Lemon and olive oil polenta cake

I always associate olive oil with savoury cooking though I  do see it featuring more and more in desserts and cakes. I received some Chateau d'Estoublon extra virgin olive oil to try out so I decided I'd like to do something different such as a cake recipe. 

The olive oil has a subtle smooth flavour with a light peppery back note and adds a hint of richness to this recipe. So it works just as well with savoury recipes as it does with sweet. 
I see this very much as a finishing oil, as it works well drizzled over dishes to add a bit of richness or in a salsa to add flavour. It would work well with light dressings too for salads. 
I decided to make a polenta based cake flavoured with the oil and some lemon. Many cakes ask for a neutral oil which just helps to keep the cake moist for longer but this olive oil adds a certain depth of flavour too. I was very pleased with the end result and flavour on the cake and the oil really worked well with the lemon.

For those of you who are coeliac, you can double up on the almond flour instead of using both almond and plain what flour. 

You can also use coarse polenta, the only difference being that it adds a crunchier texture to the cake.

200g fine ground polenta
100g plain flour
100g almond flour
180g caster sugar
120g salted butter softened
100ml olive oil
10ml vanilla extract
3 eggs
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon baking powder

Cream together the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy
Add the plain flour, almond flour and vanilla and stir through
Start to add the eggs, stirring the mixture as you add each one
Next add the olive oil and lemon juice and zest and incorporate into the mixture
Last add the polenta and baking powder and fold through
Pour the mixture into a greased lined baking tin and cook for 1 hour at 160c (fan) 170c normal or until a skewer comes out clean
Those of you cooking on the BBQ, set the BBQ up for indirect cooking at 160c, I would also advise using the pizza stone as well to prevent the bottom from becoming too burnt
Place the pizza stone on the griddle before placing the baking tin on it and cook for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean

No bake chocolate biscuit cake

Now I don’t have a sweet tooth, nor am I the world’s biggest fan of chocolate, but this recipe was a big favourite of mine growing up. It was also one of the few recipes where my mother would actually let me help. I used to get to stir the chocolate sauce and crumble the biscuits in. The biscuits used in this recipe are called Marietta or in some countries they are called Marie (it’s the brand name here in the Netherlands). I've no idea where this recipe came from other than it's one my mother learned at school in Ireland about 60 or so years ago. 

2 eggs (room temp) beaten
50g cocoa powder
150g caster sugar
200g butter
2 packets marie(tta) biscuits roughly broken up into small pieces

In a saucepan melt the butter and sugar together on a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved
Lower the heat, add the cocoa powder and then stir through the eggs, 
Stir for 2-3 mins to cook out the eggs, ensure to keep the temperature low as you do not want the egg mixture to scramble
Add the broken biscuits and ensure the chocolate mixture coats all the biscuits
Transfer to a baking tray and push the mixture down ensuring it is nicely compacted
Place in the fridge and allow to set for 4-6 hours

Lemon and lime coconut cake

I don't really have a sweet tooth, which probably put me at a disadvantage growing up given my mother liked to bake. She also went to town on desserts for Sunday lunch another thing that was sadly lost on me as I never really ate dessert. 

When out for dinner I'll go for the cheese trolley rather than the dessert trolley (god, that makes me sound old). I have a more savoury palate, but occasionally I will opt for something sweet. I've always had a thing for coconut, growing up in Ireland it was something we always bought for Halloween (no idea, don't ask) and any time I went to an Indian restaurant when I lived in the UK I always opted for the coconut kulfi for dessert.

This recipe is my play on traditional Portuguese bolos de coco. I've added an element of sour to compliment the sweetness of the coconut and sugar and also added some vanilla extract (home made of course!) to give it an earthy back note. 

As you may have noticed, I'm not a fan of complex baking, If there's a recipe where you throw all the ingredients into a bowl, mix them and then bung it in the oven, you can guarantee I'm all up for that. That's not to say that I won't occasionally flex my chef muscles with something complex such as a soufflé. 

If you're looking for a dessert that can be made in a hurry, here's one I made earlier.

250g dessicated coconut
170g caster sugar
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Zest of half lime
85g self raising flour (polenta or rice flour can be used instead for a gluten free version)
5ml vanilla essence
100ml creme fraiche or sour cream
3 eggs beaten

As mentioned earlier, place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together 
Place in a greased and lined baking tin
Cook at 200 celsius for 30 mins or until a skewer comes out clean