Parsnip Cranberry Cakes

What do you do at Christmas time when you have left over parsnips and clementines?  You peel and grate and squeeze them into delicious little cakes of course! :)

Parsnip Cranberry Cakes

Ingredients

75ml olive oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 clementines - zest and juice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1-3/4 cups plain white flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 large parsnips - grated (approx. 1 mug full)
Handful chopped pecans
Handful cranberries
Honey


Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C.

Whisk olive oil, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, clementine zest and juice together until light and fluffy.

Sieve in flour, bicarb, baking soda and salt.  Gently fold through.

Carefully swirl in the parsnips, pecans and cranberries.  Don't overmix.

Divide between baking cases.

Bake for 30mins, until skewer comes out clean.  Finish with a drizzle of honey.

Store in airtight container for 2-3 days, if you don't eat them all at once!  Delicious with a bit of butter and a cuppa!

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Caryl's Cheesecake

My favourite type of cheesecake is a baked one!  I love the texture and the nibbliness of them. :)  This is one I've devised over the years ..... deliciously irresistable and very moreish!  I make it every Christmas, as well as family get-togethers.

Caryl's Baked Cheesecake

Ingredients

Base

1/3 cup biscuit crumbs - (I like to use ginger nut biscuits, but digestives work well too!)
1/3 cup butter - melted

Filling

300g tub cream cheese - room temperature
250g tub ricotta cheese - room temperature
200g tub creme fraiche (or sour cream) - room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs - separated
2 tbs plain white flour
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbs grated lemon rind

Topping

Fruit of choice - I like to use strawberries or blueberries, or both!
Whipped cream


Combine biscuit crumbs and melted butter.  Press into base of a 23cm spring-form pan and chill.

Stiffly beat egg whites and set aside.

Beat cream cheese until soft.  Stir in all remaining filling ingredients, gently folding in the egg whites last.

Pour mixture into prepared crumb crust.  Bake at 140 degrees C for approx. 60 minutes.  Allow to cool in oven.  Chill for a few hours.

Decorate with whipped cream and fruit.

NOTE:  If your cheesecake cracks across the top, don't worry - that's what makes the decorating fun!  Every time I make this recipe I decorate it differently, depending on how (or if) it has cracked and what fruit is available.

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Garlic & Pine-Nuts

Brussels sprouts, I have to admit, have not been a vegetable I've liked until very recently.  In fact I used to only put up with it "for the sake of keeping the peace" at Christmas time!  However, there are so many things you can do with these special green gems of goodness, I can now say I actually enjoy them.  This is how I served them with this year's Christmas dinner, alongside the traditional baked potatoes, carrots and a newly tried Jamie Oliver's "Must-try red cabbage braised with apple, bacon & balsamic vinegar".

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Garlic & Pine-Nuts

Ingredients

500g Brussels sprouts (approx)
Butter
3 cloves garlic - finely sliced
handful pine-nuts - toasted


Wash and trim the ends of the sprouts.  Slice in half length-wise and cook them in a pan of boiling water for approx. 3-5 minutes.  Drain.

In a wok, melt a small knob of butter.  Add the garlic and stir fry until just starting to colour.  Pour in the sprouts and stir until warmed through and coated with the garlic and butter.  Add the pine-nuts and stir until combined.

Serve immediately, or keep warm until ready.

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Spiced Christmas Cookies

I've always loved making Christmas Cookies.  You can use any cookie cutter shapes that you can find. Unfortunately my Angel shapes have flown the nest, but I do still have my Christmas trees! :)

Spiced Christmas Cookies

Ingredients - (makes approx. 70 cookies)

2 eggs

230g butter - melted

2 tsp malt vinegar

3-1/2 cups plain white flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp saffron

1 tsp cinnamon

Icing sugar

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, melted butter and malt vinegar until well combined.

Sieve the flour over the top of wet mixture.  Gently stir in with a spoon.  Add the sugar and spices, stir well.

When mixture is thoroughly combined, tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a ball.  It will be quite soft.  Wrap in cling film and refrigerate to allow the dough to harden a little.  (I was busy doing other things and ended up forgetting about the dough until the following day!)

After about 30 minutes - (or the following day if you did what I did) - remove the dough from the fridge and bring almost to room temperature.  It will be quite firm.

Lightly flour your work surface.  Take half the dough and roll it out to desired thickness.  Use cookie cutters to stamp out the shapes and transfer to a baking sheet.  Keep re-rolling the dough until it is all used.

Bake in 180 degree C oven for approx. 20 mins, or until just lightly browned.  Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.  Lightly sprinkle with icing sugar.

These cookies will keep well in an airtight container, for a few days.  They may well last longer, but they are always eaten more quickly than I can get the chance to find out!

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Chocolate dipped Coconut Almond Macaroons

These are something I make every Christmas.  They are extremely moreish, which is why I make so many of them! :)

Chocolate dipped Coconut Almond Macaroons

Ingredients - (makes approx. 50 macaroons)

3 egg whites

2/3 cup sugar

1-1/2 cups ground almonds

1-1/2 cups dessicated coconut

150g block good dark chocolate (you could also use milk or white chocolate)

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C (approx. 325 degrees F).

Beat egg whites in a small bowl, until soft peaks form.

Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is thick and glossy.

Transfer to medium bowl.

Gently fold in almonds and coconut, with a metal spoon.

Spoon small teaspoons of mixture onto lined baking trays, approx. 2" apart.

Bake in oven for about 20 minutes, or until firm and slightly golden brown.

Cool on trays.

When the macaroons are cooled, melt the chocolate in a double saucepan, over a low heat.  Stir until completely melted and smooth.  Take off the heat.

Dip the bases of the macaroons into the chocolate.  Place upside down, on foil lined trays, until chocolate has firmed up again.

These store quite well in an airtight container.  Not sure for how long though, as they get eaten pretty quickly! :)

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Banana Chocolate Cake

This must be the most delicious Banana Chocolate Cake I've tasted!

Banana Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

120g butter - melted
75g brown sugar
75g honey - (this is approx. 50ml)
2 large eggs
1-1/2 cups white self-raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 over-ripe bananas - mashed
3/4 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream)
100g dark chocolate - cut into 1cm pieces
50g pecans - roughly chopped


In a large bowl, mix melted butter with sugar, then add the honey and stir well.

Next, add the eggs and beat thoroughly.

Sift the flour, bicarbonate and cinnamon over the top, and mix well until combined.

Stir in the bananas and creme fraiche.

Fold in the chocolate and nuts.

Pour mixture into prepared loaf tin. 

Bake in oven at 180 degrees C for approx. 70mins, or until browned and there is no mixture sticking to the tester.

Leave in tin for approx. 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.  Leave to cool, if others in the household let you.  Otherwise, slice and serve immediately to keep them quiet! ;)

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Chia Chocolate Pudding

This vegan pudding has the consistency of tapioca, with the taste of chocolate.  It is the simplest of puddings to make and tastes delicious, but doesn't photograph very well, so you'll have to trust me! :)


Ingredients

4 tbs (1/3 cup) chia seeds
2 x 400ml cans coconut milk
2 tbs cocoa powder
2 tbs agave syrup


Whisk all the ingredients together in a large bowl.  Refrigerate.

It will be ready to eat in an hour or so.

Note:  If you are not vegan, you can replace the agave with honey, or any other sweet syrup.

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