Twelve Weeks of Christmas Cookies: Week Two

The second week of twelve weeks of Christmas cookies is here already.  This should have been posted on Thursday but Thursdays aren't a great day for me as I put in a 12 hour shift at work so I shall be posting my contributions on Fridays or Saturdays.

I have no idea where I got the idea for this weeks cookie; I think I glanced at something chocolate and ginger and thought....hey! that would make a good combination.  Only good if you like chocolate and ginger of course. I happen to like ginger.  The flavour of it isn't too strong at all really, it just gives the cookie a spicy kind of warmth to it without being overpowering.  You will also notice that I used almond flour rather than wheat flour like I did with the last recipe.

I'm on an almond flour kick at the moment, I don't know why.  I'm using the hell out of my food processor these days and it's so easy to make.  I've decided I'm going to try and make a lot of my contributions out of almond flour.

If you're on a low carb diet, these cookies are acceptable as a treat with a fraction of the carbs in a normal cookie.  If you're on a low fat diet, however, you had better stay clear.  With the butter, fat from the almonds and coconut, they're pretty much half their weight in fat per cookie. If you don't give a stuff, go right ahead and make them! Haha!

Chocolate Ginger Cookies

125g butter

2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 cup fine coconut

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup fine sugar

70g crystallised ginger

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 180 degrees Celcius.  Melt butter in a saucepan and add cocoa.  Mix with a spoon till it is gently bubbling.  Add vanilla extract.  Set aside.

In a bowl, add almond flour, coconut, baking powder, ground ginger and sugar.  Mix well with a spoon.  Pour melted chocolate butter over mixture and mix well.  Finally, fold in crystallised ginger.

Line a baking sheet with baking paper.  Form tablespoon-sized balls with your hands and flatten slightly on the baking sheet.  Place in the oven for about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Makes about 20.

Check out the other goodies:

Peppermint Slice

The good thing about this slice is that it is pretty rich so you can't have too much of it at a time. It tastes like something you would purchase at a fancy cafe and it is so easy to make! The original recipe calls for real cream, but I didn't have any so I used coconut cream.

lightly adapted from Foodtown Magazine

Base

150g butter, softened

½ cup sugar

1½ cups flour

¼ cup cocoa

½ teaspoon baking powder

Filling

100g butter

1½ cups icing sugar

1½ tablespoons coconut cream

1 teaspoon peppermint essence

200g dark chocolate

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line an 18cm x 28cm pan with baking paper. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift in the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Mix together until combined; I used my hands to mix in the last bits. Press the mixture into the base of the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until firm. Set aside to cool.To make the filling, cream the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the coconut cream and peppermint essence. Spread the mixture evenly over the cooled base.  Put in freezer for 60 minutes.  You can refrigerate it but I found that when I did, the melted chocolate melted the peppermint filling a little and it didn't finish as well.  Melt chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water and spread over the peppermint filling evenly.

Linked to:

First Harvest: Cavolo Nero & Celery

This morning I went out to the garden and gathered some greens for my breakfast smoothie.  I like to add some greens in there so I make sure I am getting enough vegetables for the day.  I picked about 8 stems of the Cavolo Nero and a celery stick for good measure.  The leaves of the Cavolo Nero were quite a bit larger than the normal ones I got from the store and even better, I know for sure that they have no pesticides sprayed on them because I grew it.  Best of all, all those nutritional benefits from picking the vegetables and using them immediately. 

Two of the stems of Cavolo Nero went to Daisy for part of her breakfast and the rest went into my blender

Green Breakfast Smoothie

6-10 leaves of Cavolo Nero or Kale

1 stick of celery, including leaves

1 banana

300ml cold water

1 capful vanilla extract

1 tablespoon natural peanut butter

2 scoops protein powder

Add water to blender and then banana in small pieces.  Blend.  Add Cavolo Nero, Celery, Peanut Butter and Vanilla extract.  Blend well.  Lastly, add protein powder and blend just enough so it is mixed in well.  Serve immediately.

Serve yours in a beer glass for maximum enjoyment

Ginger Kiss Cupcakes

My house smelled like Christmas tonight!  I've been baking on Fridays for the past couple of weeks and made something I thought I would share since it smells and tastes divine.....

