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baking

flourless almond, chocolate and banana cakes

January 8, 2012
baking, breakfast, cake, cakes & sweet things, desserts
6 Comments

Happy Sunday, all! I had a big week, so I swore that I would have a lengthy sleep in this morning. Turns out my body felt differently, so when I got up at 9am, I decided I’d try my hand at some muffins that I stumbled upon. I changed the recipe to suit me and I tried layering the muffins: one part normal batter, one part batter with cocoa added and last part normal batter. As I was getting ready to put them into the oven, I thought, “I wonder how these muffins are going to go without any baking powder?” – at that point I realised I had forgotten all about it. With reluctance (they just looked so nice), I tipped all of the contents back into the bowl to add the missing powder. I guess it’s good I’m starting to recognise sorts of things though, even if I am a little late to do so.

So, instead of having lovely layered muffins, I came out with some lovely dark brown cakes. They taste great though and that’s all I really care about. I will be trying them again with layers. The boys at home gave them the tick, as did I.

The best bit – no sugar, butter, oil or flour! How about that?! Guilt free snacking!

Makes 9 cakes

INGREDIENTS

260g almond meal

1/ tsp baking powder

2 organic free-range eggs

4 tsps raw honey

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 slightly ripe bananas

1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

extra sliced banana for garnish

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a muffin tray with cases.

Place the almond meal in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, mash the bananas. Add the eggs, honey, cinnamon, and baking powder and whip until creamy and well mixed (if you’re not layering the muffins, put your cocoa powder in at this point).

Pour into the almond meal and mix well.

Place large tbs of batter into the cases until filled. Top with banana slices.

Bake for between 30-45 minutes (I baked mine for 45 mins because I used pretty ripe bananas).

If you want to layer the muffins to create a chocolate centre:  Put 3/4 cup of batter out into a separate bowl and mix 1 tsp cocoa powder through it. When filling the cases with normal batter, stop filling half way to add cocoa batter into the middle of it, then cover with normal batter.

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frozen banana, dark choc & peanut butter bites

December 20, 2011
baking, cakes & sweet things, desserts
4 Comments

I’ve had massive chocolate cravings lately. I think I’m addicted. I happened to stumble across a great post by someone struggling with the same sort of thing. The post was an attempt to come up with a creative way to get a chocolate fix. This idea is simple, it works and my gosh, it is DELICIOUS.

I think they took me around 5 minutes to make. I adapted the recipe slightly and used dark chocolate. I might do the next batch with some almond or cashew butter and see how it goes.

They are perfect after an hour in the freezer – that’s pretty much all I’ve tested them at so far. I couldn’t wait overnight for them! I made around 16 pieces so I’ve got more for tomorrow. Hooray!

 

INGREDIENTS

2 large bananas

1/3 cup natural peanut butter (smooth)

1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate pieces

unsweetened coconut flakes (for garnishing)

 

METHOD

Set out a freezer safe dish with baking paper.

Cut bananas into medium sized pieces.

Head the chocolate and peanut butter together until melted.

Dip the banana pieces into the mixture, one by one, laying them out on the baking paper. Sprinkle the coconut flakes on top.

Pop in the freezer until they are ready and try to stop at one when they’re done – impossible!

 

(Source)

 

almond pancakes (gluten free)

December 18, 2011
baking, breakfast
1 Comment

Hooray for pancakes on Sundays!

I’ve been sleeping in all week, which has been so good. The bonus: I’ve been either remembering my dreams a lot more or dreaming a lot more than usual. I’ve had dreams constantly and they are not the usual  boring dreams I have about social drama but exciting Indiana Jones types of scenarios. I hope it continues! Tonight I’m looking forward to a picnic dinner in a park, singing Christmas carols. I’m not one for Hallmark events but I really enjoy any excuse to share time with my friends and family. I’ve sent out all of my cards for the year and I love the glow of the lights on my tree at night. For me it’s not so much about presents but presence.

