2014

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Cherry Pistachio Spelt Bundt Cake

Saturday, December 27, 2014

This pistachio cherry pound cake, adapted from Baking Bites, is beautiful to take to a holiday get-together and is full of festive seasonal flavors. As it bakes, the outside browns nicely to form a slightly crunchy crust and has a tight, tender crumb that almost melts in your mouth. The pound cakes don't usually get too dressed up, but a little vanilla glaze and some dried barberries give the cake a little more character.

Cake	Vanilla Glaze
350 g Refined spelt flour 50 g Oat flour 2 tsp Baking powder 1/3 tsp Salt 110 g Butter, at room-temperature 100 g Raw sugar 0,6 g Pure stevia extract (1:300) or 200 g of sugar 3 Large eggs, at room-temperature 2 tsp Vanilla extract 110 g Vegetable oil 240 ml Milk, at room-temperature 300 g / 1 bottle Sour cherries, well-drained 70 g Toasted pistachios	25 g Butter, melted and cooled 2 tsp Vanilla extract 180 g Powdered sugar 1 tbsp Dried barberries, optional

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan.
Whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Cream butter, raw sugar and stevia until light. Beat in eggs, one at a time until well combined.
In another bowl, combine vanilla extract, milk and vegetable oil. Working in two or three additions, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the butter mixture, ending with a final addition of dry ingredients. Fold in drained cherries and pistachios until well-distributed. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before topping with vanilla glaze.
Combine all ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake. Sprinkle with some dried barberries.

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Spelt Hazelnut Lebkuchen

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Lebkuchen, also called Pfefferkuchen, is a traditional German baked Christmas biscuit, somewhat resembling gingerbread. It is easy to make and has a sweet, spicy, lightly nutty taste.
Potash or pearlash is also known as potassium carbonate. It is an alkaline salt which reacts with water or an acid to create carbon dioxide, which gives baked goods lift. As a substitute, use 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for every teaspoon of potash. The taste of the final product may be different from the original.

Wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year. Hope you all enjoy your Holidays!

Dough	Chocolate Icing
125 g Honey 125 g Molasses 0,5 g Pure stevia extract (or 150 g brown sugar) 150 g Coconut oil 150 g Ground hazelnuts 370 g Refined spelt flour 1 tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder 2 tsp Lebkuchen spice mix 1 tsp Lemon peel, finely grated 1 Egg 2 tsp Potash (alkaline salt) 2 tbsp Cold water	230 g Confectioners sugar 30 g Dutch-process cocoa powder 60 ml Boiling water Chilli threads Pink Peppercorns Sea salt flakes

Place the honey, molasses, raw brown sugar, stevia extract and coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the coconut oil melts . Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Add in ground hazelnut, spelt flour, cocoa powder, spice mix, lemon peel and egg. Stir until well combined. Mix the potash with cold water until well blended. Add the mixture to the dough. Knead the dough until smooth. Let it rest, covered with plastic wrap, overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until 5mm thick.
Use your favourite cookie cutters to cut cookies from the dough. Place on prepared trays. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden. Set aside on trays for 5 minutes to cool before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the chocolate icing, combine the confectioners sugar and cocoa in a medium bowl. Add the water and stir to a slightly runny paste. Spread icing over each biscuit and sprinkle with chilli threads, pink peppercorns or sea salt. Set aside for 30 minutes to set.

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Beetroot Avocado Spelt Buns

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Beautiful bright bread buns made with precooked vacuum-packed beetroot, avocado and refined spelt bread flour. They are best served warm with soup, stews or for sandwiches. Besides its beautiful vibrant bright colour and awesome flavour, these homemade spelt buns are a lot healthier than white bread.

380 g Vacuum-packed beetroot, roughly chopped
100 g Avocado flesh
1 tbsp Walnut oil (or olive oil)
1 tsp Salt
450 g Refined spelt bread flour
1 package / 7 g Dried yeast
Black sesame seeds, optional

Place chopped beetroot, avocado flesh, walnut oil and salt in a blender. Process until smooth.
Transfer the beet-avocado puree in the bowl of your tabletop mixer with a dough hook attached. Mix on a low speed until combined, about 3 minutes. Increase the speed and knead the dough for a further 4 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Turn out the dough and shape into a ball. Coat the mixing bowl with a little bit of olive oil. Put in the ball of dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave to prove in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.
Knock back the dough and divide it into 9 equal pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a ball and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave them in a warm place to rise again for a further 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Brush the top of buns with a little bit of water and sprinkle some black sesame over. Bake the buns in the middle of hot oven for about 20 minutes.

