Bran Muffins

These are one of my favourite muffins, and even though I don't classify them as a healthy delight, they're at least a tad healthy in that they're full of BRAN. :)

This recipe made 24 normal muffins and 12 mini muffins.

Beat together:

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/3 cup oil

 Add rest of ingredients & mix well:

• 2 cups digestive bran
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 raisins
• 2 1/2 tsp bi-carb of soda
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Pour into greased muffin tins.  And don't forget to stir as you pour the muffin mix because the raisins sink to the bottom.  Bake at 180 degrees C for 18-20 minutes (although with my oven the big ones took 15 minutes and the mini muffins took 12 minutes).

Mmmmmmmm.......!  :)

Granadilla (aka passion fruit) Tropical Smoothie

I had granadilla (passion fruit) flavoured yoghurt this time instead of greek, and so thought I'd try it in a smoothie.  Here goes!

3 bananas
3-4 pineapple rings, cored
2 heaped dessert spoons granadilla yoghurt (or more according to your taste)
1 cup orange juice
3 tbs ground flax seeds

Blend together.  Yum-ums.  Makes 2 large smoothies.

Creamy Trifle

I can't think of anything better to call this trifle than a creamy trifle.  :D  It was much yummier than I anticipated!  Well...you have to try really hard to make an un-yummy trifle, but this one was just better than I thought it would be.

Warning - contains a LOT of cream - this dessert is not for the cream-faint-of-heart.  ;)

It looks pretty plain, but I can't get enough of it! :D

Here's what you'll need:
2 small vanilla swiss rolls
1 can of sweet cherries in syrup (or whatever cherries you want to use)
small handful of crushed raw almonds
A box of custard
500ml cream
Raspberry dessert sauce (raspberry jam would do too)
A small cup of coffee (no sugar or milk added - allowed to cool a bit)
2-3 level teaspoons of castor sugar (or you can use liquid stevia, I actually forgot to...)

As you can see I didn't really measure anything, I just slapped some ingredients together how I like it, and here's how I made mine:

1.  Slice a swiss roll into 1 1/2 - 2cm thick slices and layer at the bottom of your dish
2.  Spoon over some of the pre-made coffee, just enough to cover the slices but not soak them so that they go all mushy
3.  Pour over a generous layer of custard and spread out evenly
4. Remove some cherries from the syrup, cut them in half and place some on top of the custard - put as few or as many as you like
5.  Sprinkle over some of the chopped almonds - as much as you like 
6.  Add 2-3 tsp of the sugar to the cream (depending on how sweet you like it) and whip until stiff.  Add a thick layer of cream (ie half the cream) over the custard and cherries and spread out evenly
7. Add another layer of sliced swiss roll, and this time spread on a thin layer of raspberry dessert sauce (or raspberry jam)
8. Pour over a thin layer of custard, and add the rest of the cream on top and even out.

If you want to be fancy you can grate some chocolate over the top or add some more cherries, but I didn't want to ruin the cream with any of that this time, hehe.

Let set in the fridge for a couple of hours. 

It looks like a bowl of mush, probably thanks to all the cream I used. :D  But don't let it be underestimated!  I'm definitely  making this one again.  :)