Olive Oil Cake with Rosemary and Chocolate

This month's We Should Cocoa Challenge which is guest hosted by Linzi from Lancashire Food chose the theme 'new ingredient' ie a new ingredient paired with chocolate that you've not tried before. I've baked a lot with chocolate and have tried many combinations so my thoughts turned to herbs. I know rosemary and chocolate is a fairly common combination but it's not one I've tried previously so I was excited to try it out plus it would fit the challenge and quite a few other blog challenges too! 

A quick google search brought me to this delicious looking cake which I knew I had to try. It's a very unassuming cake. Not much to look at but it sure packs a punch in terms of flavour. Everyone who ate the cake said it was absolutely delicious. The rosemary flavour is strong but not overpowering. The little bits of chocolate complements the rosemary rather than opposing it. The cake itself tastes "healthy" especially with the wholemeal and spelt flour. Definitely a very successful recipe and one that I will be making again without a doubt. 

As mentioned, I'm entering this to We Should Cocoa hosted by Linzi from Lancashire Food who chose the theme 'New Ingredient'. We Should Cocoa is the brainchild of Choclette from Chocolate Log Blog. 

As it contains rosemary, I'm also entering it to Cooking With Herbs hosted by Karen from Lavender and Lovage.

I think this cake also fits the theme for this month's Four Seasons Food hosted by Louisa from Eat Your Veg and Anneli from Delicieux. The theme this month is Virtuous Food and eating this cake definitely makes you feel virtuous even though it's cake! 

As this cake is made from scratch, I'm sending it to Made with Love Mondays hosted by Javelin Warrior.

The One Ingredient Challenge hosted by Nazima from Franglais Kitchen and Laura from How to Cook Good Food has the theme of "Healthy Recipes" As far as cake goes, I think this is fairly healthy as it contains no butter and other healthier ingredients.

You know how much I love a multi blog challenge recipe so I'm going to send this to Tea Time Treats guest hosted by Jane from The HedgeCombers and run by Karen from Lavender and Lovage. The theme this month is eggs, eggs, eggs! This recipe contains 3 eggs and it's a perfect tea time treat.

 caster sugar, spelt flour, olive oil, wholemeal flour, milk, rosemary, eggs, dark chocolate 

 flour mixture on left, rosemary milk mixture on the right and chopped dark chocolate 

 ready to go in the ove

 It's a plain looking cake but it's really tasty 

 You can see the lovely crumb texture and the bits of hidden chocolate 

Recipe adapted slightly from local belle

120g spelt flour
230g wholemeal flour
170g caster sugar
1.5 teaspoon baking powder
2.5 tablespoons chopped rosemary
140g dark chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup milk
1 cup olive oil
3 eggs

• Preheat the oven to 170C
• Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and add in the olive oil, milk and rosemary. 
• Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.
• Stir in the chopped chocolate.
• Pour the batter into a round cake tin or a loaf tin and bake for about 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 
• Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely. 

Roasted Tomato, Basil and Gruyere Quiche

I have a savoury recipe to share for a change. My work had a Xmas buffet lunch where everyone brings something so of course I offered to make cake. One of my colleagues prefers savoury food and has been asking for another quiche as she really enjoyed the one I made previously so I dutifully obliged and found this recipe on BBC Good Food. I did also make a cake but I'll save that for another day.

This is a really simple recipe with only 3 key ingredients - tomato, basil and cheese. It was really tasty and would be perfect for the festive season as the colours are very festive.

As usual, I'm entering this to several challenges this month

Cooking with herbs hosted by Karen from Lavender and Lovage.

Made with Love Mondays hosted by Javelin Warrior.

Four Seasons Food hosted by Anneli from Delicieux and Louisa from Eat your Veg. The theme this month is Party Food.

Let's Cook Christmas Party Food hosted by Nayna from Simply Food.

Calendar Cakes hosted by Rachel from Dolly Bakes and co-hosted by Laura from Laura loves Cakes. The theme this month is Jingle Bell Rock.

 flour, basil, olive oil, butter, tomatoes, cream, eggs, cheese 

 drizzle olive oil on tomatoes, season and roast in the oven 

 adding chopped basil 

 my tart shell after blind baking 

 sprinkle grated cheese 

 add roasted tomatoes 

 pour in the egg/cream mixture 

 sprinkle more grated cheese on top 

 

Recipe adapted slightly from BBC Good Food

For the pastry
280g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
140g cold butter, cut into pieces

8 tablespoons cold water 

For the filling

300g cherry tomatoes
drizzle olive oil
100g Gruyere cheese, grated
2 eggs
300ml double cream
Approximately 15-20 basil leaves, shredded, plus a few small ones left whole for scattering

