Christmas Pancakes

         

♬ ' Fur & Gold' Bat For Lashes

Can you believe it will be Christmas in two days? 

This year I've slowly eaten my way through: 

 6 weddings which included making two wedding cakes, ran 6 half marathons, got a tattoo, danced like J -Lo in Bali and Morocco for my 30th, lasted three days on a juicing diet, finally acquired an amazing job, ate 12 mince pies (consumed in December only) and got so close to having my own TV show.

I haven't given up, I'm not made to be on the Great British Bake Off, Come Dine, or any other food competition show which supply one hit wonders. I'm meant to do something BIG and I will continue on this rocky road journey.

Normally the lead up to Christmas does something weird to my festive logic. The flip side to pure laziness occurs - I run a lot, take on an ab and squat challenge, swim four times a week, eat really healthy apart from a Konditor and Cook mince pie for a treat and dance to Prince and Mark Ronson when no one is around. This morning had a few of the above elements and I made some festive pancakes that looked guilty but were actually full of mighty fine goodness.

Ingredients for 10 pancakes. 

• 135g gluten free plain flour
• 1 tsp gluten free baking powder
• 1 medium ripened banana
• 1 tbsp Greek honey
• 120ml almond milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp melted coconut butter (keep another teaspoons worth to grease frying pan)
• 100g blueberries
• 50g dried cranberries

To top:

Pinch of bee pollen

1 tbsp coconut butter melted with 20g dark chocolate chips.

Extra blueberries and cranberries

1 tsp organic red banana powder

Method:

Whisk milk, egg, melted coconut butter and honey to keep to one side.

In a large bowl add flour, baking powder and mashed banana.

Pour liquid into dry ingredients and mix well until a batter is formed.

Add blueberries and cranberries.

In a small frying pan add dessert spoons of mixture and wait for a few minutes to flip each one over. 

Once all the pancakes are done, make a chocolate sauce by melting 1 tbsp coconut butter with dark chocolate chips in a saucepan.

Drizzle this in between each pancake, top with blueberries, cranberries and dust over banana powder and sprinkle bee pollen.

Enjoy!

Have a lovely Christmas.

M

From Bali to Marrakesh

 After travelling most of the summer I am officially back in London and in the mix.

Here are a few of my favourite photos, look out for the rainbow...

♬ 

 'Food' by Kelis

Balinese clams at Mango beach bar, Sanur.

A traditional Moroccan kitchen shelf.


Look forward to the next few weeks, they will be an explosion of my innovative creations.

M.xx

Naked Blackberry & Strawberry Wedding Cake

HAPPY!

Naked Red Berry Wedding Cake

♬ 'Their Law' The Prodigy

Well well well...

Here's my first attempt at a naked wedding cake.

Layers of lemon drizzle and vanilla sponge with raspberry, strawberry jam and lemon curd.

Thirty minutes it took to assemble, three minutes to demolish. 

Success!

Chocolate quinoa cupcakes with super food frosting

♬ Flume remixes

Do you ever feel like giving up? Thinking to settle for the 9-5 because it's the easy option? I contemplated it last week when I was looking at admin jobs and thought to myself, this is a sign I'm giving up my dream and goal of becoming a food presenter. I then brainstormed more recipes, ate most of them, ran 8 miles and realised I can never give up until I'm on TV making all of you lot smile.

This girl's got to keep on baking to keep sane!

I've been testing out new cake frosting ideas which don't involve icing sugar or butter. Here's one which is very tasty on top of delicious chocolate quinoa sponges.


Ingredients:

 

60g unsalted butter

150g soft brown sugar

1 medium egg

20g cocoa powder

75g plain flour

75g quinoa flour

140ml semi skimmed milk mixed with 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar.

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp almond essence

 

Super food frosting:

 

1 medium banana

1 ripe avocado

100g dark chocolate

2tbsp hot coconut oil

 

Super seed mix - pumpkin, linseed, chia, poppy and sesame seeds.
Gold lustre spray

Method:

▶ Preheat oven 180°c

Cream butter and sugar until pale then add egg, essence, milk solution and stir through cocoa and flours.
Pour vinegar and bicarbonate of soda on top of mixture.
Divide between 12 cases and bake for 20 minutes.
Leave to cool.

For the frosting mix all the ingredients until smooth and refrigerate until the cakes are cold.
Stir once again, spread over each cake and sprinkle seeds of love.
Get a cherry on top because it's also pretty and super.xx

Remember to be a champion the WILL must be stronger than the skill to succeed. - Muhammad Ali

xxx

Buckaberry Cake

♬ 'The Singles' Basement Jaxx

Now, if you want a healthy sort of cake then this is the recipe for you. Look at the list of ingredients to see how little sugar there is. I'm telling you this cake is so incredibly tasty I wanted to put my face straight in it.

