Rhubarb and Apple Muesli Crumble Cake

What’s there not to love about rhubarb!

Rhubarb and Apple Muesli Crumble Cake

It’s easy to grow year after year from the same crown, it’s looks gorgeous, tastes divine and is very easy to cook.  The rhubarb in my garden has had a growth spurt after some warm weather followed by plenty of rain so I have a few rhubarb recipes on the go today.

An abundance of perfect rhubarb in the vegie patch just screaming out to be eaten!

One is a Roasted Rhubarb and Strawberry  Icecream that I’m planning for the weekend with a heat wave on the way but for desert tonight I thought I’d treat the family to a Rhubarb and Apple Muesli  Crumble Cake.  Couldn’t decide between Rhubarb Crumble and cake so I simply merged the 2 and aren’t we a happy family!

 

It was also one of those Thermomix days where it’s just too tempting to “whip” up something in your magic machine when the kids are behaving themselves.  And the kids pretty much have fruit and yoghurt for dessert most nights so I thought a treat would be like the saying “a change is as good as a holiday”.

 

Rhubarb and Apple Muesli Crumble Cake

50g butter cubed

2 tbls rapadura or raw sugar

1 cup of muesli

1 cup of cooked apple and rhubarb

1 stalk of rhubard extra cut into 1cm pieces

120g butter cubed

140g raw sugar

180g yoghurt

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

220g SR flour

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

 

• Preheat oven to 180°
• Grease and line a 22cm springform tin
• Place 50g butter, 2 tbls sugar and muesli in Thermomix bowl and mix at 90° on speed 2  for 2 minutes or until butter has melted.  Set aside
• Place remaining butter and sugar in bowl and mix for 20 seconds on speed 6 then scrape down
• Add eggs,  and vanilla and mix for a further 20 seconds on speed 6
• Add dry ingredients and combine for 5 seconds on speed 4
• Pour into cake tin, spread with apple and rhubarb and gently stir through batter
• Sprinkle with raw rhubarb pieces followed by muesli crumble mix
• Bake at 180° for 55 minutes or until skewer comes out clean
• Best enjoyed warm with a dollop of thick yoghurt or cream!
 

Chocolate Coated Muesli Slice

I did it!  I ran 12km, without stopping and in a surprisingly good time!  I completed my first and definately not last Run Geelong with over 11,000 other people on this gorgeous sunday morning.  It was then time for recovery food and what better way to do that than a friends 30th birthday in the park.  Good food, great people and a bit of relaxing in between chasing 1 and 3 year olds.  I took along a plate from my last post with a little twist, my Fruity Nutty Muesli Slice with a drizzle of dark chocolate. It's great on it's own but even better with a little treat on top (and look rather inviting too).



Chocolate drizzled fruity nutty muesli slice

So no new recipes today, I'm exhausted, just my tip on melting chocolate for decorating like this.  Simply place about 50g of your favourite chocolate in a zip lock bag and place in the microwave on 70% for about 2 minutes, taking it out and squeezing a little at about half way.  Then cut a very small snip off the bottom corner to turn your bag into a piping bag to drizzle the chocolate over your slice, biscuits or whatever takes your fancy - perhaps even icecream!
Too easy not to enjoy!

Fruity Nutty Muesli Slice

There’s only 3 days until Run Geelong a fundraiser for the kids ward of the Geelong Hospital and I think I need all the energy I can get.  I know I can run the 12km distance now so it’s just a matter of maintaining every bit of fitness I can, eating well and staying hydrated.  Time for some Fruity Nutty Muesli Slice!

I’ve made many versions of muesli bars before but these are my favourite by far.  These morish treats are seriously irresistible and trust me it’s very hard to stop at one.  They have no added sugar, are egg free, have healthy fats including Omega 3’s and are power packed with protein.  And what’s more is they’re nice and soft, a little chewy and great for kids who need energy boost to keep running around all day (and I mean ALL day!)

