Wednesday 10 April 2013

The power of good food

There's nothing like a bit of baking to feed the soul and bring people together.
It can make a person feel loved and comforted as well as giving a taste experience that they may not often encounter.
(I think that food, no matter how simple always tastes better if someone else has prepared it)
It's also nice to have a slice of something a bit naughty and know that the rest of it will not provide temptation
I've baked two cakes in the last 2 weeks for some very special people in my life.
I am relieved to say that I didn't leave ingredients out, add salt instead of sugar, burn,
or otherwise muck up my projects.
Both recipes have come from very old news paper clippings that I've inherited from my mum's collection of "Stuff from the bottom drawer"
They might have been from the local CWA or similar so to the anonymous authors of these recipes a huge Thank you
Both cakes keep well but it won't be something that you need to worry about. They won't last that long.

The first : Sticky Date Cake
Ingredients:
200 gr. chopped dates                      1 cup water
1/4 cup golden syrup                        1 tsp bi carb soda
60 gr butter                                      2/3 cup castor sugar
2 eggs                                              1 cup self raising flour (sifted)
1 cup chopped walnuts
Sauce:
2/3 cup brown sugar            2/3 cup thickened cream
80 gr butter
Method:
Pre heat oven to 170 C- 190 C. Grease a 20 cm square cake tin and line with baking paper.
Bring water, chopped dates and golden syrup to the boil. Reduce heat and cook for 1 minute or so.
remove from heat and puree until smooth. Stir in bi carb and set aside to cool.
Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat eggs together and add to the creamed butter/sugar slowly, mixing well so that it doesn't separate. Fold in flour, walnuts and date mixture.
Pour into cake tin and bake for approximately 40 -50 minutes or test with a skewer - should come out clean. Allow to cool.
For the sauce: heat ingredients until melted and dissolved.
Serve slices of cake, warm with the sauce and some good quality cream or ice cream.

Recipe yields 16 serves -

4 comments:

  1. Thankyou Linda, looks great, would be a good recipe for one of the retreats at The Sanctuary, but might make it in the muffin tin for individual serves.

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    1. I think it's a perfect "something" special for gatherings such as retreats. The muffin tin is a great idea too; many thanks LB

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  2. Great recipe, enjoyed at our group you so generously supplied, I have made for the family to share, total hit, thanks

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    1. We enjoy it when too, especially when I get the cooking process right ! LB

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