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Tag Archives: rapadura sugar

Blueberry, Cumquat and Pecan Cake – Two Ways

Posted on February 25, 2014 by The quirk and the cool

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I revisited this cake made last year which is based on an Annabel Langbein recipe.

I made it two ways, my original recipe tweaked a little and a vegan version.

Below is the link to the original recipe:

https://thequirkandthecool.com/2013/07/14/blueberry-and-cumquat-cake-with-sugared-pecans/

Original Version

My “tweaks” were to use a couple of tablespoons of preserved cumquats instead of jam, as I had run out of cumquat jam. I blitzed the cumquats pretty thoroughly so as not to have big chunks in the cake. When adding the final teaspoon of cumquat preserve, I added the syrup rather than the fruit.

Here is the link to preserved cumquats: https://thequirkandthecool.com/2013/08/26/cumquats-in-sugar-syrup/

I also served the cake with lots of fresh berries and more preserved cumquats.

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Vegan Version

This is a similar recipe to my vegan chocolate cake, minus the cocoa. I also made a plain vanilla cake as well. I used my fancy Nordic ware molds which I love.

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Ingredients


175 gms self raising flour

3 level tsps baking powder

100 gms rapadura or other unrefined sugar* + 1/8 cup

125 mls vegetable oil

325 mls cold water

I/2 cup blueberries

1/8 cup chopped pecans




Method

Preheat oven to 170 degrees C.
  Grease 20 cm cake tin or 4-6 small fancy molds with oil spray.

Place all the ingredients  (except the blueberries and pecans and additional sugar) in a food processor in the order given and whizz. 
Place mixture into the greased tin or molds.

Scatter the blueberries and chopped pecans over the batter. Lastly sprinkle over 1/8 cup rapadura sugar, making sure the nuts are well covered.

Bake for 30 minutes for the cake tin, 15 minutes for the molds, in the pre-heated oven.

Cool for 5 minutes before gently turning out onto a wire rack.

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Posted in Cakes, Dessert, Jams, Marmalades, Conserves and Chutneys, Small Baked Things, Sweet Food and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Posted on January 19, 2014 by The quirk and the cool

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While making my Christmas Spruce Cake last year for some work colleagues, https://thequirkandthecool.com/2013/12/04/christmas-spruce-cake/, I needed to provide an alternative for a vegan friend. I found this recipe which I made festive by baking it in some Nordic ware individual fancy molds.

Ingredients


175 gms self raising flour

3 level tsps baking powder

25 gms cocoa
 (I used Dutch cocoa for flavour)

100 gms rapadura or other unrefined sugar*

125 mls vegetable oil

325 mls cold water




Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
  Grease a loaf tin, 20 cm cake tin or 4-6 small fancy molds with oil spray.

Place all the cake ingredients in a food processor in the order given and whizz. 
Place mixture into the greased tins or molds and bake for 30 minutes for the loaf or cake tin, 15 minutes for the molds, in the pre-heated oven.

Cool for 5 minutes before gently turning out onto a wire rack.

This cake is great served on its own, or you can add fresh berries or a vegan icing.

* It’s important not to use white sugar, as white sugar is refined using animal bones to “bleach” the colour of the sugar.

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Blondie and Brownie Cookies with Caramel Fudge

Posted on October 15, 2013 by The quirk and the cool

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I revisited my basic cookie recipe to which, in a previous post, I had added caramel fudge.

https://thequirkandthecool.com/2013/05/21/white-chocolate-and-caramel-pecan-cookies-with-sea-salt/

This time I left out the pecans and just added my home made caramel fudge using a fabulous new microwave recipe I found, which is listed below.

The blondie cookies were made with white chocolate chips and white sugar. The brownie cookies were made with milk chocolate chips and rapadura sugar. I sprinkled sea salt on the cookies before baking.

