One more apple cake

Apple cake with cranberries

I am lucky to have several apple trees and some of the apples just have to be used, so I had to bake a cake again…

This one was just something quick, while the oven was still warm:

3 eggs

1 dl brown sugar (a bit more than 1/3 cup)

1 dl melted butter (3 oz)

1½ dl flour (a bit more than 1/2 cup)

1 tsp. baking powder

1 dl oatmeal (a bit more than 1/3 cup)

1 dl chopped walnuts or pecans (a bit more than 1/3 cup)

½ tsp. salt

3 apples

150 g cranberries (1/3 pound)

1-2 TBSP sugar

Beat the eggs and brown sugar creamy and beat in the melted, cooled butter.

Sift the flour and baking powder together and stir it into the eggs. Stir in oatmeal, nuts and salt.

Peal the apples and slice them thinly. Stir them into the batter and fill it into a buttered pan (22 cm/8-9 inches). Scatter cranberries on top and sprinkle the sugar over them.

Put the pan in the middle of the oven at 180 degrees C/ 360 degrees F for about 35 minutes. Check the baked cake with a toothpick – it is done, when the toothpick comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes. Enjoy as it is or with some sour cream or vanilla ice cream on the side.

Christmas Candy 2010

As usual I have cooked up som Christmas gifts for the lucky ones.
This year I dropped some licorice in everything
- because I just bought some licorice syrup from Johan Bulow (http://lakrids.nu/) the other day and had to try it out.

The fruit bars are almost guilt-free - no fat added!

Fruit bars with a hint of licorice
100 g walnuts (31/2 oz)
100 g almonds (31/2 oz)
100 g dried dates (3 1/2 oz)
100 g dried apricots
75 g prunes (2 1/2 oz)
75 g dried cranberries (2 1/2 oz)
1 dl dark brown sugar (6 TBSP)
1 dl flour (6 TBSP)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 tsp licorice syrup or Anise extract

Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with baking paper and preheat the oven to 160 C (325 F).
Chop the nuts and fruit (except cranberries) coarsely and toss everything together with flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk the egg together with the licorice syrup and mix it thoroughly into the fruit and nut mixture.
Press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake it for about 35 minutes.
Let it cool 20 minutes in the pan and then lift it out onto a cutting board.
Cut in desired bar-size and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Sesame candy
(80 candies)

250 g sesame seeds (9 oz/11/2 cup)
400 g cane sugar (2 cups)
150 g honey (1/2 cup)
100 g brown sugar (1/2 cup)
2 tsp licorice syrup or Anise extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger

Brush two large sheets of baking paper with oil or use silicone mats.
Toast the sesame seeds in a pan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until they are golden (5-8 minutes). Pour them into a bowl.
Melt the cane sugar, honey and brown sugar in the pan. Add the licorice syrup, cinnamon and ginger and stir well.
Turn the heat off and stir the seeds into the caramel with a wooden spoon.
Scrape the mixture onto one paper sheet (oil-side up) and place the remaining sheet (oil-side down) on top. Roll the mixture with a roller pin into a square about 1/4 inch thick.
Remove the top sheet of paper and cut the candy into 1-inch squares or diamonds with a sharp knife.
Let the candy cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Muesli

We ran out of muesli yesterday. I have been in a bad habit lately using store-bought muesli
- even I know I make a better and healthier one myself.
So I pulled myself together and actually it doesn’t take that much time.

Muesli
6 cups rolled oats (500 g)
3/4 cup sunflower seeds (100 g)
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds (100 g)
1 1/2 cup of chopped nuts (I use almonds and hazelnuts)(200 g)
1/2 cup maple syrup (1 dl)
1/2 cup water (1 dl)
1 1/2 cup of dried fruit (raisins, apricots, cranberries)(200 g)

Turn the oven on 325 degree F (160 degree C).
Mix all the dry ingredients together except from the dried fruit in a large bowl.
Mix syrup and water and pour it in the bowl. Mix thoroughly in order to distribute the syrup.
Spread the mixture out on two sheet pans and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.
Stir the mixture thoroughly and bake 15 minutes. And stir the mixture thoroughly and bake 15 minutes again.
Let it cool on the pans and add the dried fruit. Store in a couple of air tight containers.

I eat fresh fruit with yoghurt and muesli almost every morning and Mathilde enjoys yoghurt and muesli as an after school snack.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread

Mathilde (my daughter) and I don’t like really ripe bananas – an even if we buy the bananas almost green, we end up with some to ripe bananas we won’t eat.

And that is where this recipe comes in very handy!

1 large egg
(150 g) 3/4 cup brown sugar
(11/4 dl) 1/2 cup milk
3 TBSP oil
3 ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla powder
(300 g) 2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
(75-100 g) 3/4 cup raisins or sundried cranberries
(75-100 g) 3/4 cup walnuts

Whisk the egg and the brown sugar to at thick cream and add the milk and oil.
Mash the bananas with a fork and mix it in the batter together with the vanilla.
Sift the flour and baking powder together and mix it in the batter together with the salt.
Add raisins/cranberries and chopped walnuts. Fill the batter in a buttered tin.
Put it in the oven at 180 degrees C/350 degrees F for about 1 hour.
Remove it from the tin and let it cool on a rack.
Serve in thick slices as an OK after school snack.