Tag: almond

Satsuma and almond cake

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

As Julia Child said, “a party without cake is just a meeting” and this is just the cake to take a tea party from dull to delightful. It’s not fancy, but it is damply delicious and beloved by everyone who tastes it.

  • Approx 375 g satsumas (4 or so fruit)
  • 6 eggs
  • 220 g caster sugar
  • 250 g ground almonds
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 170C fan (190C). Grease and line a 20 cm springform tin
  2. Put the satsumas in a covered microwave-safe dish (open a crack for ventilation) with a couple of tbsp of water. Cook on high for 9 mins, turning over gently halfway through the cooking time
  3. Drain, discarding the cooking water and leave to one side for 5 mins to cool slightly. If the satsumas have pips, dig in and remove them with a spoon
  4. Put the satsumas into a bowl — skins, pith, fruit and all — and use a hand blender to blitz into a paste and put on one side to cool
  5. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs until frothy and thick, then add the sugar, almonds and baking powder and whisk again
  6. Add the pulped satsumas and whisk together
  7. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for an hour – cover with foil after about 40 mins to stop the top burning.
  8. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a rack in the tin. Serve at room temperature.

Bakewell cookies

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Cherry and almond, springtime flavours. Squidgy inside with a crisp, cracked shell outside. Makes 20

  • 150g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 150g soft light brown sugar
  • 100g golden caster sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • ½ tsp almond extract
  • 250g plain flour
  • ¼ tsp bicarb
  • Pinch of salt
  • 100g ground almonds
  • 100g glacé cherries, chopped – plus some just cut in half
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 170C fan (190C)
  2. Whisk together the melted butter with both sugars until fluffy
  3. Add the whole egg and beat in, then the egg yolk and the almond extract
  4. Whisk the mixture until thick and creamy
  5. Fold in the flour, bicarb, pinch of salt, ground almonds and glacee cherries into a stiff cookie dough
  6. Pinch pieces off, rolling gently into walnut-sized balls and flattening slightly
  7. Place spaced out onto a lined baking tray and pop a half-cherry on the top of each cookie
  8. Bake for 15-17 mins until golden and puffed up
  9. Cool on a rack

Peach and marzipan tart

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A simple summertime dream dessert, flavours of peach, raspberry and almond. Peach melba delight.

  • 320g ready rolled puff pastry
  • 200g marzipan
  • 2 large peaches, not too ripe and squishy
  • 2 tbsp apricot jam
  • 150g raspberries
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C fan (220C) and take the pastry out of the fridge
  2. Unroll the pastry onto a lined baking tray (maybe just use the paper that came rolled around the pastry)
  3. Score a rectangle around the pastry 1½ cm in from the edge
  4. Slice the marzipan finely, 1-2 mm thick – or grate it if it’s hard
  5. Lay or scatter the marzipan on the puff pastry in a single layer within the scored rectangle
  6. Halve and slice the peaches into 2 mm slices
  7. Place the peach slices over the marzipan in overlapping rows like fish scales
  8. Bake for 20 mins then turn the tray and give it another 7 mins
  9. Take the tart out of the oven, leave to cool for 5 mins
  10. Melt the jam in a small pan the brush it over the peaches until glossy and sticky then scatter the raspberries evenly over the top
  11. Serve warm with raspberry ripple ice cream on the side

Rhubarb, apple and almond pudding

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Warm, comforting, fragrant. Tangy with fruit and richly sweet with almond sponge.

1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and sliced
1 small eating apple, peeled, cored and diced
400g rhubarb, cut into 2cm pieces
3 heaped tbsp soft light brown sugar
2 heaped tbsp cornflour
1 tsp cinnamon
140g ground almonds
140g unsalted butter at room temperature
140g golden caster sugar
2 large eggs, beaten

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C fan (180C)
  2. Place the apples and rhubarb into a ceramic baking dish
  3. Throw in the brown sugar, cornflour and cinnamon and toss the fruit until coated
  4. In a big bowl, cream together the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy
  5. Beat in the eggs a bit at a time until well combined
  6. Then fold in the ground almonds
  7. Dollop big spoonfuls onto the fruit and then spread the mixture evenly
  8. Bake for 1 hour and leave to stand for 15 mins before serving warm with custard

Smoked paprika and almond biscuits

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

So crunchy. So savoury. So, so very more-ish. A perfect nibble with a large glass of bubbly.

