Chocolate Prune Cake

A warm Ramadhan greetings from me to all my MUSLIMS FRIENDS
"Selamat Berpuasa"
A time of reflection,
A time of prayer,
A time of devotion,
A time of remembrance,
Wishing all of you a Blessed Ramadhan.

Gardening is how I relax. It's another form of creating and playing with colors.

Let me share with all of you the wonderful gifts I received last week.

Received my goodies box from  Love2cook  last week. I'm one of the selected winner in her 3rd Blogoversary giveaway. Love is a very talented cook/baker, her blog is excellent with beautiful pictures. She is a very cheerful, friendly lady. 
  

A beautiful gift box.

Whole lots of excellent goodies. Love2cook, I really love all the goodies and non of the items are  in my collection.

A Big Bear Hugs from Love2cook. Thank you sooo.. much my dear friend. I sure love it.

A bouquet of chocolate candy specially for Love2cook

Sunflower chocolate prune cake

Love2cook, the above 3 items chocolate candy bouquet, sunflower cupcakes and garden cupcake specially for you. When I meet up with you, I'll give you the real chocolate candy and cupcakes. :)

Received my April Fool Challenge prize from Mr Stephane Gigandet of Very Good Recipes. Thank you very much Mr. Stephane. Your kind thoughts is much appreciated.

 Two books consist of 650 recipes... I wander when can I finish trying out all the recipes......

Belated  birthday gift from my dear friend J.D Santos. Thank you my dear friend, so thoughtful of you to remember. I'm definitely a chocolate lover. Anyway dark chocolate can protect our body from aging and balance certain hormones in the body.

Prune or Prune Juice Benefits

Prunes or plum are considered one of the healthiest foods. Prunes had more than twice the antioxidant capacity of other high ranking foods such as blueberries and raisins.
Prunes are rich in fiber, iron, potassium and important vitamins and minerals.
What are the medical benefits of prunes?

1/  Provide antioxidant protection
2/  Prevent premature aging / high in beta-catotene
3/  Promote cardiovascular health
4/  Reduce the risk of cancer and osteoporosis
5/  Good source of bone building and vitamin K
6/  Normalizing blood sugar levels
7/  Reduce in cholesterol & intestinal protection
8/  Post menopause breast cancer & iron absorption
9/  Helping in weight loss
10/ Beneficial of brain cell and skin cell membranes

Simple tip to stay healthy

1/  Half  glass of prune juice, follow by 1 glass of warm water.
2/  Drink in the morning half and hour before breakfast.
3/  Drink on alternate day.

Note:
1/  Drink prune juice cleans your colon and helps maintain regularity.
2/  It help to take bile from the liver, which forces it to produce more and therefore uses the cholesterol that our body may store.
3/  This can lower your overall cholesterol levels, which is especially beneficial to you if you suffer from high cholesterol.
4/  But don't go overboard with pitted prunes or prune juice.

Disclaimer

This information on this site is not intended or implies to be a substitute for professional medical advise, diagnosis or treatment. All content, text, graphics and information are for general purpose only.

If you are not crazy about eating prunes, try prune bits in your baking. They'll add sweetness and flavor to quick bread, snack bars, cakes & pancakes.

Chocolate Prune Cake

250 gm butter
200 gm sugar
200gm plain flour
30gm cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
5 eggs
100 mls prune juice

Mr & Mrs Bear look a little dirty cos they are busy with their gardening. They do look cool in their sunglasses. What you think? LOL

All decoration are made out of sugar paste. Flower stem made out of toothpick wrap in green adhesive tape.

It's getting a little too hot, Mr & Mrs Bear taking  a rest hiding in between the flower pots.

1/  Pre heat oven at 180 deg c
2/  Line an 8 in cake pan or use any silicon cake pan/ cupcake liners.
3/  Sieve flour, cocoa powder and baking powder, bicarbonate of soda together.
4/  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
5/  Add egg one at a time and beat till well blended, do not over beat.
6/  Add flour alternate with prune juice and mix well
7/  Bake at 180deg c for 50 mins or until cook if you're using 8" cake pan.
8/  For cupcake bake at 180 deg c for 20 min or until cook.
9/  Cool on a wire rack completely and decorate as desire.

To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable form of defeat.

Flowers are those little colorful beacons of the sun from which we get sunshine when dark, somber skies blanket our thoughts.

OMG...crocodile escape from the zoo!!

Guess crocodile love cupcakes too......

This the punch tools I use for making sugar paste flowers and teddy bears.

Let's make chocolate candy flowers

Make sure hubby don't disturb, it's a little time consuming, pain the neck wrapping this little candy.
 
Melt the strawberry chocolate in double boiler and let it set in silicon chocolate mold. When set wrap the chocolate with cling wrap.
You'll need gift wrapper, netting, self adhesive paper tape, cellophane tape.

Make a small slit in the middle of the wrapper, pierce the chocolate candy thru the wrapper.

Fold the right corner of the wrapper towards the middle and fold the left one to the right. Secure with cellophane tape.

Next wrap the netting using the same method as the red wrapper.

Wrap the candy stick with green adhesive tape.

Chocolate candy flowers completed.

And you can bundle it up to make into a bouquet, excellent gift for birthday and valentine day.

