Pumpkin Oatmeal: The Ultimate Autumn Breakfast

The yellow, orange, and red foliage that bring the needed pops of colours during a gloomy, rainy day and that shine vibrantly in the shining sun. Ahhhh, autumn.. 'tis the season to incorporate pumpkin into every recipe possible. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin bars, pumpkin latte, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, and pumpkin oatmeal. Today I will share with you one of the warmest, coziest, most-autumn-y breakfast one could possibly enjoy on a chilly morning. Not to mention it's extremely healthy, full of wholesome ingredients and no refined sugars of any sort.

The dry ingredients: oats + cinnamon

The trick to sweetening this oatmeal without adding granulated or brown sugar, or even honey, is the 'melted banana trick'. After I discovered this creative natural sweetener from Chocolate Covered Katie (who's recipes I adore), I will refuse to make oatmeal without a spotted banana lying around. I don't use the microwave but instead caramelize it (or cook it, if I'm impatient) in my pot before adding the rest of the wet ingredients. It adds so much sweetness and flavour, totally brings a plain bowl of oatmeal to the next level.

A bowl of oatmeal is the perfect breakfast to kick start the day. Oats provide long-lasting energy and are digested slowly, therefore keeping you fuller for longer. This particular recipe has a whole serving of fruits and vegetables in it! Cellulose (aka fibre) keeps the digestive tract squeaky clean! The warmth also energizes the body on a cold morning, or any morning really. Contrary to what I often read on the Internet, cold food is actually not a good way to start the day. Cold food takes away the body's energy, because the body uses up it's energy to warm the food it is ingesting. That's probably why diet articles always encourage dieters to chug down an ice cold glass of water right after getting up. Being raised in a Chinese family, my mom always frowns at me when I pour a ice cold glass of milk into my cereal. But I really have a thing against warm and soggy cereal, it's gross. So, if I am in need of a hot breakfast (that isn't pancakes or something with eggs), oatmeal satisfies.

This recipe can be customized to your liking; feel free to adjust amounts and add or omit items to suit your taste buds. I'm more of a chunky oatmeal kinda gal, so my liquid to oats ratio is a tad lower. Aaaand I love cinnamon, so a heaping teaspoon of that for good measure.

Hot bowl of Pumpkin Oatmeal

Using quick oats is the way to go, because if an empty stomach screaming for breakfast makes you cranky like me, then waiting more than five minutes for food isn't going to cut it. Measure out dry ingredients in the bowl you plan to eat out of, dunk all wet stuff into a small pot, boil, mix, boil eat. Easy and quick. Okay, enough with my meaningless mumble jumble. Here's the recipeeeee!!

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Recipe by Coconut Crumpet

Serves 1 

Ingredients

• ½ ripe banana (the riper the better!)
• ¼ quick cooking oats
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ cup pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup milk
• Splash of vanilla

Extras

• 1 tbsp nut butter – add to pot with wet ingredients
• Yogurt – stir in at the end; flavoured yogurts add extra sweetness
• Chopped toasted nuts – for topping
• Honey – extra sweetness

Directions

1. In a small saucepan or pot, mash ripe banana into a puree. Cook over medium heat until sizzling and 'breathing'.
2. In a small bowl, combine oats and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. Once banana is caramelized or cooked, add milk, pumpkin, vanilla, and any other wet ingredients you wish you add in. Cover pot with lid and bring to a boil.
4. Once wet ingredients have come to a boil, add dry ingredients and stir. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, or according to package directions. 
5. Serve hot with a splash of milk, top with something crunchy, or drizzle more nut butter or honey on top. Dig in!

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Aren't my Piglet and Eeyore purple pajamas the best? :P

Lotus Seed Paste Stuffed Almond Cookies

Lotus Seed Paste Stuffed Almond Cookies

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! It's the Asian Thanksgiving Day, the day where families come together and celebrate a bountiful harvest. Or the day we eat a lot of mooncakes if that's more significant.

Last year, I brought a traditional mooncake to share with my school friends. Papaya Crumpet brought a Starbucks one (they're flavoured like Starbucks' drinks!) Unfortunately my family didn't buy or receive any mooncakes this year, so I have none to share. As a 'replacement', I created these cookies. They are flavoured like the Chinese almond cookies you find at the store and stuffed with a white lotus seed paste, the same stuff as in the mooncakes. 

Lotus Seed Paste Stuffed Almond Cookies

The process of shaping these little cookies took longer than I thought; the dough was slightly crumbly and I had to really press to make a disk of dough that didn't fall apart. The sealing of the edges was okay though. Since the dough doesn't spread at all in the oven, shape the cookies as you wish them to come out of the oven. My goal was to create a chewy and soft cookie. These are not super chewy but they aren't crispy at all. This cookie dough base is very simple and uses wholesome ingredients. It makes a small batch so be sure to double or even triple if you're looking to make a few dozen!

