This week, our Fresh Choice Nelson guest blogger, Paula, has a delicious recipe for Blueberry & Lemon Cupcakes. The perfect treat to encourage your kids to step into the kitchen for some school holiday baking. Don’t forget to head to Fresh Choice Nelson for all your baking ingredients. Take it away, Paula!

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The school holidays have kicked off this week. It’s always a great time to get the kids into the kitchen for a spot of cooking. Successful school holiday baking often revolves around sweet treats, like cookies and cupcakes. I have a daughter who was obsessed with macarons.

Fresh Choice Nelson has all the ingredients you need for baking. I have put together a recipe for cupcakes that are gluten-free, sugar-free and taste delicious.

School Holiday Baking – Blueberry & Lemon Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

• 1 cup of almond meal
• 2 Tbsp of sweetener, to taste
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 2 Tbsp of butter, melted
• Two Tbsp of cream
• 2 Tbsp of water
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• Two eggs
• 1/4 cup of blueberries, freeze-dried
• 1 lemon, zest and juice

Icing:

• 125g of cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup of sweetener, icing not sugar
• 1 lemon, zest and juice

Method:

Mix all of the dry ingredients for the cupcakes. Add the butter, cream, water, vanilla and eggs. Whisk through until well mixed. Lastly, add the blueberries and the lemon. Try not to mix too vigourously. This helps to ensure that the blueberries don’t stain the mixture.

Divide the mixture between six muffin cups.

Bake for around twenty minutes at 180 degrees C, then leave to cool.

For the icing, beat together the icing ingredients until they are creamy and smooth.

NIP – Nutritional Information:

Per Cupcake

• Energy – 735kj
• Protein – 6g
• Fat – total – 15g
• Carbohydrates – 4g
• Sugar – 2g

If you’re ready to start your school holiday baking head to Fresh Choice Nelson, or shop online. Click and Collect is available!

This week, our Fresh Choice Nelson guest blogger, Paula, has a delicious recipe for the perfect Rhubarb Crumble. Don’t forget to head to Fresh Choice Nelson for all your baking ingredients. Take it away, Paula!

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Warming puds on a rainy spring evening in Nelson are magic to me. As a kid growing up, we had pudding at least three nights a week. It’s more of a rarity these days and there is definitely something special about it. My kids don’t expect pudding, and fully appreciate it when they do get it. I try to keep them lighter these days, without sugar and the heaviness of flour.

Rhubarb is lower in natural sugars than other fruits and makes a great base for this crumble. Serve with whipped cream or try some of the wide options for ice cream alternatives that have less sugars. Fresh Choice Nelson has a great range of these, plus all the other baking ingredients you’ll need.

Rhubarb Crumble

Topping & Baking Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup of almond flour
• 1/4 cup of desiccated coconut
• 1/3 cup of pecans, chopped
• 2 tbsp ground flax meal
• 1-2 tbsp sweetener (I use sweetnzclassic blend) available in the baking ingredients aisle
• 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup of butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

Filling Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of water
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 400g rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (fresh or thawed from frozen)
• 2 tbsp sweetener

Method – Crumble Topping:

1. For the topping, preheat the oven to 160 degrees and line a baking tray with baking paper
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut, flax seed meal, pecans, sweetener, cinnamon and salt. In a small bowl stir together the melted butter and vanilla.
3. Add the butter mixture to the almond flour mixture and use a fork to blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Spread out evenly on the prepared baking sheet and pat down with hands to flatten slightly.
4. Bake for ten minutes, then gently stir. Bake for another ten to fifteen minutes, or until golden brown. remove and let the mixture cool completely.

Method – Rhubarb Filling:

1. For the filling, preheat the oven to 200 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the water and chia seeds, and allow this mixture to soak for five to seven minutes. Stir in the rhubarb and sweetener, tossing to coat.
2. Spread the rhubarb mixture into a 9 x 13 inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for thirty to theity five minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and the rhubarb tender.
3. Remove the filling from the oven and remove the foil. Break the cooled topping into pieces with your hand and spread over the filling to cover it completely. Serve warm.

Note: If you are using frozen rhubarb, measure the rhubarb while it’s still frozen, then thaw completely. Drain in a colander but do not press the liquid out.

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If you’re ready for a delicious pudding head to Fresh Choice Nelson and visit the baking ingredients aisle. Or shop online with Click & Collect!