• Rub the butter and flour together until it resembles breadcrumbs. Slowly add water one tablespoon at a time until a dough forms. 
• Roll into a ball, wrap with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking. 
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and line your tart tin. 
• Use a small ball of pastry scrap to press the pastry into the corners of the tin. 
• Chill in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200C.
• Place the tomatoes in a baking tray/roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for at least 30 minutes or the tomatoes are well roasted with slightly charred skin. 
• Prick the base of the tart with a fork.
• Line the tart case with kitchen foil or baking paper and fill with baking bean. Blind bake for 20 minutes, then remove the beans and foil/paper and continue baking for 5 - 10 minutes until the pastry is light brown. 
• Remove the tomatoes and pastry from the oven. 
• Whilst the tart and tomatoes are in the oven, make the filling by beating the eggs in a large bowl.
• Gradually add the cream followed by the chopped basil. 
• Season with salt and pepper. 
• When the tart case is ready,sprinkle half the cheese over the base, scatter over the tomatoes, then pour over the cream mix. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
• Bake for 20 -25 minutes or until the filling is set and the pastry is golden brown.
• Allow to cool completely before trimming the edges of the pastry and serving 
• Scatter over small whole basil leaves before serving 

Cinnamon and Date Cake

The festive baking continues and this time I have a really simple recipe that will be guaranteed to impress. If you are short on time, whizz up this cake and impress your guests. It's a very simple cake but it's full of flavour. The cinnamon is subtle but definitely present and the dates gives the cake a lovely, sweet stickiness and more importantly does not taste like dates!

I'm entering this to several blog challenges

One Ingredient Challenge hosted by Laura from How to Cook Good Food and co hosted by Nazima from Franglais Kitchen. The ingredient this month is dates.

The Spice Trail :Cooking with Cinnamon hosted by Vanesther from Bangers & Mash

Calendar Cakes hosted by Rachel from Dolly Bakes and co-hosted by Laura from Laura loves Cakes. The theme this month is Jingle Bell Rock.

Four Seasons Food hosted by Anneli from Delicieux and Louisa from Eat your Veg. The theme this month is Party Food. This would be really quick and easy to make and guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.

Let's Cook Christmas Party Food hosted by Nayna from Simply Food.

Cooking with Herbs hosted by Karen from Lavender and Lovage. The theme this month is cooking with Herbs and Christmas spices so I think my cinnamon will qualify.

 Boil the dates in water 

 whizz in a food processor 

 I bought this cake tin from Ikea

 ready to go in the oven 

 It was a little burnt so I covered it with icing and festive sprinkles! 

 

Recipe adapted from about.com 

300g pitted dates

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

170g butter

375g self raising flour

4 eggs

200g light brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

• Preheat the oven to  180C.
• Place the dates in a medium sized saucepan and fill with enough water to cover the dates.
• Bring to the boil and remove from the heat.
• Drain the dates and whizz in a food processor until it has a paste like consistency.
• Add softened butter, eggs and sugar to the food processor and mix.
• Add in the flour and baking powder and continuing mixing until well mixed.
• Pour into a cake tin and bake for about 40 - 50 minutes (depends on the size of your tin). Do keep an eye on your cake as it browns quickly - I'd recommend checking after 20 minutes and then at 5-10 minute intervals as you may need to cover the cake with foil.
• Decorate with icing sugar and sprinkles or leave plain. 

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Golden Syrup Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

The lovely people at Tala sent me a selection of Xmas baking goodies to review. This included cupcake cases, Christmas silicone chocolate mould, holly leaf plunge cutters and Christmas tree cookie cutters. I decided to make gingerbread cupcakes with chocolate gingerbreadman and candy canes and some cookies.

I'm not a fan of gingerbread or ginger but I know I'm in the minority so in the spirit of Xmas and sharing I made these cupcakes to give away. Most of the recipes I saw online have similar ingredients of treacle, dark brown sugar, ginger and spices. I chose this recipe from King Arthur flour which had good reviews.

I made a golden syrup cream cheese frosting with cinnamon as I thought it would pair well with the sticky gingerbread. The frosting tasted heavenly! The feedback I received from the cupcakes were that "It's Christmas in a cupcake". The cake is moist and sticky and full of ginger and spice. The frosting complemented the cake very well and everyone was amazed by the decorations.

The chocolate moulds were really easy to use - melt chocolate, pour in the mould and leave to set. They were easy to remove with no breakages. I sprayed them gold which really brings out the detail. The cupcakes cases are sturdy and strong and does not become transparent after baking which I was really pleased about.

