Chocolate frosting or sauce

One of the most viewed recipes on the blog is my chocolate tray bake and for quite some time I have been meaning to share a chocolate frosting that I now use when serving the cake. I use the same recipe to make a chocolate sauce that I sometimes serve with the meringue tops that I also posted today. When making the sauce I add a bit more water (you can use the sauce on ice cream as well). Just make sure you prepare the frosting/sauce about one hour before serving.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING OR SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, preferable organic/fair-trade
• 1½ tablespoons organic raw cane sugar
• 2½ tablespoons agave nectar
• 3-3½ tablespoons water (4½-5 tbsp = about 75 ml if making chocolate sauce)
• a small piece organic dark chocolate or milk chocolate (about 20 g)
• optional: pinch of sea salt, fine

METHOD

1. Put all the ingredients into a small pan or saucepan
2. Bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring gently. Then remove from heat
3. Pour the chocolate frosting/sauce into a bowl and let it sit for about one hour before serving

Meringue tops (chocolate)

© Lisa Stefan | Books & Latte

Please find the meringue tops (with chocolate and chocolate sauce) recipe on my blog Books & Latte (follow the link).

Potato and spring onion quiche (veggie pie)

Maybe this recipe should be called potatoes with quiche on the side! There are a few potato lovers in this family that I had in mind when putting it together. In my quiche, you will not find 5 eggs and double cream in the filling, and there isn't a mountain of butter in the pastry, in fact, there is none. There is also no need to plastic wrap the dough or blind-bake the pastry with baking beads before adding the filling. Sounds good, right? If you have been using store-bought pastry so far it is time to say goodbye to those and make your own. It's way easier and simpler than you think. Not to mention healthier. If you like potatoes I hope you will enjoy this quiche; other versions will appear on the blog later.

POTATO AND SPRING ONION QUICHE (VEGGIE PIE)

INGREDIENTS

FILLING

• 4 large potatoes (ca. 600 g / 1.3 lbs), precooked for 20 minutes
• 2 eggs
• 250 g cottage cheese (about 1 cup)
• 2 teaspoons (organic) mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley or thyme
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 7 cm (2.7 inches) piece of the green part of a bunch of spring onions (scallions), sliced
• 2 large handfuls (ca. 60 g) salad blend (e.g. endive, radicchio, lettuce) or spinach
• Topping: 75-100 g (about ¾ cup) of your favourite cheese, grated, and some freshly grated parmesan

PASTRY

• 1¼ cup spelt flour
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 2½ tablespoons organic vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons water

METHOD

1. Start with precooking the potatoes maybe one hour before preparing the quiche: Cook them for 20 minutes without a lid. Drain the water and allow the potatoes to cool
2. In a large bowl combine the eggs (you can lightly beat the eggs first if you prefer), cottage cheese, mustard, herbs, salt and the salad blend/spinach
3. Take your bunch of spring onions and cut a 7 cm (2.7 inches) piece of the green part. Slice rather finely and add to the bowl. Set the bowl aside while preparing the pastry
4. For the pastry: Sift the spelt flour and sea salt into another bowl. Add the oil and water and mix gently with a spatula. Use your hands to gently knead the mixture in the bowl to get a feel for the texture. If it crumbles then you need a bit more oil; if it's too oily just add some spelt flour. (If you need to add oil, just put a few drops in the palm of your hands and knead the mixture in your hands until the texture feels right)
5. On a light spelt-floured surface shape the dough into a ball and then roll it out until you have a circle with about 28 cm diameter (11 inches). Use just a touch of oil to grease a pie dish (24 cm / 9.5 inches) and line it with the pastry. Prick the base with a fork in a few places
6. Peel the potatoes, dice them and add them to the filling. Then pour the filling into the pastry shell, even out and top with the grated cheese
7. Bake at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 50-55 minutes until the cheese turns golden brown
8. Let the quiche sit for about 5 minutes before serving

Mushroom salad

On Saturday I was in a magazine shop leafing through some issues and in the French food magazine Saveurs I came across a mushroom salad with such an appealing photo. I knew it wouldn't leave me alone so I decided to serve it with dinner that evening. I didn't understand every word in the recipe but I took a mental note of the ingredients and here you have my version of it (the proportion in the magazine was much larger as they used 1 kilo of mushrooms). Making the salad couldn't be simpler but keep in mind that the mushrooms need to marinate for two hours. I served the salad with grilled chicken and couscous for dinner and, as my husband phrased it, it was surprisingly delicious in its simplicity. I totally agree.

