Carrot Cake

A good rich, full and fruity carrot cake is probably the cake you simply can't beat. Top it off with a lemon and cream cheese icing and you have a winner; the ultimate birthday cake. Having made one for every birthday in the last few years and making a few adjustments over time to Alison Holsts' recipe I began with, I think it's finally about perfect.

3 eggs
3/4 cup oil
2 cups raw sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 & 1/2 cups grated carrot
1/2 cup crushed pineapple (juice drained, but needed)
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup sultanas
1/2 cup walnuts
2 cups wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons backing powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup apple juice + the 1/4 cup pineapple juice

In a large bowl beat together your eggs, oil, vanilla, sugar and salt. Fold into this the grated carrot, pineapple, sultanas, walnuts and coconut.

 Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon, and carefully fold into the mixture, adding the fruit juice as you do. Note that the mixture may seem overly wet, but don't worry it's meant to be like that.

Now, with the mixture the consistency it is I find it really helpful to properly line the cake tin with baking paper, and preferably with a high top to allow for some rising. Taking the time to line your tin properly makes the baking, and removal of your cake from the tin really easy, tidy and hassle free.

Pour the mixture into your lined tin and pop her into a preheated oven at 180 C. Bake for approximately an hour, but it may possibly need a little longer - at least until a skewer comes out clean. Your cake may look quite dark when it's ready, but as it's so dense and full of goodness it needs a wee bit of cooking. Allow to cool partially in the tin before removing, the paper lining will be of help here. Peel off the lining when the cake is just warm, and wait until it's cold before you ice it with a cream cheese icing.

So, Happy Birthday... or at least just pretend

Enjoy. Katies Kindred Cook - Matt.

I have just made this cake for the next special birthday & it was just fabulous as usual. I put more fruit than the above & didn't reduce the sugar...doesn't always work very well that one. We served the cake with a thick & creamy Greek yoghurt rather than icing but if you want to ice your masterpiece as above.

Cream 2 tbsps softened cream cheese & 1 tbsp butter together.

Beat in 1 1/2 cps of icing sugar

Stir in the finely grated rind of a lemon if you like, or 1 tsp vanilla.

Lemon cuts the sweetness quite a bit. Cool cake well before icing.

Plain is just great, but you might also like to sprinkle over the top a mixture of diced dried apricots, sunflower & pumpkin seeds & shredded coconut. (picture next cake made)

A really interesting note: I followed the recipe above this time round & ended up with a much lighter cake than usual. Matt's technique works really well mixing the eggs, oil & sugar all together at the start. 

Have fun tweeking this recipe to suit yourself.

One more wee note...the flour we use here is a whole wheat flour not baking bran or oat bran. Personally, I use a 7 grain wholegrain organic flour but ordinary wholemeal is fine. Ask at your local organics shop.

