Almost 1 week ago I completed another 10km race as part of the Dubai Marathon.  It was a great morning with more than 10,000 people competing in the 10km run and a few thousand amazing people challenging themselves in the 42km marathon.  I beat my previous time and got under my target time so I’m quite happy about that.  The most nervous part of the race was making sure I ran a good time but also in the back of my mind was the fact that in 2 weeks I have to run a half marathon that I signed up for in a moment of weakness!!!

I love many things; my family, food, flowers…and I love exercising and doing sports, until recently this excluded running! However, after almost 5 months of dedicating all of my fitness time to running I am still undecided about if I LOVE it.  I love the feeling of completing a big run (tomorrow I run 16km as part of my training eek!), I love the sense of accomplishment and I love the fact that on a big run I put my headphones on and I have a couple of hours just me, myself and I!  So if that all totals a love of running then I guess I do!!

In the spirit of LOVE I guess we should not ignore the fact that the day of celebrating love is just around the corner.  In fact Valentines Day is the day before my biggest race ever (I can’t say I will be saying I love running then – the nerves seem to get the better of me pre race day!)

Truffles are a fabulous gift to let someone know you are thinking of them.  They are delicious and most importantly they are hand made.  I have been trialling chocolate truffles for a while and I have to say the Nigel Slater’s recipe is the perfect base and then you can add whatever flavours you like to suit your taste.  I prefer to use the blocks of Lindt 70% chocolate and I also think using the best cocoa is important.

I will add a simple recipe below but I also want to share a delicious and healthier alternative seeing as I am currently in search of whatever food will give me the most energy for my running.  Date truffles are sooooo good, it is even difficult to taste that there is only cocoa for the chocolate flavour and the ingredients are all packed with nutrients and energy so are a great snack for the afternoon if you are craving something sweet or after dinner (I always need something sweet to finish a meal!).

To wrap as a gift, you could just pop the truffles into a celophane bag and tie a ribbon or buy a box an put the truffles in little paper cases.  Something different is a beautiful piece of linen tied up with a bow.  One of my favourite online stores here in Dubai is Little Majlis which sells all things unique and lovely including linen.  The date truffles also is a nod to where I am living and we do have access to many date varieties.  However one variety which I would recommend for this recipe is Medjool (one of which we dont get regularly here!) as they are big and juicy.  For any others that may be a little dry, just soak in a little water or orange juice for an hour.

Date Truffles

Makes about 20 truffles

Ingredients

• 1packed cup of pitted dates, preferably Medjool
• 1/2 cup prunes (for added richness, substitute with more dates if you wish)
• 1/4 cup good quality cocoa
• 1/3 cup almond butter (peanut butter is fine too)
• 1/3 cup powdered / dessicated coconut
• 1/4 cup agave syrup, honey or maple syrup
• pinch cinnamon

To coat (options) and about half a cup for 1 batch

• Cocoa powder
• Coconut
• Chopped Almonds

To Make

1. Add dates and prunes to a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Add remaining ingredients and whizz up again until a thick paste forms.  This will different for every batch so adjust the consistency using more cocoa and coconut or water depending on whether it is too dry or wet.
3. The paste should be soft and sticky like playdough and cover with cling film and allow to firm up in the fridge for a few hours, overnight is best.
4. Prepare your coatings of your choice in little bowls.
5. Take a teaspoon size of the truffle mix and roll roughly into a ball and then toss in the coating (I used cocoa and coconut).  Melon baller is a great tool for this.

Spiced Chocolate Truffles

Makes about 20 truffles

Ingredients

• 225g very good quality dark chocolate ( I used 1 block each of 70% Lindt and 1 Chilli Lindt)
• 135ml double cream (heavy or thickened depending on where you are from)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 vanilla bean split

To coat (options) and about half a cup for 1 batch

• Cocoa powder
• Chopped pistachios

To Make

1. Finely chop the chocolate in to shards
2. Place the spices into a small saucepan with the cream and heat until it just reaches a boil.  Strain to remove the bits.
3. Quickly put half the chocolate into the cream mix and stir until melted, then adde the next batch.  If the cream cools it will seize a little so place back on the pan for a minute until it melts and is runny.
4. Place the mix in the fridge to cool completely and firm up for a couple of hours or overnight is fine too.
5. Using a teaspoon or melon baller take a small amount of the mix and roll into a ball before rolling in the pistachios.  If I am rolling in cocoas I like to just take a chunk of chocolate mix and toss in the cocoa to make a very rough looking truffle.
6. That’s it! Enjoy!

P S- I have made many varieties of the chocolate version and I just substitute the 2nd block of Lindt for a different flavour such as Mint or Orange.  If you want to just using plain dark chocolate try adding a tablespoon of instant espresso to the mix – yummo!

P P S- The photos are both of the date truffles and the chocolate ones, and the finished truffles show the dates truffles coated in cocoa and coconut and the chocolate truffles just in pistachio.

But here we are in January 2013!! Happy New Year!! I hope you had a festive season, I know we did!! I think I have been on the go for some time now with multiple celebrations; our son turned 3, husband turned something starting with 3, farewelled close friends from Dubai, joined in the silly season and have enjoyed various family members dropping by.

2013 is going to be a big one, and my main resolution is to continue with this blog and not slacken off as I did towards the end of 2012…

But I’m back and I’m sorry this post doesn’t contain any recipes I just thought I’d post to say hi and post some pictures of food relating to the last few weeks.

I did make chocolate truffles as you can see and they were delicious but until I make them outrageously good then I will hold off on a recipe!