The texture and taste is very much like the Ginger Kisses you can buy in the supermarket here, so that is what I have named them after.

For those of you that don't know what Ginger Kisses are, it is a baked goody sold in New Zealand and Australia, kinda like a whoopie pie.  The filling is more like a vanilla cream rather than the spiced frosting I made.

Ginger Kiss Cupcakes

125g butter

1 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup molasses
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp ginger

Cream butter and sugar, mix in eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Add flour, baking powder and milk and mix well with a spoon. Add molasses and spices and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Spoon into cupcake cases and bake in an oven set at 160 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool before frosting.

Spiced Buttercream Frosting

adapted from Oh She Glows

1/2 cup butter

1 cup icing sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves
1 tsp vanilla extract

milk/water as needed

With an electric mixer, cream butter and add sifted icing sugar 1/4 cup at a time.  Use milk/water to get desired consistency (approximately 1Tbsp needed).  Add spices & vanilla and beat with mixer until the frosting is light and fluffy.

linked to:

Crustless Apple Pie

Gosh I love apples and they're starting to come into season again.  I made a bit of apple sauce last winter and stored it away in my pantry.  I'm just finishing off the last jars now just in time for the next season!

Last night, this is what I had for a treat after work: Spiced Apple Sauce with Whipped Cream on top aka Crustless Apple Pie.

Spiced Apple Sauce

10 medium apples, peeled and chopped

juice of one lemon

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

3 cinnamon quills

1 star anise

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cloves (whole)

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Put all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook for 12 hours.  Remove cinnamon quills and star anise. Process apple sauce with a hand blender until smooth. Spoon into sterilized jars and seal. 

Serve in a little bowl or ramekin and top with whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon.  Voila!

Updated Post: Homemade Pizza

I made a post about a year and a half back about home made pizza dough. Genie was asking me what my recipe was and I remembered I posted about it a while back so I thought I would go back and amend it since I've definitely learned some new things since I posted back then.

You can view the post here

I hope you find the post useful if you like to make your own pizza or would like to give it a go.  I actually quite enjoy the kneading part; any extra exertion is good plus I find it a great thinking exercise :-)

Lime Chiffon Cake

First post of the year for me and almost in a whole month!  I got super busy and distracted over the rest of December and I didn't even complete the last installment of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies.  I was busy sewing my little heart out for some Christmas gifts.

I thought I would post the recipe of a fantastic cake I made over Christmas and New Years. I've attempted this recipe twice, the first time was a disaster, the second was perfect even though I didn't have all the ingredients that time.

My first attempt would have been perfect except for the fact I picked up light creme fraiche instead of regular.  It was an attempt to save calories; old habits die hard I guess.  When it came to making the filling, the creme fraiche was so watery there was no way it was going to be a filling as it was more like a syrup!  The disastrous thing was, it was Christmas Day and all the shops were closed so there was no way I could just run to the shop and get a replacement. In desperation I tried first adding more icing sugar to the mixture (no luck) then in more desperation I had a eureka moment and added gelatine, but that didn't help either! I almost had a meltdown as I was due over at my family's house in an hour and a half!  I ended up turning the cake into a trifle which ended up being wonderful: a lime sponge with lime syrup, mixed berries, cream in between layers of sponge and berries and a marshmallow frosting.  I still tried to keep the essence of the cake by making the frosting too.

The recipe is from the December 2009 The Foodtown Magazine.

Lime Chiffon Cake

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons cooking oil

1/2 cup lime juice

3 tablespoons cold water

1 teaspoon each: finely grated lime zest, vanilla essence

3 egg yolks

8 egg whites

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Filling

250ml creme fraiche

1/2 cup sifted icing sugar

zest of 1 small lime plus 2 teaspoons of juice

Frosting

1 cup sugar

4 egg whites 

1/4 cup cold water

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon vanilla essence

1. To make the cake, preheat the oven to 160 degrees celcius.  Line the bases of 3 x 20cm round sponge tims with baking paper.  Grease the lined base and dust with flour, tapping out any excess.

2. Sift the flour, 1 cup of the sugar, baking powder and the half teaspoon of salt into a large bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, beat the oil, lime juice, water, zest, vanilla essence and egg yolks until just combined.  Add to the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until smooth (the mixture will be thick).

