Recipe here.

I used only ground almonds.  Although I used raspberries here I’ve also made this cake with peaches and plums.  Use whatever soft fruits are in season.

Crayons, Cake and Pasta etc.

A few photos from this month.  February is always a month I look forward to waving adieu to.  It hints at spring around the corner but keeps you firmly in the midst of winter.  We started the month recovering from another virus.  We’re ending the month with a broken down car but in between there has been this cake, fun at the playground, visits to our favourite local cafe, a trip to the farmers market, messing with crayons but also teaching the smallest member of the household about his favourite vegetable, streams of sunlight across my cup of tea, daffodils because spring soon please and Rachel Roddy’s Tomato Pasta with roasted aubergine chucked in because see above.

Spiced Carrot, Pistachio and Almond Cake and Random Things

Happy New Year to you if it’s not too late to say it.  I can feel a tad ambivalent about New Year.  Having already broken one of my New Year’s resolutions I feel I am not off to the best start but perhaps things can only get better.  I do acknowledge that for some reason the change in year on the calendar does give me a little kick to change things I have been procrastinating about even if I don’t always follow through with said changes.  I’m thinking about them.  Surely that’s a good start?

Way back in the dim and distant past or a couple of weeks before Christmas I made this carrot cake found on Lottie + Doof.  I only had time to snap one picture and I’m going to link to the recipe because I followed it pretty much exactly.  It was delicious and hearty and the warming spices are just the thing at this time of year.

Recipe here

Predictably for New Year we are on a bit of a health kick around here and I have many recipes I am eager to share here in the (I hope) not too distant future.  I’m currently dealing with a toddler who is existing on a self imposed diet of peas, grapes and yoghurt.

In other news we’ve discovered an amazing gluten free and vegetarian cafe, Cafe Meon, which is absolute heaven as far as I am concerned.  The food is amazing and my carnivore hubby even loves it.  I cannot express how exciting it is to eat out somewhere and not have to think about checking everything with the chef.  The entire menu caters for people like me.  Added to this is the fact the cafe is housed in the beautiful Chesapeake Mill selling antiques and vintage wares so I get to combine two of my favourite things, food and antique browsing.  Website here.  Pictured above, their beetroot burger which so far is my favourite thing on the menu.  They also do fantastic cakes and hot chocolate.

Gluten Free Lemony Banana Bread

The recipe for this banana bread is scrawled down on a scrap of paper and kept in a drawer in the kitchen along with another couple of favourite recipes and various packets of tea.  I’ve made this often over the past couple of years but never quite got round to writing it up here.  The recipe has evolved quite a bit over time.  With a demanding one year old to look after I’ve now commandeered my husband to help whenever we feel a need for cake, which is quite often.  Of course I give him all the rubbish jobs like beating the eggs and mashing the bananas.  Does anyone else share my aversion to over ripe bananas?  The smell is overwhelmingly repugnant but thankfully the magic of baking transforms the bananas once in cake form.  I always find banana bread comforting but this version with its bursts of melted chocolate mixed with the bright notes of lemon has become my favourite.  Yesterday we headed out to the park with warm banana cake stashed in my pocket and I snapped a couple of photos of the beautiful colourful autumnal leaves before they disappear. 

Recipe adapted from 101 Cookbooks.

Notes: The original recipe uses a glaze made with icing sugar.  This looks so delicious but since we rarely have icing sugar on hand I tend not to go to the effort.

Cake

200g rice flour

65g ground almonds

125g Demerara sugar

¾ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

½ teaspoon salt

115g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids) cut into chunks

80ml extra virgin olive oil

2 eggs lightly beaten

3 ripe bananas mashed

60ml plain natural yoghurt, full fat

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze

Juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon Demerara sugar

Directions for the cake:

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C, 350°F

Line a loaf tin with baking parchment.

In a large bowl combine the flour, almonds, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, salt and chocolate.

