Brighton eats.

 Me and Mr Bake n Beebz decided to head the Brighton for a bit of shopping. As soon as we arrrived tummys rumbled, we were starving, so headed to our favourite Italian sandwich shop that we always seem to end up in. Caffe Aldo is a small establishment run by a very friendly and vocal Italian guy... Aldo. It looks very basic from the street, but Aldo's will always have a special place in our hearts. We popped in there on a whim when we first moved to Brighton and were not disappointed.

Tuna + mozza

Roast veg panini

This is real Italian food, serving the type of fresh thin Italian pizza you’d buy from a local café in Italy.
We always get a panini each, Today optiing for the tono (tuna, mozzarella, rocket black olives with a drizzle of olive oil) and the zucchini (roast red peppers and courgette with hummus olives and mozzarela) Mr B n' B also got him self a slice of margherria. The quality is superb and the service is always Friendly and with a smile. Last time i got some free chocolate crepes thrown in, but i wasn't so lucky this time. I seriously recommend this place for eat in or take away.

Marg pizza

After hunge was satisfied we trawled the vintage shops looking for summer clothes. Mr bake n Beebz got himself a whole new summer wardrobe. my only purchase of the day was these fellas...

 

From an special American candy store in the lanes. The fact they match my nail varnish is no coincidence.

Royal Wedding and a Red White and Blue-berry Cake!

Me and Beebz excitedly and tearfully watched the Royal wedding this morning, curled up and cosy on the sofa. I was very much looking forward to the whole event and eagerly awaited the bride and her dress, Its probably because I'm a twenty something year old female, as I'm not particularly a fan of the monarchy, but I was captivated by the whole pomp, splendor and ceremony of the whole event. There was something romantic and genuine about the grand union of Prince Charming and and Ms Middleton. She looked every bit the elegant princess. Jealous!
Whilst the hymns did drag on they were a convenient way to zip in the kitchen and bake up my own wedding cake...

 Red, White and Blueberry Sandwich Cake. 
I wanted to make a cake to celebrate a British occasions and honored the union jack colours.
Cake Middleton...

Not quite as impressive as William and Kate's Little 9 nine tier number but my humble cake was simple, moist and delicious.

 

Ingrediants

• 1 cup Fat free yogurt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• Strawberry jam and simple a simple icing to decorate.

1. Preheat oven to 180/ 350.
2. Line loaf tin with parchment paper or grease and flour pan.
3. Whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
4. Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Fold dry ingredients into the batter.
6. Pour into loaf pan.
7. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Remove the cake after a few minutes and let it finish cooling on a rack.
9. Cut cake in half and spread jam onto one side. place side back together.
10. Mix together the powdered sugar and water pour the glaze over the cake. 

Going to pour my self a cuppa, cut my self a slice and enjoy the rest of this regal day. Rule Britannia!

ARTY TEA PARTY.

The Royal wedding is tomorrow! I am surprisingly really excited. I don't know if its all the build up or because I have a 'big fat royal gypsy wedding' fancy dress party to attend, but I'm already getting in the spirit of things. I'm planing to have a small tea party for one whist watching Wills and Kate tie the knot on my small (big 42") screen.

Painted up an old chipped tea pot with the Union Jack, to accompany my planned patriotic cake and tea overindulgence. This obviously was far too much hard work so I whipped up a mini batch of some chocolate chip cookies.

 

Using this recipe by chocolate covered katie a chewy low fat cookie was made... 

World’s Healthiest Chocolate-Chip Cookies? 

“Not Guilty” Chocolate-Chip Cookies 

(makes 9-15 cookies)

• 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup flour (I used 70g whole-grain spelt. You can use all-purpose.)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda (not baking powder)
• 2T to 1/3 cup chocolate chips, depending on your preference
• 2T brown sugar (do not omit or sub with white) (20g)
• 1T plus 2tsp white sugar (If you have no sweet tooth, like me, you can omit) (21g)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1T vegetable oil (or pre-melted margarine) (12g)
• 1T plus 2tsp nondairy milk (feel free to switch proportions of milk and oil) (25g)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix your dry ingredients, then add in wet. Form cookies and bake 6-8 minutes. Take out when still underdone–they’ll continue to cook while cooling, and so you don’t want them to get hard.

The work station

I have decided I'm going to attempt to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe, whilst these were nice, ticked the taste and chewy craving boxes, I found the dough was a little dry (I had to add some water) and they didn't really spread whilst baking. I have high standards and I demand several factors from a cookie... I want sweet, chewy centre, crunchy edges, well melted choc chips and a dough that spreads well. So here at Bake n' Beebz I am going to en devour to find THE perfect healthy(ish) cookie recipe... over the next few weeks i will be searching high and low and will report my findings...

Hoppy Easter!

Mini Egg nest cakes! 

An easy, quick Easter treat... and one of my all time favourites.

300g milk chocolate squares
2 tbsp golden syrup
2 tbsp butter or spread alternative
4 Shredded wheat biscuits
Mini eggs to decorate.

In a microwave, on a low heat setting, melt chocolate, golden syrup and butter, checking every 30 seconds to ensure chcolate doesnt burn. Once melted add Shredded wheat biscuits and place spoonfuls into cupcake cases and push 3 Mini eggs into each nest. Chill in fridge for at least an hour to set.

Off to enjoy mine on my balcony. I spent the weekend potting up plants and creating pretty window boxes. I have been attempting to make it a nice space to relax, knit read magazines and get my tan on, in this amazing weather we're having at the moment. Its the only outdoor space I have with my apartment... and its tiny! I'm really missing the lush green gardens and vast parks back in my hometown.

