Simple For Recipe

Blueberry Flaxseed Muffins

These lightly sweetened blueberry muffins are moist, fluffy and bursting with freshness and flavour. Made with spelt flour, crushed flaxseed and Quark (German fresh cheese), they make a great addition to any breakfast, brunch or coffee-break menu.

230 g Refined spelt flour
©angiesrecipes
20 g Flaxseeds, crushed
10 g Baking powder
2 g Baking soda
A large pinch of salt
80 g Raw sugar+1 tbsp for the topping
120 g Butter, melted and cooled
125 g Quark, full fat & at room-temperature
©angiesrecipes
2 Egg whites, at room-temperature
2 Eggs, at room-temperature
1 tsp Vanilla extract
150 g Fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Lightly grease a 6-hole giant or a standard 12-hole muffin pan.
Combine spelt flour, crushed flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 80 grams of raw sugar in a bowl. Make a well in the centre.
Whisk butter, Quark, eggs, egg white, and vanilla in a jug. Pour into well. Add blueberries and gently fold until just combined.
Divide the batter into the muffin holes and sprinkle each with some raw sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes if using giant muffin pan and 15-18 minutes if using standard one until nicely golden brown.

Labels: Cheese, Fruit, muffins, Nuts and Seeds

Red Cabbage Persimmon Salad with Serrano Ham

This vibrant delicious winter salad combines the crisp crunch of red cabbage and toasted pumpkin seeds with the sweetness of seasonal persimmon. The salty, rich, air-cured spanish ham gives a touch of class to this simple salad. You can replace it with prosciutto.

Salad	Dressing
300 g Red cabbage, trimmed and thinly sliced 1 tsp Sea salt 2 Ripe but firm persimmon, peeled and diced 1 tbsp Fresh herbs, chopped (thyme, rosemary or parsley) 1 tbsp Pumpkin seeds, toasted 100 g Thinly sliced serrano ham	3 tbsp Walnut oil 2 tbsp White balsamic vinegar 1/2 tsp Sambal oelek Freshly milled black pepper 1 tbsp Date syrup

Trim cabbage, discard the thick stems and finely shred. Place into a large bowl. Add in sea salt and massage the cabbage until soft and wilted, about 3 minutes. Leave it aside for an hour.Peel and dice the persimmon.
Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk until combined.
Rinse and drain the cabbage. Place them in a large bowl. Add in diced persimmon and drizzle in the dressing. Toss to combine. Cover and chill for 2 hours so that the flavours develop.
Place the salad on a serving platter, arrange the serrano ham aside and top with a sprinkling of fresh herb and some pumpkin seeds.

Labels: Fruit, Nuts and Seeds, pork, Salads, Vegetables

Panettone with Poolish Sponge

Panettone is a typical bread of Milan, usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and New Year around Italy, and one of the symbols of the city. This cake-like bread is typically baked into a tall, cylindrical shape (empty fruit cans work great as baking pans). Traditionally, panettone is made with raisins and candied orange and lemon peel. But you can choose the dried fruits you prefer. The bread is delicious eaten fresh and keeps well in an airtight container for about a week. It also freezes well for up to two months.

Poolish is a fairly wet sponge with baker's yeast, typically made with a 1:1 ratio of flour and water by weight, that means 100% hydration.

1 package / 7 g Dry yeast
60 ml Water at 43C/110F
60 g German #550 flour ((AP or bread flour)
100 g Butter, room temperature
2 Eggs, medium
4 Egg yolks, medium
150 g Sugar

110 ml Milk at 43C/110F
Seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean
angiesrecipes
540 g German #550 flour (AP or bread flour)
1 tbsp Lemon zest
200 g Dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries or apricots)
50 g Almond slices plus more for topping

To make the sponge, dissolve the yeast in 60 ml warm water in a bowl. Add 60 g flour and stir to make a very loose dough. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
In the bowl of your mixer, combine the butter, eggs, yolks, sugar, milk, and vanilla seeds. Add in the starter dough. Gradually add the flour, beat on low speed just until dough begins to leave the sides of the bowl and pull together. Increase speed to medium, and beat until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn it once to coat both sides. Cover bowl of dough with plastic wrap, and let rise on the kitchen counter until doubled in size (mine took about 5 hours). Or leave it in the fridge overnight. With your hands, flatten the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle. Evenly distribute the lemon zest, raisins, apricots, and almond over the dough. Fold the dough to seal the fruit and knead to distribute the fruit throughout the dough.
Line a 8-inch mousse ring or baking pan (or panettone paper case) with parchment paper that has been well buttered on both sides and set it on a baking tray. Place the dough in the mould, cover with a towel, and let rise for 1-2 hours in a warm place. The key here is to have the rise above the rim of the pan or case.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Make a cross on the top of the bread with a sharp knife and insert a cube of butter. Sprinkle some extra almond flakes if you desired. Bake the bread on the middle rack of the oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 180C/350F. Continue to bake for 30-35 minutes until the surface is golden and crispy. The panettone is ready when a skewer comes out clean.
Place the bread on a rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the mold. Dust the bread with icing sugar if desired. Be sure the bread has cooled completely before wrapping for storage.

May your holidays be filled with lots of LOVE, HAPPINESS and PEACE!

