My kitchen is the heart of my home. My friends all like to hang out in there instead of in my more spacious living room.
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My kitchen is the heart of my home. My friends all like to hang out in there instead of in my more spacious living room.
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My Relaxation StrategyI'm an avid collector of cakes. Biscuits, muffins, cupcake recipes, I jot them all down on any scrap of paper I have to hand. When I'm stressed or depressed, nothing lifts me out of my low so much as baking a cake. The simple act of reading a cake recipe helps me de-stress and gives me a sense of calm. I love to go through my list of recipes to find the best one to lift the mood. Any stage of making a cake can make me feel better. Whisking eggs with sugar sweetens my bad temper, adding baking powder to the mix also raises the mood. A pinch of spice adds a zing to my groove. I'm not the only one who's onto this sweet secret. There are zillions of blog out there dedicated to the baking of cakes. Each is a mine of mouth-watering recipes. It's such a shame that cakes are not your best friends when it comes to your waistline! Sugar is BadDoctors tell us that food with a high sugar content is bad for you. This makes people like me feel guilty every time we eat a slice of chocolate cake or any other sweet pastry. It seems a healthy diet is one low in raffinate sugar, and this is difficult to achieve if you eat cakes. But all is not lost! I've found out there are people like me out there who are on a quest to create the perfect cake – healthy and low in sugar. Beetroot and Chocolate – a Winner!Using fruit in a cake mix is hardly a novel idea – apple cakes, apple tarts, tatin, you name it. Vegetables are less appreciated. For some people, adding vegetables to a cake defeats the idea of a sinful pleasure. I beg to differ. I've found that carrots add the perfect texture and sweetness to a cake, and allows me to reduce the amount of sugar in the mix without compromising the result. In my researches I've found what could possibly be the best use for a beetroot: in a velvety chocolate cake. I fell in love with this recipe as soon as I read it, and I couldn't wait to try it. The results were mouth-watering. Beetroot is notoriously tasteless, it needs some dressing to be appreciated. Adding chocolate does the trick. The mix is irresistible, very easy to make, and a winner when shared with friends. Sugar: you can manage without it, or most of it!Remember that the amount of sugar in these recipes can be reduced by a third if not half. If you're concerned about the end result, try these two tips: 1: whisk your eggs and sugar together until they become a fluffy yellow cream. A hand blender can come in handy here! 2: when you add your dry ingredients don't mix, but fold them into the mix with a movement from the bottom up. In this way the air incorporated when you beat the eggs and sugar together is trapped in the mix. Here's some ideas for you to try!Instead of grated carrots, try using the same quantity of grated parsnips. They have a surprising sweetness that will grab your taste buds! Try mixing carrots with apples. Layer your carrot cake with sliced apples. Double your five-a-day of fruit and veg – but I warn you, it's so moreish you might exceed the dose! Try soaking your raisins in orange juice and add the juice to the mix instead of milk – simply delicious! Beetroot and Chocolate CakeOven 180/350F/gas mark 4 Baking time 30 mins, or until a wooden skewer comes out clean. Ingredients: (values given between brackets are halved quantities for the oil and sugar)
Method: 1.Puree the beetroot in a blender. 2.Put the beetroot puree in a bowl, add the eggs, sugar and oil and mix together. 3.In a different, bigger bowl mix the flour with the bicarbonate, salt and cocoa powder. 4.Add the beetroot mixture to the dry ingredients and mix together. 5.Bake for 30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer comes out clean. click here for the recipe |
AuthorI love cooking, and when it comes to quality I'm quite fussy. Archives
February 2018
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