Human food is meant for humans, dog food for dogs. Too much human food can make a dog sick, so if you want to organize a birthday party or some home-made treats for your precious pooch, these savoury muffins are just perfect.
The doggies will love them. The Schnauzers did.
Just remember to remove the paper cases or some dogs will eat them too.
Here is the recipe:
Sweet Potato Doggie Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
Coconut oil – to grease muffin tin or paper cases
1 cup Sweet Potato or Kumara ( cooked, mashed and no skin)
1 cup peeled and finely grated carrot, lightly packed
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 Celsius) and grease a muffin tin with oil or line with paper cases. Set aside
Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon to thoroughly combine.
Spoon mix in a muffin tin, filling all the way up. The mix will not rise.
Bake for around 35 minutes
Let muffins cool for about 5 minutes and then carefully transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Store in the fridge and an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Variation: pumpkin could work well in this recipe instead of Sweet potato. I decorated mine with a dried sardine treat.
Ju-Lyn might consider me a Queen of Lemon Cakes, but I am no reigning monarch of cooking, merely slightly obsessed with lemons. The family loves lemon cake, which means I am keen to try out any new lemon-themed recipe I find.
This month, in setting up a tasting contest between my most popular Lemon Cake recipes at home, I discovered how versatile lemons could be not only in improving heath, but also in replacing certain chemical cleaners and insecticides around the home with natural alternatives.
Lemons are a plant native to Assam, in Northern India and South Asia. Lemon juice in its natural state is acidic, but once metabolised it actually becomes alkaline.
The acidity of lemons makes them a great adjunct to cleaning around the home and lemon peel can even repel insects when peel is placed outside your door.
Rub your chopping board with a cut lemon to eliminate garlic or stubborn odours
Clean windows and chrome fittings with a half a lemon dipped in salt
Remove red wine spills (mix to a paste with salt and baking soda)
Add a cut lemon to your dishwasher in place of rinse aid for a streak-free wash.
With the Changing Seasons, lemons are a natural way to bolster our immune systems.
Lemon Cake Tasting Challenge
Renowned for reliable recipes it may be no surprise that a recipe from The AustralianWomen’s Weekly magazine took first place in the Lemon Cake Challenge. As voted #1 by colleagues and family. This is how it turned out:
Australian Woman’s Weekly Lemon Cake
Are you keen to make the winning cake for yourself?
Acidic by nature, lemons and limes are alkalizing once eaten, due to their high alkaline mineral content. It is not the pH of the food in its natural state, it is the effect it has on the body that is important.
Delicious in a lemon cake, or freshly squeezed over vegetables, salad or washed, sliced and left to permeate in drinking water, here are a few of the benefits of lemons:
Benefits
Lemons are antiseptic
Lemon water aids digestion and can ease heartburn and bloating
Lemons cleanse and stimulates the liver and kidneys
Lemon juice contains calcium, magnesium and potassium
Lemon juice has been known to relieve asthma
Because it is high in Vitamin C, warm lemon water is a favoured remedy for colds/flu
Lemon juice is a great skin cleanser
It can kick start one’s metabolism when taken first thing in the morning.
Tips
Always wash your lemons thoroughly to remove any residual spray – or purchase organic lemons. Even better, plant a lemon tree of your own.
Just be sure not to clean one’s teeth for at least half an hour afterwards. Otherwise, the enamel on your teeth might begin to break down.
Click on the title of any of the Cakes/Cookies listed below for recipes of delicious and easy ways to incorporate lemon into your diet.
Scroll further down for a no-fail Lemon Cake recipe that I can recommend.
½ cup (125ml) milk – fill to within 1/8 Inch of brim of measure with milk, then top up with lemon juice
METHOD
Preheat the oven to moderate (180°/160°C fan-forced)
Grease a deep 20cm round or large loaf pan, then line the base with baking paper.
Beat the butter, rind and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined between additions.
Stir in the sifted flours in two batches with the milk.
Spread the mixture into the prepared pan.
Bake in a moderate oven for about 35 minutes or until the cake is cooked when tested.
Allow cake to stand for 15 minutes before turning the cake onto a wire rack to cool.
Pour icing (see below), over cake whilst still warm
Note: I don’t make icing or a topping, as the cake is sweet enough and nice enough without, but if you wish to make it, and add even more lemon juice, here it is……
Icing
Combine ½ cup (125ml) lemon juice and ¼ cup (55g) caster sugar in a jug and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Pour the topping over the cake whilst it is still warm from the oven.