In another bowl combine beaten eggs, olive oil, mashed bananas, yoghurt, lemon zest and vanilla extract.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine until no flour is present.  Pour into your prepared loaf tin and bake for 45-50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Leave the cake to cool in the pan for ten minutes before turning out on a rack to cool completely.

For the glaze:

Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan.  Heat on low until the sugar has dissolved.  Once cooled prick holes in the top of the cake and trickle the glaze over.

Snow Rants and Orange Bread

I feel I should have some sort of soup or stew to share today as we woke up to a blanket of snow this morning.  Not enough to be useful, eg. give my husband a day off work, but enough to be inconvenient.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for snow under the right circumstances when it’s pretty and fluffy and we have no commitments other than going out to enjoy it.  But being realistic, mostly I find it a pain.  There were many times on my commute to work in London when I dreaded snow.  It always seems to me that if this country had a transport system that coped with snow then issues such as how to get in to work would “melt” away.  Instead everything grinds to a halt quite literally and you are forced to embark on a journey which will result in freezing toes and hours of wasted time, trudging through snow in your wellington boots or whatever snow worthy attire you have chosen at 6am, getting to the train station packed full of other weary commuters, looking at display boards that make no sense and tell blatant lies about trains that aren’t running.  I once spent two hours crouched on the floor of a train which travelled four miles before spewing its tired and cold bewildered commuters out and then spent another two hours trying to get a train that would get me back to where I’d started.

Anyway to this orange bread! If you are lucky enough to have a snow day then you should make this.  It’s a good reason to light the oven for a little extra warmth while being rewarded for your endeavours by creating something that tastes like sunshine.  I’ve posted about this cake before.  It was a lemon version.  I’m being a total cheat by using oranges this time instead.  Both are incredible.  Follow the recipe and use whatever citrus you have.  You can find the recipe here.

The Hard Drive and the Mashed Potato

Do I need to explain my absence here or shall I just get on with it?  Sweep it under the carpet, dust off the blog and carry on...well, I'll tell you this, it's very dull.  My lap top hard drive failed, it took two weeks to fix but then I badly hurt my neck while washing my hair and couldn't type for another two weeks.  That's it, told you, unbelievably dull. This cake however, is anything but.

Back in the murky mists of time or February, I received a lovely card from my friends mother and inside was the recipe for this cake torn out of the Guardian.  I love post like this!  The cake not only sounded delicious, passion fruit and lime has to be a winner, but it also included mashed potato in the ingredients list.  This had to be tried immediately.  I had heard about mashed potato in gluten free cakes before.  I've had my eye on a recipe for a lemon drizzle version on BBC GoodFood for a while.  Don't be put off.  You really cannot tell the cake includes mashed potato and it gives the crumb a lovely moist texture and also makes the cake quite springy.

Gluten Free Passion Fruit and Lime Drizzle Cake Recipe from The Guardian

150g soft butter
150g soft light brown sugar (I used demerara)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 passion fruit, pulp scooped out
Zest of 2 limes
300g cold mashed potato
200g ground almonds
2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder

For the topping:
*The original recipe calls for 175g icing sugar, sifted, Juice of 1-2 limes and 1 passion fruit, pulp scooped.
I had to adapt things here as I had no icing sugar and I'd run out of passion fruit so for my topping I used 2 tablespoons of demerara sugar and the juice of two limes.  I combined these in a saucepan and heated until the sugar had dissolved.

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180C, 350F.
Grease and line a 20cm springform cake tin.
In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy then add the eggs and combine.  Stir in the passion fruit pulp, lime zest and mashed potato until you have a smooth batter.  Fold in the ground almonds and baking powder.
Transfer the batter in to the cake tin and bake for 1 1/4 hours until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.  If the top of the cake is getting a little too well done loosely cover with foil.  I found I needed to do this.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cake is cool user a skewer to create holes in the top of the cake and pour the topping mixture over.

Sticky Chocolate Orange and Prune Loaf

Things that are happening lately...

