Lemon Loaf Cake

15th May 202015th May 2020
by thefoodwife

Serves 8-10

Behold! My bake for VE Day!

Lemon cake is a favourite here. If I’m making a gluten-free lemon cake then I go for my Lemon and Blueberry Polenta Cake, which can also be made dairy-free. This is a best-seller on my market stall.

Here is a more traditional lemon loaf cake with a lemon icing. The sponge is flecked with lemon zest and I adorn the icing with candied lemon slices and more zest.

This is lovely served as part of an afternoon tea.

Ingredients:
190g softened butter/margarine
190g caster sugar
2 unwaxed lemons, zested
3 large eggs
190g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 heaped tbsp sour cream

For the icing:
2 lemons, juiced
200g (royal) icing sugar

Step 1: Cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest.

Step 2: Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat until smooth.

Step 3: Gently beat in the sour cream, flour, baking powder and salt.

Step 4: Pour into a lined loaf tin and bake in a preheated oven at 170c (fan) for 50-60 minutes until cooked through.

Step 5: Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Step 6: Make the icing by combining the lemon juice and icing sugar to a smooth consistency. Pour over the cooled cake and allow to set.

If you like you can decorate with candied lemon zest and slices. To make these make a sugar syrup with equal parts sugar and water (50g/50ml of each is enough to make enough for the top of the cake). Add thin slices of lemon and/or the zest to the syrup on a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove the pieces into a non stick surface, such as some greaseproof paper, until ready to use.

Sourdough Naan Bread

16th April 202016th April 2020
by thefoodwife

Makes approximately 3 naan

Having made sourdough crackers I next wanted to try making homemade naan breads. Soft, slightly chewy breads, with a sour tang. They’ll definitely be making an appearance on future curry nights.

Ingredients:

90ml Warm milk
45ml Plain yogurt
180ml Sourdough starter
190g Strong white bread flour
Salt
Nigella (onion) seeds (optional)
Butter (melted)

Step 1: Combine the warm milk, yogurt, starter, flour and a large pinch of salt in a bowl. The mix should be smooth but sticky. Cover and leave for 45-60 minutes.

Step 2: Tip the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough, adding small amounts of flour as necessary, until you have a soft, pliable dough. If using the nigella seeds, add a heaped teaspoon and fold into the dough.

Step 3: Divide the dough into three. Make a rough ball with each and then using the palm of your hand press the dough out into a flat disc, about 3mm thick.

Step 4: Heat a non-stick frying or griddle pan until very hot. Cook the dough discs for a couple of minutes on each side until
slightly charred. Remove from the pan and brush with melted butter. Serve immediately.

You could add crushed garlic and herbs to the butter to give extra flavour. Likewise you could replace the nigella seeds with other spices or herbs, as desired.

Dairy-free Banana and Cherry Loaf Cake

14th April 202014th April 2020
by thefoodwife

Makes 8-10 slices

This is a bit of a favourite in our house at the moment. Using up over-ripe bananas, no need for butter as it uses vegetable oil, and using frozen cherries to get little bursts of extra fruitiness.

It’s great to make with kids, as it’s an all-in-one method that just needs stirring together (another benefit of using oil over butter).

To make this a bit more naughty you could also add 100g of broken dark or white chocolate (dairy-free if required) to the mix at the same time as the cherries.

Ingredients:
2 large/3 medium/4 small very ripe bananas, mashed
110g vegetable oil
60g caster sugar
170g self raising flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g frozen pitted cherries

Step 1: In a large bowl, mix the bananas, oil, sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla together.

Step 2: Fold in the cherries.

Step 3: Pour into a lined 2lb loaf tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180c (fan) for 50 mins, or until golden, risen and springs back to the touch.

Step 6: Remove from the oven and allow to cool for half an hour before transferring (out of the tin) to a wire rack.

Store in an airtight container and it will
Last a few days.

Cherry and Almond Loaf Cake

9th April 20209th April 2020
by thefoodwife

Makes 8-10 slices

The Food Husband’s birthday calls for a gluten-free cake. He loves cherry and almond and so I came up with this tasty loaf cake. Using almond extract really ramps up the almond taste. If you don’t want such a full-on-flavour then replace with vanilla extract. If making this dairy-free then using almond milk is in keeping!

I’m pleased to report this cake freezes really well. Wrap in kitchen foil and then tightly in clingfilm or in a sealed bag.

Ingredients:
170g gluten-free plain flour
2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
1/4 tsp xanthan powder
170g caster sugar
100g ground almonds
2 large eggs, beaten
100ml vegetable oil
1 tsp almond extract
75ml (almond) milk
100g glacé cherries
Flaked almonds (optional)

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180c (fan) and line a 2lb loaf tin.

Step 2: Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, folding in the cherries at the end.

Step 3: Pour into the lined loaf tin and smooth the top level. If desired, sprinkle the top with flaked almonds.

Step 4: Bake for 50 minutes; the top should be golden brown and a skewer should come out clean when pierced into the cake.

Step 5: Allow to cool fully in the tin. If you like, drizzle with icing when cool (the neon is completely optional!)

Sourdough Crackers with Smoked Paprika and Nigella Seeds

6th April 20207th April 2020
by thefoodwife

With the current lockdown, more people are making bread at home. Many are trying sourdough for the first time. My sourdough starter, Cuthbert, has been going for well over a year now. I’ve used him to make traditional sourdough loaves, hybrid yeasted loaves, hot cross buns but most recently I’ve used the discard to make sourdough crackers.

This is a versatile recipe, I’ve flavoured these with smoked paprika and nigella seeds, but you could use herbs or other spices as you like.

If keeping these vegan or dairy-free , use a vegetable based baking block rather than butter.

These will store for up to a week in an airtight container.

Ingredients:
100g strong white bread flour
30g strong wholewheat bread flour
4g salt
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp nigella seeds
150g discarded sourdough starter
60g softened butter (or vegetable baking block if vegan/dairy-free)
Olive oil

Step 1: Combine all the ingredients (excluding the olive oil) in a bowl. Use your hands to bring together to make a smooth dough. Divide in two and shape into two equal blocks. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for half an hour.

Step 2: Preheat the oven to 180c (fan) and line two baking sheets with grease proof paper.

Step 3: Flour a work surface and roll each block of dough into a rectangle, about 1 or 2mm thick. Use a knife or the flat edge of a dough scraper to cut the rolled out dough into long strips about 2 inches wide.

Step 4: Carefully transfer each strip onto the lined baking sheets leaving a small gap between each one. Brush each with olive oil and prick all over with a fork. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove and allow to cool.

Store in an airtight container for up to a week.