Today is Valentine’s day. There will be no candlelit dinner (unless there’s a power outage). No dancing (unless the Big Sister takes up Dora’s persistent invitations). No fancy fish pie (partly because the new oven is in the shed awaiting an electrician to install it). Regular readers will not be surprised – they’re familiar with our two roadblocks on the road to romance.
Thanks to my Brother and Sister-in-law, Bearhands and I got to spend a few hours alone on Sunday. Not your typical date but (if I’m honest) probably more our style.
I must have emptied thirty crabs out of our pots but they were all jennies and undersized bucks. We didn't have any more luck when we threw a line in. At the end of a few hours, all we had to show for it were smiles and a few mozzie bites. Which is another reason why this is not a recipe for a fancy fish pie.
Luckily I won a cake pop maker from Kambrook late last year. It's the only method I have of baking anything at the moment, so it was the natural choice to bake Bearhands some home made Valentine goodies this afternoon.
healthy-ish coconut cake pops
I'm still on my muffin top mitigation mission and I didn't want to tempt fate, so I've concocted a recipe that doesn't break too many rules. It should also be gluten free which is a bonus for loved-up coeliacs.
Ingredients:
60g stevia
60g butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup coconut flour
½ cup milk
red food colouring
Method:
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, stevia and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. Add the egg and whisk again until combined.
Stir in the flour, baking powder and milk until combined.
Dot the mix with drips of red food colouring. Don't stir the colouring in, just swirl it a little bit.
Heat the cakepop maker until the green ready light comes on.
Add a heaped teaspoon of mixture to each well and close the lid. Cook for 8 minutes.
Remove using tongs and cool on a cake rack.
Thermo Method:
Add the butter, stevia and vanilla to the bowl. Process speed 5 for twenty seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl down, then process a further twenty seconds at speed 7. Add the egg and process speed 5 for twenty seconds.
Add the baking powder, coconut flour and milk and process speed 2 for thirty seconds (pause to scrape down after twenty seconds).
Dot the mix with drips of red food colouring. Don't stir the colouring in, just swirl it a little bit.
Heat the cakepop maker until the green ready light comes on.
Add a heaped teaspoon of mixture to each well and close the lid. Cook for 8 minutes.
Remove using tongs and cool on a cake rack.
Verdict:
This healthy-ish version is more crumbly than pops made with plain flour. They needed to be treated more gently and needed longer cooking time than pops I've made previously. That said, this is not a recipe to make if you're hoping to dip the finished product in chocolate (but, if you're planning on doing that you probably don't need to be making the healthy-ish version anyway).
I love the texture and the flavour that the coconut flour has given these pops - it's reminiscent of a coconut slice that Nanny used to buy from the cake stall at her bowls club.
Turns out Dora got her way and there has been dancing in our house today, in between swimming lessons and decorating a card for Daddy. Which leads me to my final creation today - a love poem for Bearhands.
are you a romantic?
what's more your style - candlelit dinners or catching crabs?
Anne @ Domesblissity says
For a minute there I thought you were going to do fish balls in the cake pop maker. Now that would be something. If anyone could do it, you could. LOL
Anne xx
cookerandalooker says
Can you read minds Anne?
Stay tuned - I've got a few ideas that I'm going to try. Suspect there will be lots of trial and error, but if I nail it I'll blog it.
Lydia C. Lee says
I love that poem - hilarious!
cookerandalooker says
I can't believe it's taken me this long to share my talents with the world Lydia! 🙂
Mystery Case says
Discovered your blog through FYBF and looking forward to reading more.
Housewife in Heels says
This looks like so much fun! We used to catch yabbies when I was a child. Those cake pops also look yummy- everyone seems to be using stevia at the moment- what's it like as a substitute? Should I be converting?
cookerandalooker says
I must've tried them all over the years. Stevia would have to be the best so far. It's sweeter than sugar so I adjust my recipes accordingly.
It's also a bit pricey, but it's nice to have *something* when the mood strikes! 🙂
Go Camping Australia Family says
We catch crabs and yabbies when we are camping on the River Murray, but we always release them because none of us can bear the thought of cooking them! Lets hope we are never stuck on a deserted island because we probably would starve.
cookerandalooker says
I'm not that merciful. Had we caught one it was LUNCH!
Kim says
Awesome poem. Too awesome for rhyming. You've gotz skillz, lady!
Prue says
We're a catching crabs kind of family, sounds weird doesn't it. Time with your loved one in the great outdoors, without kids, bliss.
Prue xx
P.S - love using coconut flour & oil in almost all of my baking.
cookerandalooker says
It was wonderful Prue - sun shining, wind in my face, mud on my hands and (through good luck, not good management) returning will all my fingers intact!
Twinkle in the Eye says
Oh crabs you are brave! And I have to say when I read your poem I thought of another kind of crabs - blah ;-p Reflection on me - not you lol. Thanks for linking up for Flash Blog Friday 🙂
cookerandalooker says
I'll admit it occurred to me too. I think it might direct some odd search engine traffic my way. Doubt they'll find what they were looking for though!
Martine@themodernparent says
Well i have to say I am no good at catching crabs and think I am a little impatient for any type of fishing! However our Valentines night wasn't altogether highly romantic. Tuna pasta, salt n vinegar chips and our 5 boys at the table! But we enjoyed 🙂
Kyla @ Three Quarters Full says
Ohh I miss eating freshly caught crabs. When we lived on the river we put out pots every night and almost every morning had some... well except for the mornings when my animal-friendly sister went out and emptied the pots before any of us meat eaters woke up 🙁
Robyn (@slightly_deep) says
Oh yum!! I am currently doing a diet that cuts out sugar and flour- so these are perfect! Hope you had a nice day fishing! 🙂
Desire Empire says
What a lovely post. Those cake pop makers are great aren't they?
Carolyn
robomum says
Not a bad V Day...
Ours was spent getting the kids to bed before 8pm then collapsing on the lounge, exhausted. Romance central. 😉
mamagrace71 says
Gimme catching crabs any day! Always up for an adventure.
So glad to hear there was dancing on your day of hearts. Dancing is good for the soul 🙂 x
mumabulous says
Catching crabs and Valentines Day goes with the territory. I love your photos. What a beautiful corner of the world you have.
Seana Smith (@Seana_Smith) says
Hey I hope your oven gets installed soonest, I'd be lost without mine.
I love the flavour of coconut flour too, have made tge choc cake on my blog and it's working well mixed with wholewheat in the pancakes. Never made a cake pop yet... got to be coming soon!
Have a laugh on me says
Ha ha you crack me up - I love the poem. And those photos on the water are amazing. No V day celebrations here, just lots of love from our children xx Emily
cookerandalooker says
Sounds perfect Em.