Well, hello blog.  I'm sorry I haven't had much time for you lately.  It's not that you don't mean anything to me, but unfortunately, I haven't been able to spend as much time with you as I'd like.

Life sure can be hectic with two little boys running around under my feet and other commitments of my own.  I don't know about you, but I cannot seem to achieve all that I want to achieve during any given day.  It's so frustrating.

One thing I have achieved lately is making a delicious snack that satisfies the tastebuds of my boys and my husband, and my unrelenting desire to cut back on refined sugar and carbs.  I guess you could say we are moving towards the clean eating idea.  I would like us to move there immediately with no backwards steps tomorrow, but my family have other ideas.

I do buy organic wherever possible, I have stopped buying sugar, but I still haven't managed to get away from white flour all the time.  We hardly eat loaves of bread anymore as such, but I do make crackers, tortillas or baguettes most weeks.  And invariably, I use mainly white flour as this is what my husband prefers.  Baby steps, baby steps...

Anyway, back to the point of this post, Apricot Balls.  Lots of seeds for goodness and held together with rolled oats and a sweet slurry of dried apricots and medjool dates.  A very flexible recipe, so feel free to adjust the quantities and types of seeds to suit your taste and your pantry.

My ingredients are medjool dates, organic dried apricots, water, organic unstabilised rolled oats, organic chia seeds, organic cacao nibs, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pepitas, and a homemade spice mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

This is such a super easy recipe to make.  The dates, apricots, spices and water are cooked in the Thermomix until a thick and sticky paste is created.  Then simply throw in the rest of the ingredients, whizz up until it all comes together (about 10 seconds), roll into balls and toss in extra coconut (or sesame seeds if that grabs your fancy).

If you, or your kids, prefer a smoother consistency, before you make the paste, throw the dry ingredients into the TM bowl and grind for perhaps 5-8 seconds on speed 9 to make a chunky powder (is that an oxymoron?) which you can then set aside until required.  So far, my kids are all good with the chunkier texture.

Healthy Apricot Balls

Ingredients

• 120 grams organic dried apricots
• 4-5 medjool dates
• 125 grams water
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• 150 grams rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon pepitas
• ½ tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon dessicated coconut
• 1 tablespoon cacao nibs
• additional desiccated coconut, to coat

Method

Place apricots, dates, water and spices into TM bowl and cook at 90ºC on speed 3 for 6  minutes. Add remaining ingredients (except additional desiccated coconut) and mix  thoroughly on speed 5 for 10 seconds. Roll into balls and coat with coconut.  Refrigerate for an hour or until cool.

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Delicious, crispy (on the day they're baked anyway) and chewy at the same time, teeny tiny cuties.  A good way to use up some homemade condensed milk.

This recipe is modified from a recipe on Bestrecipes.com.au.

Apricot Bites

Ingredients

85 grams dried apricots
45 grams dessicated/shredded coconut
1 tablespoon self-raising flour
1 tablespoon cornflour
150 grams sweetened condensed milk

Directions

1. Place the apricots in the TM bowl and chop for 3 seconds on speed 7. Add the remaining ingredients and stir for 20 seconds on speed 1 + reverse (or until thoroughly combined). If the mixture is too stiff and not mixing well, heat on 50ºC while stirring to thin the condensed milk a little.

2. Roll level teaspoons of mixture into balls and place on baking paper lined oven tray about 3 centimetres apart.

3. Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes. Stand on trays for 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool.

VARIATION: Replace half the dried apricots with choc chips.  This recipe could be doubled easily.

TIP: Leave the mixture in the TM bowl as you're shaping your balls.  If you find the mixture getting quite difficult to work with, you can then just heat on 50ºC, speed 1 + reverse for 10-15 seconds to get it more flexible again.

There's no denying that I DID NOT roll my bites into balls here.  I just used two teaspoons and prodded them into some kind of resemblance of a ball.  This mixture is seriously sticky.  So because they had quite a bit of coconut 'hair' sticking out all over the place, they don't look as pretty as they could.  I'm sure if you had wet hands it would be ok to roll them, but I just wasn't up for it, chasing after two little boys!

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Apricot & Muesli Balls

I have had this recipe on my "to convert" list for such a long time.  It's really such an easy recipe I'm not sure why it took me so long, however, I got to it today.  It's a great sweetener-free recipe - no sugar, no honey, no sweetened condensed milk.  It uses partially reconstituted dried apricots for sweetness and for binding.  The original recipe is from Good Taste magazine.

 I think it could be "mixed up" in a variety of ways though by substituting various ingredients for the store bought natural muesli.  I used the muesli today because I wanted to get rid of it out of my pantry, but using rolled oats as the majority, you could add any of the following alternatives (plus many others I'm sure):

• almonds
• pumpkin seeds
• sunflower seeds
• cashews
• walnuts
• pecans
• banana chips
• shredded coconut
• currants
• sultanas
• craisins
• dried apple (mmm, imagine an apricot & apple crumble version of this)

The possibilities are endless, especially when you also think about modifying the spices.  How about all cinnamon in the apricot and apple crumble version, or mixed spice with currants and sultanas.

Place apricots in TM bowl and chop briefly.

Add water and spices and cook until softened.  Set aside to cool.

Put the muesli (or combination of muesli-like ingredients) in the TM bowl.

Process until finely chopped.

Add apricot mixture and stir until well combined.  Knead briefly.

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until golden brown.

Form tablespoons of mixture into balls and roll in sesame seeds or shredded coconut.

Eat and relax knowing there's nothing bad in there!

