Itâs the start of a the most wonderful time of the year, and if you ask us, that includes the beginning of the best baking (and best overall) season of the year! As the sweaters, pumpkin spice goodies, scarves, pumpkins, orchards, turkeys, and all other things we love so dearly, resurface once again, we Canadians mark the start with the perfect holiday, Thanksgiving. So with our favourite season in full swing, we thought we would share some of our best suggestions for celebrating Thanksgiving right :)
Itâs just not Thanksgiving without the right atmosphere to it! From everything you see, to the smells in your house, all the way down to the woolen garments it's time to put on. We recommend starting to prepare for the season with a selection of squashes and gourds, to adorn our front door. And donât be afraid to go a little bit down the halloween road, since the day to look forward to is right round the corner. So grab your sweaters and scarves from their summer retreat at the back of your closet, go roll around in some leaves and pick some apples, light your Pumpkin Spice candles and get your lattes, cause Fall is coming, and you better be ready :)
Pumpkins and squashes all make wonderful decor for your front door, but if you let them into the kitchen they can do so much more! Whether you like them sweet or savoury, thereâs a million and one ways to prepare pumpkins, and thatâs why we love them. They obviously have to make their way onto your Thanksgiving table, and be prepared to assist the turkey, however, donât forget that they can be baked into the most wonderful recipes as well. If youâre up for some pumpkin cookies to ensure the most perfect day, we would suggest looking no further than to our White Chocolate Pumpkin Snickerdoodles!
With just the slightest hint of pumpkin to elevate the snickerdoodles, youâll be loving these all the way to Christmas!...and then ordering some more :) Officially, our favourite cookie of the season, these beauties will wow even the harshest critics, and impress the pickiest eaters. And we should add, they might just be the perfect sidekick to your Pumpkin Spice Latte!
Weâve said it before and weâve said it again, you just cannot have Thanksgiving without the pie! Which pie you choose is at the end of the day completely up to you, but the in season choices tend to be apple and pumpkin. And with all our pumpkins going into our Snickerdoodles, it only makes sense that apples are the obvious choice. Not only is this a quintessentially delicious fall dessert, but wow, isnât is just absolutely beautiful when done right? And since we want to make sure it is definitely done right, weâve designed the kit in a foolproof way, and this has got to be the simplest to make apple pie on earth! Meet our Easy as Galette Apple Pie (because most pies are just too difficult to make!)
So grab your a friend or your partner in fall and a warm sweater, and head to the nearest autumnal coloured forest, cause. Fall. Is. So. On!
XOXO
Ani & Fabi
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FIRST, we want to recognize and thank all those who have made this journey possible for us. From the family and friends who supported us, to the mentors who guided us through our difficulties and gave us advice when we needed it most. The business assistance organizations who assisted us both financially and through advice, and the wonderful community of Windsor-Essex, both the organizations and individuals, who welcomed us and were so amazing to work alongside and with. And lastly, to our amazing Ani & Fabi Bakers, we literally would not be in business today without you. Thank you to everyone, and we look forward to many more years of working together and serving our Ani & Fabi Bakers!!
Throughout our Anniversary month we have ran a couple promotions to show our love for our Ai & Fabi Bakers but we have been saving the best for now! For our anniversary weekend only, we are giving $50 Off your first 2 months with the code SWEET1ST. For those looking to subscribe, hurry, as this offer end this Sunday September 16th!!!
To celebrate our anniversary, we designed a set of kits for October that were truly celebratory! As we launched to close to Thanksgiving last year to make a truly dedicated box for our favourite baking holiday of the year, we decided that this year we would go all out. This led us to design these two kits, which we are absolutely in love with, and we know you will enjoy every bit of!
First, Our EASY AS GALETTE APPLE PIE
I think as Canadians we can all agree that it simply not fall and most certainly not Thanksgiving, without the undeniable presence of Apple Pie. With that in mind we set off to design the quintessential pie, that would wow any Ani & Fabi Baker. This of course meant going a bit off script and into designs that would be as delicious and beautiful as they are easy. Although, this is usually where the pie dish comes out and a very complex process starts...we decided to edit the old adage of âeasy as pieâ and really make it that easy! Not only will the baking process be much more enjoyable, but we personally think itâs more delicious, and the rustic flare makes for a true Thanksgiving beauty!
Second, Our FANCY CHOCOLATE PECAN COOKIES
As a side-kick to our galette pie, we needed something which would contrast the flavours, while holding close to the cooling autumn atmosphere. With the idea of keeping you warm in mind, we went with a dessert which would be chocolate galore, and a topping like pecans, to keep the autumn theme strong. And after theyâre out of the oven is our favourite part, as we especially like the fun of decorating these beauts :) Once theyâre all made, we think that they make a wonderful treat for while you wait for the Turkey to cook, or as a take to school treat for the week after, to keep the fun going a little bit longer!
