Mandarin Orange Cake 

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour 

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature 

2 cups sugar

3 eggs at room temperature

1/2 cup kefir or (buttermilk)

1/2 cup sour cream

4 tbsp fresh mandarin orange or tangerine juice

2 tbsp grated Mandarin orange zest

1 tsp pure vanilla  

Glaze

1 1/2 cup of sifted confectioners sugar (icing sugar).

3 tbsp Mandarin citrus juice at room temperature. Stir until a consistency of paste if too thick add more juice if too loose add more confectioners sugar.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 20 cm (8.5") loaf cake pan generously with butter and lightly dust with flour.

I baked the cake in a Nordic Ware Heritage cake pan to get that beautiful pattern on the cake. 

Sift flour, baking powder and salt, set aside

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time.

Mix the kefir, sour cream, Mandarin citrus juice,vanilla and the zest. Fold in half of the flour blend into the butter batter alternating with the wet ingredients (kefir, sour cream, Mandarin citrus juice, vanilla and zest) and finish with the flour blend. Stir until the flour disappears (do not over mix) 

Pour the batter into the cake pan and smooth over the top and bake in the preheated oven about 40-45 min or until the cake tester comes out clean. Once cooled tip over on a platter and drizzle with the icing and scatter tiny (edible) silver balls to make it even more festive.

Enjoy!

Tahini latte 

Tahini Latte

Ingredients:

2 cups milk or almond milk

1 cup of the Dona Chai Concentrate

2 tbsp of Tahini

2 tbsp of Honey or maple syrup

1/2 tsp of coarse sea salt

1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Directions: 

Blend up all the ingredients in a high-speed blender, serve cold over ice or warm over a medium-high heat stove till the desired temp. 

Serves 4, 12 oz servings (350 ml)

Enjoy! 

Skinny Summer Cooler

My Mothers Blood Orange Cake

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 eggs at room temperature

1/2 cup kefir or (buttermilk)

1/2 cup sour cream

4 tbsp fresh blood orange juice

2 tbsp grated blood orange zest

1 tsp pure vanilla

Glaze

1/4 cup unsalted butter softened

1 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar

3 tbsp blood orange juice at room temperature 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 20 cm (8.5")  bundt cake pan generously and lightly dust with flour.

We baked the cake in our beautiful Glass Bundt Cake Pan and it was excitingl to watch it cook without opening the oven door!

Sift flour, baking powder and salt, set aside

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time.

Mix the kefir, sour cream, blood orange juice, vanilla and the zest. Fold in half of the flour blend into the butter batter alternating with the wet ingredients (kefir, sour cream, blood orange juice, vanilla and zest) and finish with the flour blend. Stir until the flour disappears (do not over mix) 

Pour the batter into the cake pan and smooth over the top.

Bake for 60 - 70 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean.  

Note* Kefir is similar to Buttermilk but a healthier version. 

Remove the cake from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes. Turn cake over a cake platter and spoon over the blood orange glaze.

Enjoy!

Winter Blood Orange Salad 

This is a marvellous entrée salad packed with vitamins and nutrients. You will love this, it does not only taste delicious but its good for you and also visually beautiful! 

1        Baby Arugula package 150 gr (5 oz)

3        Blood oranges sliced 

1        Fennel bulb shaved paper thin

1        Shallot finely diced

          Fennel fronds   

Arrange Arugula leaves on the bottom of a plate. Add shaved fennel and blood orange slices. Scatter diced shallots and fennel fronds on top.

Blood Orange Vinaigrette

5  tbsp olive oil

2  tbsp fresh blood orange juice

2   tsp white wine vinegar

1   tsp Himalayan pink salt 

Whisk olive oil, blood orange juice, vinegar and salt together until well blended,

Lightly drizzle vinaigrette on salad.

Serves 2.

Enjoy!

Scandi Beetroot Latte 

In Scandinavia beetroot is a staple in home cooking. With my Nordic background we use Beetroot often in salads, soups, roasted and pickled. We always  use it as a food colouring in cakes, cake or cup cake icings and where I long for a red or pink food colour. This versatile vegetable has so many delicious uses.The root has a sweetness to it and is high in antioxidants therefore very good for your health. I love the colour of it, it makes everything beautiful and visually pleasing.

I whipped up this beetroot latte for myself instead of my regular afternoon tea latte.

Ingredients

1 cup organic milk or enough milk to fill your mug reserve 1 tbsp.

1 tsp organic beet root crystals (crunchy sweet little things) 

Instructions:    In your mug, add beet root crystals and1 tsp of milk and mix together.

Heat the remaining milk in a small saucepan, gently whisking. Do not bring the milk to a boil.

Once your milk is heated, froth up your milk with a milk frother.

Gently pour frothed milk into your mug, this will create the marbled pink and white effect.

Give the latte a little mix with a spoon before you drink it and top with dried beet crystals for a sweet finale.       

Enjoy 

Note: Alternatively use homemade or store bought almond milk.

How to Make the Rose Apple Pie 

Recipe found here http://piebox.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/rose-pie-0188.jpg 

Bebe Pastry

Traditionally this pastry is filled with butter cream a lengthy process in making. The confectioner Fazer in Finland has been making these pastries since the1880s it is a real labour of love.  

We created a simple version of the pastry that tastes similar by using ready made tart shells. 

1 package frozen mini tart shells (Tenderflake).

2 dl whipping cream

2 dl devon custard or vanilla pudding

Icing:

8 dl icing sugar (sifted)

8 tsp milk

6 tsp beet juice 

1 tsp real vanilla

4 tsp cake sprinkles 

Preheat oven to suggested temperature on the package.

1. Bake tart shells according to package.
2. Let cool on a wire rack.
3. Whip the cream until thick and fluffy. Fold in the devon cream or vanilla pudding.
4. Fill the tart shells with the vanilla filling.
5. Whip the sifted icing sugar with milk and vanilla, slowly add beet juice one tsp at a time for desired pink colour (the beet juice will not alter the taste of the icing).
6. Glaze the tarts with the icing and scatter some sprinkles on top (while the icing is still setting).
7. Let set. 

Makes 18 tarts. 

Note: For any leftover vanilla filling it will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. 

Enjoy!

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