Mammajoy

Raw Chocolate Brownie (it's magic, I'm sure)

A while back I was cruising on facebook (yes, I cruise) and I stumbled upon a link to a recipe for Raw Chocolate Brownie.  I was intrigued as to how raw ingredients could be used to make a brownie.

How could this be possible?  Without eggs?  No sugar?  No FLOUR? 

Oh I must know how!!

The good gals from  Mamabake were sharing the link from Wayfaring Chocolate who I believe has adapted this recipe from somewhere else (the origin of which I'm not sure).  Here is Wayfaring's instructions for this brownie.  Finding this recipe has changed how I make brownie forever.and.a.day.  I don't think I'll ever make a traditional brownie again.  This one is just so much better.  

 And it's healthy.  OH Lord Have Mercy! I can get a chocolate fix AND IT'S GOOD FOR ME.

Women of the world, this is what we've been waiting for!

I've made them twice now.  The second time I doubled the recipe as the quantities listed only made a smallish brownie and I have a tribe to feed.  I have tweeked it slightly - my family don't really like walnuts, so we used macadamia nuts instead.  The taste is amazing, the macadamia nuts are subtle and gives way to the strong, robust chocolate flavours.  Oooh listen to me, sound just like a foodie!

 

Ingredients...

1 cup (110g) macadamia nuts (or walnuts)

1 cup (150g) medjool dates, pitted

1/3 cup (30g) cocoa powder (I used the cocoa powder I mentioned in this post, raw is better as it has this amazing chocolately kick to it)

1 avocado

40ml raw honey or agave nectar

30g cocoa powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

dash salt

dash cinnamon

 

 

Now for the magical, amazing, far-out-that's COOL part of combining all these ingredients and watching it turn into pure yumminess!

Put the nuts, dates and the 1/3 cup cocoa powder into a food processor and process until the mixture looks like potting soil.  Yes, that's what the original recipe says and it will eventually look exactly like potting soil!

Press this mixture into a small slice tin (mine was 11 x 7 inch) lined with baking paper.  The harder you press the more compact your base will be, so break out those muscles and flatten the mixture good!  Then pop it into the freezer while we make the topping.

 

 

With a blender or handmixer (stick blender) blend the avocado, honey or agave, second lot of cocoa, vanilla, salt and cinnamon until really smooth.

The first time I made this I used the food processor again (why dirty another machine right?) but found it was impossible to blend everything together well enough - this meant I had tiny flecks of avocado left in the topping.  Not good.

 

 

This is my mum's super duper commercial blender I used.  You want this topping blended until it's smooth and creamy.  If you can taste avocado in the mixture - add a dash more honey.  The cocoa and the honey should completely mask the flavour of the avocado.  I know.  It's magic.  And pure genius.

 

 

*Cute kids to model blender not a required step*

 

This is the mixture when it's blended together.  At this stage I'm often lost in the glossy beautifulness of this mixture....I can't believe it's got NO butter.  NO sugar. NO eggs!  It's sooo smooth!!!  Amazing stuff.

 

 

Spread the topping over the brownie base, making sure it's nice and even and then put it back in the freezer for about an hour to set.  This slice needs to be stored in the fridge.

 

 

Eat. Enjoy!  Marvel!  Oh the chocolately goodness!

Banana Bread

Once, a long time ago, I used to go to the Australian Breastfeeding Association's fortnightly mum's group in Brisbane.  I have such fond memories of these get togethers with other first-time mum's.  The support and encouragement I received from those lovely mum's helped immensely in those trying days as a newbie mum.

It was at one of these gatherings that we all swapped a favourite recipe of ours, and one of the recipes I received was for Banana Bread.  I can't remember the mum who gave me this recipe; it's handwritten on a page with some notes and tips added haphazardly.  I love that from one home to another, this recipe has made it's way into my collection.

I love Banana Bread and so do the kids.  It's quick, healthy and you can hide all manner of goodness inside them.  So with this handsome dude to help we baked a loaf this morning.

 

Banana Bread

2 cups SR flour

1 tsp cinnamon (I always add a smidge more..)

2/3 cup caster sugar (I'm out of caster sugar, so today I used brown sugar, worked fine!)

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 tbsp sunflower oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup mashed banana (about 2 medium bananas)

(You could easily add some linseed, lecithin, pumpkin seeks, sultanas etc. for some more goodness.  If this makes the batter dry just add a splash more milk).

 

Preheat oven to 180C.  Grease and flour a large loaf tin.

Sift flour and cinnamon together.  Add sugar and stir well.

In a jug whisk together milk, eggs, oil, vanilla essence and banana.

Add milk mixture to the flour mix and stir together well.

Bake for 45-50 minutes and until a skewer comes out clean.  Leave in tin for 5 minutes before cooling on a wire rack.

* Make sure the loaf tin is large as this cake will rise and we don't want any overflows and terribe messes in the oven!