Ingredients:

400g buckwheat flour
1 tsp gluten free baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
120ml runny honey
120g unsalted butter
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 large lemons (zest and 100ml juice needed)
3 large eggs
1tbsp almond milk
1tsp almond essence

150g fresh raspberries
100g frozen cherries
100g blue poppy seeds

Topping:

200g light Philadelphia cream cheese
100g icing sugar
50g butter
1 small lemon
Blue poppy seeds
Chia seeds
Fresh blueberries
Fresh raspberries
Edible glitter

Method:

 ▶ Preheat oven 180° c
 Line a 22cm quick release cake tin with baking paper.
In a bowl add all the ingredients for the cake apart from raspberries, cherries and seeds.
Whisk well, stir in fruit and poppy seeds.
Pour in tin and bake on the middle shelf for 40 minutes.

Leave to cool then poke with a skewer and squeeze one lemon over the cake so it soaks up more juice.

For the topping whisk butter, cream cheese, icing sugar, lemon zest and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Refrigerate until your ready to serve, so it can stiffen up

Spread over cold cake, sprinkle poppy and chia seeds with fruit and edible glitter.

Ready for the taking!

xx

Banacoco Pie

♬ 'Born To Die' Lana Del Ray

 

I wanted to create something new. Something no other blogger has done before and last night I created Banacoco pie.Yes I know it's half good and half guilty looking but desserts are not meant to be super healthy!

 

After trying a slice of Banacoco pie you won't go back to that other pie known as Banoffee - unless you really don't like coconuts.

 

 

Ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil

220g Green & Blacks milk chocolate, 20g to one side.

150g Crunchy nut flakes

2 large ripe bananas

100g chia seeds

250ml double cream

Runny honey

1 tsp banana essence

 

Method:

 

Line the bottom of a 12cm loose base tart dish with greaseproof paper.

Melt chocolate (glass bowl suspended over boiling water) and coconut oil (small saucepan until no white bits showing). Keep some coconut oil to one side.

Whisk together and stir in crunchy nut.

Pour in tart dish.

Freeze for twenty minutes.

Melt 20g chocolate and mix in with remaining coconut oil to make coco loco sauce.

Take out tart dish and make sure your kitchen is cool, not too hot, otherwise keep it in the fridge.

Chop bananas medium width and place on top.

Drizzle honey all over bananas.

Whisk cream with 1 tsp banana essence or honey.

Spread on bananas.

Sprinkle chia seeds over the cream, stick extra bananas on top and drizzle coco loco sauce.

 

DONE!

 

Remember to create not copy, originality is in all of us.

Strawberries & Cream...with Oreo's.

 

♬ 'Glorious' Foxes

RUSTIC, FRESH & COLOURFUL

 

Gluten free sponges with orange juice, sandwiched with cream, two types of jam, fresh strawberries, Oreo's and chocolate ganache. 

I had to use up a pack of Oreo's otherwise they would have been gone in one sitting with two cups of tea!

No recipe just yet folks, let me practice more so I can pass on decent cake info.

Wedding cake season is creeping up on the blog and you will witness cakes I've been trialling and testing, including finished cakes.

An exciting summer ahead for MixitCookit.

Keep an eye on this site.

xxx

Cherry, Almond and Chocolate Ghetto Fabulous Cake

Time to go BIG.

 

♬ 'Foundations' Kate Nash

WOW.

I love baking celebration cakes. A big cake always means something special.
 Imagine having a fat wedge of a slice with a cup of tea whilst chatting with friends or family, making all your worries disappear...for a few minutes.

Then it's time to bake or find more cakes!

 

I've been focusing my cakey sponge brain cells on making wedding cakes - Mita style.

 

Yes this means LOADS of colourful carnival looking cakes, chocolate volcanic explosions, and most importantly gold and glitter everywhere.

 

Today's cake is gluten free, moist, nutty and light.

 

Preheat your oven people, here's the how, what and when...

 

Ingredients:

Almond sponge bottom

100g gluten free plain flour

1tsp gluten free baking powder

30g ground almonds

100g unsalted butter

1 tsp almond essence

70g coconut palm sugar

2 medium eggs

20ml almond milk

 

Chocolate sponge middle

100g gluten free plain flour

1 tsp gluten free baking powder

30g sifted cocoa powder

100g unsalted butter

70g brown soft sugar

2 medium eggs

20ml almond milk

1 tsp almond essence

 

Chocolate meringue top

 3 medium egg whites

150g caster sugar

50g grated dark chocolate

1 tbsp cocoa powder sifted

 

Method:

▶ Preheat oven 180° c

Make bottom and middle sponges by thoroughly mixing all the ingredients I've listed under each sponge.
Pour into two sandwich tins with removable bases.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Keep both out to cool.

