwich National Park, PEI
Beach at Greenwich National Park, PEI

During lobster fishing season, and from the vantage of this beautiful beach, it’s not uncommon to see the fishing boats returning from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the nearby harbour with their catch of the day.

Fishing boat returning to port with the day's catch
Fishing boat returning to port with the day’s catch

Apart from the scenery, one of the wonderful aspects of Greenwich National Park is the variety of wildlife and birds. Some, like the Common Tern below, are quite willing to pose for photos!

The little Sandpiper below chose a lovely natural backdrop for its portrait!

Blue herons, common to PEI, are often seen in and around the waters between the sand dunes at Greenwich.

Blue Heron at Greenwich National Park, PEI
Blue Heron at Greenwich National Park, PEI

These are but a few of the many different kinds of birds often sighted at Greenwich so a leisurely walk on the boardwalk between the dunes offers a great opportunity for bird enthusiasts.

By the time we had finished our morning hike through Greenwich, we had worked up an appetite. I had packed a simple picnic lunch and made sure it was stowed in an insulated cooler with lots of ice packs because temperatures soared to 28°C on Wednesday. I use my traditional non-insulated picnic basket (shown in the photo below) to transport non-perishables.

On the way to Greenwich through St. Peter’s Bay, I had noticed a small park with picnic tables by the water. I thought, even though the lighting for photography may not have been the best, this would be a good spot for our picnic.

My picnic menu was not elaborate and was quick and easy to pull together. Ham sandwiches on oat bran bread were the main feature accompanied by salad on a stick with small individual containers of vinaigrette for dipping the vegetables.

Any combination of vegetables and cheese can be selected for threading on to the skewers. This is a simple way to serve salad ingredients and can be prepared before leaving home. It also cuts down on the number of containers of ingredients that need to be transported to the picnic site as well as dirty salad bowls to have to bring back home. I try to pack as minimally and efficiently as I can because I’m never certain how far I might be parked from the picnic table site.

I had just made a fresh batch of rhubarb cordial so that was our red beverage which I served in these cute little glass milk bottles along with red and white straws.

I brought along some fresh strawberries for a light dessert (are you seeing the red theme I have going on here!)

I had stopped at Jewel’s Country Market on my way East and picked up this gorgeous red geranium which made a great centerpiece, especially when decked with mini Canada flags. I had taken along one of my small potted herbs which could also be used as a centerpiece because I wasn’t certain I would be able to find a red geranium. Yes, even on a picnic, I like to see a nicely set table.  🙂

DSC_0198

I like small pots of herbs because I can use them in many ways and, while we do have a small in-ground herb garden, I also keep a number growing in pots over the summer. The benefit of having some herbs in pots is that they can be transported to wherever they are needed. I often use them as table centerpieces because, as well as being decorative, they can also be clipped and used to flavour food. In the case of our picnic, the basil was used to flavour the vinaigrette.

This was how we celebrated Canada Day 2015.  I hope you have enjoyed this brief photo tour of PEI’s Greenwich National Park, a unique natural treasure we Islanders are lucky to have in our midst.  If you live on PEI, or have the opportunity to visit the Island, I hope you will travel to Greenwich and experience its beauty for yourself.

To view previous postings of our Canada Day celebrations in years past, click on the following links:  2012, 2013, and 2014.

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