Banana & cranberry bread

Lately it seems that bananas just don't seem to be eaten at The Shady Pine before they start to turn brown.  So with a couple of overripe bananas needing to be used I thought I would bake a quick and easy banana bread.  Occasionally, I like to add dried fruits or nuts (or chocolate!) to the banana bread for an extra flavour boost.  Since I had a heap of dried cranberries leftover from Christmas baking, I thought this would be a nice addition.

The loaf turned out beautifully!  A really moist and delicious but not too sweet treat.  Perfect for an afternoon snack or for a packed lunch.

Banana & Cranberry Bread

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups of self raising flour
1/4 cup plain flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 overripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp cinnamon
50ml macadamia oil (or use another oil or melted butter instead)
2 eggs, lightly beaten

1.  Preheat oven to 180C
2.  In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients
3.  In another bowl combine the milk, eggs, oil and bananas
4.  With a wooden spoon mix together the dry and wet ingredients
5.  Pour the batter into a lightly greased loaf tin
6.  Bake for 45-50 minutes until an inserted skewer comes out cleanly
7.  Allow to rest in the pan for 5 minutes
8.  Turn out the bread onto a wire rack and allow to cool

Coconut, chocolate and banana mini muffins

Do you ever just get that itch to bake something?  I do.  Often it's just a need to do something methodical.  I find that a bit of mixing and stirring, no matter how simple the recipe, gets me to a semi state of zen.  At times like this when my mind is wandering about, I like to stick to something simple and satisfying like these muffins.

I adapted this recipe somewhat and replaced the butter in the orignal recipe with macadamia oil.  This cuts out the saturated fat that I try to keep to a minimum without comprimising on flavour as macadamia oil works really well in baking.  I also didn't have any chocolate chips on hand but did have a full block of 70% dark chocolate at the back of the pantry so I made do by chopping the chocolate with a sharp knife into little chunks.  Finally, I replaced the regular caster sugar with the raw variety.  You may also like to replace the regular flour with wholemeal, however I had run out so used the regular kind.

These little muffins are moist and delicious.  The balance between the chocolate, coconut and banana for me is perfect and no one ingredient overshadows the other.  The muffin mix easily comes together in a matter of minutes and they are really quick to bake for a treat in a hurry.

Coconut, chocolate and banana mini muffins

Adapted from recipe by Mandy Biffin, delicious. - October 2005, Page 120

Makes approx. 30 mini muffins

Ingredients:

¼ cup macadamia or vegetable oil

½ cup raw caster sugar

1 large ripe banana, mashed

1 egg, lightly beaten

1tsp vanilla extract

1 cup self raising flour

½ cup desiccated coconut

¼ cup dark chocolate chips

4 Tbs of milk (or add a little more if needed to get a good consistency)

Oil spray

1.      Preheat oven to 200C.

2.      Combine the banana, oil, beaten egg, vanilla and milk in a small bowl.

3.      In a another mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour, coconut and chocolate chips.

4.      Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well until combined.

5.      Lightly spray the holes of a mini muffin pan.

6.      Fill each muffin hole with heaped teaspoons of mixture.

7.      Bake for 10-15 minutes depending on your oven until the tops are lightly golden.

8.      Remove tray from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

9.      Carefully remove the muffins from the tray and place on a cake rack to cool.

Spiced beef Naan bread

I think I've mentioned my local Indian takeaway here before and how truly delicious and authentic the food is there.  One of the regular menu items that I order is their Kheema naan bread cooked in the tandoor.  The inside of this bread is filled with the most aromatic and deliciously spiced lamb.  The smell when you cut into it is second to none.

In fact, I've been known to swing past the Indian place on my way home to grab a couple of these breads along with some raita.  I'll put together a quick tomato and cucumber salad at home and there's dinner! 

So it was this bread that inspired me to have a go at my own version.  I had minced beef on hand so I used it instead of the lamb.  As for the spices, I just guessed and used a combination that I considered would work well together instead of trying to exactly replicate the mix from the takeaway as I knew it would be very tricky to get right.

