Oats and Peanut Butter Energy Bites

These are healthy no-bake energy bites which we can be had before or after a workout. These energy balls are also called as protein balls, power balls, truffles. These will be liked not only by adults but also by kids. Nowadays, I have started making different varieties of energy bites. Some are baked and some are not, like these. These energy bites are a hit among everyone. These bites will make a perfect gift for your friends and family.

The best thing about these energy bites are, you can add anything of your choices like chocolate chips or raisins or chopped dates. Instead of peanut butter, you can also use almond butter. I made these one day when I was searching for healthy snack recipes and I stumbled upon many different energy bite recipes which are easy to prepare, no- bake and is not time-consuming. These are quick to- go snacks, which is very healthy and filling too.

This time for the MFB challenge we have to post "healthy Bites" and I this these no-bake Oats and Peanut Butter Energy bites are perfect.

I have become a huge energy bite aficionado. This is a simple, foolproof method. Within minutes a perfect, healthy, nutritious, and delicious snacks can be made and that too without any effort. Hope you all will try this and let me know how it turned out.
Ingredients:

1. Oats- 1 Cup
2. Peanut Butter- 1/2 Cup
3. Dried Cranberries- 1/4 Cup
4. Flax Seeds- 2 tbsp
5. Chia Seeds- 1 tbsp
6. Vanilla Extract- 1 tsp
7. Honey- 2 tbsp

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and make small round bite-sized balls. Keep them in the refrigerator till set for about 1 hour and enjoy.

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Quick and Easy Kerala Christmas Fruit Cake/ Kerala Plum Cake

I made it… I made it… Yayyy!!!!  At last, I made it. My all time favorite cake. I never thought that one day I would be baking a traditional Kerala Christmas plum cake, which is a long process of soaking the dry fruits in alcohol for a period of 6 months to a year, but today I am here with this recipe that doesn’t require to soak the dry fruits in advance and it’s an alcohol free cake so that you can try this instantly anytime. This cake tasted exactly like the cakes which we get in bakeries.

I used to eat this a lot as a kid when we visited our native Kerala for vacations. Then whenever my D-I-L visited us, bought this cake. I loved this cake almost all the time I tasted.

This fruit cake is rich and full of soaked raisins, cranberries, dates, cashews in apple juice which are well incorporated with the cake batter and sugar syrup and the amazing combination of spices which is then baked to a simple, perfect cake and by now your house will be filled with the aroma of the spice-filled plum cake which is to die for.

In Kerala, in almost all the bakery shops, we will get this fruit cake anytime of the year. This soft, moist, filled with dry fruits, the spiced cake will be loved by all. The process looks tedious, but believe me, if you keep all the ingredients together then everything will get over within a short period of time. Just try this out and let me know.

Ingredients:

For Soaking:

1. Black Raisins-1/2 cup
2. Golden Raisins- 1/2 cup
3. Dried Cranberries- 1/2 cup
4. Dates( chopped)- 1/4 cup
5. Cashew- 1/2 cup
6. Apple juice1 cup

For the cake batter:

1. Maida- 2 cups
2. Baking Soda- 1/4 tsp
3. Baking Powder- 1 1/2 tsp
4. Butter- 1/2 cup
5. Sugar3/4 cup
6. Eggs- 3 nos
7. Vanilla essence- 1 tsp

Spices:

1. Cinnamon- 1 " stick
2. Cloves- 2 nos
3. Star Anise- small piece
4. Nutmeg- small piece

For the Sugar Syrup:

1. Sugar- 1/2 cup
2. Water- 1/4 cup

Method:

For spice powder:

Grind the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and star anise to a powder using a pinch of sugar and keep this aside.

For soaking dry fruits:

• Take all the dry fruits in a glass bowl and pour the apple juice. Mix well and keep this refrigerated for one day.

For sugar syrup:

• Heat a nonstick pan and melt the sugar, by whisking in between till it turns dark brown color. Don't let it burn.
• Pour water slowly and mix well. Keep this aside to cool.

For the cake batter:

1. Beat eggs till fluffy and creamy. Add the butter and vanilla essence.
2. Mix till everything is well blended. Add the sugar. Beat well.
3. Meanwhile, separate the soaked dry fruits with the apple juice using a sieve.
4. Add 1 tbsp of flour to the separated dry fruits. Mix so that it won't sink to the bottom.
5. In the above butter- sugar mixture add the separated apple juice, cooled sugar syrup mix well.
6. Sieve the flour along with baking powder and baking soda.
7. Fold this flour in the above mixture well, till everything gets finished.
8. Add the soaked dry fruits, fold and pour this in a greased baking tray and bake in a preheated oven for 45- 50 minutes in 350 degrees F.
9. When the skewer comes out clean, let it cool and enjoy.

Cranberry Loaf Cake

When I bought some packets of dried cranberries, I only had one thing in my mind that I have to make a loaf cake which I saw in Veg bowl blog long ago. After I reached home at the first opportunity, started making this loaf cake which turned out yumm..

Please ignore the crack on the cake..:)

I have used the exact ingredients as I want the same flavor and texture as in the blog.

My kid who only eats either one or two slices of cake, ate this cake more than 5 pieces one after the other... :) The cranberries are coated in the flour before adding this in the cake batter so that it is evenly distributed in the cake or else it will settle down in the bottom.

Ingredients:

1. Dried Cranberries- handful
2. Flour- 1 ½ Cup
3. Sugar- 1 Cup
4. Yogurt- 1 Cup
5. Butter- ½ Cup
6. Vanilla Essence- 1 tsp
7. Baking Powder- 1 tsp
8. Baking Soda- ¼ tsp

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Mix the yogurt and sugar till becomes smooth and creamy. In this add the baking powder and baking soda and let it rest for 5 minutes.
3. In the above mixture add vanilla essence and softened butter. Stir till all the ingredients are blended.
4. Add the flour in portions and mix well. Coat the cranberries in flour and add this in the above cake batter.
5. Pour this in a greased loaf pan and bake this for about 40- 45 minutes. It is done when a fork inserted in the cake comes out clean. A delicious tea time cake is ready to eat.