The results are in…The Great Tilia Bake Off was a wonderful success! The quality of the recipes entered were exceptional and it was so very tough to short list them. Thank you to everyone who entered, we really appreciate your enthusiasm and great recipes! Our judging panel were definitely challenged to narrow the field – they based their decisions on how creatively the contestants used their chosen Tilia ingredients; overall taste and appearance (including scent and texture); and how easy it would be for others to replicate the recipe at home. Once the short list was completed we left it up to our Ladies Night attendees to make the final choice for the winners and here are the dishes they chose.
The Finalists – Savoury category: Erica Stavinga, Yvonne Horne, and Ada May Wilson. Sweets category: Cassidy Blackmore, Beth Carpenter, and Jacki Blackmore Bistline. Childrens category: Madison Hanson, Isis Gidney, and Shailey Naylor.
Savoury Category
The competition was tight in this category and in the end we had a tie! The co-winners are Erica Stavinga and Yvonne Horne.
Runner up was Ada May Wilson.
Erica’s Winning Recipe – Pumpkin Pesto Quiche – featuring Tilia’s Italian Dip Mix
Ingredients:
3 cups dense meaty squash (Wloka’s Australian Blue)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp maple syrup
pinch cracked pepper
1 Tbsp Tilia’s Italian Dip Mix
1 9-inch deep pie crust
½ cup pesto
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
5 eggs
¼ cup half & half cream
1 tsp sea salt
Directions: Peel and cut the squash into half-inch cubes. Toss with the oil, maple syrup, pepper, and spice mix. Spread on a lined baking tray and bake at 400°F for 30 minutes.
Spread the pesto on the bottom of the pastry. Sprinkle ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese.
Mix together the eggs, salt and half & half in a bowl. Set aside.
After the squash is baked and slightly cooled, place in the bottom of the pastry on top of the pesto. Pour over the egg mixture. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake at 325°F for 25-30 minutes or until done.
Yvonne’s Winning Recipe – Creamy Cashew Dip – featuring Tilia’s Fire Cider and Chili-Liscious Spice Blend
(Vegan, Paleo, Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Ingredients:
2 cups raw cashews, soaked in just boiled water for at least an hour
1 cup plus 4 tablespoons plain boiled water
1 teaspoon dried mustard
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon of Chili-Liscious spice blend (from Tilia)
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
3 tablespoons Fire Cider (from Tilia)
2 teaspoons sea salt
6 tablespoons of salsa (check label to make sure it is gluten free)
Thinly sliced green onions to garnish
Directions: Soak raw cashews for at least an hour, or up to overnight. Drain, rinse cashews and add to blender along with boiled water, mustard, lime juice, Tilia’s Chili-Liscious powder, nutritional yeast, turmeric, Fire Cider and sea salt.
Blend on high for a minute or two until very smooth and creamy. If the mixture is too thick to blend, add more boiling water a little at a time until it blends smoothly, but is still quite thick.
Transfer to a bowl and stir in salsa. Taste and add more salt or fire cider if desired. Top with thinly sliced green onions and a little extra salsa and serve warm with chips or veggies for dipping. Will keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Can be thinned with more boiling water to make a sauce for gluten free noodles or cauliflower rice.
Ada May’s Runner up recipe – Rosemary Onion Focaccia (Bread Machine recipe) featuring Tilia’s Tuscan Spice Grinder and Taste of Tuscany Vinegar
Ingredients:
1 large Spanish onion, peeled and cut into slices. Cook in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool in pan. When cool, strain off cooking liquid pressing down on onion to release as much liquid as possible. Set onion and liquid aside.
Bread dough:
1 ¼ cup warm water
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp dried rosemary
2 tbsp. Tilia Tuscan Blend Spice Grinder
3 cups flour
½ cup corn meal
1 tbsp yeast
Directions: Place all bread dough ingredients in bread machine in order listed and program for dough.
At the end of the final knead, add strained onion (not liquid) and re-start the machine to knead onion in to dough. Dough will be roughly mixed and wet with onion in clumps. Turn out onto well floured board and knead briefly to form ball.
Oil baking sheet. Place dough on baking sheet and pat onto 12inch disc. Coat with onion juices. Cover and let stand till risen double (about an hour).
Preheat oven to 450F with rack in centre of oven. Before baking, make finger tip indentations in the dough. Drizzle with the reserved onion olive oil. Sprinkle with Tilia Tuscan Blend spice. Bake 10 minutes then reduce heat to 250 F and bake another 12 to 15 minutes.
Serve with a bowl of olive oil mixed with Tilia Taste of Tuscany infused vinegar.
Sweet Category
In this category we had many delicious recipes submitted and it was definitely hard to choose.
In the end it came down to a classic sweet treat with a Tilia twist and Cassidy Blackmore’s Choco-Orange Brownies won.
