Tag: coconut

Quindim - coconut baked custard
23Jul

Quindim

Best described as a coconut baked custard, this sweet is traditionally made in tiny molds and eaten in one bite. The perfect little snacks that you find in traditional bakeries in Brazil. I really wish I could have made more than 3 quindins but they were an accidental bake after having some leftover yolks and not knowing what to do with them. A problem you often face after making meringues. Next time you have extra yolks forget about curds and custards – make quindim. Quindim (serves 3) 1 tbsp butter, melted plus extra for greasing 6 egg yolks 100g caster sugar, plus extra for coating 100ml coconut milk 40g desiccated coconut 1. Heat oven to 180C. Rub 3 ramekins, about 100ml capacity liberally with the soft butter. Sprinkle with the caster sugar to coat. 2. Soak the coconut in coconut milk and leave it to rest for 10 minutes. Stir in sugar and let it rest for a couple of minutes. 3. Over a medium bowl sieve the egg yolks, perforating them, letting gravity make them run through the sieve.  Add melted butter to yolks. 4. Mix yolk and coconut mixtures with a hand whisk. Pour into ramekins and place in
2 mins read
1733 Views
29Jun

Paleo coconut macaroons

There’s a lot of changes in my life. We are leaving the city for the countryside, hoping for better quality of life. Moving houses is like a full time job and it leaves you with very little time. This has had a huge impact on our diet and we have been searching for recipes that include all the ingredients we have leftover on our fridge and cupboards. I was tempted by the abundance of asparagus in the market, made some hollandaise to accompany it and this left me with 3 egg whites in the fridge. Then whilst packing I came across a packet of dessicated coconut.  Obviously I thought macaroons. They are so quick and easy to make, plus they are a great quick fix for sweet cravings. Also a great way to use up egg whites Oh, and did I mention it’s paleo?!?! No refined sugar in these babies! Paleo coconut macaroons 3 egg whites, room temperature 70g coconut sugar 1 tbsp lemon juice Zest of 1/2 lemon 175g dessicated  1. Preheat the oven to 150C. Prepare a baking tray limed with greaseproof paper. 2. Beat the whites to stiff peaks. It’s important to use a bowl that’s throughly
2 mins read
583 Views
22Mar

Coconut and pineapple easter cakes in egg shells

I always make an effort to make something special when big holidays are coming. Something to make the table shine and people smile. We just bought a new house so we’re going through a happy but stressful moment. My husband is working crazy hours, going straight to the new house to do renovations after a full days work in the office. This left me feeling like a single mum (I respect those women so much), meaning that I have had to deal with a lot on my own: work, son, shopping, housework, the dog…here’s hoping this lonesome juggling won’t last much longer. This means our quality time together over the Easter holiday will be brief, so I want to make an extra effort to make the house and the food feel special. I thought that cakes that are hatching out of eggs fit the bill, right?! And thank goodness the weather has officially transitioned to spring, the warmer days inspired me to go for a pineapple and coconut flavour mixture. We are big egg consumers around here so it was easy to collect the shells, but if 20 sounds like too much, halving the recipe works well too. Coconut and
3 mins read
675 Views
01Mar

cashew protein boost balls

I love being outdoors…for a nice walk, a picnic or a bonfire party. But when it comes to exercising being outdoors is not my thing. I like a mud-free, climate controlled environment. Regardless of the environment being fit is very important to me, especially when I feel stressed, running and boxing are great ways to release stress. With an increase in my exercise routine in the last few months I have noticed that my body is asking me for more food, and it’s very hard not to oblige. If you are a serious gym goer, protein intake is no joke. A lack of protein in your diet can causes muscle weakness, fatigue and lethargy. And I ain’t got time for that. A gym buddy introduced me to protein balls, the popular brand I tried tasted nice but felt a little like a jawbreaker and were incredibly dry.  I liked the idea of a high protein snack so decided to start playing with a few ingredients. This is a great recipe, and it is not only for gym lovers, these little balls are a good pick me up for the slump in those hours between breakfast and lunch. Chia seeds is my favourite
3 mins read
677 Views
18Jun

Homemade Coconut Milk and Coconut cream with strawberries and rhubarb (no sugar, dairy free, paleo)

I think everyone that is familiar with this blog knows that I have the biggest sweet tooth. And I am going to guess that most people’s first experience in the kitchen is around a sweet recipe. Who here has never helped their mum or grandma growing up by separating eggs or greasing a cake tin? Back home from the moment I was able to use the oven unsupervised I would religiously make a chocolate cake every Saturday, always the same recipe. The only changeable factor was that I would sometimes make marbled cake rather than a chocolate one. With time I grew in confidence and started to experiment with tarts, pies and mousses, but in my early stages of cooking I mostly made sweet recipes. Savoury and mains is a side of cooking that started much later for me. So does that prove my point that I am just a little bit partial to dessert? I am in the middle of a hard core paleo diet and there are a lot of restrictions around sweets which is not always fun but it does motivate me to cook recipes that are healthy and still appease my sweet tooth. We already use
4 mins read
861 Views
12Nov

Briochettes with toasted coconut

This attempt to make a nice brioche was inspired by my early days in England, when me and my family were still wide-eyed about all the new things around us. Back on those days my mum used to go to Aldi, a famous low-budget supermarket in Europe where you can find anything from baked beans to venison. She religiously brought home every week brioche rolls that had crème patisserie  swirled in them and were topped with icing sugar. It was heaven. Back in those days I had very little to look forward to, I hated school I had left all my mates back in Brazil and was struggling to express myself in a foreign language so I have very little cheerful memories from those first months in England.That brioche is one of my earliest happy memories. Now brace yourselves because this is a messy recipe. Clear your kitchen surfaces of clutter, have your flour ready and your butter cubbed (maybe get a minder for your kids and husband) because halfway through it you will have a ”oh my goodness!” moment but it is perfectly normal, know it will be alright. I have made this recipe six times and have adapted it slightly
4 mins read
915 Views