4. Place the egg whites into a clean bowl and, with clean beaters mix until foamy.  Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form.  Gradually add the remained quarter-cup of sugar a tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.  using a large metal spoon, fold the egg white mixture into the flour mix.

5.  Divide the mixture equally betwen the prepared tins.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the cakes spring back wen lightly touched.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing the cakes from the tins and cooling them completely on wire racks.

6. To mke the filling, use a wooden spoon t mix together the creme fraiche, sifted icing sugar, lime zest and juice in a bowl.

7. To make the frosting, place the sugar, egg whites, quarter-cup of water and cream of tartar into the top of a double-boiler (or a bowl over a saucepan) with simmering water.  Beat on high until you have a firm mixture.  Remove from the heat and add the vanilla essence, continuing to beat until the frosting is cool and holds a stiff peak.

8. Once the frosting is make, assemble the cake by placing one cake layer on a plate.  Spread with half the filling mixture, top with the second layer followed by the remaining filling and finally the third cake.  Spread the frosting over the sides and top of the cake, swirling it on attractively with a flat knife.  The cake is best eaten on the day it is frosted.  Keep in a cool room until you're ready to serve it.

All cut up and ready to be served

Glorious!

Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes

My co workers birthday was on Friday just gone, and instead of buying her a gift (I'm broke anyway.... or perhaps just cheap LOL) I decided to bake her a batch of cupcakes. She doesn't tend to eat goodies like this on a day to day basis which is probably why she keeps her slim figure, but I knew she would make an exception for her birthday.

This recipe is from a book called "Cupcakes: The Complete Edition"

It has no author that I can see (weird) so perhaps it's a compilation from several cooks. Who knows, but the recipe was fantastic so cheers to the original cook who came up with these. My co worker really enjoyed them and appreciated the fact that I made her something. I mean, really, the best gifts are hand made aren't they??

Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes

125g butter, softened
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
125g greek or plain yogurt
2 cups self raising flour
1 tsp poppy seeds
juice of 1 lemon
grated lemon rind of 2 lemons

Frosting
1.5 cups icing sugar, sifted
125g butter, softened
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy then add eggs and beat until well combined.  Add in flour, yogurt, poppy seeds, lemon juice and rind and beat for a further minute or two.

Spoon into muffin tins lined with paper cups and place in oven for 18-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, combine all ingredients into a bowl and beat until light and fluffy.  Spread onto each cupcake with a butter knife.

C'mon, bite me....

.....you know you want to

Twelve Weeks Of Christmas "Cookies": Week Seven

The Edmond's Cookbook is a Kiwi icon. It was the only cookbook in my mother's house and I used to stare at the pictures of the party cakes all the time. Something about the pretty cakes, happy children's faces and  the variety of goodies in the picture made me dream a little as a kid.   The edition I have has different pictures now though. It is sold in pretty much all bookstores under the cookery section and it is also sold in most supermarkets, not in the book section but in the bakery section.

It says:

"The essential cook book for very kitchen, the Edmonds Cookery Book enables the user to cook with confidence and pride. With over 3 million copies sold to date the Edmonds Cookery Book is the biggest selling cook book in New Zealand's history"

Now the reason I'm telling you all this is because my recipe this week comes straight out of the Edmonds Cookery Book. I mentioned last week that I found several ways to make truffles and this one was the first recipe for truffles I had known. I remember making this recipe for the first time about 15 years ago on Christmas Eve for the family so we go way back.

Honestly, I like the truffles from this recipe better than the recipe from last week. They are a lot sweeter, but have a more chocolate fudge taste which definitely has more mainstream appeal.

Without further ado....

Chocolate Truffles 

(part deux)

50g butter

100g dark chocolate

1 cup icing/confectioners sugar

1 Tbsp rum

1 tsp cocoa

coconut

chocolate sprinkles

Put butter and chocolate into a saucepan. Heat gently, stirring until butter and chocolate have melted. Add 1/2 cup of the icing sugar. Stir until mixture is thick enough to handle. Stir in rum and coca. Add enough of the remaining icing sugar to make a stiff mixture. Shape mixture into balls. Roll in coconut and chocolate hale. Chill until firm. Makes about 15

Stay tuned next week on Week Eight for yet another version of Christmas Truffles from me.  This one is a healthy version and will definitely be a bit of an experiment for me as I've never made anything like it before!