MUSHROOM SALAD

INGREDIENTS

• 300 g mushrooms (to save time you can use pre-sliced)
• 1½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• juice from about ⅓ of a lemon
• sea salt
• a handful of freshly chopped coriander

METHOD

1. Slice the mushrooms (or safe time and buy pre-sliced) and let them marinate in a large bowl with olive oil, lemon juice and some sea salt for two hours. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and if possible, stir occasionally
2. Before serving add the handful of chopped coriander

Quinoa pudding with greek yoghurt and strawberries

© Lisa Stefan | Books & Latte

Please find the quinoa pudding recipe on my blog Books & Latte (follow the link).

Rice with indian spices and sultanas

This rice recipe is very similar to the one I posted recently, called rice with Indian spices. The main difference is that there are no cloves and peppercorns in this side dish. Actually, cloves and peppercorns are parts of the garam masala spice blend but it contains many other ground spices and here we are only using ¼ teaspoon. You can skip the sultanas if you like but I think their natural sweetness and the Indian spices complement each other very well. As I said when I posted the other rice recipe, you can experiment with the spices as you like if your taste buds are calling for something different. If you want the rice saltier then sprinkle some Maldon sea salt on top.

RICE WITH INDIAN SPICES AND SULTANAS

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ cup (300 g) basmati rice
• 3 cups (750 ml) boiled water
• 1 organic vegetable stock cube
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (or ghee)
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• pinch of chilli flakes
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon garam masala
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
• handful of sultanas/golden raisins

METHOD

1. Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water. Let the rice sit in the sieve until needed
2. Pour the boiled water needed (I boil it in a kettle) into a large glass jug and let the vegetable stock cube dissolve in it while you prepare the spices
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan (make sure the saucepan is big enough for cooking the rice) on medium heat and add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and chilli flakes. Gently fry the spices until the seeds start to pop. As you are only using two teaspoons of oil, you don't have to move the spices around in the saucepan. Just make sure all the spices and oil are in one place
4. As soon as the seeds start to pop, add the vegetable stock, rice and the other three spices and stir gently
5. Increase the heat and keep it on the highest setting until the water starts boiling (takes just a moment), then reduce it to the lowest and cook the rice for about 12-15 minutes. Use a lid but let it tilt slightly to allow the steam to escape
6. About three minutes before the rice is ready take a handful of sultanas and spread them over the rice without stirring (just stir them into the rice before serving)

Rice with indian spices

The other day we were having a barbecue - grilled chicken - and my husband asked me if I could make one of my rice dishes to go with it. In the past, I have been making all kinds of versions of rice with spices and/or herbs, so this time I decided to write down the things I threw in for the blog. When we have a barbecue we tend to keep things rather simple. I'm not really keen on heavy sauces with grilled meat or too many side dishes. I'm fine with a simple salad, a couscous salad or rice. Sometimes I just grab the tamari sauce for the rice, but I like using Indian spices to turn a simple meal into something a bit more special. As with all other recipes on the blog, this one is not holy. You can experiment with the spices you like to find your own version if this one doesn't appeal to your taste buds. If you want the rice saltier then sprinkle some Maldon sea salt on top. I recommend removing the cloves and peppercorns before serving.

