I love to read cookbooks. It may seem strange to some people but it is a favourite past time of mine. I love reading new recipes and getting inspiration from these books. I have my favourites and I love it when a new recipe book comes along that really jumps out at me. One that grabs me by the hand and leads me on a journey of discovery and new ideas.
I discovered this particular book on a browsing excursion in my local book store. I always gravitate to the "cook book" section to see all the lovely new cookbooks. I picked this one up by chance and the title simply read "Have your cake". I thought mmmm yes please and continued to read on..... "No butter, No white flour & No added sugar - a healthy and simply way of baking".
Now that line is something that grabbed me. I am always trying to make baked items which are "somewhat" healthier than the original version and this book sang out to me. I leafed through the book and was excited by the recipes that I saw, muffin, biscuits, cakes with a healthy alternative! I took note of the books title and planned to find it online. (Generally cheaper than the local bookstore).
I was pleasantly surprised to stumble across the Author's website and Facebook page which I promptly became a fan of.
The author of the book "Have your Cake" is Emily Rose and here is a little about why she wrote this book.....
After constant searching for healthy treats for my family, reading labels on the back of packages of food full of additives, preservatives and lots of sugar, I realised that the best way to ensure that my children were eating foods full of goodness was to bake them myself.
However, I didn't want to just make healthy snacks that looked healthy and tasted healthy. I wanted my children to be able to enjoy treats that tasted like 'normal' biscuits, cakes and desserts, but were made from healthy ingredients.
Two years ago, after visiting a health retreat in Australia and hearing once again about the negative effects of sugar in our bodies and how white flour turns into sugar once our bodies digest it, I returned and began experimenting to make healthy treats without the use of added sugar, artificial sweeteners, butter, margarine or white flour.
My challenge was that I wanted the biscuits, cakes and desserts to taste as good as the alternative sugared products.
I began with a choc chip cookie, using 70% dark chocolate and to my surprise they looked and tasted delicious. A year ago, after I had made approximately 10 recipes for my family and friends, I decided that I would like to share them with others, so I set out to write a cookbook.
My kitchen became my laboratory as I began concocting and testing new recipes. I continued remaking each recipe until all my test tasters (my family and friends) said that the recipe tasted amazing. If they said, "it was just nice", then I wasn't satisfied. I kept reworking my recipes until they were delicious.
My cookbook, 'Have Your Cake', isn't about weight loss and counting calories or aimed at any specific health problem. It is about putting healthy ingredients into our bodies, feeling good about what we are eating and still being able to enjoy delicious foods, even sweets.
The recipes are easy to make and most take only 10 minutes to prepare. I'm often making cookies after I've put the kids to bed.
Baking and tasting new foods has been a wonderful experience that my children and I have enjoyed together. I hope you, your family and your friends enjoy my recipes as much as we have.
Emily Rose
I can totally relate to wanting to create and bake something nice that is preservative & additive free and with less processed ingredients such as sugar and white flours. Society is becoming more aware of what we are putting into our bodies and I believe this cookbook is an excellent start toward baking your way into a "healthier" lifestyle.
You can purchase this wonderful cookbook from her website: Emily Rose Recipes for $14.95. Make sure you check it out.
Jam Surprise Muffins
I knew I just had to whip up a batch of one of these muffins when I found the recipe on Emily Rose's facebook page. Emily's explanation of this muffin is: "This recipe is as close as it’s going to get to a jam doughnut. A delicious treat."
Boy oh boy is she ever right.... and less calories as well!
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup (150g) honey
1/2 cup (125ml) rice bran oil
1 1/2 cups (240g) wholemeal self-raising flour
1/2 cup (50g) coconut
2/3 cup (165ml) milk
1/4 cup (95g) 100% strawberry jam
cinnamon for dusting
Method:
Preheat oven to 170 degrees fan-forced.
Beat eggs, honey and oil together. Add flour and coconut. Mix in milk.
Grease each muffin tin with oil and using a sieve dust each one with cinnamon.
Fill each muffin tin 1/3 with mixture. Then scoop 1 teaspoon of 100% strawberry jam into the centre of the mixture of each muffin. Add the remaining mixture filling each one 2/3 full. Dust over the top with cinnamon.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Makes 12
* I found that it is extremely important to not overfill the muffins cases when baking this recipe.
Simply Tea Selection
What better tea to complement a delectable treat such as these would have to be our Strawberries & Cream Tea. It is a light blend of China and Ceylon teas enriched with dried strawberries giving a taste of smooth strawberries & cream. Enjoy it hot or serve it iced. This will match perfectly with the cinnamon and strawberry flavours of the muffin. You can purchase our 100g Pouch of our Strawberries & Cream Tea for $12.00 or a sample pack for $2.00.
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