SWEET: TREATS TO SHARE is a treasure-trove of more than 80 mouth-watering recipes from some of New Zealand’s best-loved bakers. Make every day a little bit sweeter by taking time to share the simple pleasure of homemade treats with someone special.
PUMPKIN & PRUNE CAKE
Recipe by Allyson Gofton
- 2 cups wholemeal flour
- ¾ cup sugar (white or brown)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground nutmeg or mace
- ¼ cup oil, such as rice bran, canola, light olive or sunflower
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup apple sauce
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup cold mashed pumpkin
- 10–12 juicy prunes, chopped
Orange-Scented Cream Cheese Icing
- 125g cream cheese
- 3 – 4 tbsp icing sugar
- grated zest of 1 orange
Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Grease the base of a 20cm ring tin and line with baking paper.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg or mace. Make a well in the centre.
In a large jug or bowl, whisk together the oil, milk, apple sauce, eggs and pumpkin. Pour the wet ingredients into the well in the dry ingredients and stir together gently with the prunes.
Turn the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
Bake for 50–60 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Stand for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack to cool.
To make the icing, beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar and orange zest. Ice the cake when cold. Makes a 20cm cake
Apple sauce can be bought, or prepared at home. Just cook 2 peeled, sliced and cored apples in a little water. Drain and purée in a food processor until smooth. Pass through a sieve if wished. Vary the flavour by using cooked pears puréed to a sauce instead.
PEAR & WHITE CHOCOLATE FRIANDS
Recipe by Allyson Gofton
- 1¼ cups icing sugar
- ½ cup plain flour
- 150g ground almonds (about 1 cup)
- 100g white chocolate, chopped
- grated zest of 2 lemons
- 6 egg whites
- 175g butter, melted and cooled
- 1 firm ripe pear, peeled and cored
Lemon Syrup
- ¼ cup boiling water
- ¼ cup caster sugar
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp limoncello or lemon vodka, optional
Place the oven rack in the centre of the oven. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Lightly grease 10 friand or standard muffin cups or line with paper cases.
Sift the icing sugar and flour into a bowl. Stir in the ground almonds, white chocolate and lemon zest.
In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites lightly until they are frothy. Stir the egg whites and the melted butter into the almond mixture and mix until smooth.
Divide the mixture evenly among the prepared cups. Finely slice the pear and arrange 2–3 pear slices on top of each friand.
Bake for 20–25 minutes until the friands are firm to the touch and have shrunk a little from the sides of the tin.
To make the lemon syrup, stir the boiling water and sugar together until dissolved. If necessary, warm in a microwave. Stir in the lemon zest, juice and limoncello or lemon vodka, if using.
Brush the hot friands evenly with the lemon syrup. Leave to cool in the tin before running a knife around the edge and turning the friands onto a cake rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Makes 10 friands
REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION FROM SWEET: TREATS TO SHARE. PUBLISHED BY PENGUIN GROUP NZ. RRP $45.00. COPYRIGHT RECIPES © ALLYSON GOFTON, 2014. COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY © MANJA WACHSMITH, 2014. AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE.
