Tortes de Aceite

If I'm given some kind of nice cake or biscuit as a present, I always want to know where it has come from and then can I make it myself!
This happened at Christmas this year when a friend bought me some Tortes de Aceite. I'd never even seen these Spanish Olive Oil biscuits before - I've since seen them in several different places but mainly savoury versions. 
I set out to find a recipe to see if homemade ones would be as good as the shop bought ones. I came across this recipe by Jamie Oliver which I have adapted slightly to give them an additional crunch with the addition of some chopped almonds and crunchy sugar on top.
I was really pleased with the outcome and I have been told I have to make them again. Beware, they are very addictive! Thank you Jamie Oliver!

Ingredients: 

Makes 12
300g Type '00' flour1 teaspoon sea salt2 teaspoons fennel seedsSpanish extra virgin olive oil3 tablespoons  caster sugar plus extra for dusting1 x 7g sachet of dried yeasticing sugar, for dustingplain flour, for dusting1 large egg white, preferably free range, beaten
handful of chopped almonds

a sprinkling of crunchy sugar crystals


Method:
Preheat the oven to 230°c. Mix the flour, salt and fennel seeds in a bowl. Pour 100ml of extra virgin olive oil into a jug with 150ml of warm water then add the caster sugar and yeast and mix well. Leave for a few minutes.
Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and slowly pour in the yeast mixture, using a fork gradually mix in the flour from the outside as you go. When it all starts to come together, use your hands to mix it into a lovely smooth dough.
Lightly oil two large baking trays, then dust them with icing sugar. Lightly flour a clean work surface and a rolling pin. Divide your dough into 12 equal-sized pieces and roll each one into a ball, then roll out each ball until it's about 10cm in diameter. The thinner you roll out the dough, the crispier the final biscuit will be. Put these on your trays, and brush each one with some beaten egg white. Dust each biscuit lightly with icing sugar so they all have an even coating, and scatter over some almonds and the crunchy sugar.
Cook in the hot oven for around 10 to 12 minutes or until golden and crisp. Transfer to wire racks to cool, then tuck in.

A healthier flapjack

I love sweet things. I love cake. I love biscuits. I love chocolate! But I know when I have had enough and after Christmas this year I wanted something sweet but without the heaviness of my usual treats. After having tried a healthy flapjack in the past, this idea came to me on the way back from the gym and then came together with what I had in the cupboard. I think to think they are tasty and just a little bit healthy!

Ingredients

225g                porridge oats

150g                pitted dried dates roughly chopped

1                      ripe banana

1                      grated eating apple, no need to peel

50g                  mixed seeds (I used a mix of pumpkin, sunflower and linseed)

2tbsp               runny honey

50ml                vegetable or other flavourless oil

Method

1      Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 3 and line a 30 x 20cm shallow tray

2      Roughly chop the dates and put into a food processor with the banana. Blitz until you have a smooth puree – you may still see some lumps of date, but that’s all good!

3      Put the puree into a large bowl and add the dry ingredients and mix well until well combined.

4      Tip the mixture into the tray, spread evenly and push down with your hand, making sure you get right into the corner of the tin

5      Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown

6      Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then cut into pieces. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

These will keep in an air tight container for 5 days.

You could also add 30g of raw cacao powder for a chocolately taste. To make these completely vegan, swap the honey for maple syrup.

A few more festive bakes

I've really enjoyed baking a lot over the past few weeks, including producing cakes for other people. My kitchen may have looked like an explosion in a ganache factory. Here are some of the Christmas cakes and bakes!

James Martin's mini orange and cranberry panettone

A Danish butter enriched cinnamon bread, topped with a sugar, golden syrup and butter glaze

Has to be the classic Delia Smith Christmas pudding

A Mary Berry Berry Yule log, filled with dark chocolate ganache and cherries in kirsch

A Paul Hollywood rosemary and sea salt focaccia

An iced madeira cake

Gluten free version of Nigella's parmesan shortbread made using Dove's flour and a pinch of xanathan gum

Always a show stopper! Nigella's spruced up vanilla cake for New Years Eve

A simple hot water chocolate cake made special by a beautiful Nordic Ware bundt tin

Spiced orange and chocolate cake

Ingredients

2                     clementines or satsumas

200g                self-raising flour

75g                  cocoa powder

3tsps               bicarbonate of soda

275g                caster sugar

225g                unsalted butter softened

4                      medium eggs

2tsp                 ground ginger

1tsp                 cinnamon

1tsp                 ground mixed spice

1                      clementine or satsuma zest

100g                good quality dark chocolate with orange or ginger or a mix of the two

                        chopped into small pieces

Method

1.     Cover the clementines or satsumas in boiling water in a small saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes until they are tender. Remove from the water and let them cool.

2.     Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 5 and grease your tin of choice. I used the Nordic Ware snowflake design with LOTS of cake release spray to get in all the nooks and crannies.

3.     Put the cooled fruit into a food processor and blitz until they are a fine pulp

4.     Add all the other ingredient to the processor and mix well until they are all well encorporated.

5.     Transfer the mixture to the greased tin. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until well risen and a skewer comes out clean from the deepest part of the tin. Depending on the tin you use, it may need a little longer baking.

6.     Cool for 5 minutes in the tin and then turn out, keeping fingers crossed it comes out to reveal the splendour of the tin design!

The cake can be eaten warm or cold, dusted with icing sugar with a large helping of extra thick double cream!