Category: Sweet stuff

Blood oranges are in season. Like anything that has a relatively short season (think rhubarb, artichokes and asparagus) I get quite excited and make sure I make the most of them while they are here. For the most part, that means simply eating these wonderfully red coloured oranges as they are. I am more than happy though to give up a few of my oranges for this rather delicious cake.

I have made it in a bundt tin, just because it looks fabulous – and that’s what the recipe suggested! I don’t imagine though that many of you have this particular tin but that wouldn’t be a reason not to make it – any cake tin will do. Consider whether you need to adjust your quantities to fit your tin if using a loaf tin, or a small round tin.

Recipe link for you to try

Both bananas and peanut butter are akin to marmite – you either love them or hate them. I love peanut butter, and particularly love this combination. An old favourite toast sandwich of mine is peanut butter, honey and banana. It is a full-on sandwich, particularly recommended for when you’re really hungry.

The same peanut butter and banana combo in a cake is a also a winner. With a cream cheese and peanut butter icing to boot, I have full cake happiness.

Recipe link

For a change, or an addition(?), to the usual Rosh Hashanah honey cake, I can thoroughly recommend these cookies. I had to stop myself eating the dough before it got to the oven.

Do take note that this is one of those recipes that needs to be prepared ahead of time. The dough needs to rest in the fridge for at least three hours before it can be baked. I left mine overnight.

I made my cookies a little smaller than recommended in the recipe. Next time I make these I think I will freeze some of the dough in cookie sized portions. We’ll get through them but really we don’t need that many biscuits hanging around the kitchen tempting us.

Link to recipe

Tip

To get a better coverage of seeds, I suggest putting your seeds and salt onto a saucer, flatten your dough balls and then press into the saucer. You may need a few extra seeds but don’t increase the salt.

This cake is gluten and dairy free. It makes a great dessert cake but is equally good with your morning cup of coffee or afternoon tea. I think of it as quite a sophisticated cake. Not sure why but I think its because the grapefruit and virgin olive oil flavours mean that it is definitely not a taste that children would appreciate.

Ingredients

• 150 g unsalted pistachios
• zest of 1 and 1/2 pink grapefruits
• Juice of 1/2 pink grapefruit
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 50g polenta
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 4 eggs
• 200g extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp honey
• 10 g shelled salted pistachios (about 20), roughly chopped, to serve

Method

Grease a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Whizz the unsalted pistachios in a food processor until fairly finely ground. Finely grate the zest of the grapefruits and add this and the sugar to the processor, whizz briefly to combine, then stir in the polenta, baking powder, cardamom and a pinch of salt.

Whisk together the eggs and oil and stir these into the dry ingredients. Scrape into the tin. Put into the oven and turn it to 180C (200C non-fan) — trust me, you don’t need to preheat it for this one. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until set on top.

Towards the end of the cooking time, juice the half grapefruit and heat this, together with the honey, in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then take off the heat. Put the cake, still in its tin, onto a plate with a rim and pour over the syrup, a little at a time, adding more once each lot has been absorbed. Leave to cool, then turn out and sprinkle with the chopped pistachios

I have been making this recipe every Pesach for years. It’s a real family favourite. I really don’t know why I keep it just for Pesach but somehow doing so makes it that more special. I have to warn you though that it is very rich, so don’t cut your slices too big.

A word about my picture… I thought I should tell you that the lines on the side are from the clingfilm. I probably should have smoothed it out but we just wanted to get on and eat it.

Ingredients

• 75g dark cooking chocolate
• 6 egg yolks
• 120g caster sugar
• 50g honey
• 120g unsalted butter or margarine at room temperature
• 65g cocoa powder
• 300 ml double cream/non-dairy cream (unsweetened)

Method

• Line a 900g loaf tin with cling film and ideally cut enough so that you will be able to pull it over the top once frozen
• Place the honey and chocolate into a small microwaveable bowl and gradually heat to melt the chocolate.
• Leave to cool a little then stir in the sugar and egg yols
• Beat the butter and cocoa powder together until smooth; mix with the melted chocolate mix
• Whip the cream, then mix with the chocolate mixture
• Pour into the loaf tin, smooth out so you have a level top and place in the freezer (for at least 8 hours)
• Remove from the freezer approx 10 mins before eating. Turn upside down onto a plate, peel off the cling film and slice.

If you are in need of a quick treat during this horribly unsettling time, give these yummy Peanut Butter Crispies a whirl. They’re very quick and easy to make, with no cooking. You will have to leave it an hour or so though to set so a little patience is required.

Ingredients

• 95g rice krispies
• 120g peanut butter
• 175g malt syrup* (rice or barley) or 175g agave syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Topping: 250g dark cooking chocolate and 1 tbsp peanut butter

* – malt syrup can be found in most supermarkets with the baking ingredients. Don’t be tempted to substitute golden syrup, it will be far too sweet.

Instructions

Put the peanut butter and syrup into a pan and heat until the peanut butter is melted into the syrup. Try to heat slowly as ideally you don’t want it to get too hot as if it gets too hot you will need to let it cool down before adding the rice krispies. Adding the rice krispies when it is too hot will soften them too much and then they won’t be crispy! Mix in the vanilla extract to the syrup and peanut butter and then mix in the rice Krispies. When thoroughly coated press into a greased baking tin. I use a tin measuring 23cm X 20cm.

For the topping, melt the chocolate and peanut butter. Pour over the crispies and put in the fridge to set. I recommend cutting before the chocolate hardens too much. Store the crispies in the fridge. If they’re not all eaten straight away, they will keep for a few days before going soft.

I think the before and after picture speaks for itself with this easy dessert suggestion for you. The recipe can be found on BBC Good Food site.

Finding cherries in syrup for the bottom is harder than you would expect. This last time I made the pudding I found a tin of cherry pie filling, making the whole recipe even easier – I just had to make the topping. If you do use pie filling then you can miss out the cherry jam from the recipe.