Anyhow, had these for breakfast this morning. Absolutely devine. They have a subtle almond taste and are perfect served with fresh fruit and a bit of honey. Made up of flax and almond meal, they are naturally gluten free and do not contain any salt, sugar or butter.

Makes around 12 small pancakes.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup almond meal

3/4 cup flaxseed meal

1 tbs cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

3 eggs

1/4 cup low-fat plain Greek yoghurt

1/4 cup skim milk

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS 

Combine the almond meal, flax meal, cinnamon and baking soda.

Add the yoghurt, milk, honey, coconut oil, vanilla and eggs. Whisk.

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined well.

Cook by putting oversized tablespoons of batter into a non stick frying pan over low-medium heat, flipping for even cooking.

Enjoy!

(Adapted slightly)

whole wheat oat cookies / cinnamon maple oat cookies

December 2, 2011
baking, breakfast, Uncategorized
2 Comments

Image

I hate to claim that a cookie is healthy but this is definitely one of the healthier cookie recipes that I’ve come across; and for a cookie not loaded with butter or too much sugar, it is pretty tasty. The original recipe called for white sugar and canola oil, so it is fine to substitute with whatever you have on hand. I used olive oil and raw sugar; I tend to steer clear of white sugar if I can help it. Anyhow, it’s very hard to stop at one. Variation, made by my friend, is posted below!

This recipe makes around 20 medium sized cookies.

INGREDIENTS

1 large egg

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup raw sugar

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup rolled oats

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Mix all wet ingredients with the sugar and beat together.

Add all remaining ingredients and stir well. Roll small balls of the batter and place onto trays lined with baking paper.

Ensure all the balls are flattened. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.


VARIATION

  • Replace sugar with 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • Add 1 cup rolled oats instead of 3/4 cup
  • Add 1 tbs cinnamon

(Source)

granuesli

November 25, 2011
baking, breakfast
2 Comments

As the author of Lucid Food suggests, this toasted muesli is better than anything bought in a store. I have to agree. There really is something special about home made foods. Last week, I tried a different granola and that was great. This is a whole different ballpark. It took me a while to find dried apricot without preservatives for some reason but I eventually managed it! I used a mixture of almonds, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, cashews and walnuts. I’m happy to say it is free of preservatives, has no added sugar and is DELICIOUS. Stores for a long time in the fridge.

Makes 8 cups

INGREDIENTS

2 cups raw nuts, chopped

2 cups rolled oats

1 tbs cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

6 tbs maple syrup

5 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp vanilla extract (NOT essence)

11/2 cups dried apricots, chopped

1/2 cup raw, unsweetened coconut flakes

3 tbs cacao nibs

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 130 degrees celcius.

Combines the nuts, oats and spices in a bowl and stir. Add the maple syrup, 4 tbs of the olive oil,  and the vanilla extract and stir again.

Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring and rotating the pan halfway through. At this point the granola should be completely dry. Add the apricots and the remaining 1 tbs of olive oil and , stir well and return to the oven for another 5 minutes. Add the coconut flakes and bake for another few minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and stir in the cacao nibs.

Cool before serving. Store in an airtight container.

(Source)

orange toasted muesli

November 17, 2011
baking, breakfast
1 Comment

This is the first time I’ve tried making my own muesli and it won’t be the last.  I found a great granola recipe in Heidi’s book, ‘Super Natural Every Day’ and decided to try it out, with a few changes. It’s the first thing I think about when I wake up and probably the best muesli I’ve had in a while. The subtle flavour of the maple syrup and orange zest is what gets me. I was having a bit of a tough time finding a cereal I liked and didn’t feel motivated for breakfast, so this has come at the right time! I like it more because I made it. If you’re anything like me, prepare for the kitchen to be a bit of a mess afterwards. It would be really easy to substitute the ingredients for things you prefer but personally I’m very happy with this mix!

Makes 910g.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups rolled oats

1 1/2 cups walnuts (I chopped mine into small chunky pieces)

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2/3 cup dried currants

large handful dried apricots

grated zest of 2 oranges

80g unsalted butter

120ml maple syrup (not maple flavoured syrup!)