Deee-licious with a hot cup of coffee for morning tea.

In the Kitchen

Now that I'm (almost) back on my feet my kitchen has been a hive of activity lately...

 

:: Bread dough.  Resting.  Waiting.  Doubling in size.  This is a new recipe and I'm very keen to see the results.

 

:: Pizza for dinner.  This is our favourite dinner on Monday nights.  It's easy, quick and relaxed after a (usually) hectic beginning to the week.  And really, what kid doesn't love making pizza?

 

 

::  My favourite helper in the kitchen.  Okay, so she doesn't as much help as goof around.  But fun nonetheless!

 

 

::  A big 'ol bag of bananas.  I LOVE YOU $1.99 per kilo bananas.  We went many months without bananas because they were just too expensive - $15.99 per kilo!! - so it's wonderful having them in abundance again.  I'll be making banana muffins for school with these as well as putting heaps in the dehydrator.  Dried banana = YUM.

 

 

::  This here is all my mum's fault.  Spoiling me when she was here taking (amazing) care of me and my family and sneaking all sorts of goodness into my pantry (which, by the way, she completely cleaned and re-organised for me.  Mum, you're just great).  This is pure, raw cocoa powder.  I think my heart just skipped a beat.  The only downside to this - but then again not really - is that it's best not to cook with it.  Apparently all the awesome goodness of antioxidants and vitamins and minerals are vastly depleted if it's cooked.  But this isn't going to stop me.  I've got an amazing recipe for Raw Chocolate Brownie that requires no cooking whatsoever.  And the taste is out-of-this-world good.  And it's healthy.  And very chocolately. 

 

::  And lastly, the latest poster from Frankie magazine.  I don't usually put these postoers up, but this one is so quaint and makes me smile.

As I type this I have that bread dough baking in my oven.  Oh my.  My kitchen smells GOOD!  If this recipe turns out I may have found the bread making technique that is going to work for me!  I've tried quite a few and they haven't risen to the occasion.  Oh yeah.  Pun totally intended.

Anything exciting happen'n in your kitchen?

i love pie

First apple pie for Autumn.  Last pie I will bake in this kitchen *sniff*

 

get me some more s'mores

A friend of mine recently returned from a trip to her home country of Canada and before she left she asked me if there was anything she could bring back for me.

Oh no she didn't.

Oh yes she did.  I managed to hold back from asking her just how many suitcases she would be bringing and how much on-flight luggage are you allowed these days?

I managed to narrow it down to two things.

1) a box of Graham Crackers.  These mystical little biscuits have always intrigued me and I really wanted to try them.

2) a GAP t-shirt.  I really don't have any good and solid reason for this one, I've just always wanted one.  Let''s put it down to my special brand of crazy.

I had a coffee date with my cool Canadian friend during the week and she gave me this.  I hugged her.  She also gave me this,

I hugged her again.  The colour of this shirt is my favourite, a deep, crimson red.  Love it.  And the crackers?  Yummo.  I seriously couldn't eat just one, they taste like no other cracker I've ever tasted!  So that night, in the quiet of sleeping children, I made these,

Oh yeah.  Got me some s'mores people.  Now if you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about here is the definition of s'mores.  Did you know they're even on Facebook?  And I found them here and this thing will cook them for you without a campfire.  There is a serious following for this treat.  I've heard reference to them so many times in movies and TV shows and just step aside betty they sounded GOOD.  I was curious.  And so I baked.  It was late.  But chocolate, marshmallows and crackers wait for no man.

They were good.  Very yummy.  There is one problem in making these however and that is our marshmallow size and texture.  Marshmallows from Canada and the US of A are much bigger and much more dense and not quite so sweet.  I found some imported Campfire Marshmallows once at Target and grabbed them (Matt loves marshmallows) but I haven't been able to find them since.  We ate the entire batch of s'mores the next day.

And as for the box of crackers?  All gone.  But I'm thinking surely someone in Australia imports these, so I'm going to find that person and buy many, many boxes.

It's just the right thing to do.
 
 

how to ice a christmas cake

You'll be glad to hear that the to-do list is slowly shrinking.  Although the roof racks haven't arrived yet...eek!  (We leave tomorrow!).

We like to cut things a little fine when we plan a holiday.  It's more fun that way.

OH I KID.

I JEST!

Anyhoo, this post does have a point.  I iced the Christmas cake the other night and thought I'd share the process because it really is exciting and I'm sure it will add much joy to your day.

OH I KID.

I JEST!

Gather the materials.  I bailed on using the pink and green edible sugar flowers for the decorations.  Pink? At Christmas? What was I thinking?

This is the first layer going on.  I usually use a layer of Almond Icing/Paste but I couldn't find any at our local store, so instead I used two layers of white icing, or 'plastic icing' as it's often called.