I’ve started a new job!  After 7 plus years in the same company it’s scary being the new girl again.  I’m two weeks in and surviving so far.

I no longer have a huge commute.  This is absolute bliss, quite literally.

I get an hour extra in bed.  Again, bliss.

I’ve hardly had a moment to get to grips with cooking/baking/blogging.  Things should balance out soon.  After all just think of all that time I’m saving not commuting.

I’m stuck in a lunch rut of either avocado or baked beans on toast, not together...ok sometimes together (this appals my husband).

I’ve made this apple cake but with pears 4 times since Christmas. It’s too good.

I’m desperate for warm sunny days.  Oh winter how I loathe you. 

This sticky chocolate orange and prune loaf cake over at London Bakes is a rich and decadent treat while still being on the lighter side.  I used brown rice flour to make it gluten free and skipped the liqueur as we never have anything so sophisticated to drink around here. 

Recipe here.

I hope you have a good weekend. x

Man Flu Is Pretty Bad After All and Lemons in the form of Cake to the Rescue!

The last couple of weeks our house has been under the weather.  First my husband had it so I naturally dismissed it as a case of man flu...then I was felled too.  Runny noses, aches and shivers, coughs and a throat that felt like I swallowed a bag of razor blades.  I feel like all I’ve been eating is soup and the different flavours started to become indistinguishable.  Now I’m emerging the other side my taste buds and appetite are both making a small come back.  So even though I have many excellent soup recipes in my arsenal I don’t want to think about soup for a bit.  I’d much rather talk about this cake instead.

I mentioned this cake a while back and I’ve made it often this year.  For some reason I’ve never quite gotten round to posting the recipe which comes from the ever inspiring blog Sprouted Kitchen.  It’s moist, has a wonderful kick of lemon and lasts for several days if you can resist eating it all in one go.  Please don’t skip the lemon glaze.  It is a very easy extra step and really gives the cake a strong zap of lemon flavour and adds a nice crunch to the outside. 

I’m writing the recipe up here even though I didn’t change much so that you have the flours by weight should you choose to bake that way.  Enjoy.  It will brighten up the greyest of winter days!

Recipe adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook via Sprouted Kitchen

2 large eggs

120ml olive oil

60ml plain natural yoghurt

2 tablespoons lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

120g total demerara sugar

120g ground almonds

100g brown rice flour

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Lemon Glaze

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons demerara sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C, 350°F

Line a 9” loaf tin with parchment paper and set aside.

In a bowl mix together the eggs, oil, yoghurt, lemon zest and juice. 

In a large bowl combine the flour, almonds, sugar, ground flaxseed, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.

Combine the dry ingredients with the wet and mix well.  Pour the mixture in to your prepared loaf pan and bake for 40 – 50 minutes.

While the cake is baking make the glaze.  Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan and cook over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.  When the cake is ready remove from the oven and allow to cool for ten minutes before inverting the cake on to a cooling rack.  Prick holes in the top of the cake and pour over the lemon glaze.  Allow the cake to continue to cool completely as it absorbs the lemon glaze.

Apple, Cinnamon and Almond Layer Cake

There are few combinations that work better than apples and cinnamon so this cake is already a win without even really trying.  It’s a pretty rustic looking cake, a bit rough around the edges.  I like it that way, minimum effort in cake decoration but maximum taste is always my preference.  It’s not overly sweet but then I did reduce the sugar as is my way.  With a bit of yoghurt on top it makes a good winter pudding.  After a stomp across the downs in a tonne of mud it’s perfect with a cup of tea.  This is the third time I’ve made this cake.  That’s how good it is.  The recipe is adapted from Jamie Magazine.  I’ve started buying it recently and my purse isn’t going to thank me for these purchases.  A few years ago I gave up buying magazines.  The price and the fact that they were half full of advertising put me off.  This current little slip is mainly due to the fact I find recipes like this.  If you can use a mandolin to slice the apples it makes for a prettier end result but if not just slice with a sharp knife.  It will add to the overall rustic effect.

