Category Archives: Baking

I’m a big fan of Granny Smith apple because it is tart, tangy, crisp and crunchy. They are a great snack with low calories and high fibre, which keeps you satisfied and stabilises blood sugar level between meals. So do not peel your apples! They are also rich in vitamin C and high in the flavonoids cyanidin and epicatechin, which are powerful antioxidants. Want beautiful teeth? Bite into these little guys. The extreme tartness of Granny Smith apples helps with more salivation than a sweeter type of apple. High levels of saliva decrease bacteria in your mouth that attack teeth and cause cavities. They are a great additions to your green salads and sandwiches as well as a healthy dessert. I made a spiced apple loaf today with cinnamon and nutmeg. It smells amazing! It is not really a sweet cake so feel free to add more sweeteners if you like. Happy baking x

Ingredients

1 granny smith apple, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
4 eggs
a squeeze of lemon
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

Boil apple, maple syrup, lemon juice and salt in a pot and simmer for 10 minute or until apple is tender. Take it off the heat and set aside to cool. Gently mix all the other ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add cooled apple mixture into a bowl and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a loaf tin and bake in the preheated oven (180) for 40-50 minutes or until cooked. Cover with foil if the top gets too brown. Take it out of the oven and let it cool before serve.

Roots are amazing nutrition-dense vegetables. Beets, turnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, radish, yam, ginger, artichoke, celeriac, etc. They grow under ground which means they absorb good nutrition from the soil, full of antioxidants, vitamins and iron. Root veggies also have a slow-burning carbohydrates and fibre, which leaves you full longer and regulates blood sugar level.

Red sexy beets are available all year around, but best from summer to autumn. They’re full of beta-carotene and betalains, which are antioxidants and anti-inflammatory. I love using beetroots for its earthy and sweet flavour, great when roasted, pickled, grilled or even raw. Beets go really well with citrus fruits, berries, goat cheese, cumin, nuts and tahini.

I made this decadent chocolate cake using grated raw beetroot, cacao powder and almond meal. It is gluten-free, refined sugar-free and guilt-free. Beautiful rustic texture, moist and chocolatey! It will be also nice to add a shot of espresso or ground coffee for the dark and intense flavour next time.

Ingredients

1 cup of grated beetroot
20g of flaxseed meal
20g chia seeds
2 eggs
50g almond meal
50g buckwheat flour
50g raw cacao powder
1 tsp of grated ginger
1/2 cup of maple syrup
1 tbsp of coconut oil
a pinch of salt
1 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of baking powder
50g water

Add flaxseed meal, chia seeds and water into a bowl and let it sit for 10-15 minutes until it’s set. Add eggs and maple syrup in and whisk gently. Then add other ingredients and combine well with a spatula. Pour the mixture into a prepared baking tin and bake in the preheated oven (180) for 40 minutes or until cooked. Put a dollop of cream cheese frosting on top to serve.

As the temperature drops down, I am craving for more warm, sweet and tasty breakfast. I don’t normally eat or make crumbles but felt like making one this morning out of the blue. I know it is more of a summery dessert with cream or ice cream on top, but mine is healthier, tastier and I think it is perfect for cold mornings. To top it off, I added a drizzle of Canadian pure maple syrup that my brother-in-law got me after his awesome trip to Canada. Beautiful caramel-like yet light sweetness goes really well with berries.

Coconut flour is made by drying and grinding the meat of a coconut. It is full of fibre and protein, leaving you full for longer and stable blood sugar level. It is also naturally gluten free, giving you no inflammatory allergy reaction to your body. It can be a bit tricky though because if you replace normal flour with coconut flour 100%, it will be crumbly and dense. I’ve been there and don’t want to be there again >.< I also find different brands have different texture and water content. So you need to experiment, control the amount of the liquid going into the batter and mix with other flours like almond flour, oat flour, buckwheat flour, etc.
Ingredients

500g of mixed berries
1 tsp of cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp of cardamom powder
1 tsp of vanilla bean powder
1 tbsp of maple syrup
a squeeze of lemon

For crumble
1 cup of rolled oats
1 tbsp of coconut flour
1 tbsp of almond meal
2 tbsp of coconut oil
a pinch of salt

Toss berries in spices and maple syrup in a large bowl. Transfer to a baking dish. Mix all crumble ingredients and make a crumbly dough with your hands. Pour the mixture over the fruits and bake in the preheated oven (200) for 20-30 minutes or until golden on top. Serve warm with thick natural yogurt and maple syrup.