The first layer trimmed.  I'm not fanatically neat at this stage, because the second layer usually hides any lumps in the first layer.  I wish I came in layers.  That would be great.

Rolling out the second layer.  I found a 1kg tube of 'plastic icing' at our local party shop for $8, bargain!  This icing has a lovely nutty flavour, a bit like marzipan I suppose.

The second layer going on.  This is about the time that I wish I hadn't started this process because my perfectionism kicks in and I WANT IT SMOOTH.  THE LUMPS MAKE ME ANGRY.

So let's not talk about this bit anymore.

Found some pretty decorations that unfortunately are not edible.  But they look nice all the same.

 And viola!  I'm pretty happy with it.  And I'm really looking forward to eating it.

There's a picture of last years Christmas cake in this post.  I cut out a heap of stars with marzipan and placed a sugar ball in the centre of each one. 

I have enjoyed baking a cake again this year, it's becoming a nice little tradition.  I can remember the days of being intimidated by the thought of doing a Christmas cake, but it's really not that hard.  If I can do anyone can do it!

Now let's just hope I can get it to the beach in one piece!
 

P.S. I won a giveaway!  My first one ever.  Thanks pepperstitches, can't wait to get my hands on those books...
 
 

i love cake

Especially Christmas cake.  Yep, it's that time again.  Can't believe it's been one whole year since this cake took up way to much space in the fridge.  But it's worth it.  And Christmas 2009 is my year to actually EAT Christmas cake because yay.can.I.get.a.hallejujah I'm not pregnant!  Yes!!  The cake will be mine.....all mine!

Here's the recipe I'll be using and my fruit is soaking in brandy as I type.  Just think about that for a second.  Fruit.  Soaking.  Brandy.

Oh yeah.

I'm not sure where we will be over the Christmas break but you can be sure that this cake will be coming with us!
 
 
 

you could barely call it 'cooking'

But I'm going to anyway.  Well and truly gone are the days of baking an apple pie a week.  Or spending an evening in the kitchen once the kids were in bed whipping up slices and biscuits.  Oh no siree.

But the other day I was itching to make something.  So this is the closest I've been to baking in quite some time...

Chocolate Balls.  Remember these Pepper?  These were a staple in our family when I was growing up and they never lasted more than a day.  We loved making them as kids and I can't remember any school holidays without making these once or seven times.  I mean really - anything with condensed milk in it has to be good.

Throw the biscuits in a food processor and give them the worst day of their life.

Put them in a bowl.

Add about 2 tablespoons of cocoa, or more if you want them really chocolately.

And then add the tin of condensed milk.  Make sure that you lick out the tin 'cause, you know, it's condensed milk and no more needs to be said.

And then mix all together well.  Does this look very appealing? No.

Does it taste yummy? Yes.

Roll the mixture into balls (I always make mine way too big) and roll in coconut.  You can eat them straight away or refridgerate for a while to harden.  Store them in the fridge though.

Needless to say they were delicious.

And we ate them all that day.

It's tradition.

It feels funny posting about Christmas when the date is 15 January

But seriously?  I've been on a self-imposed bloggy-break.

So?  How ya been?  It's been a long time since I posted and last and so much as happened it's hard to know where to start.  We had a FABULOUS time over Christmas and it was so lovely to spend time with our extended family.

Our lunch was delicious and amazingly all the cooking and need-to-have-everything-ready-at-the-same-time thing worked out perfectly.  It was a Christmas miracle people.

  If your thinking 'wow that looks like a lot of food', you're right, we ate like kings!

This was the most delicious ice-cream cake you could ever imagine.

And here is my beloved Christmas cake.  It turned out beautifully, so rich and moist inside and the brandy was soooo yummy.

It really was the best Christmas.

toast

There is something wonderful about the smell of freshly toasted bread first thing in the morning.  Especially if it joins the smell of fresh coffee.  And this morning?  We had both.

R has had a (very short lived can I get an amen?) tummy bug and yesterday she barely ate a thing.  So this morning when she marched into the kitchen in a sleepy daze and declared she wanted toast, well I jumped on that like white on rice.

I've never really appreciated how yummy toast can be on it's own, but then I read this post from Angry Chicken a while back and I've been looking for the perfect bread ever since.  And here it is.  Tip Top 9 Grain.  Rye, buckwheat, corn, sunflower kernels, oats, triticale, kibbled wheat, soy and linseed.  And believe me, 9 is the perfect mix of grains.  It's like the 11 secret herbs and spices.  THIS. BREAD. IS. YUMMY.

We had it with a rich fruit jam.  The jam application had to be monitored because my girls could eat jam by the spoonful. 

And of course, mamma had Vegemite.  For you northern hemisphere people who missed out on the Vegemite lov'n gene, I pity you.  It's like black gold.

So good.  Tomorrow I'm having toast again.  It's like the unsung hero of breakfast foods.  Here's to a toast revolution.