I'll warn you right now that the smell that comes out of the oven when you bake this bread is intoxicating.  You will want to throw the oven open as soon as you can and bite straight in.  Which is exactly what I did.  With Mr Shady Pine and Coco the crazy cat pacing the kitchen I was glad that there were two of these breads. One of these was cut up and devoured within minutes after its exit from the hot oven.  While it wasn't a replica of the kheema naan that I order, it was utterly delicious in its own right and pretty straightforward to make.

Spiced beef Naan bread

Makes 2 filled naans

Ingredients:

Beef filling:

300g minced beef, I used lean mince

1 clove garlic, crushed

½ red onion, diced

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

S&P to taste

1 tomato, diced

2 Tbs tomato paste

Naan bread dough:

2 x 7g dry yeast sachets

3 Tbs warm water

2 cups of strong bread flour or plain flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 egg

3 Tbs plain yoghurt

1 Tbs olive oil plus extra for beef

For the bread dough:

1.       In a bowl mix the yeast, sugar and salt together.  Add the warm water and allow to sit in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.

2.       Meanwhile, mix together the egg, oil and yoghurt in a small bowl.

3.       To the yeast mixture add the flour and the egg and yoghurt mixture. 

4.       If you have a dough hook attachment, use this to knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.  Otherwise you will need to manually knead the dough on a floured surface for a good 15 minutes at least to get the same consistency.

5.       Preheat the oven to about 40C.  Place the kneaded dough in an oiled heat proof bowl.  Leave the dough in the oven to rise for about 35 minutes.

6.       Turn out the dough onto a floured surface.  Cut the dough into 4 portions and roll out each portion into a rough oval to about 5mm thickness. 

For the beef filling:

1.       Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a non stick pan.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes on low heat. 

2.       Turn up the heat to high and add the mince.  Fry until browned.

3.       Add the spices and S&P and fry for a couple of minutes until spices are cooked.

4.       Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute.  Add the tomato and cook for a minute.

5.       Set aside mixture to cool down slightly.

For the beef naan:

1.       Preheat the oven to 220C.

2.       Place 2 of the naan dough ovals side by side on a large baking tray.

3.       Spread half the beef mixture on each oval.

4.       Top each oval with the remaining two dough ovals and press along the edges to seal the breads.

5.       Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes depending on your oven but make sure the bread comes up golden brown.

Classic scones with strawberry jam and cream

The folks over at Beerenberg sent over some products as part of their ''Making Food Amazing'' campaign. As Sally Paech from Beerenberg states, the campaign is all about the Australian ''love of simple and unfussy food, using fresh, quality local ingredients''. The campaign is also supported by chef Michelle Campbell who will providing her wonderful recipes making use of these lovely quality products. ''Making Food Amazing'' also coincides with the launch of Beerenberg's online store here.


When I saw that they had sent over their gorgeous strawberry jam, I just knew that I had to make some scones to have with it. You see, I love scones with strawberry jam. I like scones and I like strawberry jam, but I love them more when they get together. Yes I've tried a myriad jams with my scones; I've tried raspberry, fig, blueberry (Beerenberg by the way make a lovely blueberry jam ), cherry, blackberry and countless others. And I will continue to experiment with different jams but something happens when I try a new jam on top of my scones. I inevitably compare it to strawberry jam.

Don't get me wrong, I love all those other jams. I even prefer them with things like pancakes, a piece of sourdough toast or when spread in the middle of a sponge cake. It's just that when it comes to the scone, I have yet to find a more perfect pairing than good old strawberry jam. So whenever I think of strawberry jam, I instantly think of scones and vice versa.

So tell me dear reader, are there some flavour combinations that you think simply cannot be beaten?

Scones
Recipe for scones is adapted from The Perfect Cookbook by David Herbert
Makes about 8 scones

Ingredients:
1 ¾ cup self raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 Tbs raw caster sugar
Pinch of table salt
30g butter, diced
½ cup milk
1 tsp lemon juice
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup sultanas (optional)
Extra milk for brushing

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Combine the flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and salt.
3. Add the butter and rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until breadcrumb consistency is formed.
4. In a jug, combine the milk and lemon juice. The milk will slightly curdle. Add to the flour mixture and add the beaten egg. Mix together to form a dough.
5. Turn out onto a floured surface. Shape the dough into a ball and flatten out to a thickness of about 3cm or 1 ¼ inch.
6. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out rounds of dough and place onto the baking tray.
7. Brush the scones with milk and bake for about 12 minutes until risen and golden.
8. Serve warm spread with whipped cream or butter and strawberry jam.

