Tag: cinnamon

Soft cinnamon pretzel with mocha dip
22Dec

Soft cinnamon pretzels with mocha dip

As teenagers our constant evening snack were soft pretzels. My mum used to make two flavours: pizza and cinnamon sugar. My parent’s home is always the central hub at Christmas for all of the sibling living far away. For us Christmas is not only about spending time in the kitchen but also trying new foods. Yep, Turkey is rarely the main dish for Christmas dinner, this year we are making steak with port sauce. But there is always space for the golden oldies and I am so glad that I tried this recipe when we were all together Even though my dad burst my bubble when he pointed out that my knots were a bit weird (a quick Google search showed that he was 80% right… however some people do knot like I do) it was so nice to hear my brother say that taking a bite of the pretzel took him back to 20 years ago. Isn’t that what every baker wants to hear? Soft cinnamon pretzels (yields 20) 300g plain flour 30g melted butter plus more for greasing 1 1/2 tsp of easy yeast 1 tsp salt 140ml warm water Cinnamon and caster sugar ( I used a
3 mins read
1333 Views
30Mar

Spiced chocolate Easter bread

Easter is a pretty big deal in my family, it’s like second Christmas both for religious reasons but also because most of us get quite a good amount of annual leave from work so we land at my parents’ for a few days. People take Easter food seriously over here with their legs of lamb, cream eggs, simnel cake or anything with marzipan. I am not exactly a fan of either lamb or marzipan though. What I look forward to are the hot cross buns, warmed up sweet cinnamon buns spread with butter.  It is just simple enriched bread with spices and raisins with a flour cross on top, but for the British these little buns have a huge meaning and date back to the 12th century Britain, they are traditionally eaten on Easter weekend and they were traditionally hung on kitchens on Good Friday and people believed they would never go mouldy. Queen Elizabeth I decreed that hot cross buns could no longer be sold on any day except for Good Friday, Christmas or for burials. They were simply too special to be eaten any other day, so people started to bake them in secret in their kitchens. I love
5 mins read
900 Views
13Mar

Pimple-be-gone face scrub

I think I have mentioned in the blog before that I am trying to detox from refined sugars, dairy and gluten from my diet, which has been going well and I say this because I truly feel different, from my energy levels to my weight. I did have Yorkshire puddings and chocolate cake last weekend but hey, even the detox needs a break, and I am being realistic about this, I don’t want to completely cut gluten, dairy and sugar from my diet because I know it would be unsustainable for myself and also because I believe few things bring me as much happiness as butter and chocolate do. This new regime has made me more interested in reading about food and I came across an article about Pulitzer-nominated Shann Nixx who moved from California to Wales and now has a goat farm. She experimented with goat’s milk to make a natural remedy for her son’s eczma and she was amazed by the results. What amazed me even more was that she used raw Manuka honey to look after her husband after he had a bad case of MRSA. They found that antibiotics were not doing the job on top of
4 mins read
695 Views
06Nov

Mini apple and cinnamon cakes

Cinnamonn is a flavour I look forward to when Autumn arrives. Boy, do I love to sprinkle it everywhere: biscuits, cakes, puddings. So when October comes I start looking for recipes where I can sprinkle some cinnamon. Generously. Over here I am trying to catch up with a lot of things, since the baby’s arrival I have little time to be in the kitchen and that makes me a little sad. We would cook e-v-e-r-y day pre-baby but now the priorities have changed. I am still getting into the new routine (or lack of) and also trying to get used to making much simpler recipes that can be done in a short amount of time. The thing with babies is that they are unpredictable. When you think you’re putting them down for their usual 2hr nap and they only sleep for 20 minutes you kinda need a plan b. So I tried my luck with these cakes which are very simple and delicious. And if you don’t have a baby but have unexpected guests these are a good choice. Mini apple and cinnamon cakes (makes 12 mini cakes) 4 cooking apples 3 tbs lemon juice 150g cream cheese 1 egg 6
2 mins read
634 Views