Mikado Cake...

I posted a recipe recently for Mikado biscuits... they were incredible!

Since they were so popular, I decided to bake a cake based on a Mikado! How does coconut sponge, berry jam, marshmallowy icing & toasted coconut sound? Amazing right?! I can't take credit for this idea... I think it was Donal Skehan who I first saw baking a a Mikado cake.... Of course my version has no grains or refined sugar so I'm bound to say it's so much better!!

For the cake: 

• 8 eggs, separated 
• 80g butter, melted
• 3 tbsp Irish honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 125g ground almonds 
• 80g dessicated coconut
• 2 tsp GF baking powder

Preheat oven to 160d (fan). Line 2 8" sandwich tins with parchment paper. 

Start by whisking eggs yolks, butter, honey & vanilla until frothy and doubled in volume.

Add ground almonds, dessicated coconut & GF baking powder and fold in gently. 

Next whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. 

Finally, fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture gradually. Adding them in 3 stages will make them a lot easier to incorporate into the mixture. 

Once well combined, divide the mixture between the prepared tins and bake for 25 minutes until cake is springy to touch, well rise & pale golden. Set aside to cool on a wire rack. 

For the berry jam: 

• 150g frozen berries of your choice
• 1 tbsp Irish honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Add the ingredients to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and allow to simmer over a low heat for approx 5 minutes to allow the jam to thicken. 

For the marshmallow icing: 

• 3 egg whites
• 2 tbsp Irish honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 sachet Gelatin powder
• 50g frozen raspberries
• 3 tbsp water

Place raspberries & water into the microwave for 20 seconds at a time. Stir and mash in between each 20 second burst until the raspberries are softened, broken up and the mixture is steaming.

Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the hot raspberry mixture and set aside to dissolve. It's really important to pour the gelatin onto the liquid and not the other way around or you'll end up with a hard lump. Also make sure the liquid is steaming hot (not boiling) before adding the gelatin or it won't dissolve fully.

Next add the egg whites, honey & vanilla to a heatproof bowl over gently simmering water.

Whisk the mixture constantly until it forms stiff glossy peaks. (If you don't whisk constantly, you'll end up with scrambled egg whites). This should take about 5 minutes.

At this stage, your gelatin should have dissolved, cooled and will be ready to use. It's important that both the gelatin mix & the egg white mixture are approx the same temperature, otherwise the gelatin will set too quickly and form strings... The egg white mixture will be warm, just make sure the gelatin has cooled sufficiently.. 

Add the gelatin mixture to the egg white gradually, whisking constantly. I recommend pouring the gelatin in a slow, steady stream. Once fully combined, you can stop whisking.

To assemble the cake: 

• 50g toasted dessicated coconut

Sandwich the cakes together with 3/4 of the cooled, homemade jam. 

Spread a generous coating of the marshmallow icing over the top and sides of the cake. 

Spoon the remaining 'jam' onto the top of the cake before piping rosettes of marshmallow around the edge of the cake. 

Coat the outside of the cake with toasted coconut. 

Store in the fridge until ready to serve. 

Chocolate Brownie Roulade...

This is just incredible.... Think of the most delicious fudgy brownie you've ever eaten, now smother it in vanilla cream with fresh berries... This Chocolate Brownie Roulade is BETTER than that!!!

That's an ambitious claim I know... BUT I'm really confident about this one. This isn't a "it's nice...for a healthified cake".... it's just plain delicious, no ifs, buts or maybes.... It's amazing!

Ok so obviously it's not 100% refined sugar free like most of my recipes because of the addition of dark chocolate... but hey, dark chocolate is good for you and like I'm always saying, these treat recipes are just that... they're a treat!! Rest assured this cake is 1000 times better for you than a store bought alternative since it's packed with only the best natural ingredients...

For the roulade: 

• 150g dark chocolate (minimum 81% cocoa solids)
• 6 eggs, separated
• 3 tbsp Irish honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 60g ground almonds
• 2 tsp GF baking powder

Preheat oven to 160d (fan). Line a Swiss Roll tin with baking parchment. 

