Chocoladecake

Een verjaardagscake voor een elfjarige...

Deeg

4 eieren

240g bloem

240g boter

240g rietsuiker

2 eetlepels cacaopoeder

1/2 koffielepel bakpoeder

snuifje zout

Smelt de boter.

Scheid eiwitten van eigelen. Meng de eigelen en de suiker met een houten lepel tot het mengsel wit en schuimig wordt.

Verwarm de oven voor op 180°C.

Meng de boter onder het eigeel.

Meng bloem, bakpoeder en cacaopoeder door elkaar. Voeg het toe aan de eigelen en meng goed.

Doe een snuifje zout bij de eiwitten en klop ze tot sneeuw. Roer ze voorzichtig onder de rest van het deeg.

Vet een bakvorm in met boter en bebloem de vorm. Doe het deeg erin.

Laat 30 à 40 min. bakken in de oven.

Versiering

100 g chocolade

40 g boter

80 g bloemsuiker

3 eetlepels water

verkruimelde Oreo's of andere versiering

Smelt de chocolade samen met de boter.

Doe er voorzichtig de bloemsuiker bij. Het wordt een dikke brij.

Neem de pan van het vuur en voeg er één per één de lepels water bij: het mengsel wordt terug vloeibaar.

Strijk het mengsel op de afgekoelde cake en voeg de Oreo kruimels of andere versiering toe.

Laat de glazuur opstijven in de koelkast.

Hazelnootcake

Een lekker recept uit de Joodse keuken van Claudia Roden.

4 eieren
200 g suiker
200 g gemalen hazelnoten

Klop de eigelen met de suiker tot een licht en schuimend mengsel.
Klop de eiwitten stijf en voeg ze toe aan de eigelen.
Voeg daarna de hazelnoten toe.
Giet het beslag in een bakvorm en bak 40 minuten in een voorverwarmde oven op 180°C.

Noot
Je kan rozijnen of gedroogde abrikozen toevoegen. Week ze dan eerst 30 min. in heet water.
Je kan ook een beetje vanille-essence of vanillesuiker toevoegen aan het mengsel van eigeel en suiker.

Granola

For a healthy breakfast...

1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
100 g oatmeal
40 g seed mixture: sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, ...
1 banana
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven at 150°C.
Melt the coconut oil at low heat.
Crush the banana and mix it with coconut oil and maple syrup.
Mix oatmeal with seeds and salt. Add the banana mix and stir well.
Cover the oven tray with baking paper and spread the mixture evenly on it.
Bake for 15 min, then stir the mixture and bake for another 10 min.

Notes
You can leave out the banana for a drier mix.
You can add dried raisins when the granola has cooled.

Apple muffins

For 12 muffins

225 g flour
1 tbsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
75 g dark brown sugar
100 g dried raisins
75 g dried apple, cut finely
150 ml milk
1 egg
100 ml sunflower oil
2 tbsp oatmeal
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven at 180°C.
Put the paper baking cups into the muffin tray.
Mix flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda and add sugar, raisins and apple. Mix well.
Whisk the egg, add milk and sunflower oil and whisk well.
Add this mixture to the flour and mix everything.
Spoon the mixture in the muffin tray, decorate with oatmeal and bake for around 15 min.

Note
You can eat the muffins warm.

Chocolate muffins with bits

For 12 muffins

200 g flour
1 tsp baking soda
75 g light brown sugar
50 g chocolate, chopped finely or grated
150 ml milk
1 egg
4 tbsp sunflower oil

Preheat the oven at 190°C.
Put the paper baking cups into the muffin tray.
Mix flour and baking soda and add sugar and chocolate. Mix well.
Whisk the egg, add milk and sunflower oil and whisk well.
Add this mixture to the flour and mix everything.
Spoon the mixture in the muffin tray and bake for around 15 min.

Breakfast muffins

These are muffins with seeds and sultanas that you can eat warm for breakfast.

For 12 muffins

250 g flour
1 tbsp baking soda
50 g mixed seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, ....)
125 g dried raisins
50 g dark brown sugar
80 ml sunflower oil
1 egg
150 ml milk

Preheat the oven at 180°C. Put the paper baking cups into the muffin tray.
Mix flour and baking soda and add sugar, seeds and raisins.
Mix milk, egg and sunflower oil in a different bowl, then add them to the flour.
Spoon the mixture in the cups and bake the muffins for 15-20 min.

