Oatmeal cookies with dates, dipped in chocolate

One of my all-time favorite oatmeal cookies. Sweet, chewy, and filling. Also, oats and dates help to compromise with consciousness about having cookies for breakfast. :)

3/4 cups shredded sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey (can replace with maple syrup)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or almond extract)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
1+3 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups rolled oats (not instant!)
1/2 cup dates, pitted and chopped
5 tbsp granulated sugar
150g of dark chocolate



Heat the oven to 170C. Put coconut flakes on a parchment paper sheet-ed tray, and place in the oven. Roast till flakes get golden-ish shade, and kitchen fills with a lovely smell. Take a tray out and let coconut flakes to cool down.

Preheat the oven to 190C.

In the mixer bowl cream the butter until light. Beat in brown sugar and honey until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla or almond extract.

In another large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Beat flour mixture into butter mixture until well combined. Add oats, dates and toasted coconut and mix well.

Line three trays with baking parchment. In a small bowl mix granulated sugar with 3 teaspoons of cinnamon. Roll teaspoonful of dough in a ball, roll it in a sugar mixture and place on a tray. Place balls on a tray 5-7 cm apart. Bake for 15 min, or until cookies are golden-brown. When ready, take out from the oven, let them cool completely.

Melt dark chocolate on a water bath (or, if confident, in a microwave oven). Dip cookies’ bottom in chocolate, one by one. Leave until chocolate hardens. Enjoy!

(Adapted from Melissa Clark's recipe for NYT Cooking)

How to make beetroot garlic-y bread

Being a vegetable and pastry enthusiast, I particularly enjoy an opportunity to combine these two together into something tasty and not-so-decadent as regular baked goods. This time I combined few recipes with my imagination, and it shaped out in a well-tasting loaf. Taste, smell and color – I enjoyed all parts of it (in all the modesty).
Also, it is quite easy to make, for a bread. So, here we go.

Ingredients:

2 small boiled beetroots, pureed (should give about 150 g puree)
500 g all-purpose/bread flour
1 tsp salt
7 g dry yeast (can use a bit more if yeast is not very strong, say, 11 g)
225 g water
4 garlic cloves

Preparation:

Boil beetroots for 30-40 minutes, until tender, or use vacuum-packed cooked beetroot. Once tender, let them cool and then puree in a food processor until smooth.

Combine flour, salt and yeast in a big bowl, add beetroot puree, mashed garlic cloves and water. Can use cold water for a slow prove – experts say it makes a better bread. Mix ingredients well with a large spoon.

Once dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl and makes a nice ball, cover the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and leave to rest for over an hour. Note! Dough might appear to be a bit wet, but it’s fine, do not add extra flour!

Preheat the oven to 220C.

Turn the dough to a clean, slightly oiled surface and push-fold-turn back in and out for few minutes. Shape it into a loaf shape. Lightly oil a loaf tin, put the dough in, cover with a damp towel and let it rest for another 40 minutes. By that time, the dough will rise right above the lit.

With a sharp knife, make 1cm deep cuts on a dough surface. Dust the top of the loaf with little amount of flour. Put it in the oven.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 190C and bake for 30 minutes.

To test whether the loaf is ready, take it out of the oven, tap it on the bottom – it should make a hollow sound and have a good crust.

Let it cool down a bit before slicing.

Enjoy!


(Inspired by Claire Thomson’s recipe for The Guardian)

Deliciously moist carrot pie

Personally I really like all kind of veggie-fruit-root infused cakes and breads. Kind of compromise with consciousness: get to eat baked goods, and get something healthy too, all in one piece. The best part is that many of those recipes are easy-peasy. Don't believe me? Well, take a look at this one, for example.

This carrot pie is great to serve for a breakfast or as an any-time-of-a-day snack. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 medium sized carrots, shredded
2/3 cups of brown sugar
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil (approximately 80 ml)
1/3 cup of creme fraiche
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (or 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup of wholewheat flour)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
nutmeg
cinnamon
salt
30 gr shredded coconut (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat the over to 190C. Prepare a pan.

Combine carrots, sugar, olive oil, creme fraiche and eggs. Use spatula or a spoon.

In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients (except for coconuts, if using). Fold dry ingredients into wet, add shredded coconut and combine well.

Pour batter in a pan, and let it bake for 45-50 minutes. To check if it's done - put in toothpick. Once it comes out clean - a pie is ready.

Let it cool before serving.

Serve with jam, mascarpone or vanilla ice cream.

Yum!

Scones with walnuts

Simple and fast option for breakfast or mid-day snack. Or any-time-of-a-day snack. Have them with jam or butter, with tea or coffee, or just sneak in the darkness of the night. :)

Ingredients

2.5 cups of flour (can combine all-purpose and buckwheat or whole-wheat flour)
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 spoon salt
100 g cold butter
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cups milk
1egg
walnuts
cinnamon
dates or cranberries (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven (175C).
Mix flour and baking powder. Add butter and rub with fingers until combined (it will form small ball-like pieces). Add sugar and spices, and blend it well. Add milk and egg, blend until smooth and well-mixed. Form a dough into a ball, then roll it into a ball, approx 6 inch in diameter (approx.15cm). Dough makes at least 2 balls.  Cut each into 6-8 wedges. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Put it in the oven and bake until they get brownish on the top (usually it takes around 10-12 min).

