Nostalgia

I was having trouble falling asleep the other night, and I got to thinking about food I remembered as a kid. Figures, I'd be thinking about food while trying to fall asleep! Maybe I was just reminiscing. These aren't in any order, and may jump around, but that is what happens when you are really tired.

Once in a while, we'd have soup and a sandwich for supper. Not just any sandwich... an oven-grilled grilled cheese sandwich! I remember watching the cheese melt when not stirring the Campbell's mushroom soup. Dad would sneak me his mushrooms. Mushroom soup is still my favourite.

Speaking of Campbell's mushroom soup, I remember taking a thermos with soup to school for lunch. It stayed warm until lunch time. I'd break crackers and add them to the soup. Once I forgot to close the lid properly, shook the thermos, and had a mushroom soup shower.

Another thermos favourite was spaghetti. Mom would make extra spaghetti, warm it before I went to school, and it would still be warm for lunch. I think I was the envy of the class because I had a warm lunch. She'd even put parmesan on top!

When mom got one of those ToastMaster thingys, I loved making grilled cheese sandwiches and jam sandwiches. I loved when the cheese oozed out and when it made the cut mark because the cheese was super crunchy. The jam was just like toast and jam and was usually cool enough to eat by the time I finished the cheese sandwich.

One of my favourite snacks was a spice cake that mom would make. I found out that it was just a cake mix, but it was so tasty! I keep a box on hand just in case I need a fix. One day I'll find a good recipe and make my own.

I remember on our visits to the Maltese "area" of Toronto when we'd go to the Malta Bake Shop. We'd go there for pastizzi. Being young, the pastizzi seemed huge. I would eat the pastry in layers and eventually have a mound of ricotta. Sometimes I still do that with the pastizzi mom makes.

Every Christmas before our next door neighbour, Tommy, passed away, we would visit to wish him and his wife a Merry Christmas. He would always have a box of red delicious apples from Algoma Orchards for me. I remember on the drive home eating at least one of the apples. I've started a tradition of buying one red delicious apple around this time of year.

Growing up, I was quite a picky eater. Still kind of am, but I've gotten MUCH better. When mom would make torta tal-pizelli, I would prefer to eat the crust. It had just enough of the flavour of the filling. Now I eat the whole thing, but still eat the crust separately. Old habits are hard to break, I guess!

I've always had a soft spot for fresh bread. I love the smell of it, the texture of it, and the taste of it. When mom and dad would get a fresh loaf of white (yes, white) bread from the bakery, I would eat it with just mayo. Please don't think less of me. I would eat a few slices with nothing but mayo on them. It was so good!

On our Saturday shopping trips to Oshawa, we would often stop at the Taunton Bakery for bread and apple fritters. I know they were bad since they were deep fried, but I just loved eating the edge pieces. I didn't want the soft doughy parts, just the edges. I haven't had one in years. I don't even know if they even make them anymore.

The kids at school always thought I was weird because I'd sometimes bring some fresh coconut for a snack. When dad would get one on our grocery shopping trips, I would watch him hammer it after draining the water. It was hard to eat, but I enjoyed it. I haven't had a fresh coconut since. I'm a big fan of coconut, so I think we'll have to experiment with one soon.

Well, as odd as some of my memories have been, I hope you've enjoyed my trip down memory lane.

Lisa

Mocha Time!

'Tis the season for warm beverages, right? Since I'm not into eggnog or hot apple cider, I drink espresso. What better than to mix my two favourite drinks? Those would be hot chocolate and lattes. Simple simple drink to make if you have the equipment.

What I did was mix about a cup of whole milk(only once in a while as a treat), two heaping tablespoons (the ones for soup) of hot chocolate powder in the milk steaming carafe and steam away. I don't like my drinks super hot, so I steam until it is the right temperature for me. When that is done, I brew a shot of espresso. Again, you can make it as strong as you'd like, but I'm still green :). Mix the hot chocolate and espresso together and you have a mocha!

A nice warm and tasty drink for any day.

Lisa

Malta- Day11

Today we had lunch at one of my aunts' house. She made us a feast of lentil soup, roast chicken and stuffed roast pork,  cabbage, potatoes, peas and carrots. It was really good. We didn't expect anything like that when they invited us for lunch! For dessert, she had a fruit flan and warmed peaches with brown sugar. Everyone sang Happy Birthday for Joe :).

