Cinnamon Loaf Cake

Easy Cinnamon Loaf Cake is the perfect treat to go with your afternoon cup of coffee or tea! It’s a moist, soft and wonderful tasting loaf cake!

Cinnamon Loaf Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 butter, soft
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup creamed honey
• pinch of salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsweetened cashew or coconut milk, at room temperature
• 2 cups white spelt flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar

-Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 30 cm loaf pan with parchment paper.

-Whisk together the butter, eggs, honey, salt and vanilla. Whisk in the milk. Combine the flour and baking powder, stir into the wet ingredients until well combined.

-Combine the coconut sugar and cinnamon.

-Pour half of the batter into the loaf pan, sprinkle the coconut sugar-cinnamon mix on top. Add the remaining batter. With a knife, cut through the batter to swirl a few times.

-Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until tester inserted into centre of cake comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Ursula

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Lemon Bars

These lemon bars are the perfect dessert on a hot summer day! I love the refreshing lemon flavor!

These bars are refined sugar free and I used spelt flour.

We like it so much that I’ve made these a few times already this summer, including one time using limes.

Lemon Bars

Shortbread crust:

• 2 cups spelt flour
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 tbsp water

– Mix all the ingredients together and press into a 31-22 cm, (9×13 inch) baking pan. Pre-Bake crust in preheated, 350 F, oven for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Lemon Filling:

• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup creamed honey
• 3 tbsp spelt flour
• Juice of 3 lemons
• Zest of 1 lemon

– Whisk all the ingredients together. Pour lemon filling on the still warm prebaked crust. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the filling is set. Let cool completely, then refrigerate.

-Cut into squares, then dust with icing sugar if desired! Tastes wonderful when cold.

I hope you give it a try! This was actually first time I’ve ate and made lemon bars, and I’m loving it!

 

Ursula

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blueberry Coconut and Granola Jars

This is a simple but so yummy treat! Using my coconut milk custard recipe, crunchy granola and blueberries! That’s it! A lovely dessert or a fancy breakfast!

Served in a glass or in a jar.

 

Blueberry Coconut and Granola Jars

Coconut custard:

You can find the recipe here: Coconut Custard mini tarts with mixed berries

-Prepare in advance as the custard needs some time in the refrigerator to set.

Tip: Instead of the canned coconut milk I used 500 ml coconut milk from a tetra pak that only contains coconut milk.

-Using your favorite homemade or store bought granola, fill into jar or glass, top with some coconut custard and finish with blueberries, as much of each layer as desired.

-Tip: use fresh or frozen blueberries.

 

My thoughts and prayers are with all the victims and everyone involved in the Toronto tragedy last Monday.

Ursula

 

You can find me on Instagram: littleswisslittlecanadian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Linzertorte

If you’ve been following me for a while you might remember my Linzertorte aux amandes . While this is such a delightful cake you just have to try a traditional Linzertorte. A nut-crust filled with red currant or raspberry jam. It gets its name from the Austrian city of Linz and is believed to be the oldest cake in the world, with recipes dating back to 1653.

While traditionally it is covered with a lattice top, I decorated it Valentines Day style!

A few days ago I was HAPPILY surprised to see that I got a small feature in the Canadian Living magazine!! I couldn’t believe it, I am so happy. I only have a small blog and Instagram, I am not a professional baker and do not make professional pictures, but I’m having fun and it makes me happy when I get so many lovely comments and likes! Last fall I’ve made their Caramel Apple Sticky Buns and tagged them on Instagram. Well now they are actually showing my picture in the current issue, they are so awesome!

 

 

These are little tarts I’ve made last year. Picture is before baking. The dough is lighter in color because I used blanched almonds.

The recipe is slightly adapted from Betty Bossi’s: Kuchen Cakes and Torten

 

Linzertorte

Ingredients:

• 150 g butter, soft
• 100 g coconut sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp cloves, ground
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 150 g ground hazelnuts, or almonds unblanched
• 150 g unbleached all-purpose flour
• 200 g red currant or raspberry jam

-Stir together the butter, sugar and salt, add the egg and the spices. Mix in the hazelnuts or almonds and flour until well combined. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

-Grease a 22 cm Springform or pie/tart form (with removable bottom would be great but not necessary). Roll out 1/3 of the dough directly on the base of the Springform. Take another 1/3 and form the sides. Fill with the jam. Decorate with remaining dough; lattice, hearts…

-Brush with an egg-white. ( I did not do that)

-Bake in preheated 350F/180C oven for about 40 minutes. You might have to cover it with aluminum foil to prevent from getting to dark. Let cool completely.

