The Zaar Baar Food

WHY-I-JOINED-ZAAR CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
• Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; make a well in the center and add sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix with wooden spoon until smooth.
• Stir in carrots, coconut, walnuts and pineapple. Pour into 9x13 inch pan and bake for about 45 minutes. Don't panic, the centre will sink a little.
• Allow to cool; when cool, ice the cake. You can certainly use your favourite cream cheese frosting to ice this cake, but the one I've included is highly recommended (I usually leave the cake in the 13x9 pan and just ice the top).
• To make the frosting: Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth; add the icing sugar and beat until creamy.

THE ZAAR BAAR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325F; butter a 10 X 15 inch cookie sheet or baking pan and line with parchment paper.
• Cream butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes); beat in eggs, one at a time; beat in milk powder and vanilla; add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, coriander and mix just until combined; mix in oats, nuts, coconut, apricots and raisins (the dough will be very stiff and you may have to get into this 'hands on' - I did).
• Press dough evenly into prepared pan; bake until top is dark golden-brown, 35-40 minutes; cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes; turn out of pan and peel off parchment paper; cool completely and cut into bars using a sharp, straight-bladed knife; do not attempt to cut until completely cool - you'll just get a mess.