METHOD

Preheat oven to 150°C (or 300 f) with racks in the top and bottom of oven. Set out two baking sheets on trays.

Combine oats, walnuts, coconut, currants, apricots and orange zest in a large mixing bowl.

Heat the butter in a small saucepan over low heat and stir in the maple syrup. Whisk until thoroughly combined, then pour over the oat mixture and stir through until everything is well coated.

Divide mixture equally  between the two baking trays and spread into a thin layer.

Bake, stirring a couple of times along the way, for 50 minutes or until granola is toasty and deeply golden. Rotate the pans halfway through to ensure even baking.

Remove from oven and let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

wholewheat chocolate chip chia cookies

August 12, 2011
baking, cakes & sweet things
Leave a Comment

I don’t make cookies nearly as much as I should. These amazing eaten warm out of the oven – they are so soft and it’s an awesome experience biting into melted chocolate. Just as good for the next couple of days with some milk. Mmmmmmm.

This recipe makes about 20 decent sized cookies.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups whole wheat flour (wholemeal)

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp bi carb soda (baking soda)

225g unsalted butter, chopped

1 cup loosely packed dark brown sugar

1 cup raw sugar

2 large organic free-range eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

225g dark chocolate, roughly chopped into small pieces (or use ready made dark chocolate chips)

2 tbs chia seeds

METHOD

Preheat oven to 175°C. Line a tray with baking paper.

Sift the flour and other dry ingredients into a medium sized mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, add butter and sugars. Mix until smooth and add eggs, one at a time. Mix properly until combined then stir in the vanilla.

Add the flour mix to the wet ingredients and mix through. Stir in chocolate bits and chia seeds and mix until evenly incorporated.

Drop tablespoons of the mixture onto the baking tray. Sprinkle with some more chia seeds.

Bake each tray for around 12-15 minutes or until a nice golden brown.

Remove, cool for a while and get into them! They are delicious!

(This is a recipe I altered with inspiration from Good to the Grain)

carrot cake (a ‘healthier’ version)

July 25, 2011
baking, cakes & sweet things
6 Comments

I had a coffee yesterday afternoon in an attempt to motivate myself for a study session. I ended up a little too fidgety to hit the books, so I danced in my room and did some house cleaning before my Dodgeball game instead.

I’m guessing the coffee was a little too strong (I usually get 1/8 of a shot, which is perfect for me). I spent the majority of the night and early hours of the morning staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars on my ceiling and wandering through my mind. Because I had practically no sleep, I am super tired and won’t be cooking tonight. So, you don’t get a recipe for a dinner but I thought I’d share a gem that I found on Green Kitchen Stories a couple of months back instead.

This is by far the most delicious carrot cake I have made (or eaten for that matter). The standard sugar, butter and white flour has been replaced with some friendly alternatives. It takes a bit of time to prepare but it is fun to make and the result is absolutely worth the time and energy.  I’ve listed exactly what I used below. Serves 8 people.

INGREDIENTS

3 organic free-range eggs

2 medium sized bananas

15 fresh dates, pitted

6 tbsp sunflower oil

1 cup plain wholemeal flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

3 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp cardamom

4 medium sized carrots, grated

½ cup fresh coconut, flaked/shredded

½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped

1/2 cup raisins

Glazing

200 g low fat cream cheese

3 tbsp raw honey

1/2 lime (juice and rind)

1/2 cup hazelnuts

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Whisk your eggs in a medium sized bowl. Use a blender to mix bananas, dates and oil into a thick cream in another bowl. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom and stir it together with the eggs and the banana-cream.

Add grated carrots, coconut flakes, walnuts and raisins and stir it until it all comes together.

Pour it into a cake pan and bake for about 50-60 minutes. Cake is ready when a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool.

Whip together the cream cheese and the honey. Add the frosting when the cake is completely cooled. Serve with roughly chopped hazelnuts and finely grated lime rind on the top.

(Source)

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