Cinnamon Pancakes with Caramelised Apple and Walnut

Today I woke up from the morning light coming through my window, the sun was up and I had weird shadows in my room. I dozed for a few more hours and had the strangest dreams but when I woke I could barely remember them, it was like trying to hold water in your hand but it just trickles out from between your fingers. This actually reminds me of a book I bought last year from the little bookshop under the bridge, it was called IQ84 by Haruki Murakami and it certainly helped me to while away a couple of spare hours between lectures. A particularly apt quote from it is 'time flows in strange ways on Sundays', I find this to be very true and its probably one of the reasons why I don't really like Sundays. Take today for example, its nearing the evening now and all I've done today is sleep, clean, watch the Winter Olympics (with awe and a little bit of jealousy) and brunch. This has included pancakes and copious amounts of tea in my London 2012 mug (does this count as vintage yet?).

Now at the risk of tooting my own horn these pancakes were niceee, fluffy and cinnamon-y with lashings of golden syrup and sweet caramelised apple and walnut. 

The recipe is simple enough with ingredients you most likely have to hand, perfect to make on a slow Sunday morning in your pyjamas. Or even a recipe to try on pancake day, yay for appropriately themed blog posts. Speaking of, I shared another pancake recipe this time last year (double yay for overcoming commitment issues and actually blogging for this long!).

To make these Cinnamon Pancakes begin by whipping up a simple batter:

Start by whisking together 1 cup of plain flour, 4 tblsp of sugar, 2 tsp of baking powder and 1 tsp of cinnamon.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and crack in 1 large egg, followed by 1 and 1/2 cups of milk and a dash of vanilla extract. Whisk together until well incorporated.

Meanwhile dice up one large apple, I opted for a 'Golden Delicious' for a sweet flavour but a tart Granny Smith is also a great option.

Add this to a saucepan along with 2 tblsp of salted butter, 2 tbls of soft brown sugar, and 1 tsp of cinnamon. Place this on a medium high heat and cook for a few minutes until the apples have softened slightly, don't overdo it as we want to retain some crunch and to not reduce the apples to turn to mush. Nearing the end of the cooking time stir in the desired amount of chopped walnuts. 

To cook the pancakes, in a small saucepan melt 1 tsp of butter then add in your pancake batter.

Wait until bubbles appear and the underside of the pancake is cooked, then flip. 

Cook up your stack of pancakes and plate up with a heaped pile of the caramelised apple and walnut.

Drizzle on a generous amount of golden syrup or maple syrup to serve.

😋

Enjoy!

 Q x 

Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

In my psychology class in college we studied sleep, it was mostly a dull yawn-worthy subject but I did learn that our bodies natural circadian rhythm determines if we're a night owl or a morning person. Judging from my moody morning state and hate for all things AM I'm pretty sure I know which category I fall into. Although this isn't from lack of trying I must say, I want nothing more than to wake up happy and refreshed at the crack of dawn, watch the sunrise, have some tea and an instagram-esque breakfast, listen to a relaxing playlist, do some yoga (lol) and be productive af basically, but alas it is not to be. 

This morning was as hectic as any other, but now its nearing midday I'm in my element. I have a hunk of soft banana bread, strong tea in pretty blue china and a decent book, so its all good (even though I do have a very long to-do-list to get through later).  

As for this banana bread, it is quite magnificent. Now I've never been one for bananas or breads I'll be honest but with an alarming amount of darkening bananas on hand I did have an issue. 

So yesterday I whipped up a super quick loaf and now I'm a die-hard fan, a fully fledged banana bread convert. The flavour is subtle and not too sweet with a toasty crust and soft middle, oh and the smell is insanely good, plus its healthy. Win-win-win.  

So to make this Choc Chip Banana Bread, you will need the following ingredients:

- Ripe bananas

- Plain flour / self-raising flour

- Sugar

- Sunflower oil

- Eggs

- Baking powder

- Bicarbonate of soda

- Ground cinnamon

- Vanilla Extract

- Milk

- Rolled oats

- Dark chocolate chips

Begin mashing up two large bananas until smooth and no lumps remain. An additional banana can be added if you want to enhance the banana flavour. 

