I’ve been in quite the baking mood recently. As some of you may have noticed, I tend to use coconut products in my baking (when I can). I love finding healthy alternatives to ingredients or just mixing things up a bit. I found a recipe on Taste Of Home called Coconut Loaf and I just knew, I had to try it. It had the name Coconut Loaf but the only coconut ingredient was the flaked coconut. I turned it up a notch or two and added more coconut loveliness. Now I can really call it Coconut Loaf!
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until well combined
Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition
In a medium bowl, add all-purpose flour, coconut flour, baking powder and salt Combine with a whisk
Add flour mixture alternately with the coconut milk
Pour combined mixture evenly into three greased mini loaf pans
Bake for 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean
Notes
This recipe makes 3 mini loaves or one standard loaf pan baking for an hour
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This bread was fragrant, sweet, crumbly and dense. Having something like this every now and again should be mandatory. I decreased the amount of shredded coconut from the original recipe. I figured since I was using coconut sugar, coconut flour as well as coconut milk…holding back seemed like a good idea.
Coconut Loaf Slices
I baked three of these loaves and was able to give 2 away. One young lady that I gave a loaf to, ate almost half of it in one go. These loaves are fairly small so I guess it can be a single serving….
Mini Coconut Loaf
This is certainly a good treat for coconut lovers. Enjoy!
Welcome to my first #MuffinMonday post for 2013. Today’s muffin is like none that I’ve ever made before. It’s actually quite interesting. The ingredients are absolutely fantastic and healthy. Our recipe today is adapted from The Free Range Cook by Annabel Langbein and Ooh-Look Food & Craft.
Allow me to say it before you do. These aren’t the cutest muffins. I think I put too many pieces of pear on the batter. But I’ll tell you this…where these muffin lack in looks, they more than make up for it in taste! Looking back, I can think of a few other ways I could have done them. But they came out great! These muffins are nothing short interesting and leave you wanting for another bite. The dates give them such a deep flavour and the texture – so very moist.
I didn’t do a lot of changes to the recipe really. I was very interested in the technique. I replaced regular flour with Spelt flour and used Asian pear instead of a regular pear. Asian Pear is high in fiber, rich in vitamin C, and helps lower blood cholesterol. Dates are excellent sources of fiber and protein.
You will notice that in future posts, that I will be making less muffins. I found that making 12-18 muffins was too much for my little family. I think it would benefit us more if I cut back on the quantity. I also decided to use my kitchen scale more often. There are so many recipes that I end up dismissing because I would have to do conversions. Change is good.
In a large pot (this will essentially be your mixing bowl), place dates, baking soda and water. Boil for about 10 minutes until the liquid will foam a bit and the dates will break down. Stir until a thick liquid is formed.
Remove the pot from the heat source and add the butter. Stir until fully dissolved.
Add the vanilla, sugar and egg. Whisk to incorporate.
Fold in the flour
This will yield about 2¼ Cups of batter
Pour the batter into each muffin cup and then add a few pieces of pear in the centre. Sprinkle with Turbinado sugar
Bake for 2 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean
These muffins are best served warm
Notes
This recipe yields 9 muffins
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I love the fact that I only used one pot. There’s no sifting of dry ingredients in a separate bowl for this recipe, friends! Very easy and healthy. Feel free to cut back on the sugar if needed. I found that it was a bit on the sweet side but it didn’t bother me. Next time I will reduce the sugar.
Date batter, batter in muffin liners, Asian pear on top of the batter
A very delicious treat! These muffins were enjoyed by my family and I’m so glad that this was our #MuffinMonday selection today!
Asian Pear and Date Muffins
Have an amazing week!
~Lyn
Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.
Today is a very special day for #SundaySupper. We are celebrating our very first birthday! For one year, #SundaySupper has been inspiring families with home cooked meals every Sunday. Most Sundays, you will read my accolades about the #SundaySupper family and the camaraderie we share. The internet is a huge place, and I feel quite privileged to have found a very special group with whom I can break bread with and get to know through their weekly posts. I remember my very first #SundaySupper post. I joined in April 2012. The theme was Budget Friendly Meals and I made Baked Butternut Squash & Asparagus Risotto. I loved that recipe. And I still bake my Risotto to this day. There were about 12 of us participating that day. Who knew that #SundaySupper would become such an integral part of my blogging experience. We get to learn about cuisine from all over the world. We learn about family history and traditions.