For supper, we went to a small place called Cafe Jubilee. They started us off with a plate of galletti (Maltese water crackers) with olives and a smoky cheddar. Then I ordered a spaghetti alla carbonara since I've never had someone else make it, only my own. Joe had ravioli filled with ġbejniet. They were really good! I was afraid to try them, as I am with everything, but I tried a piece of one, and enjoyed it. The sauce was a bit acidic for my liking. Aunty Mary gave me a deep fried ġbejna to try, and it resembled mozzarella sticks, only way better. Joe wants me to learn how to make them now! For dessert, we shared imqaret with vanilla ice cream. The imqaret were so hot, it was melting the ice cream! Man, the ice cream here is something else!

All this food talk is making me tired!

Ċaw!

Lisa

Malta- Day10

Today was a busy day! We stopped for coffee (espresso and cappuccino) at one of the many little cafés after a tour of St. John's Co-Cathedral. I was feeling rather drowsy, so we had two! I think this might be a habit that will continue when we are at home.

For lunch, we went down to the waterfront and dined at an Italian place called Pepe Nero. We started with a mushroom soup that was quite good. To think, I've never tried to make it! We then each had a pizza. I had a mushroom pizza that had porcini and button mushrooms (it was a mushroom kind of day!) and Joe had a pizza with zucchini, eggplant and peppers. It was all very filling. Aunty Mary's friend gave us għadam tal-mejtin (Dead Man's Bones). They are almond filling cookies that are in the shape of bones. They are popular around this time because of All Saints day and All Souls day. The "bones" are covered with icing. Anything with almonds is a-okay with us!

Since we weren't very hungry in the evening, we stopped at Busy Bee in Ta-Xbiex/Msida. Dad is always talking about their food. Joe finally got to try Lampuki Pie. He liked it. It apparently didn't taste fishy, but boy did it smell fishy! I just got 2 pastizzi. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with the piżelli (peas) ones. I haven't had good experiences with them while here. Mom's are WAY better. Since it was Joe's birthday, I got us two pastries to share once back at the hotel. One was a layer cake with coconut and chocolate. It was obvious that they put some kind of liqueur in the cake. I also got what looked like a canolli, but with more of a pastry shell as opposed to a deep fried crunchy one. It had a vanilla cream inside and was rather tasty too.

Boy am I going to miss some of this stuff when we come home!

Ċaw!

Lisa 

Malta-Day9

Today Joe and I went to a place called South Street. It was a modern cafe on one of the side streets. We had cappuccino and espresso. On the side, there was a small cube of pudina tal-ħobż. That is a bread pudding that often has dried fruit in it and nuts. It is a cake-like treat. Joe ordered a sandwich that was on local crusty bread with tomato paste from Gozo, sun-dried tomatoes, ġbejniet, and pickled onions. I had a panini with chicken, lettuce, tomato and cheese. It was a very satisfying brunch.

In the afternoon, we got some imqaret to hold us until supper.

For supper, we went to Trabuxu for a fantastic supper. Joe had a penne with eggplant and I had a spaghetti ragu. The sauce was amazing! Of course, I asked the waiter to leave the dish of Parmesan at the table, and we almost finished it! Joe tried some white wine, and he liked it. It was a local wine. For dessert, I had the best strawberry ice cream I've ever had. It was made in Gozo, an island that is part of Malta. Joe had banoffi which was a banana and caramel toffee cream pie on a very tasty crust. It blew us away. I may have to attempt making that one in the future!

More adventures to come in our last few days!

Ċaw!

Lisa

Malta- Day 8

Today Aunty Mary brought us sandwiches, so we didn't eat out for breakfast. She likes doing it, and they are good. While we were out, we treated her to a cappuccino. I had a large one that came in a clear glass mug. It looked neat! Joe had his usual espresso. I also picked a few sweets for us to share. They were all with almond and some had a hint of lemon. I'm going to miss those!

For supper, we just went to a small place in Senglea (L-isla) since we both had our blood sugar dropping. We went to a place called Caffe di Capri (I think) and we all had fish and chips. The fish was really soft, so we think it might have been cod. It was so filling, so I only ate the olives on the salad. For some reason, the salads don't come with dressing. That was the first time we had chips (fries) since we got here.

After we got back to the hotel, we went to Pegasus, the restaurant in the hotel, and got some ice cream. Joe had ġelat tan-Nanna, and I had coconut ice cream. Oh my, that coconut was sooo good! It had little chocolate chunks in it too.

