Healthy Banana-Carrot Cake with Blackberries (no sugar, no butter)

Leonie de Sounin says of the carrot in her delightful book Magic in Herbs:

"So delicate is this vegetable that it is predestined by nature just to be taken from its cool ground and eaten right on the spot, crisp and fresh. Yet if you take it home and cook it, then please don't scrape this lovable rosy thing of charm. Just place it in a little boiling water. After a while the skin comes off easily and the carrot underneath looks just as alluring as in its original state."



Ingredients:

• 2 banana, large and ripe

• 3 eggs

• 3/4 cup almond milk

• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1 cup oats
 
• a pinch of salt
 
• a pinch of saffron

• 2 carrots, shredded

• 1 cup walnuts, ground
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds (optional)
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil + more for the tartlets
• roasted almonds for serving
• blackberries with syrup for serving
• apricot jam for top (optional)

Direction:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Mash the bananas with a fork, add the eggs and coconut oil and whisk together. Add almond milk, brown rice flour, oats, chia seeds, vanilla, salt and saffron and stir around. Shred the carrots and ground the walnuts, add to the mixture and stir around.



Grease the inside of 2 large 8-inch tartlet tins with coconut oil. Pour the batter into the tins and bake for about 30 minutes. Serve the cakes while they are warm, together with blackberries  and roaster almonds.

Tip: If you like the cake to be a little sweeter, brush the top of the cake with a warm apricot jam.



Happy Spring!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Capers, Walnuts and Anchovies

Adapted from Food & Wine

The key to Michael Symon's deeply savory side dish is a dressing that includes anchovies, capers, mustard, and a little honey.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise or quartered
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 shallots, minced
• One 2-ounce tin of anchovies, drained and minced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large bowl, toss the brussels sprouts with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the brussels sprouts on 2 large rimmed baking sheets and roast for about 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender and charred in spots. (Note: Mine were done after 20-25 minutes)



Spread the walnuts in a pie plate and toast for about 8 minutes, until golden. Let cool, then coarsely chop the nuts.



In the large bowl, whisk the vinegar with the mustard and honey. Whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of oil until emulsified. Add the capers, garlic, shallots and anchovies; season with salt and pepper. Add the brussels sprouts and walnuts and toss well. Serve.

A Glimpse at Recipes of The Past: Gateau Grand Marnier - Orange Liqueur Cake

Gateau Grand Marnier - Orange Liqueur Cake
recipe from A Treasury of Great Recipes by Mary and Vincent Pride 1965

This unfrosted cake, saturated with orange juice and orange liqueur, is a special favorite, marvelous with tea or coffee. This recipe came from a little inn in Lorraine, a province of France noted for its fruits and liqueurs, and where the rum-saturated cakes known as babas were invented.



Ingredients for cake:

• 1 cup butter + one more tsp for greasing a pan
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp Grand Marnier
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/4 cup sour cream
• grated rind of 1 orange
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Ingredients for topping:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup Grand Marnier
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Direction:
1. Preheat oven to moderate 350F.
2. Cream butter with sugar until pale and fluffy.
3. Beat in egg yolks, one at the time.
4. Add Grand Marnier.
5. Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda.
6. Add dry ingredients to butter, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with dry ingredients and mixing until smooth.
7. Stir in grated rind of orange and chopped walnuts.
8. Beat until stiff egg whites and fold into batter. Pour batter into a greased 9-inch cake pan.
9. Bake in the moderate oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until cake tests done.



Topping:
Combine sugar, orange juice and Grand Marnier. Pour over hot cake while it is in pan. Sprinkle with almonds and let cake cool before removing from cake.

