“I have more healthy cravings than my normal eating habits, like I crave fruit and cold things like smoothies.”
Kourtney Kardashian
Smoothies … you gotta love them. As the years pass by, the head wins over the heart. You know that it’s easier to gulp down a smoothie than chew through a buncha green leaves! And you also know that however good or bad it tastes, a well balanced, seasonal smoothie is going to do you a load of good. It’s pointless waiting for the new year to come and make resolutions, so I just got the ball rolling and made them before! Post the Jaipur trip, what with all the over the top indulgence and pampering, I had but one thing on my mind, get FIT!I have begun taking tiny steps. I’m eating healthier, I’m not eating out a lot, fewer food reviews, some form of exercise … and of course smoothies. I’ve also been invited to join the Fit Foodie panel on Saffola, which just gives me more reason to work towards my goal! I’ve put together a small graphic to make things easier. Play around with these three groups {not an exhaustive list} , add some yogurt, milk, buttermilk, almond milk, fruit juice or maybe water as required. I also throw in spoon or two of oats at times.Do you smoothie? Here’s a bunch of recipes to set you off if you want to join in. You can find some here too. I basically go through the fridge to find what I can use and pair. I made three versions yesterday, and surprisingly enough the persimmon one was the best. The spinach, cuke and tender coconut water was nice too. The banana smoothie we have everyday, so that was quite normal, but normal good. Such fun. The processor is such a magic machine!
The processor is a blessing in disguise for soups too, though the immersion blender works really well in most cases. A while ago however someone asked me what the difference was between a food processor and blender. I have both in the kitchen, and it set me thinking. Thought I’d try and answer the query here just in case you had similar questions. Hope it helps…
Food processors and blenders, what are the differences between them?
If you only have a small kitchen then you may be wondering if you really need both a blender and a food processor. The fact is that although both gadgets have blades, and a reputation for dicing and slicing, they actually have quite different uses. If you are going to be able to do all of the jobs you need to in a kitchen the chances are you are going to want to use a blender and a food processor at some point; especially if you regularly make smoothies or soups. When does a blender come into its own? The shape and blades of a blender are designed to cater for soft fruit and liquids. The name really says it all; these gadgets are excellent for blending ingredients into such delights as tasty smoothies. Depending on what fittings your blender has it may be able to cope with slicing ice for use in the smoothies; this can make them into an extra special treat on a hot summer day. These tasty additions to any menu are a great way of getting fruit into a child’s diet. You can use the pulp produced when you are juicing to create imaginative and colorful smoothies that most children will love. The shape of a blender is slender and designed to accommodate soft and liquid products, and not usually more solid produce. What about a food processor? If you are using liquids then it’s a good idea to stick to using your blender, but for anything more solid you should switch to a food processor. Food processors have blades that are designed for chopping and slicing. They also have a bowl that is larger and can accommodate more solid produce. If you have vegetables that you want to reduce in to small pieces to use in a soup then a food processor is the perfect gadget to use. It can cope with all sorts of vegetables and nuts, and in no time you will have all of the ingredients you need to make as much delicious soup as you want. Which is the best to have, a blender or a food processor? The answer to this question is really going to depend on what you need to do most. Is it more important to you to be able to blend together liquids, making drinks and smoothies; or is it more important to you to be able to slice vegetables for soups or stews? It may be that you need to do both. There are blenders that have blades which provide a certain amount of chopping capacity, and food processors can deal with a very small amount of liquid, but generally if you want to be able to blend and chop you are going to have to make room in your kitchen for both a blender and a food processor.
So I guess it’s time to SMOOTHIE! Come join me. Grab a bunch of fresh seasonal produce, pair it with a medium you like, throw in some nuts, seeds, herbs and get going. Once you’re done, what’s next? Soup maybe?
[print_this]Recipe: Fruit & Vegetable Smoothies
Summary: Time for SMOOTHIES! Come join me. Grab a bunch of fresh seasonal produce, pair it with a medium you like, throw in some nuts, seeds, herbs and get going. 3 recipes to get you going …
Persimmon Orange Strawberry Smoothie Flesh of 2 fully ripe persimmons 5 strawberries {approx 50g} Juice of 1 orange 1/2 cup water Pinch rock salt Place in jar of Thermomix, processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Add extra juice or water if desired.