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Double Chocolate Poppy Pistachio Torte

Thursday, December 11, 2014

This moist, naturally gluten-free cake is delicious and rich even without its white chocolate glaze. The cake does not rise very high when it's baked in a 10-inch pan. It can be baked it in a 7-inch springform pan for about 80 minutes. Though similar in texture to a flourless chocolate cake, the use of ground poppy seeds makes this torte wonderfully different and irresistible.
Evelyne, thank you once again for this awesome pistachio syrup!

Double Chocolate Poppy Pistachio Torte

inspired by this

Poppy Torte	Chocolate Glaze
200 g Semisweet chocolate, chopped 6 Eggs, separated and room-temperature 200 g Unsalted butter 140 g Pistachio syrup Pinch of salt 200 g Poppy seeds, ground 1 tsp Vanilla extract 1 tsp Cinnamon powder 2 tbsp Brandy or rum	200 g White chocolate, chopped 2 tsp Coconut oil 30 g Pistachio, chopped

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease and flour an 10-inch springform pan.
Put chopped semisweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl that fits snugly over a pot of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove it from the heat.
In a mixing bowl, cream butter until light and pale. Gradually beat in 120 grams of pistachio syrup. Add in egg yolks and continue to beat until well combined.
Add in the ground poppy seeds and melted chocolate and mix until incorporated. Beat the whites with a pinch of salt until firm peaks, and gently fold into the chocolate mixture in thirds, and transfer to the prepared springform pan.
Bake for about 55 minutes until cake tests done in center. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Remove springform sides, and cool completely.
In a bowl set over simmering water, stir chopped white chocolate and coconut oil just until the chocolate is almost melted, remove from bowl from heat and continue to stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Let cool to the room temperature.
Brush the surface of cake with the rest of pistachio syrup, then pour the white chocolate over the top of the torte. Garnish with chopped pistachio nuts.

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Spelt Gingerbread Biscuits

Monday, December 08, 2014

These festive gingerbread biscuits are both tasty and decorative. This easy recipe, adapted from Lecker, is great for involving the little ones in your family by letting them ice these spice cookies and they make a lovely homemade Christmas present.

50 g Candied ginger
400 g Refined spelt flour
100 g Raw brown sugar
125 g Butter, diced
1 Egg yolk
225 g Molasses
2 tsp Gingerbread spice mix
1 tsp Baking soda

1 Egg white
230 g Powdered sugar
1-2 tsp Lemon juice
Silver cachous, to decorate
Holiday sprinkles, to decorate
Red liquid food colouring

Finely chop the candied ginger. In a large mixing bowl, add in spelt flour, raw brown sugar, diced butter, egg yolk, chopped candied ginger, molasses, spice mix and baking soda. Stir until well combined. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Shape into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for at least overnight or two days.
Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line two baking sheets with baking paper. Divide the dough into 3 portions. Roll out pieces between baking paper to 4-5mm thick. Use your favourite biscuit cutters to cut cookies from the dough.
Place on the lined trays. Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Place the egg white in a bowl. Use a wooden spoon to lightly beat the egg whites until foamy. Sift icing sugar over the egg whites and stir until smooth. Add lemon juice and stir until well combined.
Spoon 2/3 of icing into a snap-lock bag. Place the rest in a bowl. Add red colouring and stir until combined. Place it in another plastic bag. Cut a small hole in a corner of each bag. Pipe icing over gingerbread to decorate. Finish with silver cachous and sprinkles. Dust with some icing sugar if desired.

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Chocolate Christmas Trees

Thursday, December 04, 2014

Give a creative food gift this Christmas - these tree-shaped chocolate spelt cookies call for a few simple ingredients you’ve likely got on hand, they’re super-easy to make and gorgeous on a cookie platter. The kids will love helping you decorate and eat these holiday cutout cookies.