In a separate large bowl crack in two large eggs, 60 ml of sunflower oil (or other flavourless oil), 75 ml of milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract - beat until until combined, then mix in the banana.

To this add 170g of plain flour, 55g self-raising flour, 1 tblsp cinnamon, 1 tsp salt, 1 and a 1/2 tsp baking powder, 150g caster sugar (or granulated) and 65g rolled oats. 

Using a spoon, mix until combined taking care not to overbeat as this can affect the texture of the bread.

Gently stir in the desired amount of dark chocolate chips, then pour the mixture into a lined loaf tin.  

Bake in preheated Gas Mark 4 oven for roughly 35-40 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. the exterior may look slightly dark but take care to check the skewer as there is a lot of moisture in the cake. 

Slice up and eat while warm or save for a delicious breakfast, this can be spread with soft butter or eaten as is.

😋

Enjoy!

 Q x

*recipe adapted from Bigger, Bolder, Baking

Yum Yum Doughnuts

We're well into the new year now and this time round I have set zero resolutions, mostly because for me these extravagant self-improvement goals are destined for failure and so I'm just being realistic. I am however entering this year with a positive mindset and the aim to be receptive to change as and when it may come.
Although in all honestly my enthusiasm for the clock striking twelve on the eve of the 31st may have been slightly blighted by the fact that I was working that night... but we did have doughnuts, music and an early finish so I guess it wasn't all bad. Speaking of doughnuts (or donuts depending on where you're from) I had a rather delicious one or two during a trip last weekend, this used to be somewhat of a tradition; shopping in town followed by lunch consisting of warm cheese and onion pasties in paper bags and iced doughnuts from Greggs, a chain of bakeries which are a bit of a staple in our city. My absolute favourite thing from their offerings has always been the yum yum doughnuts - sweet, sticky, calorific, delicious and pretty overpriced, which is why I was determined to make my own.

The result turned out delicious and the recipe itself is pretty easy meaning homemade bakery style doughnuts whenever you want (easy on the pocket, but maybe not the waistline)! 
In terms of texture I would describe these as a cross between a doughnut and a croissant, they do contain yeast so there is proving time involved but other than that its just a case of frying until golden brown then liberally dipping in icing and scoffing down at an alarming speed.

So to make these Yum Yum Doughnuts you will need the following ingredients:

- Strong white bread flour
- Instant yeast
- Warm water
- Sugar
- Butter
- Salt
- Egg

In in a large bowl begin by stirring together 375g of strong white bread flour, 4 1/2g of salt (reduce this amount if using salted butter).

Measure out 150ml of warm water then stir in 30g of sugar, once dissolved add in 10g of yeast, stir once more then set aside until bubbly and frothy.

Meanwhile grate or finely cube 73g of cold butter, deposit this into the flour mixture and roughly mix to ensure the butter pieces are coated and there is no clumping. 

To create the enriched dough pour the liquid mixture into the flour, followed by one large egg. Stir to ensure everything is went incorporated and use your hands to bring the dough together - there is no need to knead the dough. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave to rest for at least 35 minutes in a room temperature environment. 

Once the dough has rested and risen slightly, roll it onto a floured surface into a roughly rectangular shape.

Bring the two side ends into the middle, as indicated.

Then bring the top and bottom into the middle, roll out into a rectangle and repeat the folding/rolling steps approximately 5-6 times until the butter is no longer visible in the dough. 
Wrap the dough back into clingfilm and leave in the fridge for up to two hours.

After this time the dough should be soft and risen, roll it on the a floured surface but ensure that it is not rolled too thin.

Cut the dough into squares using a knife or pizza cutter.

Place onto a baking tray, cover with a kitchen towel and leave to rest in a warm place for around an hour.

Once the final resting period has elapsed we can prepare for the final stage - to create the icing add 150g of icing sugar to a bowl then add enough water to make a loose paste. 
Also at this point heat up a few cups of vegetable oil in a pan.

