It’s the time of year where you may well find yourself in possession of the last, sad dregs of the tomato season. And I say ‘sad’ because in my experience, the crop that lingers on into Autumn is usually past its best. It is of …
Don’t mistake this for me purporting to be any kind of expert on masala chai. I’m not – my making of masala chai is purely a result of my greediness and nosiness about all things food. A work colleague and I are often in the …
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When is a mouldering banana a welcome sight? When you need to bake something, that’s when. Banana-based baking is the ultimate transformation from yuck to yum. Very ripe, very brown bananas might be a bit nasty to look at but think of the potential…all of that ripe sweetness and mushiness is the perfect base for tasty treats with excellent texture.
This banana loaf really fits the bill for when you have neglected not just one or two bananas, but most of a bunch. The 4-5 spent bananas required for this may seem a lot but it’s really worth it – they yield a very sweet, fulsome loaf that is also simple to make with a short ingredients list, as the bulk of the bake is banana. It’s really very simple to throw together, and so perfect for a weekend where you realise you have left some bananas forgotten and festering at the bottom of the fruit bowl all week and fancy something sweet.
I really like allspice in this, but if you don’t have that to hand or don’t like it, cinnamon or ground ginger make a great substitute. I usually eat this as is with some butter, but a plain or lemon icing is a nice addition if you fancy. I hope you have some brown bananas at the ready.
Ingredients Method About this recipe You know those grey rainy Sunday days in winter that feel a bit blah and uninspiring? Yes, me too. Perhaps today is even one of them. This chickpea concoction can help somewhat with zippy lemon and warm spices. It fits …
Ingredients: Method: About this recipe I know gluten free baking can seem like a faff but honestly, if you can bear to fork out for some gluten-free flour then you have a lot of options without much effort. Many ingredients that are simply superb in …
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‘Carrot’ might not be first up when you think ‘I fancy something sweet’ but they are undeniably delicious and we have their sweetness to thank for carrot cake. Carrot cake in some form or other has been enjoyed for quite some time, including the Middle Ages and apparently George Washington’s table. It was Second World War rationing, with carrots replacing a lot of sugar, that really helped to firm up its position in our modern palettes.
This one featured here had been knocking around in my imagination for quite some time, with many weeks of my thinking ‘I fancy something carrot-cakey.’ And, if I must be perfectly honest, that imagining was completed by the vision of said cake slathered with a generous amount of cream cheese icing.
Carrot cakes can be a bit of a hassle to make, what with all of that grating of carrots (fingers, ouch!) but I have worked on this recipe to at least minimise the amount of bowls and therefore dishwashing. It is worth it too, as I find this one always disappears quickly – I hope you find it’s worth it too!
Ingredients Method: About this recipe Oh the lovely leek! Truly one of my favourite vegetables this time of year, when the shadows are a little longer and there’s a bite in the air. Leeks are allium family members, related to onions and garlic, but a …
Ingredients: Plum and apple mixture: Crumble topping: Method: Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Place the apples, plums, cinnamon vanilla and 2 tablespoons of water into a pot – the water should be covering the base of the pan. Depending on how juicy the …
Ingredients
Method
Heat oven to 180 degrees celsius and line two 20 x 30cm baking trays with baking paper
In a medium bowl, mix together masa flour, seeds and the teaspoon of sea salt.
Add the olive oil and boiling water. Mix together until all dry ingredients are incorporated.
Turn out the mixture onto the baking trays. Using wet hands and/or a spatula, press out the mixture to be as thin as you can make it across the trays. Scatter a pinch of sea salt flakes over the top.
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown around the corners. Remove and allow to cool, then break into cracker-sized pieces. Store in an air tight container if not using straight away.
About this recipe
It took me some time to give home made crackers a go because I always worried they would be fiddly and difficult. I imagined rolling and kneading with bits of dough sticking to the rolling pin and myself becoming more flustered and sweary. No doubt you can make this variety of cracker and I bet it’s delicious, but if you don’t care too much about your crackers looking perfect then I say, give this recipe a try.
It’s very simple – only one bowl to clean at the end! – and the seed-flecked crackers look pretty on any cheese board or nibbles tray. They are made with masa harina, a corn-based flour that forms the basis of much Latin American cuisine, including tamales, tacos and tostadas. Masa marina is the secret weapon that ensures these crackers are a cinch to make – it becomes pliable on the addition of boiling water and provides a robust, grainy texture and no faffing about with rolling pins is required. It’s even gluten-free!
Ingredients Method Place all ingredients into a food processor or a blender. Process on high speed until it forms a wet, loose texture. If it is dry and clumpy, add a little more olive oil and process again. Taste and add a little more salt …