Cucumber Spinach tender Coconut Water Smoothie 1 small English cucumber, with skin {approx 100g} Small bunch fresh spinach leaves{approx 35g} 200ml tender coconut water Pinch rock salt Place in jar of Thermomix, processor or blender. Blend until smooth
Banana Chocolate Oats Smoothie 2 bananas {chopped, frozen in summer, normal in winter} 300ml low fat milk, soy milk, almond milk 1 tsp brown sugar{optional} 1 tbsp oats {or almonds} 2 heaped tbsp cocoa powder Place in jar of Thermomix, processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
“Eat clean. Think straight. Work consistently. Speak positively. Motivate others. Believe in yourself.” Toni Sorenson
Wholegrain Holiday Biscotti. It’s strange that I post biscotti every so often. Each time Mr PAB travels I brace myself for the request. “Do you think you’ll have time to make me some biscotti?” Yes he is that predictable. And me? Equally unpredictable. Even if I am torn for time, I know I will definitely bake a batch. The unpredictable bit is that I cannot make the same recipe over and over again.
That the biscotti was going to be healthy and wholegrain was a given. The beginning of the holiday season means a lot of additional flavours begin to dance in the head. Crystallised ginger, dried cranberries, orange, and walnuts of course… fun fun fun! Baking the batch gave me a chance to play around with this beautiful Acacia Wooden Cutting Board from Engrave that I recently received. Chopped the walnuts, ginger and cranberries on it, flipped it over and shot some more…
Meat or mushrooms, this rugged chopping board can handle it all. Hand crafted from a single block of Acacia wood, this rustic looking board is as comfortable in the lap as it on the kitchen counter. If you find one side is worn out from months if frantic chopping, flip it around for a second stint.
Engrave have got a whole lot of fun, innovative and interesting products online. I especially love the Acacia range, but there’s plenty more in the lifestyle range. Their engraving and personalized products really stand out. There is loads of creativity on offer that includes plaques, canvas, name plates, ipad engraving …
…. back to baking and the queen of substitutions kicked in. It was going to be a chocolate base. Most whole grains work really well with chocolate, so no question of messing around there. I like that this recipe worked out well. Plenty of wholegrain – buckwheat flour, wholewheat flour and oats, it’s packed with nuts, ginger, cranberries too … all good for the winters. The recipe is a healthier take on the chocolate almond biscotti I made several years ago…. and that brings me to the Fit Foodie meter.
As you might know, I was part of the Saffola Oats campaign led by Michelin Star Chef Vikas Khanna last year to develop healthy and tasty recipes.Using wholegrain and healthy ingredients like oats, buckwheat flour, amaranth flour, whole sugars etc., I discovered a whole new world! There’s been no looking back…I developed bunch of fun and interesting recipes. You can now find these on the FIT FOODIE website. There were a couple of videos shot for Food Food Channel as well. They are on the Saffola Fit Foodie site and on you tube too.This year around, I have been invited to hop on board and join their ‘Fit Foodie Panel‘.
Our panel of experts is the one that creates, carefully scrutinizes and approves every recipe that is available on the site. Headed by Michelin starred chef, Vikas Khanna, it includes die hard foodies, eminent chefs, popular food bloggers and renowned nutritionists who ensure that the scale is perfectly balanced on both health and taste. They cook, they taste and yes, they share exactly what works to spin that delightfully healthy meal on the table!
The site offers another interesting concept that’s been developed by the efficient and creative team behind brand Saffola… the Fit Foodie Meter. It works hard to improve normally used recipes and give them a healthier makeover of sorts, yet keeps the tasty factor in place.
The Fit Foodie Meter score is in a comparative format. The meter always shows the score for two recipes: 1) The ‘Regular Recipe’ or the most commonly prepared form of the dish and 2) The ‘Fit Foodie Recipe’ or the recipe presented in this website, which is an improved/modified version of the original dish. For example, if one were to take pizza as the dish, the Fit Foodie Meter would show the score for a regular veg pizza (Regular Recipe) and that for the Green Pizza (Fit Foodie Recipe) whose recipe is presented on this website. The greater the difference between the two scores, the higher the nutritive value of the Fit Foodie recipe in comparison to the Regular Recipe.