This cake is suitable to freeze but not suitable to microwave.
You may have heard me espousing the benefits of almonds and walnuts in recipes such as salads, or the Almond and Walnut Muffin recipe, I have previously posted, but what about the benefits of incorporating cinnamon in our diet?
I have to confess to being quite a fan of the cinnamon, especially in the crumble toppings you might find on a apple rhubarb dessert or a gourmet muffin. Combining cinnamon with almonds and walnuts, which are a fantastic source of Vitamin E and Magnesium, was a way of creating a light, and more importantly, HEALTHY cake recipe that if cut into bite-sized servings, is only a teeny bit decadent. Altogether a Perfect combination for a healthy morning or afternoon tea. Find the Recipe below.
Cinnamon Nut Streusel Cake
What are the Health Benefits of Cinnamon?
Cinnamon is astonishingly good for you. Would you believe that a mere teaspoon of cinnamon contains 28 mg of calcium, almost one mg of iron, over a gram of fiber, and quite a lot of vitamins C, K, and manganese?
In traditional medicine, cinnamon has been used for its mild anti-inflammatory effects, and to treat digestive ailments such as indigestion, gas and bloating, and diarrhea. As little as half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity and blood glucose control. Improving insulin tolerance can help in weight control as well as decreasing the risk for heart disease. Read More here.
Cinnamon Nut Streusel Cake
Ingredients
Base:
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup (55grams) soft Butter
1/2 Cups Milk
1egg
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 1/2 cups Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Top Layer:
1/2 cup Brown Sugar, packed
2 tablespoon Flour
2 Teaspoons (or more), of Cinnamon
2 Tablespoons soft Butter
1/2 cup chopped nuts – I used a combination of walnuts and flaked almonds
Method
Base:
Preheat Oven 175 ° C and Grease or line a 9″ x 12″ or 20 x 30 cm slice tray
Cream butter and sugar in mixer
Add remaining base ingredients and mix well
Spread out evenly in the tray.
Streusel Topping:
Mix Streusel topping ingredients together
Spread about 1/4 of the Streusel topping onto the base layer and lightly swirl through with a skewer or knife.
Spread the rest of the Streusel topping thinly over the top of the base.
Bake for 20 – 35 minutes or till cooked through, when pierced with a skewer
Allow Cake to cool and cut into small squares to serve.
Juhls at the Not So Creative Cook posted a recipe that had me intrigued: Yema Cake with a condensed milk frosting. – That sounds different, I thought! A traditional cake from the Philippines: great!
I have made butter icing, royal icing, even cream cheese icing, but never condensed milk icing, so I decided I had to make it for Lin’s recipe challenge.
Yema cake is a traditional Filipino recipe and often eaten with Yema Balls: sweet balls of condensed milk goodness, rolled in sugar!! Wow!! My kids would have loved these when they were younger and thought it was a great sugar-fix especially with Easter so close!
Source: Not So Creative Cook
However, they are now older and a cake is more eagerly received, so my contribution for the challenge will simply be the oh- so- divine texture of Yema Cake.
The cake itself has a sponge like texture and looks very similar to a sponge or Madeira cake. Jhuls called the base a ‘Chiffon cake’ and it does feel a little like a soft light texture on one’s palette! I pretty well stuck to the Yema cake recipe posted below, apart from two small variations. The first, a variation in cooking times that can probably attributed to my oven/cooktop’s fastidious ways, and secondly, when it came to the frosting, me being me, I couldn’t resist adding a bit more lemon juice to the mix.
So what did I think of the cake?
If truth be told, before I was able to add the frosting, half of it disappeared down my family’s gob!!! [embarrassing smile]
The frosting itself is quite rich: it is, after all made with condensed milk, and whilst this is a bit rich for my liking, those who are condensed milk fans will absolutely love it.
Jhuls recommended cooking the frosting for 30 minutes but I found it was set and thickened after 10-15 minutes, no matter how low the thermostat on my stove was set.
Rating:Â 10/10 – A winner!
The remainder left – ready for frosting!
