Orange Polenta Cake

Entertaining? Need something delicious, impressive, yet easy and foolproof to whip up. This is your cake. 

It takes only 15 minutes to prepare, then a quick syrup poured over the top. It makes an impressive dessert or is delicious in the afternoon with a cup of tea. 

Oranges are in season at the moment, so make sure you use freshly squeezed oranges in this dish. Polenta is made from finely ground corn, and is used in sweet or savoury dishes, and can even be used as a gluten free substitute to breadcrumbs to coat meat for frying. You can find it in the international or pasta section in your supermarket. 

Ingredients (Serves 8 - 10): 

• Rind of 2 oranges - about 3 tbsp 
• 1/2 cup orange juice - about 3 squeezed oranges
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil - use a light flavoured oil like rice bran or canola 
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp honey 
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups self raising flour
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 1/2 cup polenta 

Syrup 

• Rind of 1 orange 
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice 
• 1/3 cup sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Line and grease a 20cm round cake tin. 

In a large bowl whisk orange juice, rind, vegetable oil, eggs, honey and sugar together. 

Add flour, ground almonds and polenta. Quickly mix to form a thick batter. 

Pour batter into greased cake tin and smooth the top with the back of a wet spoon. 

Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, check by piercing with a skewer, that it comes out clean. 

Set aside to cool. 

Over a low heat, mix syrup ingredients, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes till thickened. 

Pierce the top of the cake with a skewer and drizzle the warm syrup over the cooled cake. 

Dust with icing sugar and serve with a big dollop of greek yogurt. 

Enjoy! 

- Stefani

Dark Chocolate Ginger and Orange Oaties

This is my twist on a kiwi classic, the ANZAC biscuit. Traditionally made with oats, coconut, and golden syrup, and without eggs so that they would keep for a long time whilst in transit. 
My version however, has a few of my favourite things: Dark Chocolate, Ginger and Orange. 

Delicious little morsels. I used Whittaker's 72% Dark Ghana, because it's the best. Always look for at least 50% cocoa solids in any dark chocolate, and if you can, use Whittaker's.

If you're a big spice fan, feel free to add more ginger, 2 tsp wasn't quite enough kick for me. 


Ingredients (makes 25 - 30 cookies): 

• 150g butter, melted
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup of plain flour
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 cup of rolled oats
• 1 cup of coconut 
• 2 tbsp orange rind
• 1/2 cup of quality dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 tsp baking soda 

Method: 

Preheat oven to 180c and line to baking trays with baking paper. 

Melt butter and mix in orange juice. 

Sift flour and ginger in a large bowl, stir through oats, coconut, orange rind and dark chocolate. 

In a small bowl mix 2 tbsp boiling water, with baking soda and add this to the butter. Stir butter into the dry ingredients. Mix well. Mixture will be a little crumbly. 

With wet hands, roll small handfuls of dough and and place on the tray, leaving room for the cookies to spread. 

Bake 20-25 minutes till golden. Leave on the tray to cool. They will harden as they cool. 

Store in an airtight container up to a week... If they last that long.