 

... thought some pictures of the kids at the beach while I was running was a better image than me running!

 

 

You could easily make them without a Thermomix but I find it simply the easiest way to chop the nuts, seeds and fruit nice and finely then gently mix it all together. And as with many of my recipes it’s a flexible and you can substitute your favourite fruit, nuts and seeds.  Actually the original idea came from StephBerg but has a little tweaking for plenty of flavour and extra nutrients.

 

So what are you waiting for?  A healthy treat you simply cannot say no to.



 Fruity Nutty Muesli Slice

2 tbls chia seeds
150g nuts (today I used 60g macadamias and 90g dry roasted almonds)
20g sunflower seeds
20g pumpkin seeds
1 tbls sesame seeds
30g coconut
200g oats
250g dried fruit (today I used  fresh dates, dried apricots, goji berries, and a few dried prunes
½ tsp cinnamon
250g liquid (today I used half apricot nectar and half water but other juices work well too)

Preheat oven to 180°
Add chia seeds to about 40ml water (eg half fill MC) stir then set aside to thicken while you prepare other ingredients
Add nuts to Thermomix bowl and chop for 7 seconds on speed 7
Add seeds and pulse twice on Turbo then set aside
Add dried fruit to bowl and chop for 7 seconds on speed 7
Add all other ingredients and mix on reverse for 30 seconds speed 3 or until combined
Spread into a lined (eg with Thermomat) 20 x 30cm baking dish and press down firmly ( I find a spatula works well)
Bake for 25 minutes then let cool before cutting into slices

Enjoy !

Healthy Wholesome Muesli

For the first time since having my 2^nd child (over a year ago) I had the day at home to myself.  Veggie daddy took the kids to the inlaws for the entire afternoon.  I spent the morning baking cheese and pesto scrolls, cutting up fruit, packing homemade banana biscuits and other snacks to keep their tummies happy not to mention spare clothes and nappies.

I had a list of things to do while they were gone but my main purpose of staying home was to get some posts written for you all to read… Well they’ll be home soon and I haven’t written much, but I have done plently of baking!

I have to admit that I struggled being on my own in the peace and quiet of home.  It was different than being at work which has a sense of purpose and I know the kids are home happily playing with Grandma or daddy.  But I managed to get those jobs done that can be more challenging with the kids, wash the floor, dusted their rooms, even went for a quick run.  But most importantly I cooked.  I made some gourmet muesli, high protein nut butter, prepared jars for my curing olives (didn’t get around to filling the jars), then finally dinner for tonight, a hearty vege shepherdless pie.

So lets start with the muesli first...

For many years I tried different types of gourmet muesli.  Sure most are delicious but they’re not something that can be eaten daily as often have added sugar or fats (and often cost the earth!).  Finding that perfect combination of grains, fruits and nuts which you won’t get bored with is the next challenge, not to mention the cost.  So in the past few years I’ve been making my own gourmet muesli.  The blend varies depending on what I have or feel like.  And if you like you could add coconut butter or honey before toasting to increase crunchiness or sweetness but I prefer without.

The muesli I made today was something like this…

Healthy Wholesome Muesli

3 cups rolled oats

½ cup amaranth flakes
½ cup quinoa flakes
½ cup chopped nuts (eg; almonds, hazelnuts)
½ cup shredded coconut
1 tbls cinnamon
½ cup seeds (eg; sunflower, pepitas)
1 cup chopped dried fruit (eg fresh dates, inca berries, goji berries, cranberries)

• Preheat oven to 180°
• Spread oats and cinnamon on a tray (drizzle with melted coconut butter or honey if desired) and bake for 10 mins
• Spread nuts, seeds and coconut on another tray and bake 5 mins (be careful not to burn coconut which I was close to today – but I actually like it well toasted)
• Cool before transferring to an airtight container to store

Serve with fruit, yoghurt and choice of milk.

Also great soaked overnight in apple juice Bircher style which makes the grains easier to digest.

Enjoy!