Walnut torte with rich cream

Walnut Torte

cake
 ground nuts ( walnuts, hazelnuts or even almonds will do)
8 eggs ( separated)
3-4 tbsp xylitol
1-2 TBSP cocoa
 optional ( hazelnut/maple extract/vanilla extract)



 Preheat the oven to 180C
Prepare round tin ( grease and layer with paper

Whip egg whites with sugar  until stif
Add egg yolks* and slowly combine with  nut meal and cocoa
mixing gently
 Transfer the mixture to prepared tin and place in the oven
 Bake for  30-40 min or until ready
 Leave to cool.

* once, I actually forgot to add egg yolks and it didn`t raise as much as normally but the cake was very tasty with lovely moinst texture

If you do so, you can use the yolks for icecream or for torte cream


  Cream

 12 egg yolks
1/4 cup (approx. 50ml) whipping cream
 3-4 tbsp xylitol
 250 g real butter ( room temperature)
coffee extract/maple extract/ melted chocolate

 beat yolks and sugar until white and fluffy
 Add the extract of your choice and prepare  creme anglaise adding yolk mixture to hot cream 
 Leave to cool
 In meantime, beat butter (  until fluffy), slowly add creme anglaise combining well with butter

 Decorate torte with  cream making 2 layers ( you can also moinsturise cake layers with strong, freshly made, sweetened coffee extract , prior to  covering with cream) and covering sufrace and sides.
 Use the rest for rosettes.
 I also used some cocoa liquor shavings, cocoa nibs and dried ( sugar free) cranberries for decoration
 Also, I used some cranberry sauce ( homemade, sweetened with xylitol) for cake layer)
 Refrigerate for approx 30 min or longer
 This particular torte worked well as my DH`s birthday cake.
 

 
 


 Tort Orzechowy

Ciasto:
250g mielonych orzechow wloskich ( mielone migdaly, laskowe czy kombinacja OK)
8 jajek
3/4 szkl cukru pudru ( ksylitol, fruktoza w mniejszej ilosci)
2 lyzki bulki tartej ( zastapic rownowartoscia migdalow czy orzechow mielonych, siekanych)
lyzka kakao
Bialka ubic z cukrem.Wymieszac z zoltkami a nastepnie dodac orzechy,bulke tarta i kakao.Przelozyc do wylozonej papierem tortownicy.Piec w piekarniku nagrzanym do 180 st C.Ostudzic. przekroic na 2 czesci.Nasaczyc nesca rozpuszczona w wodzie.

Krem
( krem oczywiscie moze byc dowolny. Ja czesto przekladam bita smietana i owocami, mascarpone z dodatkiem smietany czy /i quarka- co mam pod reka i na co mamy ochote ale krem ponizej tez brzmi niezle , tyle ze ciezszy- przyznam ze w tej wersji nie robilam i chyba bym jednak zrobila z samych zoltek - mase jajeczna - creme anglaise i po wystuczeniu, wtarla do tego maslo i kawe ale z tym zamierzam eksperymentowac dopiero)


10 jajek
szkl cukru ( 3 lyzki xylitolu/fruktozy itp)
wanilia
3 lyzki mielonej kawy
3 lyzeczki neski rozpuszczonej w 1/2 szkl wody
czekoladowe wiorki/rulony
kostka masla
Jajka ubic z cukrem i cukrem waniliowym na parze.Pod koniec ubijania dodac 2 lyzki kawy. ostudzic. Maslo rozetrzec. polaczyc z kawowo-jajecznym kremem.4 lyzki masy odlozyc. Reszta przelozyc tort i wysmarowac boki i wierzch.Posypac mielona kawa. Udekorowac rozetkami z odlozonej masy i rulonami czekoladowymi

Poppyseed cake/torcik makowy

                                       my modified ( grain free) version


  Polish_pls
1 szkl maku
4 jajka
2 lyzki cukru kokosowego, xylitolu, ew zmiksowane daktyle, syrop daktylowy czy innego slodzacego z powodzeniem wystarcza jako zamiennik ( w oryginalnym przepisie az 1 1/4 szkl cukru pudru)

3 lyzki maki orzechowej lub 1 lyzeczka kokosowej
i dodatkowo maka orzechowa do wysypania natluszczonej tortownicy

 Krem
1 maly kubek kefiru ( mozna zastapic mlekiem kokosowym )
2 lyzeczki mielonej kawy
2 lyzki miodu niepasteryzowanego lub syropu klonowego

 ew gorzka czekolada w ramach polewy

bakalie-im wiecej tym lepiej- solidna garsc albo dobra szklanka np  ( dalam naprawde duzo suszonych moreli ( niesiarkowanych) , jagod goji, suszonej ( w domu bo sklepowa ma kupe cukru) zurawiny i sporo orzechow- glownie wloskie i pekan)

Spazyc i zmielic mak.
Bialka ubic na sztywna piane.
Dodac cukier i 4 zoltka utarte razem.
Dodac mak i make migdalowa/kokosowa
+ bakalie



Wymieszac.
Tortownice wysmarowac i posypac mielonymi migdalami/inna orzechowa `mielonka` ew wylozyc papierem
Przelac ciasto.
Wstawic do mocno nagrzanego piekarnika (180C)
Piec ok 30-40 min. Odstawic do wystygniecia.
Przelozyc kremem przygotowanym z reszty skladnikow ( kefir, kawa, miod)