The faint hint of coconut and almond lets the sweet lotus paste filling take the spotlight. Lotus seed paste reminds me of my childhood, eating the steamed buns for dessert at dimsum. I think this cookie is a clever way participate in some Chinese festivities. The outcome was very good and my friends complimented on how good they tasted. I'm quite satisfied with them myself; be sure to eat them warm for the best taste! Microwaving the cookie for ten or so seconds will do the trick.

Lotus Seed Paste Stuffed Almond Cookies

Lotus Seed Paste Stuffed Almond Cookies

Cookie dough recipe adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie

Yield: 9 two-inch cookies

Ingredients

• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ¼ cup whole wheat flour
• A few grinds of Himalayan pink sea salt
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp + 1/8 tsp baking soda
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ tsp almond extract
• 2 to 4 tsp milk
• 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• Lotus seed paste (¼ cup will be sufficient; comes in a vacuum-sealed bag, similar to the packaging of red bean paste.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325˚F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
2. In a small mixing bowl, sift together flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar. 
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. Smush dough into a single ball with a rubber spatula or hands.
4. Make somewhat circular disks using approximately one tablespoon portions of dough. Roll about a teaspoon of lotus seed paste into a ball, flatten and place in centre of cookie dough disk. Place another dough disk on top and seal edges. Press a single sliver of sliced almond on top as decoration.
5. Cover and refrigerate unbaked cookies for 30 minutes.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 11 minutes and broil on high for 2 more minutes. Avoid over-baking to keep cookies soft.
7. Enjoy warm (not burning hot!) and store in an airtight container.

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Fig, Almond, and Raspberry Yogurt Cake

It's my first time trying fresh figs. Alice is yelling at me, "You're mad, bonkers, off your head!" I know... These juicy, succulent, sweet delicacies, why didn't I go out in a mad search for these earlier?

I've been eager to work with fresh figs before the summer season began. My only experiences with figs are using the 'Chinese method'; adding dried figs to Chinese soups (which are usually broths) for sweetness and flavour. Eating fresh ones is completely foreign to my family. So are a lot of other foods; I constantly open my parents' eyes to new and exciting food. 

My neighbour has a fig tree in their backyard, and over the years, its branches have grown over to our backyard. For those that love figs, this would be a dream come true. However, I didn't know when the right time was to pick the fruit so we ended up with starchy, unripe figs in our mouth every time we decided to cut one open. That discouraged us from picking anymore. 

A bowl of fresh Black Mission Figs

During my last visit to our local Superstore, I scored a box of black mission figs for only two dollars! These babies could easily cost five dollars or more. Cha-ching! Finally, I can experiment with these luscious fruits. Hmm... with ricotta, in a muffin, or simply roasted? I can't decide. 

Beautiful, soft insides of a fig

A ripe fig should be soft and its thin skin should almost be wrinkly. A really delicious fig may have syrup beginning to drip out from the bottom end. The downside to purchasing from a grocery store is that the figs may not have been picked at its peak ripeness.

I was surprised at the soft, almost jelly-like flesh of fresh figs. Like dates, it's like nature's candy. It's unlike any other fruit I've tried and this made me very eager to get on with incorporating them into some recipes. After an evening of brainstorming a list of ideas, I decided to begin with a simple yogurt cake, pairing the figs with a drizzle of honey.

Grab a slice!

This cake is moist, flavourful, and fragrant. The yogurt replaces much of the fat while keeping the cake moist. That leaves us with only a quarter cup of coconut oil in an entire cake! I wished the figs had more time to roast and shrivel up a bit more; that would increase the sweetness of the fruit. But even after a bit of cooking in the oven, the figs provided much of the flavour and sweetness necessary for the cake. A sprinkle of sliced almonds gives a bit of textural contrast, and everything is better with some nuts ;)Raspberries give a pop of bright colour to the cake. It's the first time frozen raspberries haven't failed my entire baked good, I haven't had great experiences with using frozen raspberries... ahem. The hidden magic comes from the Meyer lemon zest. A Meyer lemon makes all the difference. The concoction of aroma coming from the oven while this cake is baking is mind-blowing. Ripe fruit, coconut, caramelizing honey, and zingy zest are all present.

A slice of Fig, Almond, and Raspberry Yogurt Cake

I've even healthified it by replacing some of the flour with whole wheat flour, wouldn' be a recipe from Coconut Crumpet without it being guiltless. Low in fat, sugar, increased fibre, and flavoured with fruits and nuts, this makes a fantastic afternoon snack or dessert. It's also very classy and would impress adults. Oh ho ho! Reheat a portion of this cake in the oven and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, honeyed yogurt, or whipped cream and top with a few quarters of fresh fig. De-lish.