RICE WITH INDIAN SPICES

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ cup (300 g) basmati rice
• 3 cups (750 ml) boiled water
• 1 organic vegetable stock cube
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (or ghee)
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 4 black peppercorns
• 3 whole cloves
• pinch of chilli flakes
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

METHOD

1. Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water. Let the rice sit in the sieve until needed
2. Pour the boiled water needed (I boil it in a kettle) into a large glass jug and let the vegetable stock cube dissolve in it while you prepare the spices
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan (make sure the saucepan is big enough for cooking the rice) on medium heat and add all the spices, except the turmeric. Gently fry the spices until the seeds start to pop. As you are only using two teaspoons of oil, you don't have to move the spices around in the saucepan. Just make sure all the spices and oil are in one place
4. As soon as the seeds start to pop, add the boiled water with the dissolved vegetable stock cube, the rice and turmeric and stir gently
5. Increase the heat and keep it on the highest setting until the water starts boiling, then reduce it to the lowest and cook the rice for about 12-15 minutes. Use a lid but let it tilt slightly to allow the steam to escape
6. Before serving the rice it is advisable to remove the cloves and maybe also the peppercorns, especially if you have children at the table

Pancakes (breakfast)

In my home country Iceland we would not use the word pancakes for this recipe. We call these skonsur, a word that was probably borrowed from the English word scone. Actually, I had been experimenting with Amercian pancakes, as we refer to the thick ones, when this recipe was born. It was on a Sunday morning when I was simply too lazy to whisk egg whites that I looked at the scribble in my notebook and thought to myself that I could probably turn this into skonsur with some minor changes. And I did. We like having these on Sunday mornings. My husband and I eat them with cheese and organic jam but the children tend to grab the pure maple syrup (or agave) for a more sugary taste - and sticky fingers! American readers please note: 1½ cup = 375 ml, so you will need about two tablespoons more if using 400 ml milk.

PANCAKES (BREAKFAST)

INGREDIENTS

• 325 g spelt flour (2½ cups)
• 2 tablespoons organic raw cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon agave syrup
• 2-2½ teaspoons gluten free baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 large eggs
• ± 400 ml milk/soy milk
• 2½ tablespoons coconut oil

METHOD

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients
2. Make a well in the centre of the flour, break the eggs into it and whisk them lightly
3. Add the milk slowly and whisk constantly and thoroughly until no lumps remain (I always use 400 ml milk)
4. Add the agave and coconut oil and combine well (if the coconut oil is solid, place the jar in a bowl of hot water before use)
5. Using a kitchen paper, smear the pan with a thin layer of oil and set the heat at medium-high (I use setting 6 of 9 for the first two pancakes and then I lower the heat to 5. When I find the surface of the pancakes becoming too dark, I lower the heat again and use setting 4 for the rest of the batter)
6. Use a ladle to pour the batter into the pan in one go and use the bottom of the ladle to spread the batter evenly. How long it takes to cook depends on the heat and the consistency of the batter. When the surface is completely covered with bubbles it is time to flip the pancake. The other side needs less time to cook and when it is done, transfer it onto a plate. Stack the pancakes to keep them warm (from the batter I get about 12 pancakes)
7. Serve the pancakes for breakfast with cheese and your favourite organic jam, or bring out the pure maple syrup (or agave), or whatever it is you like on your pancakes

Pancakes (icelandic)

In this house we cannot get enough of pancakes. There was a time when we made them almost every Sunday, and I'm not talking about American pancakes, as we refer to them, that are served for breakfast with syrup. Ours are larger and thinner (smaller than crêpes) and in Iceland they are served with jam and whipped cream - not lemon juice and sugar, as is common in Europe. The kids sometimes use organic or home-made chocolate hazelnut spread instead of jam. Some people like to drizzle them with sugar and roll them up and I remember eating a lot of those when I was a kid. When I look back it was my father that made the pancakes in our home (my mother was the waffle maker) and I also remember sitting in my grandmother's kitchen watching her make pancakes. Happy times! I find it best to use white spelt flour in these. I know that the common method is first setting the heat at highest and then making the pancakes at medium heat but I find it better to start with medium heat and cook the pancakes at medium-low. I guess it depends on what kind of pan you use.

