Bibs' favourite muffins

More snow has come. The thing I love the most about the snow (when I can't ski...) is the quiet it brings with it. It gets cosy. Hyggeligt, we call it in Danish. That's a word that only exists in Danish. It means cosy and comfortable and something welcoming. A girlfriend a meet up can be hyggelig, a house can be hyggeligt (fireplace, candles, a nice chat and a hot cup of tea). And it probably includes something to do with food as well, like lunch or dinner with friends or a good afternoon with cake.

And this weather has got me backing. Bibs is not a cake kid. So it is always a huge surprise when she actually likes one. But I thought maybe if I made baby muffins that would work. Indeed, it did.

Apple & Carrot Muffins

Recipe.

preheat oven @ 350F (180C)

makes 48 "baby" muffins

2 carrots

1 apple 

175g flour

150g sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp babking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 large eggs

120ml oil (vegetable, corn, canola oil)

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Peel and finely grate the carrots and apple. 

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In another ball whisk eggs, oil and vanilla extract. 

Fold the egg mixture and carrots & apple into the flour mixture. Don't stir too much, just until it is mixed.  

Fill up the muffin cups half so there is space for them to "grow"

I didn't check the timing really - but it's until a toothpick (or very tiny knife) comes up clear. Maybe around 15 - 20 minutes. 

Bon Appetit!

Kids playing in the snow and building a snowman - 5th Circle 

Leaving Taj Mall today... in the middle of a snow storm

My breakfast...

I love breakfast! Can be a croissant and coffee, the full English one with bacon and beans and sausages and mushrooms. It can be an American one with pancakes.

At home, during the week, it's not that fancy... But I need my coffee, that's for sure. Coffee is one of the more expensive things here in Amman. I get mine from the Brazilian Coffee House (there is a shop in Sweifieh mall and one in City mall). I love the smell of freshly ground coffee. A lovely full bodied and yet smooth colombian one, I buy 250g for 3JD.

So this morning I had my coffee, from my old Bodum coffee presser. For the little story, it has made many many coffees in Denmark (from before I was born), then in France and now in Amman. I enjoyed my coffee with some bread I bought yesterday and my homemade strawberry jam. I love making jams it's so easy. 60% strawberries, juice from a small lemon, a dash of grenadine sirop and 40% jam sugar and that's it! Yummy!

From our Kitchen: Babs' yummy gingerbread cakes

Today I had Bobs at home as it was a holiday, Islamic New Year, so I decided to start my Christmas bakes.

It is a classic, Gingerbread cake, but instead of doing one big cake from which I slice, I prefer to make them in smaller versions...

What you need:

260 gr all purpose flour
1 tsp (5gr) baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/8 ground cloves
115 gr unsalted butter @ room temp
100 gr light brown sugar
2 large eggs
Zest of an orange
120ml molasses
240ml milk

Orange icing (optional)
150 gr sifted icing sugar
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
 
How to make them:

Preheat the oven at 175 degrees C (350 F) with the rack in the centre. Butter and flour the form or a 23cm round/square cake pan. The sides have to be high.

In a bowl mix the flour, baking soda and spices.
In a second bowl, beat the butter and sugar till light and well blended (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at the time and beat well in between. Continue to beat and add the orange zest and the molasses. Add the dry mixture and the milk, alternating, starting and finishing with the flour mixture.

Add the mixture in the form or the cake pan, leaving a bit of space for the mixture to rise while baking. The small cakes will take about 12-15 minutes, one large one about 40-45 minutes. To check if the cakes are done insert a tooth-stick, if it comes out clean, the cake is ready. Let cool off in form for about 10 minutes, before removing it and leaving it to cool off completely.

Icing - optional, but gives a nice touch. Better on a large cake.
Mix the icing sugar and juice until smooth, the icing is thick but can be spread.
You can also add minced fresh ginger, nuts or use lemon instead of the orange...

I found the form with the small men and Christmas trees at Istiklal in Sweiffeh.

Fancy some spare ribs?

I had heard that there was a pork butcher in Amman, but didn't have a clue where he was hiding: until one of my Japanese friends told me she was going: please please take me along, and she did! It is located off Mecca Street at the level of 7th circle (it's on my map!)

Obviously he doesn't have lots of cuts, but he does fresh minced pork (great for won-tons or meatballs), he has some sausages (the same as what you can find in Cozmo), bacon and then some frozen things as well, including racks of spare ribs! The area where it is located there is also a small supermarket and other shops (including a liquor store).

These are the meatballs we make in Denmark, called frikadeller. I just love them and Bibs as well!

Frikadeller

And then we had sweet-and sour pork, Mauritian style. Made with spare-ribs. It is very easy to make and so delicious. Here is the recipe:

500g of spare-ribs (cut in 5cm pieces)

3 onions - chopped

3-4 cloves of garlic - chopped

1 nice piece of ginger - sliced - I put lots!

