Healthy Peanut Butter, Cacao, Banana and Granola Toast with 'Chocolate Sauce'

Summer has felt like a pretty long one this time around in Dubai, and if I’m honest a pretty lazy one as well. I'm feeling more than ready to welcome the colder season, and with it more earthy, heart-warming inspired meals too. 

By now you'll know breakfast is one of my favourite parts of the day, and I don't know if it's because of the ensuing change in season, but lately I haven't really been feeling my smoothie bowls as much. Instead I've been enjoying basing my breakfasts around the humble piece of toasted bread - from a simple strawberry jam on warm farm bread, to zaatar fried eggs with a buttered wholemeal slice, and lately this banana-peanut butter-chocolate style combo. 

Of course, I'm always looking to see how I can make my breakfast more nutritious and filling, without labouring over something that takes too much effort. For a long time, one of my favourite ways to eat toast, is with a slather of peanut butter, topped with banana slices and drizzled with a little honey, and so recently I changed it up a notch. To make it a little fun I've added a sprinkle of cacao nibs and homemade granola, and replaced the drizzle of honey with a healthy chocolate sauce made by simply mixing together a little coconut oil with raw cacao powder. You simply can't beat a peanut butter and chocolate style combo, and this good-for-you toast version for breakfast doesn't disappoint either. The coconut oil based chocolate sauce lends a lovely hint of nuttiness but if you aren't a fan you can replace the oil with a few drops of water to mix with the cacao powder instead. All in all, it's so so easy to put together, and can be made with any type of bread you have on hand. If you're looking to try something other than your usual jam/egg on toast then this is the ultimate in a comforting bread-based breakfast that's almost dessert like, and yet made with good, honest ingredients. 

Peanut Butter, Cacao, Banana and Granola Toast with healthy 'Chocolate Sauce'

Serves 1

One slice of bread of your choice (I used a wholemeal slice here)

Peanut butter, smooth and preferably organic

Half a medium banana, sliced

Raw cacao nibs

Granola of your choice (homemade is best)

Half tsp raw cacao powder

Half tsp coconut oil, high quality 

1. Toast the slice of bread in a toaster to your liking. Meanwhile mix together the cacao powder and coconut oil in a small bowl until the powder has dissolved to form a runny sauce.

2. Spread toast with a layer of peanut butter, and carefully arrange banana slices on top.

3. Sprinkle over some raw cacao nibs and granola.

4. Using a teaspoon drizzle the 'chocolate sauce' over.

5. Slice toast in half if preferred and enjoy!

Rose & Saffron Cream Kunafa Nests

As soon as the countdown to Eid nears one of the first things we tend to think of in our household is what sweets to prepare. This is especially true when we know it's going to be a long day of welcoming guests and needing to make something that's quick yet still impressive to serve with that first post-Ramadan afternoon tea! And so the idea for these Rose and Saffron Cream Kunafa Nests was born.

One of my absolute favourite Arabic desserts is kunafa (otherwise spelt as knafeh) - typically a dessert made up of two crisp layers of vermicelli, stuffed with a light but sweet cheese, and then soaked or drizzled with a wonderful rose sugar syrup concoction. I love how it cleverly uses cheese for that sweet and savory combo, which personally makes it irresistible.
Hence the idea behind this dessert came from my love of kunafa, whilst being inspired by a mix of those ingredients which are commonly used in Middle-Eastern and Asian sweets - rose petals, pistachio and saffron. All have long been used in a very festive way in both Middle Eastern and Asian cultures. Here instead of the usual akawi cheese, I decided to combine my beloved mascarpone (see previous recipes) with kunafa dough strands to create a dessert that, like the tradtional kunafa, is crunchy, sweet, creamy and aromatic all at the same time. Not to mention, it also looks very pretty once put together.

Using a cupcake tin also has its advantage as it means easy individual sized portions which aren't too filling, yet still worthy of seconds. Both the kunafa nests and mascarpone cream mix can be made ahead, so as to be assembled before serving.

Rose & Saffron Cream Kunafa Nests

Makes 12 nests. Preparation time 45 minutes.

