Category Archives: Baking

Fig and Walnut Whole grain Spelt Braid

I had been walking around with this recipe in my head for a few months now, but with the temperatures we’ve had this summer there was no way I was turning on the oven.

So, finally the weather has become more apt for baking and to be honest I have really missed baking.

This bread is great for accompanying cheeses like blue cheese or goat cheese because of the slight sweetness of the figs. It also goes very well with Pate or Serrano ham.

Toasted the next day is delicious too…and it freezes well.

Makes 1 small loaf

Ingredients:

1 C. warm milk regular or unsweetened soy , about 100° F

2 tsp. yeast

2 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. melted butter

1 1/2 C. whole grain spelt flour

1 1/2 C. plain spelt flour

1 tbsp. cocoa

1 1/2 tsp.salt

1/2 C. walnuts, chopped

2 1/2 oz. dried figs, chopped roughly

Method:

Soak the figs in warm water for about 30 minutes.

Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk together with the honey. Let the yeast sit for 5-10 minutes or until frothy. Add the melted butter.

Put the flours with the cocoa in your mixing bowl, turn on the mixer fitted with the hook attachment and slowly add the milk/yeast/butter mixture. Mix it in and now add the salt.

Knead for 10 minutes, add the nuts and figs at the last minute, just enough to mix them in.

Turn out the dough to a floured surface and knead a few times, pushing the dough away from you with the palms of your hands and pulling it back with your fingers.

Shape into a ball and place in an oil sprayed bowl. Cover with cling film and let rise until double in bulk, about two hours.

Take the dough out of the bowl and place back on your floured work surface, give it just a little knead and shape into three sausages. Form a braid. Place into a greased loaf pan. Cover again with cling film (which has been sprayed with oil) and cover loosely. Let rise again for 30 minutes.

Pre heat the oven to 190 C / 375° F

Remove the cling film and place on a rack in the middle of the oven. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes. Check by tapping on the bread, if it sounds hollow it’s done.

Every oven is different so you really need to check the bread at around 30 minutes to see how it is going.

Apples and Blackberries with an Almond Cookie dough Crumble

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The flavour of freshly picked berries is the best.

We stayed in a cabin in the woods in Germany some time ago. A beautiful place with an amazing view over the forest. And when going for a hike, you could easily pick enough blackberries to bake a pie or crumble, like this one.

We sometimes skipped lunch all together and just ate crumble. Apples and Blackberries, such a wonderful combination, with a golden crispy Almond Cookie Dough crumble topping that will make your heart melt.

Serves about 6

Ingredients For the Filling;

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and core removed, cut in medium dice
2 Jonagold apples, peeled and core removed, cut in medium dice
1 1/2 C Fresh Blackberries frozen, or use ready frozen ones
1/4 C Coconut blossom sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. Flour

Ingredients for the Crumble;

1 1/2 C. Oat flour
1/2 C. regular spelt flour
1/4 C. cold Butter, cut in to small cubes
1/4 C. Almond butter
1/4 C. Coconut blossom sugar
1/4 C. Maple Syrup
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Extra;

1 tbsp. butter for buttering the oven dish

Instructions:

Pre heat oven to 350° F

Place all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl and toss together gently try not to break the blackberries. Coat evenly with the flour.

Butter an 8×8″/ 20x20cm. oven dish lightly with the butter and place all the ingredients for the filling in it.

For the crumble; place all the ingredients in a bowl. Mix thru with a wooden spoon and then use your hands to form crumbs by rubbing your hands together. Place the crumble on top of the fruit.

Put the oven dish in the middle of the pre heated oven

Bake for about 45 minutes turning the dish half way, until the bubbly and golden on top.

Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Serve with whipped cream, crème fraîche or ice cream for an incredible dessert.

Enjoy

Myra Xo

Summer Cupcakes

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These little Summer Cupcakes were so much fun to make. Don’t they look cute? They are tender and soft, scented with vanilla, just so irresistible.

The most work were the slippers, but even that I did watching tv, so you can imagine it couldn’t have been that difficult, it just takes a little time.

My daughter came home from school one day and told me she had signed me up for baking for the Schools annual BBQ, Yeeaaaay…. No, seriously I don’t mind. I have always been assigned to baking for school because they know how much I love it. Especially baking for kids, they are always so super enthusiastic.

Ingredients;

1 C. All Purpose Unbleached Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
2 tsp. Baking Powder
½ tsp. Salt
2 tsp. pure Vanilla Extract
3-4 tbsp. Milk
½ C. unsalted butter or margarine at room temperature
3/4 C. Caster Sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature

Instructions:

Adjust rack to lower third of oven; preheat the oven to 350° F.

Place paper cupcake liners in a 12-cup muffin pan.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt onto a piece of waxed paper. Stir the vanilla into the milk. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar beating until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until the batter is light and creamy, and scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl after each addition. Add the dry ingredients alternating with the liquid ingredients in 3 additions.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until the top of the muffins springs back when lightly touched, and a wooden toothpick inserted in the cakes comes out dry.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely before decorating.

The decorations are made out of fondant, strips of candy mats for the towels and a bit of colored icing sugar for the sea.

Enjoy!

Myra Xo

Looking for more great recipes to try? Be sure to check out these French Crêpes.

Blueberry Oat bars with Coconut and Chocolate

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Makes 16 Bars

Ok, so let me explain to you what happens when you bite in to one of these…

First there is crunchy from the top crumble, sweet from the Blueberry with a slight juicy burst, sticky and gooey from the layer of Condensed Coconut milk, depth and Glory from the Dark Chocolate shreds, and then a firm Oat Cookie-like base with a crunch from the Kasha and nuts to keep the whole thing together. Are you with me?

I hope so, these are so worth the 30 minutes in the kitchen.

NOTE: I am eating one as I write and I am telling you, it’s very hard to stop…

Ingredients;

2 C. Gluten free Oats
1/2 C. Kasha
1/2 C. mixed unsalted nuts, chopped roughly
3/4 C. Coconut oil, soft
1/2 C. Shredded dried Coconut
1/4 C. Cracked Flax seeds
1/2 C. Vanilla Protein powder
1/2 C. Coconut Blossom Sugar
1/2 C. Agave Syrup
1 1/2 C. Frozen Blueberries or a Berry mix
1/3 C. Condensed Coconut milk
1/4 C. Chocolate shreds*
+ 2 tbsp. Shredded dried Coconut for decorating the top

Method;

Pre heat the oven to 350 ° F

Line a 8″x 8″ baking tray with baking parchment

Mix the first nine ingredients in a bowl. Divide in 2/3 (bottom) and 1/3 (top).

Place 2/3 of the base mix in the baking pan and press really firm to make a good base.

Top with the frozen Blueberries.

Drizzle over the Condensed milk, add half the Chocolate shreds and cover with irregular “blobs” of the remaining 1/3 base mix. You want to be able to see the Blueberries after baking and the irregular top looks very appealing.

Now sprinkle over the two tablespoons of coconut shreds and the rest of the Chocolate shreds, place in the middle of the oven. Bake for about 23 to 25 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.

Best is to make it in the evening and let it firm up in the refrigerator overnight. Then carefully cut into squares.

*I cut the Chocolate with a very sharp knife diagonally into very thin slivers.

Enjoy

Myra Xo