I have never been so wracked with self doubt and fear in the kitchen as I have in the last three months. For while there wasn’t much I cooked or baked that was worthy of putting on the table let alone featuring here on the blog. Being consciously incompetent has been a painful lesson in culinary humility as I’ve come to grips with new ingredients, learned to tweak our favourite foods and embrace the new eating regime we started three months ago.
Stepping into the kitchen to bake has sometimes been like stepping into a boxing ring with a heavy weight determined to win. Every failed cookie, muffin or bread has been a punch on the nose to my culinary confidence. We’ve tried more no wheat variations of a pizza base without full satisfaction that I have drawn a truce – for the moment at least.
It’s not all doom and gloom though, we’ve continued to make delicious main meals. We’ve expanded our repertoire of salads, soups and casseroles that don’t rely on pasta, potatoes, rice and grains to be the star of the show. Nothing has given me greater pleasure that to stop buying breakfast cereals and start making our own. Slowly but surely the kitchen is less of a battle ground and I’m settling into a new cooking rhythm.
If I’ve learned anything in the last three months is to stop relying on recipes and start to think things through. My flavour thesaurus has never been so well thumbed and I’ve been revisiting some of my favourite food writers, especially Jane Grigson and Nigel Slater, to learn more about ingredients and what you can do with them. An article by Xanthe Clay in the Telegraph really struck a cord with me and made me fully realise how easy it is to fall into the modern foodie trap and how following the crowds is no substitute for really knowing the art and science of cooking and how much I have yet to learn.
So armed with a shot of inspiration I veered off piste and adapted a recipe to make these fresh and creamy mini cheesecakes which I’m blogging as part of Sweet New Zealand a monthly blogging bake off created by Alessandra Zecchini.
Lemon and Ginger Cheesecake Cupcakes
1 cup pecans blitzed in food processor to make fine meal
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
3 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons sugar or sweetener equivalent (I used 1 tablespoon of coconut sugar in the base and 2 tablespoons of Xylitol in the filling)
350g cream cheese
1½ tablespoons coconut flour (you could use plain or cornflour flour instead)
2 large eggs
Grated rind and juice of 1 medium lemon
115g sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 170º C/350º F
Mix together pecans, butter , ground ginger, and one tablespoon of sugar or sweetener. Spoon into paper cupcake liners and press down with spoon until flat.
In large bowl, place cream cheese, eggs, and coconut flour and mix well (I used my hand mixer). Add in lemon rind and juice, sour cream, remainder of sugar or sweetener and vanilla and beat until thoroughly mixed. Spoon mixture over top of pecan base in cupcake liners.
Bake for 30 minutes. Remove and cool.
Optionally, decorate with quarter slice of lemon. Store in refrigerator.
Sue
September 18, 2012 at 9:14 amYum. I want one or two of those for breakfast! They look and sound amazing.
Domestic Executive
September 18, 2012 at 9:22 amIt should be one but you’ll fall for two!
Alessandra
September 18, 2012 at 2:15 pmWhat a lovely entry for Sweet New Zealand! Thank you! I feel like lemon cheesecake now….
Ciao
Alessandra
Lesley
September 18, 2012 at 9:54 pmThey look so lovely. Good on you for developing your own recipes – I admire your commitment to this new lifestyle, I think I would put it in the “too hard” tray!
Time for a Little Something
September 18, 2012 at 10:38 pmJulie these look gorgeous – who says you can’t still have tasty treats?! Good on you for committing to your new lifestyle, as Lesley says. I got really into healthy cooking a couple of years ago (sometimes, but not always visible on my blog) and found it’s a whole new world of cooking – like you say, not just following recipes but really thinking and learning about the components and science of everything you cook or bake. If these cupcakes are anything to go by you’re already doing amazingly!
Domestic Executive
October 3, 2012 at 10:52 pmThanks for the encouragement Jemma, it feels like a minefield but slowly I’m working my way around the pitfalls.
Heather
September 24, 2012 at 1:59 amMy goodness, these sound delish. Lovely photos too. I think striving for a healthy lifestyle is admirable. I’m trying to adopt a more healthy approach, but I still need to indulge my sweet tooth so this recipe has now been bookmarked!
Emma Galloway
October 1, 2012 at 1:08 amOh Julie reading your words took me right back to my kitchen 6 years ago. Trust me when I say it does get easier, truly. I don’t give our dietary restrictions even one thought these days and have a damn fine gluten-free pizza recipe of mine to share with you one day. Your cheesecakes look amazing xx
Domestic Executive
October 3, 2012 at 10:51 pmThe pain has been excruciating some days but on a brighter note some new cook books arrived this week to cheer me up.
Lucy
October 1, 2012 at 6:45 amJulie, these look amazing – and well done you for persevering with the new regime. I feel like the more I learn about cooking the less I know, which is exciting and depressing in equal measures. On a brighter note, thanks for the Xanthe Clay link, I love her books. Have a great week.
Domestic Executive
October 3, 2012 at 10:50 pmYou are so right Lucy about the more you learn, the more you realise how much you don’t know :o)
peasepudding
October 1, 2012 at 9:42 pmI love the use of the coconut sugar, pecans and ginger. I have just bought a big bag of coconut sugar, very distinct flavour
Domestic Executive
October 3, 2012 at 10:40 pmAlli – of all the alternative sweeteners coconut sugar is my fav.
Couscous & Consciousness
October 8, 2012 at 1:24 pmJulie, what gorgeous looking cheesecakes. I totally admire your courage to keep stepping into the ring, and trying to find new ways to cook. But, demoralising though it can be at times, there is also something quite liberating about stepping away from the tried and true, and becoming “fully present” in the kitchen. I’m sure you’ll eventually even find that pizza crust that works for you – I’d check out My Darling Lemon Thyme and also The Gluten Free Girl – I’m sure both of them will have great pizza recipes.
Domestic Executive
October 13, 2012 at 8:49 amThanks Sue for the encouragement. Looking forward to Sweet NZ this month with my new baking books. Have ditched the pizza pro temp as gluten free recipes are laden with carbs which is still a problem.
Mairi @ Toast
October 14, 2012 at 7:01 pmOh well these look & sound heavenly! And great inspiration to thinks things through & develop our own flavour combos & recipes!
Domestic Executive
October 21, 2012 at 9:09 amHave to admit that I’ve been to a slave to recipes for way too long. Quite liking the new freedom.
The Hungry Mum
October 14, 2012 at 8:48 pmWhat a lovely looking sweetie for a special occasion. Ginger just lifts the taste of yummy desserts, love it 🙂
Domestic Executive
October 21, 2012 at 9:07 amI’m a total ginger fiend and agree with you, nothing like a lift from ginger.