PANCAKES

INGREDIENTS

• 250 g spelt flour (2 cups)
• optional: pinch of fine sea salt
• 2 eggs, free-range
• 500-550 millilitres milk/soy milk (2 cups = 500 ml)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (from a health food store)
• 1½-2 tablespoons coconut oil or other quality vegetable oil

METHOD

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder
2. Make a well in the centre of the flour, break the eggs into it and whisk them lightly
3. Add the milk slowly and whisk constantly and thoroughly until no lumps remain
4. Add the vanilla extract and oil and whisk some more until the batter is smooth (the consistency should be like thin cream). If you use coconut oil and it is solid, just place the jar in a bowl of hot water before use
5. Before I start making the pancakes I use a kitchen paper to smear the pan with oil and then I set the heat at medium. I lower the heat slightly before making the first pancake (from the batter I get 20-25 pancakes)
6. It is good to do a test pancake just to make sure you are using the correct amount of batter. Use a ladle to pour the batter into the pan in one go and swiftly use the bottom of the ladle to spread the batter evenly. How long it takes to cook depends on the heat. In my case it takes about 40 seconds for the pancake to turn golden on the bottom (use a palette knife/pan turner to lift the edge to see if it is done). Flip the pancake over with a palette knife/pan turner. The other side needs less time to cook and when it is done, transfer it onto a plate. Stack the pancakes to keep them warm
7. Serve with whipped cream (you can also use soy cream or cashew cream) and your favourite jam. In this house it is usually organic blueberry, red currant or raspberry jam. After you have added the jam and whipped cream, fold the pancake in half, then in half again to form a triangle. You can also drizzle the pancakes with raw cane sugar and roll them up

Indian tea (chai latte)

© Lisa Stefan | Books & Latte

Please find the Indian tea / chai latte recipe on my blog Books & Latte (follow the link).

chocolate chip cookies with almonds and oats

I have to admit that it was my plan to post more recipes on the blog before the holidays but somehow other things got in the way. Let me make it up with cookies. I was baking with my kids on Thursday when I decided to do a little experiment and this recipe is the result. I baked the cookies again yesterday just to make sure that our taste buds hadn't been fooling us and they were just as good. My kids don't like dark chocolate so I use organic semi sweet chocolate in mine. You can also use organic milk chocolate if you want. And if you want to use more chocolate then that is fine too, just make sure you don't overdo it because the cookies are sugary enough.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES WITH ALMONDS AND OATS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large egg
• 70 g raw cane sugar, organic
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 2 tablespoons organic peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 30 g spelt flour
• ½ teaspoon gluten free baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
• 50 g rolled oats
• 70 g almonds, chopped
• 70 g organic chocolate, semi sweet or dark, chopped

METHOD

1. In a large bowl, combine the egg, sugar, agave nectar, peanut butter and coconut oil (if the oil is solid, place the jar in a bowl of hot water before use)
2. In a small bowl, combine the spelt flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder and add it to the wet ingredients
3. Add the rolled oats and chopped almonds and mix gently (I chop the almonds in a food processor)
4. Chop the chocolate, add it into the bowl and mix gently
5. Place baking parchment on a large baking tray
6. Drop a tablespoon of batter onto the baking parchment and make sure to leave some space between each cookie. I get about 24 cookies from the batter and bake 12 at a time
7. Bake at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 12 minutes
8. The cookies are soft when they come out of the oven so allow them to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool further or serving

carrot muffins

Is it obvious that I like baking muffins? I have plenty of muffins recipes in my notebook and every time I think about what to post there is this voice inside that says no, you cannot post yet another muffins recipe. I find it a bit funny that in early 2009 I had never in my life baked muffins. I have no idea what was stopping me but after my first try there was no going back. My friend (Cafe)Sigrun was of course my inspiration; she was always talking about these amazing muffins she was making and one day I thought to myself that's it, now I'll give it a go and I went muffin pan shopping. I'm not pretending to invent the wheel with this recipe, I think the ingredients are pretty basic, but as you know I never use butter when baking and I don't drown my recipes in oil. Personally, I love using chopped pecans or walnuts in carrot muffins but my younger daughter is going through a phase where she doesn't want nuts in anything (too long phase, if you ask me!). As I like to make these for the children I leave the nuts out.

