4 yo H is quite concerned that Easter Bunny won't be able to find us this year. We are going to an Easter Festival for the weekend so he has decided to leave Easter Bunny a Note. Knowing H, and his tendency to ramble and over share (wonder where he gets that from?) this is probably what his letter will look like:
Dear Easter Bunny
This year we are not at our home. We are at my crazy Uncle Damien's house.
He used to eat a lot of Spanish rice when he was my age.
Sometimes I like to eat it; I like Sweet and Sour too.
I can't eat it at Kinder though.
Sometimes I eat carrots or eggs.
Please leave my Easter presents at Uncle Damien's for me.
And maybe something for my Brother; but only if you want to.
From H.
These Carrot Cupcakes have been decorated to look like super cute Easter Chickens.
They are a yummy and simple Easter treat to make with the kids. I have used desiccated coconut for the 'feathers' and colored them using natural food colorings (the color comes from Tumeric). The beak is made from carrot and the eyes from cream and cocoa paste, however sultanas can be substituted.
CARROT CUPCAKES (Easter Chicken Cupcakes)
Serves 12
Cupcakes
1/2 cup, packed, Dates
1/4 cup boiling water
Dash of Bicarb
3 Eggs separated
2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
150 grams Grated Carrots
100g Apple Sauce (see recipe below)
2/3 cup Coconut Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Bicarb soda
1 teaspoon Mixed spice
Zest of 1 Lemon
1/2 cup (- 1/2 Tablespoon) Milk of choice
1/2 Tablespoon Vinegar
For Decorating:
1/2 cup unsweetened Desiccated Coconut
All Natural Yellow food coloring
1 tablespoon Cocoa (or use sultanas)
2-3 Tablespoons Lemon Cream
Carrot
Lemon Cream
1 can of Coconut Cream (400ml can), can placed in fridge overnight
2 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 teaspoon Maple Syrup
2 1/2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
Zest of 1 Lemon
Apple Sauce
4 apples, peeled and cut into small pieces
3/4 cup water
INSTRUCTIONS
Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 175C/350F
Place dates, boiling water and bicarb in a bowl (making sure dates are covered) and allow to sit and soften (approximately 30 minutes).
Place dates and water in a blender and blend until a smooth date paste is formed.
Place the egg whites in the bowl of a kitchen stand with a whisk attachment fitted.
Whisk on medium/high until soft peaks form.
Add maple syrup 1 tablespoon at a time and continue to whisk on medium/high.
Add purred dates and vanilla extract and whisk on medium/high.
Add egg yolks and whisk until combined.
Place carrots and apple sauce in a blender and blend until combined
With mixer on low add the carrot/apple mix.
Sift dry ingredients together.
Add juice, zest and vinegar to milk.
Add dry ingredients and milk mix alternately whilst whisking on low until combined.
Whisk on medium/high for 1 minute.
Divide evenly amongst 12 greased cupcake liners.
Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until baked through.
Allow to cool in tin for 15 minutes then remove.
Allow to cool completely before frosting with Lemon Cream.
Smooth Lemon Cream onto of each cupcake, retaining 2-3 Tablespoons for the decorations.
Decorations:
Place the coconut in a ziplock bag with a few squirts of food dye and shake the bag until all the coconut is colored.
Put the coconut in a shallow bowl and dip each frosted cupcake in the bowl covering the cream with the colored coconut.
In a small bowl, mix together the cocoa with a small drop of water and stir. Add water one drop at a time until a thick paste is formed.
Pipe/spoon 2 small dots of the reserved coconut cream on the coconut to form the eyes. Use a tooth pick to place a small dot of the cocoa paste in the centre of the cream eye.
Cut the carrot into pieces to use as a beak.
Place the cupcakes in the fridge when not serving.
Lemon Cream
Remove cream can from the fridge and scoop out the thickened cream into the bowl of a kitchen mixer with a whisk attachment. Discard watery component
Whisk on high until thick.
Add extract, maple syrup, juice and zest. Whisk on high until combined.
Store in fridge until required.
Frosted cupcakes will need to be stored in the fridge.
Apple Sauce
Place apples and water in saucepan. Cover with lid.
Bring to boil, then simmer on medium for 7-10 minutes, or until apple is soft.
Store in fridge.
Dear Mummymade.it,
Thanks for your Hot Cross Bun recipe. Not only did they look like the ‘real deal’ but they tasted like it too. It’s unusual for a Gluten Free Hot Cross Bun to not be so hard that it can’t be used as a weapon; as a non-violent food eater I appreciate the softness that these buns provided.
If I had 1 complaint it would be the time it takes to make them. I was hungry for a bun when I started making them so I was completely famished when they finally came out of the oven. Not to mention the dogs ate an entire tray of Hot Cross Buns while they were rising for the 2nd time outside. I was a bit mad when this happened (just ask the neighbours!), as it meant I had to start all over again. I was still hungry for buns, meanwhile the dogs didn’t need dinner.
So after another making, kneading and rising session I placed the buns much higher outside this time to rise (I figured this was the safest option even though I didn’t think the dogs could possibly fit in another bite!) for the 2nd time and twiddled my hungry thumbs (yes, your thumbs too can get hungry when you have a craving for Hot Cross Buns and the dogs eat the spoils) until they were ready to be put in the oven. 35 minutes later...wallah! The best Hot Cross Buns ever.
I would really like to eat them again but fear my dogs will get too fat if I do. I also can’t be bothered waiting around the 2 ½ hours while the buns rise. Help me Mummy Made It!! I need a Hot Cross Bun now!!