Our GLAZED APPLE PECAN BUNDT CAKE & WHITE CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN SNICKERDOODLES
September being the month of our anniversary, we designed baking kits for the month which would scream celebration :) As our take on the perfect birthday cake for our autumny birthday, we went with a Bundt Cake of Apple and Pecan. Itâs a wonderful looking dessert, and we love how it rings true to the season weâre in!
To go along with it, we design a kit that seemed like a no brainer. In the month of pumpkin spice, our recipe clearly had to reflect the pumpkin of fall along with all the spices to make it wonderful. Our White Chocolate Pumpkin Snickerdoodles make for the perfect September treat, and theyâre even so easy to send with your kidâs lunch to school :)
Now, before we go, we just need to say thank you once more, and a reminder for those still waiting to subscribe. Make sure to join before the best deal of our first year is gone!
XOXO
Ani & Fabi
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Photo by: Sarah Pflug
Starting from how you decorate your homeâs facade. Proudly show your Canadian pride, and say a âHappy Birthdayâ by flying a Canadian flag in front of your house. The first steps to throwing a party are decoration, right? So this sounds like a great place to start. There are a couple rules to consider to make sure itâs done with dignity, but it shouldnât be too hard :)
Now that we have the basics down, letâs move beyond the front door...there are so decoration options here! Whether youâre going for flowers or streamers, candles or literally anything else, just keep in mind that red and white are the seasonâs colours. Wherever you go in your home just make sure it screams Canada at the top of its lungs.
Now we come to the part where it really counts, and if the calender says July 1, you betcha that everything on that table better scream Canada! With a Caesar and Molson Canadian in hand(s) (today we double fist) itâs time to celebrate like a real Canadian! We think itâs only appropriate that the table is flowing with maple syrup, stocked up on ketchup chips, and at the center of it, a load of poutine! Donât forget the trimmings of Tim Hortons and Beavertails :)
Once we have the whole meal, all that remains is a crowd please, home-baked dessert! And what sounds better than Maple Shortbread and Red Velvet Blondies, eh? Lucky for you, all the baking skills come prepackaged in the kit well, so in classic Canadian style, we got you!
Photo by: Samantha Hurley
If youâve got this far, this is where it gets real easy! With Canada, you donât even need to find activities to celebrate, they come included with your stay here. No doubt the simplest options manifest themselves in the beautiful nature found just outside our doors...and donât forget to wish the moose a Happy Canada Day when you see her :) Â Weâre definitely planning to do some local exploring ourselves! Weâre excited that Point Pelee has finally defrosted and we canât say no to a wine tour too! If you wanna see what else we may be thinking, you can probably find it here!Â
Now if youâre looking for an even more relaxing time, then grabbing a beer with friends, and maybe some backyard games, eh? Sure sounds like a real Canadian time to us! And make sure you donât miss the fireworks too, your city is bound to have some, for those of you in Windsor Essex with us, June 25th is the day. Weâll see you there Canada!
Dads are such important figures in our lives, but often go on unnoticed, so with fathers day approaching letâs show them how much we love them by planning a special day! To help you with your prep, Ani & Fabi created two (one and two) special kits, the perfect baking box for any dad!
If youâre already a parent yourself, you will know that a well planned day is the best gift that any dad would ask for, and hopefully that day can be one you share with him.
The simplest experience can mean the most as it allows some time for your dad to kick back and enjoy the peaceful Sunday afternoon in the company of him kids. Whether youâre going to a park, or doing some golfing, fishing or hiking, you can bet that your dad will enjoy the time spent with you!Â
If youâre looking to kick it up a notch, be sure to include some food in your day. Dads love a good picnic in a nearby park, or a family BBQ in the backyard so be sure to get some steaks or ribs and some beer, and youâve got your dad the perfect day!Â
At this point all you need to throw in is some dessert, and weâve got just what you need! Our special baking kits are perfect for the season, and your dad will have a great time with you baking - our kits are very dad friendly, all he will need to do is mix, bake, and eat! :)
Now, it may not always be possible to spend the day with your dad if your far away or heâs busy, but fret not, the answer may be in the perfect gift!
Give the perfect gift! Whether itâs a book, some bourbon, or other dad-ly item, make sure itâs a unique present thatâs perfect for him!
Send the gift you know he will enjoy and that is perfectly unique! Thereâs no doubt he will have a wonderful time baking up a storm with this Nutella Banana Bread Baking Kit & our Snickers Peanut M&M Chocolate Chip Cookie Kit! Better yet he can get both in our dad baking box set!