Much love Katie x

Sultana Bran Loaf

When Rob & I both emerged from a recent Church fair clutching a sultana bran loaf I decided that it was time to sort out the recipe!
Best I could find was Jo Seagar's version:
2 cups bran
2 cups trim milk } leave to stand for 10 mins before adding the flour
2 cups sultanas
2 cups sugar
2 cups self raising flour
Pre heat oven to 150 C
Bake in a greased loaf tin for 1 1/2 hours

~~~~~~~~~

Very nice, very easy but a bit sweet for me.
I also like to make baking as wholesome as possible so here is our version:
2 cups biogro (organic bran)
2 cups sultanas..& a bit more ; )
2 cups milk (or 1 cup Earl Grey tea & 1 cup milk)
1/2-1 cup organic raw sugar
1 tsp of cinnamon or ginger, if you like.
1 large tbsp of either golden syrup, molasses or date molasses.
2 cups of organic whole grain flour (I like 7 grain zentrofen) + 4 tsps of baking powder.
Pour Earl Grey tea or the milk over the bran & sultanas & leave to soak overnight or for around an hour.
Then: mix all together gently & briefly.
Greased loaf tin. 150 C 60-90 minutes or until cooked.

Katie

Peach Chutney

This is my version of peach chutney as of last Saturday!
Peel & dice a good dozen golden peaches & 2 apples ( I was given some cooking apples)
juice of 2 lemons
Add a rounded cup of organic raw sugar
2 tsps of good salt
2 cups of raisins..I used some golden raisins & some mixed giant ones
1 dsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp garam marsala
1 glove or two if garlic, chopped & a finely chopped fresh chilli. (I like to use Jalapenos)
garlic & chilli are optional of course
I also added a piece of finely grated tumeric..gives a gorgeous colour & depth of flavour.
When fresh tumeric is unavailable I use a peeled frozen version that is always in stock at the Asian shop in Queen Street here in Hastings. Powdered tumeric is ok but gives an entirely different result.

 Simmer fruit altogether for an hour or so until thickened a lovely rich colour.
Check the seasoning & adjust to your own taste. I have not used any vinegar at all in this batch & the flavour is so much more rounded & delicious.

 Pour in to clean, hot, sterilized jars. Seal when cold.

 Delicious!

Peach Chutney ll

A dozen or so peaches &

2 or 3 tart apples peeled & diced

1 red jalapeno chilli finely chopped

2 cups of golden raisins

juice of 2 lemons

1 tbsp yellow mustard seed

1 dsp grated fresh/frozen tumeric

1 cup organic raw sugar

1 dsp good salt

simmer gently for about an hour until thickened

pour in to jars as above

This is quite delicious & very different.

Turkish Orange Cake

 I just adore this cake. It is wonderfully easy to make, very moist & so full of flavour.
I made it yesterday for my birthday (it's all gone!)
Ingredients:
* 2 large oranges (or an orange & a lemon)
* 6 eggs
* 1 cup castor or raw sugar
* 2 tbsps lemon juice
* 3 cups ground almonds
* 1 tsp baking powder

Simmer 1 large orange & 1 large lemon in water for about an hour with the lid on, then tip away the water & leave to cool for several hours or overnight (you can use two oranges if you'd rather but I particularly like this combination)

Put 1 cup organic raw sugar in to the food process & blend for 60 secs to make it castor sugar.
Add the chopped citrus (remove any pips before adding) process until finely pulverized.
Add 6 eggs & 2 tbsps of lemon juice, process for about a minute, until thick & fairly smooth.
Add 3 cups of ground almonds & 1 tsp of baking powder & pulse to just mix.
Pour in to a well greased & lined 23cm cake tin.
Bake at 150 degrees C for 60 mins or until golden & a skewer comes out clean.
Stand in the tin for 10 mins before turning out & cooling on a wire rack.
When cool serve with cream, Greek yoghurt or this mixture:
250ml whipped cream, 1/2 kg thick Greek yoghurt, 1 tbsp runny honey & 2 large tbsps of orange marmalade.
 Fold together & chill.

And another time

Delicious!

Catherine

Roasting Coffee

There is nothing in all the world like freshly home-roasted coffee. There is also no way to describe the smell involved in roasting coffee unless you have been involved in the process before. It is not that wonderful coffee smell you think it will be. That comes later. Roasting coffee beans produces pungent "burnt toast" fumes best confined to the garage or other out- house...definitely not for the regular urban kitchen setting. 

Otherwise know as the "C lab": 

Simple process really, refined from information found via ineedcoffee.com. Begin with a good supply of green coffee beans, like these:

I use a popcorn maker and heat them til they look like this.

Quite a lot of husk will come off the beans as they heat up.

While they are still warm, pan roast the beans over high heat, keeping the lid on most of the time, shaking around frequently & spraying with a fine mist of water from time to time so that the beans don't become too dry.

 (this photo was taken before my 'C' lab was exiled to the garage)

Here are the 3 stages.

Roast til they look like this.

 Nice!

Now it starts to smell good. Just like coffee should!

Cool and store in a fabulous coffee jar for 24 hours before making the first brew.

Grind fairly finely.
Expresso style!

Cheers Rob

Quark Stollen for Christmas ♛

This is a wonderfully easy way to make stollen without yeast, yet it is still utterly delicious & keeps very well.

Soften 125g chopped butter
Add 350 g quark- a smooth, low fat soft white cheese. Ricotta would be a good substitute.
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
Freshly grated nutmeg
Beat together till smooth
Add 2 eggs
Zest of an orange or lemon
then, 500g mixed fruit...or any combination of dried fruit, peel, almonds etc that takes your fancy
3 cups flour & 3 tsps baking powder. Or- 1 cup ground almonds, 1 cup coconut flour & 1 cup of spelt flour (or whatever you like to use) & the baking powder.
Mix it all in to a softish dough & using wet hands shape in to oblongs on a greased baking tray (or line with baking paper)

 Bake for 55- 60 mins at 180 degrees C & when partly cooled brush with a little melted butter & drench with icing sugar.

It's soo easy to make some smaller ones to give away out of this recipe too which is nice : )

If you'd like to have a go at making stollen using yeast then pop in here to David Lebovitz living the sweet life in Paris.

  much

for a wonderful Christmas ♥

Apricot & Honey Balls

These are so quick & easy to make, full of flavour & really healthy too!
Soak 2 cups of dried apricots in 1/2 c of orange juice for at least a couple of hours or overnight until the fruit has plumped up & the liquid has been absorbed. I have used 1/2 c of organic dried mango in this batch.
Tip in to a food processor & add 1/2 to 1 cup of ground almonds
1/2 cup of nice honey & a dsp of rosewater
pulse until it all comes together in to a ball

make in to balls with wet hands, 

rolling in coconut as you go

in warmer weather keep in the fridge

they are not too rich or sweet & have a lovely tang to them

 Feel free to adjust the recipe to suit your own taste.