He Heals the Broken Hearted

We all know about baking with fruits but did you know that vegetables work beautifully in cakes too? They add flavour, texture and moisture in cakes, reducing the butter or oil needed. This is really a great way to sneak extra vegetables in your kids' diet. 

Zucchini is pretty flavourless, adding it with chocolate to turn into a chocolate cake is pretty smart. Smile whilst your family tuck in and enjoy!

Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder, plus more for duting the pan
1 cup pecan halves or walnut pieces
1/2 cup sour cream
3 large eggs
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsps baking powder
1 1/2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder (2 tablespoons expresso )
1 cup granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
1 cup packed light brown sugar (3/4 cup)
2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
1 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips


Method

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 cup Bundt pan and then dust with unsweetened cocoa powder. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 7 minutes. Set Aside to cool and then coarsely chop.
• Whisk together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla in a large glass measuring cup (and 2 tablespoons espresso). Whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder,baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder in a medium bowl.
• Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.
• With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Add 1/2 of the sour cream mixture. Repeat, alternating flour and sour cream mixtures and ending with the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Stir in the zucchini, chocolate chips, and nuts.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.

I gave this cake to my sister and she couldn't tell there is zucchini in the cake. This cake is light and moist but I prefer a denser chocolate cake. If I were to make this cake again, I would make a ganache over it.

This post is linked to BakeAlong hosted by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce from Kitchen Flavour and Lena from Frozen Wings.

He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3

Praise The Lord

I have a selection of tea from Twinings. There are five flavours in the box and Lady Grey is one of them. Lady Grey is a fragrant, bright and light black tea infused with orange,lemon and bergamot flavours. This tea is a variation of the famous Earl Grey tea. This tea has citrus flavour which I find very refreshing and is perfect for chiffon cakes.

Black Tea Chiffon Cake (Lady Grey)

Adapted from Cookpad

17 cm tube pan

Ingredients

1 Lady Grey teabag

30g boiling water

1 Lady Grey teabag, leaves only

80g cake flour

3g baking powder

4 small egg yolk

50g castor sugar

30g vegetable oil

Meringue

5 small egg white

30g castor sugar

Method

• Preheat oven to 170C. Pour boiling water into a cup and add 1 teabag. Allow the tea to stand for 10 mins. 
• Sift cake flour and baking powder together. 
• Whisk egg yolk, oil,sugar and tea liquid. Add the loose tea leaves, Fold sifted flour into the yolk mixture
• Beat the egg white and sugar till stiff peaks. 
• Fold in the egg white into the yolk mixture.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes.
• Once it is baked, turn upside down immediately and leave the pan to cool.

Note: As I am typing out this recipe, I realize I have forgotten to add in vegetable oil! I have just removed the cake from pan, the cake is very soft and fragrant. It doesn't look like I have missed an ingredient. I shall wait till tomorrow to taste.

Update: Tasting Done. It is simply amazing! Only a discerning chiffon expert can tell it is a tad drier than most chiffons. I love the vibrant aroma and zesty flavours of orange and lemon in it.  I shall bake another Lady Grey Tea chiffon soon.

This post is linked to Bake Along 'CHIFFON' hosted by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce from

Kitchen Flavours and Lena from Frozen Wings.

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD. Psalm 150:6

Do Not Be Anxious About Anything

Bangers and Mash is a traditional British dish made of mashed potatoes and sausages. The name bangers origins in world war II where sausages were ration food and were made with water, and if not properly cooked, would burst in the pan with a bang.
This ultimate comfort dish works best when it's served just the way it is normally eaten. From the essential pork sausages and onion gravy to the creamy mash.

I have English Cumberland sausages with  sweet onion gravy and sour cream mash. The potatoes are mashed with a mixture of hot milk and butter, sour cream, salt and crushed black pepper to taste, and whipped with a whisk to create a smooth, light and fluffy texture. Sour cream and potatoes are a perfect match.

Bangers and Mash
serves 1



2 good quality pork sausages(English Cumberland Sausages)

• Heat the oil in a frying pan, turn the heat to medium and add the sausages. Turn the sausages and cooked till brown, about 10 minutes.