YEMA Cake Recipe
[Source: Not so Creative Cook]
Servings: Yield one 10-inch cake
Ingredients:
For the Chiffon Cake:
1¼ cup cake flour**
¾ cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 eggs (yolk and white separated)
½ cup evaporated milk
¼ cup olive oil or canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp cream of tartar
For the Yema Frosting:
1 14-oz. can condensed milk
½ cup evaporated milk
4 egg yolks
3 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions:
Ed’s note: ** As I don’t have access to cake flour, I removed 1 1/4 tablespoon of flour from the flour and replaced this with cornflour.Â
For the cake:
Slightly grease one 10″ round baking pan. Preheat oven to 350ºF. [I used a silicone mould lined on the base with baking paper – Ed]
In a bowl, mix flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder and salt until well combined. Make a well in the middle and add the egg yolks, milk, oil and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. In another bowl, combine 4 egg whites and cream of tartar. Using a mixer on high speed, mix until soft peaks begin to form. Gradually add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and continue mixing on high speed until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
Fold in the meringue (egg white mixture) into the flour-yolk mixture until well combined. Pour mixture over the prepared baking pans. Bake in preheated oven for 25 -28 minutes [my oven took 35 minutes to cook the cake – Ed] or until cake tester/toothpick, inserted in the middle, comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool down in pan for about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and transfer on a wire rack. Allow to completely cool down.
For the frosting:
In a saucepan, mix all ingredients using a whisk until well combined. Cook with constant stirring over low heat for 30 minutes or until thick and spreadable.
Remove from heat and allow to cool down.
To assemble:
Carefully cut the cake into two even layers. Place the first layer on a cake dish. Spread about 3/4 cup frosting on top. Put the second layer on top. Spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Using a fork, create lines on the frosting. Sprinkle your choice of toppings, or you can just without.
Yema Cake – Good to eat whilst Pondering About Something
I do like tradition and I do love sweet cakes – who doesn’t? Lin’s blog: Lin’s Recipes provided an impetus for me to marry these two things in her February Cake Challenge.
Lin challenged each person to research and make a cake from a selected list of old recipes and report on it during February. From the list of daunting culinary masterpieces, I chose a cake I had not made before: Kremowka. Kremowka is a polish cake sometimes called Papal cream cake or even Napoleon, after the two gentlemen who apparently were rather fond of it. [Well, that may partly explain their girth!]
But hang on, I thought! I am a complete failure when it comes to pastries…. in fact, I suck at them! With the exception of one ‘wholemeal flour – never fail quiche’ pastry that is in my baking repertoire, I give a wide berth to any recipes calling for pastry to be made, so how was I going to fulfill Lin’s challenge? Scroll down to see….
The slice itself, comes with history: The story goes that one day Pope John Paul revealed to a crowd of onlookers how he was a big fan of Kremowka, or Kremowki, as it is also sometimes known in Poland. The Day after he said this, scores of devotees turned up to greet him, each bearing gifts of Kremowki, and ever since the slice has earned the nickname ‘Papal Cream Cake.’
In researching the slice, I found a Russian “You-tuber,” who provided me with some useful (visual only), cooking tips for making Kremowki, whilst Polish recipe guru, Ania Culiniac, provided the recipe, which had apparently, been handed down from her father, (a pastry-chef from a top hotel in Warsaw). Ania’s videos, [relax – those ones were in English], further assisted me with details, as I am afraid my knowledge of Russian is limited to ‘yes’ and ‘no’…….
Here is the recipe I used and a few extras if you wish to try the adaptations I made: –
 Kremowka
Puff pastry dough*
1 cup of Butter ( 230 grams)
2 cups of Milk ( 50 ml)
2/3 cup Sugar ( 150 grams)
1/3 cup White flour (85 grams)
5 Egg yolks
1 Vanilla bean
Icing sugar for decorating
Amanda’s optional extras: – Dutch Cinnamon Mix:-Â 1 tablespoon Cinnamon and 1 tablespoon castor or fine grain sugar;Â 1 egg white.
Method:
Pastry
Flour your surface and roll out the pastry to 2 mm thick. Cut out two same sized rectangles. Ania used two A4 pieces of paper for guidance. Transfer the pastry onto the baking sheet covered with baking paper. Cover with a tea towel and let it rest for 1 hour, otherwise it will shrink unevenly.**
Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Brush the egg white on your pastry and sprinkle a generous amount of Dutch cinnamon mix on top.
Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on pastry
4. Bake for around 20 minutes till it is nice and golden. Set aside to cool completely.
In the meantime, make the custard cream filling.
Cooked pastry sheets
Filling
Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise, remove seeds and add both seeds and bean to milk.
Pour the milk into the saucepan on medium heat.Bring slowly to the boil, stirring occasionally.
In a mixing bowl, place the egg yolks and sugar and beat till light yellow and fluffy.