Runners up were Beth Carpenter, and Jacki Blackmore Bistline
Cassidy’s Choco-Orange Brownies – featuring Tilia’s Choco-Orange Spice Blend
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Butter softened
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups Sugar
1 cup Brown Sugar
4 Egg
1/8 teaspoon Tilia’s Organic Orange Extract
Orange juice and Zest from 1 medium orange
1 cup Cocoa Powder
1 Tbsp of Tilia’s Choco-Orange spice
1 1/2 cups Flour, all-purpose
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 cups Chocolate Chunks Chocolate Chips, or Chocolate Orange, chopped
Optional: Lindt Chocolate Orange Bar Squares for tops of brownies
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, olive oil, sugar, and brown sugar for 4 minutes until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Stir in orange extract, orange zest and mix. Stir in cocoa powder, Choco-Orange spice, all-purpose flour, and salt. Stir just until combined, scraping down sides of the bowl.
Stir in chocolate chunks, chocolate chips, or chocolate orange. Fold ingredients together. Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan and spread batter to edges. Bake for 26 – 34 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Don’t over bake brownies. They will set more as they cool. Let cool and set up for at least 20 minutes. Cut into squares.
Runner up Jacki’s Mocha Spice Eggnog Fog Cake – featuring Tilia’s Mocha Spice Tea
Directions: Infuse 1 cup eggnog with 1 tbsp of Tilia’s Mocha Spice tea.
Cream 3/4 cup room temperature butter with 1 cup sugar. Add 3 eggs, 1 at a time, mixing each time until combined. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract.
In separate bowl combine 2 1/3 cup flour, 2 tbsp baking powder, pinch of salt, and 2 tbsp finely ground Tilia’s Mocha Spice loose tea blend.
Add the infused eggnog and dry ingredients to wet ingredients in the mixer, alternating the two. Mix until just combined. Pour into lined cupcake tin. Bake at 350 degrees F for approx. 20 minutes. (This can be done as a cake – just grease a 9 inch pan and bake 30 minutes.)
For Eggnog Whip cream topping, combine 1 cup eggnog and 2 cups 36% (or higher) heavy whipping cream. Whip to stiff peaks. Fold in 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp cinnamon. Frost cooled cupcakes, sprinkle with additional cinnamon.
Runner Up Beth’s Gluten Free Earl Grey Tea Cookies featuring Tilia’s Earl Grey Tea
Ingredients:
1 cup gluten-free oat flour (homemade or store bought)
1 1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill Paleo flour blend
1/8 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, melty softened
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup Tilia's Earl Grey tea ‘concentrate’ – steep 1 Tbsp tea in 1/3 c. hot water for 1 hr.
1 Tbsp. Tilia's Earl Grey tea pulsed fine in mini chopper
1 Tbsp. fine orange zest
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine dry ingredients in medium size mixing bowl. Add salt, chopped tea and orange zest. Mix well with whisk
Combine melted coconut oil, maple syrup and steeped tea and blend with whisk.
Pour wet ingredients into flour mix and stir with large spoon to blend together into soft dough. Mix well and notice it stiffens a bit as you stir. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, covered.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or grease pans if you don’t have parchment). Use a 1 tsp. Or 1 Tbsp. size round measuring spoon to scoop dough into small mounds on parchment paper, spacing 1 1/2- 2” apart. Roll dough into small balls and press with thumb to make indent for icing glaze. Or just press gently with a small fork to flatten. These cookies do not spread much.
Icing Glaze:
1 Tbsp. finely cut Orange zest
4 Tbsp. icing sugar
1-2 tsp. water or Earl Grey tea to make thick drizzle consistency.
Decorate cookies as desired with glaze.
Children’s Category – Creston has some amazing young bakers and we definitely found it challenging to short list here. In the end the vote went to 9 year old Madison Hansen for her yummy Chai Cinnamon Buns. Runners up were Isis Gidney and Shailey Naylor.
Madison’s Winning Chai Cinnamon Buns – featuring Tilia’s Chai Tea
1 ¼ cup + 2 TBSP Milk simmered with Tilia’s Chai Tea. Remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain and add 2 TBSP butter to melt in milk, then add to bread machine. Add 3 1/3 cup flour, 2 heaping TBSP sugar, 1 tsp salt, & 2 tsp active dry yeast. Then start Machine on dough cycle.
When dough is done remove and roll out dough. Butter dough and sprinkle with brown sugar & cinnamon covering dough. Roll dough and slice cinnamon buns, place in baking dish that has melted butter brown sugar and cinnamon. Let rise for 30 minutes. When buns are all in dish drizzle cream on top and place in oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
Runner up Isis’s Banana Spice Cookies – featuring Tilia’s Sweetie Pie Spice Blend
Stir 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda and 1 pinch salt together. Add 1 Tbsp Tilia’s Sweetie Pie Spice Blend. In a separate bowl cream 1 cup brown sugar with 1 cup butter. Add ¼ cup maple syrup. Mash 1 banana and add to butter mixture. Mix all together. Bake at cookies at 350°F for 20 minutes.
Runner up Shailey’s Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies
– featuring Tilia’s Chai Spice Blend
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter or oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg (or chia egg)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 heaping cup grated zucchini
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Tilia's Chai Spice
1 cup flour (gluten free blend works as well)
2 cups oats
3/4 cup chocolate chips
Directions: Mix first 5 ingredients well. Add the rest of the ingredients, shape and place on greased baking tray. Bake on 350 for 8-10 minutes.
Again, we are so impressed by all of the amazing recipes we received and wish we could have featured them all. We want to congratulate the winners of the final vote on our Ladies' Night. We'll be seeing you again at our Culinary Extravaganza!
Comments