Lemon Picnic Loaf

It's May!  Almost time for rhubarb and strawberries, fiddle heads and asparagus, long bike rides and picnics.  Do you like picnics?  I confess that I've probably never planned a perfect picnic with little containers or mayo-free salads and glass jars filled with lemonade.  But we've had lovely coffee + scone breaks in the park, PBJs from plastic lunch containers pulled from our bike packs, and lots of ice cream (cones and cups) and icy drinkings while strolling or lounging on grassy, hilly areas of the park.

I love the idea of picnics and one day this summer, perhaps I'll plan the perfect picnic with a perfect picnic menu, one that includes the perfect picnic dessert -- a dessert that's fuss-free, not to sticky or melty and one that definitely won't get squished on the way to the park.  A dessert like this lovely lemon loaf.  It's refreshing and lemony and just sweet enough to be called dessert.  Add a little glaze on it, and it would definitely be a great contender next to those chocolatey treats that we sometimes need a break from.

This loaf is sturdy, but not stodgy.  It has a nice, tender crumb, and even though it's vegan (meaning no eggs to keep it together), it does not fall apart when you bite it.  The flavour is lemony and zingy with just a little bit of nutty from the spelt flour.  I know this is not sounding like dessert, but trust me, one bite -- maybe two-- and you'll be addicted.  It's the kind of dessert that packs well and is great at finishing off a meal on the road, but if you had it at home, it would beg for blueberry sauce, ice cream or a sweet sticky glaze. 

It's delicious straight up, but added fresh berries would be an awesome treat, as would some lemon curd (I found an awesome recipe for vegan lemon curd that I'm dying to try) layered in the middle, or even dried fruits.  I had it plain the first time, and then the next, I added dried blueberries.  Totally awesome. 


Vegan Lemon Spelt Loaf
makes one small loaf
adapted from Liz Lemon Nights

juice and zest of 2 medium-sized lemons
3/4 cup of almond milk
1/2 cup of natural cane sugar
splash of vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of canola oil
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
2 teaspoons of cornstarch
1.5 cups of spelt flour

1.  In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and zest, almond milk, sugar, vanilla and canola oil and whisk to combine.  Set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and soda, and cornstarch.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients slowly, mixing gently during the process.  The mixture will be quite runny.  Let it sit for about 5 minutes or so while the oven preheats.

3.  Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until the loaf gets a lovely golden brown colour, and a cake tester inserted comes out clean. 

4.  Enjoy!  Happy picnicing!

Behind A Bit ..

I've been behind a bit ... behind a bit in marking, behind a bit in planning, behind a bit in my program .. and behind a bit in sharing this cake and these muffins with you. That's September for me: a bit of a blur. But the long weekend is here and it's time to catch up. I know everyone is posting yummy Thanksgiving (or at my school, it's referred to as Turkey Day) recipes with pumpkins and cranberries and stuffing and turkey. And I'm proud to say that I have a bag of Canadian cranberries and a beautiful sugar pumpkin all ready to be turned into tasty things. I promise a more festive and seasonal post very soon.

For now, I'd love to quickly share with you this very delicious treat -- two of them actually, depending on what you choose. Remember way back when Jacqui at So Good and Tasty made this apple and blackberry pie? Or when kickpleat at Everybody Likes Sandwiches made these blackberry and peach shortbread bars? It was right around the time that Meagan at A Sweet Spoonful was made a cake with fresh corn and raspberries while Heidi at 101 Cookbooks was making a nice berry pie. Summer was merging into fall. Mornings were getting crisper, berries were fading slowly and apples were beginning to show up. I thought I would get to pie-making this summer, but I didn't. Not even a tart. But that's alright. I made great use of the in-between fruits in these apple blackberry muffins / loaf with crisp topping. Let me explain.




I loved loved loved the apple blackberry pie that Jacqui made, so much that I almost -- yes almost got it together and rolled out the crust and everything. But for reasons that are beyond me and none too good, I didn't. I did use the very same fruits: the season's first apples --the ginger gold that obsessed over, and exiting season's last berries. I also used spelt flour and flakes, which gave these treats a very nutty, rich flavour. The muffins were perfect weekday take-to-work-pick-me-up-at-three-o-clock treats, but the loaf was really something special. Moist, fruit-studded, sweet and the crisp topping blew me away. It's something about that spelt ..