Summary: Crisp, chocolaty, and healthy, this Wholegrain Holiday Biscotti is a nice addition to the holiday cookie platter. With cranberries, walnuts, crystallised ginger and orange, it’s time to ring in the holiday season with this twice baked Italian cookie! Makes 25-30
Place wholewheat flour, buckwheat flour, oats, coco powder, baking powder, pinch salt and dark chocolate in bowl of food processor and pulse to fine mix.
Add the butter and pulse at high speed again. Reserve.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs, brown sugar, almond extract and orange rind till fluffy, one minute.
Fold in the dry mix with the walnuts, ginger and cranberries. Form into 2 logs and bake for 30 minute
Leave to cool for 10-15 minutes. Slice with a sharp knife.
Lay flat on sides on the baking tray, and bake again at 150C for 30 minutes.
Avocado Dark Chocolate Buckwheat Cake {Gluten Free}…a cake inspired by so much avocado goodness that we saw at the New Zealand Avocado Season Launch. Last week saw loads of avocado recipes churned out by the very talented and sweet Chef Kunal Kapoor at the New Zealand High Commission, New Delhi.
Celebrity Masterchef Kunal Kapur said “New Zealand Hass avocados are an amazing healthy and versatile wholefood that contain the good fats needed to maintain a healthy heart. They interestingly blend with everyday Indian meals and the soft buttery texture and nutty flavour goes really well with many traditional dishes such as Bhel Puri and Tawa Pulao. They also blend seamlessly with curries”.
It’s always interesting to see what the chef does with food, creating innovative recipes, often off the beaten path. He put avocados right into the heart of Indian cuisine, the pairings quite unexpected and intriguing. I loved the idea of a New Zealand Avocado and Cheese Parantha, New Zealand Avocado Bhel Puri, New Zealand Avocado & Cucumber Soup, AVAVZA Avocado & Vanilla Srikhand and a New Zealand Avocado and Kiwi Lassi. Other recipes included New Zealand Avocado and Chicken Kebabs, New Zealand Avocado and Coconut Stew, New Zealand Avocado and Tuna Cheese Toast, New Zealand Avocado Tawa Pulao, New Zealand Avocado & Coconut chutney.
Beautiful skin The vitamins & antioxidants in Avocado can improve your skin from the inside Energy & vitality The iron, niacin and vitamin B6 in Avocado support energy levels and help to unlock energy from your food Healthy heart The good fats and omega acids in Avocado help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels Nutrient booster Avocados help your body absorb more nutrients from other foods they are eaten with Protection Vitamin C in Avocado contributes to protection of cells from free radical damage Healthy digestion Fibre in Avocado keeps your digestive system in shape
It was an interesting and fun evening, with loads of good company too. Two of my favourite chefs I recently spoke about were there – Kunal and Saby, or formally Master Chef Kunal Kapoor and Chef Sabyasachi Gorai. Also present were a great bunch of foodies. The evening disappeared amidst non stop banter, laughter, fine avocado based bites, and choicest NZ wine.
We came away with an avocado each. I swapped my normal green one for this ripe one because I fell in love with the pinkish red hue. It seemed a good fit for Pinktober too! I had an idea in my head after all the avocado talk! Back home, my ripe and ready to eat av headed for a gluten free chocolate cake; a cake where the New Zealand Avocado and Indian buckwheat flour aka kuttu ka aata met. Fab pairing!
The cake was yet another experiment. A delicious one. I was fairly confident it would work, but you really never know until you slice it, nibble at a few crumbs etc. It was divine. Fudgy fudgy fudgy. Sinfully chocolaty too; a fallen chocolate cake.
I substituted 50% of the fat {butter} with the mashed avocado to reduce the fat content and add some fibre, iron, niacin etc. The Avocado Dark Chocolate Buckwheat Cake {Gluten Free} tasted even better the next day. Maybe the flavours matured. It was fudgier, the chocolate taste was deeper, and it stayed as moist as moist could be. The crumb is delicate because the only flour in here is a gluten free buckwheat flour, or ‘kuttu ka aata‘ as locally called. Handle it with care!
Try this if you like. You can always use almond meal to keep it gluten free, or use whole wheat flour to keep it healthy and whole grain. It’s been a while since I’ve used plain all purpose flour, and I’m not in a hurry to do so! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. I might skip the butter altogether next time.
