The wheel of time moves on……from a pleasant and colourful spring, we have
reached mid summers or almost the peak of it. If this is not the peak then the
anticipation of what lies in store is worrying. Parched Earth, dead bushes,
withered leaves hanging listlessly from the branches, dry and dreary
afternoons. The Sun is unrelenting, sky- cloudless, gusts of hot dusty air
sweep away the dead leaves that rustle and pile up in corners.
In the midst of all the dullness, a visit to a nursery filled our day with
colours and alleviated our woes albeit temporarily.
Pots of Ranunculus placed
in one square and Osteospermum in another were a treat to eyes and senses.
What
a creative genius Almighty is! Lovely colours and patterns of the flowers were
just spell binding.
On our way back we picked up a slab of ice cream of the flavour decided by
our kids.
We had it with Banana Walnut & Chocolate Cookie Cake that was
baked in the morning.
Banana Walnut & Chocolate Cookie Cake
Adapted from www.joythebaker.com
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (or,
2 cups all-purpose flour if you want a softer crumb)
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar or
muscovado sugar or white sugar
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 flax egg*
or
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ripe banana (mashed)
1 cup dark chocolate
chunks
1/2 cup coarsely chopped
walnuts
* To make one flax egg take
3 tablespoons water in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of raw flax meal. Whisk with a
fork. Refrigerate. This step is
important. Refrigerate for about an hour. This gives it the consistency of an
egg white. Add it to the recipe. It acts as a binder and makes the cake soft.
Method
Preheat oven to 180
degrees C. Grease line and dust one 8 inch round cake tin.
Whisk together first four
ingredients in a large bowl.
Melt butter in a deep
pan. Add sugar and mix well. When the mixture cools completely, add flax egg or
an egg. Mix well till the mixture comes together. Add vanilla essence and
mashed banana. Mix till the mixture becomes smooth and uniform.
Add flour mix in three
shifts. Mix till you get a smooth batter.
Fold in chopped walnuts
and chocolate chunks.
Spoon the batter into the
prepared pan. Level the top with a spoon.
Bake in the preheated
oven for 18 to 20 minutes or till the top turns brown and a toothpick inserted
in the center comes out clean
Remove from oven. Remove
from pan after 5 minutes. Cool in the rack.
Enjoy the slices with tea
or serve with a dollop of ice cream.
