Maple Cinnamon Apple and Pear Baked Oatmeal...

I don't like to straight jack a recipe from a book... So I will say this, you should buy this book, it's awesome, it's whole foods, it says what the recipe falls into (grain free, gluten free, sugar free, etc), and I love it! It's called 'The Oh She Glows Cookbook' by Angela Liddon... She also has a website worth checking www.ohsheglows.com

I never make breakfast food, have always been a cup of chai tea for breakfast kind of woman... Recently I have felt more hungry, lifting more weight at gym, and am bored by breakfast foods and preferring to not eat too much wheat, this seemed almost dessertish, too good to be true! Especially while I was making it,  it smells so good! And then when it cools enough to eat, it tastes beautiful... I have found my winter breakfast staple!!!

Melbourne museum...

I can never get over the value of the museum... It's $10 per adult and kids are free, and with a crazy amount to do, there is no reason not to spend a rainy day looking around, with or without kids!

The dinosaurs are a massive hit... Market was creeped out by the stuffed animals this time, but we used to spend aaaages at that exhibit! Creepy sea creatures, crystals, most importantly, the kids section... That's probably worth the money in itself! The outdoor part of the kids section... The indoor/outdoor rainforest we didn't even get to this time because we only had 1.5 hours... The first people exhibit was my highlight, but was serious in the lighting, noise, darkness, the kids were not feeling it at all! I would quite like to get back there without them to have a proper good look at it...

If you are in or visiting Melbourne, this is definitely worth checking out... Again and again!

Salted caramel snickerdoodles... Mmmm...

I needed to bake some non allergy specific goodies for this weekend, I have friends and family helping on all fronts this Easter weekend so that I can participate in one of my best friends weddings on Saturday...

I didn't read the recipe properly before baking, or I probably wouldn't have ever got around to doing it! There is a half hour dough freezing, and then wrapping each cookie around a piece of caramel... If you have the time, it is absolutely worth it!

Check out the blog I got it from, they have amazing recipes!

http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/brown-butter-salted-caramel-snickerdoodles/

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Brown Butter Salted Caramel Cookies

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8-10 minutes

Brown butter snickerdoodles with a caramel surprise inside!

ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose Gold Medal flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, sliced
1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
1 cup caramel squares, cut into 1/4's

For Rolling the Cookies:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Sea salt, for sprinkling on top of cookies

directions:

1. In a medium bowl, Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

2. To brown the butter, heat a thick-bottomed skillet on medium heat. Add the sliced butter, whisking frequently. Continue to cook the butter until melted. The butter will start to foam and browned specks will begin to form at the bottom of the pan. The butter should have a nutty aroma. Watch the butter carefully because it can go from brown to burnt quickly. Remove butter from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the brown butter and sugars. Mix until blended and smooth. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt and mix until combined. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

4. Form the dough in a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. You can chill the dough overnight.

5. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Measure about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. Flatten the ball with the palm of your hand and place a piece of caramel in the center of the dough. Wrap the cookie dough around the caramel, making sure the caramel is completely covered with dough.

6. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place dough balls on a large baking sheet that has been lined with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Make sure the cookies are about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle the cookie tops with sea salt.

7. Bake the cookies 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. The centers will still be soft. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, or until set. Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

Recipe adapted from Ambitious Kitchen

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Gluten free, vegan peppermint chocolate cookies

Gluten free, vegan peppermint chocolate  cookies

I originally saw a gluten free recipe for mint chocolate cookies, but really wanted to make them for Mark, so I overhauled the recipe to suit my needs... The original recipe can be found on glutenfreeonashoestring.com

These are actually quite good, could do with no sugar I think... Next time...

Ingredients

• COOKIES
• 5 tablespoons coconut oil
• 100g vegan chocolate, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon pure peppermint extract
• ¾ cup (105g) high-quality all-purpose gluten-free flour
• ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
• ½ cup (40g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (100g) sugar (take or leave)
• GLAZE
• 200g vegan chocolate, chopped
• pure peppermint extract, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 170 degrees. Line tins with baking paper, and set them aside.
2. In a medium-size microwave-safe bowl, place the coconut oil  and all of the chocolate except for 3 to 4 1½-inch-size chunks. Microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Add the reserved chunks of chocolate, and stir until the chocolate has begun to thicken a bit and the chunks have melted. Add the vanilla extract and peppermint extract, and stir to combine. Set the chocolate aside.
3. In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add the chocolate mixture, and mix until the dough comes together and is well-integrated. 
4. Put teaspoon sized blobs on the baking powder, tablespoon if you want a bigger cookie
5. Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake, rotating once, for 7 - 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet.
6. Once the cookies are cool, make the glaze. Place all of the dark chocolate except for 3 to 4 1½-inch-size chunks in a medium-size, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Add the reserved chunks of chocolate and the peppermint extract, and stir until the chocolate has begun to thicken a bit and the chunks have melted.
7. Place the cookies, one at a time, in the glaze. Carefully place it on a clean sheet of baking paper. Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature (chocolate was setting fast so I basically iced the cookies)

Raw vegan snickers bars...

My girl is on a raw vegan tip, she made these amazing bars and I absolutely needed them to help my clean eating!  

There was lots of leftover chocolate so I put then in dinosaur moulds for the kids...

Recipe from

http://www.thisrawsomeveganlife.com/2012/12/raw-snickers-candy-bars.html?m=1

raw snicker bars: makes about 10 bars

Nougat layer:
1/2 cup raw flour (such as oat, coconut, buckwheat, almond, etc.)
1/3 cup raw agave/maple syrup
1 cup sliced almonds
1/4 pine nuts (optional) 

Caramel layer:
1 cup dates and enough water to cover them
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional) 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

Raw chocolate coating:
Just use your fave recipe or my own 

To make the nougat: pulse the flour, pine nuts (if using) and sweetener together in your food processor until smooth. Add the almonds by hand. Shape into small logs on parchment paper and put in the freezer. 

To make the caramel: blend all ingredients together in your blender until creamy and thick, adding the least amount of water you can. spread a little on to the tops of each nougat log and put back in the freezer. 

When they are frozen enough, cover each one in chocolate and let harden in the freezer or fridge.