Coffee and Carrot Cup Cakes

My favourite coffee place (beside the good cuppa my husband makes) is The Coffee Roasting Company at Lourensford Wine Estate, Somerset West only five minutes from my home.  I also enjoy their homemade carrot cake - delicious!  Here is my recipe which is just as delicious and easy to make.   The recipe will make 12 cup cakes.

500ml (2 cups) roughly grated carrots
400g can crushed pineapple
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
90ml (6 tbs) buttermilk
500ml (2 cups) sugar
375ml (1 and 1/2) oil
5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
200g Pecan nuts, roughly chopped (keep a few out for decoration)
750ml (3 cups) cake flour
5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda
10ml (2 tsp) baking powder
pinch of salt
5ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon
5ml (1 tsp) ground ginger
5ml (1 tsp) ground nutmeg

1.  Combine carrots, pineapple, eggs, buttermilk, sugar, oil, vanilla essence and pecan nuts, in a large bowl.
2,  Sift the flour and remaining dry ingredients and add to the carrot mixture.
3.  Place paper cup cakes in a large muffin pan and fill to 3/4 full.
4.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 160 degrees Celsius.
5.  Test with a toothpick, if it comes out clear you know the cakes are done.
6.  Allow to cool completely before putting topping on.

Topping:

Don't over mix the topping or you will find it tends to become runny.  You will need 2 x tubs of smooth cream cheese, 250ml (1 cup) sifted icing sugar, 15ml (1 tbs) fresh lemon juice.  Simply mix all the ingredients to a smooth texture, keep in the refrigerator until the cup cakes are completely cool.

To complete:

Swirl the cream cheese topping over the cup cakes, sprinkle with chopped nuts.

 

 

 

My first Defy stove

I have always been a Defy fan, in my kitchen all my appliances are Defy my latest addition being my stove, hob and fan.  I found this advert of my first Defy stove, it was white enamel and proved to live up to the slogan of: "You can rely on Defy".  Those years the stove cost R136.90, my new stove cost more than R5000, but can we put a price to the slogan?  I like to think we cant!

 

 

 

Where is the chocolate sauce?

I was going to give you a variation of Aggie's chocolate sauce recipe, well I have not forgotten but got side tracked.  I have such a passion for cooking and recipe development and any new recipe gets me thinking.  Yesterday Lily my neighbour was telling me about Haystack Dinners, apparently this is popular in Gauteng but new to me.  I had to google this and find out that actually it appears to be an American idea known amongst the Amish people.  Haystack Dinners have variations and suitable for large dinner parties.   I'm getting distracted again!!! 

October is a lovely month

AGGIE'S  GARDEN  AND  CHOCOLATE  SAUCE

Today I had lunch with my friend Aggie, she is a wonderful gardener and also an artist.  Aggie's

garden is truly a haven of peace and tranquillity, birds, bees and butterflies are there and the most beautiful selection of geraniums.  I love her garden, here is a picture of a plant I gave her many years ago, so beautiful.

 

How I wish you could feel the beauty of her garden, here is another picture.

 

 

 

Today was really a beautiful day, delicious lunch and for dessert Aggie served ice-cream and chocolate sauce.  What impressed me was the chocolate sauce, easy, economical and delicious.  Here is the recipe.

 

AGGIE'S CHOCOLATE SAUCE

 

250ml (1 cup) sugar

125ml (1/2 cup) water

45ml (3 tbs) cocoa

pinch of cream of tartar

15ml (1 tbs) butter or margarine

 

Simple to make, place the sugar, water and cocoa in a heat resistant bowl and microwave on 100% (high) power, three to four minutes, stir frequently.  Add the pinch of cream of tartar and the butter beat until smooth and creamy.  Walla!  ready to serves.

 

Aggie said this chocolate sauce keeps very well in the refrigerator, for larger quantity just double up the ingredients.  Now what could be simplier?  I have not tested the recipe but I am thinking of adding a few variations, let's see what happens in my kitchen tomorrow.  Will show you the pics!

 

Enough for 4 servings 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Spring Tea

I was invited to a morning charity tea to raise funds for CHOICES a crisis pregnancy counselling centre.  There must have been well over 200 ladies.  Rosemary hosted our table and you can see how pretty the table was decorated.  We had fun, met new friends and all for a very good cause.  I'm always on the look out for new recipes this time a plate of Almond Tarts caught my eye, Marilyn Norton made them and promised to send me the recipe to share on the blog.  With a twinkle in her eye she told me the secret to her little tarts!!

 

A delicious morning tea time spread

 

 

 

Marilyn's Almond Tarts

A BARBECUE RECIPE FOR THE VEGETARIAN

Eggplant or aubergine, also known as a brinjal usually a deep purple colour.  Very popular in Malaysian and Indian curries, elsewhere in Asia it is braised, fried, stir-fried or grilled.  For this recipe you need to use those small slim little eggplant known as Slim Jim Eggplant,  they have a light purple and white skin.

Eggplant kebabs

12 Slim Jim Eggplant, halved lengthways
60ml (4 tbs) olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
5ml (1 tsp) lemon juice

1.  Skewer four halves together using two kebab sticks, like making a ladder.
2.  Repeat with remaining eggplant halves.
3.  Combine remaining ingredients, brush over eggplant kebabs.
4.  Place skin-side down onto grid above moderately hot fire.
5.  Grill until skin turns brown, basting frequently.
6   Turnover and grill until lightly browned and cooked through.

Serves six

 

 

Eggplant kebabs

FLAT BREADS

This is an easy recipe using self-raising flour can be baked in a pre-heated oven or wrap loosely in aluminium foil that has been lightly greased and cook over the coals for about 30 minutes.  I found  at Woollies chargrilled artichokes in a lemon and chilli dressing and adding this to the flat bread recipe with the olives makes a delicious variation.  You can try your own combinations.  Here is the basic recipe.

4 x 250ml (4 cups) self-raising flour, sifted
10ml (2 tsps.) salt
125g butter or margarine
2 extra-large eggs, beaten
250ml (1 cup) milk

1. Sift dry ingredients into mixing bowl.  Rub in butter, mix in eggs and milk to form a soft dough.

Cheese Bread:
Use half the quantity basic dough
 250ml (1 cup) grated cheddar cheese
15ml (1 tbs) dried mixed herbs
5ml (1 tsp) chopped parsley

1 Press the dough into a rectangle shape 5mm thick
2 Sprinkle half the dough with cheese and herbs
3 Brush the other half of dough with egg, fold and close edges.
4 Press bread into quarters with fingertips
5 Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes or see above to cook over coals.

Spring Onion and Olive Bread

This is where I add the chopped artichokes about 5 pieces.

Use half the quantity basic dough
5 chopped spring onions
3 sliced garlic cloves
5 halved black olives

Now follow the same method as for the cheese bread.