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BakingFamilyFood

Baking Wednesday – Caramel Slice

by thelifestylelady

Howdy Y’all,

Happy Hump Day! So yesterday was rainy and I was trapped inside with Little L (argh!!) One thing she loves and often asks to do is bake. I read recently in a blog about an app I have been meaning to try called Hippy Lane. The app is recipe-based but only contains health-conscious recipes. They promote that the sweet treat recipes are gluten free, vegan, dairy free, and contain no refined sugar. Trying to find recipes that have these bases covered but still taste delicious is a challenge. This app is very sophisticated and styish and the photographs are beautiful.  I had a very quick gander through my pantry to see what ingredients I had and Little L and I selected the recipe for  Caramel Slices. Where I am from it is referred to as millionaire’s shortbread and  it is delicious and I thought this would be a great introduction to its yumminess for Little L. So here is how it went:-

Recipe

Summary

Creamy, delicious bars of gold. These caramel slice bars are just like the real thing with a crumbly biscuit base, smooth caramel center and silky chocolate top, you will be taken to choc caramel heaven with each bite. Free of dairy, gluten and sugar, you can enjoy them guilt-free.

Ingredients

Base

1 1/2 cups (225g) cashews

1/2 cup (40g) desiccated coconut

8-10 medjool dates, pitted

3tbsp rice malt

Caramel

1 cup (150g) medjool dates, pitted

1/4 cup (60ml) coconut oil

1/2 cup (125ml) tahini or almond butter

1/2 cup (120ml) rice malt syrup

1 tsp vanilla powder

Pinch salt

Chocolate

1/3 cup (36g) cacao powder

1/2 cup (120ml) coconut oil, liquid

1/4 cup (60ml) maple syrup

1/2 tsp carob powder (optional)

Steps

  1. To make base, reduce cashews to small pieces in the food processor.
  2. Add coconut and pulse.
  3. Add dates and rice malt, and process until combined and sticky.
  4. Press base into tin lined with baking powder and freeze.
  5. Making caramel by processing all ingredients until smooth.
  6. Spread caramel over base and freeze.
  7. For the chocolate, whisk the ingredients until well incorporated.
  8. Spread chocolate evenly over slice and freeze.
  9. Remove from freezer 30 minutes before serving.

 

Lifestyle Lady Findings

  • Firstly I could not find rice malt so I substituted agave syrup.
  • I used almond oil instead of tahini.
  • I did not have vanilla powder so I substituted for vanilla essence.
  • As you know I am yet to buy a brownie tin, but that would be the ideal size to make these in.
  • Call me lazy but I loved the ease of the prep and that it needed no baking. It was an ideal recipe to do with a toddler. They can lick the spoon and not get poisoned!
Little L and I really enjoyed making these, it was a great rainy day activity. It is seldom that I get excited about an app and this one has me very eager to try more. It is well worth the $2.99 price tag. When it is raining and half way through the week who wouldn’t want a slice of chocolate gold?
Enjoy,
Ta ta for now,
TLL x
PS. message from Mr L: TLL had to lock these away to stop me eating the whole lot! :@)  Will be taking them to work to dilute the waistline expansion.
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BakingFamilyFood

A Family Cake – Moroccan Orange Cake

by thelifestylelady

 

Howdy Y’all,

Happy Hump Day, you are close to the weekend! Yay!  So I have not done a baking post for a long while (sorry) and this one is special. This is the cake that Mr L asks for each year for his birthday. (Yes I make a vague attempt to make a cake for family – who doesn’t want to blow out a candle and feel old?!) This is not only special because Mr L loves it but it is one of his family recipes. It is a cake that his mother makes (no pressure!!!!  I do not make it as good as her- end of.) It comes from his family cookbook (so you see they are good cooks!)  Many of you may not know but my husband is half Algerian and although this recipe is from Morocco and no my Geography is not that bad! I still think of it as a nod to my husbands heritage and therefore to me it is important. It is also yummy, and does not require lots of icing and decoration which is a win win for me. So I must thank my mother in law for taking the time to document all these family recipe’s it will be lovely for Little L to have a collection of recipes that generations of her family members have made before her, what a lucky little lady she is. Now onto the baking …

 

caster sugar making

Love my Kitchen Aid processor!

Lifestyle Lady Top Tip

Before I start, you will see below the recipe asks for  caster sugar. This is something I have struggled to find in the US, and it does definitely make a difference to the texture of the cake. To combat I use regular granulated sugar and measure the amount required, I then place it in my food processor for about 2 mins and Voila a consistency similar to caster sugar! This might sound like a time consuming faff but it is worth it. Makes for a lighter cake.

Other Information – US readers

  •  I cheated and used dried breadcrumbs and it worked fine. I am sure that it would taste better with fresh.
  • I could not find Star Anise, the seeds worked well.
  • Could not find Orange Flower Water so I used Orange essence.
  • Ground Almonds or Almond Flour is a little more expensive but can often be found on special, grab it then. It is usually found on the health aisles of most major grocery stores.
  • I use this microplane zester, one of the best purchases ever. Makes it so easy and I keep the skin on my knuckles. Win win.
  • This can be made ahead and actually tastes better the next day.
  • As my mother in law suggests it would make a super dessert.