Unfortunately, time is ticking away, and this adventure will be over before we know it!

Ċaw!

Lisa

Malta Day7

Today we went to Għejn Tuffieħa, also known as Golden Bay with my cousin Noel. It was an interesting drive. We passed where they grow the produce. We had lunch at AGiOLIO which is right beside the beach. I had a bbq chicken pizza, and Joe had one with rocket leaves, Parma ham, and had Parmesan shavings on top. It was soooo good. The pizzas are thin crust, and delicious!

We stopped for coffee at a place in Birgu called Riviera del la Marina. We had our usual espresso and cappuccino. It was nice to sit and talk with all sorts of boats docked near by.

For supper, we went to a little place called Rampila. It wasn't far from the hotel so Joe wouldn't get exhausted walking. We ordered a platter with buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, and rocket leaves. Rocket leaves are like arugula. For our mains, Joe had rabbit again and I had pork fillets filled with Brie, sun-dried tomato,  and asparagus. Joe liked the rabbit, and said it tasted better than the one he had yesterday. It looked like they gave him a whole rabbit! The pork didn't really have the flavour of the pork we get in Canada. The pork was probably raised here, so it would obviously have a different taste. We couldn't believe the price of the water. If we had known, we wouldn't have had two bottles at €5 per bottle that was 750mL! Water in Valletta is expensive, even in the little grocer on the main stretch. I thought €1 for a 2L bottle was steep!

We had lots of adventures today :)

Ċaw!

Lisa

Malta-Day 5/6

Since Joe's fall on the stairs, we kept a low profile yesterday. We had mostly sandwiches that my aunt brought us. She bought fresh bread that morning. I love the soft bread here because it has sesame seeds on top. Mmmmm! She also got some galetti for me because I just love those. They are considered water crackers. We also had some ġbejniet. Ġbejniet is a small round cheese made from milk, usually goat or sheep). It is sometimes rolled in black pepper. It was interesting.

Since Joe had more strength in his ankle today, we took an electric cab (like a smart car/golf cart) to Fort St. Elmo so we could see The Malta Experience. It would have been a LONG walk otherwise. We had a lunch of cornish pastry and a panzarotti type thing with ham and cheese. I also got us a piece of ricotta amaretti cake. It was soooo good. We also had our usual... espresso and a cappuccino.

When we came back to the hotel, we had another espresso and cappuccino while we were trying to decide what to do next.

For supper, we decided to eat at the Pegasus which is in the hotel. It was a nice little restaurant. For appetizers, I had Tarja Moqlia with Parmesan. Tarja is basically a fritatta made with thin spaghetti, maybe cappelini, eggs and cheese. Joe had the Alioffa, which is a fish soup. For our main course, I had the Maltese Beef Braġioli with vegetables and Joe had the stewed rabbit. Braġioli are thin pieces of beef with a filling inside. These ones had ground meat and olives. When my mom makes them, she uses ground pork, bacon, hard-boiled eggs and Parmesan cheese. The meat is wrapped around the filling and fried just to sear the outside. Mom usually serves them in a pasta sauce. The ones at the restaurant were just served with some mashed potato, cauliflower, snow peas, and carrots. They were pretty good, but not as good as mom's. Joe really enjoyed the stewed rabbit. He had the same vegetables. He said if blindfolded, he couldn't tell you what kind of meat it was. It looks a bit like chicken, but has the texture of beef. Joe also had some local red wine, since it came with the meals and a hopleaf. For dessert, we had Ġelat tan-Nanna, which translates to Grandma's ice cream. It had bits of nuts and candied fruit and was made with condensed milk. It was quite nice. We also had a sampling platter of Maltese treats. There were pieces of imqaret, qagħaq tal-qħasel, halva, and nougat. We were quite satisfied.

Hope you enjoy the adventures we had today!

Ċaw!

Lisa

Malta-Day4

This morning, we were in a little bit of a hurry because we were meeting one of my aunts was picking us up to take us around. We went to one of the first coffee shops we saw, which was Cafe Royale. This was not a great choice. Once again, we ended up having pastizzi because it was a quick thing. Pastizzi come in either ricotta or peas with meat. Usually the peas with the meat are simply called peas. We didn't expect the pea pastizzi to actually be just peas. We are not prepared for that. Joe didn't mind them, but I just couldn't. These pastizzi hardly had filling, and for the price of them, it was a bit of a rip off. The cappuccino I had was especially bitter, so I had to use quite a bit more sugar than I normally would.