Adapted from Jamie Magazine Autumn edition.

100g (4oz) rice flour (or plain flour if you don’t need it to be gluten free)

100g (4oz) ground almonds

2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder

1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

180g (6oz) unsalted butter, softened or if you want to make it dairy free use 180ml olive oil

100g (4oz) demerara sugar plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling *recipe calls for 180g so I reduced the amount.

3 eggs

1-2 eating apples finely sliced

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C, 350°F

Grease and line a 20cm cake tin with baking parchment and set aside.

In a small bowl combine the flour, almonds, baking powder, cinnamon and a pinch of salt.  In a large bowl mix together the butter and the sugar and then beat in the eggs.  Carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet until well combined.  Pour half the batter in to the prepared cake tin then top with a layer of apple.  Pour over the remaining batter and finish with a layer of apple on top.  Sprinkle with demerara sugar and bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown.

Autumn Bits and Bobs

As I type this, my lap top feels like it’s about to overheat so maybe I’d better speed things up.  I thought I’d take a few moments to appreciate autumn with its contrasts, colours and interesting weather!  Here’s a little of my autumn so far...

I kicked off the season with a visit to a friend who took me antique hunting in Saffron Walden.  I loved this underground antique shop and it was actually pretty reasonably priced too!

I’ve been experimenting with a few smoothie variations.  This one is blueberry and pear topped with bee pollen which I love!  I also like this tea towel a bit too much.  It may feature in a few too many posts in the near future.

I’ve made Sprouted Kitchen’s lemon loaf a few times.  It is absolutely delicious. 

I’m continuing my quest to own all Bruce Springsteen’s albums on vinyl.  It’s good to have a dream... 

These walking boots get taken through their paces at this time of year.

I never tire of the autumn light.

Still our favourite winter stew on repeat at the moment.

We took a trip to Southsea and visited The Garage Lounge on a friend’s recommendation.  The decor is fantastic.

I couldn’t test out the bread or cakes as they weren’t gluten free but I could definitely appreciate the display, gorgeous glass cake cabinet.

Having a few days holiday from work led to me inevitably catching a cold!  I’m powering through with lemon, ginger and honey tea in my favourite cup.  Simply fill your cup with hot water, add some grated fresh ginger, a squeeze of honey and a slice of lemon.  I’d love to hear your natural cold remedies!

How is your autumn going?

Figs with Everything!

I was going to call this Figs for Friday, an equally cringe making title but I guess I missed the opportunity there now that’s its Saturday.  Instead last night after I spent some quality time with the M25 on my way home from work I made a version of this chicken and coconut korma, then watched a few episodes of 30 Rock until I nodded off in the chair and my husband declared I should go to bed.  Sadly a fairly average Friday evening around here at the moment.  I don’t know if it’s the change in weather but I have been feeling monumentally tired this week.  I think blaming the weather is generally considered a reasonable conclusion for most things.  Anyway, figs have been featuring a lot in our diet lately.  I love fig season, my husband’s not so keen...which just means more for me.

A couple of things I’ve enjoyed.  This salad is a riff on the super seed kale one I posted a few weeks ago.  This time I cooked up some lentils with the rice, used toasted pistachios instead of the seeds, chopped up fresh figs instead of the dried cherries and used a few drops of balsamic vinegar in the dressing in place of the cider vinegar.  Figs, pistachios and goat cheese work so well together.  Sticking with that theme I also used figs on top of my favourite gluten free pizza crust with goat cheese, toasted pistachios, basil and some lambs lettuce.  The sweet figs made a delicious pizza topping and cooked up perfectly under the grill.

I hope you find some delicious ways to enjoy figs before they disappear.  Here are a couple more ideas from the archives!  Have a good weekend x

Sweet Roasted Figs on Porridge

Gluten-Free Orange, Fig and Olive Oil Cake