Feijoa and White Chocolate Cake

As I mentioned on my last post. It's crazy feijoa season here. There's about 2 months of the year that NZ has an overflow of feijoa, and then we don't see them again till the next year. Which is good, because when they are in season, there are so many, and they are so good, that without fail you completely gorge yourself on them, and by the end of the season, are so over them that you're searching for new and interesting ways to use them up. 

Note: they also freeze really well, so you can scoop the pulp and stow it away in the freezer for a baking on a rainy day if you've already had your fill for now. 

After the feijoa oatcakes and crumbles I've been making of late I wanted to try something new, plus Mr 3 wanted to make a 'Mudders Day' chocolate cake for me... FYI - by him helping bake, he means he wants to lick the spoon and eat all the ingredients, minimal help actually attained. But, he's there and involved and we have fun making a mess, so that's all good. But, yes, I made my own Mother's Day cake essentially. 

Now, he wanted chocolate cake, but me being me, and hating seeing food go to waste, I knew I needed to include the feijoa. There's a few feijoa cakes out there with cocoa in them,  but the idea of milk or dark chocolate with feijoa just doesn't quite sound right to me. Plus I wanted to make something that could have cream cheese icing, no explanation necessary on that one, cream cheese icing is THE BEST. 

A few years back I made feijoa and white chocolate muffins, which were an amazing flavour combo, so I wanted to recreate that in cake form here. The result here is a deliciously moist, rich yet tart cake. The richness comes from the white chocolate which caramelised in some spots, and the tartness from the feijoa and cream cheese icing. I've left the icing quite soft, as that's how I like it, but if you prefer a firmer icing, simply add more icing sugar. 

Ingredients (makes 24cm round cake): 

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp lemon juice 
• 1 3/4 flour
• 2 tsp baking powder 
• 120 grams butter, melted
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 tbsp boiling water (45ml)
•  1 cup of feijoa pulp
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, optional, but worthwhile

Icing:

• 100g butter, room temperature
• 100g cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups icing sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice and lemon zest

Method:

Grease a 25cm diameter cake tin. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. 

In a cake mixer, or using an electric hand beater beat sugar and eggs till light and fluffy. 

Add lemon juice, mix. Then add baking powder and flour, half a cup at a time, till all combined. 

Mix baking soda with boiling water, and along with feijoa pulp and melted butter, add to your cake mix, folding together till well combined. Finally fold in the chocolate chips. 

Pour cake mix into your greased cake tin and bake 40 - 50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. 

Leave to cool in tin for 15 mins before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Once cooled ice with cream cheese icing. 

To make icing, beat butter until light in colour and fluffy. Add softened cream cheese and beat until smooth and combined. Add sifted icing sugar half a cup at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. I like it quite soft. Stir in a teaspoon of lemon juice and lemon rind (optional). 

Feijoa Oatcake

Wow. Welcome back. This is my first blogpost in 8 months! But more importantly, how have we been in lockdown for six weeks and I have only just decided to reboot the blog? I mean, we've been baking up a storm, cookies, cakes, bread, slow cooks, stir frys, curries. Heck we even recreated the famous Big Mac one night, which by the way was SO GOOD! (Find the recipe we used here).  So why haven't I shared on here yet? Well, I'm a mum. A 3 year old, and a 21 month old. Who for the past six weeks have been stuck at home, like every other kid in the country, with no kindergarten reprieve for me. Don't get me wrong, it's been great. The two of them have begun to play together more, (and fight just as much), we've done walks, crafts, and baking. Plus we made a panic buy, (no not toilet paper) the day the impending lockdown was announced: a trampoline. A great outlet for all! 

So yeah, two little ones keep me pretty busy. Plus most of what I have been making this past 6 weeks is other peoples recipes. My creative outlet was on autopilot. But this morning, feeling slightly under the weather (thanks delicious bottle of red wine last night) I was in the mood to be a bit more experimental and it sure paid off. The smell wafting through the house when I pulled this out of the oven was incredible. We ate it warm, without cream or yogurt, but having a dollop on the side would only add to the experience. The rest eaten cold, was soft aand chewy and extremely moreish.  It will keep in an airtight container for a day or two, 3 or 4 days in the fridge, but it's pretty low in sugar and lots of moist fruit so is best eaten within the first couple of days. 