For lunch, my Aunty Grace organized a get together with a number of my family members from my mom's side. We were a large group. There was my Aunty Grace with her husband David and daughter Miriella, Aunty Marcette with her husband Albert, Aunty Tessie with her husband Freddie, Aunty Jos with her husband Dominic and daughter Sharon, Aunty Miriam with her husband Harry and sons Noel and Carlo along with Noel's fiancee, Nadia. Joe and I ordered pizzas. He got pizza Melitae which had tomato sauce, mozzarella, Maltese sausage, goat's cheese, onions, parsley, olive oil and bighilla. Bighilla is a bean mash that Joe thought resembled refried beans with a twist. I got pizza Funghi that had tomato sauce, mozzarella, mushrooms and oregano. We both liked them. They were quite filling!

In the evening, we were to meet with Aunty Mary and her friend Eugene, but on our way down the stairs, Joe sprained his ankle. Aunty Mary went out to see what she could find, and being a Sunday night, only McDonalds was open (nnnoooooo!!!!) We ate the nuggets, fries and salad that they kindly brought us. They also found some sweets that were with almonds. We were sold at sweets, but almonds sealed the deal. One had icing sugar on it, the others had slivered almonds and a bit of a citrus note. They were soooo good!

We'll be limping on more adventures, so stay tuned!

Ċaw(Maltese spelling of Ciao),

Lisa

Malta-Day3

Today was a quiet day. We went back to Cordina for breakfast. This time we had an English breakfast that had 2 eggs, 2 sausages, a little bit of "bacon", beans and toast. The sausages were far from greasy, and had nice flavour. The bacon was more like ham and a little salty. I had a cappuccino, and Joe had an espresso and a cappuccino. I was able to speak fairly decent Maltese with the waiter. Joe just loved hearing the back and forth.

It seems that we skip lunch. The food we have in the morning seems to hold us for quite a while. We just get a small snack to hold us until supper. Today we had strizzi. Strizzi are strips of almond filled cookie with icing on top. Mom makes them often. They are like strips of figolli. These ones were kind of bland. The icing was too sweet and lacked taste and the almonds could have used more almond essence. We were expecting something like mom's, and were very disappointed. The price was right! 35c for something just a bit smaller than an O'Henry bar. We only got them because the Dates Kiosk was closed; therefore, we couldn't get imqaret. We won't make that mistake again!

For supper, we were invited to our Aunty Tessie's home for a get together with her family. She served us pastizzi, sausage rolls and pizza.  The sausage rolls were made with tiny little sausages. I guess we'd call them cocktail weenies. The pizza was homemade, and it reminded us of mom's pizza. Joe and I tried Kinney, which is a common Maltese beverage. It is like a cola, but is bitter with a hint of orange. Joe thought it was interesting, and I still don't like it. I remember trying it when I was visiting 21 years ago. I didn't like it then, and I don't like it now. It looks like watered down coke, but it sure isn't coke!

Tomorrow is a busy day, and I'm sure I'll have some more interesting things to say :)

Ciao,
Lisa

Malta-Day2

Today we started off at a place called Eddie's. Dad's talked about it many times. We thought we'd have a quick breakfast there. We tried their pastizzi, but they weren't as good as the ones from Cordina's. Everyone makes them slightly different. I fed the pigeons that were walking all around us a few of the flakes from the pastry, and I quickly became popular :)

We seemed to have skipped lunch altogether, but for supper, we met up with Aunty Mary and her friend Eugene. They took us to a place called St. James. It is located in a cultural centre. To get to the restaurant, you pass a number of interesting sculptures and artifacts. Joe and I each had a Pizza Toscana. It was one of the day's specials. The pizza had mozzarella, Parma ham and spinach. It was quite tasty. Being a thin crust, it was cooked well and was able to hold the toppings without them falling back onto the plate. For dessert, I ordered a cannoli and Joe had an interesting ricotta torte. I can't remember the name, but it had marzipan on top. We shared them so that we could sample them both without overindulging.

Something I find interesting here, is that everyone drinks bottled water. Some places charge an exorbitant amount of money for a 2L bottle. When we were walking in a town called Marsaskala today, we saw so many discarded bottles, it was sad. I think they recycle the bottles because there are bins that are specifically labeled.

