Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts

Wednesday, 4 June 2014

apple and bourbon cake

I just had to share this melt in the mouth cake recipe. As it is still cold enough for comfort food, I jumped at the chance of making this cake. My lovely Instagram friend Katerina, whose food shots make my mouth water, shared a picture of this cake she had made. She very kindly gave me the recipe to try and let me tell you, it's one of the best cakes I have ever made! Check out her lovely gallery here.

The bourbon works so well with the apples, pecans and spices. It is super moist, packed with fruit and has dark, spicy flavours.

Ingredients
225g/2 sticks unsalted butter,softened
220g/1 cup caster sugar
220g/1 cup dark brown soft sugar
3 eggs
280g/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of baking soda
1 tsp ground allspice
1 1/2 tsps ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cardamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 tablespoons Bourbon
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
120g/1 cup shelled whole pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

Deep, 20 cm/8 inch round cake pan,greased and baselined with parchment paper.
Serves 5-12

Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 160C/315F Gas 4.
  2. Using an electric mixer with paddle or beater attachment (or an electric whisk, which I used), beat the butter and both sugars until the mixture is almost light in colour and fluffy in texture.
  3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until thoroughly combined before adding the next. Scrape down the side of the bowl and mix again for one minute.
  4. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, bicarb, all the spices and salt and sift twice.
  5. Add one third of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until well incorporated. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture, then the rest of the flour mixture, and mix until just combined.
  6. Pour the Bourbon over the apples in a bowl and mix. Fold the apples and pecans into the cake mixture.
  7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin. 
  8. Bake in the preheated oven for 55-70 minutes. A wooden skewer inserted in the middle should come out with almost no crumbs attached, and the middle of the cake, when pressed, should spring back slightly instead of sink. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes if necessary.
  9. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Slide a table knife all around the edge to loosen the cake, then remove from the pan. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for one hour.
Perfect with a cup of coffee, afternoon tea or as part of a picnic. This cake won't disappoint and definitely ticks all the right boxes! Well, it didn't last a full day here!

Enjoy!




Wednesday, 29 January 2014

super skinny pasta


Full of goodness, healthy and ready in twenty minutes! I make this yummy pasta dish on a regular basis as it is perfect for a quick midweek supper after work. The combination of spicy broccoli and salty anchovies gives it so much flavour!

Ingredients (serves 4)
250g linguine
50g tin anchovies
350g tenderstem broccoli, trimmed
500g cherry tomatoes, whole
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 red chilli
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2tbsp mini capers, to serve

Method
1. Cook the pasta in boiling water according to the pack instructions.
2. Drain 11/2 tbsp of oil from the anchovy tin into a pan and finely chop the anchovies. Gently fry with the garlic and chilli for 2 minutes until the garlic is golden. Add the broccoli and cherry tomatoes, along with 3tbsp water and cook for 5 minutes, until the broccoli is tender and some of the cherry tomatoes have burst.
3. Drain the pasta and stir through the lemon juice. Add the veg and capers, then top with a sprinkle of lemon zest and a grind of pepper.

Who thought low calorie could taste so good?