-You can decorate it with sliced almonds and icing sugar if desired.

-The original recipe calls for 150 g sugar.

 

Enjoy!

Happy Weekend!

Ursula

 

You can find me on Instagram: littleswisslittlecanadian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spiced Sweet Potato Muffins

I’ve posted a picture of these muffins on Instagram back in October. The original recipe uses pumpkins, which I did use for the first batch and we just loved these muffins. The sweet potato came into use because I had no pumpkin on hand so I thought I just give it a try and it was surprisingly very yummy. I added some oat crumble and some maple caramel drizzle like I made for the Caramel Apple Sticky Buns, used only coconut sugar and maple syrup, otherwise followed Linda’s Spiced Pumpkin Loaf recipe from her blog sweetenufblog . Sweet potato as well as pumpkins are very healthy and I just love them. So feel free to use either, both are delicious!! Just made another batch this week to pack for my kids for school:)

 

 

Here are some other yummy pumpkin recipes:

Pumpkin-Oat-Squares

Pumpkin-Chocolate-Muffins

Pumpkin Spice Babka

 

Spiced Sweet Potato Muffins

Yields 12

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, I used coconut sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 1/3 cups sweet potato puree or pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• Glaze: Combine 1/3 cup icing sugar with 2 tbsp maple syrup
• Oat crumble: 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp coconut sugar
• Optional: toffee bits, butterscotch chips, pecans

-In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside

-In the bowl of a stand mixer using a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat until very light in colour and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, and scraping down sides and bottom of mixing bowl. Beat in the maple syrup. The mixture will look curdled at this point! As you add the flour mixture it will come together.

-Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a wooden spoon stir in half on the flour mixture until combined. Add in the pumkin and stir until combined then add in the remaining flour mixture and stir until no streaks of flour remain. Fold in the nuts.

-In a small bowl mix together the oats, cinnamon, maple syrup and coconut sugar.

-Fill into prepared muffin tins, smooth out the top with an offset spatula or knife, then sprinkle some of the oat mix on top.

-Bake in 325F preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes until top springs back lightly when touched. Or a tester inserted into centre comes out clean.

-Let cool completely then drizzle with the maple glaze.

-Tip: Double the oat crumble recipe if you like to have a thick crumble top.

 

Thanks again for the recipe Linda!

I hope you’ll give it a try!

Enjoy!

Ursula

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peach Tart

Simple, rustic, delicious fruit tarts, in this case I used peaches. Niagara peaches are in season now and they are so yummy. Of course I had to make some kind of dessert!

This is how you make pies in Switzerland. It is the Swiss version of North American pies I guess;) I just like to call it a tart, rather. This is a very traditional “meal” in Switzerland, documents writing about tarts dating back to as early as 1556!

Easy pie crust filled with either fruit, veggies, cheese or meat. I slightly changed the usual crust, adding some ground almonds. We also add some ground nuts onto the crust before adding the fruit to absorb some juice while baking. And maybe the filling is different as well, a egg-milk-sugar filling.

 

 

 

 

Delicious Niagara Peaches

 

Peach Tart

Pie dough:

• 100 g unbleached all-purpose flour
• 100 g almonds, ground
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 85 g butter, cold, cut into small pieces
• 2 tbsp honey
• 4-5 tbsp cold water

-In a small bowl mix together flour, almond, salt and honey, add the butter and mix with your hands until resembles fine crumbs. Add the cold water and knead quickly until dough holds together. Wrap into plastic wrap and let rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Filling:

• 5-6 peaches thinly cut into slices
• 100 ml milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp honey
• optional: cinnamon, vanilla sugar or extract
• 2 tbsp ground almonds or hazelnuts

-Whisk together milk, egg and honey.

-Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Grease a 8 or 9-inch pie form.

-Roll out dough and put into prepared form. Sprinkle the nuts onto the dough then add/layer the peach slices. Pour milk-egg-honey filling over the fruit.

-Bake for about 45 minutes or crust is golden brown and liquid is set. Enjoy warm with some vanilla ice cream or let cool completely.

 

 

Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

Ursula

 

 

You can find me on Instagram: @littleswisslittlecanadian

 

 

Canada Day Baked Maple Custard Doughnuts

Happy 150th Birthday Canada, July 1st 2017!!

