Smiley Saturday – Baking Bonanza

Smiley Saturday time again. If you want to join in then click on the Smiley Saturday link above and head over to Lightenings to enter your Smiley Saturday link.

I’ve been feeling a little stressed recently and when stressed I bake, it helps relieve the tension from my shoulders and the ache in my head.

So onto the baking

Yummy Zucchini Chocolate Cake

125g Butter
1 cup (packed) Brown Sugar
1/2 cup White Sugar
3 large Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla (I use pure vanilla extract because I’m fussy like that)
1/2 cup Yogurt (any type)
2 1/2 cups Plain Flour
3 cups (350g) grated Zucchini
1/4 cup Cocoa
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Cinnamon or Mixed Spice
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips

Heat oven to 170oC. Line bottom and sides of a 25cm square pan with two crosswise strips of baking paper (or butter and flour the old fashioned way).

Beat softened butter with sugars in a mixer or food processor until light and creamy. Mix in eggs, vanilla, yoghurt and 1/2 cup of the measured flour, then mix in grated zucchini. Sift in remaining flour and the next 4 ingredients. Stir gently, then pour into the pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until centre feels firm and a skewer comes out clean. Cool on rack. Refrigerate, or freeze wrap pieces.

Source: “School Lunches and After School Snacks” by Alison and Simon Holst

The verdict – hubby and I hated this, my girls on the other hand loved it and wanted, more, more, more.

I’m in two minds about making it again because I really didn’t like it,

but the good thing about not liking it is the children get it all to themselves.

Next time I might try Kate’s Zucchini Chocolate Bread instead.

Simon’s Spiced Fruity Muffins

1 cup of Wholemeal Flour
1 cup of Plain Flour
4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cinnamon2 large Eggs
1/2 cup Canola Oil
2 x 140g pots fruit in juice
1/2 cup raisins or sultanas
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 200oC.

In a large bowl, mix the first six ingredients. In another bowl, beat eggs with a fork. Add oil and fruit (with juice). Fold into dry ingredients with the dried fruit and walnuts, until just dampened.

Spoon into 24 mini-muffin pans or 12 medium muffin pans. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Source: “School Lunches and After School Snacks” by Alison and Simon Holst

The Verdict – Everyone loved these and they freeze and reheat really well. I froze them two muffins to a ziploc bag and was able to pull them out and reheat as special treats for the girls. We made them without the walnuts due to nut allergies. I also measured out the fruit in juice from a large 1kg pot I had (cheaper that way). Have made these again a couple of times.

And Note Simon’s Spiced Fruit Muffins – DIARY FREE – Woo!

Pineapple Carrot Cake

1 cup Wholemeal Flour
1 cup Plain Flour
1 cup Sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1/2 cup chopped Walnuts
2 cups (250g) grated Carrot
3 large Eggs
1 cup Canola Oil
1 tsp Vanilla (extract please)
225g can Crushed Pineapple

Heat oven to 160oC.

In a large bowl, mix the first eight ingredients. In another bowl, beat the eggs, oil, vanilla and pineapple (including liquid) with a fork. Stir both mixtures together, mixing until just combined.

Pour into a 23cm square baking pan lined with 2 strips of baking paper (or buttered and floured the old fashioned way). Bake for about 45 minutes until the centre feels firm and a skewer comes out clean.

Leave for 5-10 minutes before turning out.

Source: “School Lunches and After School Snacks” by Alison and Simon Holst

The Verdict – Hubby loves this! Woo and it is almost healthy . Once again I made this one without the walnuts and it works perfectly well. There is an optional cream cheese icing but as I cut up the pieces and freeze them I skipped the icing and really it doesn’t need it. Lovely and moist and too yummy for words. The hard part is not eating it all in one go and resisting temptation whilst slicing and wrapping and freezing.

And Note Pineapple Carrot Cake – DAIRY FREE – Double Woo!

There you go. My Smiley Saturday is food filled. I did heaps more baking – dairy free vanilla cake for Annies birthday cake, the pink cake as seen at Lightenings Blog, some easy cheesy muffins, Anzac biscuits and lots lots more but I think 3 recipes is enough for one blog post. Now to go find where my recipe master list disappeared to in the great blogger to wordpress move.

Hope your Saturday is Smiley too.