Recipe: Coconut & Carrot Cake

The other week Laura and I made a Carrot and Coconut Paleo cake together (although Laura was more the chef and I sue- chef).  As most of my friends know Laura and I are major health advocates.  So rest assure, although this is still a cake, there are a few health bonus's to eating this baby. 

Super moist, googey and yummy.  What you can see inside the cake is coconut flakes, grated carrot, raisons, and walnuts.  This cake tasted like the regular carrot cake, but less sweet and with a different coconuty icing.  

Find Laura's recipe here.

Cranberry and Almond Biscotti

I have been dying to have a go making the famous Italien biscuit the biscotti.  The biscotti is my favourite biscuit:  not just because it is super tasty, crunchy and a pretty addition to one's coffee, but also because it is a healthy biscuit- guilt free and fabulous. I finally gave a recipe a go making a few changes as I went to accommodate what I had in the cupboard and what I thought would taste nice.  So here is the recipe for my healthy cranberry and almond bran biscotti biscuits.  My oh my were they yummy. 

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 cup all purpose flour (wholewheat preferable as it contains more fiber and flavour)

3/4 cup crushed bran flakes

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons of skimmed milk

2 tablespoons of coconut oil (you can use canola or any cooking oil but coconut what I used)

3 tablespoons of honey

1/2 teaspoon of almond extract

2/3 cup of dried cranberries

1/4 chopped almonds

Instructions: 

1) Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

2) In a large mixing bowl put the flour, bran flakes and baking powder. 

3) Whisk eggs in another bowl and add your other wet ingredients (milk, oil, honey, almond extract)

4) Add your wet ingredients to the other bowl of dry ingredients and mix well. You will have a ball of dough in your bowl. Now add your cranberries and almonds and mix further making sure your cranberries and almonds are right in that mix.

5) place your ball of dough onto a large piece of clingfilm and mould into a log. your log should be about 1inch high, 3 inches across and 12 inches long. With the cling film wrap the dough on either side and shape further into a smooth log. 

6) Put a baking sheet onto a tray and now put your sticky biscotti dough onto your baking sheet removing and throwing away your clingfilm. 

7) Put your biscotti log in the oven for 25-30 minutes.  Your biscotti log should be lightly brown. 

8) Leave to cool for 10 minutes.

9) With a cerated knife, cut your biscotti into slices about 1/2 inch thick. 

10) Place back onto the baking sheet and chuck in the oven for a further 10-15 minutes until toasted, lightly brown and crispy. Leave to cool.

11) Enjoy your homemade healthy biscotti. Nom nom nom.

Loubie Loup: My Twinie's blog

I introduced my twin Laura on a 'style file' back in September. I think Laurie quite liked the whole blogging thing as she has only gone and set up her own.

Being twins people often try and create some black and white differences between us to help them differentiate us as people. For example, Sarah short hair, and Laura Long hair. Laura in blue and sarah in pink.  This has happened from day one. This differentiation continues into our personalities and interests too.  Despite the fact that we both have big interests in fashion and healthy cooking, I have always been known as the twin with the 'passion for fashion' and Laura has been dubbed the amazingly healthy cook.  - what nice things to be known for, dont cha think?

So with my 'fashion-y' based blog, Laurie has now created her own foodie-y blog.  Here is her first post:  Yoghurt Banana Cinnamon and Dark Chocolate Muffins... nom nom nom

Being in South Africa for so long, I not only miss my sister, but I seriously miss her cooking.  I'm looking forward to more posts twinie. XX