We are celebrating this week’s birthday event by choosing recipes from contributors that have inspired us during the past year. Honestly, it took me a few days to decide on a recipe from past #SundaySupper events. I finally decided on a very colourful and healthy salad that was part of the event titled “100 recipes every mom should have” by Katie Workman. This event was held in July so I was unable to participate since I was on vacation. But I felt like I didn’t skip a beat. Every recipe for our #SundaySupper events is listed on the Family Foodie website for ongoing inspiration.
I was inspired by a post from Sunithi, from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz. Her post was titled “Skillet Spinach Corn with Edamame and Bacon Bits“. Absolutely delightful! This recipe totally fit in with my current mindset which is to eat healthy! The ingredients are items that I generally have on hand and the combination of colours is just absolutely visually appealing. Sue always posts healthy recipes which I have always appreciated. I know you will love and appreciate this recipe from our #SundaySupper archives.
In a serving dish, place spinach to cover most of the dish.
In a skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Transfer to a dish lined with paper towels to absorb the oil. Break up into bits.
Drain the skillet of most of the oil, reserving about a tablespoon
Add scallions to the hot skillet and sautee for about a minute
Add corn, edamame, sweet pepper, salt & pepper and cumin to the skillet. Sautee for about 4 minutes
Add cilantro and fold in gently
Add tomatoes and fold in and allow to warm through for about a minute
Using a large spoon, transfer the contents of the skillet to the bed of spinach.
The heat from the salad will cause the spinach to soften nicely
Top the salad with the bacon bits. Serve warm and enjoy
3.2.1199
Skillet Corn Edamame with Spinach and Bacon – main ingredients
The main change to the original recipe – I did not add the spinach to the skillet. It will soften when the corn and edamame are placed on top. I also changed the title just a bit because of this change. I also did not use any oils. I just used some of the fat rendered from the bacon. It gave the salad such flavour!
I can see this salad being served with most meats as a side dish. I had it myself as a main dish and it certainly hit the spot. The salty bacon, the creamy edamame, the cilantro, the sweet corn, the tomatoes, sweet pepper..they all combined very well together.
Skillet Corn Edamame with Spinach and Bacon
Here are the recipes from the #SundaySupper family. They all look wonderful! This must have been a big task! After all, How do you choose just one recipe from 52 weeks of fabulous Sunday Supper Recipes?
Announcing a New Addition: Tablescape by An Appealing Plan, Anniversay Dinner featuring Cheesecake with Fresh Berries orginally posted by The Messy Baker Blog
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat.
Cookies are a wonderful treat. Some cookies, take a little time to prepare and others can be made on a whim if you have the right ingredients on hand. I really have to be in the mood to make the type of cookie that takes up time in the kitchen. These cookies? Nothing short of brilliant. I came across it some time ago but wasn’t into making cookies yet. I’m glad I saved it and I am definitely glad that I made them.
I found the recipe for Cream Cheese Cookies and wanted to make it as is. No adapting. I wanted to know what the original cookie tasted like. And I almost succeed.
I have been buying a variety of flours, all with the intention of experimenting and finding alternatives to regular flour. There are so many flours that have wonderful nutritional value. The one I have used the most in the past, is Quinoa flour. For this cookie, I chose to use Spelt flour. I didn’t plan to. My hand just steered to the right of the all-purpose flour. Sometimes in life, you just have to take chances.
A delightful cookie made with spelt flour, cream cheese and mini chocolate chips
Author: Lyn, adapted from Food52
Recipe type: Cookie
Ingredients
1 Stick Unsalted Butter
4oz Light Cream Cheese (softened)
1 Cup Spelt Flour
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
½ Tsp Salt
4 Tbsp Mini Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F
In a mixing bowl, add butter, cream cheese and sugar. Cream until light and fluffy.
In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt. Add to the cream cheese mixture and mix until just combined
Using a cookie scoop, add batter to parchment lined cookie trays, leaving about an inch and a half between them.
Bake for 12 minutes until the edges are browned and be careful not to over-bake
Remove from oven and leave on the tray for about 3 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
3.1.09
The chocolate chips didn’t actually make it into the batter until half way through. The first batch was so wonderfully fragrant but I wondered what I could add that would go nicely with these cookies. I added a few mini chocolate chips. The regular chocolate chips seemed too large for these delicate cookies.
Spelt Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
I’m not sure how many cookies were taken from this rack while I wasn’t looking. Sticky fingers around here. I don’t blame them.
