Lemon poppy seed cake

3 large eggs

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225 grams) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (120 grams) sour cream

5 tablespoons (70 grams) unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Finely grated zest of 3 lemons (1 tablespoon)

1 1/3 cups (170 grams) all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (90 grams) confectioners' sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons lemon juice


Directions

Heat the oven to 325° F (160° C). Grease the loaf pan and line with parchment paper, then set aside.

Place the eggs and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment in place and whisk on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until pale and frothy. Add the sour cream and continue to beat for about 2 minutes, until the mixture has combined.

In the meantime, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stir in the poppy seeds and lemon zest, and set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl, then use a rubber spatula to fold this into the egg mixture before folding in the butter, poppy seeds, and zest.

Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan so that it rises three-quarters of the way up the sides. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not open the oven door to check the cake during the first 45 minutes of baking.

To make the glaze, whisk the confectioners' sugar with the lemon juice in a bowl.
Pour the glaze over the top of the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven, spreading it over the top so that it sinks in and creates a nice coating. Set aside to cool for 30 minutes before removing from the pan. Leave to come to room temperature before serving.

Rhubarb cookies

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup finely diced rhubarb

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat fan oven to 170 C .
2. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar, butter, vanilla extract and egg together with an electric mixer.
3. Add flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat well until dough forms.
4. Add rhubarb and beat again.
5. Scoop a tablespoon of dough and place on a parchment lined or greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly.
6. Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes or until baked through.
7. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then remove cookies from baking sheet and cool on a wire baking rack.

Simple uncooked cheesecake

 Base: bake half quantities of Clementine Gluten-free cake, divided into two 8 inch sandwich tins. Freeze one cake for another time.

Filling: whip 150ml cream until stiff. Separately, whip 200g cream cheese with 1 large tablespoon icing sugar (more if wished). The cream cheese will become thinner at first and then thicken up. When stiff, fold in the cream, 1 dessertspoon or more lemon zest and at least 3 large tablespoons of lemon curd.

Spread filling on base, drizzle with lemon curd, leave to set overnight in fridge.

An additional tweak: could add sour cream and lemon juice to make it more tangy.

Coconut and potato curry

• 1 tbsp Essential Vegetable Oil
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 2 clove/s garlic, finely chopped
• 700g Waitrose British Maris Piper Potaoes, peeled and cut into 2-3 chunks
• 1 medium cauliflower (about 800g), in small florets
• 1 tablespoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 tablespoon cumin seed
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 200g frozen Essential Garden Peas
• 160ml can Essential Coconut Cream
• Coriander leaves, sliced green chilli and lime wedges, to serve (optional)

 

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic then fry for 2-3 minutes until starting to soften. Meanwhile, rinse the cut potatoes well, shuffling them in a bowl of cold water to release as much starch as possible; set aside.
• Add the spices and salt to the onions and fry for 1 minute more, then add the potatoes, turning to coat in the spices. Add 250ml cold water, bring to the boil then lower to a brisk simmer for 20 minutes, stirring regularly to make sure the potatoes cook evenly.
• Stir in the peas and coconut cream then simmer for 3-4 minutes more. Serve with the coriander, green chilli and lime wedges, if using. Some flatbreads or steamed rice would go nicely, too.

 

 

Anzac biscuits

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup self-raising flour

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup soft brown sugar

1/4 cup golden syrup or treacle and syrup mixed. (if using treacle, use white sugar, not brown)

125 g butter

2 tbsp boiling water

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda or 1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 160°C fanbake and line 2 oven trays with baking paper for easy clean-up.

Combine rolled oats, flour, coconut and sugar in a large bowl.

Heat together butter, golden syrup and water until butter melts.

Stir in baking soda, then mix into dry ingredients until well combined.

 

Roll mixture into balls slightly smaller than a golf ball and place on trays, allowing room for spreading.

For crunchy biscuits with a chewy centre, lightly flatten with a fork and bake 15 minutes.

Allow to cool on the trays (they will harden on cooling).

 

They will keep for several weeks in an airtight container.

From Annabel Langbein 

Microwave Christmas Pudding - easiest and best ever.

    

Ingredients

• 1 x 500g bag mixed dried fruit
• 1 x 330ml bottle orange juice
• 3 tsp ground mixed spice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 75g plain flour
• 100g suet or butter
• 100g dark brown soft sugar
• 50g breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp medium sweet sherry
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• icing sugar, for dusting

GET AHEAD

Prepare up to the end of step 2 a few hours ahead

1. Put the dried fruit into a pan with the orange juice. Bubble for 5 minutes until the fruit has absorbed almost all the liquid and plumped up.
2. Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients, except the icing sugar, in a large bowl. Stir in the hot dried fruit. Pour into a lightly greased 2-litre glass (microwave-proof) bowl, base lined with a circle of nonstick baking paper. Cover with a microwave-proof plate.
3. Microwave at 600W for 10 minutes. Remove from the microwave and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Invert the pudding on to a serving plate. Dust with icing sugar and serve with brandy butter, rum sauce or Chantilly cream.

 

French apple cake

 

• 4 large apples
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling)
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Instructions

1. Peel and thinly slice apples.
2. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
3. Lightly oil an 8” round cake pan or pie pan
4. Whisk flours and baking powder together in a large bowl.
5. In a separate small bowl, combine sugar, eggs, and salt together; whisk until foamy. Add yogurt and vanilla, mixing until evenly combined. Stir in melted coconut oil.
6. Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture, stirring until combined.
7. Fold apples into batter until thoroughly coated; pour batter into prepared pan, using a rubber spatula to spread the batter evenly.
8. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar.
9. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The cake should be golden brown on top.
10. Remove cake from oven and cool on a wire rack

https://www.attainable-sustainable.net/moist-apple-cake/