Category: World of recipes

Zucchini – Carrot Muffins

Ok I have to admit I am still giggling about this one. This week I baked some muffins so that I can give some alternative snacks to school. I often bake the Oat and Apple ones but I was looking for something different, preferable with vegetables and not again the carrot cake muffins (minus the frosting). It should be something new.

So I checked for zucchini muffins. But something green in a muffin?! Not the best with my kids!  So, while walking the aisles in the shop I came across the zucchinis contemplating if I should give it a try. But hang on, there they were – YELLOW zucchinis!

If I would mix yellow zucchini and carrots I can “sell” them as carrot muffins, after all the yellow will nicely blend in.

And truth to be told – it was a hit, they all loved them!

They are juicy (can you say juicy when talking about a muffin?!), fresh and a great alternative for their school snacks!

I changed the original Zucchini Muffins recipe that I found on Simply Recipes a little bit, feel free to try!

Best of all they are super quick and easy to make, no mixer needed!

Zucchini – Carrot muffins

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups grated fresh zucchini (try the yellow ones if green is an issue at home)
  • 1 cup grated carrots
  • 2/3 cup melted unsalted butter (I mixed butter and apple sauce)
  • 1 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • Pinch salt
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350F).

In a large bowl combine the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the grated zucchini, carrots and then the melted butter and applesauce (if you use).

Then the dry ingredients: in a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.

Stir these dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture. (Do not over-mix!)

Stir in raisins or cranberries (optional). I blended them in the food processor to have it all a bit smoother.

Use an ice-cream- or normal spoon to distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups.

Bake on the middle rack until muffins are golden brown, and the top of the muffins bounce back when you press on them, about 20 to 25 minutes.

In tend to test mine with a toothpick to make sure the center of the muffins are done.

When baked cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Remove muffins from the tin let cool another 20 minutes.

And you are done!

 

Have a nice weekend and happy baking for some healthy snack!

AK

Fruit Scones

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Christmas time means as well holiday time for the kids. Time to slow down – time to get bored now and then. I like it when kids get bored, as they often get creative. When my son got bored this time, he grabbed Jamie Oliver`s cooking book, picked a recipe and asked if we can bake it together. He had picked Fruit Scones, just in time for an afternoon tea break! And while my own attempt in the past on scones turned out too dry, this one was just right! Ingredients where all in the house, so this one was a great easy mix!
We only had to rush out to get some clotted cream and more jam!

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Fruit Scones

(by Jamie Oliver – Ministry of Food)

Ingredients:

  • 120g dried fruit,
    such as sour cherries and/or raisins plus orange juice , for soaking
  • 450 g self-raising flour , plus a little extra for dusting
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 120g butter
  • salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 5 tablespoons milk, plus a little extra for brushing
  • jam
  • clotted cream

Makes around 10 scones

Tip: brilliant scones are about having the confidence to do as little as possible, do not over mix!

Directions:

  1. Put the dried fruit into a bowl and pour over just enough orange juice to cover.
  2. Pulse the flour, baking powder and butter in a food processor just until the mixture starts to look like breadcrumbs (don`t over mix!) or rub them together by hand (until they kind of look like cornflakes)
  3. Transfer into a mixing bowl and make a well in the middle
  4. In another bowl, beat eggs and milk with a pinch of salt
  5. Pour the beaten egg-milk mix and fruits into the well
  6. Stir well until you have a soft, dry dough (I found that easiest to do by hand). Add a little bit of milk if necessary.

Make the scones: 

  1. Pre heat oven to 200deg C
  2. Dust the workspace and rolling pin with a little bit of flour.
  3. Roll the dough until 2cm thick
  4. Using a 7cm round cutter or a glass, cut out 10 scones and place them upside down on a non stick baking sheet
  5. Brush with some milk
  6. Bake in pre-heated oven 12-15min until risen and brown.
  7. Cool on a wire rack

Scones are indulged at their best when warm; with some clotted cream and jam – and don`t forget a lovely cup of tea and candle light!

Enjoy,
AK

Chocolate Mint Cookies

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It got rainy here today. And it is Friday, the weekend is about to start. And the kids have friends over. All good reasons to get some chocolate cookies into the oveIMG_1459n!

First time I tried this recipe but thankfully it did not disappoint! Or should I say my Nigella Express book did not disappoint. After all this is her recipe! My kids say that they almost taste like After Eights. I like them because they seem super light and despite all the chocolate they are not too heavy on the chocolate taste. Just right in every aspect – super quick to make, light and tasty!