CARROT MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

• 250 g spelt flour, a blend of wholegrain and fine (2 cups)
• 2½-3 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1-1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½-1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• optional: ⅛-¼ teaspoon cardamom
• optional: ⅛-¼ teaspoon clove
• 1 large egg, free-range/organic
• 100 g organic raw cane sugar (½ cup)
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or agave
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or other fine vegetable oil
• 75-90 ml (5-6 tablespoons) organic vanilla yoghurt (or plain yoghurt + ¼-½ teaspoon organic vanilla sugar)
• 175 g coarsely grated carrots (two carrots)

Update 4 October 2012: I was asked in an email how I make these with nuts. Usually, I use chopped walnuts and I use about 50 grams, which is about ½ cup. And when I use nuts I only use ½ tablespoon of oil because the fat from the nuts is enough. The muffins get too sticky in my opinion if I use 1 tablespoon.

METHOD

1. In a large bowl, combine the spelt flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside
2. In a medium bowl, combine the egg, sugar, maple syrup and coconut oil (if the oil is solid, place the jar in a bowl of hot water before use). Then add the vanilla yoghurt and combine
3. Coarsely grate the carrots
4. Add the wet ingredients and the grated carrots (and walnuts if using) into the large bowl and mix gently. Make sure not to stir, the texture of the dough should be rather light
5. Lightly grease a silicon muffin pan with some coconut oil and fill each muffin cup about two-thirds to the rim (makes 12-14 muffins)
6. Bake at 180-190°C/350-375°F/gas mark 4-5 for 20-25 minutes (fan oven: 175°C/325°C/gas mark 3)
7. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the tins for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack

couscous salad with lime dressing

This simple and easy to make salad has been quite often on the menu this summer, or since we got back from a short trip to London in June. I bought a couscous salad in the Whole Foods Market on Kensington High Street to eat on the way back home and it tasted so delicious that I decided to use it as an idea for my own summer salad. This is one of my experiments and, in fact, I'm enjoying it while creating this post. The salad I bought was quite different and it had chickpeas in it but my experiments started with kidney beans and pinto beans. Actually, the only time we found it dull was when I used chickpeas. Maybe it needed to sit longer before serving, I don't know. It just didn't taste the same. As I said, it's easy to make so I like having it for lunch and then I use the rest as a side dish with dinner that same day. It goes really well with chicken and all kinds of grilled meat. There are many types of couscous available on the market, I use organic one from Rapunzel.

COUSCOUS SALAD WITH LIME DRESSING

INGREDIENTS

SALAD

• 200 g organic couscous (1 cup)
• 300 ml water (250 ml = 1 cup)
• 1 can kidney beans (400 g)
• 100 g sweetcorn (½ cup)
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 orange, diced
• optional: ½ red onion, finely chopped

DRESSING

• 3-3½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (you will need two limes)
• 1½-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Himalaya or sea salt
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric

METHOD

SALAD

1. Start with preparing the couscous which is very simple: Put couscous and water into a small saucepan, bring to boil (happens fast), remove immediately from heat, cover with lid and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes
2. Rinse and drain the beans and sweetcorn and keep them in a colander until ready to use (I use organic sweetcorn that I buy in glass jars)
3. Remove the seeds and dice the red pepper
4. Peel the orange with a sharp knife and try to remove all the pith. Cut the orange in half and dice it (make sure you are using a good and tasty orange)
5. If using the half red onion, peel it and chop finely (I recommend it for the salad as it adds a good taste)
6. Put all the ingredients into a big salad bowl and mix together

DRESSING

1. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt and spices
2. Drizzle some of the dressing over the salad and mix together, repeat two or three times until you have used up all the dressing
3. Leave the salad to stand for about 10 to 20 minutes while the flavours are developing
4. Serve as a main course with bread or as a side dish with, for example, grilled meat