Wherever your dad is on this day, make sure that you make him feel appreciated and loved! Happy Fathers Day :)
XOXOWe are proud to say that we have developed our very first vegan baking kit! We are really excited that we will now be able to serve the vegan market, and bring the joy Ani & Fabi baking kits to more people than ever!
Before we go any further, we want to present our inspiration behind this new initiative, Cierra Bray, better known as SustainableCGal! She is a local Windsor entrepreneurship advocate, community catalyst, sustainable voyageur and herbivore. And we should definitely add, the mastermind behind YQGTalk :)
Our interest in this segment originated from a conversation we had with Cierra about creating vegan kits, and cumulated in a box begin created to as a partnership to help Cierra go to the G20 Summit in Argentina this Fall! To learn more about the great cause, please visit Cierraâs trip page, and for more information on the summit please read on here!
NowâŚback to our vegan cookies?
We have to say we had a lot of fun developing these, and in the end we were really happy with our result. We even would go as far to say, that for two not so vegan people, we could not tell that these cookies are really vegan! If you donât believe us be sure to try for yourself :) The cookies are a double chocolate chip creation and we theyâre absolutely delicious! They are also our very first baking kit which does not require the addition of any external ingredients, as there are no eggs or butterâŚall you need is included! For more information on them, and so you can get your very own package, you can find them right here!
We are certain that these cookies are just the start of our vegan adventures and we are already planning to add more vegan baking kits! So if youâre looking to have any dessert made into an all ready vegan baking kit, we are opening ourselves to suggestions. Just email a dessert that you would like to see vegan at baking@aniandfabi.com with the subject line âAni & Fabi Goes Veganâ and we will try our best to create something you love, though no promises just yet, as we are kinda new to this great new world :)
While the rest of the Northern Hemisphere has been celebrating spring for some time now, weâre glad time finally came for Canada to join the party! With the winter lasting quite literally a year, everyone has been super excited to breathe in the spring air, now that the temperature has gone up and the snow subsided...and we feel the same!
For this shorter than usual springtime, we have a list of things we want to do. Hopefully weâll inspire you with as well so you can create your very own Spring adventure list too! Â
The trees are turning green, the flowers beginning to blossom, what better than to take it all in? Parks are perfect, or even your backyard would do! Weâre sure you can find a beautiful spot to stop and enjoy the sunshine and perfume of spring.
An outdoor picnic is such a great opportunity to bond with family and friends. Everyone comes together to not only share food, but also a valuable time together. Just by thinking about how relaxing that is, makes us want to take our foldable blanket and rush out!
Our baking kits also need to adapt to spring! We are working on some colourful and springy desserts, and canât wait to bring the freshness to your kitchen! So, when you take on out spring baking kits, youâll get all the colours and aromas you should be expecting! And now you have something to bring to your picnic!
No need to plan too much, just pack some snacks, put on some cool sunglasses and drive! There are so many wonderful places near, that you can easily spend time away, but close by. If you want to see lavender beds and inhale the aromas, Serenity Lavender Farm is the place to be. The calming, charming experience we had there was incredible and we canât wait to go back! Annaâs Flowers is another place where we can spend an afternoon. Not only do they have so many impressive events, but their store alone is magical!
Our family uses so many herbs for cooking, so last year for Motherâs Day we built a herb garden from scratch! The garden worked so well, that we have been waiting for spring to come so we could plant more this year! Itâs finally time and we know those herbs are going to help us with all our culinary creations this year!
Time to release all the colorful outfits that have been sleeping in storage all winter! Maybe donate some of the clothes that you have not worn for a long time and make room for new shopping treasures? And once your done, donât forget to let some spring air into your home, the fresh smell will liven up everything!
Bring your reusable shopping bag and letâs shop for some color! There are so many fresh fruits and vegetables to use in a spring cuisine! Looking for some yummy dinner ideas? The Farmerâs market will always have everything you could want!Â
With the weather being so nice, itâs time to bring out your bonnets and throw a garden tea party! Get all elegant, invite your friends over, enjoy a wonderful and classy afternoon. And with your tea you donât even have to look far to find some high-tea desserts, theyâre all right here! Wow your friends with some Earl Grey Cupcakes, Almond Raspberry Shortbreads, or even some wonderful Gluten-free Linzer Cookies!
And don't forget to share your spring moments with us, because after such a long winter, theyâre sure to be wonderful and very much needed!Â
Along with 90+ other exhibitors, !