This is a twist on a traditional shortcake recipe, which I've made 'healthier' if you will. Slightly less sugar, added oats, and spice, plus a switched to wholemeal flour. 
I've used feijoa, like most people who have trees, you end up overrun and out of ideas on how to use them! Once scooped, they freeze well and can be added to muffins, crumbles or used in this delicious Oatcake. 

If you don't have feijoas, any fruit would do. Fresh or tinned peaches or plums; Berries - fresh or frozen; Stewed apple or pear. Also, any flour would work. I used wholemeal just to up the fibre content, and make me feel better about serving the kids adult sized pieces. I mean, they'd have eaten the whole tray had I let them. But plain flour would work just as well. 

As for the spices, mix and switch to suit the fruit. Feijoa and ginger work together perfectly, but I'd put cinnamon with apple. Perhaps a pinch of nutmeg and clove with the cinnamon for a plum one - mixed spice, a touch of cardamom with peach. Suit yourself.



Ingredients (9 - 12 generous servings):

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 170g butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla essence 
• 1/2 cup oats 
• 3/4 cup wholemeal flour
• 1 1/2 tsp ginger - optional
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruit - as described above 

Method:

Line a 20cm square baking dish with baking powder. Preheat oven to 180*C.
Cream butter and sugar together till light in colour. Add vanilla and egg, beat well. 
Mix in oats, flour, ginger (or other spices) and baking powder, until you have a soft dough. 
Take 3/4 of the dough and press it into the lined baking dish. 
Arrange fruit over the top. 
Dollop lumps of remaining dough over the fruit. It will spread as it bakes. 
Bake for 40 mins till golden brown and the fruit is bubbling through the cracks in the top. 
Allow to cool for 15 mins before cutting and serving. 
Serve with lightly whipped cream or Greek yogurt. 
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days - if it lasts that long. 

Fig Almond and Honey Tart

Figs are in season and if you're lucky enough to have a tree (or a friend/neighbour), you can save yourself big bucks because they cost a small fortune from the fruit and vegetable shop. Luckily I got sent a box full from my mother in law's tree and they were the perfect level of ripeness. 

The tart recipe itself is an adaptation of the Rhubarb and Frangipane tart I posted a few years ago. 

Ingredients (serves 8-10): 

• 200g plain flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 100g butter, cold and cubed 
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons of iced water
• 8 - 10 fresh figs
• 125g butter, room temp.
• 100g caster sugar
• 4 heaped tablespoons of honey 
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups ground almonds
• 45g plain flour 
• 2 tbsp honey, for drizzling
• lightly whipped cream or thick yogurt to serve
• optional: extra honey roasted figs to serve

In a bowl place cubed butter, flour and salt. Rub together using fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. To speed up the process you can do this in a food processor, which makes it very quick and easy, but less therapeutic. Once rubbed in, add the beaten egg yolk and chilled water, mix to form a firm dough. Cover loosely in glad wrap and chill 30 mins.

Make a cup of tea and relax for a bit.
Grease a 22cm tart tin and preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Remove pastry from the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface. Press gently into the greased tin and trim edges.

To make the filling, cream the 125g of room temperature butter and caster sugar till light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then honey, flour and almonds. Mix well. Spoon this filling into the pastry.

Prepare the figs by trimming off the stalk end and any really soft parts from the bottom. Slice in half, and arrange the figs cut side up on the almond filling, gently pressing into the filling.
Warm a couple of tablespoons of honey and drizzle or brush this over the top of the tart, making sure to cover the figs.

Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 50 mins.
Eat warm or at room temperature served with lightly whipped cream* (or yogurt) and more grilled figs**. 