250 g Unsalted butter, softened
0.2 g Pure stevia extract powder (or 60 g Icing sugar)
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 Egg, at room temperature
300 g Refined spelt flour (or plain flour)
40 g Cornstarch
30 g Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tbsp Milk
250 g White chocolate, chopped and melted
Coloured sugar, to decorate
Silver cachous, to decorate
Pop sticks

Using an electric hand mixer, beat butter, pure stevia extract and vanilla until pale and creamy. Add egg. Beat until well combined.
Sift flour and cornstarch over butter mixture. Add cocoa and milk. Stir well. Divide in half. Press each half into a disc. Wrap each disc in plastic film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 160C/320. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Roll each disc out between 2 sheets of baking paper to 3mm-thick. Using cookie cutters (tree, star, or round), cut shapes from dough.
Place them onto the prepared trays. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until firm. Bake for 12 minutes or until firm to touch. Stand for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Melt chopped white chocolate in a water bath. Spread some white chocolate over flat side of each biscuit. Press 1 pop stick onto one cookie and sandwich together with another one. Set aside until they are firm. aside until they are firm.
Spoon white chocolate into a small plastic bag. Snip off 1 corner. Pipe a zigzag pattern over trees. Decorate with coloured sugar and silver cachous.

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Lamb's Lettuce Salad with Belgian Endive, Grapes and Goat Cheese

Saturday, November 29, 2014

A fresh and healthy winter salad wtih lamb's lettuce, Belgian endive, grapes, and goat cheese, dressed with a truffle mustard vinaigrette, which complements the flavours of the lettuce. This delicious salad is full of goodness, and makes a simple yet impressive starter.
Lamb's lettuce, also known as mache lettuce, or corn salad, has long spoon-shaped dark green leaves and a distinctive, tangy flavour. The interesting name comes from the lettuce's resemblance to the size and shape of a lamb's tongue.

Salad	Dressing
2 Belgian endives A handful of red grapes 50 g Lamb's lettuce 1 log / 200 g Fresh goat cheese, sliced	1 tbsp Lime juice 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar 1 tsp Clear honey 1 tsp Truffle mustard 2 tbsp Olive oil 1 tsp Rose peppercorns 1 tsp Pickled green peppercorns Sea salt

Up to 2 days ahead, shake all the dressing ingredients together in a jar. Season and chill.
Slice the chicory in half diagonally so you get loose leaves and a solid stalk end. The leaves will be easy to separate, thinly slice the stalks, add the grapes, and lamb’s lettuce. Chill until needed.
When ready to serve, top with sliced goat cheese and drizzle with prepared dressing.

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Black Quinoa Salad with Mandarine, Kale, Radicchio and Anchovy Vinaigrette

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Sweet, juicy mandarin oranges, slightly bitter crisp radicchio, deep earthy kale, and crunchy nutty quinoa tossed with a balsamic anchovy vinaigrette-- this beautiful vibrant salad is bursting with flavours and naturally gluten free. I used black quinoa here, but you can use whatever kind you like.

Salad	Anchovy Vinaigrette
120 g Black quinoa, well rinsed 240 ml Vegetable broth 2 Mandarin oranges 100 g Kale, trimmed and thinly sliced 80 g Radicchio, thinly sliced	4 Anchovy fillets 1 Garlic clove 1 Small shallot, chopped 2 tbsp White balsamic vinegar 1/2 tsp Sea salt 1/4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper

Place all the dressing ingredients in a food processor on medium speed until combined.
In a medium saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a simmer over medium heat. Add the quinoa, cover, turn the heat down to medium low, and cook until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork. Let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Toss the black quinoa, mandarin oranges, kale, and radicchio together. Add some of the vinaigrette, toss, and serve.

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Pear and Walnut Tart

Friday, November 21, 2014

A deep dish pear tart, adapted from Eat Smarter, with walnut honey filling in a nutty spelt shortcrust pastry. This is also great with the combination of apples and almonds.

Spelt Walnut Crust	Filling
200 g Refined spelt flour 40 g Walnuts, ground into flour 120 g Butter, diced 70 g Honey 1 Egg	50 g Vanilla sugar 125 ml Water 5 Pears 260 g Walnuts, ground into flour 4 Eggs 70 g Honey

Combine all the ingredients for the crust and mix until the dough forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Combine vanilla sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Peel, halve, and use a melon-ball scoop to core and stem the pears. Cut them in half lengthwise and add to the saucepan. Adjust the heat to low and let it simmer for 12 minutes. Remove the pear halves and set aside to cool.
Beat the egg whites until stiff. Beat the egg yolks with honey until thick and creamy. Fold in egg white.
Preheat to 180C/350F. Roll out the chilled dough on floured sheet of parchment paper and Gently lay dough inside 9-10-inch spring form pan and press up the sides.
Spread the walnut filling evenly into the crust. Arrange the pear halves atop filling and gently press in. Bake tart until golden, about 50 minutes. Cool tart in pan on rack. Cut tart into wedges and sprinkle with powdered sugar and chopped walnuts, if desired, and serve.