Anyway, I was supposed to keep it quick, so here's the recipe. I know that blackberries are gone now, but apples are in full swing. Frozen berries would be totally fine, or you could skip the berries and add another apple. You could even use a few chopped cranberries! Whatever you do, don't skip the spelt!





Apple Blackberry Spelt Muffins / Loaf
makes one small loaf and 12 mini muffins

For the muffins and loaf:

1 cup of spelt flakes
1/2 cup of milk (any kind .. I used soy)
1/4 cup of yogurt
1/4 cup of honey
2 tablespoons of canola oil
1 egg, beaten
1 large apple, grated
1 cup of spelt flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
a large handful of blackberries

For the crisp topping:
*I only put the crisp topping on the loaf, but if you wanted it for the muffins as well, just double

1/4 cup of spelt flakes
1/4 cup of whole wheat flour
1/4 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of canola oil

1. Make the topping by mixing together the spelt flakes, flour and sugar until well combine. Add the canola oil and, using a fork, work it into the mixture until it resembles a coarse meal. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the spelt flakes, milk, yogurt, honey, and canola oil. Let it stand for 10 minutes

3. Add in the beaten egg and grated apples and mix well. Sift in the flour and baking soda and mix until just combined. Carefully mix in the blackberries.

4. Fill your muffin tins with some of the mixture and pour the rest into a loaf pan. Sprinkle your crisp topping over top. Bake in a 350 degree oven. The muffins should only take about 15 minutes. The loaf should take about 45 minutes, or until the topping in a deep golden brown and a cake tester inserted comes out clean.

5. Let you loaf cool to room temperature before serving. If you try to cut it right away (like I did!), it will be too wet in the middle and you'll think it's not cooked -- but it is! Just be patient and let it rest. Enjoy!

Spring Spring..

Spring = busy. Spring = almost insanely busy. Spring = distracting sunshine that prevents me from working on the weekends. Today, though, is foggy and rain is threatening to fall .. Spring = rain as well.

Spring also means Mother's day and I guess I should have posted some Mother's Day treats last weekend, but I just didn't get around to it. My own mommy is off gallivanting in east Asia, and my Grandma was more than happy with her noodle-y brunch and piece of apple cake. Instead of working or blogging, I went bike-riding instead. Bad me.

This weekend, however, I'm stuck at home procrastinating on an inevitable teacher's year end task: reports. Yes, again. I'm currently taking a break and thinking about thing many things I can make for my Mom when she returns, and I'm reminded fondly of this healthy, tasty, fruity, coconut-topped loaf that I served to my parents on Family Day way back in February. It's not just any old loaf -- it's totally special and worth serving the most important of guests, like your mommy. I'm not a stranger to making loaf cakes, but I wanted this one to be more special. I got the idea for the coconut topping from Heidi over at 101 Cookbooks, who made a cherry tart with a macaroon topping. My mom loves coconut, so this was perfect for her.




This loaf is as simple as it gets. Whole wheat flour, a little rolled oats, frozen berries (although the fresh ones are coming soon! They would be fabulous in this recipes) and a splash of real fruit juice topped with a simple mixture of coconut, chopped hazelnuts and maple syrup. It was the perfect tea time treat and my Mom loved it. If you're like me and didn't get to spend Mother's Day with your mom, bake her up this beautiful loaf, just because. It'll be even more special.

Whole Wheat Raspberry Loaf with Macaroon Topping
inspired by 101 Cookbooks

1/4 up of rolled oats
6 tablespoons of skim milk yogurt
splash of vanilla
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of honey
1 egg
2 tablespoons of canola oil
2 tablespoons of fruit juice
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 cup of raspberries (fresh or frozen)

1/4 cup of unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup of chopped hazelnuts
3 tablespoons of maple syrup

1. In a large bowl, combine the oats, yogurt and vanilla and let stand for about 15 minutes.

2. Whisk in brown sugar, honey, oil and fruit juice.

3. Sift in the flours, baking powder and baking soda and mix until just combined.

4. Fold in the berries. Pour the batter in a loaf tin.

5. Make the topping my combining the coconut, hazelnuts and maple syrup. Sprinkle over the loaf.

6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the topping gets dark and crunchy and a cake tester inserted comes out clean.

