Thursday, April 19, 2012

MY GOODNESS - LIZ NOLAN

 
Life is very busy at the moment (new book out in June) so I am not able to post here as much as I'd like. I just want to quickly bring your attention to a fabulous new cook book from Galway-based cook and nutritionisit, Liz Nolan.

The book is called My Goodness and I went to the launch recently where I sampled some tasty treats from the recipes. Beautiful salads, pesto, hummus, dark choc truffles etc etc. I can't wait to start to try them myself. In the meantime, Liz runs veggie cookery classes and her website Wholefood Matters is here.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

LEMON DRIZZLE LOAF


I love lemon drizzle cake and this recipe is adapted by one from How to Be a Domestic Goddess, Nigella's wonderful book. I always adapt recipes to reduce the amount of sugar. Most recipes have far too much IMO and that results in super sweetness. I love sweet things but don't want to feel icky after eating cake. I also substitute some or all of the flour with spelt flour. I like spelt's denseness but didn't want this cake to be too dense either. Anyway, it turned out gorgeous: properly lemony, nice and sweet, and sticky on top. In fact, it is calling to me from the tin: Eat more of me!

Ingredients
125g caster sugar
100g self-raising flour
75g spelt flour
125g butter
pinch of salt
zest of 1 large lemon
2 eggs
4 tblsps cow's or soya milk

Drizzle
75g icing sugar
juice of 1 large lemon (4 tblsps)

·        Preheat oven to 180˚C
·        Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin
·        Cream the butter and caster sugar
·        Add the eggs and zest and beat well
·        Add flour and salt and fold in completely
·        Mix through the milk
·        Pour into the cake tin
·        Make the syrup while the cake is cooking by gently heating the lemon and icing sugar until the sugar is melted
·        Bake for 45 minutes or so, until golden on top, make sure it is cooked through with a cake tester/skewer
·        Using your skewer, puncture the top of the cake and pour the syrup evenly over the cake
·        Cool completely in the tin before turning out