Soul Cakes

Soul Cakes are traditionally baked to celebrate Samhain, a time to reconnect with our ancestors and to honour those who have passed.  This recipe is my own version and makes approx. 16 small cookies.

Soul Cakes

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour - white, whole wheat or a mixture of the two.
3/4 cup ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cocoa
1/2 cup soft brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Zest of 1 orange
1 egg
1/4 cup butter - melted
1 tbsp orange juice


Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.  Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, beat the egg, then add the butter and orange juice and stir well.

Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until well combined and the dough starts to form into a ball.

Split the ball in half and repeat until there are 16 small balls. Flatten each one slightly and place on baking tray, leaving a little room for them to spread.

Bake for approx. 25 mins, or lightly brown.

Cool on a wire tray.

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Coconut Seed Slice

I've been baking these slices for my kids ever since they were very young.  They were called "Mum's Slice".  Last weekend, my eldest boy came home from Uni and asked me to make some for him to take back with him.  This time, though, I added some extra seed goodness too! :)

Ingredients

100 grms butter
2-3 tbsp golden syrup
1/4 cup chia gel
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup desiccated coconut
1/3 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup golden linseeds
1/4 cup hemp seeds


Melt butter with golden syrup in a saucepan. Add the chia gel (see recipe at Caryl's Cooking Creations: How to make a Chia Gel) and stir well.

Combine all dry ingredients into a bowl.

Pour butter mixture into dry ingredients and stir well, until just combined.

Spread mixture onto a medium sized baking tray, patting out until flat and even.

Bake in oven at 160 degrees C for approx. 20-25 minutes, until well browned.  (If you like your slices softer or more chewy, bake for 15 mins only.)

Leave on tray to cool, then turn out and cut into slices.

If there are any over, they will store well in an airtight container.  Although, I'm not sure how long for because they are always eaten up pretty quickly in my house! ;)

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Blueberry & Apple Chia Muffins

It's always nice to add a little extra from the garden - in this case, from our apple trees - to a baked treat!

Ingredients - (makes approx. 12 muffins)

1 cup fresh Blueberries
1 Apple - peeled and chopped
1/4 cup Chia seeds - ground
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup plain flour
60g butter
3 tbsp honey
2 large eggs - beaten
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream)


Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.

Rinse the blueberries and leave on a paper napkin to dry.  Peel and roughly chop the apple and set aside.

Melt the butter with honey.

Sift the ground chia seeds with the flours and baking powder into a large bowl.  Stir the chopped apple into the flour.

In a small bowl, roughly beat the eggs with the vanilla, the pour in the butter mixture and the creme fraiche.  Stir until well combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into the flour and apple mixture.  Mix lightly with a fork, until just combined.  Carefully fold in the blueberries, without crushing.

Put spoonfuls of the mixture into well-greased muffin pans - approx. 3/4 full.  Bake in oven for approx. 20 minutes, or until well risen and golden.  Transfer to a wire rack.

Enjoy warm, or cold!

I usually try to double the recipe so there are some muffins left to freeze for another time.  They make a healthy and delicious snack!

Caryl ♥

Apple & Blueberry Crumble

Having harvested the last of our apples from the apple trees in our garden, I decided to combine them with the fresh blueberries I bought the same morning.  This makes a lovely dessert.

Ingredients

6 Apples - peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup Blueberries - washed
Brown sugar
Cinnamon

Crumble Ingredients

2 tsps Chia Gel
1/2 cup Plain flour
1/2 cup Oats
2 tbsp Hemp seeds
1 tbsp Demerara sugar
1 tbsp Cinnamon
Butter


(First, for the Chia Gel, see Caryl's Cooking Creations: How to make a Chia Gel)

Place the chopped apples and blueberries into a deep oven-proof dish. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon to taste. Mix well, but carefully.

In a small bowl, mix the chia gel with the flour, until it resembles bread crumbs.  Stir in the oats, hemp seeds, sugar and cinnamon until well combined.

Sprinkle crumble over apples and blueberries.  Dot with a very little butter.  Cook in moderate oven for approx. 20-30 minutes, until top is slightly browned.

Please note:  Apart from the chia gel, I am only guessing at the measurements for the other crumble ingredients, as I can't remember. (I will try to remember to measure next time I make a crumble).  Generally, I just shake in what looks and feels right at the time!

Enjoy, with custard or ice-cream, or both! ;)

Caryl ♥

Cornbread Muffins

You can never go wrong serving these yummy muffins with soup, or as a side for just about anything!  I tend to make double the recipe each time, as they are VERY popular in my house.  Oh.... and they freeze well too!

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup Polenta (corn meal)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil (or butter)
2 eggs


Stir all the ingredients together in a bowl.

Put spoonfuls of the mixture into greased muffin pans - approx. 3/4 full.

Bake at 200 degrees C for approx. 15 mins.

Serve with soup, or as a side for just about anything.  They are delicious with butter!

You can use this recipe in a baking dish, or bread tins - whatever you choose.  Just remember to alter the cooking time.

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