Take:2 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 large cooking apple, peeled and grated (you could probably use 2 - it's not overly appley with just 1)
125g margarine
125g caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 eggs, beaten
175g self raising flour
2 tablespoons skimmed milk (or soya in my case)
- Heat the oven to Gas Mark 4. If you're me, bemoan loudly the fact that you don't have an 8 inch square cake tin as the recipes indicates and use your trusty silicone loaf tin instead.
- Take the rosemary leaves off the stalks and chop finely. Toss in with the grated apple.
- Cream together the marg and sugar. Add the vanilla essence and eggs with 1 tablesoon of flour and beat well. Sift in the rest of the flour and then add the grated apple, rosemary and milk.
- Spoon into the tin, level the top and pop in the oven for about 50 minutes.
- Make people eat it without telling them what's in it because they will pull a weird face when they hear you've put herbs in a cake. Trust me though, it's delicious.
And while I'm on a recipe roll, here is one of my new discoveries. Absolutely perfect for summer picnics, parties etc. It's basically this here recipe with a few tweaks. I never seem to have all the right ingredients at the same time so my version this time went as follows:
(scroll down to the bottom if pics of raw chicken gross you out...)
some chicken
couple of spring onions
couple of chestnut mushrooms
3 sundried tomatoes
handful of basil leaves
Chop everything roughly up, bung it in a food processor and whiz. Season well, especially if you're not using the garlic that the original recipe calls for.
Pop it on some ready-rolled puff pastry (cos if you have time to make your own puff pastry then frankly you are far too organised for my liking), wrap the pastry over and chop.
Bung on a baking tray, brush with beaten egg and put in the oven at gas mark 6 for 20 mins.
Try not to eat them all before the actual picnic. They are bloody delicious.Then with the leftover pastry, make some sort-of-Danish pastries. Easy peasy:
Mmmm the apple cake looks really moist! Must try it once I get an oven that works haha... I skipped the raw chicken bits (I'm a veggie) but the danishes look yum :) x
ReplyDeleteARGH! So much goodness. So so much. And my sister just got my Mum a rosemary tree for her birthday - I will attack it with some scissors next time I'm round there!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of the apple cake, I do agree with you that once you tell people herbs, vegetables etc are in cakes they are less likely to try it which is silly really! Thanks for sharing x
ReplyDeleteOh those little chicken rolls look ace! Perfect for a buffet or picknick.
ReplyDeleteI want to picnic with you.
ReplyDeleteYUM!! Both look amazing, thanks for sharing, I'm definitely trying out the chicken rolls. Perfect for a picnic (or snack for me!)
ReplyDeletexxx
Flippin eck you've got me bloody starving! The cake sounds amazing, apple in cakes are always so moist! And the chicken savouriess - yum!
ReplyDeleteYou make me hungry! Rosemary in a cake does sound rather odd but also kinda...amazingly delish?x
ReplyDeleteWell I think I must be meant to make that cake, because I've just picked a couple of windfall cookers up and I'm going round to my MIL's later who has a rosemary bush!
ReplyDeleteI've got so many apples on my tree this year and a massive Rosemary bush in the rockery so that's absolute perfect timing, thanks. I won't be eating it though, I hate the texture of cooked apples but I know a man who'll love it. x
ReplyDeleteChickeny things look sooo yummy, as does everything else. Must try them. I've edited my cake post with the recipe for you. xxx
ReplyDeleteOhh I think the apples on our tree will be ready soon. Can I out myself by asking how many points it is?
ReplyDeletethat cake looks amazing but rosemary makesme gag :(
ReplyDeleteMmmmmmmmmmmm, these look delicious! Please send some my way! xx
ReplyDeleteMmmm! They both look yummy! fancy trying the cake. I always find it so funny when people pull funny faces even though they enjoy the food. Bless em!
ReplyDeleteX x
ps Thanks for your lovely comments. I love the dress, it fits in all the right places.
X x
I recently tried making an apple and raspberry crumble, though I emphasise on the word ‘try’ as it was more crumble than substance, and the apples were a little too tangy for my liking.
ReplyDeleteBut as baking goes it’s all about trying out new recipes and tweaking them as you go x
Yes please! All looks really good, and surely NO-ONE makes their own puff pastry do they?!
ReplyDeleteOh wow those sausage roll thingies look scrummy! And the Danish pastries you just 'threw together'!! Pfft. I have SUCH disasters cooking with apples - they don't like me at all!
ReplyDeleteits official: you have to come and live with us and provide us with divine looking nosh. I seriously overdid rosemary in a lamb dish once and now I cannot bear it in any form at all. Shame really :(
ReplyDeleteOh yum, both recipes sound amaaazing. Literally salivating here. x
ReplyDeleteoh my I want that cake...looks amazing...I think rosemary in baked goods is utterly delicious!!
ReplyDeleteThis is making me hungry! It's 5:30 in the morning and all I want is that weird sounding cake. Will save it to the favourites.
ReplyDeleteOoh what a great post, you have been busy in the kitchen! Wish I was at your picnic! I love your little bite size pastries.
ReplyDeletewow these look amazing! i would make the mistake of eating them before the picnic, which you have warned us against! xx
ReplyDeleteAmazers - that cake sounds delish! Do people pull your "I'm not impressed" face at it? I think it sounds just swell. Oops - justpoured water down my front. Best go!
ReplyDelete