Clementine Cake

August 3, 2014 By

Last week we went and visited some friends and were given a rather large bag of clementine’s from them in the hope we might turn it into something delicious for the blog. “Challenge accepted!” we said and proceeded to create this homemade clementine cake recipe.

Clementine’s are a great combination of mandarin and orange, and after doing some research they are also a popular citrus fruit used for making tasty treats in the UK. Courtesy of Nigella Lawson’s reputable recipe, Clementine Cake, Brooke used this recipe to use the tangy fruit.

Firstly you must allow some extra time to boil the fruit whole, for at last two hours. Luckily if there is someone already home you can kindly ask them to put them on a light boil ahead for you. Once the clementine’s have boiled for two hours you need to blitz them in the food processor – skin, pith, fruit and all! Just simply check the fruit for seeds first before giving them a blitz. From there it is simply just combining the remaining ingredients and stirring in the clementine puree. This cake does take up to an hour to bake and you may need to protect the top with a bit of foil to stop it from burning.

Once the cake is cooked and allowed to cool, you can sprinkle with a little icing sugar or make an easy icing with the juice of one clementine and 1 cup of icing sugar. For me this cake is dense, moist and flavorful on is own and perfect for these cool months with a cup of tea, coffee or warm drink!

Looking for some more dessert recipes then check out our recipe for Homemade No Bake Mars Bar Slice or Fruit and Custard Tart.

Clementine Cake IngredientsBoiled ClementinesClementine Cake MixtureClementine Cake RecipeClementine Cake Recipe

Homemade Clementine Cake – Recipe Instructions

Clementine Cake
 
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Delicious Clementine Cake made with just 5 ingredients.
Author:
Recipe type: Baked Goods
Cuisine: British
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 400 g clementine’s (approx. 4 small-sized ones)
  • 6 large eggs
  • 225 g white sugar
  • 250 g ground almonds
  • 1 tsp baking powder
Instructions
  1. Put the clementine’s in a pan with some cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 2 hours. Drain and, when cool, cut each clementine in half and remove the pips. Dump the clementine’s - skins, pith, fruit and all - and give a quick blitz in a food processor.
  2. Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Butter and line a 21cm / 8 inch Springform tin.
  3. Add all the other ingredients to the food processor and mix. Or, you can beat the eggs by hand adding the sugar, almonds and baking powder, mixing well, then finally adding the fruit puree.
  4. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for an hour. Check the cake with a skewer that it comes out clean.
  5. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

 

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Pumpkin and leek tart recipe

July 28, 2014 By

Since returning from our holiday we have had a very busy weekend catching up with friends and family. Luckily we managed to find a bit of time yesterday to get back into some humble home cooking and Brooke made this delicious pumpkin and leek tart recipe.

Whilst being away we have definitely eaten our fair share of delicious Vietnamese food, but now that we are home in the middle of Perth’s winter I am craving some simple winter food.

With pumpkin and leek in season, Brooke made one of my favourite recipes, pumpkin and leek tart. This tart is delicious and if Brooke can be bothered tackling homemade short crust pastry is a great winter warmer.

Cook the pumpkin slightly in the pan first with a little butter and garlic for added flavour, then combine with the sliced leeks, some fresh tomatoes for colour, dried onion flakes, cheese and an egg and cream filling. Bake it in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Served with a simple salad this tart is great for a light lunch or dinner or in the warmer months for a picnic!

Looking for some more savoury baked goods then check out our recipe for Ham and Cheese Croquettes or Zucchini and Bacon Slice. I like to pair this pumpkin and leek tart with our Roasted Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup recipe.

Tart Pastry IngredientsPumpkin and Leek Tart IngredientsPumpkin and leek tart recipePumpkin and leek tartPumpkin and leek tart recipe

Healthy Pumpkin and Leek Tart – Recipe Instructions

Pumpkin and Leek Tart
 
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Pumpkin and Leek Tart great for a light lunch or dinner.
Author:
Recipe type: Baked Goods
Cuisine: French
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Pastry
  • 1⅔ cups (250g) plain flour
  • 125g unsalted butter, chilled, finely chopped
  • 1 egg, chilled
  • 1 Tbsp cold water
Tart Ingredients
  • 300g pumpkin, cubed
  • 1 leek, washed and sliced
  • ½ cup cheese, grated
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 – 4 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 120 ml thickened cream
  • 2 tbsp onion flakes
  • 1 tsbp butter
  • 1 tsp garlic, crushed
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. To make the pastry, place the flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and water and process until the mixture just comes together. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Shape into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge for 15 minutes to rest.
  2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the pumpkin and garlic and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat.
  3. Preheat oven to 200°C.
  4. Roll out the pastry into a 3mm thick rectangle or disc. Line a round 23cm (base measurement) fluted tart tin or a 33cm x 9cm rectangular tart with removable base with pastry and trim any excess. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest.
  5. Cover pastry with non-stick baking paper and fill with rice or dried beans. Place on a baking tray. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Remove paper and rice or beans, and bake for a further 8 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 180°C.
  6. Fill pastry base with pumpkin, onion flakes, leeks, cheese and tomatoes.
  7. Whisk cream and eggs together in a jug. Spread over pastry base.
  8. Bake in oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.