Finger buns

Before the issue of childhood obesity and before the day of the sugar police making their way into Australian schools, you could get some damn good stuff at the school canteen. Now granted, I do think it's a good idea to somewhat regulate what's offered at the school canteen and ensure that healthy food is a priority. But I can't help but wonder what kids in the future will look back on with nostalgia.

What I remember about my school canteen is the finger bun. Every week with my pocket money in tow I would have the pleasure of deciding on a treat. For me nothing could beat the finger bun. Sitting there all glazed up with the pretty pink icing, there was never really any competition.


From time to time, I'll see these at a cafe or bakery and just the sight of them reminds me of childhood. So when I was recently flicking through a new magazine and came across a recipe for finger buns, I knew I had to make them.


These do take a while to make but like most baking, the end is definitely worth the means. What you end up with are deliciously spiced and sweetly glazed buns. I served these for afternoon tea on the day I baked them to Mr Shady Pine and a friend who were working hard on a landscaping project at The Shady Pine. Four finger buns later, I gathered they enjoyed them! While I really loved having one with my coffee, what I really enjoyed was making these and seeing the end result. The school memories made it all the better.




Finger buns
Makes 12
Recipe adapted from Super Food Ideas magazine, March 2012 issue, Recipe by Kim Coverdale

Ingredients:
7g sachet yeast
1/3 cup raw caster sugar
½ cup milk, warm
2 ½ cups baker’s plain flour
1 tsp mixed spice
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
50g butter, chopped
1 egg
½ cup sultanas
¼ cup warm water
Extra milk for brushing
Hundreds and thousands and desiccated coconut to decorate
Pink icing:
1 ½ cups icing sugar mixture
10g melted butter
2 Tbs hot water
Few drops of pink food colour

1. Place yeast, sugar and milk into a bowl and mix well. Rest for 10 minutes or until the mixture start to bubble.
2. In a large mixing bowl add the flour, spices and butter. Rub in butter until breadcrumbs are formed.
3. To the flour add the yeast mixture, ¼ cup warm water, egg, sultanas and vanilla. Mix well. Cover and leave to rest in a warm place for an hour or until the dough is doubled in size.
4. Preheat oven to 200C. Prepare two baking trays.
5. Remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface. Knead for 8-10 minutes. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and shape each into a log about 12-14cm long. Place logs onto baking trays. Cover and rest for another 15 minutes.
6. Brush the buns with milk and bake for 12 – 15 minutes until golden brown.
7. Place cooked buns on a cake rack to cool.
8. Place all the icing ingredients into a mixing bowl. Mix well until a smooth icing is formed.
9. Spread icing over each finger bun and decorate using the hundreds and thousands and desiccated coconut.
10. Serve as is or cut in half lengthways and spread with butter.

Chocolate orange almond cakes

You may recall me talking about our regular card nights here. We take turns hosting these evenings amongst the neighbours. While I enjoy the card games, I am really enjoying the social aspect of these regular events. And I am also loving the food! What I like is that each person will have their own style or twist to the evening unlike anybody else.



One set of neighbours is more traditional in what they serve up. So we know when we go to their place it will simply be good food and lots of it. Another neighbour is great at desserts and is renound for her cheesecakes....the most impressive looking one to date is a massive mirangue cheesecake! And yet another does delicious Asian inspired fare. So it's been really interesting as these evenings have become as much about getting together for a great meal and chat as well as the card game.


The last card evening was hosted by our lovely neighbours who put together a delicious Malaysian inspired menu with lots of tasty spiced chicken and beef skewers and fried rice. I brought along these little individual chocolate almond cakes with a side of orange segments. These are best served while warm or slightly reheated in the microwave with a side of orange segments. Add a scoop of ice cream or dollop of cream for something even more luscious!

