Carrot and Walnut muffins

A change of heart and taste

Hot out of the oven

When I was small, I absolutely HATED carrots (with a passion, I might add). The earthy taste of it was truly displeasing to my palette, and the bright, orangey color didn’t help either (if anyone’s thinking of getting me a gift, make sure it’s blue). I remember picking out the carrot cubes (and petits pois) from the rice we got for our school lunches every time before I started eating. Somewhere along the line of my youth however, I took a massive U-Turn on my dietary regime. It was probably when I went abroad for high school. All of a sudden, my childhood enemy transformed into a lifelong companion. The carrot I detested so much unexpectedly became particularly pleasing to my taste. For what reason exactly, I may never know. Be it boiled or raw, carrots and I are now two peas in a pod. It works best in a savory meal (humus specifically), although it functions incredibly well in sweets too. So, carrot and walnut muffins it was (add cream cheese frosting if you desire a tad bit more sugar).

Packed with protein, carbs and veg – if I could have cake for breakfast, I’d totally pick this.

Recipe from: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/912/carrot+and+walnut+muffins 

Miss Vogue's Warm Blueberry Cakes (Pudding)

Usually when I read Vogue, the first thing I head for is the section that tells you what the latest trends and styles are through a visual gallery boasting a kaleidoscopic array of colors. I think much less about any recipes it recommends, mainly because I'd much prefer to go to an online recipe site or foodie magazine. However, I do think it's important to read openly, especially since you might be in for a delightful treat. In this case, Miss Vogue's Warm Blueberry Cake (or lil' pudding) was definitely a scrumptiously sweet surprise (alliteration for literature geeks). Of course blueberries go well in anything in my opinion, especially in cakes. For this recipe however, it acted as a sort of syrup (think sticky toffee pudding except made with water, sugar and blueberries). The amount of water it asked for was considerably higher than the value allocated to the cream and self-raising flour. Having baked quite a bit myself before, I was slightly skeptical at these numbers. Nevertheless, Miss. Vogue definitely proved me wrong; my worries about the recipe failing quickly evaporated as soon as my eyes were met with the golden scented heart that stood in front of me as the oven door was opened.

A light and somewhat healthy dessert option for those that are wary of their weight - that's how I'd summarize it.

Recipe from:
http://www.vogue.co.uk/miss-vogue/whats-up/2015/03/warm-blueberry-cake-recipe

Profiteroles with white and dark chocolate dipping sauce

Pudding for two

Hey ho it's a "baking" recipe - at last! Honestly, does anyone ACTUALLY remember the last time I blogged about one of my famous baking adventures? I certainly don't. Normally I'd make one of my old favorites (e.g. my fudgy (pure) chocolate brownies) because I am a total sucker for comfort food. But since I was making it as a dessert to share with my male half, I decided that it had to be something special. And who better to consult than the UK's "Queen of Cakes" herself? That's right, you guessed it - I'm talking about Mary Berry.

Her book entitled Mary Berry's Desserts to be more precise!

The blog title says it all - I obviously went for the profiteroles/ cream puff recipe (Berry, 2008: 195). Choux pastry has seriously never been easier to make. With simple instructions that are easy to understand, who'd thought that combining butter, flour and eggs together can come to create such sweet and delectable delicacies? And don't forget patience; these little French pastries require time, effort and the correct technique in order to make. The most enjoyable part in my opinion comes after all the hard-work (i.e. mixing, stirring and, of course, baking -- 30 minutes at 200°C to be exact), and no it's not eating them that I'm talking about (although that's nevertheless enjoyable). I personally like the part where I pipe oodles of homemade vanilla whipped cream into them.

Forget retail therapy, THIS is the sort of relaxer you need (i.e. baking).

The melting pot

Homemade White and Dark Chocolate sauce

If you've read my other foodie posts, you'll know by heart that I like to add a touch of creativity to every recipe I follow. It's simply a way of me being slightly rebellious but all for a good cause of course. So what exactly is your little twist this time? Simple: chocolate dipping sauce (aka. large-bars-of-pure-chocolate-melted-in-a bowl-on-top-of-a-boiling-hot-pot). And not just any old shop bought chocolate dipping sauce. This one, or rather, "ours" had white and dark chocolate in it. Colorful and delicious - why bother covering profiteroles with chocolate and then placing them in the fridge before consumption when it's SO much better (and more fun!) to dip them in yourself? Plus you avoid the (perhaps) occasional complaints from guests who argue that their cream puffs have less chocolate than the others - definitely a double bonus. 

A professional-looking dessert that takes minutes to make and will definitely impress and satisfy (the stomachs of) your guests (particularly if they're romantically attached to you). 

P.S. Don't forget to lick the spoon - that's (kinda of) the most important part ;)

x

Bibliography

Berry, M. (2008) Mary Berry's Desserts. London: Dorling Kindersley.