Spelt Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
I liked how delicate and dainty these cookies looked. I’m sure they’d make an excellent gift or even a quick treat if company popped by.
Spelt Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies are absolutely delightful. With or without the chocolate chips, you’ll absolutely LOVE them. A definite keeper.
Welcome to the first #SundaySupper of 2013! I’m so grateful when I am able to participate and I’m more than happy to jump right on in at the start of the new year. Today’s theme is Whats on your recipe bucket list? My recipe bucket list is quite long. There were a few things I wanted to start off with but then I remembered that I promised myself that I’d make Blue Drawers. It’s a very simple sweet pudding that has been around for decades in Jamaica. I only knew about it as an adult and was surprised to know that some of my friends have only heard about it, but have never had it. I guess its something that our grandmothers would make. I’m no grandma, but I love exploring my heritage and learning about the food from the land of my birth. So let’s go!
Please check out all the exciting recipes that the #SundaySupper family have to share. I’m looking forward to seeing the dishes that we are all making for the very first time! I’ll consider this the post to kick off my bucket list recipes.
Blue Drawers (you might also see it as Blue Draws) has a few aliases … Tie-A-Leaf, Duckoono/Dokunnu and Boyo. It is originally a West African dish (Dokunu) that was traditionally made with plantains, but modern versions are made with cornmeal, sweet potato, green banana, cassava, or a combination of your preference. Blue Drawers is essentially a boiled pudding that is considered a treat because it is sweet as opposed to savory. Along with the selection of ingredients mentioned previously, grated coconut is always added. Consider this a mandatory ingredient. What really got me interested in making Blue Drawers, was that each portion is boiled in a banana leaf secured with thin strip of banana bark. Something about it just seems so rustic, and pure. I love that in Jamaica, it is pretty much still prepared that way. I always wondered about how this pudding ended up with the name “Blue Drawers”. Well, according to the National Library of Jamaica, it was given the nickname Blue Drawers because the banana leaves apparently have a blue hue once they are cooked. Well. Okay then! Who knew?
The fact that I did not have banana leaves did not stop me from preparing this pudding. I used the alternative…foil! It doesn’t look as rustic and earthy but it’s what I have access to. And it worked just great. I also added my very own special touch to this Jamaican treat ~ a simple coconut glaze with a hint of citrus to break up that coconut essence just a little bit.
In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, mixed spice, shredded coconut and raisins
In a small bowl, add coconut milk, sugar and vanilla. Mix to combine
Add the coconut milk mixture to the cornmeal mixture and mix with a spoon until combined
Prepare 12 sheets of foil, 12" X 8"
Using a standard ice-cream scoop, place a scoop of batter into the center of the foil sheets, and fold the foil around each scoop to form parcels
Place the parcels in pot enough boiling water to cover them completely
Cook on medium high heat for about an hour
Remove each parcel with tongs and place on a bowl.
Carefully unwrap each parcel over a few sheets of paper towels as some water may drip out
For the glaze: In a small bowl, add coconut milk, and confectioners sugar. Whisk until well combined and smooth. Add orange extract and combine.
Add glaze on top of each pudding once cooled
3.1.09
I took this photograph in August for 2012 while I was visiting Jamaica during the Jamaica 50 celebrations (Jamaica celebrated its 50th year of independence). I only knew of Blue Drawers by name. I had not had it at this point. Then a friend of mine gave me some that his mother had made. I knew that even if it was just once, I would make Blue Drawers. So keep in mind that this is how they would have been presented if I had banana leaves.
Jamaican Blue Drawers
In terms of the main ingredient, I did make a very slight change. I used golden raisins instead of regular raisins.
Golden Raisins
I combined the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients to make a moist batter.
Combining ingredients to make Blue Drawers
Combining the batter was easy, and so was the parcel preparation. There was no particular way in which to fold the parcels, so I just made them the best I could. Utilizing the scoop ensured that each pudding would be identical in size. I got exactly 12 scoops using this recipe. I made my parcels fairly small. I cut the ingredients in half in order to keep the servings small.
Jamaican Blue Drawers – Preparing the parcels for boiling
Cooled Blue Drawers
Jamaican Blue Drawers
I think adding the glaze gave it a modern touch. I enjoyed it with the glaze. The orange essence is very subtle.
Jamaican Blue Drawers with an Orange Coconut Glaze
I hope you enjoyed this item from my bucket list. Whats next on your recipe bucket list?
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday.
We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun.
Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat.
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