Chocolate orange almond cakes with orange segments
Makes about 8 individual cakes

Ingredients:
1 cup almond meal
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
½ cup plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarb soda
125g unsalted butter, melted
5 eggwhites, beaten to soft peaks
¼ cup Dutch cocoa
1 Tbs Cointreau
Zest of 1 orange
Oranges in Cointreau syrup:
3 oranges, segmented
2 Tbs Cointreau
4 Tbs sugar



1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Grease muffin tin.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine almond meal, flour, icing sugar, baking powder, bicarb, cocoa and orange zest.
4. Fold in the eggwhites into the flour mixture. Add the Cointreau and mix.
5. Pour the batter into the muffin tin and bake for about 30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of a cake. Leave to cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack.
6. For the orange segments, place the orange segments and sugar into a small pan over low heat. Simmer for a few minutes. Add the Cointreau and light with a match if you dare to flambé the oranges.
7. Serve cakes warm with cream or ice cream if desired.

Upside down plum cake (and Beerenberg giveaway winner)

With all the crazy rain we've had recently, Warragamba dam has certainly reached its storage capacity. After almost a decade of drought, you would think this a great thing. But we are a land of extremes and after dealing with times of drought the rains have come.

Many people, especially towns out west are cut in half by flood waters. But even the city didn't escape flooding and this past week saw a traffic nightmare throughout Sydney due to roads cut off by water.


While we live up fairly high, our main access road crosses the Hawkesbury River. This is our main road in and out. The only other option is to go further up the mountains crossing them and doing a loop that would take 2 to 3 hours. So on hearing the news last Friday that the bridge over the hawkesbury was due to be closed, both Mr Shady Pine and I dashed home from work not wanting to be cut off and be subjected to the alternate long drive home.


What I didn't expect was such a panic from people. I stopped in at our closest supermarket on my way home to get some extra supplies in case the bridge was closed for several days and was faced with mayhem. People were everywhere cleaning out the shelves. I felt like I was on the set of a disaster movie. So I grabbed the essentials and high tailed out of there as quick as I could.

In the end the bridge was only closed for a day as the flooding wasn't as severe as predicted. But while it was closed I did enjoy a sense of being cut off from the world for a little while. I pottered around the house. I thought about how we would get on if we were completely cut off for a long time. I figured from the supplies in our pantry, freezer and garden we would probably have enough food to feed us for a month easily.


I also baked. With lots of stranded neighbours I figured I would have a cake on standby for any visits. I had exactly 4 plums in the fruit bowl and this recipe called for 4-5. This cake is a really lovely balance between the fruity plums and cake batter. Also, because the plums are spread out on the bottom of the cake tin with sugar, they turn really jammy, sticky and delicious when the cake is turned out.

I am also pleased to announce that Sarah from From my Vegie Patch to Plate is the winner of the Beerenberg giveaway draw....congratulations Sarah!



Upside down plum cake
Adapted from cake recipe here

Ingredients:
4 plums
1 cup plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarb soda
60g butter
¾ cup sugar (preferably raw caster sugar)
½ cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Line the base of a 23cm round cake tin with baking paper.
3. Sprinkle 2 Tbs of sugar on the base. Arrange the plums in a circular pattern on top of the sugar and covering the base of the tin.
4. In a mixing bowl, mix the butter, vanilla, sugar and egg with a mixer until the sugar has dissolved.
5. To the butter mixture, add the flour, baking powder, bicarb and milk and mix well with a wooden spoon to make a smooth batter.
6. Spoon the cake batter over the top of the plums ensuring the batter is well spread out.
7. Bake for 25 minutes. The cake will be cooked when a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
8. Allow the cake to cook for 5 minutes in the tin before turning it out.
9. This cake is best served warm with a dollop of cream if desired.

Roast pumpkin & ricotta tartlets

This past weekend Mr Shady Pine and I were visiting his family. One of the things I really enjoy doing when there is to go out shopping with my mother in law. In particular, we both love checking out kitchen and homeware shops.

On this visit the MIL casually mentioned that a new kitchenware shop had opened nearby and would I like to see it? What was this? There was no word of the aforementioned kitchenware shop in our calls and emails prior to the visit. Me thinks MIL was trying to pull a surprise knowing I'd jump at the chance. Well it worked!




We spent an enjoyable morning pouring through this little shop that was absolutely jam packed with kitchenware. Some of it was stock standard but there were also a quite a few unique pieces. I especially liked a set of handmade Japanese bowls but they were a bit on the pricey side so I didn't get those.


