Carrot, almond, sunflower and flaxseed crackers

Happy new year! I hope everyone had a lovely holiday. I really really needed the Christmas break, hence the lack of Christmas themed recipes, though I do have a delicious mincemeat soufflé recipe to share... its too good not to post and I suppose I am not the only one with leftover mincemeat!

This cracker recipe is not a knee jerk reaction to the December excess, I do not believe in detox or deprivation especially in a dark, cold month such as January. This cracker is no rice cake, packed with nuts and seeds it is a delicious and filling snack/lunch to have with hummus, soup etc.

This recipe is adapted from the carrot and flaxseed recipe in the recipe book 'The are of eating well' by Hemsley and Hemsley

Carrot, almond, sunflower and flaxseed crackers

60g blanched almonds
40g sunflower seeds
60g finely grated carrot
80g flaxseeds (linseeds)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 200C/180F/GAS MARK 6. Process the almonds and sunflower seeds in a food processor until they resemble a coarse flour.

mix all the ingredients together with your hands to form a dough. Roll out the dough in-between two sheets of baking parchment until very thin ~3mm thick. score the dough into squares, I had some edge pieces which are randomly shaped as my final rolled dough was not a square! Removing the top sheet of baking parchment transfer the dough, still on the bottom piece of parchment onto a baking sheet.

Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. the edge ones will cook a little quicker so cut these off and transfer to a wire rack to cool and return the remaining dough to the oven for a couple more minutes. 

The cracker will be a little soft initially but will firm up as it cools.

Rosemary, honey and poppy seed bread

Rosemary is on of those herbs that I have grown to like much more as I have gotten older. That said, a careful hand is needed, the right amount brings amount a lovely fragrance and taste, too much and the whole meal is left tasting of perfume and soap!

I recall one such instance in which the university cooked carrots in what appeared to be a whole rosemary bush, I honestly did not go near rosemary for over a year.

Thankfully I am over it or this bread would never have been born.

This loaf goes fantastically well with lamb. I had it alongside a lamb salad and also for a sandwich with lamb and pesto, both were equally delicious.

Rosemary, honey and poppy seed bread

makes 1 small loaf

125g white bread flour
125g wholemeal bread flour
1 sachet yeast
15g poppy seeds
1/2 tsp salt
Sprig of rosemary, finally chopped
175ml warm water
1 tbsp honey

Mix the flours, yeast, poppy seeds, salt and rosemary together in a large bowl. Stir the honey into the warm water to dissolve it.

Slowly add the water mix to the dry ingredients and combine to form a soft dough, The dough wants to be soft but not overly sticky, you may not need all the water, I had about a tablespoon leftover.

Lightly coat a worktop with olive oil and knead the bread for 5-10 minutes until smooth and springy. Place the kneaded dough into an oiled bowl, cover with film and allow to rise for 1-2 hours.

Knock back the dough and then shape it into a small loaf, any shape you like. I had a moment of creativiy so mine ended up braided!

Place onto a baking tray and allow to rise again for ~30  minutes. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C FAN. 

After the dough has risen for a second time place it in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until deep golden and the base sounds hollow when tapped.

Allow to cool on a wire rack and then enjoy!

This bread reminded me just how much I enjoy making and eating my own bread, the flavour is unlike that of the supermarket and the combinations are endless. 

p.s. sorry for the alarming photos, I had to take them with my phone but the camera will be back soon!

Strawberry, poppyseed and orange cake

This is one of the more delicious cakes I have had recently. The cake itself has a lovely crumb and texture and the flavours are a little different but amazing.

The orange creme fraiche and Greek yoghurt filling is fresh, zingy and a nice summery alternative to cream. The poppy-seeds work really well too, adding a subtle flavour and nice texture contrast.

This is a good food magazine recipe, it can be found here.

I made a couple of tweaks. There are two of us, I sense it is not the best for our health to attempt to eat a four layer cake, so I halved the recipe to make a two layer cake. The recipe also called for full fat greek yoghurt and creme fraiche. I had 0% fat greek yoghurt and 1/2 fat creme fraiche in the fridge. Waste not want not,  I used these and the filling turned out luscious and fine.

If you are a cake fan I urge you to make this beauty while British strawberries are in season.

Lemon and poppy seed loaf

Still continuing with non chocolate bakes considering I am off chocolate for lent. Sometimes my bakes can get chocolate orientated as it is so versatile  and I usually have some in the cupboard! Its good to break out and bake plenty of things that I have been eyeing up for a while.

This is a delicious loaf that goes well with a cup of tea. There is a nice lemon flavour throughout the cake with a fantastic lemon glaze that packs a nice citrus punch. The poppy seeds add a welcome crunch ad slightly savoury edge which I find particularly welcome in the this soft sweet loaf.

Lemon and poppy seed loaf

130g butter

200g caster sugar 

2 eggs

zest of 1 large lemon

235g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

165ml milk (semi skimmed or whole)

1 tsp orange blossom water

30g poppy seeds

Juice of a large lemon

50g caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 170C/150C FAN and grease and flour a 900g loaf tin.

Gently melt the butter and set aside to cool. Put the sugar, eggs and lemon zest in a bowl and whisk until thick, moussey and pale in colour. Combine the baking powder and flour and add ~1/3 to the egg mixture and beat to combine, then beat in ~1/3 of the milk. Repeat until all the flour and milk has been incorporated. Finally beat in the orange blossom water and poppy seeds.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 65-75 minutes until golden brown in colour and springy when lightly pressed with a finger. 