I was thinking of what kind of desserts are very typical to Canada. Each province and territory has its own specialty. From Nanaimo Bars, Saskatoon Berry Pie, Butter Tarts, Apple Pie, Tarte au Sucre, Wild Blueberry Pie, Beaver Tail (like Elephant ears), and many more. Anything with Maple Syrup comes into my mind of course!! A very popular Canadian Coffee Chain has these Maple Boston Doughnuts and these the are my favorites. I have not had a doughnut in years…really. But I’ve made baked jelly donuts or as we call them in Switzerland, “Berliner”. Of course a doughnut should be fried, but these taste really soft and yummy, are easy to make and are a little on the lighter side that way;)

My son was helping me forming the doughnuts. He is slowly getting better, but he is starting to get a bit bored, so this was something for him to do. You can form the donuts as big as you like, from doughnut hole shape to regular doughnut size. The dough, custard and glaze are sweetened/made with maple syrup to really get into the maple goodness, or Canadian spirit:)

 

 

 

 

Baked Maple Custard Doughnuts

 

Coconut Custard

Find the recipe here: Coconut Custard mini tarts with mixed berries

-You can use any non-dairy or regular milk for this recipe

-Sweetened with 1/3 cup of maple syrup

-Do not forget to make the custard ahead. It needs time to cool and set.

Dough

• 200 g unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp dry instant yeast
• 50 g butter
• 125 ml milk

-40 g butter melted

-Mix together flour, salt and yeast, add maple syrup.

-In a small saucepan mix together milk and butter and over low heat let the butter melt. Add to dry ingredients and mix well, then start kneading dough until forms a soft ball. Place back in bowl and cover with plastic wrap, let rise until doubled in size, about an hour.

-Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

-Form dough into desired doughnut shapes,  place onto sheet, cover and let rise again for about 30-45 min.

-Brush doughnuts with melted butter. Bake in preheated 350/180C oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Maple glaze

• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 tbsp butter

-In a small saucepan mix maple syrup and butter together, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and let cook until thickens while stirring constantly.

-Dip or brush warm donuts with the maple glaze (as much as you like)

 

-I filled the warm doughnuts first, then glazed. Works well with a small round pastry tip.

-These taste best when freshly made!

 

 

Enjoy!

Happy Canada Day!

Ursula

 

 

 

Follow me on Instagram: @littleswisslittlecanadian

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strawberry Shortcake Cups

This has been a bit of a crazy week. My teenage son injured himself on his hip during a track and field race at school. Brought to the emergency by ambulance was his first and hopefully last time…Lucky he does not need surgery for his torn tendon and small broken piece of bone. Takes about 6-8 weeks to heal. But I have to say, he is taking it very bravely and is making the best out of it! So proud:)

For Fathersday my daughter made some strawberry cream cheese cookies, (so good!), and I made these Strawberry Shortcake Cups. These are so simple to make and taste amazing!

Ontario Strawberries

 

I’ve made the cake dairy free and refined sugar free and used the thick part of the coconut milk instead of whipped cream. That was not planned but I ran out of real cream and I usually have coconut milk at home, so…it was really good:)

 

Strawberry Shortcake Cups

Yields: about 8

Cake:

• 2/3 cup coconut sugar (or regular sugar)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (or butter), melted
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup cashew milk (or dairy)

 

-about 200 ml (for 4 cups) coconut cream or whipped cream

-Strawberries

 

-Preheat oven to 350F/180C.

-Cream together sugar, egg and coconut oil. Mix in vanilla and salt. Mix together flour and baking powder and add, alternating with the milk, to the egg mixture. Do not overmix.

-Fill in greased baking dish. Bake for about 30 minutes or until tester inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool completely.

-To assemble: Layer cups with cake pieces, strawberry slices and whipped cream, to your liking.

–There will be cake left. I’ve made only 4 cups, but I think I would have been able to make another 4 cups.–

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

Ursula

 

 

 

You can find me on Instagram @littleswisslittlecanadian

 

 

 

 

 

Semi-frozen Strawberry Tarts

I hope you all have or had a lovely Sunday!! We are going through the first hot weather this year, today it is 32C, and humid in southern Ontario! It would be so nice to jump into a pool right now…

We finally went to a Strawberry Farm at the beginning of the week and bought a lot of strawberries:) And we are picking the first few from our garden. After that amazing Strawberry-Coconut-Cake for my birthday I am back at making also a little bit more healthier treats again. I totally love strawberry tarts, I had two;) when I was in Switzerland (forgot to make a picture). So instead of making a pastry crust, I made an unbaked, raw nut base, filled it with my coconut custard from Coconut Custard mini tarts with mixed berries and put it in the freezer, then decorated it with strawberries-that easy, so refreshingly delicious!