Start by melting the chocolate over a low heat. Set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks with vanilla & honey until doubled in volume.

Fold in cocoa, ground almonds, baking powder and dark chocolate gently.

Whisk egg whites until they form stiff, opaque peaks.

Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture gradually. Adding it in 3 parts makes it much easier to combine without knocking out all the air.

Pour the mixture into prepared tin and bake for 18 minutes (it took exactly 18 minutes in my oven, but since oven temps vary significantly, keep an eye on the cake to prevent burning).

You'll know it's baked when it's firm to touch and risen. Set aside to cool on baking parchment.

For the filling: 

• 250ml cream (you can sub half cream cheese & Greek yoghurt if you prefer, or coconut cream if you're dairy free)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g mixed summer berries

Whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks. 

Fold in vanilla & berries. 

To assemble: 

Once the cake is cooled, cover generously with the filling.

To roll, use the parchment paper to lift the cake (from the long side) and allow it to roll naturally. Just keep lifting the cake and letting it fall away from the parchment and it will form a natural roulade shape.

Don't worry if it cracks a little... You can cover it with a generous drizzle of melted chocolate or a light dusting of cocoa powder & some fresh berries.

Looks awesome right?!

7 days of GLBTK dinners...

I love the idea of sharing dinner ideas on GLBTK. I don't go to huge effort when it comes to dinner... I tend to reserve my patience for dessert recipes, BUT my last post showing what I ate for the previous 7 days received such a great response, I thought I'd make it a regular post...

Remember, it's not about creating gourmet masterpieces... GLBTK is all about sharing ideas and inspiration for simple to prepare, healthy meals that taste amazing... 

Day 1: Beef burgers, creamed spinach & sweet potato fries

For the burgers: simply mix 200g minced beef with tomato purée, paprika & sea salt. Form into patties and fry until cooked through. 

For the creamed spinach: Wilt 150g spinach in a clean wok for 2 minutes. Add 1 tbsp soft goats cheese (ricotta or any other soft cheese will work too), season well and stir until cheese has melted & coated the spinach. 

Serve with sweet potato fries. I'm forever getting asked what's the best way to cook sweet potato fries... Slice, microwave in 2 minute blasts with sea salt/paprika/cinnamon, toss in between each 2 minutes until cooked and crispy on the outside. Honestly... this works... it gives them a crispy coating while staying soft on the inside. DON'T add oil... Sweet potatoes already have a very high moisture content so don't add to it or you'll never get crispy fries. 

Day 2: Salmon Parcels with baked sweet potato

For the salmon: Season salmon darne well, top with 1 tbsp soft goats cheese. Place trimmed asparagus spears on top of the salmon & wrap in smoked bacon. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 20 minutes at 160 degrees... brown under grill if desired. 

For the baked potato: Simply slice indentations 3/4 way into the sweet potato. Microwave on high for approx 6 minutes until cooked through with a crispy skin. Top with a little goats cheese & crispy bacon. 

Serve with fresh salad. 

Day 3: Burgers, onion rings & sweet potato fries

No words can describe how good this was!!

Make burgers as in Day 1. 

For the onion rings: Slice onion into rings. Toss slices in beaten egg. Toss in ground almonds seasoned with salt & pepper. Grill for 10-12 minutes until crispy. 

I served this with sweet potato fries & just cos I wanted a fried egg, there's a random fried egg on the plate! 

Day 4: Beef, sun-dried tomato & basil meatballs with onion rings, fries & goats cheese sauce. 

For the meatballs.. Mix minced beef with tomato purée, chopped sun-dried tomato & basil. Season with sea salt & freshly ground black pepper. Form into small meatballs (1 large tsp per meatball). Bake for 15 minutes. 

For the goats cheese & tomato sauce: Heat some soft goats cheese, chopped tomatoes, basil, garlic powder & black pepper together until well combined. Use as a dipping sauce for the meatballs. 

Served with sweet potato fries & onion rings. 