Time to dig in!

Click below to view the recipe!

Strawberry Swirled Mini Ricotta Cheesecakes

Here comes another birthday post! This time for my very best friend Az, whom was featured with the glorious chicken wings at Phnom Pehn. Strawberries and cheesecake are two of her favourite foods, so that's what I planned as her birthday cake. But with a twist!

Strawberry Swirled Mini Ricotta Cheesecakes

Unlike my Berry Swirl Cheesecake or Mocha Cheesecake Squares, there are two types of cheeses in this cake, cream cheese and ricotta. The addition of ricotta creates a texture that is much lighter and fluffier. On the cheesiness scale, I'd place these mini cheesecakes between a New York cheesecake and a Japanese cheesecake, but closer to the Japanese one. It's not as spongy as it's Japanese relative, just a bit cheesier.  Perhaps my cheesecakes like puns... (Okay, that was a really bad joke. Just for you, Peanut Crumpet =___=;;)

Fresh Summer Strawberries

The simple strawberry sauce can easily be substituted by almost any other flavours. Other fruits such as blackberries would work beautifully (check out my blackberry + ricotta recipe) or richer flavours like peanut butter or chocolate could be used too! To do so, reserve a bit of cheesecake batter to mix in a generous scoopful of peanut butter, cocoa powder, or whatever flavour your heart desires. To create the heart-shaped swirls, simply dot a few blobs of sauce over the raw batter and drag a toothpick through the centre depending on which direction you wish the hearts to go. A simple yet impressive design!

More fresh strawberries!

To amp up the aroma of these individual cheesecakes, I toasted some almonds to whiz in with the crust. Hiding it in the crust is a discrete way to add another element to the dessert; my mom suddenly asked me "what did you put in the crust?" She definitely knew it wasn't the basic graham cracker crust, but couldn't quite put her finger on what was different.

Strawberry Swirled Mini Ricotta Cheesecakes

These muffin-sized miniature cheesecakes make it clean to pack to work or school for a snack or to share at a party. The paper liner doesn't stick at all once the cake has thoroughly been cooled. Clean and easy to eat, -thumbs up-

Ready to dig into my serving of Strawberry Ricotta Cheesecake

Serving these mini cheesecakes with a generous dollop of the swirling sauce is an easy way to not only use up the leftover sauce, but to strengthen the strawberry flavour. Because, realistically, seven drips of strawberry sauce doesn't stand out much when the cheese flavour is so prominent.

Click below for the recipe!

Raspberry Chocolate Mousse Raw Vegan Tart

Raspberry Chocolate Mousse Raw Vegan Tart

Raspberries and chocolate, a dreamy combination of sweet and tart. My family is down to the last few raspberries from our trip to Krause Berry Farms so I took the opportunity to incorporate them into some kind of chocolate dessert. This recipe is a no bake, super easy, and uses minimal equipment. It's a tart that looks extravagant enough to bring to a dinner party. No one has to know it is vegan and can also raw!

Raspberry Chocolate Mousse Raw Vegan Tart

I managed to put this tart together in one hour, the pressing in of the crust taking most of that time. It sat in my fridge while my mom took us grocery shopping for our upcoming 'glamping' (glamorous camping) trip. By the time we returned home with an entire cooler of food for the barbeque, I was hungry and ready for a sweet snack. So hungry that I forgot to sift icing sugar over the tart to make it prettier. All that was on my mind was "photograph then eat". Oops~ Natural animal instincts, okay?

The vegan mousse is quite impressive. If made with a stronger machine like a Vitamix, the texture could become a lot smoother. My 'antique' food processor did an okay job but I could still feel a few clumps of mac nuts. I was so surprised as to how airy and light the mousse is! Looks like real mousse and feels like it. It's amazing what nuts can turn into whether it be a custard for Nanaimo Bars or a crust for a Banana Cream Pie, nuts are a healthy and satisfying alternative to highly processed store-bought food with zero nutrition and who-knows-what in it. Plus, it's been loving made with your own hands and effort~

Raspberry Chocolate Mousse Raw Vegan Tart

Next time I make a this tart, I'll have to either make the sides shorter or double the mousse filling. The final product will look more 'normal' and less like a boat (as my mom described it as). But aesthetics aside, this is absolutely delicious. I couldn't stop eating after one slice and helped myself to another. The chewy and naturally sweet crust is just as good eaten alone. This wetter version of the crust used in my Nanaimo Bars holds its shape a lot better and doesn't crumble at all. I can imagine it working beautifully in mini individual tarts.

