Gluten free parsnip apple and orange pecan cake

Recipe from the Open University.


For the cake:
175g butter
200g light soft brown sugar
100g golden syrup
3 eggs
250g gluten free self raising flour
2 tsp gluten free baking powder
2 tsp mixed spice
250g parsnips
125g eating apples
50g pecan nuts (or walnuts)
1 orange, zest and juice



For the Maple mascarpone frosting
250g mascarpone cheese
2 tbsp maple syrup
3-4 tbsp milk

Heat the oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4.

Grease and line two 20cm sandwich tins.


Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup together in a large pan over low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Place the mascarpone in a bowl and leave for 15 minutes to warm to room temperature. Add the maple syrup and beat together until well incorporated. Add enough milk so that you achieve a thick, yet spreadable consistency. Place one cake layer on a serving plate and place spoonfuls of the frosting over the surface. Use a knife to spread the frosting out into an even layer, right to the edges of the cake. Top with the second cake layer and dust the top lightly with icing sugar.
Serve in generous slices. Even better the next day...


Meanwhile, peel the parsnips and coarsely grate them along with the apple (you can leave the skin on but remove the core). Roughly chop the pecans and finely grate the zest from the orange. Using a large spatula, whisk the eggs into the melted sugar mixture, then stir in the flour, baking powder and mixed spice. Add the parsnip, apple, pecans and orange zest. Squeeze in the juice from the zested orange and mix well. Divide the batter between the tins (they will be quite full) and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and the tops spring back when pressed lightly. Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Hazelnut and honey biscuits

5 oz (125g) plain flour
pinch of salt
4 oz (100g) butter
2 1/2 oz (±60g) sugar
3 oz (75g) ground hazelnuts (or start with whole hazlenuts and chop them very finely in a nut-chopper)
A few tablespoons clear honey
2-3 oz plain chocolate (optional but highly recommended).

Cream the butter and sugar until soft. Stir in the ground hazlenuts, flour and salt. Mix well then turn out onto a floured board and knead to a smooth dough.
Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick. Using a small plain round cutter (oval is also good, but avoid shapes with too many delicate edges), cut out as many biscuits as possible. Place the biscuits on a greased baking tray (or several greased baking trays) and bake in the centre of a moderate oven (350F, Gas 4, 180C, 160 in fan oven) for 10-12 mins or until just golden brown at the edges. Remove from tray and cool on a rack.
Next, sandwich the biscuits together in pairs by sticking them together with honey.
Lastly, break the chocolate into squares and melt it (either in a bain-marie or in the microwave). Dip the biscuits into the chocolate so that they are half covered, then allow to set (place biscuits on greaseproof paper to avoid chocolate coming off again).
These are excellent served with coffee :-)

Peanut butter and apple cake

Ingredients

6 oz butter and peanut butter (about 5 oz of butter and 1 tbsp of peanut butter is what I used)
6oz brown sugar
3 eggs
6 oz flour
2 small-medium cooking apples

Method

1. Cream the butter, peanut butter and sugar till soft and fluffy
2. Beat in the eggs
3. Fold in the flour and mix well
4. Peel and core the apples and cut them into small pieces
5. Stir the apple pieces into the mixture
6. Grease a non-stick tin (2 lb loaf tin is about right). If it's not non-stick you'll need to base line it with greaseproof paper.
7. Bake in a moderate oven for about 45 minutes. The skewer should come out clean when you test it: don't turn off the oven till it's properly done.
8. Allow to cool for a few minutes before turning it out to cool on a rack.
   
9. Serve at once hot with custard or cream, or serve it later, cold, for tea. Store it in a cold place, and make sure you eat it all within a few days.