Bakers delight

Baking is one of my favourite pastimes, I don’t do it all the time but every once in a while when I find myself in need of some inspiration, I head to the kitchen and check my supplies and then I take a step back. I think about how much effort I want to invest, then I make my choice.

A cake may take more time but it’s a worthy investment especially if there is a special occasion. If you are thinking about morning delights, then think no further a fancier waffle or a special muffin may be your choice for a lazy Sunday morning.

And if you are thinking of a treat that’s more healthy with some ahead of time food prep, something that can be sliced and frozen to use in your and your kids lunch kits then a soft and mouth-watering pumpkin bread can be your choice.

The recipes are all here for you today, the choice is yours. Happy Baking.

Pecan spice cake with caramel glaze

½ cup unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2⅓ cups cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground allspice

1 cup unflavoured yoghurt

1 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease and flour an 8-inch ring cake pan.

Cream butter with sugar until light and creamy.

Add eggs one at a time beating well between additions.

Add vanilla.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and dried spices.

Add dry ingredients to batter alternately with yoghurt, in three additions, beginning and ending with flour.

Fold in nuts, your batter will be quite stiff.

Spoon into prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes until a wooden pick comes out clean.

Invert cake and leave for 5 minutes in tin then remove, place cake right-side up and pour on caramel glaze.

Serves 8 to 10

For the caramel glaze:

In a small heavy sauce pan, melt 4 tablespoons butter, add four tablespoons brown sugar and cook stirring until sugar melts.

Add about one quarter cup evaporated milk, remove from heat, stir well.

Place back on heat and cook until creamy, remove then beat in three quarter to one cup sifted Royal icing sugar.

Mixture should be of a pourable consistency.

Add one teaspoon vanilla and stir.

Pour glaze onto cake letting it run down sides.

Garnish with toasted pecans.

Pineapple upside down muffins

½ cup brown sugar

3 tbs butter, melted

½ tsp aromatic bitters

1 cup fresh or canned pineapple chunks, drained

12 maraschino cherry halves

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tbs baking powder

2 eggs, beaten

½ cup milk

⅓ cup vegetable oil

½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a sauté pan or non-stick frying pan, melt butter and add sugar, cook just until sugar bubbles, do not darken or burn, add pineapple and bitters and toss to coat well, remove.

Spoon pineapple into 12 muffin cups arranging in a pattern.

Place a cherry half into each cup set aside.

In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar.

Beat eggs with milk and oil, add vanilla.

Add wet ingredients all at once to dry and stir just until combined.

Spoon into prepared muffin tins and bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

Invert muffins onto a wire rack to cool.

Makes 12

Pumpkin bread

½ cup unsalted butter or shortening

2 cups brown sugar

4 eggs

3 cups shredded uncooked pumpkin

⅔ cup water

3⅓ cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

⅔ cups raisins

⅔ cups coarsely chopped nuts (optional)

½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds, optional (divided into 2)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 9x5x3 inches.

In a large mixing bowl beat butter and sugar until creamy.

Add eggs one at a time and continue beating until light coloured.

Add pumpkin and water, blend.

In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

Add to pumpkin mixture, mix only until combined.

Stir in nuts and raisins and ½ pumpkin seeds, and pour into pans.

Sprinkle with remaining seeds.

Bake until wooden pick inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes.

Cool slightly, and loosen sides of loaves from pans.

Remove from pans and cool completely before slicing.

To store wrap and refrigerate no longer than 10 days or freeze.

Makes 2 loaves.

Poppy seed waffles with guava nutmeg syrup

1½ cups flour

¼ cup wheat bran

1 tbs baking powder

2 eggs, separated

1 cup milk

⅓ cup unsalted butter

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla

¼ cup poppyseeds

In a bowl combine all dry ingredients.

In another bowl beat egg yolks with milk, melt fat and add to mixture.

Beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Add egg yolk mixture to dry ingredients, stir only until combined.

Fold in beaten egg whites.

Pour batter into heated waffle iron and bake until brown and crisp.

Guava nutmeg syrup

¼ cup good quality guava jam

½ cup fresh orange juice

1 tbs lemon juice

¾ tsp cornstarch diluted in 2 tsp water

¼ tsp nutmeg

Melt jam in small saucepan, add all other ingredients except cornstarch and stir to combine.

Bring to a boil, thicken with cornstarch and cool.

Makes about one cup.

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