Please note, do not keep the orange or limes in the fridge before preparing the salad. In an airtight container you can keep the salad in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Rhubarb and strawberry crumble

© Lisa Stefan | Books & Latte

Please find the rhubarb and strawberry crumble recipe on my blog Books & Latte (follow the link).

mixed seed bread with thyme and rosemary

I using yeast?!! This is what happened. I haven't used yeast for about three years or so, not because I have anything against it, I simply find it more convenient to bake bread with gluten-free baking powder that is ready for the oven as soon as the dough has been mixed. Last week my husband went grocery shopping and on the list was baking powder. In the health food section it is next to the yeast so he simply grabbed the wrong thing. He bought a few packages and instead of returning it I decided to experiment a little with bread recipes. This is one of my results and it looks like I'll be buying more yeast in the future. If you buy dry yeast in the health food section it will contain nothing but fresh yeast that has been dried. The package I use contains 9 grams and is intended for 500 grams of flour. It's a quick yeast which means that you don't have to mix it with water or anything like that, you simply blend it with the ingredients and let the dough rise before moulding a loaf that goes straight into the oven. Most yeast bread recipes will tell you to knead the dough for several minutes but I find it best to knead it as little as possible (maybe it's because I use spelt flour). I make two medium sized loafs from the dough.

MIXED SEED BREAD WITH THYME AND ROSEMARY

INGREDIENTS

• 500 g spelt flour (4 cups*)
• 1 package dry yeast (9 g) - see description above
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ tablespoon raw cane sugar, organic
• ½ tablespoon flaxseeds/linseeds
• ½ tablespoon pumpkin seeds
• ½ tablespoon sesame seeds
• ½ tablespoon sunflower seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
• 150 ml hot water
• 125 ml soya milk or regular (½ cup)
• 1 tablespoon virgin olive oil or other quality vegetable oil

* American readers please note: 500 grams of spelt flour is about 4 cups minus 3 tablespoons. 1 cup = 250 ml

METHOD

1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl using a large wooden spoon or a spatula
2. Boil some water and then blend the water, milk, and oil in a measuring cup. Slowly pour it into the bowl while mixing the dough gently with the spoon
3. Use one hand to gently knead the dough while it is still in the bowl. If there is still some dry flour on the bottom of the bowl that doesn't mix then add 1-2 tablespoons of water and knead the dough a little more. Make sure the dough is not sticky (at this stage I keep the dough in the bowl while kneading it)
4. Put a lid on the bowl or cover it with a tea towel and let the dough rise for about 45 minutes in a draught-free spot
5. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Divide the dough in half and gently knead each half on a lightly (spelt)floured working surface. I start with making a ball and then I slowly begin spreading it a little and rolling it back and forth. The size of the loafs I mould is about 10 x 22 cm (4 x 8.7 inches)
6. Bake at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 20-22 minutes

apple and cinnamon muffins - 'appins'

I have a confession to make; these are my I-need-to-manipulate-my-hubby muffins. If I don't have time to bake his favourite, the apple cake, then I can always make these, as the recipes are similar, and have my way with him. Well, sort of, he's not that easily manipulated! By the way, he calls these appins. All jokes aside, these muffins are very easy to make and if I remember correctly I put the recipe together for a Sunday brunch. Everyone in this household finds them delicious and I make them frequently. I always use one teaspoon of cinnamon and I don't think the taste is too dominant. Use less if you're sensitive to its taste. I have added a few baking options below the list of ingredients if you would like to pop them up. If using regular baking powder one teaspoon is enough.

APPLE AND CINNAMON MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

• 200 g spelt flour (1½ cup)
• 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg, free-range/organic
• 1 egg white (from a large egg)
• 100 g organic raw cane sugar (½ cup)
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 large red apples, peeled and grated coarsely

Optional: You can use less cinnamon and/or add some ground ginger or nutmeg instead, or both. Sometimes I add a handful of chopped pecans and I have used raisins. If you really want to treat yourself then add 20 g of chopped organic dark chocolate and skip one tablespoon of maple syrup.

