Speculaas-almondpaste Cookiehearts

These wonderfull Speculaas-almondpaste cookies made the whole house smell like Winter.
The lovely spicyness of the Speculaasspices, and the sweetness of the almond paste are sure a winner. Recipe will follow soon.

Pumpkin goodness

Fresh pumpkin gets transformed in pumpkin goodness: rich pumpkin spice muffins filled with chocolate chips. Yummy.

I started off with a fresh pumpkin. To prepare:
1. Cut in half
2. Place cut side down on an oiled bakingsheet, cover with aluminiumfoil.
3. Place in 175 degrees oven
4. Bake for 1,5 hour
5. Take out of oven, leave to cool for a bit, scoop out pumpkin flesh with spoon
6. Mash pumpkinflesh with pureemaker
7. Ready to use.

Pumpkinspice muffins
(www.allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.
3. Mix sugar, oil, eggs. Add pumpkin and water.
4. In separate bowl mix together the baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt.. 5. Add wet mixture and stir in chocolate chips.
6. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

BANANANANANACAKE

BANANACAKE.
This is a really easy recipe, adapted from the Allrecipes website. I really love it.
I added some chopped up dutch semi-sweet chocolate, and it was absolutely delicious. I love it warm when the chocolate is oozing out (see picture), and the top is still dry, but it has a stronger bananaflavour the next day. This cake freezes beautifully, and i like to slice it, wrap it and take pieces with me in my brownbag lunches or long flights.

BANANA-CHOCOLATE CAKE
(adapted from: a number 1 banana cake, allrecipes)
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
4 ripe bananas, mashed
2/3 cup buttermilk (i use vinegar/milk)
1/2 cup chopped up chocolate bars
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 - 8 inch round pans or a 13 by 19 inch rectangle baking pan. I like to put some parchmentpaper on the buttered pan, and let it hang over the edges, so i can lift the finished cake out of the pan using the parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, soda and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter, white sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in the bananas. Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk to the creamed mixture. Stir in chopped chocolate. Pour batter into the prepared pans/pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and place on a damp tea towel to cool.

To make buttermilk: Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar and enough milk to equal one cup. Stir. Leave to stand for a bit till thickened. Use as buttermilk replacement.