Sticky spiced carrot cake (vegan version too!)

Before everyone freaks out about the recipe below not being vegan, have a look at the yummy vegan recipe Lush Cosmetics posted HERE 

I was inspired to make my own since I had a couple of Medjool dates laying around from the holidays that were all nicely diced up and ready to dive into a recipe!  I did alter the recipe so it's no longer vegan, but it's still super delicious.   So if you want the vegan recipe click the link above and start baking and if you want to give this version a try then here you go... 

Carrot Cake

Mix together dry ingredients:

 1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

Mix together:

1/2 cup of pitted, diced medjool dates

Fine lemon zest, from one fresh lemon

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tbsp yogurt

1 egg

3 tbsp oil

6 tablespoons real maple syrup

1/4 cup brown sugar

Add:

1 cup peeled, grated carrots

Topping:

1/2 cup of pecan pieces

Directions: 

Grease 1 8X8 square pan, add a strip of parchment for easy removal of cake. Preheat oven to 350 F

Mix dry ingredients together.  Mix wet ingredients together, add dry to wet and blend. 

Pour in prepared pan, sprinkle nuts over top and bake for 30 minutes.

Adding the cardamom was my touch, since it was in the same bag as my other baking spiced I figured why not throw some in there! I also forgot to incorporate the pecans so I just put them on top before baking. What makes this recipe super special is the GINGER so DO NOT LEAVE IT OUT, use FRESH ginger and lots of it.  I probably put in close to 1 1/2 tbsp!! Ohh it's just soooooooo good. 

Carrot Cupcake recipe is coming soon as soon they get frosted and a photoshoot :)

Some cats enjoy laying in the sun while I do the baking..

... and the other collects all here "babies" (stuffed animals) by carrying them downstairs one by one in her mouth and spread them across the kitchen floor to "sun" along side her.. 

Ginger Chai Tea Soda - SodaStream

Ginger Chai Refresher (submitted by Jessie A.)

4 Chai teabags

3 Cups boiling water

1 liter Sodastream Ginger Ale (or Diet Ginger Ale)

Cinnamon Sticks (optional)

Brew Chai in a teapot for 10 minutes, using 4 teabags and 3 cups of boiling water 

Cool completely. 

Over ice in an iced tea glass, pour 3/4 of a cup of tea. 

Top with Sodastream Ginger Ale (or Diet Ginger Ale.)

Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

..... 

  I Sweetened mine with Honey 

Chocolate Hazelnut Tiramisu (coffee free)

Chocolate Hazelnut Tiramisu (Coffee Free)

Perfect for kids too!

My tub of mascarpone was slowly approaching it's expiry date so it was time to make Tiramisu!

I also had some stale cookies that went completely hard (they're quite soft when fresh) you can use proper lady fingers instead.

Step 1: 

Start by making a custard, here's a basic recipe  Set it in a pan and cool it on the counter and then in the fridge. Perfect if you make ahead.

Step 2:

I mixed cocoa powder with some cold water until all the lumps dissolved them added hot boiling water over top and mixed well, a few drops of vanilla and this is your "coffee"  Now simply dip your cookies in one at a time and arrange them in the tray, the cookies will dissolve quickly so work fast. 

Another option is layering the cookies in one single layer in the pan and spooning over the hot cocoa mixture until each absorbs a bit. Either way is fine.

Step 3:

In a large bowl whip the mascarpone cheese with a whisk until creamy.  Add your cooled custard and whip until creamy.

Assembly:

 Now layer over the cookies, and do another dipped cookies layer and another custard mascarpone layer. As many layers as you like and until your ingredients run out.  If you want to add hazelnuts toast a few in the oven for 15 minutes on 200 F, remove the shells by rubbing between a tea towel and crush using a rolling pin. Sprinkle in between the layers

Set in the fridge until ready to serve!

Garnish: 

At this point you can garnish it as you like, a sprinkling of cocoa powder in a fine sieve, a bit of crushed hazelnuts or nutella!