What I did walk away with was a set of loose bottom tart tins. Even though you can find these at most kitchen stores, I'd coveted them for a long time yet for some reason had not bought them. I continued to use my large tart tin and made large tarts instead of individual ones. I was so chuffed to get these anyone would have thought I was walking out with the pricey Japanese bowls and not tart tins that cost a few dollars each.


So as the proud new owner of these little tins, I was jumping at the chance to test them out. What resulted were beautiful little individual roast pumpkin and ricotta tartlets. The pastry turned out really well as it was light and crispy. While the ricotta filling was lightly scented with lemon zest and garlic. These would be a perfect light lunch served warm or cold with a salad.

So tell me, when was the last time you bought something new and could not wait to try it out?

Roast pumpkin & ricotta tartlets:
Makes 4

Ingredients:

Pastry:
¾ cup plain flour
65g butter
3 Tbs cold water

Filling:
400g light ricotta (I used a tub of smooth ricotta)
¼ cup milk
1 egg
½ butternut pumpkin, cut into small cubes
2 Tbs olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, crushed
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
Salt to taste
2 Tbs grated parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 200 C. On baking sheet add the pumpkin, olive oil and S&P to taste. Bake for 30 minutes until the pumpkin is cooked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Grease with olive oil spray four 10cm tart tins with loose bottoms.
3. Make the pastry by adding the pasty ingredients into a food processor. Process until clumps of pastry start to form. Form pastry into a ball. Divide the ball equally into 4. Wrap in plastic wrap and leave to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. In a jug whisk together the ricotta, milk, egg, lemon, garlic, parsley and salt. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.
5. Remove pastry from the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface to approx 5mm in thickness. Line each tart tin with the pastry and remove excess from the edges. Cover the pastry lined tins and refrigerate for a further 30 minutes.
6. Remove the pastry lined tins from the fridge and place on a baking tray. Cover each tin with a piece of foil and top with pie weights or alternatively rice or dry beans. Bake for 13 minutes. Remove the foil after this time and bake for a further 8 minutes until the pastry is golden.
7. Divide the roast pumpkin over the base of each tart. Pour the ricotta mixture over the top of the pumpkin taking care not to overfill the pastry cases. Sprinkle each tart with the parmesan.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve with a salad if desired.

Pecan and date loaf

I love coffee. I love really good coffee even more. Sometimes I will drink bad coffee if the other option is no coffee at all. You see a trend here?

As far back as I can remember it's been that way. I can't imagine the start of any day without it's super giving powers. It doesn't help that I am not a morning person. What does help of course is a little caffeine to get the brain ticking. Sometime ago, I read an article about a study that said that caffeine in the morning provided no more alertness than eating an apple first thing in the morning. I tried eating an apple. I'm sure their study was faltered.


While I have my favourites I go back to time and again, I don't really discriminate. Short black espressos, cappuccinos, lates, piccollos, macchiatos all get their turn.

I don't consider myself a coffee snob but I do have some rules I live by. No flavourings or syrups. Ever. And no coffee after 4pm if I intend getting any sleep that night.


Most of the time I am happy to sip a cup of coffee unaccompanied. However one of my favourite treats is a simple, unadorned and not too sweet piece of cake to go with my cup of coffee. Step in this pecan and date loaf. It's not overly sweet but sweet enough, and while it is a loaf it's near enough to being a cake. It can be eaten spread with a little butter or even some butter with cinnamon mixed in it is lovely. Or just plain as is my want most of the time.

Date & pecan loaf
Adapted from recipe by Alison Turner – Good Taste, July 1998


Ingredients:
200gm pitted dates
320ml water
½ cup brown sugar
75g butter
2 cups SR flour
2 tsp mixed spice
2 eggs
¾ cup pecans, chopped

1. In a saucepan over low heat, add the dates, butter, sugar and water until the sugar is fully dissolved. Set aside and cool for about 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 170 C. Grease a loaf pan approx 10cm x 19cm
3. Place the date mixture into a food processor and process until fine.
4. Place date mixture into a mixing bowl.
5. Add the flour, mixed spice, eggs and pecans. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.
6. Pour the batter into the greased loaf tin and bake for approx 50-55 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when loaf is pierced in the centre.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the loaf tin for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack.
8. Serve spread with butter or flavoured cinnamon butter if desired.