 

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Sticky Date and Banana Loaves

June 16, 2014 By

Why is it that as soon as the weather gets cold, we instantly want some yummy comfort food? Well, this last week in Perth the weather during the day has been beautiful, but the temperature has definitely dropped making us crave some serious comfort food. That’s where this recipe for sticky date and banana loaves comes in.

What’s not more comforting than a sticky date pudding? It’s such a rich, fluffy pudding and when topped with some delicious salted caramel sauce hits the nail on the head for ultimate indulgence.

For our recipe, we added some banana for extra texture and flavour to the traditional recipe.  I like this combination as the two flavours really complement one another and I find it breaks up each mouthful – one full of dates one full of banana or both!

When making the mixture, rather than mashing the banana through the mixture Brooke leaves the banana in chunks to help leave pieces of banana throughout the cake. Then lastly stirs through the chopped dates and you’ve got yourself the perfect mixture for sticky date and banana loaves.

To serve we made a simple salted caramel sauce which was featured with our French Apple Cake. Serve your sticky date and banana loaves warm with some vanilla ice cream and the ooey gooey sauce this recipe will definitely satisfy your cravings this winter.

Sticky date and banana loavesSticky date and banana loaves ingredientsSticky date and banana loaves recipeSticky date and banana loavesSticky date and banana loaves in ovenSticky date and banana loavesSticky date and banana loaves recipe

Mini Sticky Date and Banana Loaves – Recipe Instructions

Sticky Date and Banana Loaves
 
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Sticky date and banana loaves topped with some delicious salted caramel sauce.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Australian
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 2 Cups Plain Flour, sifted
  • 1 ½ Tsp baking powder, sifted
  • ¾ Cup butter, at room temperature
  • ½ Cup brown sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 4 Ripe bananas, chopped
  • 1 ½Ttsp vanilla extract
  • ½ Cup dates, chopped
  • 1 cup salted caramel sauce, or other caramel sauce to top
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease and flour an 8 loaf tin or 12-cake cupcake tin.
  2. Beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at at time. Add bananas and vanilla and mix until blended.
  3. Slowly mix in flour and baking powder, until just incorporated. Stir in chopped dates.
  4. Divide batter equally among cups and bake for 20-22 mins, or until lightly golden on top. While cakes are baking, prepare caramel sauce.
  5. Serve cakes warm with ice cream and salted caramel sauce.

 

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Raspberry Friands

April 14, 2014 By

Friands are a small French cake which is a similar to the financier due to key ingredients powdered sugar, almond meal and egg whites. These delicious tea cakes are extremely popular in Australia and as long as you have a solid base recipe they can be made using a variety of flavourings including chocolate, fruit, coconut and nuts. Traditionally these treats are baked in an oval molds and due to the almond meal, powdered sugar and lightly beaten egg whites they have a great texture which is almost chewy on the outside and extremely fluffy and moist on the inside. Trust me they are delicious!

When heading to the footy, often Brooke and her Mum would pick up a delicious friand from the local French patisserie before a game. However on this Sunday I was in for a treat as before the game Brooke cooked up a batch of friands with the leftover fresh raspberries we had just bought. You can use any fruit or nut you want to flavour your friands, however I am not going to lie – the tart raspberry combination really works well with the sweet cake.

Now this recipe calls for 6 egg whites, yes it is alot and you will end up with leftover egg yolks. However without the egg whites you won’t get the texture which is what makes these raspberry friands so irresistible. If you need to use up some of your leftover yolks I would make a simple lemon curd, custard or if you really want to some icecream!

To serve allow the friands to cool before giving them a light dusting of icing sugar. You will all be fighting for the last one!

Raspberry Friand IngredientsRaspberry Friand MixRaspberry Friand MixtureRaspberry FriandsMinni Raspberry FriandsRaspberry Friands

5.0 from 1 reviews
Raspberry Friands
 
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Raspberry Friands are a small French cake made with powdered sugar, almond meal, egg whites and fresh raspberries.
Author:
Recipe type: Baked Goods
Cuisine: French
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 200g butter, chopped
  • 2 cups, pure icing sugar
  • 2 tblsp plain flour
  • 1 ½ cups almond meal
  • 6 egg whites
  • 120g raspberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, ensure they are completely defrosted and dried with paper towel)
  • Icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 230°C. Grease twelve ½-cup capacity friand pans or muffin holes.
  2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer, swirling pan occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes or until light golden. Remove from heat. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites till they are slightly foamy.
  4. Sift icing sugar and flour into a large bowl. Stir in almond meal. Make a well in the centre.
  5. Add the beaten eggwhites, stirring constantly with a metal spoon until combined.
  6. Add butter and stir until well combined. Stir in berries.
  7. Fill the each mold three-quarters full with mixture.
  8. Bake friands for 5 minutes. Reduce oven to 200°C and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  9. Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Dust with icing sugar.

