This is how the cookie crumbles!

I've had a pretty good day today. had a leisurely walk with beebz along the sea front into town, did some knitting and a ole lotta baking.

Started off with the cheesey bread then i moved on to...
Phase two of baking saturday... dog biscuits. They are bone shaped this time using this recipe

 Phase three ... Human biscuits...well cookies. these low calories healthy bites are more cakey and crumbley rather than chewy, but non the less very moreish and will nicely satisfy a cookie craving.

 Chocolate chip applesauce cookie.
I adapted this recipe i found by 'tastes better with friends' and cut down the quantities, because i don't need 36 cookies (well i do).

• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of applesauce
• 1 tsp. of baking soda
• 2/3 cup of flour
• 1/2 tsp. of salt
• 1/2 cup of raisins/chopped ginger/choc chips
• vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375F or 180 degrees C
2. Cream sugar and applesauce. add in egg white and vanilla extract and whisk further.
3. Sift flour with baking soda and salt .
4. Add sifted ingredients to applesauce mixture and stir until smooth.
5. Add your combo of mix ins, i added chopped crystalized ginger, chocolate chips and raisins.
6. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheet, spacing the cookies 1 to 2 inches apart.
7. Bake about 12 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Makes 11 cookies at 66 calories each.

  NOW EAT! whilst the chocolate is still ooey gooey.

Gonna dip and slurp mine with a glass of milk, whilst looking out at this view!

BALCONY VIEW.

Easy peasy herby and cheesey.

I re-made my savoury muffins this afternoon, but in loaf form. We delved in whilst the bread was still warm, smelling herby and the cheese in the mixture was still gooey.
This bread is very addictive so be warned...
Recipe
Ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
pinch of garlic powder
1/2 cup grated cheese (plus extra for topping the loaf)

fresh outta the oven.

•  In a large bowl, blend together the flour, the baking powder, herbs and the salt. 
• Stir in the grated cheese and blend well.
• In a smaller bowl, blend together the milk and the beaten egg. 
• Add the wet ingredients, all at once, to the dry ingredients and combine just until the dry ingredients are moist. Twelve strokes should be enough. Over mixing will cause your muffins to be flat. (i think i over mixed it a bit too much this time.)
• Spoon your batter quickly into the bread tin and bake for approximately 20 minutes. then top with extra grated cheese and bake for a further 10 minutes. 
• Remove from oven and eat! Serve slightly warm with butter.  

Pretzels pronto

There must be something wrong with me, But tonight I wanted something savoury, something crunchy and salty, which is definalty not like me. I needed a salt hit quick...Pretzels were calling.

I have only ever eaten tiny supermarket outta the bag pretzels, so i was looking forward to this challenge, only problem, no yeast to make my dough, dough. Not having quite the right ingredients doesn't stop me. Searched the internet for a while and found me an alternative recipe for baking soda pretz.
Ingredients

• 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tsp milk/ enough to bind dry ingredients to form dough.
• 1 tsp vinegar
• salt and butter (melted) for topping

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, sift together whole wheat flour and baking soda. Stir in milk and vinegar until dough pulls together. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead briefly to form a firm dough.
3. Divide dough into equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long wiggly cylinder approximately 8 inches long. Form into classic pretzel shape. place on lightly greased baking sheets.
4. brush with melted butter and Sprinkle each pretzels with salt, and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. 

I had mine warm with some hummus for dipping.

HAPPY SNACKING.

I'm sure my sweet tooth will be back to cover stuff in chocolate tomorrow.

Mini Zesty Carrot Cakes

I baked some more dog biscuits the other day, carrot and seedy ones. The smell drove me mad and ever since i have had a hankerin' for some carrot cake, well today my dreams came true.

I used a mixture of this and katie's recipe. Since im only really baking for myself (harry and beebz dont share this sweet tooth) i have adapted and halved the recipe.

Makes 5 big boy healthy cupcakes.
85 calories each (110 with generous amount of frosting)
( there are only 4 in the pictures because i had a cheeky warm as soon as i got em out of the oven.)

1/2 cup whole meal flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup of splenda
1/2 cup apple sauce/puree
1 egg
tsp baking powder
orange zest
1 large carrot
1tsp vanilla extract
1tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt.

• In a large mixing bowl mix  and thoroughly whisk up all wet ingredients.

• grate carrot and orange zest and add to mix.

• sift flour, baking powder and cinnamon.

• carefully fold batter

• spoon mixture in to muffin papers

bake at 180 degrees for 18- 20 minutes.

once cooled I sliced each cake in half and filled with a creamy filling. For the frosting i used half a package of fat free cream cheese and 2 tsp of splenda sweetner. dusted with icing sugar to finish.

this special one was topped with extra frosting and sprinkle with chopped almonds.

