Sips, Sweets & Snacks

I’m not found in malls all that often, but whenever I am you can be sure I’ll leave with at least a handful of chocolate covered strawberries. Honestly, good chocolate dipped strawberries are strangely hard to find, and even in the depths of shopping mall chocolate boutiques they can be difficult to come by (you should see my face when Godiva is sold out). It recently dawned on me that instead of pushing my way through the crowds at the Eaton Centre I could just try making my own, and what better time than Valentine’s Day right?

Simple to make, crazy delicious, and oh so slightly floral, this recipe definitely rivals any other chocolate covered strawberry I’ve tried- plus, it’s vegan! Wrap up a batch to give to each of your Galentines February 14th, or enjoy an entire box to yourself with a bottle of champagne and The Notebook (we promise we won’t judge.)

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Ingredients //

Vegan chocolate chips
Coconut Oil
Rosewater (ideally with oil listed as an ingredient)
Fresh strawberries
Sprinkles of your choosing

Recipe //

Prep by making sure your strawberries are as cold as possible, and pre-freeze a baking sheet or plate to rest them on once dipped. 

1. Melt your chocolate and coconut oil together in double boiler using the ratio 3/4 cup chocolate chips to 1TBSP coconut oil.

2. Once the chocolate and coconut oil are fully melted, add a drop or two of rosewater and stir.

3. Start dipping the strawberries into the chocolate, twirling them slightly before setting them down on your pre-chilled surface (ideally a plate or marble platter)

4. Sprinkle each strawberry with, well, sprinkles!

5. Pop the strawberries in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to let the chocolate set before moving to the fridge.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy for up to 3 days, or gift to your galentines!

Party Supplies via Meri Meri

Sips, Sweets & Snacks

Summer is the perfect time to experiment with classic cold drinks, and nothing is more classic than a refreshing cold brew coffee. We’ve been loving the iced coffee trend this summer, especially the beautifully designed bottles some of our favourite local coffee shops have been coming out with, but as per usual we wanted to put our own pretty spin on the idea.

Enter floral ice cubes, an obsession Paige and I have both had for ages but hadn’t yet had the chance to try. We reached out to Floralora, a local grower and florist who specializes in edible blooms, and she delivered us an incredibly fragrant bunch of seasonal flowers to experiment with. All we had to do was place them in the ice cube tray, carefully add water, and freeze for a few hours. The results? Frozen blocks of fresh flowers that melt to release pink petals and a subtle rosy flavour to any beverage you choose!

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In the end, we decided these frozen works of art would pair perfectly with a souped-up iced coffee concoction. Using coconut milk, a simple vanilla syrup recipe we created ourselves, and a hint of lavender water (a kitchen essential, we assure you), we dreamt up a creamy dreamy floral ice coffee that’s perfectly suited for sunny patio mornings and hazy summer nights.

Recipe //

A bottle of cold brewed coffee
1 cup coconut milk
4 tablespoons vanilla syrup (or to taste- recipe here!)
A drop or two of lavender water
Floral ice cubes

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Directions //

Pour the iced coffee into two glasses (each one about half full).

Add coconut milk to each glass until they’re almost full

Stir in vanilla syrup (to taste) and a drop or two of lavender water.

Finish with colourful floral ice cubes, and serve immediately!

Sips, Sweets & Snacks

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Is there anything sweeter than fresh squeezed lemonade once the Spring sunshine starts up? Well, yes, I think there is actually: there’s floral lemonade!

This may be both the most simple and most delicious thing I have ever made. I’ve been known to covet anything that tastes even remotely like flowers, and this petal-packed lemonade certainly fits the bill. Though some of the ingredients can be hard to find (rose water and violet syrup can be found at The Spice Trader or BYOB if you live in Toronto), the juice is most definitely worth the squeeze (no pun intended!)

I’ve been really anxious for spring flowers and sunshine lately (the urge to move to California grows stronger with each passing day), but sitting by the window with a glass of this petal-packed lemonade was almost enough to ward off my Spring daydreams, at least for a few hours. You can always add a bit of gin or vodka too if you’re craving a slightly stronger pick me up!

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Ingredients

– 2 lemons
– 1/2 cup cane sugar
– 1/2 cup filtered water (plus more to fill the juice jug)
– 1 tbsp violet syrup
– 1 tsp rose water
– 1 tsp grenadine
– Candied violets (optional, for garnish)

Method

Melt the cane sugar into the filtered water on the stove until it is all dissolved, then set it aside to cool. Juice the lemons (by hand or with a juicer) into your juice jug, careful to strain out any seeds, and then add the 3 syrups. I like things super sweet, but if you don’t, add the violet syrup, rose water and grenadine to taste. Add the water and sugar mixture once it’s cooled, and then add filtered water (or sparkling water) until the jug is full.

Mix everything up a bit with a wooden spoon or stir stick, and serve! I added a candied violet to each glass I poured and the purple candy melted away to give the drink an incredible ombre effect! I highly recommend this special touch if you can get your hands on candied violets (I got mine in France at Ladurée and I am very careful about when I use them because I’m so scared to run out!)

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Photography by Brianne Burnell