Pear, Walnut and Chocolate Cake

It's St. Valentine's Day today and the Mahjong girls came over to our house this afternoon for the weekly round of games, so chocolate had to be in the ingredients for the cake I chose to bake. I also had some beautiful Corella pears which had been in my refrigerator crisper for over a week, which is normally unheard of, so it had to primarily be a Pear cake. 

Middle Eastern Spiced Date, Walnut and Chocolate Loaf

Date and Walnut Loaf is quite a classic loaf cake to bake, and I've given this a subtle Middle Eastern flavour by adding Baharat spice powder instead of Mixed Spice, and I've also added a dessertspoon of cocoa to bring an added depth of flavour and colour to the loaf.

Armenian Nutmeg Cake

 

This is a rustic style cake, with the warm and sweet Middle Eastern flavours of freshly ground nutmeg exciting the senses, and the soft, moist crumb making it a joy to eat. It's a very clever cake, as a crusty base is created by half of the dry mixture, and then the rest of the wet cake mixture when added to the cake tin is topped with chopped walnuts. 

This isn't a pretty cake to photograph, but it's a cinch to make and absolutely delicious to eat with a cup of espresso coffee or a pot of tea. I urge you to give it a try. It's a real keeper.

I found this cake recipe in The Mackay Whitsunday Anglican School Recipe book called "Tastebud Ticklers", collated by teachers, parents and students of the school, and published back in 1994. There are so many great recipes in this book, and this one has stood the test of time. The recipe book was assembled as a fund raiser as they generally are, and the Principal of the school at the time, Mr. Ron Bourne, famously said that if the book was published and actually raised some money he would walk to Sarina, just an hour by car down the road from Mackay and back again. Well none of us remember him actually doing that, but it was a successful project, and some of the parents still refer to it and cook from it as I just have.

 I hadn't looked at this book for quite a while before I made this cake, but just now as I was flicking through the pages again, I found my original Golden Syrup Dumplings  recipe in there. I had forgotten that this was the recipe I contributed to the book, and I had since lost the original of this recipe, true story. In 1994, I started a new job, so I am pretty amazed that I found the time to even contribute to this recipe book let alone remember that I did. Wow, what a find, because Golden Syrup Dumplings are a favourite of ours in Winter, and I have since used other recipes which Mr. HRK and I have humbly thought weren't as good as my original. My lost recipe has been found, and I have to tell you I am pretty excited. So needless to say dear readers, this dumpling dessert will be back on the menu again at home, and will hopefully be published on the blog, one cold wintry day, so watch this space.

For now though this story is really about the Armenian Nutmeg cake, originally contributed to the book by Norelle  Millen. Thanks Norelle. 

Ingredients:

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup milk

2 cups self raising flour or ( 2 cups plain flour and 4 teaspoons of baking powder)

1 egg at room temperature

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

4 oz butter (113 grams) chopped into pieces

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

METHOD:

Combine the sugar, sifted flour and nutmeg, and rub in butter. Place half the mixture into a well greased 20 cm or 8 inch spring form tin.

Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in warm milk and pour this into the remaining mixture. Add beaten egg and mix well.

Pour the wet mixture over base in the cake tin evenly and sprinkle with walnuts.

Bake for 50-60 minutes in a moderate oven. Mine cooked in 40 minutes and is very moist. Each oven is different in cooking time.

There's plenty for every body.

It's balmy Winter weather here after a cool start of 9 degrees, so as soon as I made this cake first thing this morning, I started gardening. Mr. HRK was in the garden all morning, working on a garden at the side of our house which had become overgrown, so we are starting again with that one. It's always exciting starting a garden from scratch again.

The very original recipe.

Warm wishes to you all, and hoping your week is progressing well.

Pauline

My Mum's Coffee Walnut Cake, or is it a Slice?

The flavours of coffee and walnuts are meant for each other, and I have always loved this cake. I found the recipe the other day when I was searching through my Mum's hand written recipe books, and it made me quite nostalgic. 

Mint, Ginger and Walnut Cauliflower "Rice"

Cauliflower when cooked as a vegetable on its own can taste rather bland, however, this version of my cauliflower rice, with the addition of the mint, ginger and walnuts was a very enjoyable side dish to accompany a simple chicken curry made in my new pressure cooker pot. It could also stand proudly on its own served cold with a salad. We didn't miss not eating rice with the curry at all. I have tried cooking and eating cauliflower rice a few times when I am concentrating on reducing carbohydrates following a holiday or a delicious dinner party and each time I have felt underwhelmed by the flavour whilst also analysing that it is a healthy option.

So forgive me my friends for adding yet another cauliflower rice recipe to the blog continuum when there are so many versions already out there, but I need this for future reference when we may be travelling and I am cooking away from home. No doubt though when I cook it next time a couple of extra ingredients will explore their way into this very versatile and healthy vegetable option, to replace what not might be available at the time. Variety is the spice of life.

It is hard to believe it is Friday already, but it has been a busy and rewarding week. Mr. HRK and I have tackled some gardening projects together necessitating some pleasurable decision making "meetings" over coffee on our patio. I have fitted in a little knitting whilst still trying to improve my skills, and thankfully I can see some progress there, and there have been all of the other enjoyable things that we do to keep our home a happy place. We have also watched a couple of really good movies which is relaxing but also thought provoking.

My project today is to try and finish a small fleecy cap I am making for little Hugo, our adorable little 7 month old Grandson. He and his parents are travelling to Denmark and France in March, for work and to meet his French maternal family for the first time, and I want to ensure that he has all of the warm clothes he needs for the trip. I am sure his doting Mum is also thinking about his wardrobe as she dresses him beautifully and sends us lots of photos of him in his little outfits however I help wherever I can.