 

Recipe

Moroccan Orange Cake – Courtesy of my mother-in-law

This cake is fragrant with spices and citrus aromas. The syrup makes it moist and soft. It can be served for dessert with a little whipped cream or Greek yoghurt.

Ingredients

For the cake:

5 large eggs, separated

300g caster sugar

350g ground almonds

4 tablespoons fresh white breadcrumbs

3 teaspoons baking powder

400ml sunflower oil

½ teaspoon almond essence

Finely grated zest of 2 oranges

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

For the syrup:

2 star anise

2 small cinnamon sticks

4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

4 tablespoons runny honey

2 tablespoons Orange Flower Water

Juice of 2 oranges

Juice of 1 lemon

Method

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4 (180˚C). Grease and line a 23cm springform cake tin. In a large mixing bowl, combine the caster sugar, ground almonds, breadcrumbs and baking powder. Add the citrus zests. In a jug, beat the eggs with the oil and add the almond essence. Now pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well.

Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 50 – 60 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Meanwhile, make the syrup: gently heat the citrus juices, honey and spices in a small saucepan. Simmer for 3 minutes, then reserve, covered, for the flavours to infuse. Stir in the orange flower water just before using.

When the cake is cooked, remove it from the oven and pierce the top with a skewer all over. Remove the spices from the syrup and pour it over the hot cake, a little at a time, waiting for the cake to absorb the liquid as you do so. Leave the cake to cool in the tin, then remove, using the baking paper to help you, and place on a serving plate. You can use the whole spices to decorate the top.

It will keep well for up to 3 days, stored in cling film or foil in the fridge.

Pictures 

Ground Almonds

Love love love these scales, I received them as a wedding gift and I think of that person every time. I love that about gifts – don’t you? All the dry ingredients.

dryingredients

I make sure I buy the biggest lemons and oranges I can find to get plenty of zest.

wetanddryingredients

Adding the wet ingredients to dry, the mix will look a little curdled/split that is totally fine.

mixedingredients

The split look but trust me it will come out yummy

cakeinoven

I forgot to take a picture before it went into the oven. Another note I usually have a baking tray underneath the tin, so its easy to get in and out of oven, this was the second one I had made in the week and I was in a hurry, I had to get to Peppa Pig theatre show – mummy problems.

syrup

While the cake is baking in the oven I make the lovely syrup. The smell is divine, another tip is place the fruit in the microwave for 20 seconds, the heat will help you squeeze more juice out.

finalcake

The finished article. Before you think its burnt it is not. It is saturated in syrup and the light makes the edges look black. It is so delicious please give it a try.

We all love this and I served it to Mr L’s office as cake of the month, it was different to anything they had before and not one slice was left, which is tribute to the taste of the cake. If you fancy something different give this a try.

Ta ta for now

TLL x

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Editorial

The Friday Feeling- Links I love

by thelifestylelady

image

 

Howdy Y’all,

It is Friday! Congratulations you have made it through another week. Looking forward to a weekend of great weather in Texas, so I have that Friday feeling and I thought I would share some of the things I have liked and loved this week.

So I mentioned the weather is to be good this weekend as a result we have been invited to our first BBQ of the year, a BBQ in January who would have thought? We will actually be able to sit outside rather than the summer where the heat is a nightmare. I am making an appetizer, wanting to stretch my repertoire I am going to make this, hope it is yummy I will report back.

It’s baby fever amongst my friends at the moment, and I love the American tradition of Baby Showers and Sprinkles. I really enjoy celebrating the mum and the impending arrival. I have a sprinkle to attend this weekend, although I had already purchased a gift I was in Gap this week and saw these. For those of you who are not familiar with the Mr Men books or The Little Miss books you have missed out. I loved these during my childhood and they are a great gift for children. They are smaller books with a great moral message to them all. The collections can be bought through Amazon here and here. A great addition to any child’s library.

If you have a littlie in your life who is fond of Disney like Little L, The Disney Store is having a fab sale on plush soft toys, buy one full price ($19.95) get the second for $1. Elsa and Cilla (Cinderella) were added to our family.

I think I have mentioned earlier my love of candles and Bed Bath & Bodyworks are having another sale. I went in to see what I could find and discovered the Lilacs candle, I love the smell so much, it is delicate and reminds me of Spring which is not far away. I also managed to get a Gardenia room fragrance, I love The smell of Gardenia’s I just wish they did this in a body cream.

I was disappointed when I was in London that one of my Christmas gifts (a Liz Earle facial) was cancelled due to the therapist being sick, so Mummy L gained the benefit, which is good. Liz Earle so kindly sent me a pack of goodies to say sorry. It was a lovely surprise and I will blog when I have tried all I was given. It was so kind of them. So thank you. I have been a fan of the brand for years. Give them a try.

Have a super weekend.