Apricot & Muesli Sesame Balls

Source: Good Taste - May 2005, Page 96 Recipe by Emma Braz, Sarah Hobbs & Jan Purser

Ingredients

• 140 grams dried apricots
• 125 grams cold water
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 30 grams sesame seeds, (or shredded coconut if preferred)
• 215 grams natural muesli (or other chosen dry ingredients)

Directions

1. Place apricots in TM bowl and chop for 3 seconds on speed 5 (this is just to break them up slightly so that whole ones don't get stuck on the blades causing the TMX to work harder than it needs to). Add the water and spices and cook for 14 minutes at 80ºC, reverse soft speed. Set aside for 20 minutes to cool.

2. Meanwhile, place sesame seeds in a saucepan and toss over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Set aside.

3. Place the muesli (or other chosen dry ingredients) in the TM bowl and chop on speed 5 for 5 seconds. Add the cooled apricot mixture and stir on speed 4 for 5-8 seconds until well combined. Set the speed dial to lid closed and knead for 30 seconds.

4. Use your hands to roll tablespoons of mixture into a ball. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Toss balls in sesame seeds or coconut to lightly coat.

Notes

I prefer them coated in coconut rather than sesame seeds.

If using shredded coconut for the coating, grind it briefly to help it stick to the balls better. These are good for kids snack time/lunch boxes etc.  They probably wouldn't cut it for a fancy high tea!  In that case I'd definitely go for a condensed milk version ;-)

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Apricot Sour Cream Cake - Thermomix style

My Thermomix finally turned up yesterday.  So last night I used it to make the smoothest, creamiest mashed potato I've ever made.  Should have taken a photo, it was worth it!  I also made homemade lemonade and some Lime Butter.  It's all just too easy.
This morning I made my favourite cake, the Apricot Sour Cream Cake.  I have now converted it to Thermomix.  It's the easiest cake to make anyway, but the Thermomix has made it a smoother, more velvety cake to eat.

What a success!

Apricot Sour Cream Cake
80g dried apricots
125g butter
220g apricot nectar
125g sour cream
2 eggs
250g SR flour
30g shredded coconut
200g castor sugar

1.  Place dried apricots in TM bowl and process on speed 8 for 3 seconds (less if you like them chunkier) and set aside.
2.  Place butter in TM bowl and melt for 40 seconds at 50C on speed 4.
3.  Add nectar, sour cream and eggs and mix for 20 seconds on speed 5.
4.  Add remaining ingredients and mix for 20 seconds, reverse speed 3.
5.  Pour into a greased and lined tin (ring tin ideally, but I have successfully made this in square tin and loaf tin) in a preheated 180C oven for 40 minutes.
6.  Ice with a tangy lemon icing.

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Today I made my new favourite cake.  My friend Kate gave me this recipe which I have modified slightly.  It is super easy to make, so moist, and in a way quite subtle, with a hit of lemon icing on the the top, it is definitely a keeper.
The batter is quite runny so ideally it should be cooked in a ring or bundt tin to prevent the edges becoming overcooked waiting for the middle to finish.  At this point in time I don't have either of those tins, so I just made it in my square cake tin.  It still turned out ok.  I also forgot to put in the dried apricots today so I just sprinkled them over the top before I put the cake in the oven.  It certainly wouldn't win any prizes at the local show, but that is of no matter to me, as long as it tastes delicious!!  Normally, the apricots should be mixed with the dry ingredients so they get a coating of flour.  This helps in preventing them from sinking straight to the bottom of the tin.

Apricot Sour Cream Cake

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup SR Flour
• ½ cup coconut
• ½ cup diced dried apricots
• 125 grams butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup castor sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup apricot nectar
• ½ cup sour cream

Directions

1. Place flour, coconut, sugar and apricots in a large bowl and mix well.

2. Mix the nectar, eggs and sour cream together.  Add to the dry ingredients and begin to combine.  Add the butter and mix well to form a batter.  It will have a similar consistency to pancake batter.  3. Pour batter into a ring tin and bake at 180C for 40 minutes. 4. Once cake has cooled, ice with a tangy lemon icing. The lemon icing I made is just 1-2 teaspoons of melted butter, the juice of half a lemon and enough icing sugar to make a reasonably stiff mixture. I also made one of my all time favourite desserts today, rhubarb and apple crumble.  This one I made to put in the freezer for another day, but I also made a plain apple crumble for dinner tonight and it was sensational.  I used the last of my leftover roasted hazelnuts for a twist and it has been declared a winner. PS My Thermomix has made it to Sydney!  Not long to wait now...woohoo!!

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Today I baked some biscuits to use up some leftovers from the Choc Hazelnut Puddings from the other night.  I used this recipe from the Taste website with some modifications.  Replaced pecans with hazelnuts, added more apricots and used chopped up leftover Lindt Dark Chocolate mixed in instead of choc bits pressed into the top.  Result = Scrummy!

Apricot & Coconut Choc Cookies

Ingredients

• 150 g (1 cup) plain flour
• 200 g (1 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
• 90 g (1 cup) rolled oats
• 85 g (1 cup) desiccated coconut
• 80g (1/ 2 cup) diced dried apricots
• 70g (1/ 2 cup) pecans, coarsely chopped
• 125 g butter, melted, cooled
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 50g (1/ 4 cup) dark choc bits

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 large baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Sift the flour and sugar into a large bowl. Add the oats, coconut, apricot and pecans and stir until well combined. Make a well in the centre.

2. Whisk together the melted butter, eggs and vanilla in a small bowl. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until well combined.

3. Use your hands to roll heaped tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls. Place balls, 5cm apart, on prepared trays. Press 3 choc bits into each ball, then flatten slightly until about 6cm round.

4. Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and set aside to cool completely.

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