Blueberry Coconut Breakfast Biscuits

I made a massive booboo last week.Was supposed to go to Bangkok with a girlfriend for her hen weekend but a day before the trip I realised that my passport had expired. Completely idiotic, classic Nabs. So I found myself with a free weekend instead of hitting the spas and cheap shopping centres in Bangkok. It was the first weekend I've had to myself in a very long time, and I chose to spend most of it wining and dining with good friends then took Sunday to try one of the recipes I've put on my "to bake" list.

That list is fast growing, by the way, as I find time has become a scarce resource in the past few months. After ramen, churros, sangria, milky coffees, and lord only knows what else I put in my body on Friday and Saturday, I decided to try one of the healthier options on the list. The organic, high fibre, gluten free Blueberry Coconut Breakfast Biscuits.

They turned out delicious, but not as crunchy as I had hoped. I might need to keep them in the oven for an extra 5 minutes to truly get it crispy and golden.

Blueberry Coconut Breakfast Biscuits

Recipe from kumquatblog.com 

• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 tbsp golden flax seeds
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup roughly chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup dried blueberries
• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed until liquid
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Line a shallow muffin pan with butter, preheat the oven to 180C 
2. In a large mixing bowl mix the oats, coconut flakes, flaxmeal, salt, pecans, and blueberries. Stir in the bananas, coconut oil, agave nectar, and vanilla until combined
3. Divide the mixture into the muffin pan (around 1-2 tbsp each) and bake for 25 minutes or until golden, cool in the pan

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

If you find that the sun on your skin doesn't quite warm you to the core, or the rain pattering on the roof outside your bedroom window sounds a bit too much like your insides, my darlings... it's time to put on an apron, pull out the sugar jar, and bake yourself a carrot cake. With cream cheese frosting, lots of it.

Carrot cake

• 280g grated carrots
• 50g chopped pecans
• 300g soft light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 300ml sunflower oil
• 300g all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line 2 8" round pans with butter and baking paper
2. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside
3. In the large mixing bowl of your stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to beat the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and sunflower oil
4. Beat in the flour mixture until just combined
5. Stir in the grated carrots and chopped pecans
6. Divide the batter evenly between the two baking pans and bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted at an angle comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely

Orange Pecan Brownies

Some nights I come home and all I want to do is bake. This usually follows a particularly slow day at work, when I need to get the creative juices unstoppered and just get it out there. Last night was just such a night, and despite the fact that my parents are hosting some fancy dinner party today (and I got volunteered into preparing the pudding), what I really wanted to bake was brownies. Simple, comforting, delicious brownies. 

A colleague of mine referred me to Jamie Oliver's brownies recipe when she brought a batch in recently. They were the most luscious brownies I have EVER had, and I think I scarfed down 4 squares that day. Not  my highest point, I assure you... but I've been practicing more restraint since then. 

I made some accidental tweaks to the recipe as I read it wrong last night, but they turned out well regardless, so I'm going to keep making them that way, and I'll share the recipe with you as I made it. Here is the link to the original recipe, in case you want to do a comparison. 

Orange Pecan Brownies
Adapted from Jamie Oliver's Bloomin Brilliant Brownies

• 250g unsalted butter
• 200g dark chocolate, broken up
• 2 tsp instant coffee
• 50g chopped pecans (optional)
• 80g dark cocoa powder
• 65g all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 250g brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• zest of 1 orange (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tin with butter and parchment paper
2. Melt the butter and chocolate over a bain-marie, and stir in the instant coffee granules
3. Combine the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and sugar in a bowl 
4. Once the butter and chocolate have melted evenly through, pour the mix into the flour mixture, add the chopped pecans and stir to combine
5. Beat the eggs in one at a time, then stir in the orange zest
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove and cool completely (or just dive right into it, cos really... what's better than fresh, hot brownies?) 

If you're familiar with this blog, you would know that I adore the chocolate and orange combo. Throw in pecans, and coffee and you have a good handful of my favourite things. I dropped these off at the office today, and handed another batch out to my clients, literally sweetening everyone up for the rest of the week. But now I want to bake another batch for home! Do you think brownies are an acceptable dessert for what is apparently a gourmet dinner party? 

Maybe if I swirl in some mascarpone...

Happy Wednesday friends

x Nabs

Pear & Hummingbird Cake

I've been craving pears and oranges lately, just slices of cold fruit on the hot days while the renovation works go on around me. Sometimes I pair them with an ice-cold glass of fresh lemonade or pineapple flavoured water, and my parents would join me on the patio while we discuss interior decor and the technical aspects of raising a roof.

So to nobody's surprise, our bottom refrigerator shelf is filled with fruit that's starting to bruise! I've got an abundance of pears, and I'm not entirely sure what I should do with them. There are pies, tarts, cakes, muffins, pizzas, etc... yet I have no time. 

Last night, while watching Grey's Anatomy reruns, I decided to just quickly whip up a really easy (yes satisfying) cake for my mum to serve to friends who might drop by for their morning coffees or high tea. Also, I kinda need to clear out those pears. I paired up (heh) a pear and a Hummingbird Cake, recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery cookbook, a recipe I've tried before while yielded amazing results. Only it didn't look so pretty, so I couldn't bear to share any of those pictures here. Call it vanity, if you must. 

So here's my take on the Hummingbird Cake with Pears: 

Pear & Hummingbird Cake

Adapted from the Hummingbird Bakery cookbook

• 300g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 300ml sunflower oil
• 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 300g self raising flour
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g tinned pineapple, chopped
• 100g shelled pecans, chopped
• 1 golden pear, chopped, plus slices to decorate

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a 9 inch round baking tin with butter and parchment paper
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, oil, mashed bananas, and cinnamon and beat until incorporated
3. Beat in the flour and vanilla, mixing until just combined
4. Then beat in the pineapple, pecans and pear bits
5. Line the bottom of the baking tin with the pear slices, arrange as you like, then pour the cake batter over. Smooth the top and pop it in the oven for 40 minutes, or until a skewer poked through at an angle comes out clean
6. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn it over onto a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before removing onto your cake plate, dust with ground cinnamon before serving

I left it overnight on the counter last night, wrapped in a clean cloth to keep it sanitary. This morning, before heading out to work, I dusted it with cinnamon, cut myself a slice and had it for a very decadent breakfast. I've decided to forgo the cream-cheese frosting which is customarily served with the cake, however if you want to, use this recipe and cover the cake as you like with the frosting. I'd just like to tell you that the amazing flavours of the actual cake are likely to be overpowered by the frosting should you choose to do so. Also, you won't be able to have it for breakfast (guilt-free). 

To each his own, and I really do hope you give this recipe a shot as it's so bloody amazing. 

Lots of love, happy weekday, 

Nabs