Ta Ta for now

TLL x

 

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Food

High-Five Monday – Summer Puddings (Fruit)

by thelifestylelady

Good Morning Y’all,

Hope your weekend was super fun and relaxed and you’re starting your week raring to go! Summer means heat which means grill and pool season and often getting together with friends and family. Now Mr L and I have always loved to entertain, but moving combined with the arrival of Little L meant it was on the back burner. However, we are getting our “mojo” back and enjoy nothing more than opening our home, sharing our table and creating great memories with loved ones. So this week’s high-five is for summer puddings or desserts that have, over time, become tried and tested crowd pleasers. Light – who wants heavy when it’s hot – and most importantly easy/entertaining friendly (meaning able to be made ahead.) So if you’re heading to a potluck or hosting a party, all these desserts can be made as sophisticated or simple as you like! These recipes are all yummy, approved by toddler and adult!

1. Pavlova, now Mummy L introduced me to the beauty of this dessert. It is named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova; it is a meringue cake topped with whipped cream and fruit. I believe the dessert was created in her honor when she visited Australia and New Zealand during the 1920’s. It is often served as a celebratory cake in both countries and its popularity has crept to the UK. Unless Mummy L discovery it from my Aussie family – I will have to check. I have used many different recipes although they are all very similar. LL top tip is whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks; don’t stop too early. My other tip is to add a mix of sugar to the egg whites, divide the sugar requirement so it’s 50% caster sugar and 50% light brown sugar (if you struggle to find caster sugar in U.S. fine granulated works great.) It makes the meringue more marshmallow-like. Another tip is don’t assemble till before serving, so it doesn’t go soggy or crack. You can have fruit chopped and cream whipped, ready to assemble when needed. Plus it can be made with fruit of the season or whatever your family likes. This is really light and yummy, it’s an absolute LL favorite. Please give it a go and let me know all about it.

Recipe and picture Greg Wallace BBC Good Food.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/711658/strawberry-pavlov

Pavlova Time

2. Summer Pudding, this pudding is bread, fruit and juice. It doesn’t sound that yummy but it’s a fav in this house. It also requires being made the day before, just to ensure the bread is suitably soaked. It also taste heaps better if you use stale bread. Which is great because sometimes we struggle to get through a loaf. LL top tip is to double-line the tin with cling film or glad wrap, so you ensure no leaks. I also find a loaf tin works very well as you can slice pieces with a bread nice. Another thing I do if I am serving without children or with a teething toddler (joke) is add a tipple of Ameretto or liquor of your choice. It makes it seem more grown up. Again super yummy, light, and a great way to enjoy fruit in a dessert. Let me know how it works for you? I love the color.

http://coffeemorning.macmillan.org.uk/tips-ideas-and-recipes/Recipes/MoreCelebrityRecipes/mary-berrys-summer-pudding.aspx#.VbV6TFg8KrU.

Recipe, Mary Berry. Picture and link courtesy of Coffee-morning Macmillan charity.

Summer Pudding

3. Tarte au Citron – lemon tart. Now when dealing with French dessert one should use a French Recipe and the Roux brother recipe is outstanding but I could not find a link. My mother in law also makes a wonderful lemon tart. It’s light and tangy and really cleanses the palette. Its a summer must. LL top tip, if you are not great at making pastry, why not buy it? Supermarkets make great pastry now, and I find it’s often more time and cost efficient to buy it, although I do like to make my own occasionally. Another great thing is buying a super zester which makes the job easier and certainly get more from the lemon. You can also make individual tarts which looks super impressive and helps with portion control. Plus the smell and color scream summer. Enjoy and tell me how you find it.

Recipe and picture courtesy of GoodtoKnow

http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/270447/lemon-tart

Lemon Tart

4. Strawberry Shortbread Frozen Yogurt. Now Mr L doesn’t like yogurt but he loved this. I received the recipe in my monthly magazine subscription and thought I must try it and now it’s a permanent favorite. The shortbread adds a little sophistication and strawberries are always glamorous and this again is light and yummy. LL top tip (the recipe has this covered) I used freeze-dried strawberries from Trader Joe but am sure they can be found at various supermarkets. I echo bringing out early to soften before serving. No soft scoop here.

Picture and recipe courtesy of BBC Good Food

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/strawberry-shortbread-frozen-yogurt

Strawberry Shortbread Frozen Yogurt

5. Baked Raspberry Cheesecake, I had to have a cheesecake on here. This recipe is a keeper, easy to prepare and follow with great results, a real crowd pleaser. Mr L loves everything raspberry so always win win in my house. LL top tip: watch while it bakes in the oven. Baked cheesecakes have a habit of getting caught and you want the top to look inviting and not overdone.

Recipe courtesy of Olive magazine. Image courtesy of secretkitchen.wordpress.com

http://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/baked-raspberry-cheesecake/4533.html

baked-cheesecake-with-raspberries

I have noticed as I conclude that all my recipes are fruit-based. I love fruit, and summer fruits in particular, and sometimes you can’t beat a lovely fruit salad as a dessert offering. I hope you don’t think these recipes are too fruity! I shall try to think of some alternatives as a post later on. Why not give some of these a try and please tell me what you think, I would love to hear! Any family favourite recipes you can recommend? Happy grilling and dessert-eating, and please remember sun cream.

Ta Ta for now,

TLL x

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