The overall tart is very lightly sweet with no refined sugars whatsoever. Most Asians prefer less-sweet desserts so this tart suits those with that preference. As for myself, I would probably add a tad bit more honey and cocoa into the mousse to give the dessert a more robust flavour. I mean, if you're going to eat dessert it might as well be one that truly satisfies your craving for glucose. 

When in a rush and need a delicious and nutritious dessert, try making this Raspberry Chocolate Mousse Tart! It won't disappoint any taste buds ;)

Click below for the recipe

Nectarine & Almond Banana Bread

Nectarine & Almond Banana Bread

Just a quick post on a variation of my recent Healthy Banana Bread recipe! Since nectarines are currently in season, all plump, sweet, and beautiful, I decided to incorporate this summer fruit into my banana loaf. Here are the alterations I made to the banana bread recipe linked above:

1. Leave out the shredded coconut
2. ½ tsp vanilla and ½ tsp almond extract
3. 1 nectarine (or peach), divided. Dice ¾ of the fruit and slice the last ¼ into super thin slices for topping the loaf.
4. 1 tsp of cinnamon, or more, if you love cinnamon like me :P
5. Instead of toasted walnuts, use ¼ toasted almonds. Either whole almonds chopped into smaller chunks or sliced almonds. Now don't be like me and toast your sliced almonds but forget to fold them in until the loaf is already in the oven.... Fail Coconut Crumpet, fail..

Nectarine & Almond Banana Bread

Sound yummy to you? I promise you this will be the best banana bread recipe ever, the one and only banana bread recipe you'll need. Endless types of banana bread can be created with this healthy base batter. Mix in different nuts, chocolate, fruit, and flavours to create your dream banana bread. I'm thinking of adding raspberries to this variation to make a Peach Melba banana bread! Sounds so cute~

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Flavours of Nanaimo Cake

Flavours of Nanaimo Birthday Cake

The Nanaimo bar. The no-bake three-layered bar is named appropriately after its city of origin and has been given the title of British Columbia's favourite dessert. Now, I'm not sure if all British Columbians love the Nanaimo bar, but I do know it is my brother's favourite dessert. Very well, he is a British Columbian...

Born on the seventh day of the seventh month, my brother must be a lucky boy, in certain ways. I have saved my family a lot of money baking cakes for birthdays and special events (and also doubling them up as gifts, puahahaha!) and his birthday is no exception. The reason why I didn't just make an actual Nanaimo bar is because of the few days expired carton of whipping cream sitting in my fridge door. The fastest way I could think of using it is by icing a cake. Too bad there aren't enough people to eat a two layered cake, that would've used even more whipped cream. I had to brave the hot oven on a summer day to make this cake -wipes imaginary sweat-.

Holey cake, revealing the bottom, texture of the cake

DIY High Tea for Mother's Day

DIY Mother's Day High Tea by Coconut Crumpet

To celebrate Mother's Day, as well as my mama's birthday, I prepared a high tea lunch for her and a group of close friends to enjoy. It took three or four days to prepare as one would never have enough time to cook, bake, and assemble everything in one day. With some helping hands and baking elves, this ambitious project of mine was successfully presented. Even if it was with [not purposely] mismatched dishes and a plastic tablecloth...

Sharing high tea with a group of friends is truly an experience every foodie should have, whether it be at a restaurant or hosting one yourself. It's a rare chance to dress up and act like a bunch of rich old grannies sitting at a beautifully adorned table having quality gossip time. That is the Crumpets' dream life as retirees.   

My love for high tea has grown significantly after this party. I just picked up 3 sets of tiered trays from Costco in preparation for any other opportunities for me to host another high tea. They only have 2 tiers, but hey, it was $6!

Below is the menu for that day's high tea. Recipes for select goods will be accessible through the links. The ones with no links are because there isn't really a recipe, the words you read are all the ingredients used. There just ain't much to it.
 

Open-faced Cucumber Cream Cheese Sandwich

Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Sandwich

Tuna Salad Sandwich

Bell Pepper, Mushroom, and Cheese Quiche

Shrimp and Avocado Crostini

French Onion Crab Round

Mini Bacon and Cheese Scone

Lemon Cranberry Scone

Devonshire Cream

Mocha Cheesecake Square

Coconut Muffin

Green Tea Cream Puff

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries with Toasted Almonds

Raw Flax Almond Spread!

I got this idea from the tempting Nut N' Budder jars at Superstore.

They have two kinds:

1.) Nut N' Budder (made with peanuts + flaxseed oil)

2.) Almond Budder Extreme (almonds + flaxseed oil)

But because they only sell roasted varieties and the prices aren't dainty, I decided to make my own Almond Budder Extreme (with my own twist of course ;) )

I call it... the Raw Flax Almond Spread