Baking

Banana Muffins

(12 muffins or one 9” (23 cm)cake

2 cups flour

1 ½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup white sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

4 ripe bananas or 3 and 1 fejoa

½ cup water

1/3 cup shredded coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional ½ cup chocolate chips.

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C (350deg F). Grease the muffin tray.

Mash the banana and feijoa.

In one bowl mix the flour, baking soda, coconut and salt together.

In the other bowl mix together the oil and sugar, then add the mashed fruit and vanilla essence. Pour this bowl into the dry ingredients adding water as you are stirring. Add in the chocolate chips.

Fill each muffin tray three quarters with the batter. Bake 20 minutes until they are golden brown or your skewer comes out clean. (You will need 40 to 45 minutes if you are baking a cake)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss Balls

2 cups pitted dates

1 ½ cups rolled oats

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 cup shredded coconut ( extra needed for rolling)

4 tablespoons Cacao or cocoa powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large pinch of salt

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until mixture starts to clump together. If it feels dry add a teaspoon of water at a time blending to ensure you get right consistency. Take a tablespoon of mixture and form into bite sized balls. Coat in coconut and refrigerate for 30 minutes before storing in airtight container. You can toast the coconut for rolling for extra flavour.

Nana Marshall’s Fruit Cake

1 cup sugar

1 425g tin crushed pineapple

3 cups dried fruit mix

1 teaspoon mixed spice

125 grams butter

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs beaten

1 cup self-raising flour

1 cup plain flour

1 teaspoon each almond and vanilla essence

Put sugar, pineapple mixed fruit, mixed spice, butter and baking soda into a saucepan and bring to the boil, boil for 3 minutes. Take off the heat and let get cold. Add essences, eggs, and flour mix well. Place into lined 20cm square tin and back 150deg C for 2-3 hours depending on your oven.

This will store in an airtight container for 5 weeks, you can cover with almond then white icing for a celebration cake.

No Bake Energy Bar

1 cup dates

¼ cup maple syrup or honey

¼ cup peanut or almond butter

1 cup loosely chopped almonds or optional extras to make 1 cup.

1 ½ cups rolled oats

Optional extras: finely chopped dried fruit, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips, vanilla essence, peanuts Brazil nuts or walnuts.

Blend dates in food processer until forms a dough like consistency, either toast nuts and oats in the oven at 180c for 10 minutes or leave raw. Place the oats, nuts, dates and optional extras into bowl. Warm maple syrup and peanut butter in small saucepan, stir and pour into ingredients, mix thoroughly breaking up date dough. Spread into lined baking dish. Press down firmly until compressed evenly. Place into freezer for 20 minutes. Remove and cut into bars. Store in airtight container or can be frozen.