While the cake is baking make the glaze. Put the lemon juice, sugar and 100ml of water into a saucepan and gently bring to the boil. Increase the heat and continue to boil until it is well reduced and thick and syrupy.

When the cake comes out of the oven brush with the glaze straight away. Add another layer of glaze 10-15 minutes later and transfer the cake to a wire rack. As it is cooling keep adding more glaze until you have used it all up.

This simple cake will keep well in a tin for up to 5 days and keeps its flavour and texture very well. 

Elderflower and poppyseed cake

Once again it was my turn to take cake/biscuits in to work for the lab meeting. There is nothing to say it has to be homemade, any cake or biscuit is a welcome addition to a morning meeting, however I like to make something. I either bake old favourites I have not had in a while or else my workmates get to play guinea pig as I try out new bakes.

I did not have much time at all so my bake had to be something very speedy to whip up. This loaf cake from Peyton and Byrne was just the thing. It also contains elderflower which begins with 'E' and so I can enter it in this months alpha bakes!

Elderflower and Poppyseed cake (From Peyton and Byrne, British baking)

makes one loaf (900g loaf tin)

For the cake

165g butter
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
30g poppy seeds
1 tbsp elderflower cordial
1 tsp orange blossom water
200g self raising flour
140ml milk

For the glaze

125g icing sugar
3 tbsps elderflower cordial
poppyseeds for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 170C/150C FAN. Grease and line the base and short sides of a 900g loaf tin. This will help the loaf to be removed from the tin with ease.

Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each egg. Add the poppy seeds, orange blossom water and elderflower cordial and combine. 

Fold in half the flour, followed by half the milk. Fold in the remaining flour and then milk before spooning into the prepared loaf tin and levelling with the back of a spoon.

Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes until turning out onto a wire rack and allowing to cool completely.

To make the icing whisk the icing sugar and cordial together with a fork. Spoon over the cooled cake, pushing the icing to the edges and allowing it to trickle down the sides. Sprinkle with poppy seeds if you wish.

This cake disappeared exceedingly quickly and I heard good feedback. If I am totally honest though the elderflower was not quite prominent enough for me. I think I would like to try adding in another tablespoon of elderflower cordial and taking out a tablespoon of milk.

Nigella breakfast bars

So that is it. Lent has begun and so has my abstinence from chocolate. I would not call myself a complete and utter chocoholic, yes I love it and yes, if I am honest I have it most days, however I do not have it multiple times a day and occasionally turn it down (!) so therefore do not feel a complete addict...

The lovely Mark has decided to abstain too which makes both out lives easier, I do not have to watch him chomping it and he does not get biffed on the nose for wafting it in front of me one too many times.

A mini problem arises as I realise that he takes his breakfast to work everyday. His favourite cereal bar. His favourite chocolate cereal bar.

With this thought in my mind I began to think more about the commercial cereal bar. Most of which are full of sugar and not much goodness, and do not keep a man, or woman for that matter, full till lunch time.

I had heard a few people rave about the Nigella breakfast bars so decided to see if I these would be a more nutritious, more filling and chocolate free breakfast.

They are full of good things, oats, plain nuts, mixed plain seeds, dried fruit, a little unsweetened dessicated coconut and condensed milk. These seemed to me a much better thing to eat for breakfast regardless of whether or not they contained chocolate.


The exact recipe can be found here. The beauty of this recipe is that it is adaptable to suit your own tastes. I made a few tweaks myself. Firstly I used light condensed milk, it tastes the same and gives the same baked result. I also altered the amount of nuts and seeds slightly, purely based on the size of the bag the shop sold. Mark also requested prunes instead of apricots.

I had a couple of these myself as snacks before dance classes when tea was going to be late. They really kept me going, are very filling and most importantly delicious.

In the coming weeks these bars will be tweaked a number of ways for new exciting breakfasts and snacks. I have an idea involving apples, raisins and hazelnuts, if they turn out well I will be posting that recipe here very soon.

Pumpkin and poppy seed crispbreads

Phew scraping in by the skin of my teeth with a final, slightly more inventive, alpha bakes entry.

I made these to go with my lunches during the week. Me and M had one each to sample them and straight out he offered to pay me to bake a batch just for him. They are delicious and have a very satisfying crunch.

I have adapted a couple of recipes to make a mismatch.

Pumpkin and poppy seed crispbreads

makes 24

60g plain flour
110g wholegrain spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
40g butter
115g 2% fat greek yoghurt
2 tablepoons milk
30g pumpkin seeds
15g poppy seed
1 egg
extra pumpkin seeds for decoration

Mix the flours and baking powder in a bowl, rub the butter in with your fingertips util the mix resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Lightly whisk the yoghurt and milk together with a fork. Add the yoghurt mix and the seeds to the bowl, mix together, then bring the dough together with your hands.

Divide the dough into two and wrap tightly in clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C FAN, and line two baking sheets with baking parchment. 

Take a piece of dough and divide it into twelve even pieces, pat into a rough oblong. Flour a surface, cover a piece of the dough with the clingfilm used to wrap the dough, and roll out as thin as possible.

Transfer the pieces to the baking parchment, glaze with beaten egg and sprinkle on a couple more pumpkin seeds.

Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden. Leave to cool on a wire rack and then store in an airtight tin. 

I can confirm that these are exceedingly moreish, they are excellent as a nibble with a glass of wine and are a lovely accompaniment to soup, I cannot wait to try them with hummus.