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Ingredients
150 gms butter
1 cup white sugar (blondie cookies) OR 1 cup rapidura sugar or dark brown sugar (brownie cookies)
1 egg
I/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 – 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
75 gms white chocolate chips (blondie cookies) OR 75 gms milk chocolate chips (brownie cookies)
2-4 small pieces of caramel fudge, roughly chopped (recipe below)

Method
Cream butter and sugar in a food processor until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract, process swell. Sift flour, baking powder and salt and add to mixture, processing until smooth.

Stir in chocolate chips and fudge chunks.

Drop rounded spoonfuls onto baking trays lined with baking paper.  Sprinkle sea salt to taste over the top of each cookie.

Bake for 15- 20 minutes depending on the size of the cookies.

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Caramel Fudge

Ingredients

1 400 gm can sweetened condensed milk
1 cups firmly packed brown sugar
125 gms butter, roughly chopped
1/4 cup liquid glucose
1/8 cup golden syrup
200g white cooking chocolate, roughly chopped

Method
Grease a rectangular or square cake tin. Line with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang at both long ends.

Place condensed milk, sugar, butter, glucose and golden syrup in a large heatproof, microwave-safe bowl.

Microwave, uncovered, on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring with a balloon whisk every 2 minutes, or until mixture comes to the boil.*

Microwave, uncovered, on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) for a further 5 to 6 minutes, stirring every minute with a wooden spoon, or until thick and golden.

Remove from microwave  and stand for 2 minutes or until bubbles subside.*

Add white chocolate. Stir until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.

Pour hot fudge mixture into the prepared tin. Smooth surface. Stand at room temperature for a couple of hours then refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares.

*My experience suggests less microwave time may be required for both microwave steps.  I microwaved for about 6 minutes firstly, then for about 4-5 minutes for the second microwave time.

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Cherry, Raisin and Walnut Muffins + Cumquat and Almond Muffins

Posted on August 3, 2013 by The quirk and the cool

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I wanted to make muffins recently and couldn’t decide on the flavour. What was in the store cupboard led to the design of a couple of new flavour combinations.

I think the cherry is my favourite – great for morning or afternoon tea. If you like a tarter, more “breakfasty” muffin – the cumquat one is delicious warm with butter.

The base mixture is the same before dividing the mixture into two for each combo.

Ingredients – Base Mixture

1 and 1/2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bi-carbonate soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup rapadura sugar* (or dark brown or brown sugar)
1/cup melted butter
2 beaten eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon sugar for dusting

*Rapadura sugar has a lovely dark, treacly taste. Available from health food stores and bulk food stores.

Cherry Mixture
1 cup walnuts (1/2 cup walnut meal, 1/2 cup walnut pieces)
1/2 cup whole black cherries (tinned)
1/4 cup large raisins

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Cumquat Mixture
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup cumquat jam (any citrus jam or marmalade would do)
1/4 cup almond flakes

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Method

Preheat oven to 170 degrees C. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with muffin papers. Lightly spray papers with cooking spray.

For some reason I only managed to make 7 muffins from this mixture – I could have squeezed out 8 at a pinch. I think you should expect to make 8 good sized muffins or 10 smaller ones from these quantities.

Mix the dry ingredients for the base mixture with a spoon in a bowl until well combined. Divide into two bowls. In another bowl mix the butter, beaten eggs, milk and vanilla extract.

For the cherry muffins, add the walnut meal which you have ground in the food processor to the dry ingredients in one bowl. Add half the butter/egg/milk/vanilla liquid, stirring until barely mixed. Gently fold in the walnut pieces, cherries and raisins.

For the cumquat muffins, add the ground almonds to the dry ingredients in the other bowl. Add the other half of the butter/egg/milk/vanilla liquid, stirring until barely mixed. Gently fold in the cumquat or similar jam.

Spoon each mixture into the muffin papers. Sprinkle almond flakes on the tops of the cumquat muffins. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Remove from the oven, and dust the tops of all the muffins with cinnamon sugar.

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Posted in Breakfast, Muffins, Small Baked Things, Sweet Food and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
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