Meanwhile start whisking three egg whites in a DRY bowl to start on the meringue. Slowly add caster sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in cocoa and chocolate.
Reduce oven temperature to 140° c and bake in a lined sandwich tin for 40 minutes.

Raspberry jam
Flaked almonds

Choc butter cream
50g soya butter preferably Kerry pure dairy free
120g icing sugar
1 tbsp almond milk

Choc Icing
150g icing sugar sifted
30g cocoa powder
1 tbsp almond milk

Spread raspberry jam on vanilla sponge, chocolate butter cream on chocolate sponge and scatter flakes almonds. Sandwich together gently. To stick meringue on top of chocolate sponge make chocolate icing and spread on top of chocolate cake, gently put meringue on and spray gold.
Top with cherries dipped in remainder chocolate icing.

 

xxx

Superwoman Cupcakes

 

 

♬ 'A Perfect Contradiction' Paloma Faith

 

What a sexy cross section!

Men watch out... any woman who eats one of these will be full of more strength, energy and power!

 I've combined some super ingredients in these cakes making them guilt free, tasty and full of goodness. Plus who doesn't like Oreo's?  



 

Ingredients:

 

60g unsalted butter

150g coconut palm sugar

1 large egg

20g cocoa powder

75g gluten free plain flour

75g quinoa flour
20g oattbran

1 tbsp coconut flour

20g fresh/frozen blueberries

140ml low fat Koko coconut milk

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tbsp poppy seeds

1 orange zest

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 fresh banana

 Method:

▶ Preheat oven 180°c
Whisk butter, sugar and egg until pale and fluffy.
Stir through flours, bran, cocoa powder, blueberries, seeds, orange and lemon.
Pour milk in small amounts until a smooth chocolate batter is formed.
Add bicarbonate of soda then vinegar on top. Stir everything once more and scoop into twelve muffin cases.
Chop banana into small chunks and stick one in the middle of each muffin case.
Bake for twenty minutes, when you no longer see any bananas and they are well risen then they are done.

Leave to cool.
 

 

Frosting

1 large ripe avocado

1 tbsp coconut oil

100g  85% Green and Black's chocolate

Oreo's cut in half.

Maca powder

Chia seeds

Melt chocolate and coconut oil separately. Whisk together and dip Oreo halves in sauce. Freeze these for ten minutes.

Use the rest of the sauce by combining it with mashed avocado. Whisk well until all green lumps have gone and pipe on each cake.
Sprinkle maca powder and chia seeds.
Top with Oreo.

Remember don't beat yourself after treating yourself.

Not everyone can stay on top of eating healthy without wanting a chocolate bar or diving into cheeseburger every now and then.
Listen to your body.

 
XXX

 

RAFA CAKES

Todays sweet treat has been inspired by an awesome lady called Rafa. 

♬ 'Kala' MIA

 

The mixture for these cakes uses a genoise recipe.

A genoise sponge is really light, fat free and means lots of whisking to get mountains of air through the mixture.

When whisked over heat it goes through a 'ribbon stage' which means the mixture should fall back into the bowl like a ribbon.

 

Ingredients:

 

2 medium eggs

50g brown sugar

50g gluten free plain flour

20g quinoa flour

 

 

1 packet of raspberry jelly

1 tbsp Raspberry jam or marmalade

 

200g Green and Black's 85% chocolate

 

Method:

 

 ▶ Preheat oven 180°c

Make jelly night before following instructions on the packet, use vegan jelly if you prefer. Pour in a large baking tray and refrigerate - never freeze to speed up process.

 

In a glass bowl add eggs and sugar, put this over a small pot of boiling water and whisk. Do not take your eyes off it! Whisk for a solid five minutes until really pale and you get the ribbon effect.

Take off the heat immediately and stir through flours.

Pour small amounts in a 12 hole cake tin which has been lightly greased.

Bake for 15 minutes until slightly tanned and risen.

 

Melt chocolate and keep to one side.

Spread small amounts of jam on each cake base.

Using a very small scone cutter, cut out small discs of jelly and place on each base. This was quite messy, be gentle and maybe use a fish slice!

Pour over chocolate and scrape fork on top of each one to add a few lines.

Leave them to cool and set.

 

Check out some old school phat jaffa cupcakes and actual jaffa cakes I made ages ago on this wonderful blog.

 

Sending Rafa and Jaffa power your way.xx

 

 

 

Superfood Cupcakes

Chief cake taster Pasqual posing with a mini super food cake.

♬ 'I love your smile' Shanice

 

 

Super cakes hey. I am loving my super food week, I'm cooking loads more, incorporating as much veg and fruit throughout the day, feeling lighter and having more clarity.

