Winner - Best Coverage of the Arts

Jan DeGrass was honoured for Best Coverage of the Arts from among hundreds of community newspapers across Canada. She is a winner, third place, in the Canadian Community Newspapers Association's "Better Newspapers" 2008 competition. The winning entry included a three-part feature series entitled All About the Coin, originally published in the Coast Reporter in November and December 2007. The first section can be read on this website under "Articles."

On to more culinary things: the power of silicone. Ever since silicone muffin and cake pans became available for use in the kitchen I’ve wanted one because I knew it would solve a problem with the squares—loosening the sticky ones from the pan. Well, it works. Below is the recipe for my Toffee Slices (page 117 in Take Potluck!). These had one fatal flaw—they were difficult to cut and remove from a glass pan without making a sticky mess. With a square silicone cake pan, you give it a twist and out they slide on to the counter to be sliced any way you wish (preferably bite-size, as they are rich and sweet).

On a diet? A bonus with the recipe described below is that I used less sugar by trying out Splenda’s brown sugar combo blend, and less fat by using the lighter, sweetened condensed milk. They tasted just as good.

Toffee Slices
Base: ½ cup brown sugar (or Splenda’s brown sugar)
½ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups all purpose flour

Topping:
1 (300 ml) can sweetened condensed milk (lighter version works well)
½ cup butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
Chocolate drizzle (optional)
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces


Using mixer (or vigorously hand beating,) beat sugar and butter together until fluffy. Gradually beat in flour until well combined. Press mixture over base of 8-inch (2 litre) square baking pan (silicone, this time). Bake in 325 degree oven 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

While this is baking, mix condensed milk, butter, corn syrup together. Cook, stirring, over medium low heat five minutes or until bubbly. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Pour toffee over baked base. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden. (Optional chocolate: Melt chocolate until smooth. Drizzle over filling. Chill.)

Let the pan of squares cool. Give the pan a twist, maybe loosen with a silicon spatula, and pop the squares out right side up. Slice away.