Place the baking tray near to the oil to ensure of access and place a few paper towels to soak up excess oil. 

Add the doughnuts to the hot oil two at a time, cook on one side until golden brown then flip over and cook the other side. 

Lightly dry on a paper towel then dip into the icing mixture until well coated, place on to a wire rack to cool.

These yum yum doughnuts can be eaten whilst soft and warm with a hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate, or if left for a few hours/overnight they develop a slightly denser doughnut-y texture. Yum.

😋

Enjoy!

 Q x  

Chocolate and Vanilla Frosted Fairy cakes

I'm definitely craving warmer weather now; Christmas has passed and it was a decidedly cosy affair, although I was working Christmas Eve, during the day we had a roast dinner and watched a hell of a lot of movies. The snows from the past few weeks are somewhat of a distant memory, the nights have finally started to get longer and I've ultimately excepted that the end of the year is pretty much here (I think this year passed by far too quickly). I always feel quite melancholy come late December, but right now I'm counting my blessings and الحمد لله its all good. Speaking of, we have a wedding to go to later tonight and I'm yet to locate my dress, but I'm still hoping to whip up a batch of these fairy cakes before all that #priorities. 

This is a standard Mary Berry recipe, meaning that its both quick and easy to make - she literally says that in the recipe header and I can confirm that is an accurate statement. Funnily enough I ended up getting a second copy of her '100 Recipes' book as a Secret Santa gift, I guess I unknowingly exude MB fangirl vibes (p.s. might do a little baking giveaway soon, follow me on Instagram to find out). Her recipe also indicates that these cakes are 'very effective for a children's party', so grab some children, throw a party and eat cake (or skip the first two steps, they'll taste good either way). I remember that a constant feature on the menu at our kiddy parties was decorated cupcakes, pilled with lots of Jelly Tots, chocolate and 100s & 1000s. These were the shop-bought bakers dozen cupcakes because ain't nobody got time for baking back then. Although this recipe is so easy I don't see why not! another noteworthy observation is that I opted for a more subdued colour palette and flavour profile (no offence to Jelly Tots), even though the rustic hand-made appearance is ever present. 

So to make these Chocolate and Vanilla Frosted Fairy cakes you will need the following ingredients:

- Margarine

- Caster sugar

- Self raising flour

- Eggs

- Baking powder

- Milk

- Vanilla essence/extract

- Cocoa powder

For this double batch of 24 fairy cakes begin by measuring out 200g of margarine and 200g of caster sugar. Beat both together until pale and fluffy.

Crack in four large eggs and mix until well incorporated (take care not to overbeat, the mixture may curdle at this stage but the addition of one spoon of flour can amend this).

Sift in 200g of self-raising flour and 2 level tsp of baking powder, along with a dash of milk to loosen up the mixture. Mix until well incorporated.

To make the chocolate fairy cakes, in a separate bowl mix together 2 tblsp of cocoa powder and 3 tblsp of hot water.

Add half of the cake batter and stir until mixed. To the remaining half mix in 1 tsp of vanilla extract.

Spoon the batter into paper cases fitted into a bun tin - fill each case until 3/4 full.

Place into an oven preheated to Gas Mark 6 and bake the fairy cakes until well risen and springy to the touch (approximately 15-20 minutes). Take out of the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.

To make the vanilla frosting measure out double the amount of icing sugar to butter (200g sugar - 100g butter), then beat until pale and well blended. The longer you beat it for the better.

As for the chocolate frosting, dissolve 2 tblsp of cocoa powder in 3 tblsp of hot water, then as with the other frosting beat together 200g of sugar and 100g of butter. Stir in the chocolate mixture.

Spoon or pipe the frosting onto the cooled fairy cakes.  

Decorate with sprinkles, chocolate chips, edible glitter (or Jelly Tots!) - boxed up these fairy cakes also make a pretty homemade gift.

😋

Enjoy!

 Q x