I would love to hear from anyone who may be reading my blog if you have a favourite cauliflower rice recipe to share, or if you are thinking of cooking it for the first time.

If you have space in your garden to grow them, having ready access to mint, chillis, fresh ginger, chives and green onions means you have a ready supply of many essential ingredients to make your cooking interesting. Chives, green onions, chillis and mint can also be grown very successfully in pots on a sunny balcony. However, in summer I grow my mint in the bush house.

Happy cooking and gardening!

Mint, Ginger and Walnut Cauliflower "Rice"

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower
2 tablespoons roughly chopped walnuts (or substitute with other nuts)
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 red chilli, seeded and thinly sliced (optional depending on who you are cooking for)
2 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
5 green onions ( amount depends on the size of your cauliflower)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (preferably garlic if you have them)
Salt for seasoning
1 tablespoon coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil

Let's Cook:

1. Process cauliflower florets finely in your food processor
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a moderate heat and add the chilli, finely chopped ginger, and finely chopped garlic and the whites of the green onions.  Cook until all of these are softened and  their fragrance becomes obvious to you.
3. Add the cauliflower and the desiccated coconut. Cook on a low heat stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes until the cauliflower starts to turn golden and tenderise.
4. When you are happy with the look of your cauliflower, add the mint, walnuts, green onion and chives.
5. Serve in a colourful bowl and garnish with a flourish of extra green onions and mint and a dash of ground pepper.

Enjoy a relaxing and rewarding weekend everyone, and I hope you can put your feet up and do something you really enjoy.

Warm wishes, Pauline

Date and Walnut Loaf Cake for an easy Afternoon Tea

Enjoy this Loaf Cake still warm out of the oven with a cuppa, or it will keep fresh for a few days in your cake tin, if it lasts that long. It has always been called a Loaf, mainly I think because it is traditionally baked in a loaf size tin. However, I have added cocoa powder to this recipe for more depth of colour and warmth of flavour, I have bypassed the step of cooking the dates, wet ingredients and bi-carb soda in a saucepan on the stove, it is too hot after all to be slaving over a hot stove more than is needed and it takes longer, and I think this all warrants a renaming of this classic masterpiece to a Loaf Cake. If biscuits can now be cookies, this can now be a cake.

However, leave out the cocoa powder, add a few more walnuts and you will capture the more earthy and nutty flavour of the walnuts and dates. I like recipes with options, don't you?

Golden syrup, walnuts and dates are staples in my pantry cupboard, and as such this Loaf Cake can be baked very quickly when required.

Enjoy your afternoon tea and happy Sunday dear friends.

Preheat your oven to a moderate temperature 180 deg. C. Bake for 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped dates

1/2 cup white or brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1 teaspoon Bicarbonate soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

2 cups S.R. Flour

1 cup boiling water

1 tablespoon Golden Syrup

1 egg

60 g softened butter (or 2 tablespoons)

2 teaspoons mixed spice

1 dessertspoon Cocoa for a darker cake (optional)

Method:

• Put chopped dates, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, salt, golden syrup, butter, and walnuts in a mixing bowl.
• Add boiling water and mix well. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes.
• Then add beaten egg, followed by the sifted flour, mixed spice and cocoa.
• Cook in a moderate oven in a greased and lined loaf or ring tin for 30 minutes.

Thanks for dropping by,

Warmest wishes,

Pauline

An original recipe by Pauline @ Happy Retirees Kitchen

ITALIAN APPLE AND COCONUT CAKE

1 dessertspoon plain flour
2 Granny Smith apples or any other cooking apples
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts ( with extra to sprinkle on top before baking)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup shredded (not desiccated) coconut
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
150g butter, melted
2 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur (or use almond essence)
Icing sugar (for decoration)

Method:

1. Set oven to 180 deg. C(350 deg. F) and grease a 23cm spring form cake pan or just a round cake tin.
2. Sprinkle a dessertspoon of plain flour into the tin and coat the inside of the tin lightly with the flour.
3. Wash the apples well and dry with a clean cloth. Leave the apples unpeeled. With peel on, core and dice the apples into small chunks about one and a half cm square. Toss the apple chunks in a small quantity of lemon juice to avoid them browning, then drain off the lemon juice and place the apple into a large mixing bowl.
4. Tip the walnuts onto a cutting board and sprinkle with one tablespoon sugar. Chop the walnuts, or crush under a rolling pin using greaseproof paper to cover the nuts, or use a food processor,   and add with sugar to the mixing bowl containing the apples.
5. Into the same mixing bowl, add the raisins and coconut. Mix well.
6. Into a separate large mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
7. Into a third (small) mixing) bowl, break the eggs, add sugar and beat with an electric mixer until light and lemon-coloured.
8. Still beating the egg mixture, add the melted butter and the liqueur or essence.
9. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add the egg mixture. Stir until well combined.
10. Add the apple mixture to the flour and egg mixture. Stir until well combined. At this stage it may seem that you have too much apple and not enough cake mix. Don't worry, the cake will turn out beautifully.
11. Turn the mixture into the prepared cake tin. If you desire sprinkle some walnuts on top.
12. Bake at 180 deg. C or 350 deg. F on the centre shelf of the oven for about 45 to 50 minutes or until the top of the cake has turned a nice golden brown. To test whether the cake is cooked, insert a metal skewer into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is cooked.
13. Allow to cool, sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with King Island cream.

TIP:  If you don't have any Amaretto liqueur, you can use almond essence. The amount you need to use will depend on the strength of the essence you buy. Use your own judgement - strong essence may need only a few drops, a weaker essence may require half a teaspoon.

Enjoy!