Check back tomorrow/weekend as I have a very exciting project to share with you using the tree cookie cutters and a giveaway from Tala.

I'm sharing this with several challenges this month :-

AlphaBakes which I am hosting this month and co host with Caroline from Caroline Makes. The letter this month is X and we are accepting any Xmas related bakes. These apparently are Xmas in cupcake form so I think it's perfect.

Tea Time Treats hosted by Kate from What Kate Baked and co-hosted by Karen from Lavender and Lovage. The theme this month is Festive Food Gifts and I think these would make a great festive gift.

Calendar Cakes hosted by Rachel from Dolly Bakes and co-hosted by Laura from Laura loves Cakes. The theme this month is Jingle Bell Rock. These definitely rock! :)

 Treat Petite hosted by Stuart from Cakeyboi and co-hosted by Kat from the Baking Explorer. The theme this month is Happy Holidays.

Four Seasons Food hosted by Anneli from Delicieux and Louisa from Eat your Veg. The theme this month is Party Food and these cupcakes would be perfect for any party.

Let's Cook Christmas Party Food hosted by Nayna from Simply Food.

The Spice Trail: Cooking with Cinnamon hosted by Vanesther from Bangers & Mash.

Secret Recipe Club Holiday Treats Party

Cooking with Herbs hosted by Karen from Lavender and Lovage. The theme this month is cooking with Herbs and Christmas spices so I think my cinnamon in the frosting will qualify.

Recipe adapted slightly from King Arthur Flour
Makes 14 cupcakes

For the cupcakes

206g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
113g unsalted butter, softened
106g dark brown sugar
170g black treacle
2 medium eggs
125ml water

For the frosting 

60g butter

200g cream cheese

175g icing sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons golden syrup 

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the decoration

150g plain chocolate, melted

Edible gold spray

• Preheat oven to 175C. 
• Sift the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
• Beat butter, sugar, black treacle and eggs in an electric mixer until pale and smooth.
• Add 60mls of water to the butter mixture and mix well.
• Add half the flour mixture and continue mixing.
• Add remaining water followed by flour mixture and mix well. 
• Spoon into cupcake cases and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 
• Allow to cool completely before decorating.
• To make the frosting, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth in an electric mixer.
• Add in the icing sugar and continue mixing.
• Add in the golden syrup (you may want to add more depending on taste) and ground cinnamon and continu mixing until smooth.
• Make the chocolate decorations by melting 150g plain chocolate and pour them into the moulds. Allow to set in the fridge or freezer until firm. Gold spray optional. 
• Use a round tip to pipe frosting on the cupcakes and decorate with a gold chocolate gingerbreadman or candy cane.

Disclaimer: I was sent the items above to review free of charge. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I paid for all the ingredients myself. 

Browned butter, orange, rosemary and polenta madeleines

One day I decided I wanted to make madeleines. I didn't want to make plain ones so I started looking online for recipes and when I came across this recipe from Baker by Nature, I knew I had to make it.... immediately! I was intrigued by the use of browned butter and the addition of rosemary. I don't often bake with herbs but when I do, they always turn out beautifully and this was no exception.

These madeleines are gorgeous. They have a crunchy texture from the polenta and I love the subtle taste of rosemary which pairs well with orange. The browned butter adds a slight nutty flavour to it. I now feel inspired to experiment with other flavours.

I'm sending this to AlphaBakes which is hosted by Caroline from Caroline Makes and co-hosted by myself on alternate months. The letter this month is O for Orange.

I'm also sending this to Made with Love Mondays hosted by Javelin Warrior where the idea is to make everything from scratch.

And to Cooking with Herbs hosted by Karen from Lavender and Lovage.

 adding chopped rosemary and orange zest 

 browned butter 

 ready to go in the oven 

 delicious!

Recipe adapted slightly from Baker by Nature 

Makes 30 madeleines

185g flour

90g butter

30g polenta

4 eggs

165g sugar

zest of 1 orange

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary 

• Preheat the oven to 180C.
• Start by making the browned butter - place butter in a small pan and melt gently over low heat until brown which will take approximately 8 - 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn your butter. 
• Place eggs in an electric mixer and beat on high speed until almost doubled in volume.
• Add sugar and continue mixing.
• Add vanilla extract, honey, orange zest and rosemary and mix well.
• Next gently fold in the flour and polenta with a spatula/wooden spoon.
• Finally add the browned butter and mix until just incorporated -do not over mix. 
• Spoon into madeleine moulds until 3/4 full and bake for 7 - 9 minutes or until golden brown and the madeleines are shrinking from the side.
• Remove from the tin and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.