Date & Walnuts Loaf

This is an old fashion bread that I've adopted from an ninety years old reader from a woman magazine.  It is a teacake/coffee cake that meant to be eaten freshly made with the accompany of tea or coffee. Because it doesn't use a lot of butter in the recipe, the texture of the bread is a bit dry.  It is usually served with a generous amount of butter to moisten and enhance the flavour of the bread.  Imagine spreading butter to the warm bread and the butter melted and soaked into the bread, Yum! It's also a great idea for kid's lunch box with the goodness of fruit and nuts.

In Australia, banana bread, muffins and brownie are the most popular homebake.  Maybe we have just forgotten about this old fashion bread and I reckon we should bake this bread more often to keep this recipe to last from generation to generation.

Have a Happy Mother's Day!

Date & Walnuts Loaf

1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
1 cup water
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
3 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Method:

1. Pre heat oven at 180c.
2. Pour water into a small saucepan, add dates and butter and let it boil. Take away from heat and add the bicarbonate of soda.  Let it cool a bit.
3. Mix the flour and sugar into a mixing bowl, add beaten eggs and then add the dates mixtures. Stir well and finally add the walnuts. Top the bread with 3 extra whole walnuts.
4. Pour the dough into a paper lined loaf tin, bake for 40 minutes.

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Red Kidney Beans

The first question my kids asked after seeing this cake is, "Mum, what's that? It's so dark!" I just told them that it was a chocolate cake. I'd probably told them half of the truth and it's only my "not so liked bean's son" had the dare to try it even he knew it wasn't an ordinary chocolate cake. After taking one piece of it, he went straight for something else in the pantry and never touch the cake again!

However, my husband thinks this is a really nice cake, so moist and soft.  He urges me to share it so there you are, a flourless chocolate cake with red kidney beans.  Before I bake it, I don't know what to expect as I rarely bake cake without flour but I am pleased with the texture of the cake, and the taste of beans mixed with the cocoa powder, it's a bit liked those Japanese cake made with aduki beans. Maybe next time, I will ice it with some maccha (green tea) flavoured cream and that may make the cake more presentable!

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Red Kidney Beans

Ingredients:

1 can (410g) of Red Kidney Beans
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
100g butter, soften
150g caster sugar
60g cocoa powder
2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda bicarbonate
4 eggs

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 170c. Line a round cake tin with baking paper.
2. Drain and rinse the beans. Process the beans with water, vanilla and 1 egg in a blender until smooth. Set aside.
3. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy, add eggs and bean mixture. Stir well. then finally add the sifted dry ingredients.
4. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the skewer come out clean after inserting into the cake.

Easter treats with Choc-Peanut Tartlets and Salted Caramel Tart

How can you celebrate Easter without chocolate? Here are two very simple and easy tartlets and tart that may make the preparation of Easter much easier for you.  

This year my daughter will be having Easter in France and I'm going to miss her very much. My son may feel happy that he can get all the Easter eggs but she reckons she would get better chocolate eggs in France. My little girl is growing up as a young lady, learning to drive, to be independent, to achieve her best in life.  I'm missing the fun time when the kids believed in Easter Bunny and got so excited on Easter Sunday for the Easter eggs hunt!  However, the big kids still love Easter eggs and chocolate treats for Easter!

Have a happy Easter and enjoy a great time with your family! 

Choc-Peanut Tartlets

Ingredients:
frozen tartlet cases
peanut butter
dark cooking chocolate and white chocolate
100 & 1000 sprinkles and Easter eggs

Methods:
Bake the tartlet cases followed by the instruction of the package.  Spoon in peanut butter into the cases and then toped with melted chocolate, decorated with sprinkles or Easter eggs.

Salted Caramel Tart

Ingredients:
1 frozen tart case
1/4 cup caster sugar
25ml water + extra 2 tablespoons water
25g butter
1/2 can of 397ml condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
almond flakes for decoration
melted chocolate for decoration

Method:

1. Bake the tart case followed by the instruction of the package.
2. Meanwhile, place sugar and 25ml water into a small saucepan, boil till sugar dissolved.
3. Bring to boil till dark golden colour, remove from heat and add the extra 2 tablespoons. The mixture is very hot, watch out for spit!
4. Then add butter to the caramel followed by condensed milk and salt. Return to heat till boil. Let cool before fill into the case.
5. Decoration the cake with melted chocolate and almond.

Good Morning Green Juice

The fun of juicing and blending smoothies is that they are so colourful, the awesome green, red, purple or orange and you know that it provides you with loads of goodies! Having one in the morning helps to cleanse your body and give it a kick start. These days I don't buy bottled juice as making your own is healthier and you can be creative to create your own favourite! This is what I call FRESH!


Green Juice
(make 1 tall glass)

Ingredients:
1 cup alfalfa sprouts
1 cup lettuce
2 celery stalks
1/3 continental cucumber
1 green apple, cored
1 piece ginger

Method:
Process all ingredients in a juicer and drink right away.

Banana & Walnuts Bread (Lactose Free)

Gluten free baking has been popular at cafe these days but there are hardly any lactose free baking available. My son is lactose intolerance so every time when he goes to camp with the school, he has to supply his own milk and request a special diet. He just miss out all the fancy shakes and milk based beverage when we are out dining. Most of the time he can tolerate cheese, ice-cream and chocolate but when his stomach is not well, these special treats are out of the question.

One of my friend's son has very bad reaction to dairy product so all her baking would be dairy free by using lactose free product. You can find lactose free milk, yoghurt and cheese easily these days so it is not a problem if your kids don't like soy or other milk substitution. I come across this recipe from Coles website of Curtis Stone's recipe and decide to making it a lactose free version. Usually my son doesn't like baking contain banana or walnut but he has been eating a few pieces and I guess I can call it a success!