Chocolate muffins

A favourite with kids!

For 13 muffins

100 g butter
250 g flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking soda
100g dark brown sugar or Mascovado
pinch of salt
1 egg
200 ml milk
chocolate spread and chocolate sprinkles for decoration

Preheat the oven at 180°C. Put the paper baking cups into the muffin tray.
Melt the butter.
Mix flour, cocoa and baking soda. Add sugar and salt.
Mix milk, egg and butter in a different bowl, then add them to the flour.
Spoon the mixture in the cups and bake the muffins for 15-20 min.

When they have cooled, you can decorate the muffins with chocolate spread (Nutella) and chocolate sprinkles.

Onion tart

I had a lot of onions lying around, so I made a tart which tasted delicious.

5-6 onions, sliced thinly
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 pizza dough
lots of capers
a few slices of pancetta

Fry the onions in olive oil with a pinch of salt. Start at high heat, then lower it a bit. Keep the lid on the pan. Fry them until they are very soft, for around 30 min.
Spread them on a pizza dough, add capers and cover with pancetta. Add a little pepper.
Bake for 20-30 min at 180°C.

Sultana muffins

Last time I went to the library with my kids, my 6-year-old son chose 2 cookbooks, one about muffins, by Felicity Barnum-Bobb. (Does he take after his mother?)  I was inspired and went to buy some specific gear.

The first recipe I tried is muffins with dried raisins. Very quick and very easy!

For 12 muffins

200 g flour
1 tsp baking soda
75g golden brown sugar
50 g raisins
150 ml milk
1 egg
4 tbsp sunflower oil

Preheat the oven at 180°C. Put the paper baking cups into the muffin tray.
Mix flour and baking soda and add sugar and raisins.
Mix milk, egg and sunflower oil in a different bowl, then add them to the flour.
Spoon the mixture in the cups and bake the muffins for about 8 min.

Cabbage in white wine

This recipe called Verza in Umido stems from ITALY The Beautiful Cookbook. I have been preparing it a lot since I started to order a weekly assortment of organic vegetables, because there have been lots of cabbages supplied. The recipe is meant for savoy cabbage (green with curly leaves), but works for other types of white and green cabbages.

Serves 4-6

1 cabbage
100 g pancetta or bacon, cut in small pieces
1 tbsp butter
1/8 - 1/4 l dry white wine
salt and pepper
1 tbsp aceto balsamico

Cut the cabbage in thin pieces and wash it.
Put the butter in a big pan and bake the bacon until golden brown.
Add the cabbage and some pepper, close the lid and let the cabbage cook for about 30 min on medium heat until all the juice has gone.
Add wine, aceto and salt and let it cook for another 20 min.
Serve hot.

Roasted parsnips and sweet potatoes with caper vinaigrette

A recipe from a magazine, which came in handy because I had parsnips, sweet potato and red onion lying about, from the weekly bag of organic groceries I order at Citeco and coming from La Ferme Nos Pilifs.

Serves 4

4 parsnips
4 red onions
olive oil
2 rosemary sprigs
1 head garlic, halved horizontally
2 medium sweet potatoes
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp small capers (roughly chopped if large)
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tbsp mustard
salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Peel the parsnips and cut them in peaces of about 5 cm long and 1 cm wide.
Peel the onions and cut each into six wedges.
Place them in an oven dish and add olive oil, rosemary, garlic, 1 tsp of salt and some pepper.
Mix well and roast for 30-40 min.
Peel and cut the sweet potatoes in half and then in wedges. Add them to the tin and stir well.
Roast for a further 30-40 min.
Meanwhile, wisk together the mustard, lemon juice, maple syrup, 1/2 tsp salt and some more olive oil. Stir in the capers.
Pour the dressing over the roasted vegetables as soon as you take them out of the oven.

Note
The original recipe also adds thyme and cherry tomatoes (for the last 10 min.) and suggests to sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the dish when cooked.
Even without the dressing, this colourful dish tastes delicious.