Well now I’m going to keep my eyes open for more avocados as I have a few sweet and savoury ideas brewing in my head. Avocados are not commercially grown in India. They do grow down south in a few private gardens as I remember seeing the beautiful fruit hanging off trees when we went on a midnight walk while attending the IFBM in August! Until then, it’ll have to be New Zealand avocados for me!
[print_this]Recipe: Avocado Dark Chocolate Buckwheat Cake {Gluten Free}
Summary: Avocado Dark Chocolate Buckwheat Cake {Gluten Free} is divine.Fudgy fudgy fudgy. Sinfully chocolaty too, this fallen chocolate cake tastes even better the next day. It is fudgier, the chocolate taste deeper, and it stays as moist as moist can be. The crumb is delicate because the only flour in here is a gluten free buckwheat flour.
“Cake is happiness! If you know the way of the cake, you know the way of happiness! If you have a cake in front of you, you should not look any further for joy!” C. JoyBell C.
Prinsesstårta … a princess cake my way to mark Pinktober. Every October begins with a pink cake in support of breast cancer research, or Pinktober, as it is popularly known. October is the National Breast Cancer Awareness month. International campaigns are run each year to raise awareness and funds for research. In addition, the campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancer.
The first week of October sees Mr PABs birthday and he’s grown used to a pink birthday cake. I might be torn for time, tired to the bone, might not bake a cake on any other occasion but the Pinktober one is never missed. Neither is the ribbon. You can see the pink on my earlier Pinktober posts, else catch them on my PINK board on Pinterest.
The pink ribbon is an international symbol of breast cancer awareness. Pink ribbons, and the color pink in general, identify the wearer or promoter with the breast cancer brand and express moral support for women with breast cancer. Pink ribbons are most commonly seen during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
A Princess cake or prinsesstårta is the lads most favourite cake of all time. Years ago I did a recipe testing for Helene of Tartlette which included a Bavarian cream. That was a princess cake of sorts. We still remember how fantastic that cake was, a benchmark of sorts for birthday cake.
A princess cake (prinsesstårta in Swedish) is a traditional Swedish layer cake consisting of alternating layers of airy sponge cake, raspberry or strawberry jam, pastry cream, and a thick-domed layer of whipped cream. This is topped by marzipan, giving the cake a smooth rounded top. The marzipan overlay is usually green, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and often decorated with a pink marzipan rose.[1][2]
The original recipe first appeared in the 1930s Prinsessornas Kokbok cookbook, which was published by Jenny Åkerström, a teacher of the three daughters of H.R.H. Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland. The cake was originally called grön tårta (green cake), but was given the name prinsesstårta or “princess cake” because the princesses were said to have been especially fond of the cake.
My version of the prinsesstårta is a little off the traditional mark, just slightly. The layers of the traditional Swedish cake have jam and pastry cream. I skipped the jam as I thought my pastry cream was sweet enough. The dome of whipped cream wasn’t going to happen as I used a low fat 20% cream, so I stabilised it with gelatin. The dome happened in an upside down manner which is how I built up the cake and left it to set overnight.
I hoped it would look fine the next morning …and it certainly did much to my delight! The other deviation was of course the marzipan cover for the cake. I made marzipan too that morning but it did not behave. At all. With October being unseasonably warm at 40C this year, the marzipan really sweated and wouldn’t roll out.
I had to do a rapid rethink as I didn’t want to jeopardise the poor stabilised dome. That would have been a disaster so my next best option was a chocolate coating, tricky but doable. The idea is to have the chocolate coating at a cool, or almost same temperature as the cream dome so that the dome doesn’t melt. It was touch and go. I won!! Sort of.
The dome wasn’t as smooth as I expected it to be, or like I wanted it to be but given the weather, I was happy I had the cake covered! Left to set in the fridge, you can see the uneven bits, or maybe refer to it as an artisanal finish? Taking pictures was difficult again as the icing threatened to melt.
I used the marzipan to make a couple of hurried roses etc. Then the quintessential PINK ribbon. Minimalistic was the sensible and possibly only way to go. Stuck it all on and was just grateful to have a cake. Once cut, the honours done, it was fantastic to taste.
Much to my delight, the boy immediately exclaimed, “Yay, a Princess Cake! I just saw it on the Simpsons this morning.” What a delicious coincidence! The prinsesstårta layers behaved well while being sliced, the cake itself a winner on all counts {other than smooth looks!}. Light, airy, flavourful, creamy and a celebration! Try and challenge yourself to make this, right side up if possible, else use my way home. This is a cake every baker must make at least once. Must!