*When whipping the cream, add another spoon of honey to sweeten 

** To grill the figs prepare as above, washing, trimming the top, and slicing in half. Arrange in a roasting dish cut side up and brush with some warmed honey. Turn the grill in your oven on high and place the roasting dish just underneath the grill. Grill for 5-10 minutes checking often, remove from the oven when they start to get golden. Serve warm with the tart and cream. 

Pear and Ginger Frangipane Tart

This is the latest seasonal addition to my tart collection. Pear and Ginger. Surround by the luscious frangipane filling and encased in a crunchy, yet buttery tart shell this makes the perfect dessert or afternoon tea accompaniment. 
The recipe follows as per my Rhubarb Frangipane Tart, except for the poaching of the pears. 








Ingredients

• 200g plain flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 100g butter, cold and cubed 
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons of iced water

• 2 pears, quartered, core removed
• 2 cups of sweet wine - I used a moscato, alternatively you could use a pear or apple juice. 
• 2 tbsp of sliced fresh ginger 
• 4 cardamom pods, bruised
• 125g butter, room temp.
• 125g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 140g ground almonds
• 45g plain flour 
• 1 tbsp ground ginger 
• 50 grams cubed butter, for the top
• brown sugar, for sprinkling

In a bowl place cubed butter, flour and salt. Rub together using fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. To speed up the process you can do this in a food processor, which makes it very quick and easy, but less therapeutic. Once rubbed in, add the beaten egg yolk and chilled water, mix to form a firm dough. Cover loosely in glad wrap and chill 30 mins. 

Quarter pears and remove the core. Place in a sauce pan with 2 cups of sweet wine or juice. Add ginger and cardamom. Bring to a gentle boil, and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, till pears are softened, but not mushy. Remove from the liquid and allow to cool before slicing thinly. 

Grease a 22cm tart tin, and preheat oven to 180 degrees. 

Remove pastry from the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface. Press gently into tin and trim edges - rolling the pin across the top gives you a smooth finish. 

Next cream the 125g of room temperature butter and caster sugar till light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then flour, ginger, almonds, and remaining vanilla essence. Spoon this filling into the pastry. 

Carefully arrange the sliced quarters of pear onto the frangipane filling and press down gently. Drop the cubes of butter over the top and sprinkle a few tablespoons of brown sugar over. 

Bake for 50 minutes. You want the top to be slightly browned, and the pastry to be coming away from the edges. 

Serve with greek yogurt or vanilla ice cream. 

Blueberry and Mascarpone Tart

If you've read a few of my recipes, you'd notice I love making tarts. However many of them require a few steps, layers, and wait time. This one however, you can quickly whip up and have it ready to eat without so much waiting around. 

I made the gluten and grain free pastry this time as well. It's also quicker to prepare as there's no chill time, or blind baking involved. 

Blueberries are relatively cheap this time of year, so use fresh, frozen ones will bleed into the cream, and not look as attractive. You could also use raspberries, or strawberries, but I like blueberries. 









Ingredients (Serves 8 - 12):

• 1 gluten/grain free tart shell or 1 sweet pastry tart shell
• 500 grams mascarpone
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of greek or plain unsweetened yogurt
• 2 punnets of fresh blueberries, at least 1 cup
• 1/3 cup coconut flakes, toasted in a dry pan

Method:

In a medium sized bowl, beat the mascarpone with a whisk. 

Add vanilla essence and sugar (make sure there are no lumps in the sugar). 

\Add yogurt, and whisk to combine. 

Spread into the cooled tart shell. 

Arrange the berries randomly over the top. 

Toast coconut in a dry pan on a low heat, careful they can burn quickly. 

Sprinkle over the top. 

Slice and serve. 

Grapefruit Delicious Pudding

Even if grapefruit isn't necessarily your thing, this dessert will be. The Mr. of the house until now, thought that his favourite pudding was the classic chocolate self-saucing pudding. However on devouring this, he claims there's a new front runner. That's saying something. The grapefruit taste is subtle, zesty and sweet. 