Add flour and mix till well combined.
Slowly add the hot milk, minus the vanilla bean, just little bits at first, mixing constantly. When you have added all the hot milk, return the mix back to the stove.
Reduce heat and continue to cook stirring constantly, until it has thickened, like a pudding, this takes at least 2 minutes. Cover the mix with microwave safe plastic wrap and let it cool to room temperature. The plastic wrap with prevent a skin from forming on top of the custard. Don’t rush this step. COOL Completely!!!
Place the softened butter into the mixer and beat for 2 minutes till fluffy. Spoon the cooled custard cream, into the butter mix, one tablespoonful at a time beating well after each addition.
Mixing the custard cream
To Assemble
Lay each cooked pastry sheet on the baking paper, cinnamon side down, and place a lightweight pine chopping board on top and press down evenly and gently. This flattens the pastry without damaging its airy texture.
Lay one sheet of cooked pastry down for the base, (cinnamon side upwards)
Pile the custard evenly on top.
Place a second layer of puff pastry on top, (cinnamon side downward), and gently press. Even out on the sides with a spatula. Refrigerate overnight.
The following day: cut into rectangles with a sharp knife.
Dust heavily with icing sugar and serve.
Squashing the Pastry – easy does it….
The best part of the recipe is always in the eating…..
Well known in Scandinavia, the lingonberry is related to the cranberry, bilberry and blueberry. Berries are a great addition to one’s diet. Why? Because they contain powerful antioxidants and provide many health benefits when we eat them. And why not enjoy them in a delicious dessert slice. This slice can be served hot or cold.
More information on the health benefits is given below but here is the Scandinavian recipe:
Lingonberry / Cranberry Slice
Base:
4 1/2 dl (almost 2 cups) Plain white flour
1/2 dl (2/3 cup) Sugar
1 tablespoon Baking powder
150 g(5 ounces, almost 2/3 cup)
Unsalted butter
1 Egg
2 dl (3/4 cup) Lingonberry or cranberry jam/ plum filling/ or your favourite preserves
Pre – heat the oven to 200 degrees C (400 degrees F).
Combine flour, sugar, and baking powder then cut in the butter.
Add the egg and mix well. Spread into a greased 20×30 (8×12″) pan.
Spread the preserves quite thickly over the batter.
Bake 25-30 minutes, until golden.
Cool in the pan and slice while still warm.
Enjoy served warm or cold. Yumm!!!!
Animal studies have shown how the lingonberry can lower inflammatory molecules, block oxidants from destroying tissue, and also help the body replace important antioxidants, like glutathione, which is a master antioxidant in our body. Lingonberry has also been shown to increase red blood cell and liver enzymes needed for antioxidant protection. We need antioxidants to protect vessels and nerve tissue, and also to help decrease the damage from inflammation. Proanthocyanidin extracts from lingonberries were also found to be effective against the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, which can cause a wide variety of infections.
If you’ve been reading Something to Ponder About for a while, you might recall that I often will espouse the health benefits of adding lemons to one’s diet, in any form. If you are unsure what I am talking about, you can read more about the benefits of lemons here.
“A lemon a day keeps …” well, you know the rest….
You might also know that I like that lemony ‘zing’ in foods, so you won’t be at all surprised to find me posting another Lemon cake recipe. Although, this one is really useful, as it is quick and super easy, the Lazy man’s, (or person’s), Lemon Cake. You just bung it all in together and cook in the oven.
Lemon Cake
Ingredients
125 g Butter
1 tablespoon Lemon rind
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup Caster sugar (or fine white sugar)
2 Eggs
1Â 1/2 cup Self-Raising* flour
*N.B. Self Raising Flour is a combination of 1Â 1/2 cup plain flour and 3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 tablespoon Icing sugar (to dust the top after cooking)
Lemon juice, extra
Method
Combine all the ingredients, at low speed in an electric mixer, until thoroughly mixed.
Increase speed and mix till batter is smooth.
Place batter in greased and lightly floured Bundt or ring tin.
Cook in a pre-heated oven for 45 minutes at 180 ° (that is a fan forced electric oven).
Cool for 5- 10 minutes and then turn out.
With a skewer, poke holes in the top of the cake and drizzle the extra lemon juice* on top.
Dust with icing sugar and it is ready to serve.
Simple, quick and very delicious.
Tip: The cake will keep better in humid climates if you restrict the amount of lemon juice that is poured on top.
Something to Ponder About 