Orange coconut mini cakes

The post today is somewhat a continuation of yesterday's note on the use of vegetable oils. Yes, I'm seriously considering how to banish butter from my kitchen. In the meantime, I want to make sure that I don't end up using only olive oil... it tends to get boring after a while. Not to mention that its flavor doesn't necessarily work well with all sorts of baked goodies. Fortunately, a friend of mine is also very fond of healthy foods and we discuss this stuff often. Every once in a while, I'd see her spread thinly coconut oil (it's hard unless melted) and honey on a slice of bread and give it to her kids... I have no words to describe just how delicious it is. So, when yesterday I stumbled upon this Little lemon coconut cakes recipe, I thought I'd make it and share the results with the gang.

I made a few changes, cause I just can't follow recipes strictly. I also am not particularly interested in a wholly sweet cake. I favor very light sweetness with the occasional dried fruit which gives a little sweet and flavorful surprise to the cake. Thus, I used only half the sugar, added half a banana and a handful of raisin, and then replaced the lemon with orange. Finally, I skipped the glaze. I didn't have agave nectar and I wasn't planning on buying some anyway. Using sugar wasn't an option either. It just spoils the otherwise perfectly balanced flavors. This way, the cakes are better suited for kids too. Yey! Quite happy with the result, I tell ya. It looks more like mini fruit bread, I know... but that's what I love about them.

A note on coconut oil: "To clear things up, coconut oil does contain saturated fat, but lucky for us, it comes in the form of medium-chain triglycerides (or MCTs). This type of fat differs from the types of fat we normally consume from both plant and animal sources, which are long-chain triglycerides (or LCTs). Without getting too technical, MCTs are easily digested, absorbed, and utilized in the body because their molecules are smaller than those from LCTs. This means that unlike other fats, they require less energy and fewer enzymes to break them down for digestion. They are an excellent choice of fat for active people and athletes as MCTs digest immediately to produce energy and stimulate metabolism. They are also ideal for those who suffer from digestive disorders and are often given in hospitals to provide nourishment for critically ill people who have trouble digesting fat." (My New Roots). Do visit the site, if you want to be impressed! :)