We have been buying a lot of maple syrup lately because we have been having our weekend pancake brekkies, and most of the time, the children would like to have maple syrup. This time, something really simple and flavoursome.
Vanilla Almond Pancakes with Maple Syrup
150g Self Raising flour
1 tsp vanilla essense
4 tbsp sugar
2 eggs
250ml milk
30ml macadamia oil
50g almond meal
Whisk egg and sugar till light and pale, whisk with oil and until smooth.
Add in milk, vanilla and mix well. Sift in flour and fold in almond meal.
I normally do my pancakes on medium heat on non stick service, and it's a simple brekky if drizzeled with maple syrup...
Will be also nice with a dulop of whipped cream.
Hubby always brings home some cooking magazines that I like, this month's Masterchef Mag, has got some really goooood chocolate recipes by Andriano Zumbo. They do look a bit complicated.
After rushing around for ballet mid year concert, and making pasta sheets for lasagne tonight, I thought I might just go for something easy on this mag:
Chocolate Pear Almond Pudding
Recipe adapted from May edition of MasterChef, quantity alterred to suit 5 x 1 cup ramekins.
30g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
1.5 Beurre Bosc Pear
100g self raising flour
100g brown sugar
20g almond meal
100ml milk
1 egg - lightly beaten
75g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa
Chocolate Sauce
40g unsalted butter
90g brown sugar
20g dutch cocoa
160ml hot water
Method:
Grease the ramekins, place sliced pear at the bottom of ramekins and pre-heat oven to 180C.
Place milk, chocolate and butter in a saucepan, on low heat, stir till smooth, take off heat and cool for 2 minutes.
Stir in egg, mix till just combined.
Sift in sugar, almond meal and flour. Mix till combined and share the mixture between the 5 ramekins over the pears.
Make the chocolate sauce, place all ingredients in a small saucepan and place on low heat and bring it to a slow boil. Stir till all melted and smooth.
Pour chocolate sauce into ramekins to fill up.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until puddings have risen.
Dust with icing sugar, and serve with peach icecream....
I must be addicted to cook books... and cook magazines...
Whenever I get on hold of a famous chef's cook books, I'm usually over the moon, however, I do have some cook books which are more aiming for home cooks, little simple recipes, no fuss, but great to have in the kitchen when we need home baked or cooked goodies.
Some cook books from Hamlyn Books are like that. Again, this blog is not about promoting any books, just some recipes I tried, family liked the products and I'd like to share.
Baby Macaroons with Almonds (these are the macaroons, the very modest and fuss free Scottish cousin of the glossy French Macarons..)
These little cookies are great treat for some one who's allergic to gluten, there's no butter, and not as sweet and sugary as the French macarons, great to have as after school treats...
From a little book - Cakes and Bakes by Hamlyn Books.
2 egg whites
125g/4oz caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
150g/5oz ground almonds
125g/4oz unsweetened dessicated coconut
about 24 whole unblanched almonds
1. Beat the egg whites until peaking and then gradually beat in the sugar, like making French meringue, until meringue is thick and glossy, add the vanilla paste with the last bit of sugar.
2. Gently fold in almond meal (ground almonds) with coconut, until combined (no sifting, it doesnt' matter if the ground almonds are not as refined, if you don't have almond meal or ground almonds, just use the food processer to ground some blanched almonds)
3. Place spoonful of mixture on a lined baking sheet, slightly apart from each other - the cookies will grow during baking, and press a whole almond on top of each cookie. Bake cookies in a preheated oven in 180C/350F, Gas Mark 4 for 20 minutes or until they are pale golden and just firm to touch, leave to cool.
The recipe book didn't say how long they will keep, but they don't get to stay around for too long in my house...