Check out what everyone else made this week!

Twelve Weeks Of Christmas Cookies: Week Two

Chocolate Cherry Surprise Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

15* glace cherries

Method

Preheat oven to 350F

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat again until smooth. Add vanilla extract and beat in until combine. 

Sift all dry ingredients into a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to the sugar and butter mixture and mix with a metal spoon. The next part is the messy part; using a spoon, put a small blob of the chocolate batter between your fingers and flatten slightly. With your thumb, make a small hollow and place one cherry in the hollow. Using your fingers, gather up the sides of the batter around the cherry, then cover the cherry with extra batter. Roll the batter between your palms to make a smooth ball then place on a non stick baking sheet. Repeat until all your batter is gone.

Place in the oven and bake for 10-11 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before dusting with powdered sugar.

I love the pattern the powdered sugar leaves behind

*Approximately. The above mixture made 15 cookies for me, but depending on how large you make the balls you may need more or less. I had both green and red glace cherries, but I only used the red ones this time. For an extra Christmas-y feel, use both the green and red cherries: the Christmas colours.

I didn't make a frosting for this cookie because I didn't think it really needed it.  The glace cherry in the center made it sweet enough.  I was toying with the idea of a chocolate brandy frosting, but decided to leave it as is.

After Work Report:  I came home from work today after leaving the cookies in the bread bin and they had almost all been eaten!  My husband left me two out of the fourteen that I left there.  They must have been very good :-P

Here's what everyone else made this week:

Twelve Weeks of Christmas Cookies: Week One

I've joined a baking group which is right up my alley: 12 weeks of Christmas Cookies.  Yes folks, it's just over 12 weeks till Christmas!  The deal is to bake whatever you wish for 12 weeks every Friday, starting from October 1st till 17th December.  Ideally what you bake will be Christmas themed, well, that's what I'm going to try and stick to anyway so watch out for all my Christmas serveware featuring in the photos!

My first attempt was a recipe I've been wanting to try for a while.  I almost made it one time, but I passed the name by my husband and he kinda crinkled his nose up at it, so I made something else that time instead. Today, I decided this was the cookie I was going to make.  The recipe looks very Christmas-y to me as it is loaded with spices. The end is a buttery, spicy, crumbly scrumptious cookie that just melts in your mouth.  Even though the name suggests it might be quite savoury, the taste of pepper is so sweet and delicate. Yum.

I present to you Spicy Pepper Cookies!

Spicy Pepper Cookies

225g butter at room temperature

90g soft brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp lemon rind

200g flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3/4 tsp ground black pepper

3/4 cup ground almonds

1/4 cup whipping cream

powdered sugar

Sift the flour, baking powder and spices together in a clean bowl. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add vanilla extract and lemon rind to butter and sugar mixture and combine.  Add a small amount of the dry ingredients to the creamed butter and sugar and mix until combined, then add a small amount of the whipping cream to the mixture and combine.  Repeat, alternating until both are finished, starting with the spiced flour and ending with the spiced flour.  Add in the ground almonds and mix till combined.  

Form small balls from the cookie batter and place on a non stick baking sheet.  Bake cookies at 350F for about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on a baking rack for a couple of minutes before dusting with powdered sugar.  Makes about 20 cookies - dare I say 12g of fat each! Yikes!!

Week 1 Twelve Weeks of Christmas:

Almost-Vegan Banana Chocolate Mousse Tart

The Crust

2 Cups LSA (1 cup flax seeds, 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup almonds)

1 cup cashews

1/2 tsp sea salt

6 large Medjool dates

1 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp vanilla extract

The Filling

2 medium ripe avocados, peeled and seeded

4 Tbsp cocoa

1/2 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 banana

Add LSA mixture, cashews, vanilla extract, medjool dates, 1 Tbsp honey, 1/2 tsp sea salt into a food processor and process until the crust starts to rise on the sides of the bowl. 

Press crust crumbs onto the bottom and sides of a pie pan to form the crust.  Place a layer of sliced banana evenly on the top of the crust.