It's a SNOW DAY!

OH MY! It's a SNOW DAY! That never happens for me .. EVER! I walked into the school this morning to find out that it was closed. I almost jumped for joy.

So what did I do on my snow day? Reports .. reports ... marking ... reports. In between,


I drank cup after cup of jasmine green tea -- my latest obsession when it's not a coffee day,


and made this beautiful carrot apple loaf, packed full of yummy things like spices, raisins, coconut and whole wheat. I was inspired by this wonderful recipe from Poppy Talk posted by kickpleat, and a big beautiful bag of multi-coloured carrots purchased in Rowe Farms.

Happy Snow Day! (now, back to the grind ..)

Carrot Apple Spice Loaf
adapted from Poppy Talk

1/3 cup of canola oil
1/3 cup of plain yogurt
1 egg
1/4 cup of white sugar
1/4 cup of brown sugar
a splash of vanilla extract
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom
a small pinch of grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 cup of shredded coconut
1/4 cup of raisins
1 medium carrot, grated
1 small apple, grated

1. Whisk together the oil, yogurt, egg, sugars and vanilla until well blended.

2. Sift in the flour, spices and baking powder. Stir until just combined.

3. Stir in the carrot, apple, raisins and coconut. Pour into a loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until the top gets nice and golden brown and a cake tester inserted comes out clean.

4. Enjoy with your tea and have a happy snow day.

Bouncy Berries

This summer, I fell in love again with local berries. Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries .. I was sad to see them go when the chilly weather set in. But with the crisp weather, chilly wind, changing leaves and starting of school came a different berry, one that I had never played with before: the cranberry. Don't get me wrong; I love dried cranberries, especially in muffins and granola. But I had never cooked or baked with fresh cranberries before .. until now.

They are so cute! And they bounce and float in water! I had a blast this past weekend, making Anna Olson's cranberry vinaigrette which I used to dress a fall salad of wild rice with roasted squash and fennel, and also her cranberry apple crisp, which was the perfect dessert to bring to a mid-week family gather. The cranberries have this wonderful, tangy tart flavour that brings out the best in the apples, and gives salad dressings a whole new meaning for me. But while these recipes were a smashing hit, yesterday, I was more in the mood for a loaf-type treat, or something more muffiny and wholesome. Surrounded by loaves and quick breads in the blogging world, I took that as inspiration and made this Wholesome Cranberry Oatmeal Loaf. Totally, healthy, very berry-licious and quick to make for guilt-free week night treat that went perfect with a cup of tea. The texture is light despite the oatmeal with a very moist-but-not-dense crumb. It's not too sweet, and just tart enough to keep my taste buds awake.


This recipe makes one little loaf, which was more than enough for me and my love to snack on while watching CSI New York off the internet. But I'm betting that it could easily be doubled, and would also work great as muffins. You could also add orange zest which would probably go great with the cranberries, or some wheat bran if you're feeling extra healthy .. even some grated apple and flaked almonds would be awesome. Go play with cranberries! I dare you!


Wholesome Cranberry Oatmeal Loaf

2 tablespoons of canola oil
1 tablespoon of honey
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 egg
6 tablespoons of skim milk yogurt
2 tablespoons of fruit juice (I used Ceres Young Berry juice)
splash of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of cardamom
1/4 cup of rolled oats
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 cup of fresh cranberries

1. Whisk the oil, honey, brown sugar, egg, yogurt, juice and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended.

2. Sift in the the flours, spices, baking soda and baking powder and stir to combine. Add the oats and cranberries and stir.

3. Pour the batter into a small loaf pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the top gets nice and golden and a cake tester inserted comes out clean.

4. Enjoy with a cup of tea (coco rooibos chai would be lovely if you're so lucky ..)