I first made these cookies on a dreary, rainy day and I swear they brightened up the atmosphere in our house very quickly. They combine all of my favourite elements of a trip to a carnival – buttery popcorn, toffee and colourful candies – without a side helping of creepy clowns. Who’s with me on the creepy clown thing? Anyway, they’re delicious and super fun to make; they’d be a great baking project to enjoy with little ones.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Pop the corn on the stove in a medium saucepan – do this by heating oil in the pan over medium heat for a minute then adding kernels. Put the lid on the pot but keep it slightly ajar so the steam can escape. Lift the pan off the heat every 10 seconds and gently shake it. As soon as the popping has almost stopped, remove the pan from the heat.
Pour the popped corn into a bowl and sprinkle skor bits over top then drizzle with melted butter. Use two forks to toss evenly. Comb through the bowl and discard any kernels which have not popped. Set aside and make dough.
Cream together butter and sugars (use an electric or stand mixer if you have one) for 2 – 3 minutes until the mixture is fluffy, then add egg and vanilla and beat until well blended (about a minute). Add flour, baking soda, and salt and beat on low until just combined.
With a rubber spatula, fold in the popped popcorn, which will disintegrate a little as you work it into the dough. Sprinkle m and m’s over top and fold in.
Portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets into mounds approximately 1 inch in size, using a cookie scoop or two teaspoons, spacing two inches apart. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with coarse sea salt.
Bake for 8 - 9 minutes or until the edges and tops are just beginning to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and wait 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Makes 3 dozen cookies.
I think it’s time we Canadians step up to the plate at home. Don’t get me wrong — I’ve always been amazed by the positive reception most Canadians enjoy when travelling the world and I’m ever so proud of our well-deserved reputation as international peacekeepers. I loved the way we opened our borders and our hearts to welcome 25,000 Syrian refugees. Despite all this, I’m thinking it’s time for us to pick up our socks and maybe follow France’s lead.
There are a few reasons I’m eager to put France on a pedestal these days. Earlier this year, it became the first country in the world to legally ban supermarkets from throwing away unsold food; stores must now donate it to food banks and other charities, facing stiff fines and possible jail time for failure to comply. It’s one approach to helping the poor and especially those dealing with homelessness, which is an even greater problem in large European cities than it is in Canada.
In other good news, a Paris-based organization is spearheading a very cool initiative which has citizens and shops in the 11th arrondissement supporting the homeless in an innovative way. The ‘Le Carillon Project’ has partnered with about 70 small businesses in the area to distribute stickers indicating their support of needy Parisians.
“Each sticker features an icon representing a free service, from a hot meal or glass of water to a haircut or restroom access. At the local market Les poireaux de Marguerite, homeless residents can reheat a dish or make an emergency phone call. And at the tea room/coffee shop Chez toi ou chez moi, they can charge cell phones, use a first aid kit, or send mail for free.”
The stickers are referred to as 'solidarity labels’ intended to express kindness and create a stronger sense of community for the homeless. Whether they need a hot meal, a haircut or even just a sympathetic listener, the stickers show them where to go for compassionate help. By offering both dignity and useful services to the poor, merchants contribute to the improvement of their living conditions and send a strong message about the kind of neighbourhood they'd like to be a part of. Wouldn't it be easy to teach your children about compassion by supporting the work of these merchants, and pointing out the stickers as you shop?
The burden is not borne solely by the businesses. Visitors, regular customers and neighbourhood residents support the Carillon project by making small financial contributions which are used to provide food and other services to those in need. Merchants also offer challenges, such as for ever 15 Euros spent in their restaurant, they'll donate a voucher for one sandwich or two hot beverages, for example.This kind of socially-conscious ‘pay it forward’ system gained a lot of traction a few years ago after it was founded in Naples as a ‘suspended coffee’ system (buy two coffees; consume one and leave the second for someone in need to request later).
In my own neighbourhood in Ottawa, Bread by Us Bakery has a subtle, effective chalkboard system to let those in need know which products (loaves, pastries, coffees and more) have been pre-purchased for them to collect without shame or stigmatization. Any unclaimed ‘suspended’ products are donated to the local food bank, the Parkdale Food Centre. I'd love to see more businesses - hello, Tim Horton's, McDonald's and others! - offer this kind of system.
Le Carillon founder Louis-Xavier Leca must have known that his sticker initiative – which says is designed to create a new social dynamic – would hit the right note. He’s been contacted by more than 100 other communities and cities in France who are eager to join the movement, and expansion plans are afoot, possibly including Belgium and London. Eventually he’d like to extend Le Carillon’s reach to North America.
Le Carillon strikes me as a system that would be easy for all of us to embrace as the open-minded country we profess to be. What do you think? Would you support a project like Le Carillon in your community?
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I first tasted these delicious treats – an amped up version of the classic campfire favourite – at a weekend cottage party many years ago. Rich, gooey and decadently delicious, I probably would have told you back then that they go really well with rum punch, but now I’m more inclined to reach for a glass of ice-cold milk (or maybe a cold-brewed coffee) to enjoy with this yummy bar. I love that unlike many cookie, bar or square recipes that call for white flour, these beauties are made with graham crackers which have more fibre and protein plus you can use the low-fat crackers without compromising taste. I also chose to replace the sweetened condensed milk, making this updated version much less sweet than the original one I remember enjoying; using dark chocolate chips helps to cut the sweetness as well. If you’re feeding them to grownups, I highly recommend adding bourbon to the butter mixture; otherwise stick with vanilla extract. Be sure the squares are thoroughly chilled before you cut them so they don’t fall apart (although they’ll still be delicious even if they do). I'm planning to make these for every bake sale from now until the end of time, and I'm pretty sure I'll be a hero for it.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper or tin foil, allowing the liner to hang over the edges of the pan by an inch or so.
Put the butter, brown sugar, milk and bourbon or vanilla in a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, warm the mixture, stirring often. As soon as it is beginning to bubble and the butter has melted, remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the graham crumbs to make a thick batter-like mixture. Set aside.
Fill the bottom of the prepared pan with a layer of graham crackers, cutting them with a very sharp knife as needed to fill the space.
Spread one-third of the graham crumb mixture in a thin layer over the cracker layer (don’t worry if it’s not completely smooth or even).
Sprinkle half the marshmallows (1 1/2 cups) over the graham crumb mixture, followed by half the chocolate chips (3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp).
Top this with another thin layer of one-third of the graham crumb mixture, followed by another layer of graham crackers.
Finish by sprinkling remaining marshmallows and chocolate chips over the top.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the marshmallows are nicely browned on top.
Let the pan of s’mores bars cool for one hour on a wire rack, then transfer to the fridge to cool completely (about 3 – 4 hours) before lifting them out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper or foil then using a big knife to cut into 1 inch x 2 inch bars. You may find it helpful to clean your knife periodically during the cutting process.
Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to three days, refrigerate for a week or freeze for longer storage.
Makes 32 bars.
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