More adventures to come!

Ciao,
Lisa

Malta-Day1

After a crazy travel day, well 36 hours, we finally arrived in Malta. I'm not counting that day.

Today we started off with brunch at a little restaurant called Cordina. I say brunch because it was about 11:30 when we ate. We met up with my Aunty Mary for a day wandering Valletta. At Cordina, it is a very fancy looking place on the inside. The pastries looked to die for, but we will partake in those later. We ordered pastizzi, which are a Maltese pastry filled with either meat/peas or ricotta cheese. They were with puff pastry, which isn't the traditional dough and the kind my mom does, but they were awesome nonetheless. Joe had an espresso, and my aunt and I had cappuccino. That was a great start to our day!

After walking around for about 4 hours, we found a stand that had a common Maltese treat called Imqarret. Imqarret are a traditional date square unlike what we think of as date squares. These are squares of pastry with a date filling that are deep fried. When we got ours, they were piping hot and not greasy at all! I don't ususally like the ones my mom makes, sorry mom, but these were really tasty! We'll have to stop there again!

For supper, we found this nice little place called Capistrano on Old Bakery Street. There were no more than 10 tables, and we were lucky enough to get the second last table. We had an antipasti platter with different salamis, prosciutto, ricotta salata, and brie. It was a nice starter. Then I ordered a penne dish with porcini mushrooms and Joe ordered a sea bass. I must say, the pasta was far from boring. With shaved Parmesan, how could you go wrong? The pasta stayed hot to the last piece, and I was taking my time. I sampled the sea bass, and it was pretty good. I'm not one for fish, but I could handle that one.

I can't wait to see what we find tomorrow!

Ciao!
Lisa

Easy Eggplant Parmesean

When you think of eggplant parmesan, I'm sure you think it is a drawn out process. I used to think that too. I've been watching a show called Best Recipes Ever, and they had a lightened up eggplant parm. I've lightened it up even more. Their recipe had the eggplant breaded. I've found that just roasting the eggplant was sufficient. This is what I did...

1-2 eggplants
parmesean cheese
salt and pepper
jarred or homemade tomato/pasta sauce

Take an eggplant and slice it in 1/2" slices. Arrange the slices on a greased piece of foil on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle the eggplant with a little salt, pepper, and olive oil on both sides. Bake in a 425F oven for about 15-20 minutes, flipping once.

Layer the eggplant on your plate with the sauce and a little sprinkle of parmesean. You control how saucy and cheesy the dish is. I'm not a huge fan of tons for sauce, so this recipe is perfect.

This recipe doesn't take long and is great for a meatless meal! I add extra vegetables by making my own sauce with mushrooms, onions, garlic, herbs, etc. Shredded zucchini, carrots, and peppers are also a great addition.

Enjoy!

mmmm...I love wheat berries!

Okay, wheat berries doesn't sound as enticing as Turtles, but still good! A few of the cooking shows I watch have mentioned farro as a great substitute for rice. After doing a little bit of research on what the heck farro was, I found out that they are wheat berries. Wheat berries, or hard wheat kernels, are available at your local bulk store. They don't look like much, kind or boring until you cook them and jazz them up. One cup of dry wheat berries will cook up to just over 3 cups! If you soak them for at least 12 hours before cooking them, it really cuts down on cooking time. When you're ready to cook them, drain and rinse the soaked berries. Put them in a pot with about 2 cups water to 1 cup berries. Cook until chewy, about 40 min. I've heard they are great in salads too. They stay a while in the fridge so you can cook a bunch and use them when you'd like.

This is the salad I love. It is a Waldorf salad with homemade dressing. This is what I do.

Per 1 cup of dry wheat berries
Dressing:
1/3 cup mayo or plain yogurt
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp sweatener (I use honey)
about 2 tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice

1-2 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium apple, chopped
handful of walnuts or pecans
handful of raisins

Beat the dressing with a fork until uniform. Add as much as you see fit. Toss with the celery, apple, nuts and/or raisins.

If you don't think you'll finish eating the batch that day, I recommend adding the nuts when you eat it. That way you still have the crunch. I haven't tried raisins, but I imagine it will balance the dressing nicely. This recipe is great the next day too! Makes a satisfying lunch or side dish.

Hope you like it too!

Lisa

Best Popcorn Ever!