Itâs going to be a very exciting event and we donât want you to miss it! There are all kinds of interactive activities waiting for you! Legend has it that the day is part parenting expo, part shopping mall and part spa so itâs definitely going to be super fun!
We should also mention that there will be food samples at the Expo as well, and in fact, Ani & Fabi will providing samples too. So not only will we be displaying how Instagram-able our baking kits really are, be we also want you to be able to taste how delicious they are as well!
Along with all these wonderful bonuses, there will able be a demo stage where during the course of the day you will be able to see some companies presenting their products and services. And weâre really excited to announce the Ani & Fabi will be presenting our fun baking experience as well and we hope youâll be just as excited to watch us! Our demo is at 10:30am, so make sure you are there if you donât want to miss it, and we look forward to hearing all your cheers from the crowd :)
Also, donât forget to bring your kids to the Expo, because kids up to 16 get in for free! Why not spend a wonderful fun Sunday with the little ones?
For those of you coming to see us, not only will you get to know about some of our customers favorites, but also you can get to find out about are upcoming kits to get for Motherâs Day! We ensure you that your mother will LOVE to spend time baking with you and appreciate this special gift!
We will also have some exclusive MAMA EXPO PROMOTIONSÂ going on at the Expo. Please make sure you stop by and enter our draw for a chance to win a subscription box! Also, with every 6 months or longer subscription that you sign up for, you will get a month for FREE ($55+ value)!
We are looking forward to seeing you there!
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SEE YOU THERE!!!
]]>As many of you may already have heard, the latest Netflix hit series is the reality baking show, Nailed It! In fact, we heard so much about it that we decided it was time for us to see it for ourselves. Plus, by being about baking, it practically counts as work for us :) So what is this show about?
Nailed It! invites amateur bakers who are VERY PASSIONATE about baking, but have, how do I say this politely, a lack of skill to support that passion. The bakers compete to recreate quite complicated and professional pastry chef designed masterpieces, in an attempt to win a $10,000 cash prizeâŚand a Nailed It! trophy. Overall, the show is hilarious to watch, though as expected not much of a skill lesson, however, as bakers there is something to be learned and we wanted to share that with you!
Who knew? Well probably most people, considering the popularity of memes, but still must be quite a meme to become a Netflix series! But as bakers we can definitely appreciate this, as the delicious and pretty desserts, are usually anything but simple to make. Thereâs much more work and science that goes into it than most people realize from a Pinterest picture. Thatâs why we focus on bridging the gap between Pinterest and the hobby baker
In the show, the bakers seem to always be measuring their ingredients inaccurately, and even worse using ingredients which are similar to but different from what they ought to be using. Seeing this, reinforces to us the need we are serving as a company. We love being in the business of making your life more convenient and simple, as we understand how important measurements are to the perfect result!
So, baking recipes are actually meant to be followed quite closely, and creativity is probably best saved for the decorating itself. There have been participants who tried to completely freestyle the dessert and, that definitely showed up in their slightly inedible, resulting dessert. Others just did some steps out of order, and even that had an unfavorable impact! So, we recommend following recipes, and in fact we believe that so much that at Ani & Fabi, we design them so that anyone can follow the steps without much effortâŚjust so itâs a bit easier for you :)
We really enjoy watching the competition, even though as we quickly realized, the bar isnât quite as high as something like MasterChef. It remains fun to watch as contestants try to create something awesome, even though they donât quite get there, itâs the intent that matters, right? But, it seems the fun isnât limited to those viewing, the contestants appear to be having a great time as well for the most part, and the failing doesnât change that. It all comes down to enjoying the process, and the end goal will automatically look better. Ani & Fabi is all for the pure joy of baking, thatâs why we love the idea so much!
All in all, we really love the show and canât wait for another season! Itâs not quite a MasterChef as far are intensity and skill, but it makes up for it in the fun for sure. As you can see there is also a lot to be learned from the participants, although if youâre looking for baking tips we suggest taking notes on what Chef Torres says, and his pastry tips can really go a long way!
Whatever you do, just have to take that first step and donât be afraid of failing at first, just as long as you donât give up and have a whole lot of funâŚwe know you can Nail It! And if youâre looking to bake with some help, we recommend shopping the Ani & Fabi pantry or signing up for a subscription, we really do make the process simple and more convenient, while making it a whole lot more fun :)
XOXO
Ani & Fabi
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However you proceed here, it is bound to be the right choice! Adding a citrus spark to any dessert is sure to make it a lot more interesting, and not to mention, a great way to offset the sweetness with some fun tartiness. And in this category we can actually help you, with a couple baking kits that will deliver everything you need right to your door, with all the flavour, colour and fun ready to go! (We know, that makes this a whole lot easier!)