Banana & Walnuts Bread (Lactose Free)

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 tablespoons Lactose Free yoghurt
3 bananas, mashed
1 2/3 cups plain flour
1 1/2 cups walnuts, toasted and chopped (leave 3 whole walnuts for garnish)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Sift flour into a mixing bowl, add sugar, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix well. 
2. Add the oil, beaten eggs, vanilla essence, yoghurt and banana to the dry ingredients, then add the toasted walnuts until it is well combined.
3. Pour the mixture into a paper lined loaf pan and top with 3 whole walnuts for garnish.
4. Bake for 1 1/4 hours at 180c or until the skewer comes out clean when insert into the cake.

Chocolate Chia Seeds Cupcake (Gluten Free)

Chia seeds has been regarded as a superfood with its nutrients value.  It was introduced by one of my friend and she asked me to put it into drinking water and consume it daily for well being.  I have been trying to find out more use with this little seeds by adding it to smoothies, salad and cereal. Last week I celebrated with my girl friends for finishing my chemo and I ordered a chocolate chia seeds cake which was quite delicious! When I got home, I got onto the computer to search for a recipe straight away.  These days I don't bake very often for trying to cut down sweet food and have more veggie and fruit for good health. But sweet food makes you happy and it is OK to have a once in a while!

These cupcakes taste quite different with the cinnamon added to the chocolate.  If you have had many chocolate cake and prefer something special, you may like this recipe. The cake is moist and strong in chocolate taste and not too sweet.  This is my first baking for gluten free cake and I'm very please with the result!

Chocolate Chai Seeds Cupcake
(make 10)

Ingredients:
5 eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup raw sugar (3/4 cup if you want it sweeter)
2 heaps tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons chia seeds
pinch of salt

Chocolate frosting:
1/2 cup dark choc chips
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon coconut oil
few drops of vanilla essence
2 heaps tablespoons icing sugar

Methods:

1. Soak chia seeds with 1 cup of water for 15 minutes then drain.
2. Beaten eggs with oil, sugar and honey in a mixing bowl until well mixed.  Sift in almond meal, cocoa powder, bicarbonate soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir well, then add the soaked chia seeds. Mix sell.
3. Divide the mixture into a muffin pan, lined with muffin case. Fill the unused muffin holes with water to ensure even heating for baking. Bake for 20 minutes at 180c.
4. For the frosting: microwave the choc chips, milk and coconut oil in medium heat at 20 seconds, then 30 seconds until the chocolate melted. Add in vanilla essence and sifted icing sugar. Mix well, then place into the fridge to harden the frosting until it is spreadable.

White Radish Cake and Taro Cake for Chinese New Year

With the Chinese New Year coming in 2 days,  people that celebrate Chinese New Year will be busy cleaning the house, preparing traditional food to celebrate the biggest festival of the year! White radish cake and taro cake are the two most popular savoury cake amongst the Chinese.  I prefer white radish cake as it is not so filling but one of my sister likes taro cake so I prepare this for her as a way to say thank you for the support during my chemo. Cake sounds like high in Chinese, having these cakes means good meaning for achieving well for the new year.

Chinese New Year is the celebration of family gathering, a fresh start of a new year with new hope and good health.

Have a great Chinese New Year!

White Radish Cake

Ingredient:
1.2kg White Radish
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
2 Chinese sausages
1/4 cup dried shrimps
4-5 Chinese mushroom
340g Rice flour (粘米粉)
115g Wheat flour (澄麵)
shallot, finely chopped
sesame seeds, toasted

Seasoning:
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Chicken powder
pepper
sesame oil

Method:

1. Soak shrimps and mushroom with just enough water to cover the ingredients for 1 hour or until soften. Reserve the water. Steam Chinese sausages for 5 minutes. Let cool.
2. Chop the shrimps, mushroom and chinese sausages into small cubes.
3. Peel and grate white radish into a large bowl. Mix rice flour and wheat flour in another bowl.
4. Heat oil in a large pan, add the shrimps, mushroom and sausages till fragrant. Add the grated radish and water and reserved water then let it simmer for 15 minutes or until the radish is transparent.
5. Add the seasoning, then add the rice flour and wheat flour, keep stirring till the mixture is thicken and dough liked.
6. Spread the dough evenly into a 24cm round cake pan. Steam on high heat for 20 minutes, then simmer for 2 hours.  Sprinkle with shallot and sesame seeds. Let the cake cool.
7. Heat oil in pan, cut the cake into slices and pan fried till brown and crispy on the outside.

Taro Cake

Ingredients:
650g Taro
110g Rice flour
70g Wheat flour
3 cups water
1 tablespoon oil
2 Chinese sausages
4-5 Chinese mushroom
1/4 cup dried shrimps

Seasoning:
1/2 teaspoon Chicken powder
3/4 Chinese 5 spices powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
pepper
sesame oil

Methods:

1. Prepare the shrimps, mushroom and sausages as the white radish cake. Reserve the water.
2. Peel and chop the taro into 1 cm cubes. Boil taro with 2 cups water for 10 minutes or or until soften.
3. Heat oil in a large pan, add the shrimps, mushroom and sausages till fragrant. Add taro, 1 cup of water and reserved water stir through, then add the seasoning and finally add the rice flour and wheat flour.
4. Stir through till thicken. Spread dough into a 24 cm round cake pan.
5. Steam in high heat for 40 minutes. Let cool.
6. Heat oil in pan, and heat up as the white radish cake.