Krem mozna tez z jakiegos kwasniejszego sera homo, z kombinacji kefiru i mascarpone czy kefiru i bitej smietany ( lepsza opcja nawet przy tej mniejszej ilosci cukru bo jednak cukier puder w takich ilosciach sam kefir zageszcza, 2 lyzki ksylitolu juz niekoniecznie)
W tym roku do swiatecznego poszly tez zurawiny( dobrze sie komponowaly z tym makiem i kawa)
Mozna tez dac kakao dodatkowo albo w zastepstwie kawy
Gora albo ta sama masa albo roztopiona gorzka czekolada, jakies orzechy wloskie, suszone owoce

 Poppyseed & coffee cake

for cake

1 cup poppyseed ( 250 ml)

4 eggs ( separated)

2-3 TBSP xylitol/coconut sugar, minced dates/date syrup

3 TBSP  almond flour/walnut flour  or 1 tsp coconut flour
(pluse some extra nut meal for dusting baking pan if needed )

dried fruit and nuts( chopped, sugar free)- the more the better
 ( unsulphured apricots, sugar free cranberries, goji berries, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, macademia etc)

for cream

kefir- approx 220 ml
 (or soft cheese)

2 TBSP xylitol/raw honey/maple syrup

ground coffee - 2 TBSP

Preheat the oven to 180C

 Prepare round cake tin ( butter and layer with paper or dusted with nut meal)

scold poppyseed in hot milk, drain and mince finely ( 2-3 times) and combine with egg yolks

Whisk well egg  ( until stiff)
Whisk egg yolks with sugar until smooth and creamy white

Combine with poppyseed mixture ( mixing gently)
 add fruit and nuts
Transfer to prepared cake tin (greased and sprinkled with  extra nut meal or lined with parchment paper ). Place in the middle of the oven.

 Bake for 30-40 min or until ready ( test with wooden pick)

put aside and leave to cool

 Cream
 Combine all the ingredients
 top the cake with the cream ( you can also cut the cake and place the cream inside)

 

Children`s bedroms- some added details

girls` bedroom- old frame, chalk paint, dark wax and vinyl paper ( matching chest of drawers top)

boys` bedroom- reclaimed wood  & dark wax+ old iron hooks  hanger

made by DH

Master M`s pallet bed with a few new cushions

reclaimed wood & dark wax ( pine and oak)
 hanger & book holder made by DH

once again  Master M`s pallet bed   and marine quilt ( matching his brother`s )

boys` bedroom Christmas tree

Handmade gifts

some of my beautiful gifts made by our gifted children 

felted pincushion by Miss E, felted baby seal by Miss O, crochet by Miss G, wooden plane by Master A, wooden sail boat by Miss E for her younger brother

my birthday card by Miss E, wooden craft buttons - my birthday present by Miss B, felted donkey by Miss L

Boxing Day and DH`s Birthday Celebration

snacks and charades

accidental perspective effect :)

Christmas Dinner

 I am proud to say, we  managed to prepare traditional Christmas Dinner entirely wheat/grain free and low carbs.
 And it tasted really good, too.
 Mostly from scratch but I also managed to find sugar free pickled onions and sugar/flour free mustard ( and locally too).
Working together and preparing certain things in advance, it was relatively easy, stress free
  We were given a beautiful, very large organic/free range turkey by M`s employer
 Judging by previous experience, we decided to only use the crown and place it on plenty of sage and onion staffing+ some meat balls.
 Still, it provided us with  a 3 days meal and the turkey breast came out VERY juicy ( basting and quality bacon slices, I guess.
Flour free gravy came out very nicely, too. I added a teaspoon of coconut flour which thickened it a little and it was perfect.
 Roast vegetables to complete the meal.
 Instead of Christmas pudding, we had poppyseed cake with plenty of dried fruit & nuts with kefir and coffee cream

Roast turkey crown with sage and onion stuffing

with gravy and cranberry sauce

 sage and onion meat balls

cranberry, apple and apricots meat balls ( with cinnamon and mix spice)

celeriac puree

roast parsnips ( in goose fat, with rosemary)

ginger and orange rind carrots

 brussel sprouts with toasted pine nuts, black pepper and crisp bacon pieces

pickled onions

lemonade ( homemade)

&

pure apple juice

poppyseed cake

  Instead of Christmas pudding, we had poppy seed cake with plenty of dried fruit( organic, unsulphured apricots, goji berries, home dried cranberries ) & nuts with kefir and coffee cream

A few touches- Christmas

  around the house

our handmade ( last year, by Mr M and his elves) wooden, Christmas tree with various handmade ornaments + 2 Tilda, orgaments

all foraged ( by boys)festive bouquet

amaryllis opening up

living room- all ready for Christmas Eve caroling

hall room ornaments

hall room dresser

boys` bedroom christmas tree

boys` bedroom window- holly branches

girls` bedroom window- handmade recycled wreath - old baby leggins and  buttons

Christmas morning

 Christmas morning

Bert is celebrating too

girls enjoying their art jumbo collection :) ( Promarkers, pads, watercolour accessories, cartooning accessories etc)

Master M enjoying Narnia characters set made by his loving sisters

nearly ready to open the presents