METHOD

1. In a medium bowl, combine the spelt flour, baking powder, salt and ground cinnamon. Set aside
2. In a large bowl, combine the egg, egg white, sugar, maple syrup and coconut oil (if the oil is solid, place the jar in a bowl of hot water before use)
3. Peel the apples and remove the seeds. Grate the apples using a coarse grater and then add them to the egg and sugar blend and mix with a spatula
4. Add the dry ingredients and mix gently. Make sure not to stir, the texture of the dough should be light
5. Lightly grease a silicone muffin pan with some coconut oil and fill each muffin cup about two-thirds to the rim (makes 12 muffins)
6. Bake at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 22-25 minutes
7. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the tins for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack

hot chocolate with home-made vanilla sugar

Can anyone resist the temptation of a cup of hot chocolate in cold weather? This blend is my children's favourite and it's so easy to throw everything into a saucepan after school on cold days. I don't melt any chocolate to make this one; I just use organic cocoa powder and home-made vanilla sugar. The taste is sweet and you don't really need to serve it with whipped cream/ice cream. Personally I like my hot chocolate with a stronger chocolate taste, even chilli powder, and of course you can add more cocoa powder or bits of organic dark chocolate to get the desired taste. Or maybe pouring some liquor into the cup will do. wink

HOT CHOCOLATE WITH HOME-MADE VANILLA SUGAR

INGREDIENTS

• 1 litre milk (4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons raw cane sugar
• ½ tablespoon home-made vanilla sugar
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, preferably organic
• optional: pinch of sea salt 

METHOD

1. Warm the milk in a saucepan on medium heat
2. Add the sugar and cocoa powder and salt, if using, and whisk gently until the cocoa powder has dissolved
3. Bring to an easy boil while you stir and then remove from heat
4. Serve with or without whipped cream

HOME-MADE VANILLA SUGAR

I posted my version of home-made vanilla sugar in a separate post on this blog but I add it here for convenience. It's very easy to make, you only need organic raw cane sugar and one vanilla pod.

I split the vanilla pod lengthwise with a sharp knife. Then I scrape the seeds out with the knife tip. In a glass jar with a lid, I put organic raw cane sugar, all the seeds from the vanilla pod and the split pod itself. (Store in a closed jar.) You don't have to use all the seeds if you don't want too, in fact you don't need to use any. But I like my version with all the seeds.

home-made vanilla sugar

Someone emailed me and asked how I make my own vanilla sugar. It's very simple. Here is my version:

HOME-MADE VANILLA SUGAR

INGREDIENTS

• organic raw cane sugar
• 1 vanilla pod

METHOD

1. Split the vanilla pod lengthwise with a sharp knife and scrape the seeds out with the knife tip
2. In a glass jar with a lid, put organic raw cane sugar, all the seeds from the vanilla pod, and the split pod itself. You don't have to use all the seeds if you don't want too, in fact you don't need to use any. But I like my version with all the seeds
3. Store in a closed jar, occasionally replacing the vanilla pod/seeds

apple and chocolate muffins

I put this simple recipe together last Sunday when preparing a late brunch for the family. Instead of using chocolate chips or cocoa powder I used organic chocolate hazelnut spread. I only buy organic ones; I never buy Nutella or such brands. You can also use my home-made version if you have it, just make sure it's at room temperature before you start. The chocolate hazelnut spread makes the tops a bit crunchy. The muffins of course taste good and they are not too sweet. If you are allergic to nuts you can use coconut oil instead of the chocolate hazelnut spread and add some cocoa powder or organic chocolate chips. If you use regular baking powder you'll only need one teaspoon.