I’ve done a real fun version of Swedish Prinsesstårta Cupcakes with the Daring Bakers in May 2013. It was hot as hot can be back then, but much easier to do little cupcakes than one huge domed prinsesstårta. Also, then the marzipan was store bought and possibly more smoother and easier to handle than home made. If you rather do pretty cupcake prinsesstårta, then here’s the place to be.
[print_this]Recipe: Prinsesstårta, Princess cake for Pinktober
Summary: Prinsesstårta. Light, airy, flavourful, creamy and a celebration! Try and challenge yourself to make this, right side up if possible, else use my way home. This is a cake every baker must make at least once. Serves 10-12
Prep Time: 1 hour Total Time: 2 hours plus cooling, chilling time Ingredients:
Strawberry sponge {Make 2 X 3 egg cakes}
6 eggs
170g sugar
170g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1 tsp strawberry essence
1 tsp vanilla bean powder {or vanilla extract}
1 tbsp Grand Marnier {optional}
few drops red food colour {optional}
Simple sugar syrup
25ml water
50g sugar
Pastry Cream
4 eggs
100g sugar
40g cornflour
250ml milk
200ml low fat cream
1 vanilla bean, scraped
Whipped Cream
400ml low fat cream, chilled
1 tsp gelatin, sprinkled over 2 tbsp warm milk, cooled
75g icing sugar
1 tsbp Grand Marnier, optional
Chocolate coating
200g 70% dark couverture chocolate
80g unsalted butter
20g honey
Marzipan for roses and ribbon etc
Method:
Sponge Cake
Line 2 loose bottomed 8″ baking tins with parchment paper.
Place the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and whip on high speed till thick and moussey, 8-10 minutes. Add the strawberry essence, pinch of salt, baking powder and vanilla bean powder {and liqueur and food colour if using} and beat again.
Sift over the flour in 4 lots, gently folding in each time.
Transfer the batter into the 2 tins and bake at 190C for 35-45 minutes until done.
Cool on racks, then cut horizontally into 2 layers each.
Pastry Cream
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar with a wooden spoon in a big bowl until the mixture becomes pale and light. Stir in the flour slowly until it is thoroughly mixed with the egg mixture.
Pour the boiling milk into the mixture a little by little while whisking continuously to avoid curdling. And then stir in the rest of the cream until the mixture is well combined.
Transfer the whole mixture into a pot, with the seeds scraped from the vanilla bean, and heat it under low setting. Stir it constantly with the wooden spoon or spatula scraping the sides and bottom until it has thickened quite a bit.
Once the custard has thickened, take it off the heat, and strain it into a clean bowl. Cover top with plastic wrap, cool and chill.
Once chilled, whip in 1 cup of the reserved whipped cream from below until silky smooth. The pastry cream will be quite thick.
Thermomix Recipe
Place sugar and vanilla bean in TM bowl, and process for 30seconds on speed 10.
Add remaining ingredients, plus vanilla bean shell and cook on 90C/Speed 4 for 7 minutes {until thick}. Strain into a bowl immediately to cool. I chilled it overnight.
Sugar Syrup
Place sugar and water in small pan, simmer until the sugar melts. Cool.
Whipped cream
Whip cream and sugar on high speed until medium high peaks form. Whip in liqueur if using. Gently fold in the gelatin mixture. Reserve 1 cup for pastry cream
Assemble
Take a glass bowl the top of which can comfortably fit the cake {think upside down}. Line it with cling wrap overlapping the sides.
Turn the whipped cream into the bowl, level out and place the first layer of sponge on it. Paint with sugar syrup, and add 1/3rd pastry cream. Level it out. Repeat with the remaining layers of sponge, using the sugar syrup and pastry cream.
{I used mousse strips to keep the side of the sponge and pastry cream in place}
Cover the bowl with cling wrap or foil, and lave to set in the fridge as is {cream side at the bottom}
Next morning, turn the cake onto your serving platter, and gently peel off the plastic wrap that lined the bowl. {Refer picture}
Chocolate coating
Place chocolate, butter and honey in a heatproof bowl and melt over double boiler until the chocolate is melted. Stir until smooth. Cool to a nice room temperature {the chocolate shouldn’t be warm at all else it will melt the dome}
Gently pour over the cake so that the chocolate covers the dome right around.