Even though you mix it all together, the pudding cooks like a sponge on top with a creamy custard layer underneath, it's fancy that way. Maybe that's why they call it delicious? 
You could also use lemons for this recipe or a mixture of citrus. 

Oh, and you'll need an electric beater. Egg whites are not something you want to whisk by hand. The recipe serves six comfortably, and if you can't eat it all at once, it tastes delicious cold the next day. 

Ingredients (serves 6): 

• 50g softened butter
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 2 tbsp grapefruit zest - if you don't have a zester, you could use a vegetable peeler to get some of the rind, and finely chop it, or use a grater
• 100ml freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
• 3 egg yolks*
• 1/3 cup of plain white flour
• 1 cup full fat milk 
• 3 egg whites
• hot water 
• icing sugar, to dust
• ice cream or thick greek yogurt, to serve

Method: 

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease a large baking dish (6 cup, or lasagne sized). 

Beat the butter, sugar and zest until smooth and creamy. 

Add the grapefruit juice, egg yolks, flour and milk. Beat well until you have a smooth batter. 

Using a clean electric mixer and bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form (if you're using the same beater as above, make sure there is no residue from the butter and yolks as the whites won't stiffen with fat present). 

Gently fold the egg whites into the batter, be careful not to over mix here, you want it to be light and fluffy. 

Pour the batter into the greased dish and place the dish inside a larger roasting pan. Pour hot water into the roasting pan so that it comes half way up the side of the baking dish. 

Bake for 45 - 50 minutes till lightly browned and set on top, with the custard below. Remove the baking dish from the roasting pan and use a sieve to dust icing sugar over the top of the pudding. 

Serve with vanilla ice cream or thick greek yogurt. 

Enjoy. We certainly did. 

* To separate eggs, have two bowls ready. Gently crack the shell through the middle, letting some of the white slip out into one of the bowls. Tip the yolk back and forth between the two halves of the shell until most of the white has drained into the bowl. Put the yolk into the other bowl and repeat. It's ok to get a little egg white in with the yolk, but you cannot get any egg yolk in with the white, otherwise they won't get thick. 

Spiced Grapefruit Marmalade

Do you have an over supply of grapefruit this season?? Looking for a way to use them up? They're the type of bitter sweet fruit that you can't really over indulge in, so this week I made marmalade. It's actually ridiculously easy, and just involves a little time and care. Oh, and jars. You definitely need jars to store it in. So save up all your glass jars, clean and remove the labels, so you can fill them with this homemade recipe. 

Ingredients (makes approximately 4 cups) 

• 1.5kg whole grapefruit
• 1.5 kg white sugar
• 5 cardamom pods (optional) 
• 2 tbsp crushed ginger
• Jars 
• Baking soda 

The day before wash and dry your grapefruit to remove any dirt from the skin. 

Cut each fruit in half, and thinly slice them, skin, pith and all. Place slices, and any juice into a large soup pot. Cover with 1 & 1/2 cups of water. Put the lid on and leave overnight to soak. 

The next day add 1.5kg of sugar, bruised cardamom pods and ginger to the pot and turn onto a medium heat. Cook stirring occasionally (be sure not to let it get too hot and boil over) for about an hour. It will thicken and you will know it's ready by testing it. 

To test your marmalade is ready drop a small spoonful onto the bottom of a small plate, allow to cool for 20 seconds and tilt the plate, if it isn't runny then it is ready. I like mine quite thick, others prefer a runnier marmalade, so you have to decide for yourself. 

While your jam is cooking you need to sterilise some jars. I prefer to do it in a pot of boiling water and baking soda, but there are other methods. To do the baking soda method, bring a large pot of water, with 2 tbsp of baking soda mixed in, to the boil. Submerge each jar and lid for at least a minute, remove carefully with tongs. Also clean your ladle in this mixture. 

While your marmalade is still hot, ladle it into the sterilised jars, put the lid on tightly and set aside to cool. Jars will keep for up to a year. Refrigerate once opened.