Spanish Tortilla

A Spanish tortilla is a delicious thick “cake” of fried potatoes, eggs and onions, which is similar to a frittata. After cooking, cut it into wedges to serve as a main course or cut it into squares to serve with toothpicks as hors d'oeuvres.

Smoked Salmon Pizza with Marinated Onion

Think of this as a great flatbread pizza. It makes a lovely brunch or light dinner. Or cut into squares and serve as appetizers. You could use hot smoked salmon or trout instead of cold smoked. A sprinkling of drained capers is a nice addition.

Quick Canadian Cheddar Quiche Cups

These crustless quiche cups bake up quickly for a great on-the-go breakfast for fast-paced mornings, but they also make an easy dinner with a quick tossed salad. For an interesting presentation, line muffin cups with cut squares of parchment paper instead of paper muffin cup liners.

Christmas Tartan Brownies

This playful take on our classic brownie formula creates a peppermint-flavoured square with a festive tartan-patterned top. Disposable piping bags are easy to use and don't require tedious washing; choose ones with narrow tips for thin, elegant lines. Leave one of these delicious treats by the chimney for Santa.

Sarah D's Nanaimo Bar Frozen Custard

Nanaimo Bars have always been my absolute favourite square, and from that I got the idea for this fabulous frozen dessert. A Bird's vanilla-custard batter with chocolate graham wafer, walnut, and coconut crumbled throughout, topped with your favourite chocolate sauce. The response every time someone tastes it?: "Wow! This tastes just like Nanaimo Bars!"

Sarah D's Nanaimo Bar Frozen Custard

Nanaimo Bars have always been my absolute favourite square, and from that I got the idea for this fabulous frozen dessert. A Bird's vanilla-custard batter with chocolate graham wafer, walnut, and coconut crumbled throughout, topped with your favourite chocolate sauce. The response every time someone tastes it?: "Wow! This tastes just like Nanaimo Bars!"

Peameal Bacon Sliders

A classic Canadian staple becomes an instant hit in bite-size form. Mini-buns are available in many grocery stores or on special order from some bakeries. Or cut a loaf of focaccia in half through its depth to make two layers, then cut into 1-1/2-inch (4 cm) squares.? Garnish these delightful little sandwiches with pickled onions and gherkins.

Candied Chilies

Cooking Thai peppers in simple syrup gives you a sweet and spicy flavour booster that can be added to savoury dishes as well as desserts. Try sprinkling some onto stir-fries or pizza, or using them to coat cheese balls. Or, for an unexpected kick, mix them into chocolate cake batter or a curd for lemon squares. Use the reserved syrup to spice up homemade cocktails.

Carrot Cake for a Crowd

We bulked up our favourite recipe to fill a 20-cup (5 L) metal cake pan, such as a 14- x 14- x 2-inch (35 x 35 x 5 cm) square or 15- x 11- x 2-inch (38 x 28 x 5 cm) rectangle. You can rent these from some cake-decorating stores, or buy one online at goldaskitchen.com. Or use two 13- x 9- x 2-inch (3.5 L) pans.

Mille Feuille with Double Salmon and Crème Fraîche