Day 5: Chilli & Lime Drumsticks

For the marinade, mix juice of 1 lime, 3 tbsp tomato purée, 1/2 tsp smoky paprika, 1/2 tsp chilli flakes and salt & pepper. Toss skinned drumsticks in the marinade & refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Grill drumsticks for 12-15 minutes until cooked & crispy. 

Serve with sweet potato fries. 

Day 6: Crispy baked salmon with asparagus & sweet potato fries

Boil 150g of spinach for 2 minutes until softened. Drain water, and remove excess water by squeezing spinach in kitchen paper. Dice finely & mix with 1 tbsp soft goats cheese. 

Season salmon darne well, top with goats cheese mixture. Sprinkle with seeds. Bake for 15 minutes until just cooked and the seeds are crispy. 

Day 7: Goats cheese & spinach stuffed burgers

Seems like I'm stuffing everything with spinach lately right?? Well it's a fantastic way to include more 

in your diet if you're not a huge fan of salads. Wilt 150g and stuff it into some meat... yum! 

For the burgers: Boil the spinach until just softened, mix with soft goats cheese & press into the centre of a burger (method described in Day 1 above). I oven bake these burgers at 170d so they cook slowly. This prevents the goats cheese just being absorbed into the meat. 

Serve with rocket leaves & sweet potato fries. 

So that's my week in dinners... What do you think? Eating clean is easier than you think right?! Thanks again to Sinead from Bumbles of Rice for the fantastic idea to share a week of food.... Hopefully it will inspire you to keep your meals varied. 

Banana Bars..

If you like banana bread, you're really going to like this one! Moist chocolate chip banana cake with chunks of banana... Sounds like normal banana bread? Naaaaah.. this is so much better! By adding chunks of chopped banana, you're adding a chewy & gooey texture to the cake bars... they're almost brownie like in texture...

Keep this recipe on stand-by for using up overripe bananas...it's unbelievably quick to throw together, and relies on the sugar in the bananas for it's sweetness..

For the Banana Bars...

• 2 large overripe bananas (mash 1 banana completely & chop the 2nd into chunks)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 125g ground almonds 
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 50g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 160d (fan). Line a 7" square cake tin with baking parchment. 

Mix the bananas with eggs & vanilla until combined. (Try to avoid breaking up the banana chunks)

Stir in the remaining ingredients. 

Pour into prepared tin and bake for 15 minutes until firm. It should be pale golden and springy to the touch. 

Cut into squares and enjoy warm...  

C'mon... even if you're the world's most inexperienced baker you'll be able to bake these with your eyes closed! Let me know how you get on :) 

Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

Reasons why the gym I go to is better than your gym?? There's loads... but these bars after training are definitely a good reason to show up!! I'm usually baking, thinking about or wishing I was baking, so it's really great to have so many people who are happy to act as taste testers... I took a batch of these bars to training during the week and I was left with a clean plate... Good sign right?! 

I genuinely think one of the best things about my recipes is that you can pick up all the ingredients in the supermarket, so no expensive trips to health food stores required....So if you're in the supermarket over the weekend, pick up the ingredients for these bars and get baking... 

• 75g butter, melted & cooled
• 1 tsp organic vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp raw organic honey
• 1 egg & 1 egg yolk
• 200g ground almonds
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 100g dark chocolate, chopped roughly
• 1/2 small jar of crunchy peanut butter 

Preheat oven to 160d (fan). Line a 7" square baking tin with non stick baking parchment. 

Start by beating the melted butter, vanilla, honey & egg together until well combined.

Next, add the dry ingredients and stir well. 

Finally add the chopped chocolate (technically can add it with the dry ingredients but since I forgot to buy some, I had to add it later)... 

Remove 1/4 of the dough and set aside. Press the remaining dough evenly into the base of the lined tin. 

Spread a generous layer of the peanut butter over the dough. 

Finally, crumble the reserved dough over the top. It won't cover the whole thing, but that's ok... you want the peanut butter to ooze out a little during baking. 

Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until golden and firm. 

Set aside to cool before cutting into bars.