Bakers Delight Cape Seed Giveaway

Admittedly, I am pretty fussy when it comes to bread. I am quite health conscious in my selection and, of course, it has to taste good! I have always been a fan of the Cape Seed loaf and rolls at Bakers Delight, however, until very recently I had no idea it was so healthy! As it turns out.. Cape Seed bread is packed with vitamins and minerals, which makes me feel extra good about my choice in bread :)

 

Loads of goodness goes into this bread, including over nine grains and seeds go into Bakers Delight's Cape Seed loaf... soy and linseed, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, rye, barley, oats and mung beans, just to name a few. Full of vitamins and minerals it includes iron, protein, vitamin E, antioxidants and omega-3. Another great thing about Cape Seed bread is that it's has a low glycemic index (GI), which means it will keep you full longer and provide longer lasting energy (no risk of sugar crashing here!).

One of my favourite ways to enjoy Cape Seed bread is as part of a quick, weekday breakfast - sliced, toasted and topped with banana (and alongside coffee of course!) Or, for something a bit fancier, I might also add some low fat ricotta and a little honey.

Thanks to Bakers Delight, you have the chance to win 1 of 9 vouchers to the value of $5 for you to use at any Bakers Delight bakery in Australia. To enter, all you have to do is comment on this post and tell me your 'mini recipe' for how you would use Cape Seed bread. Be as creative as you like! Entries close at midnight AEST on September 8, 2010.


Good luck!

Ladybird x

Chocolate & Nutella Macarons

I think it's fair to say that 95% of the world's population likes nutella, so how could nutella filled chocolate  macarons not be delicious?! If you feel the way that I do about nutella, you will understand my reluctance to keep it in the pantry cupboard. Why? Because it simply doesn't last. Nutella on warm bread, nutella on crepes, nutella on a teaspoon, nutella on a dessert spoon, nutella on a finger and then, suddenly, it's all gone!

The idea behind these macarons came from meeting a lovely French girl named Sandra. Sandra is a friend of a friend and has since moved overseas with her partner. However, in the relatively little time that she and I spent together, she opened my mind about French cuisine and became somewhat of a reference point for all things French. An avid baker and home cook as well, Sandra would tell me fantastic stories about food and wine in France, and wonderful recipe ideas. She taught me how to say 'macaron' properly. She informed me that no one in France really buys Moët Chandon because it is considered to be a rather inferior product in France. Most importantly, however, she told me of the Nutella Cookbook. A cookbook filled with hundreds of recipes using the delicious chocolate hazelnut spread - sweet and savoury. Nutella spaghetti.. Nutella Cake... The list goes on. I was speechless. I was in nutella dreamland. It was time for Nutella to feature once again in my pantry.

Alas the cookbook she referred to is in French, and with my Francophone friend now living on the other side of the world, my quest to source a version in English continues.. Until then, I will have to be a bit creative. Not that sandwiching macarons with nutella is outlandishly creative, but it is wickedly decadent :)

Chocolate Macarons
Adapted recipe from The AWW Macaroons & Biscuits

3 aged egg whites (I left mine out overnight in a bowl covered with clingwrap)
1/4 c (55g) caster sugar
1 c (160g) icing sugar
1/4 c (25g) cocoa powder
1 c (120g) ground almonds
2 tsp cocoa powder, extra
Nutella, for the filling

1. Grease heavy oven trays and line with baking paper.
2. In a food processor combine the almond meal, icing sugar and cocoa powder and pulse briefly in a few 2 second bursts. Then sift the mixture twice and set aside.
2. Beat eggwhites in a small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form, starting slow then gradually building to full speed. Add caster sugar a little at a time, beat until sugar dissolves.
4. Fold in the almond meal, sugar and cocoa mixture in two batches.
5. Spoon mixture into a large piping bag fitted with a 1 cm plain tip. Pipe 4cm rounds about 2cm apart onto the trays.
6. Tap trays once on bench firmly to remove bubbles and so the macarons spread slightly.
7. Dust macarons with extra cocoa powder through a sieve; stand 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 150 degree celsius.
8. Bake macarons between 15-17 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely on trays.
9. Sandwich the macarons with the nutella, and be transported to nutella heaven!

Tell me readers, what is your favourite way to eat nutella?

Ladybird x

Lemon Gelato

It's official - gelato is the most difficult thing to photograph. Ever!

I was reading an online article during the week in which a photographer described the challenges of his work, particularly when it comes to capturing shots of children or animals. Ridiculously, I scoffed.. "Clearly he has never tried to photograph gelato!"

The previous day I had pre-scooped and frozen the gelato, hollowed out and cleaned a lemon and set up my scene to photograph this lemon gelato. Despite being organised, it was nothing short of frantic chaos. You see, gelato melts incredibly quickly. Once you've served it, it's Go! Go! GO! It was worth it though. I managed to get some shots of gelato (as opposed to chilled lemon soup) hehe...

There are two main reasons why gelato melts so quickly. First, gelato typically has a low fat content than regular ice cream and secondly, its semi-frozen consistency. I really enjoy gelato, particulary after dinner because it is so light yet so flavoursome.

I adore all things lemony, and I especially love the refreshing and zingy hit of lemon gelato. I'm getting a bit sick of the cold weather here in Sydney, so perhaps a summery gelato will help bring on summer (?). A bit like a home cook's rain dance, only for warm weather! haha..

Lemon Gelato
Makes approximately 1L

1 cup water
220g caster sugar
1/3 lemon zest
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup double cream

1. Place the water, sugar, lemon zest and juice in a small saucepan.
2. Stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
3. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
4. Whisk together the lemon mixture and cream in a large jug.
5. Churn in an ice cream machine following the manufacturer's instructions, before transferring to a container then freezing. Mine was a little runny after churning, but was ok once frozen.

Note: If you don't have an ice cream machine, never fear. To read advice from David Lebovitz (in my home, referred to as 'The Ice Cream Guru') about how to make ice cream without a machine, click here.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone :) If the weather is warm in Sydney, perhaps it will be the gelato that brings it on! Let's wait and see...


Ladybird x