 

Semi-frozen Strawberry Tarts

 

-Makes 10 tarts

 

Coconut-Custard:

-get recipe here: Coconut Custard mini tarts with mixed berries

-Prepare ahead of time. It needs a few hours to cool and set in the fridge.

 

No bake nut base:

• 3/4 cup pistachios
• 1 cup blanched almonds
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

-Blend nuts together until coarse crumbs, add rest of ingredients, pulse a few more time until holds together. Press into cupcake tins. I used silicon forms, slightly greased.

 

Decoration:

• Strawberries

 

-Once the custard is set, you can fill the cupcake tins. Let freeze for a few hours. It will be easier to take out of the form. Decorate with Strawberries and keep in the refrigerator for semi-frozen or put it (without the berries) back in the freezer. My husband and I liked it more semi-frozen, my kids liked it really cold;) LOL

 

 

 

How do you beat the heat?

 

 

Enjoy!

Ursula

 

You can find me on Instagram: @littleswisslittlecanadian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strawberry-Coconut-Cake

June is usually the month when we get the first Ontario Strawberries, depending on where you live of course. We also have some plants in our garden, which are full of flowers this year, and I’ve seen some green unripe berries. I can’t wait to taste the first berries:)

June is also the month of my birthday:) June 2nd. I’ve made this amazing tasting strawberry coconut cake. Imagine coconut cake with a creamy mascarpone filling and strawberry puree! It is perfect for the month of strawberries;) or as other summer fruits come along I am sure it would taste great with cherries or other berries and so on.

Our strawberry plants.

 

Strawberry-Coconut-Cake/Erdbeer-Kokos-Torte

Coconut cake:

• 3 eggs
• pinch of salt
• 100 coconut sugar, or sugar
• 75 g flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 40 g coconut, shredded unsweetened
• 30 g butter, melted

-Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line the bottom of a 22 cm round Springform baking pan with parchment paper.

-Mix eggs, salt and coconut sugar well for a few minutes. Mix flour and baking powder and sift it into the bowl with the egg mixture. Gently mix. Add coconut and melted butter only until combined. Pour into prepared baking pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until tester inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Strawberry layer:

• 1/2 organic lemon, zest and juice
• 250 g strawberries
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp water

-Puree strawberries, lemon juice and zest. Mix together well cornstarch and water, add to strawberry puree. Over medium heat bring puree to a boil, and let cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool down, then put in fridge.

Coconut Mascarpone Cream:

• 500 g mascarpone
• 150 ml coconut cream
• 100 ml honey, plus 2 tbsp
• 350 ml whipped cream
• 1 packet vanilla sugar
• 2 pouches unflavored gelatin
• 75 g coconut, shredded unsweetened

-Mix together mascarpone, coconut cream and honey, add shredded coconut. Prepare gelatin as directed. Add a few tablespoons of the mascarpone cream to the gelatin and mix, then add it to the rest of the cream. Whip whipping cream until stiff, add 2 tbsp honey or sugar, whisk again then fold gently under the mascarpone cream. Cover and leave in fridge until cake has completely cooled down.

Extras and Decoration: 

• Coconut liquor, Rum, Kirsch Schnapps…(optional, leave out if you have little kids eating)
• 100 ml whipped cream
• 250 g strawberries

-Place cake on a plate or cake stand. Drizzle some liquor on top. Place and close cake ring back around the cake. Spoon some of the strawberry puree into middle leaving a 2 cm space around. Cover with 2/3 of the mascarpone cream, spread evenly. Mix rest of puree with remaining mascarpone cream. Spoon onto cake then gently swirl, not going to deep until you have a desired look, kind of like a marbled look. Let set in refrigerator overnight.

-Carefully remove cake ring. I used a hot knive to go around first, to loosen it a bit.

-Decorate with whipped cream, strawberries and some shredded coconut if desired, to your liking:)

–you can use regular sugar to replace the coconut sugar and the honey–

 

Recipe by Ursula, A little Swiss a little Canadian

 

 

 

I wish you all a great weekend! Happy long weekend for those in Europe (Pfingsten)!

Enjoy!

Ursula

 

 

You can find me on Instagram @littleswisslittlecanadian