Have a nice week ahead, Cheer!

Pineapple Coconut Bars

Pineapple is a remarkable fruits. We find it enjoyable because of it's lush, sweet and exotic flavor.
Choose your pineapple by smell. If it smell fresh, tropical and sweet, it will be a good fruit.
Check the scales, the more scales on the pineapple, the sweeter and juicer the taste.
The delicate fruits is not only sweet and tropical, it also offer many health benefits.

Some of the health benefits and mineral in pineapple fruit.

1/  High in Manganese, a vitamin that our body can't produce on it's own.
Manganese  help to development of strong bones, connective tissue, healing wounds.
2/  Contains  proteolytic enzyme Bromelain  that digest food by breaking down protein.
Bromelain also has anti-inflammatory, anti clotting and anti-cancer properties.
It help in upper respiratory tract infections such of sinusitis and bronchitis.

3/  Excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A, beta carotene, B-complex group.
Help wound healing and improve skin complexion. 
4/  Discourage plague growth in the mouth and strengthening your gums.
5/  Help suppress cough and reduce mucus in the throat.
6/  Pineapple enzyme helps with the digestive system to break down our foods.
It help to clean blood by removing toxins and debris from our blood stream.

7/  Relieve painful joint common to osteoarthritis.
8/  Produce mild pain relief.
9/  Reduce gas, bloating, nausea, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome.
10/ Prevent the development of cardiac diseases.

Safety Precaution

Pineapple contains a proteolytic enzyme bromelain that may cause excessive uterine bleeding if consumed in large quantity during pregnancy. Take in moderation.

How To make Beautiful Pineapple Flowers.

 

Surprise.... how a simple paper thin slice of pineapple can turn into a beautiful flower.

Don't wear anything sexy when trying this or else might get interrupted by hubby, forget to switch off oven. Not only pineapple burn, kitchen too.

Ok, let me show you how to make dried pineapple flowers

1/  Slice the pineapple paper thin.
2/  Lined the baking tray with aluminum foil, lay the slice pineapple slightly apart.
3/  Bake in pre heat oven at 150 deg c. Bake 30mins on each side until dry, increase the oven to 170 deg c  and bake until the side of the pineapple slightly burnt. ( optional )
4/  Cool completely, put on an egg carton over night to hold the shape. If can't find egg carton use muffin cup.

Put baked pineapple slices in egg carton to hold the flower shape.

Look exotic?

How to make pineapple flower with stem

If hubby suddenly gets in mood *wink* tell him to wait. I'm making pineapple flowers.......

You need small drinking straw, crepe paper cut 2 pieces leaves shape, green paper tape ( for making flower)
Pineapple flower cut into3/4 slice.

Wrap the drinking straw with green paper tape. No glue is needed cos the tape is self adhesive.

Scrunch the bottom of the leaf , attached to the straw and use green paper tape to secure it.

Attached the second piece of leaf and secure with green paper tape, wrap the green tape all the way down.

 The flower stem completed.

 Wrap the pineapple flower around the stem.

Secure the flower with green paper tape.

 Wrap a few layers and press it firmly

Ta...da... flower completed.

Pineapple Coconut Bars

Pastry
1 cup (4.5 oz) all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

1/  Preheat oven to180 deg c
2/  Line an 8 inch square metal pan with non-stick foil.
3/  Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
4/  Add butter and using your finger tip mixed until mixture is coarse.
5/  Knead lightly to form a dough. Press tightly into the prepared pan to make a crust.
6/  Bake for about 13 minutes or until edges start to brown.
7/  Let cool completely before making filling.

Filling

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
10 oz can pineapple ( drained, save the juice)
2/3 cup fresh grated coconut

1/  Mix together the egg. egg yolk, both sugars and the vanilla.
2/  Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt, then stir them into the egg mixture.
3/  Chopped the pineapple coarsely.
4/  Add the pineapple and coconut to the egg mixture.
5/  Pour over the cooled crust and bake for about 25 minutes.
6/  Let cool completely.
7/ Serve chill.

Icing

1/4  tablespoons melted butter
1/4  cup powdered sugar
1/2  tablespoon pineapple juice (from above)

Drizzle the icing on top the pineapple coconut bar

Icing:
1/  Mix together all the ingredients, using as much pineapple juice as needed to make a smooth icing.
2/  Drizzle icing over the top of the cooled bars.
3/  Chill bars, then lift from pan and cut into 16 squares.
4/  Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Pineapple Juice

Fresh pineapple juice is a natural diuretic. You can sip pineapple juice feeling like you're on holiday while at the same time improving your health. The juice has an anthelmintic effect. It help get rid of intestinal worms.

Well, you all know what pineapple juice is also good for...................................

Drinking  good glass of pineapple juice a couple of hours before the "aheeem... deed" might hear the sound of waves splashing to shore, see the moon come up.

Carrot & pineapple juice can enhance our immunity and stamina. It help to eliminate the toxin substances due to smoking and alcohol.  It's the best juice for men who are middle aged and above.

Take One glass 2 to 3 times a week, do not over indulge.

One way of hubby trying it sure to produce results.......

9 months later, don't blame me.

Have a beautiful Sunday and nice week ahead, cheers!