Place avocados, cocoa powder, honey, vanilla, cinnamon and 1/4 tsp salt into a food processor and process until completely smooth and creamy. 

Spread the chocolate filling on the top of the bananas, then add a top layer of banana slices.  Chill at least one hour prior to serving.  Can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

The Result:

The Verdict: 

Yum!!  The chocolate mousse was so good!  The creaminess obviously comes from the avocado.  Although avocado has around 14g of fat per 100g, it also has a good amount of fiber which you will not find in regular pudding/mousse. I did think the crust was a little salty; not real salty but just a little bit too prominent.  Next time I'd probably half the amount of salt in the crust. I was surprised the crust held up so good.  It slices really easy and stays together nicely when transferred to a place.

source: adapted from Renata Holicova's original recipe http://fromgreytogreen.co.nz

A Big Bag of Kale

I got home from work at about 9:40pm tonight didn't feel like making dinner.  Matt wasn't really hungry so I decided to just make a big batch of Kale chips.  I've posted before on how much I love this vegetable since I discovered it. If you have not tried the awesomeness of Kale chips, they are super easy to make and surprisingly quite filling.

One big bunch of Kale

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Any other seasoning of choice, I use garlic powder

Preheat oven to 150-200 degrees C (depending on how powerful your oven is). Wash and dry Kale.  The drying part is important because you want the Kale to be crispy; if it's wet then it just goes soggy in the oven.  Remove the firm stem of the Kale leaf and feed it to your greedy, begging rabbit:

Exhibit A

Rip the Kale leaves into bite size pieces and arrange on a non stick oven tray.  Spray the leaves lightly with oil (I used olive oil) then season with salt, pepper and any other seasoning you wish.  Place in oven for about 5-10 minutes.  They should be light and crispy and some pieces will be slightly burned.

Enjoy the awesomeness of Kale chips!  They're just so light, crispy and tasty at the same time.  They also feel very fibrous and filling.

Anyone else here like Kale chips?  Anyone think they're nothing special?

I think for me a lot of it is the novelty of a leafy green mimicking an unhealthy snack, but tasting good and being good for you.

Moroccan Couscous

From Next magazine....

500g couscous

600ml vegetable stock

2 Tbsp olive oil

100g toasted slivered almonds

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground turmeric

50g butter

1 handful of coriander, chopped

Pour the couscous into an ovenproof dish.  Gradually add the vegetable stock and stir with a fork so it is absorbed evenly.  Leave to swell for bout 10 minutes.  Mix in olive oil and rub the couscous between your hands above the bowl to airit and break up any lumps. Stir through the almonds and spices.  Place in an oven pre-heated at 200 degrees C for 15 minutes.  Mix through butter and coriander just before serving.

The Result:

The Verdict: Yum!!! This tastes so good.  I think the butter at the end is a nice touch, it gives it a very nice flavour.  The spices are perfect and aren't strong but just subtly flavour the dish.  I halved the recipe for 2 people and I could have eaten the whole thing (but I won't!).  Do give this a try.

The Custard Apple

Also known as a Cherimoya here. Have you ever eaten one of these before?  They're not very common in the supermarkets.  They grow in sub tropical climates; I think ours come from Australia but they're also commonly grown in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, India & Africa.

I'd describe the taste as a combination of mild mango, banana and a touch of apple.  It really is a lovely taste and it has a creamy texture as the name suggests.

Nutritionally it has an excellent source of Vitamin C, a good amount of dietary fibre and respectable amounts of  of Vitamin B6, magnesium and potassium.  Not exactly a superfood, but definitely a tasty fruit!

Not only is the fruit nutritionally sound, the leaves and bark of the plant it grows on is used in natural remedies.  The leaves are used as a tonic for cold or digestive remedy; it can also be added to baths to aid rheumatic pain such as tired muscles and aching joints.  The bark and roots are given as a tonic to halt diarrhea .  The root itself can be administered as a drastic treatment for dysentery.  The seeds are toxic and can be crushed to treat head lice. Very interesting!

As I don't eat them very frequently, I have never used them to cook with or use them in a recipe; I usually just enjoy them as is.  To serve, I usually slice it in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.  As you can see you have to dodge quite a few stones.  I imagine they would make quite a tasty dessert if you choose to use it in recipes; I did find one recipe for Custard Apple cream which looks very nice from the Australian Custard Apple Growers Association website.