Sticky buns

It's been raining. A lot. I'm not one to complain about the rain. Well not most of the time anyway. I love the sound of it dancing on the roof as I'm pottering about inside. More importantly, at The Shady Pine tank water is our only water source so the arrival of rain signifies the topping up of the water tank.

All good things, except it had been raining non stop for days and weeks. The water tank was in over flow and even the promise of long untimed showers were not enough to get me out of a funk. I was getting restless and the sound of the rain, which I usually find peaceful was starting to get annoying.


Even Coco the cat had had enough of being inside. The answer for her was to put herself to bed and sleep it off. When I went to find her, all I could see was this tail and a paw hanging out on the side of the bed. Hard life!

I had to do something to distract myself. So I dragged out my recipe file looking for something new to bake. I came across a recipe for pecan honey sticky buns which was part of an article for rainy day bakes so thought it was only fitting.

Having neither pecans or honey in stock, I figured walnuts and maple syrup would have to do. The making of the dough was really quite easy as all the ingredients came together in a food processer. The longest part of the recipe was leaving the dough once shaped in little balls to rest for an hour to rise. Then it was into a moderate oven for half an hour to bake.

Once out of the oven, you let the buns cool down a little before turning them out. This was the best part as the still warm maple syrup slowly oozed out over the buns leaving a golden brown nutty topping. It was hard to resist scooping the maple covered walnuts left stuck to the bottom of the pan so these bits were quickly scraped off and eaten. This was all the confirmation I needed that maple syrup and walnuts were an unbeatable combination!

With a bit of baking, a sticky bun and cup of coffee for afternoon tea, I forgot about the rain for a while.

Maple and walnut sticky buns
Adapted from recipe for Sticky honey pecan buns (August 2007 Super Food Ideas, Recipe by Julie Jensen)
Makes 12

Ingredients:
50gm butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup walnuts, chopped
½ cup milk
50gm butter, chopped
1 tsp sugar
8g instant dry yeast
2 ½ cups plain flour
¼ cup caster sugar

1. Grease 22cm cake tin and line base with baking paper. Preheat oven to 180 C.
2. In a small pot over low heat, melt 50gm butter, maple syrup and brown sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour this mixture over the base on the cake tin. Sprinkle chopped walnuts over the top.
3. Heat the milk, butter and sugar in small pot until butter is melted. Add dry yeast to this mixture and stir well.
4. Using a food processor, add milk mixture, flour, eggs, caster sugar and process until a ball of dough forms.
5. Knead the dough for a few minutes until it becomes elastic.
6. Divide the dough into 12 even portions and shape into balls. Place the balls of dough on top of the maple and walnut syrup. Cover and leave in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour.
7. Bake buns for 25-30 minutes until golden and they sound hollow when tapped.
8. Allow the buns to cool for 10 minutes in the tin. Turn out onto a wire rack. (Make sure to soak the cake tin straight away to avoid that sticky syrup from remaining a permanent fixture).

Choc chip & coconut cookies

When I saw this recipe over at Wholesome Cook for wholemeal choc chip and coconut cookies, I knew I had to make them immediately. See the recipe here http://wholesomecook.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/wholemeal-coconut-and-choc-chip-cookies/

Not only do they include my favourite indulgance (dark chocolate), they are also packed with delicious coconut and the recipe calls for wholemeal flour instead of white. The thing I really liked about this recipe is that it replaces butter with macadamia oil. I've often used macadamia oil in baking before but never in a cookie so knew I had to try it.

Apart from macadamia oil being a delicious rich substitute, it is a really smart way of cutting out some saturated fat without losing any of the taste. So after a quick pantry check I confirmed that I had most of the ingredients already aside from the chocolate chips. A drive to the local shop to pick some up and I was ready to bake!

The cookie mixture was really straightforward and only took a minute to make. This is a really good stand by recipe to have on hand for when you are strapped for time and need to produce a treat.



Tablespoon dollops of mixture on a baking tray and 15 minutes in the oven is all it took. Do let these cool down a little before eating. I did not do this. I did however devour one straight out of the oven. It was chewy and gooey and all round delicious!