Bran Muffins

Hi Mom A,

Here is the recipe for the Bran Muffins! Today, we used raisins and dried cranberries.

We went through the fridge this morning after everyone left and realized we are out of basic items including bread. So I made the muffins again. Quick, easy, and they are good for you :)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2C wheat bran
• 1C plain yogurt
• 1/3 C butter (softened)
• 1 egg
• 2/3 C brown sugar
• 1/2tsp vanilla extract
• 1C all purpose flour
• 1tsp baking soda
• 1tsp baking power
• 1/2 tsp salt (if you use salted butter, you don't need to add salt)
• 1C fruits (raisins, blueberries, strawberries, dried cranberries, etc...)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease muffin cups.
2. Mix together wheat bran and plain yogurt; let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Beat together softened butter, egg, brown sugar and vanilla and add to yogurt/bran mixture. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into yogurt mixture, until just blended. Fold in fruits and spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.  

Crazy Cake

We have been getting mixed weather here, sunny and warm one day, and next day is cold wind and rain. Our new 21 trees are doing fine so far. We think they are a few inches taller already... or maybe we are just hoping too much!

I had a craving for a chocolate cake. This has been my usual "go to" chocolate cake since my mother-in-law told me about it a few years ago. Good things about this cake is low fat, easy to bake and Vegan (for you Amy!). We had this with plain yogourt & maple syrup and fresh strawberry sauce. Yum :)  I always notice sweets with chocolate (i.e. cakes or cookies) taste better next day. I once baked this for my friend's birthday (doubled the recipe), sliced the cake in half, added Nutella in between and finished with raspberry sauce & vanilla ice cream. That was great too!

Crazy Cake Recipe: (from Prevention Magazine)

Ingredients:
1.5C   Flour
1/2C   Brown Sugar
3tbsp  Coco Powder
1tsp    Baking soda
1/2tsp salt
3tbsp  vegetable oil
1tbsp  white vinegar
1tsp    vanilla extract
1C      cold water

1) Preheat oven to 350F.
2) Sift the first 5 ingredients together. Make a well in the mixture, and add oil, vinegar and water. Mix thoroughly with a fork to moisten all the dry ingredients.
3) Pour it into 8x8 baking dish. Bake for 30 min or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Oh, by the way, Snoop really needs a hair cut!

Key Lime Coconut Cake

There was a bowl full of limes sitting on the counter for a week. Last weekend on Super Bowl Sunday, we had friends over to watch the game and had food/drinks. I was wondering what to do with the left over limes..? I googled lime dessert and the first thing came up was of course the "key lime pie". I didn't have the ingredients to bake the pie, so I continued the search. I found this cake recipe, so I decided to try it. Here is the recipe from epicurious.com.

I don't like anything too sweet, so for me it was sweet enough and it had a bit of sour taste from lime. My husband said it's a nice refreshing dessert!

"Key Lime Coconut Cake"

Ingredients with my alteration:

• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut (I used unsweetened coconut)
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (1 stick = 1/2C)
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (I used almost 1C of brown sugar)
• 1 tablespoon grated Key lime zest
• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups self-rising flour (I used regular flor + 2tsp Baking Powder)
• 3/4 cup whole milk (I used plain yogurt)
• 1/4 cup fresh Key lime juice, divided
• 1 cup confectioners sugar (I only used 1/2C)
• 1 tablespoon rum (optional) (Of course, I used 1 good tbsp of Rum :)

1) Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Generously butter a 9- by 2-inch round cake pan and line bottom with a round of parchment paper. 

2)Toast coconut in a small baking pan in oven, stirring once or twice, until golden, 8 to 12 minutes. Cool. Leave oven on. 

3)Beat together butter, granulated sugar, and zest with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Stir together flour and 1/2 cup coconut (reserve remainder for topping). Stir together milk and 2 tablespoons lime juice. At low speed, mix flour and milk mixtures into egg mixture alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour. 

4)Spoon batter into pan and smooth top. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted into centre comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool to warm, then turn out of pan and discard parchment. 

5)Whisk together confectioners sugar, remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, and rum (if using) and pour over cake. Sprinkle with remaining coconut. 

Dad, we still have some Rum left for next summer. Don't worry!

No Bake Chocolate Oat Bars

I had a craving for chocolate dessert in the afternoon, so I went to the cupboard and found a bag of chocolate chips.... Where did all the good chocolates go from Christmas?

I knew I had to make something but I didn't want to do cookies, so I made this "No Bake Chocolate Oat Bars". So easy to make, and you don't need to use an oven :)

"No Bake Chocolate Oat Bars"

Ingredients:

• 1/2 C butter
• 1/4 C brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1.5C oats
• 1/2 C chocolate chips
• 1/4 C peanut butter

Directions: Grease half of 9 x 9 inch square pan. This recipe only makes half of the pan = enough for 2 people! Double the recipe if you want to fill the 9 x 9 inch pan!

1. Melt butter in saucepan and stir in brown sugar and vanilla. Add oats and cook over low heat for a few minutes. Press half of the mixture into the greased pan.
2. Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in a saucepan until smooth. Pour it over the oats in the pan and spread evenly.
3. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate layer and press gently. 
4. Cover and put in the fridge for 1-2 hours. Bring to room temperature before cutting.

I can see your sadsack face in the background, Snoop... It's not your treat, sorry!

Mrs. A's Lemon Sponge Pudding

Saturday here was much warmer than the last few days. Snow has been melting everywhere and Snoop had trouble walking around in the puddles of water.

We did our regular weekend shopping including groceries and bought some lemons to make my mother in-law's Lemon Sponge Pudding.

Do you know the show which was on the food network channel called "Recipe to Riches"? A lady from Nova Scotia won the title & $250,000 for her famous "Lemon Pudding" and it is now sold at the grocery store. Then my mother in law (Mrs. A) said she used to make Lemon Pudding! And she is such a great baker! I asked why didn't she enter the contest?

Here is her recipe. We tried it tonight and it was great! We will make sure Mrs. A enters her recipe for the next contest!

3 tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 cup sugar (We only used 1/2C and it was plenty sweet!)
2 and 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 teaspoons of grated lemon rind
 
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup milk
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Mix the flour and sugar together. Add lemon juice, lemon rind, butter, milk and egg yolks, 
blend well. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into a buttered 1 and 1/2 quart casserole,
place casserole in a pan of hot water. Bake in a moderate oven 350F for 45 - 50 min. 
 

We didn't have milk, so we used the almond milk. I think real milk will make it creamer tasting. 
It tasted good though! Thanks Mrs. A :)
 

Date Squares

It has been snowing lightly since this morning. I heard of many schools are closed on southern Vancouver Island. It doesn't look bad here where I live. Our little car doesn't have snow tires and the lease will expire this spring. So we don't want to spend too much $ on winter tires for a car we are not sure if we keep or not.... too cheap? Hope my husband will have no trouble driving...! Yikes!

Well, let's stay indoors, bake some Date Squares and have a cup of nice Rooibos tea!
I will take you out for a nice walk later in the snow, Snoop!


Date Squares

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 C rolled oats
• 1 1/2 C flour
• a bit of salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 C brown sugar
• almost 1 C butter, softened
• 1 1/2 C pitted & diced dates
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbs lemon juice

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

1. Combine oats, flour, salt, 3/4 cup brown sugar and baking soda. Mix in the softened butter until crumbly. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch greased square baking pan.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the dates, water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened. Remove from heat. Spread the filling over the base, and pat the remaining crumb mixture on top.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven, or until top is lightly toasted. Cool before cutting into squares.