 

Filed Under: Baked Goods

Cranberry and Apricot Hot Cross Buns

February 24, 2014 By

This weekend Brooke set herself the challenge of making her own Hot Cross Buns, so of course I wasn’t going to object. Fresh spiced fruit buns from the oven? Yes please! Hot Cross Buns are one of my favourite things to eat at Easter. Traditionally we eat these yummy spiced buns on Good Friday, however each year they are available to buy in the shops earlier and earlier (I even think I saw them as soon as Christmas was over!).

Traditional Hot Cross Buns are usually made with currants or raisins and flavoured with mixed spice. To make our recipe we made our own Mixed Spice and used dried cranberries and apricots. I’m not saying that you can’t just use the normal mixed spice from the shops, however through making your own you can adapt the intensity of each spice to your preference – for hot cross buns Brooke added a bit more cinnamon.

To make the buns, there are a few steps but mainly it is just waiting for the dough to rise that takes up most of the time. With the strong smell of mixed spice filling the house patience was definitely getting the better of me! After making the dough, letting it rise, kneading it again, and dividing it into your buns. You need to let to dough rise once more before adding the traditional flour paste as the cross. Note if you aren’t a fan you don’t have to add it. You could easily cut a cross in the bun giving it a nice rustic look. After all this, bake your buns in a moderate oven for around 20 minutes or until cooked through.

To give the buns a nice glossy finish you need to make a simple glaze through boiling water and sugar on the stove. To enhance the combination of cranberry and apricot Brooke added a little orange zest to her glaze this time.

After some quality control let me assure you these Cranberry and Apricot Hot Cross Buns are delish!

If your looking for another variant this on these delicious buns then try our Apple and sultana hot cross buns.

Cranberry and Apricot Hot Cross Buns IngredientsCranberry and Apricot Hot Cross Buns MixtureCranberry and Apricot Hot Cross Buns DoughHot Cross Buns Rising DoughCranberry and Apricot Hot Cross BunsCranberry and Apricot Hot Cross BunsHot Cross BunsCranberry and Apricot Hot Cross BunsApricot Hot Cross Buns

5.0 from 1 reviews
Cranberry and Apricot Hot Cross Buns
 
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Check out this recipe for rustic Hot Cross Buns made with mixed spice, dried cranberries and apricots.
Author:
Recipe type: Baked Goods
Cuisine: English
Serves: 12
Ingredients
Buns
  • 4 Cups Plain Flour
  • 14 g Dried Yeast
  • ¼ Cup Caster Sugar
  • 2 Tsp Mixed Spice
  • Pinch of Salt
  • ¾ Cup Dried Cranberries
  • ¾ Cup Dried Apricots, diced
  • 40 g Butter
  • 300ml Milk
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
Flour paste
  • ½ Cup Plain Flour
  • 4 to 5 Tbsp water
Glaze
  • ⅓ Cup Water
  • 2 Tbsp Caster Sugar
  • 1 Tsbp Orange Zest (optional)
Instructions
  1. Combine flour, yeast, sugar, mixed spice, salt and cranberries and apricots in a large bowl.
  2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add milk. Heat for until lukewarm.
  3. Add warm milk mixture and eggs to fruit mixture. Using a flat-bladed knife, simply cut the knife through the dough until it almost comes together. Using clean hands to finish mixing to form a soft dough.
  4. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes, or until dough is smooth.
  5. Place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 to 1½ hours, or until dough doubles in size.
  6. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
  7. Punch dough down to its original size. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth.
  8. Divide into 12 even portions. Shape each portion into a ball. Place balls onto lined tray, about 1cm apart. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes, or until buns double in size.
  9. Preheat oven to 190°C.
  10. Make flour paste: Mix flour and water together in a small bowl until smooth, adding a little more water if paste is too thick.
  11. Spoon into a small snap-lock bag. Snip off 1 corner of bag. Pipe flour paste over tops of buns to form crosses.
  12. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until buns are cooked through.
  13. Make glaze: Place water, sugar and zest into a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes.
  14. Brush warm glaze over warm hot cross buns.
  15. Serve warm or at room temperature

 

Filed Under: Baked Goods
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