Energy bars

On our hike to the top of Skoften yesterday, we brought along with us some delicious homemade energy bars...So should you go for a hike, you might want to consider making these ahead of time! The mixture of flavours, especially of syrup and peanut butter is really good! (But I may be biased, as I'm addicted to peanut butter!) Ok....lots of energy in these energy bars, and that energy comes from lots of calories...but by hiking before and after eating one of these, you'll burn those calories right off again!

Energy Bars
(makes about 20)

Ingredients:
3 dl crushed bran flakes / rolled oats
1 dl dried / shredded coconut
2 dl nuts (any type), coarsely chopped
1 dl sunflower seeds
1 dl raisins
1,5 dl peanut butter
1,5 dl dark syrup / agave syrup

Preparation:
1.) Mix all the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
2.) Melt the peanut butter and the syrup in a pan on medium heat, whilst stirring continuously.
3.) Mix the melted peanut butter and syrup with the other ingredients.
4.) Pour into a small baking tray (20 x 30 cm) that is lined with baking parchment.
5.) Use the back of a spoon to flatten and spread out the mixture.
6.) Put the baking tray into the fridge for at least 20 minutes, to let the mixture set.
7.) Cut the mixture into squares and wrap each square individually with baking parchment.
8.) Put the squares into the freezer and just take out as many energy bars as you will need for each trip. They will thaw just enough during the first couple of hours of your hike, so that they can be eaten without breaking any teeth, yet still be sticky enough to not fall apart.

Hubby rating: 6-

Enjoy!

Blackberry Apple Crumble Cake

With the weather changing along with the season, it won't be long until the market stalls in the city centre disappear almost as sudden as they arrived in spring. So last Friday I took advantage of the opportunity of still being able to get some fresh berries at the market. The selection definitely had shrunk, but I got a couple of baskets of blackberries - especially because only hours before I had found a recipe for Blackberry Apple Crumble Cake on the website of BBC's Good Food Magazine.

I made it on Sunday, as we were expecting the in-laws to drop by for dinner. Well, guess what? The doorbell rang the second I took the cake out of the oven. Great timing! I served the cake lukewarm with vanilla ice cream. In one word......DELICIOUS!!!

Blackberry Apple Crumble Cake
(Ø 20 cm; serves 8)

Ingredients:
- for the cake:
175 gr butter
150 gr golden caster sugar, pluss 1 tbsp
3 eggs, beaten
200 gr all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
150 gr crème fraîche
150 gr blackberries
4 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges each

- for the crumble:
50 gr butter
50 gr brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
75 gr all-purpose flour
50 gr hazelnuts, roughly chopped

- to serve:
3-4 tbsp clear honey or maple syrup
vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche

1.) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2.) Butter and line a Ø 20 cm springform tin with baking parchment.
3.) Make the crumble topping by melting the flour. Then mix in the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour and chopped hazelnuts. Stir well and set aside.
4.) Heat 25 gr of butter in a large frying pan. Add 1 tbsp of caster sugar and the apple wedges. Cook for about 10 minutes until the apples are tender and golden. Set aside and cool.
5.) Beat together in a large bowl the remaining butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy.
6.) Gradually mix in the eggs.
7.) Using a large metal spoon, fold in the flour and baking powder.
8.) Add the crème fraiche and mix until smooth.
9.) Spoon roughly two-thirds of the cake mixture into the tin, spread level and scatter over one-third of the crumble mixture.
10.) Top with the remaining cake mixture and level again, then scatter over another third of the crumble mixture.
11.) Arrange the apple wedges and blackberries on top, and top with the remaining crumble.
12.) Bake on the lower rack of the oven for about 1,5 hours. Loosely cover the top of the cake with a sheet of baking parchment or foil halfway through the cooking time if it is browning too quickly.
13.) Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes and then transfer to a serving plate.
14.) Drizzle warm honey over the cake.
15.) Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche.

Enjoy!!!

Banana Bread

Yesterday afternoon I made Banana Bread, to have a snack to bring with me to work today...and because I had four very ripe bananas lying on the countertop. It was either to use them in a Banana Bread or to throw them away... Well, Banana Bread it was...!

Banana Bread
(makes 1 loaf)

Ingredients:

170 gr all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
115 gr butter, melted
100 gr sugar
2 eggs
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
75 gr raisins
50 gr hazelnuts or walnuts
1 tsp vanilla essence

1.) Preheat the oven to 165 degrees Celsius.
2.) Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl and mix well.
3.) In another bowl mix the melted butter and the sugar until blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
4.) Mash the bananas and add to the butter/sugar mixture.
5.) Stir in the raisins, nuts and the vanilla essence.
6.) Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and stir well.
7.) Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and scrape the dough into the loaf pan.
8.) Bake in the middle of the oven for approximately 1 hour (check with a toothpick or skewer whether the loaf is ready; the skewer should come out clean).
9.) Leave the loaf in the pan and put on a rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

With the sun hiding behind the clouds again, it still feels like summer inside - especially with these Oatmeal Coconut Cookies. The taste of coconut just makes me dream of hanging in a hammock on a tropical beach.

These cookies remind a bit of coconut macaroons, but the combination with rolled oats and hazelnut gives it a different taste.

Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

(makes about 25-30)

150 gr butter / margarine
200 gr dark muscovado sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp cream (27%)
400 gr all-purpose flour
100 gr hazelnuts (or walnuts), chopped
100 gr dried coconut
125 gr rolled oats

1.) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2.) Melt the butter and mix in the eggs and the cream.
3.) Mix the flour, sugar, hazelnuts, dried coconut and rolled oats together in a large bowl.
4.) Pour the buttermixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients, and stir until well mixed. The mixture will be sticky, but will hold its shape when clumped together.
5.) Line a baking sheet with parchment and use a tablespoon to form small domes and lay them onto the baking sheet.
6.) Bake the cookies in 12 to 15 minutes on the middle rack of the oven.
7.) Cool on the baking sheet first and when firm on a rack. Store in a airtight container.

Enjoy!