APPLE AND CHOCOLATE MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

• 200 g spelt flour (1½ cup)
• 2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 large egg, free-range/organic
  
• 100 g raw cane sugar (½ cup)
• 3 tablespoons organic chocolate hazelnut spread
• 2 red apples (not too big), peeled and grated coarsely

METHOD

1. In a medium bowl, combine the spelt flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside
2. In a large bowl, combine the egg and sugar
3. Peel the apples and remove the seeds. Grate the apples using a coarse grater
4. Add the grated apples and the chocolate hazelnut spread into the large bowl with the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula
5. Add the dry ingredients and mix gently. Make sure not to stir, the texture of the dough should be light
6. Lightly grease a silicon muffin pan with some coconut oil and fill each muffin cup about two-thirds to the rim (makes 12 muffins)
7. Bake at 200°C/400°F/gas 6 for 23-27 minutes
8. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the tins for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack

cinnamon buns (yeast free)

I have nothing against yeast; I simply don't have the patience to use it! There, I said it. About two years ago I began experimenting with a yeast free cinnamon buns (rolls) recipe. Everyone in this household loved it, but I wasn't 100% happy, I wanted them softer. On a beautiful Sunday morning in September I was dreaming about freshly baked and soft cinnamon buns when I had an epiphany! I ran into the kitchen, put the invisible stay-out-of-my-kitchen sign on the door, put on my apron and began working, and I got the results I wanted. The yummy noises at the dining table were very rewarding. I've baked these with and without oil and both versions are good. Here's my golden rule: If I'm baking them to put in the freezer I always use oil (the children love to find these in their snack box). If I'm baking them to serve right away, and I know that all the buns will be eaten, I either skip the oil or use one tablespoon. As I want my buns rather thick I roll and stretch the dough into a square instead of a rectangle. By the way, the recipe includes no eggs and the dough itself contains no sugar. And you know what, the buns are delicious!

CINNAMON BUNS

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH

• 435 g spelt flour (between 3¼-3½ cups)
• 2-2½ tablespoons gluten free baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• 250-300 ml soya milk or regular
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil (optional, see intro)

FILLING

• 1 tablespoon agave nectar or pure maple syrup
• ½ tablespoon coconut oil
• 2½-3½ tablespoons raw cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• optional: chopped pecans and/or raisins

METHOD

1. Start with the dough: In a large bowl combine the spelt flour, baking powder and salt. Usually I use 2 tablespoons of gluten free baking powder but sometimes 2½ if I want the buns a little bigger. (Use only 1 tablespoon of baking powder if you're using regular and add ½-1 teaspoon if you want them a little bigger.)
2. Add the 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil or skip this step. (If the oil is solid, place the jar in a bowl of hot water before you start baking.)
3. Add the milk, starting with 250-275 ml, and mix gently with a large wooden or silicone spoon. Add more milk if you need. The dough is not supposed to be too wet, you have to be able to knead it and flatten out with a rolling pin. It's good to knead the dough just a bit in the bowl with your hands to get a feel for its texture. (American readers! 250 ml is exactly 1 cup so start with that and add a little more of milk.)
4. Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface and knead it with your hands. You have to use plenty of spelt flour on the surface because you don't want the dough sticking to it
5. Bring out your rolling pin and roll and stretch the dough to form a square that is about 37 cm (14.6 inches). I make a square instead of a rectangle because I like my buns to be thick
6. Now the filling: Mix the agave nectar and coconut oil in a small bowl. In a separate bowl blend the raw cane sugar and cinnamon (I find 2½-3 tablespoons of sugar enough but if you are used to more sugary flavour then perhaps you need more. But don't overdo it; we want them healthy!)
7. Spread the agave/oil mix evenly over the square (I find it best to simply use my fingers) and then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top. Add some chopped pecans and/or raisins if you want
8. Tightly but gently roll up the square into a thick log. Use a sharp knife to cut the log into 21 slices (you can start with cutting the log in half). Each slice should be a little less than 2 cm thick (about 0.7-0.8 inches)
9. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or lightly grease it with coconut oil (my tray is 35 x 25 cm/13.8 x 9.8 inches; the height is about 5 cm/2 inches). Place the buns into the baking tray in four rows of four and one row of five that contains the ends, which are a bit smaller
10. Bake in the oven at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 12-15 minutes (please note that my oven is fan assisted. I've baked these at 220°C in a no fan oven)
11. Allow the buns to cool in the baking tray for a few minutes before serving