Cinnamon Teacake

Craving for something sweet and spicy in this cold winter season? Treat yourself with this ‘easy to make and wonderfully soft’ cinnamon cake from Taste.com.au. The crunchy cinnamon sugar crust is the highlight of this otherwise plain teacake. Very comforting with a cup of hot tea, I strongly recommend it when doing night duty on weekdays.

CINNAMON TEACAKE

Ingredients:

65g butter, softened

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 egg, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup self-raising flour, sifted

1/3 cup cream or milk

For the Cinnamon Topping

10g butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons caster sugar

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Grease a deep, 20cm round cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper.
• Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla together for 2 minutes or until combined.

• Stir in half the flour, then half the milk. Repeat with remaining flour and milk. Spoon mixture into prepared pan.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Stand in pan for 5 minutes.

• Turn, top-side up, onto a wire rack. For the topping, combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
• Brush hot cake with butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture and cool slightly. Makes 6 servings.

Sweet & Spicy Winter Cake

Coconut Banana Bread

Here’s another super tasty, super easy quick bread to add to my never-ending list of failproof banana bread recipes. Ever so slightly adapted from Culinary Adventures In The Kitchen, you can bake it a day ahead, wrap it in foil, store it overnight and wait for the flavours to come through. I quite agree with Alison about the addictive nature of this sweet bread; I had to tell someone to take it out of sight for fear of eating the whole thing alone. See, it’s that good!

COCONUT BANANA BREAD

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp table salt

3 medium ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tbs light muscovado sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup unsweetened yogurt

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup dessicated coconut, toasted

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 3 x 7-inch loaf pan and line base and sides with parchment paper.

• In a medium bowl, sift all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir in oats and coconut.

• In a large bowl, mash the banana. Add coconut oil, sugar, light muscovado, egg, yogurt, extracts and mix well.

• Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan.

• Bake for 60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning out to cool completely.

Coconut & Banana

White Chocolate & Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

My days as the pediatric resident doctor came to a stop this week when I was suddenly rotated to the ER Department. Right when I had finally got used to everyone and everything in pediatrics, nursery and neonatal ICU, it was time for me to step out of my comfort zone and adapt to a new, unknown environment. Emergency is fast-paced and exciting where the opportunities to learn and explore are much more than that of a ward set-up. Red alerts, ambulance pick ups, marketing events, journal club articles are all gonna be part of my daily routine as from now onwards.

The long working hours will no doubt require a rich dose of calories to keep my blood sugar normal and my neurons functional. I have found a good source of carbs in oatmeal. But I never knew its full potential as a satisfying breakfast item until I made Barbara’s White Chocolate and Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies. They will go a long way in boosting your energy level, especially if you are unexpectedly called to help in OT for a whole day!

WHITE CHOCOLATE & CRANBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES

Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup softened unsalted butter

1 egg, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp table salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup wholewheat flour

1 1/4 cup quick oats

1 cup cranberries

1 cup white chocolate chips

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350oF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat butter and sugars until smooth.

• Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. Sift together flours, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

• Gradually add flour mixture and oats to wet ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon until it forms a stiff cookie dough.

• Fold in white chocolate chips and chopped cranberries. Drop onto prepared baking sheet with a tablespoon.

• Bake cookies for 8-12 minutes until soft. Cool completely on baking pan before removing. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Soft & Chewy Cookies