Onion Gravy
1 large red onion
1 tablespoon of oil
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegars
1 cup of beef/vegetable broth
1 tsp corn flour
1 tsp water

Method

• Slice onions thinly and pan fry onions in butter and olive oil on medium heat. Cover for 5-8 minutes, making sure the onions turn soft and not burnt.
• Add sugar and balsamic vinegars, fry until onion is caramelized and soft.  Stir in the both. Mix cornflour with water and a little gravy, stir into the mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. 

This onion gravy can also be used as steak sauce.

Sour Cream Mash
3 Russet potatoes
20g butter
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoon sour cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper

• Cut the potatoes into 1 inch cubes and place them in a large pot. Cover the potatoes with cold water and add enough salt to the water.Bring to a boil.  Uncovered, lower the heat and simmer the potatoes till cooked and fall apart easily when pierced with a fork.
• Heat the milk and butter, making sure it doesn't boil.
• When the potatoes are done, drain and mash the potatoes. Add the hot milk and sour cream.  Whisk the potatoes till smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

This post is linked to Little Thumbs Up 'BUTTER' hosted by Jasline of Foodiebaker, organised by Zoe of
Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY

Photo credit: Pastor Kwan

Do not be anxious about anything,but in every situation,by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6




A Reminder To Myself
Don't worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.

MY Presence Will Go With You

There are a few bread recipes which have gone viral. This is one of them. Condensed Milk Bread is a Japanese recipe from the Japanese website Cookpad. This bread uses condensed milk which adds a milky sweetened flavour to it.

The bread making is very basic with simple instruction. Beginners can do this and should be able to bake this bread. This bread is very soft and  remains soft and fresh even he next day. Having done this, I will do variations in small buns and with added chocolate chips, nuts or dried fruits.

Condensed Milk Bread


Ingredients

200g high protein flour or bread flour
25g condensed milk
120g milk
20g caster sugar
3g instant yeast, or 1/2 tsp + 1/4tsp
20g salted butter, room temperature

Filling
20g condensed milk
20g salted butter, room temp

Topping
Almond flakes
Icing sugar, optional

Method

• Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl, using a dough hook, knead ingredients to a dough..
• Add in butter, continue to knead till dough is shiny, smooth and elastic about 10 minutes. Transfer to a greased bowl and cover with cling wrap.  Proof till double in size, about 45 minutes.
• Roll the dough into a rectangular shape 8' x 12'. Slice into four vertical strips. Brush the filling on top of one strip and stack another strip on top, brush the filling and repeat with the rest.
• Divide the strips into 8 equal portions.
• Arrange cut size up surrounding a greased 7" tube pan. Cover with cling wrap and proof for another 45 minutes or double in size.
• Brush with egg wash and sprinkle almond flakes. Bake in a pre heated oven at 170C for 25 mins

My Presence will go with with you, and I will give you rest. Exodus 33:14

To This End

What's a Hasselback potato? This side dish gets its name from Hasselbacken, the Stockholm restaurant where it was first served. It is a rather impressive dish with the potatoes thinly sliced, fanned out and baked crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Hasselback potato could be as simple as seasoning with salt and pepper, or with lemon and herbs. I turn it up a notch by loading it with sinfully goodness of butter, cheese, sour cream and bacon. Dieters, health freak may leave this page.

Wash and scrub potato. Place a wooden spoon below the potato if you do not have a steady hand. This will prevent you from cutting all the way through.

Cut thin and even slices

Stuff butter slices in between a few of the slits.

Bake the potatoes for about one hour or until the insides are tender.

While the potatoes bake, fry the bacon.

Slice the spring onion finely

When potatoes are done, stuff the cheese in some of the slits. You can use grated cheese, but not sandwich cheese slices which I'm using. It doesn't turn melty and gooey.

Top with bacon and return to the oven to melt the cheese.

Top with sour cream or Greek yoghurt and some green onions

This post is linked Little Thumbs Up 'BUTTER' hosted by Jasline of Foodie Baker, organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids and Doreen of My little favourite DIY.

To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. Colossians 1:29