Raspberry Blondies....

Did you know some people don't like chocolate???? Madness!! Who'd have thought that there are people out there who don't like brownies?? Since I try to cater for everyone, I baked Sarah some Raspberry Blondies.... (she's not going to thank me for this comment).... but she hoovered them up like a fat kid attacks a brownie! My point?? (other than to rip the piss)...as much as I bang on about how all the GLBTK baked good are treats and shouldn't be eaten all the time, I love nothing more than seeing people destroy a plate of healthified cake!... 

Why?? It's very easy to come on here and post recipes and photos of attractive looking food... after all, we eat with our eyes first...but what's the point if it doesn't taste good? If healthier cakes & desserts tasted bland and as if they lacked something, then would we really bother? Good quality, healthy food can taste incredible... and spreading that message is the mission of GLBTK... 

So anyway.... the Blondies! I always thought Blondies were just white chocolate brownies... WRONG! Blondies are simply white cake cut into bars sometimes with nuts/fruit/chocolate chips...they sound kinda boring now! So.. lets make something a little more exciting... how about Raspberry Blondies packed with creamy almond butter to give them a great fudgy, dense texture like that of brownies and throw in some juicy sweet raspberries?? That sounds more appealing than 'white cake'....

For the Blondies:

• 50g butter
• 100g almond butter (I always use Keen )
• 2 tbsp Irish honey
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 150g ground almonds 
• 1 tsp GF baking powder
• 100g fresh raspberries 
• 30g cacoa nibs
• flaked almonds

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

Start by melting the butter, almond butter & honey together over a low heat. 

Beat in the eggs, one at time. Add the vanilla extract. 

Stir in the ground almonds and baking powder. 

Carefully fold in the raspberries and cacoa nibs. 

Spoon mixture into lined cake tin, sprinkle with extra cacoa nibs & flaked almonds. Bake for 15 - 20 mins until just set. 

If you over bake, you'll have more of a cake-like texture rather than a dense, fudgy consistency. 

Cut into squares and serve! 

Raspberry & Almond Crunch Cake

As much as I love chocolate cakes, it's always good to have a recipe for lighter cakes. I love this recipe for Raspberry and Almond Crunch Cake since it's really quick to make, and can be enjoyed straight from the oven.... no waiting around or having to make it look pretty with icing. 

For the crunchy topping: 

• 35g unsweetened dessicated coconut
• 25g ground almonds
• 15g flaked almonds
• 1 tbsp Keen almond butter
• 1 tsp Irish honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp melted coconut oil

Mix all the ingredients together until well combined and forming a crumbly topping. 

Set aside until needed.

For the cake:

• 6 eggs, separated
• 75g butter, melted
• 2 tbsp Irish honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 90g ground almonds
• 25g unsweetened dessicated coconut
• 2 tsp gluten free baking powder
• 60g raspberries, fresh or frozen is fine

Preheat oven to 160d (fan). 

Whisk egg yolks with melted butter, 1 tbsp of the honey, vanilla and lemon juice/zest until doubled in size and pale in colour. 

Fold in ground almonds, dessicated coconut and baking powder. 

In a large clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until opaque and forming stiff peaks. Add 1 tbsp of honey and whisk until combined. 

Fold beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture gradually. Adding 1/3  of the whites at a time makes it a lot easier to fold into the mixture. 

Finally stir the raspberries into the mixture, and pour into 8 inch square cake tin.

Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the cake.

Bake for 25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean from the centre of the cake. If you find after 15 mins that the cake is browning too quickly, lower the temperature to 150d (fan), and place a sheet of baking paper loosely over the cake to prevent burning. 

Once baked, you can serve warm, or allow to cool. I recommend warm, but it tastes great either way.