Wholemeal ravioli and skinny lemon cheesecake

Im reminising about last nights yummy dinner. It was really fun to make, I could really go for it again. but im too lazy and too hungry to make it tonight, my favourite... quick peanut butter oatmeal for me.

but here's the recipe for anyone who wants to have a go...

tuckin' in

pasta dough

• 1 egg
• 100g wholemeal plain flour

  make a well in the flour and add the egg, combine and knead the dough. wrap dough in cling film and place in refrigerator for at least an hour to chill and rest.

cheesy spinach filling

• fresh spinach (or defrosted frozen spinach)
• 100g low fat cottage cheese
• 50g grated mozzarella cheese
• garlic clove
• pinch of nutmeg
• salt and pepper

Fry garlic still soft and ad spinach, once wilted, add cheese and seasoning

Roll out dough with rolling pin, (or if you got one use a fancy pasta making roller contraptions) when the dough is papery and thin, divide and cut out squares. Place spoonfuls of the spinach cheese mix in to the centre of half of the squares. with your finger wet the squares around the sides and place another piece on each. pinch around the edges. Once you get into the swing of it you get a sort of factory line going and its pretty quick to make.

slighty squiffy pasta parcel

Bring a pan of water to a rolling boil and careful submerge each parcel into the water. cook for 5 minutes.

To serve drizzle with oilive oil, balsamic vinegar and top with an extra sprinkle of cheese. we had ours with roasted baby plum tomatoes and a rocket salad.

dinner time.

Skinny lemon cheesecake

This was deliciously light, tangy and fluffy and did not taste like a 'healthied' dessert in the slightest.

serves 2

• 2 egg whites
• 50g non fat cream cheese
• juice and peel of one lemon
• table spoon of icing sugar.
• 3 digestive biscuits
• teaspoon of melted light butter

Using an electric whisk whip up egg whites, whilst peaks are soft add sugar, lemon juice and grated peel, continue to whisk til it reaches stiff peaks. carefully fold in cream cheese.

Crush biscuits and add melted butter. divided crumbs into two dessert bowls. top with creamy lemmon mixture. place int he fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.

It doesnt set quite like the calorific verison but its just as dreamy and guilt free!
175 calories per generous serving.
could make it even lighter with a less calorific biscuit base.

BAKING FOR BEEBZ.

seaside stroll

Today has been a  day devoted to my fury chum. The sun was shining so me, Harry and Beebz got ready and left for  the park opposite our apartment and then for a stroll along the sea front.

set free

catch.

We returned home with a very tired shih. Whilst she had a dog nap, I got in the kitchen to bake Beebz some special homemade treats!
I stubbled across a doggy recipe book whilst shopping the other weekend and decided to make something for her as a valentines prezzie.

CHEESEY COURGETTE KIBBLE.

• 50g Oats
• 50g wholemeal flour
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1tsp ground flax
• half a courgette grated
• 30g chedder cheese

1. mix up all of the ingredients well and combine into a ball.
2. flour surface and roll out dough.
3. cut out shapes and place onto baking parchment
4. bake at 150 degress for 45 mins for a crispy treat !

They smelt amazing! and couldnt resisit a nibble. Felt wierd the thought of eating a dog biscuit but it tasted like a cheese scone!  lucky dog.

butterknit squash.

my degree is in knitwear design and i have spent all day doing wooley things so to unwind i got myself in the kitchen made a delish healthy dinner.

Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash
whenever i think of a butternut squash i think of this fellow.

• half a butternut squash
• a handfull of spinach
• 1 shallot
• garlic clove
• 2tsp of cottage cheese
• 25g chedder cheese
• pinch of cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste.

1. preheat oven to 200 degrees and cut squash in half and scoop out seeds.
2. bake squash in a roasting tin for 30 minutes or until fleash is soft
3. in a pan sautee diced shallot and garlic, add spinach. once spinach is wilted add cottage cheese.
4. remove squash from oven and fluff  insides and add spinach mixture with cinnamon, nutmeg and seasoning. top with grated cheese and place back into the oven for a further 30 minutes
5. et voila! tastey din dins!

I accompanied mine with a beast of a salad; cucumber, roasted tomatoes, brussell sprouts, spinach, ground flax and a honey mustard dressing. happy tummy.

DIET SODA CUPCAKE

I'm always looking for ways to make recipes lighter and a little bit healthier.  I heard through the internet somehow that you can make a low fat cake by combining a can of any diet beverage with a pre boxed cake mix.  i used a strawberry kids cupcake mix and a can of coke (because i had a can to hand) but i think it would've been nicer with some lemonade or cherryade. also it was a very small packaged mix which only made 8 teeny weeny meager cupcakes so i doubled up the quantities to make some big'uns. served with a good dollop of pink butter icing this cake was light and fluffy pretty awesome!

RECIPE


CUPCAKES

• 1 box green's tom and jerry kids strawberry cake

• half can of any diet fizzy drink

ICING

• 3 tsp flora extra light butter

• 100g icing suger

• few drops food colouring

Sat down, feet up, cake and a gossip mag I am in heaven.

 No Beebz, none for you.