Yours Faithfully,
Lisa
Dear Lisa,
I understand your predicament and I am here to tell you you are not alone in your love for the Easter Buns, although I don’t know anyone else whose dogs like Hot Cross Buns (but then again I don’t know any other dogs who have tried them). To satisfy your impatience I have made a HOT CROSS CUPCAKE. These cupcakes taste just like Hot Cross Buns; they even have a wonky cross and sticky glaze just like the real ones do. The clincher; from start to finish is 35 minutes.
No more waiting around for the yeast to do its thing, or standing watch in the back yard to protect your precious pre-baked goods. You can spend your time doing something much more important; like making a second batch of Hot Cross Bun Cupcakes.
I hope this recipe helps to curb your Easter cravings. Make sure you share it with your friends (the recipe that is; I don’t think you’ll be sharing these Hot Cross Cupcakes with anyone!)
I’d be interested to know if your dogs like these as much as they liked the Hot Cross Buns.
Yours Faithfully,
Mummymade.it
HOT CROSS CUPCAKES
Makes 9
CUPCAKE
INGREDIENTS
½ cup Coconut Flour
4 Tablespoons Almond Meal
1 teaspoon Mixed Spice
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
4 teaspoons Baking Powder
4 Eggs, separated
4 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
1 teaspoon Orange Zest
1 cup Dried Mixed Fruit (sultanas or currants can also be used)
½ cup Milk (of choice)
Cross Paste (see recipe below)
Glaze (see recipe below)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 175C/350F.
Line a muffin/cupcake tray with 9 liners and lightly grease.
Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Place the egg whites into a clean bowl of a kitchen stand mixer and whisk on medium/high until soft peaks form
Add the maple syrup, 1 tablespoon at a time whilst still whisking on medium/high.
Add the Vanilla extract.
Add the egg yolks one at a time.
Add the zests.
Fold in the dry ingredients and the mixed fruit. Stir and scrape several time to make sure the coconut flour is well combined (it will suck the moisture out of the mixture).
Turn the whisk to medium/high again and add the milk. Continue to whisk until the mixture is well combined (approximately 1 min).
Divide the mixture evenly between the liners.
Make the cross paste (see recipe below) and make a cross on top of each cupcake.
Place the cupcakes in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 23 minutes, or until cooked through.
At 20 minutes start to make the glaze (see recipe below).
Immediately after removing the cupcakes from the oven, brush each cupcake with the glaze.
Allow to cupcakes to cool before serving (or they can be eaten warm if you can’t stand the spicy aroma teasing you). Remove the liners before serving.
CROSS PASTE
INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon Almond Meal
3 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon Arrowroot
2 Tablespoons Water
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and add the water whilst stirring.
The paste will become quite thick like concrete.
Place the paste in a ziplock bag or piping bag. Cut a small corner off to make the crosses.
GLAZE
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
2 Tablespoons Water
1 Tablespoon Gelatin
Dash Of Mixed Spice
INSTRUCTIONS
Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to the boil whilst whisking.
Use immediately.
Old Classics, family favorites. Some things never go out of fashion:
Denim Jeans, Leather Jackets, Choc-Chip Cookies, Scooby Doo.
Some things should be out of fashion, and never be allowed to return:
Gangnam Style, Happy Pants, Tie Dye Overalls, the Tellie Tubbies.
Ewwwkkkkk.
Bread Pudding is an old classic that will stick around, but the new twist is making a healthy option; Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Processed Sugar Free and Paleo Friendly.
I would like to be able to tell you that this pudding is a good way to use up left over banana bread; only there's never any left.
I had to make a new banana bread to make this Banana Bread Pudding, but you could quite easily halve or third this recipe according to the amount of banana bread you have left. Remember to change the size of the baking dish.
BANANA BREAD PUDDING
INGREDIENTS
1 loaf Banana Bread (see recipe below)
2/3 cup Sultanas
3 Eggs
3 cup Milk (Of choice-I used Coconut milk)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/3 cup Maple Syrup
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
INSTRUCTIONS
Pre heat the oven to 175C/350F
Slice the Banana Bread into 10 slices, then cut each slice into 8 pieces.
Scatter the pieces over a greased shallow baking dish (mine measured 30cm x 20cms)
Sprinkle the sultans evenly over the dish.
Whisk the remaining ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
Pour the wet mixture evenly over the bread pieces, ensuring that all the bread is covered.
Place the tray in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until cooked through on the outside (the middle may still be gooey...yummo!).
Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Optional; serve with Whipped Coconut Cream.
BANANA BREAD
Makes 1 loaf
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Dates
1/4 cup Boiling Water
Dash Bicarb Soda
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
270 grams Over ripe Banana (2 1/-2 to 3 Large Bananas)
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Coconut Flour
3/4 cup Almond Meal
1/4 cup Arrowroot Flour
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Bicarb Soda
Dash of Salt
2 Tablespoons Milk (Coconut, Almond etc)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 175C/350F
Grease and line a 20cm (8 inch) x 10cm (4 inch) loaf tin.
Place the dates into a small bowl and covering with the boiling water and add the dash of bicarb.
Allow to sit and soften for at least 30 minutes.
Add the date mixture and the male syrup to a blender and mix until a purée forms.
Place the eggs into the bowl of a kitchen stand mixer and beat on high until fluffy (about 5 minutes).
Add the purée mix and continue to beat on medium. Add the vanilla extract.
Add the bananas to the blender and pulse (alternatively do this with a masher or fork). I like to have mine mainly gooey with a few chunks left in.
Add the bananas to the mixing bowl and beat on medium until well combined.
In a separate bowl sift the dry ingredients together.
Fold the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl, being careful not to over mix.
Add the milk and stir through gently.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
Bake for 55 minutes, or until cooked through.
Depending on the reliability of your oven it may pay to start checking at 50 minutes.
Allow to cool in the tin before slicing.