Chill in fridge
Garnish with marzipan roses etc if required.
Chill until ready to serve.
Slice with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry to get neat slices.
“Comfort food, food that reassures, is different things to different people.” David Tanis
Wholewheat Cocoa Almond Biscotti … what can be better than a crisp chocolatey cookie on a rainy day. Twice baked, studded with roasted almonds and chocolaty to boot. There’s something strangely comforting about this twice baked Italian cookie, not least that it is low on fat. This version is wholegrain and delicious!
It was time for Mr PAB to travel, and as is customary to carry some cookies with him, it was time to bake! Biscotti’s been on my mind of late. It’s been raining quite a bit; delayed monsoons and what have you. The weather seems perfect for biscotti and some nice deep coffee. So a batch was baked. Some for him, some for us!
You might have noticed fewer desserts popping up here. Yes, that’s happened too. With the daughter away to uni, the demand has ‘fallen’. The son for some good reason is counting calories these days. Salads and stir fries are in, so are smoothies and fruits! The cakes and sweet treats are few and far between! Is good. I kinda like it.
Summary: Wholewheat Cocoa Almond Biscotti … what’s not to love about a crisp twice baked chocolate cookie. This is a wholegrain healthy version with roasted almonds. You could use toasted walnuts instead and make a brownie biscotti! Use a good-quality cocoa powder as that really makes the difference to how deeply chocolaty the biscotti will be. Makes 30-35 cookies
Preheat the oven to 180C. Bake a cookie sheet with baking parchment.
Place the flour, cocoa, brown sugar, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse briefly to mix
Add cubed chilled butter. Process briefly until you get a breadcrumb like mix.
With the machine running on low, add the eggs and process until the mixture begins to clump together.
Turn into a big bowl, add the almonds, mix well and then bring the dough together into a 2 firm halves.
Turn onto work surface and shape into 2 logs, pressing firmly together.
Transfer to prepared cookie tray, and bake for 25 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly, about 15-25 minutes.
Slice and place sides down on the cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, turning the baking sheet midway during baking, until the cookies feel mostly firm.
“In today’s world, when many of yesterday’s fashionable habits are today’s misdemeanors, we should rejoice that a chocolate dessert can bring so much innocent pleasure.” Marcel Desaulniers
Whole wheat Fresh Cherry Cocoa Brownies … yes chocolate again, cocoa actually. Pointless apologising for my long absence again, but life is getting a little hectic. This time I am blaming it on the IFBM 2014 in Bangalore. It was the best kind of get together for food bloggers in India, and it’s now a little difficult getting back into the mold of things.
Call it withdrawal symptoms if you like, but will hopefully get a long post out soon. Until then, here’s a batch of brownies I made for a boy who was having home baked stuff withdrawal symptoms yesterday. The past two days he went, “processed again?”. Of course, I was ashamed. Haven’t been at home the last week. It’s been madness, so before I stepped out to do grocery, I popped these into the oven yesterday.
Picked him up off the school bus and entered a home smelling like chocolate heaven. “Yay”, he yelled! “You baked.” He happily settled down with a jug of fresh lime juice etc. The rest was …. gobble, gobble, gobble!
Summary: Moist, fresh and healthy. Here’s yet another divine wholegrain chocolate brownie. Whole wheat Fresh Cherry Cocoa Brownies are one bowl goodness which can be stirred together in minutes.
Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients:
100g butter
20g clarified butter
120g brown sugar
55g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
vanilla extract
2 eggs
75g fresh cherry balsamic preserves
80g wholewheat flour
50g dark choc chips
Method:
Preheat the oven to 175C. Line a 8 X * baking tin with pachment
Place the butter and clarified butter in a large bowl and microwave for a minute. Alternatively, place in a heavy bottom pan, and heat over very low flame until the butter has melted.
Whisk in the sugar, salt and baking powder, followed by the cocoa powder.
Break in eggs and whisk briskly to mix in, add vanilla extract. Whisk again
Fold in the cherry preserves and then the whole wheat four, followed by the chocolate chips.
You can use chopped roasted almonds instead of chocolate chips, or both f course.
Turn into prepared tin and spread uniformly. The top will be nice and shiny smooth.
Bake at 175C for about 30 minutes. Cool on rack in tine for at least 30-45 minutes.