First, we have our Lemon Cupcakes in a Citrus Wonderland
So we think the name pretty much says it all, but these beauties bring a whole new range of flavours to what you thought a cupcake could be, with both lemons and limes appearing here! Not only that, but the colouring brightens up any Easter table and so we think you should definitely add it to yours! Not only will you love making them but theyâll be gone just as soon as you place them on the table!
Second, we have our Froot Loops Cupcakes Ă LâOrange
These add a burst of orange flavour to the cake, but make sure to finish off the top with a burst of colour, when you decorate them with Froot Loops! So you can practically call these breakfast cupcakes, right? In that case, they will fit right in on your Easter brunch table, and even satisfy all important breakfast nutrition guides :)
Presenting our Chocolate Crinkle Cookies!
These will make your mouth water just as you prepare the dough, which makes the suspense so much more, as they also have to chill before baking! However, worry not, as they will be ready for baking in no time, and by the time they are out of the oven, you will be glad that you waited. Not only will these look absolutely stunning when served, but the flavour and texture will keep you wanting more! Lucky for you, each kit makes about 42 cookies, so you can enjoy as many as you want :)
Having recommended what we think would suit your holidays best we would just like to say that any of our baking kits are bound to make a perfect holiday dessert and if you want to see what else we have in available, just come see for yourselves!
XOXO
Ani & Fabi
]]>St. Patrickâs day is here, and spring finally looks like its going to make landfall! So what are you gonna do to celebrate? We think the best way is always with more baking, and on this day, that means all green everything! Here are a couple ideas that we think would be an awesome way to make your St. Patrickâs day more green.
The perfect way to start the day is with green pancakes, say we! You can add flavours to the pancakes which will add the colour, or simply drop a few drops of green food colouring in! This one we already did ourselves and we loved it! Green Pancakes with Avocado and BananaâŚtheyâre as good as they sound!
The colour of the lime is undeniable and the flavour is just the right amount of bright to get you through the day, add a bit of green colouring and youâre all set. Try adding lime to cakes and cookies, or check out our Lemon Lime Cupcakes!
Wether youâre making a drink or a dessert this will definitely make your day a whole lot greener! If baking, try adding one to two tablespoons of Matcha to get a green colour and a green tea flavour, whether you're making shortbread cookies, cupcakes, or anything else you want to bake.
Now go out there and celebrate the greenest day of the year! And be sure to share with us what you bake at #aniandfabi
XOXOÂ
Ani & Fabi
]]>As we celebrated our first half-birthday yesterday, we decided it is surely a great time to start our blog and share with you our passion for baking, and our mission to bring our kitchen to yours, in a box to your door each month!
Where else better to begin then the very start! So... how did this all start for us? Well, as recent graduates from a business program we were set with zeal to take on and make the world a better place. As we started to figure that out we decided that the theme our of business would have to be something which we both love and could have a whole lot of fun working on.Â
Then one afternoon as we were baking with Dominikâs younger siblings, we had a light bulb moment! We had been thinking about subscription businesses, and meal kits had crossed our minds, but seeing them struggling with the process made us think that baking specifically should be easier. Even before they could start bake, they had to rely on someone to get the ingredients for them, and they had to print a recipe from online, which had the potential to result in a mess!
We figured that the best way to empower them would be to solve the mundane part of baking, and leave the fun baking and creation to them. At first we tested and developed these ideas, but as they appeared to work, we got more excited and moved on to designing and surveying. Soon we had a product-line and we were ready to go to market!
The idea was straightforward for us, we would be creating something Gourmet, Simple, and Fun. So simple that an 8 year old could bake it, so delicious that a pastry chef should be proud of it, and something so fun that it would replace any playtime activity.
We hope you enjoy Ani & Fabi Baking Kits as much as we love making them! Be sure to subscribe to find out what all the fun is about! And until next time!
XOXO
Ani & Fabi
]]>Everyday we wake up with gratitude to a legendary degree, for the overwhelming support from our friends, community, mentors and good people we haven't even had a chance to meet yet. It is because of such support, that we want to make sure that we deliver an exceptional service and amazing products to all you amazing people, to provide you the opportunity for a wonderful time spent baking with your loved ones!
As we start shipping the coming week of September 25th, we look forward to meeting our customers, getting to know them better, and learning from them to better understand what the community wants, so that we can serve our customers as best we can. It is an amazing journey and we are beyond excited for it!
There is still a long way to go, but with all your love and support, we are not afraid of anything!
Cheers! Ani & Fabi, Hanlu and Dominik thank you all, for each one of you had a significant impact on the beginning of our journey :)
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