I blended nutella with a bit of cold milk in a bowl, it goes all lumpy but don't dispair! I whisk and whisk until it smooths out, the same thing happens to tahini so I'm used to it.  Adding milk and whisking until I reached the creamy ganache consistency I wanted.

Using a zip lock bag as a piping bag I filled it with the glossy chocolate cream and made easy stripes over the top of my tiramisu.  Now with a knife I made lines opposite the chocolate lines, one starting from the top and one from the bottom  pulling upwards to create an elegant pattern.

This tiramisu was such a hit that I'll be making more this summer with different variations stay tuned :)

Kabuli Pilau (attempt 1)

My mum and I came across this tutorial video on youtube for one of our favourite dishes. Instantly I was inspired to give it a go.

We all adore this rice dish which comes out of Afghanistan and it's a must whenever we're ordering from an Afghani restaurant.  Mum has always been fascinated with this dish, I guess when she lived in Pakistan she knew Afghanis who used to serve this speciality.

There seem to be several ways to make this pilau but one thing my mother always remembered was that sugar was used to achieve that distinct shade of colour that Kabuli Pilau is known for.

I recall doing a search a few years ago for cooking instructions on youtube with very few results, but today there seem to be so many tutorials!  We combed through them and my mother showed me this one specifically. I decided to half the recipe (we don't have enough people to enjoy 4 cups of rice! :))
Two cups of rice is the norm in our house, so it was easy to just half all the other ingredients.

I wrote it down in my notes which I'm sharing with you all below as well as my step by step photos, and you can also watch the original video for more detailed instructions. The video is made by a nice young lady who explains to us her mother's method for making this dish.


Soak rice 3-5 hours in advance.

I believe you're supposed to use Parboiled basmati rice which can be found in an Afghani grocer, or even a Pakistani one, it goes by the names of "Golden basmati" or "sila basmati"  It looks more beige than your typical white "tilda" style basmati rice.



Kabuli Pilau

1 cup carrots, julienned

1/3 cup red raisins

1/4 tsp cardamom

1/2 cup oil for frying (not olive oil! Use a plain vegetable oil that is suitable for frying)

Heat oil, add shredded carrots and cook until tender, add raisins and continue to cook.  Strain from the oil mixture and add to a foil pouch pocket and close, setting aside for later.


For the rice!

2 cups rice

Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil
Add strained soaked rice cook until done half way through (like an al dante pasta?)   Add the strained rice into a large pot and set aside.



Mix ingredients blow in a saucepan, heat:

1/2 cup oil
1/3 cups sugar

takes 5-8 minutes on medium high until sugar is dark and melted, bubbles will begin to rise to the surface.  Remove immediately at this point and pour over strained rice in the pot.  Create a sort of "dome" with the rice in the pot (maybe this helps with steaming?)

******** WARNING: Be VERY careful with the sugar/oil mixture, it can be extremely dangerous.  Keep children and pets out of the kitchen and pour it over the rice away from the stove area as little drops can pop out and onto the stove/elements causing small grease/sugar flareups.

Have your kitchen sink empty and set the empty hot pot in the sink, allow it to cool there safely.  When its cooled you can add hot or warm water and let the extra remaining sugar residue dissolve before you safely wash it with soap.

Add foil (or parchment!) pouch with carrot/raisin mixture over the rice and to the side, just lay it in the pot.

Drizzle:

1/3 cups water (for steaming)


Place pot of rice on high heat for less than 5 mins, reduce to medium cook for 20-25 mins.

** There is cumin added in the video recipe but I omitted it and it's not listed in my notes

Results, I'm not sure... it needs to be steamed on a much lower heat as mine nearly burned at the bottom.  I also feel like the rice was a bit chewy (maybe from being coated in the hot oil/sugar)  The ones at the restaurant are more "fluffy"

Perhaps since I halved the recipe I should have used a smaller pot, the big  pot has too much surface area over the heat.

I'm going to work on it with my mother a bit more and see if we can do an attempt 2.  For now if you have success yourself then let me know how it goes, I think I just haven't perfected the steaming process well (ran into the same issue with a Persian recipe two years ago)