Here the recipe for Chocolate Mint Cookies (*)

Ingredients
Makes: 26 cookies

  • 100 grams soft butter
  • 150 grams soft light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 150 grams plain flour
  • 35 grams cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 200 grams dark chocolate chips

For the glaze

  • 75 grams icing sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (sieved)
  • 2 tablespoons boiling water
  • ¼ teaspoon peppermint essence

Get going: 

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4/350°F.

Cream the butter and brown sugar (I use a freestanding mixer for ease), then beat in the vanilla extract and the egg.

Mix the flour, cocoa and baking powder in a bowl and gradually beat in to the creamed mixture. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips.

Using a rounded 15ml-tablespoon measure, spoon out scoops of cookie dough and place on a lined baking sheet, leaving a little space in between each one.

Bake in the oven for 12 minutes and then let them sit on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before moving them to a cooling rack, with some newspaper on the surface underneath to catch any escaping glaze later.

Put the glaze ingredients into a saucepan and heat until combined.

Using a teaspoon, zig-zag the glaze over each cooling cookie.

 

They cool quickly and if you have kids in the house you may find them lining up!

Have a chocolat-y day!

AK

(*) as found in the Nigella Express book or under https://www.nigella.com/recipes/chocolate-mint-cookies

 

Carrot cake ~ with cardamom ~

Carrots – not just for the rabbits!

While on holiday in Sweden my son and I tried several carrot cakes and most of the ones we tried in the Cafe`s had the special twist with cardamom!  It was a great treat to simply indulge, not too heavy, very fresh.

Three days back at home and we decided to give a new recipe a try and we found this one! It is delicious, light and just the right texture – and gets a lovely colour! Hope you will enjoy, too! Easy and quick at the same time!
I found this one on https://heavenlycupcake.se.
And if you manage to have some left over – it is still great the next day!

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Carrot Cake

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 3dl (*) sugar (I used a bit less and found it sweet enough)
  • 150gr butter
  • 5dl carrots finely grated
  • 3dl flour
  • 1 teasp vanilla sugar (I used 1 teasp vanilla extract)
  • 3 teasp baking powder
  • 2 teasp grounded cinnamon
  • 0.5 teasp cardamom grounded (I used a bit more for more intense flavour)
  • 0.5 teasp ginger grounded
  • 1 little pinch of salt

(*) 1dl – 100ml

 

Directions:

  • Melt the butter and let it cool down a bit
  • Mix eggs and sugar very well until white and a bit fluffy
  • Gently lift under the carrots and melted butter, best with a spatula.
  • In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients, flour, vanilla powder, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, baking powder and salt.
  • Gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet ones until just mixed, best with a spatula.
  • Spread onto a baking tray or baking form around 20x20cm

Bake at 150 deg C for about 1 hr on the lowest rack (check in between, e.g. with a wooden stick to come out dry

Remove the cake and let it cool down completely before adding the frosting.

 Frosting

  • 100gr butter
  • 200gr cream cheese
  • 1,5 dl cream (I did not add it but it will make it more “fluffy”)
  • 1 teasp vanilla sugar (I used vanilla extract)
  • 200gr icing sugar

I personally found the amount of frosting a bit too much and will reduce the ingredients by half the next time. But I assume this is personal preference.

  • Let the butter and cream cheese become room temperature
  • Mix only the butter until white and creamy
  • Add the cream cheese and continue mixing to a creamy consistency
  • Add the icing- and vanilla sugar (I used vanilla extract and added a bit more of grounded cardamom, too)
  • If you decide to add the cream, add it bit by bit and mix up to a fluffy frosting.
  • Spread it well into the cooled down cake.

 

Now, sit back with a coffee or tea, a nice book or friends and indulge!

Have a lovely day,

AK

Parmesan Crackers

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My kids love crackers and when we noticed we had no more, what better way than making your own?!

All done in less than 20min. We may just stop buying them as the options for flavours seem endless and they are so quick and easily done!

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Below please find a recipe I found in a magazine sometime ago. While the dough itself is nice we tend to add a bit more salt, springle sea salt on top. And next time I will try to add chili! Also, playing around with the herbs will give various possibilities! Or try a different flour?!

But here the base recipe that works for us.

Parmesan Crackers

225gr plain flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried thyme

25gr parmesan cheese

125ml water

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

– preheat oven 230 deg C

– combine flour, salt, thyme and parmesan

– add water and olive oil and bring together into a dough. I find this easiest by hand.

– roll out 3mm or thinner if you like onto baking paper

– cut dough into squares, prick each square with a fork

– bake for 10min or until golden

Enjoy plain, with cheese, salami, ham, olives, salad, dips and whatever else may come to mind!

Have a lovely day

AK