For 2 of the birthday cakes I made a most delicious roasted apple cake; a labour of love I assure you!  I even homemade the applesauce that is needed for the recipe!! The recipe is from one of my favourite blogs Smitten Kitchen and is a great birthday cake option as I made it a week ahead and kept it in the freezer!  I must say though after one take of cream cheese sloppy frosting I did have to spend time googling the best way to achieve very fluffy frosting – please post a comment if you know how – I managed to beat the cheese and butter for 5-10 minutes and this did help.  But it was very good!!

The blue racing car cake (this was requested 6 months ago and I was reminded of it on a weekly basis) was a simple Australian Womens Weekly chocolate cake from the trusty old school Birthday Cake book.  It was yummy but it was not easy to create AT ALL!! I also made ahead of time and froze it to make it easier to cut and shape and ice.

Christmas Day was wonderful with friends and everyone brought a huge selection of food that could have fed 20 rather than 10!!  We benefitted for some time with leftovers as did my hips (everything tastes better fried up with bacon and melted cheese!).

New Years eve was a fabulous day starting at the Dubai Fish Markets and then the Fruit and Vegetable market to come home and cook a feast of lobster, prawns and bugs (same as Balmain or Moreton Bay Bugs just from Oman) that my parents and us dined on with crusty bread and melted butter with a bottle of Verve – not a bad way to farewell a pretty big year!  May 2013 be a bigger and better one for you all !

Last year I was 35 weeks pregnant and cooked a Christmas meal at home for a few visiting family members.  I think perhaps it was the ‘nesting’ kicking in that got me through this period, I was very large and surprisingly energetic.

Along with my old favourites from my trusty Nigella’s Christmas cookbook, I thought I could put a twist on a couple of things most notably the Christmas pudding.  Since there were only 6 adults, I looked to do an alternative to the traditional boiled Christmas pudding as I know more 20% of the guests were not huge pudding fans and I didn’t want them to feel as though they were eating it for politeness (and we didn’t need yet another dish of leftovers… what am I saying leftovers are the best bit of Christmas!)

I attempted a recipe I found online and it was a pudding that cooked in the oven like a cake and was served with a caramel sauce not unlike a Sticky Toffee / Date Pudding.  Why I followed this recipe I don’t know, since my mum’s Sticky Date Pudding is seriously one of the best puddings around and also one of the easiest.  One pot, one pan, that’s my kind of baking!!

So this year, I once again have decided against a traditional pudding and to try the non traditional version, Festive Spiced Pudding.  It can still be treated as a Christmas Pudding; served hot with a variety of the usual accompaniments ie; pouring cream, whipped cream, ice cream, hard sauce and also the most important – caramel sauce.

The personal touch is how you present it.  Do you like to plonk a big white dish of pudding to serve straight from the dish?  Or do you prefer a more refined presentation – individual ramekins with a swirl of sauce around pudding?  I thought since it is Christmas a little effort should be involved into this incredibly easy dessert and trialled a decorative Bundt tin.  It needs a lot of care in greasing and flouring to ensure a perfect result when turned out.  And this should only be sauced once out of the tin.  I must admit at the end of the day I love the impressive celebration of one big delicious pudding to serve at the table to your already stuffed guests – everyone should applaud!!

I like that we can do something different that makes us feel like we are not missing out not being at home but also reminding us of where we live.  I used local dried dates, they are smaller and not as juicy as the big medjool date but are perfect for a pudding – if you can get pitted dried dates, this is good, but still check for pips, I don’t think many dentists work on 25^th December.

I am running a bit late on this post so I promise that in a few days there will be another recipe for Christmas.

Festive Spiced Pudding

Recipe serves 8-10 people

Preheat the over to 180 degrees celcius (my gas oven was set at 190)

You will need cake tin or oven proof dish, indivdual ramekins are fine too if using – should get 6-8 portions.  Grease and flour your cooking tin.

Ingredients

• 220g pitted dates
• 60g dried cranberries
• Zest of 1 orange – about a tablespoon
• Juice of the zested orange plus water to make up 1 cup (250ml) of liquid
• 65g unsalted butter
• 185g sugar
• 185g self raising flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Sauce

• 250ml whipping cream
• 250g brown sugar
• 150g butter
• pinch of cinnamon

To Make

1. In 1 medium pot over a medium heat, place the dates, cranberries, sugar, butter and juice/water liquid.  Cook for about 10-12 minutes until sugar is dissolved, butter melted and the fruit has started to break down a little (cranberries just seem to plump up which is lovely).
2. Take pot off the heat and leave to cool for a short while (10-15 minutes).
3. Stir in flour, bicarb soda, spices and zest.  Lightly beat the eggs before mixing through quickly into the pot of pudding mix as it is warm and you don’t want scrambled eggs.
4. Transfer mix to your mix into the tin, place in oven and cook for about 30 minutes (about 20 minutes if individual tins).
5. While this is cooking prepare the sauce.  In a small pan combine sugar, cream and butter and heat and stir until butter is melted, sugar dissolved and all mixed in.  Stir in the cinnamon (a little pinch of nutmeg would also be nice here for some extra Christmas warmth).
6. Either keep pudding in your cooking dish or turn out onto a serving plate, but while cake is still hot, pour about 1/3 of the sauce over the pudding so it absorbs the sauce.  It is ready to serve with cream, ice cream etc..

PS – This is a brilliant dessert to prepare ahead of time and it freezes beautifully (with the sauce already poured into the pudding).  It can be reheated and served like you made it that day!

PPS – My son inhaled this pudding so it could be a good family option rather than having to serve an adults and kids dessert, and everyone loves ice cream!