1 chili - optional

3 tomatoes

ketchup

concentrated tomato sauce/paste

6-8 tbsp white vinegar - in Mauritius you use sugar cane vinegar

3-4 tsp sugar

salt and pepper

fresh coriander

You start with frying the spare ribs in oil until golden, add onions, garlic, chili and ginger. Let it fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, the ketchup, tomato concentrate, 1 table spoon of vinegar, 1 tea spoon of sugar, the salt and pepper. Add a little water, reduce the heat, cover and leave for an hour - checking that it doesn't stick to the pot from time to time. Add more water if needed. The pork should get of the bone very easily. Taste the sauce and correct with more vinegar and sugar as wanted. Serve with rice and coriander leaves. You can also add vegetables in the dish: carrots for example.

Sweet and Sour pork - Mauritian style

Bon Appetit!

Bobs' WonTon recipe

One thing that we are missing here in Amman is proper chinese food! We are really missing our Dim Sum and other dishes at our favorite restaurant, Royal China in London. But we do make some stuff ourselves. Bobs has ordered some pork through the hotel, so today we are having WonTon for dinner, yummi! Of course we could make it with chicken but it is not as nice as with pork. Thought I would share our recipe, it's really easy and once the stuffing is prepared (and the folding mastered!!) it only takes minutes to cook so you can prepare them in advance or even freeze them (before they are cooked, should you have made too many). So here we go:

Stuffing:
250g of minced pork - we use loin
6 big shrimps more or less finely minced as you prefer. We like to have a small piece of shrimp here or there - (optional - don't need to add if you want a cheaper version)
2-3cm of ginger, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1/2-3/4 of a beaten egg
1 tablespoon of Tapioca flower (or Cornstarch)
2 tablespoon of oyster sauce
1 tablespoon of soja sauce
pepper
a little bit of salt

1 beaten egg for folding

To serve:
Spring onion, finely sliced
Coriander leaves
Soja, chilli sauce & sesame oil - we eat it with french mustard as well (not typical chinese, though!)

you can also add chestnuts, to give a crunchy twist, coriander leaves if you want a bit of green in there.

a pack of WonTon pastry (you can buy it from any chinese store, they are fresh - or even better Japaneese ones: the finer the better) or if you fancy, you can make it yourself. I am sure you can find a recipe online!

You mix everything together in a big bowl and voila! I suggest you boil a tiny ball to taste it - to make sure you got the seasonning right!

I should have taken some pictures of how Bobs is folding his WonTons, but you can either go on YouTube to see how it is done or do like me: one square of pastry, a bit of farce on one half, some egg on all the sides and then I fold in order to make a triangle. What ever form you make just make sure you press firmly down around the meat so all air is out - so the meat can't get out when you boil them.

Put the WonTons in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Put in a dish and add the spring onions & coriander. Soja sauce (and sesame if wanted), then chilli sauce and mustard on the side! Promise it is yummi!!!

You can also eat in a soup... that recipe is for another day!

Babs’ Christmas Goodies…

As we are getting ready for our big move (26 days to go today), I am busy packing but let’s not forget Christmas either :) I have always been a huge Christmas fan – I love the spirit, the carols, the decorations around the house, the tree, the presents… and of course the Christmas baking & cooking. This year it’s even more special as it is Bibs’ first Christmas!

I thought I would share some of the yummy stuff that I do and those of my mum as well. I am from Scandinavia and up north we do have a great tradition for Christmas bakes. We make breads, cakes and cookies… it’s good it’s only Christmas once a year!

I’ll start with a new one – it’s the first year we make this, it’s really yummy! kind of a little gooey texture not dry at all. Like everything in my homeland you eat it with butter! Some apple marmalade or even cheese. It’s great to have at home but also to bring with you should you be out and about for the day.

Honey Cake

The portion is huge, but you can keep it for really long – in fact the longer you keep it, the better it gets! – well that’s what the recipe says…

500g Honey
500g Muscavado sugar
3dl water
2 eggs
1kg self-raising flour
2ts ginger (powder)
2ts cinnamon (powder)
2ts cloves (powder)
zest and juice of 2 oranges
250g raisins (or other dry fruits dates, apricots – then cut in smaller pieces)
Butter for greasing / or use banking paper

Warm the honey, sugar and water in a big pot. Let it cool completely (quite handy as there is snow outside for the moment!). Mix all the other ingredients in the pot directly.

Grease the oven proof dish and cook at 150 degrees for 40min. This depends on how thick your cake is. The one on the picture nearly got 2 hours as it was really thick. The cake should just get off the knife (it should still be a little humid) then it’s ready. Don’t leave it for too long or it’ll get dry.
As said you can keep it for weeks – just pack it in food packing paper (pergament paper) or a tea towel.