Custard Apple Cream

3tsps gelatine
1/3 cup boiling water
500g soft light cream cheese
½ cup caster sugar
190ml cream
2 custard apples, cut into segments, deseeded and pureed with a squeeze of lemon

Dissolve gelatine in one-third of a cup of boiling water. In a bowl beat softened cream cheese thoroughly then add gelatine mixture, caster sugar and cream. Add custard apple puree and beat until smooth. Pour into dessert glasses or pots. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

In My Lunchbox: Episode Two

Oka or Raw Fish Salad.  It sounds gross but it is delicious!  Ingredients are raw fish cooked in lemon or lime juice, onion, tomato, coriander, salt and pepper.  You can add bell pepper too if you wish. The recipe can be found here


What's in your lunchbox today?

Pumpkin & Coconut Loaf

Adapted from Vegweb

1 cup unsweetened coconut
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 egg

2 tablespoons canola oil 

1/2 cup mashed cooked pumpkin

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toast coconut in a dry skillet/frypan until browned. In a bowl mix dry ingredients together, including the coconut.  In a separate bowl, whisk wet ingredients together.  Mix together with a metal spoon.  Pour into non stick loaf pan and bake at 350F for about 45 minutes.  Your baking time will vary depending on your oven.

 The Result

The Verdict

The flavour of this loaf is very subtle.  I thought with a whole cup of coconut in the ingredients it would have a very strong coconut flavour, but it doesn't.  I would suggest if you do want a strong coconut flavour, to add a little coconut extract to the recipe.  The texture is very nice and the loaf is quite moist.  In some parts, the coconut can give the loaf a dry feeling, but it's just the pieces of coconut.  I think next time I might add a little spice to it to bring out the flavour of the pumpkin.  Even more pumpkin and less milk might be nice: I suggest increasing the pumpkin to 1 cup and decreasing the milk to 1/2 cup.

Rocky Road Cookies

Adapted slightly from Vegweb

 

Not the traditional type of rocky road as it doesn't have peanuts.  I didn't have any peanuts and I like almonds better so they found their way into the recipe. 

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup halved almonds
1/3 cup chocolate chips (or chocolate chopped up)
mini marshmallows

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl (except for marshmallows). Cream butter and sugar. Add dry ingredients to butter and sugar.  Add milk. Mix with a metal spoon.  Using your hands form the dough into balls (approximately 16).  Press marshmallow (about 2 or 3) into cookie dough.  Bake at 350F for about 10 minutes depending on your oven.

That's what I'm talking about

Green Bean & Artichoke Salad

.....inspired by 4 Ingredients, Fast Fresh & Healthy

Photo credit

1 can of artichokes, drained

250g fresh green beans

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon chili flakes

dash of balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup pistachio nuts, chopped

handful of parsley, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Place artichokes in a bowl and add olive oil, vinegar and chili flakes.  Set aside to marinate, at least 1 hour.  Chop beans into 2" pieces and place in boiling water about 3-4 minutes.  Drain and place in bowl with artichokes.  Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

A Productive Weekend

I had a pretty good weekend as I completed a lot of stuff I've been meaning to do:

- Vacuumed the kitchen, laundry, living room and hallway
- Mopped the kitchen and laundry
- Moved bunny back to her normal living area (I moved her because the bathroom was being painted, and I didn't want her to get sick from the fumes)
- Dusted everything in the living room
- Cleared the dining table so we can actually have dinner on it.
-Watered the orchids
- Had my Mum and brother over for afternoon tea
- Sowed seeds (tomatoes, eggplant, capsicum/pepper, basil, summer spinach, silverbeet/chard, kale) to plant in my Mum's garden when they're grown. 

For afternoon tea I made Jenny's Blueberry Bran Bread (modified quite a bit, since I didn't have all the ingredients),  sundried tomato pesto & ham sandwiches and Cranberry Muffins.

The sundried tomato pesto was easy to make.  I used sundried tomatoes in oil and pine nuts all blended till smooth.  It was the first time I've made it and it was so easy I don't think I'll ever buy pesto again!  It is so much cheaper to make it yourself than buy it.