Apricot Almond Cake

Sometimes the fun of baking is about alter your ingredients and explore of the existing good recipe. I alter this from the Orange flourless cake which I posted before.
I had this canned of apricots in the closet for some time. When I decide I'm not going to just open and eat it. Ideas quickly developed in my brain. So here is this yummy cake!


Ingredients :

• 1 canned of Apricots (drained)
• 150gm butter
• 3/4 cup (180g) caster sugar/brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup (80g) flour
• 1 cup (125g) almond meal
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup of shredded coconut
• 1 tsp poppy seeds

Syrup
2 tbsp caster sugar/brown sugar
drained juice (from the canned)

Methods :

1. Grease a cake tin 22cm, cover base with baking paper.
2. Put the drained apricots in blender and blend until smooth.
3. Beat butter and sugar in a bowl, whisk until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beat until combine.
4. Stir in almond meals and sifted flour, baking powder and apricot puree.
5. Pour mixture into prepared cake tin, bake at 160C for 1 hr or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Pour hot syrup over hot cake.
6. Serve cake warm or cold with cream or dollop of creamy yogurt.

Syrup: Combine sugar and juice in small pan, stir over the heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil pour over the cake.

Mexican Corn Muffin

I took the recipe from the local supermarket and decide to try out. Nice and easy savoury muffins which goes well with pumpkin soup in the winter. Tips for baking muffins is don't try to mixed until really well blend, or the muffins will become hard.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp Mexican Seasoning ( I used Cajun Seasoning)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped chives or spring onions
• 1-2 cups grated Edam cheese
• 410g can whole kernel corn, well drained
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 egg, beaten

Method

1. Preheat oven to 210°C and grease muffin pans.

2. Sift flour and baking powder together in a bowl and stir through the Mexican/Cajun Seasoning, sugar, chopped chives and cheese, keeping ½ cup cheese aside.

3. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour in the whole kernel corn, milk, oil and egg. Stir gently until just mixed and place spoonfuls into the muffin pans.

4. Sprinkle with grated cheese previously set aside and bake for 10-12 minutes or until cooked and golden.

Recipe adapts from http://www.foodinaminute.co.nz/

Chocolate Brownie

Ingredients:

• 110g butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cocoa powder
  
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup walnuts or pecan, roughly chopped ( I like walnuts, should increase to 3/4 cups)
  

Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 160C, grease a square cake tin, cover base with baking paper.
2. Melt butter, mix in sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at the time.
3. Add combined flour, cocoa and baking powder and mix thoroughly. Stir through the chopped nuts and pour into the tin.
4. Bake for 25-35 mins or until the skewer comes out clean.
5. Cool for 5 mins in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

I didn't have a proper measurement of the chocolate ganache when I was making it. Because I didn't have cream at home. I melted some chocolate, butter and 2 tbsp of milk and then spread on it. Cut it when it is completely cool. I will edit it once I have re bake it. Or you could use the following as reference or just eat without any frosting.

There's one I found on www.best-chocolate-recipes-online.com

• 115ml of double cream
• 110g of plain chocolate, finely chopped

Put the cream into a saucepan and bring nearly to the boil, so it is scalding hot. With the finely grated chocolate in a heatproof bowl, pour the hot cream over and leave to allow the chocolate to melt into the hot cream. Gently stir to mix.

Leave it to cool long enough for it to be a nice spreadable consistency.