My best friend, Heather, got me hooked on PC Sweet and Salty Kettlecorn. Let me tell you, that stuff if nuts. In a search to find a cheaper way to get my fix, I found the easiest thing ever. The recipe was designed for plain popped popcorn, but I found microwave popcorn works too! This is all it takes.

2 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp sugar
1 bag of popped popcorn

Pop the popcorn, then melt the butter. Mix the sugar with the butter. Drizzle the butter mixture over the popcorn with a spoon and toss for better distribution. Like the store bought stuff, not every kernel will get covered, but still oh so tasty.

If you like the sweet and salty popcorn, you've got to try this!

Enjoy!
Lisa

My Favourite Taco Seasoning

I didn't grow up with many ethnic influences when it came to food. It was mainly Maltese dishes or meat+potatoes types of meals. Since being on my own, I have learned how many other cuisines that are out there and have awesome flavours. One such cuisine is Mexican. I love fajitas, tacos, guacamole and other concoctions of their foods.

After watching a number of episodes of The Rachael Ray Show, I noted her use of a basic taco seasoning in a variety of dishes. I have to give her credit for this one. I use a ton of it, so I make batches and keep it in a jar. Here it is:

2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin

When I mix this seasoning, I don't add salt until I use it. I just sprinkle the seasoning on the food as I am cooking it, so no added water is needed when starting with raw ingredients. If using on precooked meat or rice, you might want to add some water so when it is warming up, it absorbs the flavour of the spice.

Packaged taco seasoning has so much salt and other junk, it is a turn off. I add salt to taste so I can control how much salt is in our food. This seasoning can be used on turkey, chicken, pork, beef, and even veggies. I haven't tried it on fish or tofu, but I'm sure it would work wonders.

Keep a few batches of this in a jar and add how much of it you want! You won't regret it :)

Bon apetito!
Lisa

My Guacamole

Everyone has their own idea of what guacamole looks and tastes like. I personally prefer the smooth kind as opposed to the chunky. Avocados are one of the exceptions to our "no produce from farther than California, if possible" rule. We exercise this exception almost weekly because we enjoy avocados and guacamole with taco/fajita suppers, burgers, and wraps or even just with some tortilla chips or triscuits.

I don't actually measure the ingredients because it really depends on the avocado. You want to find or wait until an avocado is slightly soft. Avocados that are hard enough to kill someone won't get you very far. If the avocado is really soft, it will have dark spots throughout the meat/flesh. Those aren't so good. This is how I make my guacamole...

1 ripe avocado
pinch of salt
diced onion, optional
green salsa, like Herdes
lime juice, approx 1/2 a lime

Remove the avocado from the skin and mash until no lumps remain. Add onion and enough green salsa and lime juice to give the consistency you like. Season with salt to your liking.

Most of the time, I don't feel like chopping onion, so I don't add it. Fresh lime juice gives a better taste, but bottled lime juice works just fine. If you have leftover and want to keep it, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, but make sure to press the wrap against the guacamole to remove any air. In case you didn't already know, avocado turns black when exposed to air for a while. The lime juice helps to extend the length of time it takes to turn black.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Lisa

Super Fudgy Brownies

I was a little reluctant to try these because they can be classified as vegan/vegetarian. My friend Melanie passed along this recipe, and it is too good not to share. This is a classic case of "don't knock it until you try it".
Here we go!

1 1/4 cups white flour
2 tbsp arrowroot flour
1 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar (raw, cane, white)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
1/2 cup date or prune puree*
2 tbsp water
2 tsp vanilla
nuts optional
* to make the puree, cover 1 cup of the fruit with water in a pot. Boil until fruit is soft and most of the water is gone. Process in a food processor until smooth.

Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Sift the flours, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Mix in the sugars. In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients and the puree. Add the wet to the dry and mix until combined. The batter will look dry, but that is okay! Press the batter into a greased square baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.

I will repeat. These are delicious! I've only made these with honey and dates. If I didn't know these were considered vegan/vegetarian, I wouldn't have guessed. The picture in this post is courtesy of Melanie. Mine don't seem to last long enough to get a picture!

I hope you try these and enjoy them! They won't last long :)

Lisa

Welcome!

I thought I'd welcome you to my new blog!  I decided to create this blog because a very close friend thought I should share my culinary adventures with the world. I hope that someone out there reads my blog and learns something new or finds a recipe they like. As I learn new things, I'll be writing about it here to share with you. I hope you enjoy!