  • 175g unsalted butter, softened
  • 175g mature cheddar, finely grated
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 175g plain flour
  • 2 tbsp cold milk
  • 150g whole blanched almonds
  1. Beat the butter together with the cheese, chilli, salt, paprika and garlic
  2. Add the flour and milk, stirring in and then working together with your hands to smooth, soft dough
  3. Mix in the almonds and form into a roughly sausage shape
  4. Dollop onto clingfilm and use the wrap to roll the dough into a cylinder about 4cm diameter, 30cm long
  5. Put your delicous dough sausage into the fridge to cool for at least 20 mins
  6. Pre-heat the oven to 160C fan (180C)
  7. Unwrap the dough and use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 1cm slices
  8. Place the beautiful biscuits gently onto a lined baking tray a few cm apart
  9. Bake for 25 mins until golden and then cool on a rack

This freezes really well. Just put the wrapped dough into the freezer rather than the fridge. And defrost before slicing

Marzipan baked apples

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Apple and almond is such a delicious combination, a definite favourite of mine. This recipe combines them in a brilliantly quick and easy pudding for a chilly day. Serve with custard for maximum comfort.

  • 4 large eating apples, braeburn or similar – anything crisp and tart
  • 200g golden marzipan
  • 2 tsp unsalted butter
  1. Pre-heat oven to 180C fan (200C)
  2. Use an apple corer to remove the core from each apple. If you can be bothered, you can carefully scoop the core out bit by bit with a sharp knife to leave a cm of apple in the bottom. I am not that patient so my holes go all the way through
  3. Run a sharp knife around the circumference of each apple, just going through the skin to leave it space to expand a bit without exploding
  4. Divide the marzipan into 4 pieces and roll each one between your fingers into a roughly cylindrical shape about the size of the removed cores
  5. Stuff the apples with the marzipan, pressing in with your fingertips until they’re as full as they can get
  6. Place them right side up into a snug-fitting foil-lined oven dish
  7. Pop a little blob of butter on the top of each one and a splash of water in the bottom of the dish
  8. Bake for around 30 mins until the apples are cooked all the way through
  9. Serve hot (but not so hot you burn your mouth on the marzipan!)

Apple almond pudding

~ Sophie ~ 1 Comment

The cosiest of puddings – a layer of tart cooked apple topped with a sweet, dense almond sponge.

  • 3 bramley apples
  • 40g soft light brown sugar
  • 1 eating apple
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 110g unsalted butter, softened
  • 110g caster sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 110g ground almonds
  1. Pre-heat oven to 160C fan (180C)
  2. Peel and core the apples. Slice the bramleys into half moons and finely dice the eating apples
  3. Place the bramley slices in a saucepan with the brown sugar and 2 tbsp cold water. Simmer gently until softened but not collapsed, stirring occasionally
  4. Tip the cooked apples into a deep ceramic baking dish and gently stir in the diced apple and cinnamon
  5. In a bowl, cream together the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy
  6. Beat in the eggs a little at a time to avoid the mixture splitting
  7. When the mixture is light, airy and creamy, gently fold in the ground almonds
  8. Carefully spread this mixture over the apples and smooth the surface out
  9. Bake for an hour until the top is deeply golden and set.
  10. Serve warm with some vanilla ice cream

Pasticcini di mandorle

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Gorgeous little Italian almond cookies. Pale and interesting, they are a delight with a cup of coffee or rich hot chocolate. These also happen to be a perfect gluten free treat if you have someone in your life who can’t eat wheat. Makes 16-20.

  • 350g ground almonds
  • 170g icing sugar (up to 200g for large eggs)
  • Zest of 1 lemon (or 7 drops orange oil)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan (180C) and line a baking tray
  2. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients to form a soft, slightly sticky dough.
  3. Pinch a walnut-sized ball of dough with your fingertips. Deftly and quickly roll it between your palms
  4. Repeat for the rest of the mix, placing the balls on the baking tray
  5. Using your thumb, make a little dent in the centre of each one
  6. The top will crack beautifully as they bake. For cookies with a soft marzipan texture, bake for just 11-12 mins. For a firmer, chewier texture, cook for 14-15 mins. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Apricot almond blondies

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Not sure if this is a cake, a traybake? Closest thing is a brownie, but this has not a hint of chocolate. These are squidgy and fudgy, fruity and almondy, just a tiny bit boozy with a cracked meringue top. Makes 12.

  • 100ml amaretto
  • 150g dried apricots
  • 75g unsalted butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 150g soft light brown sugar
  • 150g caster sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 100g plain flour
  • 100g ground almonds
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 35g flaked almonds
  1. Roughly chop the apricots and put into a small bowl. Pour the amaretto and leave for 15 mins
  2. Melt the butter and leave to cool
  3. Preheat the oven to 160C fan (180C)
  4. Line a small square or rectangular roasting tin or ceramic oven dish
  5. Put both sugars and the eggs into a big bowl and beat until thick and smooth.
  6. Mix in the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, melted butter, vanilla and salt
  7. Add the drained apricots and half of the amaretto (save the rest to mix with prosecco later, or just drink on its own) and stir through
  8. Pour the mixture into the prepped roasting tin and sprinkle the top with flaked almonds
  9. Bake for 35-40 mins until the top is golden brown and a skewer comes out with just a few crumbs stuck to it.
  10. Cool in the tin then cut into squares. Tastes even better the next day.