Monthly Archives: April 2014

Easter: The Best Buns

Posted in Bread, Cafes, Cake, Marketplace, Patisserie by

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Of course my dad’s are the best, but while in Melbourne I’ve been following local Hot Cross Bun news. On Tuesday, The Age voted Tivoli Road Bakery as Melbourne’s number one hot cross bun baker for 2014. I promptly decided to make a field trip, only to find they had sold out – by 9am that morning!

I was advised to phone in advance to place a reservation. So this morning, I finally got to sample these winning buns. My verdict? Tastes quite a lot like “home” actually, dense sourdough buns, with enough fruit, orange peel, and spice.

Tivoli Road will be open over the Easter weekend for hot cross bun purchasing. (Pre-ordering, is of course advised). Their baked goods are also available at Fairfield Farmers Market, Abbotsford Convent Slowfood Market, and the Flour Market.

3 Tivoli Rd, South Yarra, VIC 3141

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Low-fat Manuka Honey Banana Bread

Posted in Baking, Dessert, Low-fat, Recipes, Vegetarian by

Low-fat Manuka Honey Banana BreadThe smell of baking coconut, manuka honey, and banana wafting from the oven was too heavenly to resist. I had to share this recipe. I had half a carton of buttermilk left over, so I decided to bake a banana loaf for the week’s snacks. The buttermilk, combined with baking soda would produce a nice, light loaf.

Always thinking of how to make food healthy, yet full of deliciousness, I added coconut oil, manuka honey, and walnuts to the mix. Manuka honey packs a nice punch in flavour, especially in low-fat baking. And nuts are always a treat!

Low-fat Manuka Honey Banana Bread

5 ripe bananas, mashed

2T Manuka honey

1T coconut oil (you can also use butter or oil)

1 egg, beaten

1 cup buttermilk

2t baking soda

1t baking powder

1 cup wholemeal flour

1 cup plain flour

1t cinnamon

1/2t nutmeg

3t ginger

10 crushed walnuts

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Grease a 12cm x 22cm loaf tin.
  2. Combine the bananas with the honey and coconut oil. Then mix in the egg.
  3. Combine the buttermilk and baking soda. Add this to the banana mix.
  4. Next add the flours and spices. Mix until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined.
  5. Stir in the walnuts.
  6. Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf tin.
  7. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the loaf bounces back when lightly touched and an inserted skewer comes out clean.