Enjoy!

Matcha shortbread cookies

For a while I've been contemplating to experiment with matcha green tea powder. Finally I've got a pack of a fine matcha in my possession, so new phase of adventures begins.

The first experiment lead me to baking matcha shortbread cookies. Delicious, crusty, colorful and overall delightful treat.

Matcha shortbread cookies

These cookies come in two options: two-colored with a swirl, or monochrome. It’s up to your aesthetic preferences and time, as it has no affect on a taste of cookies.
The recipe gives instructions for two-colored dough. For the recipe only one egg yolk is necessary, separated between two types of dough. It makes around 20-25 mini-cookies that can be stored in a sealed container for several days with no affect on taste.

Ingredients:

Light green swirl:

60 g unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
1/2 egg yolk
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp matcha powder
1 pinch of baking powder
1 small pinch of salt

Dark green swirl:

60 g unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
1/2 egg yolk
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp matcha powder
1 pinch of baking powder
1 small pinch of salt

First prepare the light green swirl dough. In a bowl mix butter and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Add egg yolk and almond extract and mix again. In a separate bowl mix all dry ingredients, then gradually add it to a butter mixture, mixing all well in between. Mix well so all the ingredients are well inter-blended. Form a ball and place in a fridge.

Now let’s prepare a dough for a dark swirl. Repeat steps from the above, only add 1 teaspoon of matcha, instead of 1/2. Can feel free to add slightly more for intense color and stronger taste. Mix all ingredients well, then form a ball.

Take out a light dough from a fridge. Separate each ball into two parts, so it’s easier to work with. Roll the dark dough into a square. Make it approximately 3-4mm thick. Roll the light one, then put it neatly on the top of the dark dough, and gently roll it together. Place the roll in a fridge for an hour to cool it down. Note! When rolling the dough, place it between two sheets of baking parchment – it makes work easier and dough doesn’t stick.

When ready, pre-heat the oven (170C) and prepare trays. Take dough from the fridge and cut it into slices, approximately 5mm thick. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, when sides will start turning slightly brown. Cool cookies before eating. Enjoy!






Recipe based on: http://tworedbowls.com/2013/09/22/matcha-shortbread-cookies/ with slight changes.

Soft cranberry cookies

Nice and soft, eggless, very berry cookies are good for evening tea time, morning coffee time, mulled wine time, and anytime.

Ingredients:
370g all-purpose flour
2 tbsp baking powder
120g sugar
120g unsalted butter, softened (room temperature)
200g crème fraîche (I used full-fat, but can replace it with low-fat, or sour cream)
2 tsp of vanilla extract or 1 tsp of vanilla sugar
150-200g cranberries (fresh or frozen. I used frozen this time)
pinch of salt
cinnamon (optional)
2tbsp chocolate milk (optional, but highly recommended)

Instructions:

Pre-heat the over to 190C. Prepare baking trays.

Mix all dry ingredients. Stir well. Add crème fraîche, butter, and vanilla extract. Mix well until smooth. Add berries and stir, so they spread equally.

Use two spoons (table spoon and tea spoon) to put balls of dough on a tray, leaving 4-5cm between them.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Let them cool a bit before eating.

Enjoy!

Recipe adopted from Passion 4 Baking

Crumble gingerbread Christmas pie with dates and walnuts

For the first recipe in the blog, I choose a very special Christmas-y treat. It will fill home with incredible smell and make everyone crave for one more bite. Also, it is quite easy to make. So if you haven't decided on how to treat your guests and family, that is a safe bet.

This cake contains quite a bit of spices, and I won't give exact measurements – add as much as you feel like, so the result will be the most suitable for your own taste.
Can skip on crumbles, but they add extra twist.


Ingredients:
3 eggs
1.5 cups of flour (all-purpose flour; or 0.5cups of rice flour and 1 cup of all-purpose)
1 cup of brown sugar
200g of unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp of baking powder
100g of dates (if very dry, soak them in water for couple h)
70g of walnuts
cinnamon
cardamon
ginger powder
nutmeg

For crumble:
8-10 gingerbread cookies
20g unsalted butter
cinnamon (optional)

Instruction: 
Preheat an oven to 190C. Melt the butter in a saucepan or in a microwave oven.

Meanwhile, stir eggs with sugar, until light and fluffy. Add four, baking powder, spices and butter. Stir until well mixed. Don't be afraid to use spices – can't go wrong with them.

Slice dates in a medium-sized pieces, put them in a food processor, add walnuts, and grind until they make one nice mass.

Prepare a pan for baking. Put 1/3 of a dough, add date-walnut mix (if the layer is too thick, can stir leftovers of the mix with the remaining dough), and cover with remaining dough.

Crumble:
Break gingerbread cookies into fine pieces (can use your hands or a food processor), add butter (room temperature), and cinnamon. Mix together using your hands, until well mixed into nice crumbles. Put it on a top of a pie.

Bake for 30-40 min, until stick comes out clean. 

Can store in a vacuum container up to 5 days (if your will power is strong enough to resist having the whole thing at once).

Enjoy!