Labels: bread, Fruit, Holiday Specials, Italian, Nuts and Seeds, Preferment

Chocolate Pear Cake

Chocolate and pears make an excellent combination in this irresistibly moist, rich and indulgent cake. It's mildly sweetened with a mix of coconut sugar and erythritol. A perfect cake to entertain or end a satisfying dinner.

45 g Unsweetened cocoa powder, lightly alkalized
5 g Espresso powder
10 g Baking powder
150 g Refined spelt flour
80 g Ground hazelnut
150 g Butter, slightly softened
50 g Coconut sugar
100 g Erythritol granules
Pinch of sea salt
3 Large eggs, room-temperature
1 tsp Vanilla extract
100 ml Whipping cream, room-temperature
5 Small ripe pears, peeled

Grease and line a 10-inch / 26cm springform pan with parchment paper. Sift the cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder and spelt flour into a mixing bowl. Stir in ground hazelnut. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
Cream the softened butter, coconut sugar and erythritol granules together for 5 minutes with a pinch of salt, then beat in the eggs one by one and vanilla extract.
Add in half of the flour mixture, roughly stir to combine. Pour in whipping cream and mix briefly. Now stir in the rest of the flour mixture until combined and smooth.
Scrape the batter into the cake tin and level the surface. Peel the pears and place them in the batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Check the cake with a skewer. If it comes out clean it is ready, if not give it a few more minutes in the oven.
Drizzle with melted chocolate and garnish with the sprinkles if desired.

Labels: cakes, Chocolate, Coffee and Tea, Fruit, Nuts and Seeds, Spelt

Hokkaido Capsicum Salad with Pomegranate and Ginger Pumpkin Vinaigrette

This is a healthy, colourful autumn salad, featuring the fresh flavours of Hokkaido pumpkin, green capsicum and pomegranate. The ginger pumpkin vinaigrette prepared with avocado oil and sweetened with date syrup takes just minutes to prepare and will make any autumn salad pop with flavour.

Ginger Pumpkin Vinaigrette	Salad
100 g Roasted hokkaido pumpkin puree ©angiesrecipes 60 ml Avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil 60 ml Apple cider vinegar 3-4 tbsp Water 1 tbsp Flat leaf parsley 1 clove Garlic 1 Small chilli pepper 1 tbsp Date syrup or maple syrup 1 tbsp Chopped peeled fresh ginger 1/2 tsp Black salt Large pinch of freshly ground black pepper	600 g Organic Hokkaido pumpkin, roughly grated 1 Green capsicum, halved, deseeded, thinly sliced 1 handful Arugula leaves Seeds from 1/2 Pomegranate Candied walnuts & Brazil nuts (thanks, Abbe!)

Place all the dressing ingredients in the cup of an immersion blender, and process until emulsified. Adjust the seasoning. Chill until ready for use.
Wash the pumpkin thoroughly and dry with a clean kitchen towel. Roughly grate the pumpkin into a large mixing bowl.
Wash and dry capsicum. Half, deseed and thinly slice the capsicum. Add to the grated pumpkin together with arugula leaves and pomegranate seeds.
Add half of the dressing to the salad and toss to coat. Transfer the salad to a serving platter, garnish with candied nuts and serve with the remaining pumpkin vinaigrette at the table.

Labels: Fruit, Nuts and Seeds, pumpkin, Salads, Vegetables

Rolled Oat And Apple Bread with Natural White Leaven

Natural white leaven refers to sourdough starter made entirely from white flour, either bread or all-purpose flour. The bread made with preferments (either prepared with commercial yeast or wild yeasts and bacteria) yields a more complex flavour and taste. Enjoy this rustic apple oat bread with a bowl of steaming hot soup or a salad for a simple yet satisfying lunch.

50 g Rolled oats
100 g Boiling water
200 g Apple, peeled and grated
50 g Water at 20C/68F
100 g White leaven

2 g Instant dry yeast
250 g German #550 flour
angiesrecipes or all purpose flour
3 g Sea salt
2 tbsp Egg wash
2 tbsp Rolled oats

Put the rolled oats into a small bowl and pour over the boiling water. Leave aside for 5 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. Add the grated apple to the water, leaven, and yeast. Stir the mixture well until the yeast is dissolved, then stir the soaked oats into this. In another bowl weigh the flour with the salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour and stir the mixture with your hands until it is evenly combined and you have a soft, sticky dough. Scrape any dough from Your fingers into the bowl, cover and leave for 10 minutes.
Rub 1 teaspoon olive oil on the work-surface and knead the dough on the oiled surface for 10 seconds, ending with the dough in a smooth, round ball. Clean and dry the howl, then rub lightly with a teaspoon of olive oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover, and leave for a further 10 minutes. Remove the dough and knead once more on the oiled surface, returning the shape of the dough to a smooth, round ball. Put it back in the bowl, cover and leave for 1 hour at room temperature.
Lightly flour the work-surface and shape the dough into a baton or a round. Rub a tea-towel with a handful of flour (or use a linen-lined proving basket) and place the dough inside seam-side-up. Wrap the dough snugly in the cloth, and leave to rise for 1 1/2 hours, or until almost doubled in height.
Preheat the oven to 210C/410F. Upturn the loaf on to a flour dusted tray, then brush the surface of the loaf with the egg wash and dust with rolled oats. Bake the loaf in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes, then lower the heat to 190C/375F and bake for a further 15-20 minutes, until the loaf is a good brown, feels light in weight, and sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Leave to cool on a wire rack.