Rss Feed

Posts Tagged ‘banana’

  1. ricotta crescents

    July 20, 2012 by potatoface

    ricotta crescents

     Sometimes I think baking keeps me from going insane. It’s zen, it’s like meditating. It makes me feel a bit like a witch making potions (evil laugh).

    So when you feel down, save yourself by baking.

    And give the product of your labour away if you tend to comfort eat. After all what they say is if you love it, set it free…

    ricotta crescents

    ricotta crescents

    Ricotta crescents

     Ingredients

    for the dough:

    50grams of fresh yeast or two sachets of dry ones (15 grams)

    cup of lukewarm milk

    2 table spoons of sour cream

    1/4 cup of sugar (or 1/4 cup of honey)

    pinch of salt

    3 eggs and 1 egg white (you will have one after making the filling)

    100 grams of melted butter

    3-4 cups of flour

     for the filling:

    220 grams of ricotta or quark cheese

    zest and juice of one lemon

    1 egg yolk

    1 mashed banana

    1/3 cup of honey

    1 egg for brushing

    1. Put yeast in a big bowl, add sugar or honey and warm milk. Mix and leave it for 10 minutes.

    2. After 10 minutes when the yeast has started working add eggs, butter, sour cream, pinch of salt and 3 cups of flour.

    3. Start to kneed the dough. If you need it, add more flour…no pun intended.

    4. Leave the dough to raise.

    5. After half and hour kneed it again and leave it for another half an hour.

    6. Mix ingredients for the filling.

    7. Sprinkle your working surface with more flour. Divide the dough into 4-5 parts.

    8. Roll out one part of the dough on the floured surface. Cut into triangles. Brush with beaten egg.

    9. Put about 1 small tablespoon of filling on the end of the triangle. Start rolling from that end making the shape of a crescent. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

    10. Transfer crescents onto a baking tray lined with greased paper. Brushed each one with beaten egg and sprinkle with more sugar.

    11. Bake in the oven at 170 C till they are golden brown.

    Breath in and out…eat it. Be happy.

    Category breakfast, dessert | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,,, | No Comments

  2. Muffins

    April 3, 2012 by potatoface

    muffins

    muffins

    Do you know what I like about muffins? That they always come right. You don’t need to measure the ingredients (as long as you know what consistency you are looking for), throw anything in it and voila! Muffins are done. I wish life was more like muffins…

    I recently started taking driving lessons. I had never driven in my life before. I couldn’t afford driving lessons before as well. But now I’ve got this job most of the time I really like (is it weird to like your job if it’s not creative?) and in the job I really need to drive.

    I even found my driving instructor through work. He’s really nice and patient. He even gives me discount on my lessons. And because I really appreciate it, I try to bake something for him every time. And as I have to consider his health, most of the time I’m making him healthy muffins.

    His name is Kevin. Sometimes when Boyfriend is seeing me baking muffins again, he’s saying: ‘we need to talk about Kevin’. Not that Kevin is anything like the one in the book, hahaha….I hope.

    If you don’t know what I’m talking about there is a tip – the book was made into a film. Watch it.

    Anyway, I really enjoy driving around (or trying) in a mini. Yes, in a mini….I look so pretty in it.

    banana muffins

    banana muffins

     Muffins

    basic ingredients:

    240 grams of wholemeal flour

    100 grams of oats

    1 teaspoon of baking powder

    pinch of salt

    half a glass of agave syrup (or half a glass of demerara sugar, nut agave syrup is so much better)

    3 eggs

    half a glass of milk

    half a glass of sunflower or grape seed oil (or 60 grams of melted butter if you are decadent and don’t have to worry about your cholesterol)

    1 spoon of cinnamon

    1 spoon of vanilla extract

     These are your basic ingredients. Now, it depends where the mood (or season) is taking you. You can add any fruit you desire:

    1. one banana and 200 grams of raspberries

    2. three ripe bananas and handful of chopped walnuts

    3. 200 grams of blueberries, zest and juice of one lemon

    4. three chopped apples

    5. zest and juice of 2 oranges and handful of chopped pecans

    6. two pears and 7 plums chopped

    Etc, etc, you get the picture.

    raspberry muffins

    raspberry muffins

     1. So basically what you do is mix in a bowl flour, oats, salt and baking powder. Whisk eggs, and add it to the mixture.

    2. Add oil, milk, agave syrup, cinnamon and vanilla extract and mix it, not to vigorously.

    3. In the meantime heat the oven (170 C)

    4. Chop your choice of fruit or nuts. Add them to the mixture and fold it gently especially if you are adding raspberries.

    5. Line a muffin tray with paper muffin cases. Fill each case with the mixture to just below the top.

    6. Bake in the preheated oven till they’re nice and golden on top. Use the skewer to check if they’re baked inside (has to come out clean).

     See, why is everything in life not this easy?

    Category dessert, muffins | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, | No Comments