Butternut Squash, Apple and Walnut Muffins and The Last Pumpkin Field Trip

The Anxious Leaf: Autumn Short Stories - Fall
Once upon a time a little leaf was heard to sigh and cry, as leaves
often do when a gentle wind is about. And the twig said, "What is the matter, little leaf?" And the leaf said, "The wind just told me that one day it would pull me off and throw me down to die on the ground!"
The twig told it to the branch on which it grew, and the branch told it to the tree. And when the tree heard it, it rustled all over, and sent back word to the leaf, "Do not be afraid. Hold on tightly, and you shall not go till you want to."

And so the leaf stopped sighing, but went on nestling and singing. Every time the tree shook itself and stirred up all its leaves, the branches shook themselves, and the little twig shook itself, and the little leaf danced up and down merrily, as if nothing could ever pull it off. And so it grew all summer long, till October.
And when the bright days of autumn came the little leaf saw all the leaves around becoming very beautiful. Some were yellow and some scarlet, and some striped with both colors. Then it asked the tree what it meant. And the tree said, "All these leaves are getting ready to fly away, and they have put on these beautiful colors because of joy."
Then the little leaf began to want to go, too, and grew very beautiful in thinking of it, and when it was very gay in color it saw that the branches of the tree had no bright color in them, and so the leaf said, "O branches! why are you lead-color and we golden?"

"We must keep on our work-clothes, for our life is not done - but your clothes are for holiday, because your tasks are over," said the branches.
Just then a little puff of wind came, and the leaf let go, without thinking of it, and the wind took it up and turned it over and over, and whirled it like a spark of fire in the air, and then it dropped gently down under the edge of the fence, among hundreds of leaves, and fell into a dream, and it never waked up to tell what it dreamed about.

Butternut Squash, Apple and Walnut Muffins recipe adapted from Cannelle et Vanille

The cupcakes came out just perfect: airy, buttery and moist. The recipe would make a beautiful cake, too. I love the color of my creation, it's the autumn on my table. -)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 small butternut squash puree, peeled, seeded and diced
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 g) natural cane sugar
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (70 g) garbanzo bean flour
• 1/2 cup (70 g) cake-flour
• 1/3 cup (45 g) almond meal
• 3 tablespoons (20 g) potato-starch (potato-starch is excellent in cakes, it makes them light)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 Gala apple, peeled and diced into 1/8-inch pieces
• 1 ounce (30 g) chopped walnuts

Direction:
Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
Steam the diced squash until tender, about 10 minutes. Puree it in the food processor and measure 1/2 cup (115 g). Reserve the rest for another use.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the butternut squash puree, eggs, light brown sugar, natural cane sugar, coconut milk, coconut oil and vanilla extract.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the garbanzo bean flour, cake-flour, almond meal, potato starch, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and whisk to combine. Fold in the diced apples and walnuts.
Pour the batter into the muffin molds or baking cups and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Makes 12 muffins.

Apricot Bread with Walnuts and Peaches in Vanilla Sauce

Ingredients for Apricot Bread with Walnuts:

• 6-7 apricots, cut the fruits in half lengthwise, and remove and discard the pits
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 Tbs. finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts
• 2 tbs. honey or apricot jam for brushing (optional)

Ingredients for Peaches in Vanilla Sauce:

• 5 lb. firm but ripe peaches, peeled and halved
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 2 Tbs. cornstarch
• 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (optional)

Directions for Apricot Bread with Walnuts:
Preheat an oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 1-lb.( or two smaller pans) loaf pan.
In a bowl, stir and toss together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture along with the milk and lemon zest. Beat until blended and smooth, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stir in the walnuts.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the apricots halves, slightly overlapping. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.
Remove the bread from the oven and transfer the pan to a wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour, before serving.
Just before serving, in a small saucepan over low heat, warm the honey. Brush the apricots with the honey. Accompany each slice with a dollop of whipped cream.



Directions for Peaches in Vanilla Sauce:
In a 3 1/2-quart Dutch oven, combine the peaches, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the pan, add the bean and stir to combine.
Set the pan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is just beginning to bubble and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat.
Remove the vanilla bean and discard. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.