250g kunafa dough, defrosted

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup caster sugar

2 & half tsp rose water

1 tsp orange blossom water

5-6 strands of saffron

250g tub of mascarpone

40g icing sugar

Pistachio slivers, for decorating

Dried rose petals, for decorating

Persian fairy floss, for decorating

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C, and using a cupcake tray shape and roll the kunafa strands into each mould of the tray. Bake in the oven for about ten minutes, keeping an eye out until they are golden in colour. Remove and leave to cool.

2. Meanwhile make the sugar syrup by boiling the water and sugar together for about three minutes, until the sugar has melted. Leave to cool slightly and then add one teaspoon each of the rose and orange blossom water. Add the saffron strands and mix to get a yellow tint.

3. To make the cream topping, combine together the mascarpone, icing sugar and remaining one and a half teaspoons of rose water.

4. To assemble, drizzle one teaspoon of the sugar syrup over each of the kunafa nests, and leave to soak for five minutes. Now using a teaspoon, dollop the mascarpone cream mix over each nest, and drizzle a little more sugar syrup over. Decorate with Persian fairy floss, pistachio slivers and rose petals before serving.

Rosewater Panna Cotta

What is Ramadan without a dessert or two to enjoy after iftar?
 

For those of you who don't know, it is the Islamic month of Ramadan at the moment, and for one month Muslims all over the world fast (abstain from any food or drink) from dawn till sunset. As much as I love dessert, the problem I often have while fasting is that with such a limited time-frame to enjoy real food in the evening, I prefer to eat as little sugar as possible. Traditional Ramadan sweets tend to be rich, so I find those served in small portions can be enjoyed and still satisfy your sugar cravings. So this rosewater panna cotta is one of those desserts which is perfect for after iftar (the meal we break our fasts with).

 

Italian in origin, panna cotta is essentially a 'cooked cream', to which different fruits and flavours can be paired. Add rose water, and you have an easily adaptable Middle Eastern/Indian influenced version. It is an incredibly simple dessert, which comes together so quickly and easily, and yet looks like you've spent time and effort making it. All it requires is mixing together the ingredients, and then pouring into serving dishes to refrigerate.

 

Creamy and smooth, the hint of rose in this is delicate on the tongue. Its a lovely cool dessert to enjoy during these warm months, and perfectly apt to serve if you have guests around for iftar.

Just top with rose petals, or even fruit for an elegant touch!

 

Rosewater Panna Cotta

Taken from Indian Simmer

 

Makes 3-4 servings

 

1 cup heavy cream

2 tblspn sugar

1 tspn unflavored gelatin

1 tblspn cold water

1/3 cup mascarpone cheese

3 tspn rosewater

Few drops pink food coloring

 

Simmer together the cream and sugar in a saucepan until the sugar has melted. In a bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water to soften. Add the cream and sugar mixture to the bowl, and stir together. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well until smooth. Strain the mixture and pour into individual serving glasses or ramekins. Chill in the fridge for 3-4 hours until set. Serve as is, or if preferred, dip the glasses in warm water for a few seconds to soften, then run a sharp knife around the edge of the panna cotta to loosen. Gently turn upside down onto a serving plate to remove the panna cotta. Decorate with rose petals or pair with fruit such as berries.

Stylish Burger Cake (Husband's Birthday!)

 

My husband is a huge lover of burgers in all their forms - chicken, beef, double, supreme, fast food, gourmet - you name it!  So when I saw the link for this burger cake I knew it was the perfect birthday cake to make for him.

 

 

This is one of the easiest burger cakes to make, as its not like other tutorials where you have to cover the cake in fondant to get the burger 'look'. I followed the link at Craftsy exactly. Simply bake three cake layers - two vanilla for the burger buns, and one chocolate for the beef layer. Mix together four different frosting colours to achieve your mayo, ketchup, lettuce and mustard, and pipe them onto your cake using four different tips. For a cute final touch, make a couple of fries and soda drink toppers to go on top.

 

I had a few mishaps with the frosting, as once I had piped the different layers I had parts of frosting fall off due to the heaviness, so make sure to pipe your layers much more closer to the centre of  the cake itself to avoid this from happening. Still I love how my cake turned out, and I'm even more pleased that my husband loved it!

 

 

Ramadan, the holy fasting month for Muslims all over the world, is starting tomorrow, so my posts may be a little slow. In the meantime, a Happy Ramadan to all those who will be fasting and I hope to have a special post for Eid day!

 

 

Burger cake tutorial taken from Craftsy