Baking
I love baking and our wood fired ESSE cooker is fabulous for making cakes, pastry and bread, it has a lovely dry heat which works so well. These are all recipes that I have made for many years and which are real favourites when served up at our course lunches. Click on the button under each entry to go to a fully printable recipe page - If you do try any of these recipes please let me know how you get on - ENJOY!
Lemon Drizzle Cake
This is a real winner at our courses, everyone loves it. It has a soft, moist sponge texture with a real tang of fresh lemons (from our tree of course) and is gluten free with the option of going dairy free too.
Spicy Pumpkin Cake
This scrumptious, easy to make cake featured on our blog at the end of 2018. I have made it many times now and it always comes out really well. I have substituted the pumpkin with butternut squash and that works too. The cream cheese frosting is very naughty but tastes really wonderful.
Lemon Meringue Pie
A little fussy but so worth the bother. This pie is sweet, creamy, tangy and lemony and makes a very special treat that everyone will love. I used Swiss marshmallow for the top which is a revelation, so creamy and it does not go watery.
My neighbour has the most amazing Persimmon tree (aka Sharon Fruit or - in Portugues, Dióspiros) In Autum it is literally dripping with these lovely, apple sized, almost transparent fruit. She eats them as they are by cutting around the green top and scooping out the jelly like, super sweet flesh. I thought I would use them in a cake. This is a similar recipe to the spiced pumpkin cake above but has a more delicate flavour and the Brown Butter Glaze is gorgeous!
Bahamian Pumpkin Pudding
My Ex Father-in-law used to make this delicious spicy and sticky pudding. It is nothing like the American pumpkin pie we are perhaps more familiar with, as he was born in the Bahamas where this pudding is very popular, I really prefer it and I have modified the recipe so it is gluten free too which is an added bonus.
Pão de ló
Its Easter time! This is a traditional Portuguese fatless sponge made at this time of year. As my Birthday always falls during the Easter break I thought I would give it a try, however unappetising it looks when you see the commercial versions in the shops. I AM SO GLAD I DID! its lovely, light, lemony and easy to make. Give it a try, I know you will love this cake.
Spice Apple Cake - Vegan
This is a lovely recipe, sticky, fruity and spicy. It goes well with an afternoon cup of tea or as an after dinner treat. Its easy to make it gluten free as well!
Lucious Chocolate Tart
You will not believe this tart is both vegan and gluten free, its so luxurious, creamy and decadent. Kids will love it and the best thing of all its actually quite healthy - if you crave a simple chocolate fix this is the pud for you!!