 

Try these super cute, super sweet and healthy cakes. Even if you are not doing a super food week, these are nice to make for parties, birthdays and picnics.

Or anyone who likes alternative ingredients in cakes!

Ingredients:

 

150g gluten free plain flour

1tsp gluten free baking powder

50g quinoa flour

100ml Koko dairy free original coconut milk

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 tbsp linseeds

1 tbsp poppy seeds

50g chopped Green and Blacks 85% chocolate

1 ripe medium banana

20g pumpkin seed butter
30g unsalted butter

50g coconut palm sugar

1 medium egg

 

Frosting

100g Green and Black's 85% chocolate

Half ripe avocado mashed

1 tsp lemon juice

1tbsp coconut milk

Method:

▶ Preheat oven 180°c
Put flours (inc baking powder) seeds, banana, egg and sugar in a bowl and whisk.
Melt butter and add to the bowl with seeds and milk.
Whisk well until a thick batter forms. Stir in chopped chocolate.
Scoop into 12 cupcake cases or 20 mini cupcake cases.
Bake large cupcakes for 20 minutes and mini ones for 15 minutes.

I ran out of large cases this is why there are loads of mini cakes in case you're wondering..

Once risen and chocolate is bubbling through cakes, take out and leave to one side.

Frosting:
Melt chocolate and pour over thoroughly mashed avocado with lemon juice, add milk and whisk.
Pipe small amounts on each cake, top with extra banana and they can be eaten straight away.
This frosting will slightly harden but still tastes the same when it was soft.

xxx



Super Nutty Squares

♬ 'Touch' Amerie

 

Drum roll please.....

 

In this afternoons Mix it Fridge it we have....

 

1 tbsp Chia seeds

1 tbsp Poppy seeds

50g Chopped hazelnuts

1 tbsp maca powder

1 tbsp oatbran

1 tbsp Peanut butter

250g Organic rolled oats

1 tbsp Manuka honey

2 tbsp Coconut oil

 

Green and Black's 85% dark chocolate

 

Put all the ingredients in a medium bowl excluding the coconut oil and Manuka.

Melt coconut oil and Manuka separately and add to the bowl of oats.

Stir well then press into a 12cm x 12cm small baking tray.

 

Melt chocolate and pour over the nutty base.

Keep in the fridge over night.

Cut into small squares, share the love or enjoy with a mug of green tea.

 

xxx

 

 

Superfood Fritters

♬ 'Touch' Amerie

I'm on a super food mission this week, really looking into every single ingredients I'm adding to all my meals and steering away from anything processed or prepared.

What's super about these fritters I hear you say?

With added...

Chilli - clears congestion and reduces blood sugar levels

Turmeric - anti inflammatory properties and natural liver detoxifier

Spinach - Popeye eats it AND huge amounts of vitamin K for strong bones.

Chia seeds - keeps you fuller for longer, amazing dose of omega-3

Coconut oil - great for skin, hair and beneficial for the heart.

Sweet potato - brilliant source of vitamin A and superior fibre content

Raw broccoli - brilliant for cardiovascular support and vitamin C.

This is the sort of shopping list super heroes take to the supermarket!

Let's go...

Ingredients:

150g gluten free plain flour

1 small red chilli, deseeded and chopped

100g chopped fresh spinach

2 medium boiled sweet potatoes in skin

1 large broccoli floret 335g

1 medium egg

2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp chia seeds

100ml almond milk

Quickly blanch broccoli in boiling water for one minute then blitz in a blender with soft sweet potato.

Meanwhile in another bowl add everything else and mix.

Stir in broccoli, potato and keep to one side.

Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in a large non stick frying pan and add small spoonful of the batter.

Fry on each side for three minutes until crispy brown.

Serve with a salad of your choice or a lovely salsa.

xxx

Super Egg White French Toast

♬ 'Under Construction' Missy Elliot

 

To start off this magical week I treated myself to a simple yet protein packed breakfast. French toast isn't the most technical recipe on earth but when made well it's pretty addictive.

 

Try my healthy version fried in coconut oil.

 

3 eggs (I've only used one small yolk in this recipe)

100ml almond milk

2 thick slices of gluten free seeded bread

Coconut oil

 

Whisk

Non stick large frying pan

 

Method:

 

Whisk 2 egg whites and one egg with milk, soak bread in mixture for one minute.

Meanwhile melt one tablespoon of coconut oil, then gently place each slice in the frying pan on a medium heat and cook for three minutes on each side.

 

Serve with something sweet or a dollop of organic ketchup.

 

Have a lovely week and remember to dream big, if you don't then your blocking magic that's trying to get in!

 

xxxx