Peanut Butter + Banana Cupcakes.

Combining all my favourite flavours into one mighty baked good...

 Banana and peanut butter cupcakes with a chocolate fondant centre and topped with marshmellow frosting.
the ultimate combo ... peanut butter + bananas + chocolate = win.

PB and banana is one of my favourite sandwiches so why not have it all in a cupcake and be a very happy Miss Bake n' Beebz. I used this recipe and tweeked it a little. I Made mine with yoghurt instead of added butter and half splenda/sugar.

Peanut Butter Banana Cupcakes
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar substitute like splenda
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup fat free vanilla yoghurt
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
 1 ripe banana, mashed
To decorate

6 squares chocolate

6 marshmellows 

• Preheat oven to 180 /c or 350F. Line 6 holes of a cupcake tin with large muffin papers.

• In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

• In a large bowl, cream together sugar and peanut butter until fluffy. Beat in yogurt and vanilla extract. 

• Add in the eggs one at a time, followed by the bananas.

• With a spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture until just combined. Evenly distribute batter into 6 muffin cups and push in the squares of chocolate until they have disappered. bake in the centere of your oven for 15 minutes

• place a marshmellow on the tops of each cupcake and place back into oven to bake for a further 3 minutes 

• Remove cakes from oven and gently push down each marshmellow until they are nicely squished. add a pinch of sprinkles and allow to cool.

Just after I took these pictures, in all my excitement I tripped up, knocked over a table and all the cakes went flying. cupcakes smushed :(  Believe me its very difficult to scrape gooey marshmallow off the carpet but I can inform you the crumbs tasted nice.

Luckily 3 survived and they were very well recieved! all the family very much enjoyed them.
these are probably the best low fat cupcake i have ever made due to the addition of banana and yogurt they were most but the cupcake itself was tender and light, even and very fluffy. A good balance of banana nuttiness and not too sweet. Oh they would be incredible with a peanut butter or chocolate cream frosting... I will have to bake more now just to try out all the icing options!

Oatmeal Obsessive.

 

Breakfast this morning; consisting of frozen blueberries, oatmeal, a dash of cinnamon and a splash of skimmed milk. Oats are my favourite way to start my day at the moment, they are like a warm hug in a bowl. cant wait to get out of bed most mornings just so i can get my oatmeal fix!

My current work station, my desk in my old bedroom at my parents. I have been stay here for a bit whilst on spring break/ Easter holiday and have been making my vacant room gradually more homely. Its weird for me to look out my window and see so much green, as I'm so used to looking out on to the beach and waves of hastings. I'm quite enjoying the change of scenery.
Once my eyes had fully opened, I got down to some fashion drawing... for all of ten minutes... I am very easily distracted. I decided to join in on the weekly family grocery shop... managed to sneek a few treats into the trolley like frozen blueberries! then followed that up with some digging round charity shops. picked up a few bits and pieces for my kitchen in my flat.

A wicker basket for £1.50 and an antique mixing bowl for 75p.
Back to my desk and drawing for my final university project, until im distracted again by baking or dog walking or some day time t.v.
Cheerio for now.

Baking with Beets

Or bake n' beetz!  This morning I popped down to St.Albans wednesday market and picked up some cooked beetroot amoungst other fresh produce.
Once home I decided to have a little experiment in the kitchen. I had chocolate on the brain and decided I wanted to create a kind of red velvet cake that incrporated my much loved beets. Using my carrot cupcake recipe as a base I got to work.

I added some extra cocoa powder to the fat free mix and popped the batter into the oven and waited (impatiently) for the results!

After extensive taste testing, they're good, chocolatey yet earthy, I'm just not completely satisfied with the recipe or quantities just yet so i will keep trying as i think they have potential. for now i will slop on as much icing possible and will post recipe when my discerning sweet tooth has given it a full stamp of approval.

Hummdinger Hummus.

 

I have had a hankering for some good Hummus for a couple of days now, One of my old time favourite go to snacks is carrot sticks dipped in my favourite middle eastern accompliment. Luckily, i happened to come across a tin of chick peas hidden away in the back of my cupboard, calling out to be made in to a tastey dip.

Healthy Hummus recipe

• 1 tin of drained chick peas
• 1tsp lemon juice
• 1tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
• 4 tbsp water
• 1tsp paprika
• 1tsp ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste

1.  To soften chick peas further boil them in a pan of water for 5 minutes, take off the heat and drain.
2. In a bowl combine all ingreadints and blitz using a hand blender.
3. serve with a sprinkle of paprika and drizzle of olive oil!

It takes seconds to whiz up but is a very easy, lower fat and cheaper version of the supermarket variety.
I would like to try more versions like this one by Nigella using peanut butter  or perhaps play with adding different spices and additions like pesto.

Tummy full of chickpea/pretzel goodness, I'm off to the park to feed and chase the ducks with Bobbin and Mr bake and Beebz!

Walkies and Bobbin's new bed.

We have been AWOL for the last few weeks, but we're back and will be posting again much more often...

 

Today Me, Bob and our friend Charlotte went adventuring! we walked, talked and had ourseleves a pint of ice cold diet cola. a lovely afternoon was had by all.

I retured home wth a very tired bobbin who headed straight to her new bed!

This pup can barely keep her peepers open and is already snoring. cozy Beebz.