SILVIA COLLOCA'S HEALTHY DAIRY-FREE PEAR, SULTANA AND OLIVE OIL CAKE

Nothing soothes the soul more than a bit of home baking

INGREDIENTS

• 150g brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 75ml olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 tsp ground cloves
• seeds of 1 vanilla bean
• 170g self-raising flour, sifted
• 50g almond meal
• 100ml almond milk
• 50g raisins, soaked in grappa (or rum) for 30 minutes
• 3 bosc or corella pears, peeled and cut into eighths
• cinnamon sugar, for dusting

• METHOD

  • 1
    Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly oil a 25cm cake tin and dust with flour, shaking out the excess.
  • 2
    Whisk the sugar with the eggs until fluffy; add oil, spices, vanilla, flour and almond meal. Pour in the almond milk and mix gently to create a loose batter. Drain the raisins, squeezing out any excess liquid, and add them to the batter along with the chopped pear pieces.
  • 3
    Pour the cake batter into the tin and bake for 35–40 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean if inserted in the centre of the cake. As most ovens vary, check your cake after 25–30 minutes.
  • 4
    Cool at room temperature for 20 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
  • 5
    Serve dusted with cinnamon sugar and an espresso, in true Italian style.

This cake is so easy to make and tastes great

Fruit Cake

As this cake has no added sugar. Great warmed from the oven, cold spread with butter, or heated with custard. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 375 g mixed fruit
• 600 mls chocolate flavored milk
• 2 cup self-raising flour

• Method

  • STEP 1Soak the fruit in the chocolate milk overnight.
  • STEP 2Stir in flour.
  • STEP 3Bake at 160C for approximately 1½ hours, or until skewer inserted comes out clean.

  • Notes

    Low fat chocolate milk can be used. Try an interesting alternative using banana flavoured milk.
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Quick mix, no mess or fuss cakes to make with the option of three different flavourings

3-in-1 Easy-Mix Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cup self-raising flour
• 2 cup sugar
• 4 egg
• 4 tbs custard powder
• 250 g butter

Chocolate flavour

• 1 cup milk
• 3 tbs cocoa powder

Orange flavour

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 orange rind finely grated

Vanilla flavour

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

• Equipment

  • 1 baking paper
  • 1 frying pan
  • 1 pastry brush

  • Method

    • STEP 1Preheat oven to 180C.
    • STEP 2Grease and line a 23 cm square pan or 2 x 20 cm round cake pans.
    • STEP 3Place cake ingredients plus flavourings of choice into a large bowl. Beat with an electric beater for 5 minutes or until smooth, scraping down the sides.
    • STEP 4Spoon batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 45 minutes or until cooked.
    • STEP 5Turn out onto wire rack to cool and then top with icing of choice.

    • Notes

      Choose the cake you want by adding your selected flavour ingredients.
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This barbecue chicken and baked potato recipe is from my aunty which we all love.

Baked Potato with BBQ Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 barbecued cooked chicken deboned cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 kgs potato
• 600 mls cream
• 2 carrot large peeled coarsely grated
• 1 onion peeled sliced
• 1 cup shallots fresh sliced
• 3 pinches ground pepper fresh
• 3 pinches salt
• 1 cup dried breadcrumbs

• Equipment

  • baking dish

  • Method

    • STEP 1Preheat oven to 170C (fan forced). Peel potatoes and cut into thin slices.
    • STEP 2Grease the baking dish with butter and dust all sides and bottom with bread-crumbs.
    • STEP 3Layer potatoes, then season with salt and black pepper, top with a layer of chicken meat sprinkle with a little carrot, cut shallots and onion. Repeat the process until you use all ingredients. The last layer must be potatoes.
    • STEP 4Pour the thickened cream over the potatoes, cover with aluminum foil and place in preheated oven, bake for about 1 hours. Remove foil and cook for a further 30 minutes uncovered or until golden brown and the cream has evaporated.
    • STEP 5Serve on it's own or with vegetable salad.

    • Notes

      This recipe is very tasty and not expensive. I use the largest holes on the grater to grate the carrots. I use a 30 cm x 27 cm baking dish.

This is a recipe I made up when I couldn't find the packet mix I used to use.

Apricot Curry Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 tsp KEEN'S curry powder
• 1 tbs apricot jam
• 1 packet French onion soup mix
• 1 tbs sweet chilli sauce
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1 onion large thinly sliced
• 1 can apricot juice
• 6 chicken thighs

• Equipment

  • slow cooker

  • Method

    • STEP 1Mix all the ingredients together in a slow cooker and then add chicken and mix through.
    • STEP 2Cook on low for about 6 hours.

    • Notes

      I use thighs, but you can use other pieces or breasts cut up, you could also add carrots or other veggies.
      You can use 1 - 2 teaspoons curry powder - depending on your own taste.
      I use 4 - 8 chicken thighs for this recipe.

It's easy to cook, just add all ingredients and bake away! And the best part is it pretty healthy

Paleo Chocolate Ganache Cake

It's easy to cook, just add all ingredients and bake away! And the best part is it pretty healthy. Just restrain yourself from eating most of the cake when it comes out of the oven!

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 1 cup almond meal
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1/3 cup raw cacao powder
• 150 g butter
• 100 g raw dark chocolate
• 4 eggs separated

Ganache

• 100 g raw dark chocolate
• 1 cup coconut cream

• Equipment

  • 1 22cm round cake pan
  • 1 bowl
  • 1 heatproof bowl
  • 2 saucepan
  • 1 electric mixer

  • Method

    • STEP 1Preheat oven to 170 degrees celsius. Line a 22cm cake pan with baking paper.
    • STEP 2Mix the raw cacao powder and hot water in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
    • STEP 3In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter together. Remove from heat.
    • STEP 4In a large mixing bowl, combine the the melted chocolate with the coconut sugar, almond meal and egg yolks. Stir until well combined.
    • STEP 5Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites in to the chocolate mix carefully until just mixed through.
    • STEP 6Transfer the batter in to the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
    • STEP 7To make the ganache, combine the raw chocolate and coconut cream in a small saucepan on low heat, stirring until smooth.
    • STEP 8To serve, drizzle the cake with chocolate ganache and add shredded coconut or raspberries.

    • Notes

      You can swap butter with coconut oil.

Lemon Lava Cakes

Decadent lemon cakes with runny lemon centers and topped with meringue. Impressive dessert to serve guests

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup thickened cream
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 4 tsp baking powder

Lemon syrup filling

• 3 lemons juiced
• 75 g butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 egg yolks

Meringue topping

• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 cup sugar

• Equipment

  • 1 6-hole muffin pan
  • 1 electric beaters

  • Method

    • STEP 1Preheat oven to 160C and line a 6 hole muffin tray with cafe style muffin wraps. Alternatively, use 6 x 1 cup ramekins, greased well.
    • STEP 2Cream sugar and eggs. Whisk in cream until sugar is dissolved and mixture is thick and smooth.
    • STEP 3Stir in sifted flour and baking powder.
    • STEP 4Evenly distribute mixture into tray and bake for 25-30 minutes.
    • STEP 5Remove from tray and allow to cool.
    • STEP 6Lemon syrup filling: Heat the lemon juice and butter in a pan until bubbling.
    • STEP 7Add the sugar and eggs, whisking vigorously to prevent eggs cooking quickly and becoming lumpy. Continue to whisk until mixture thickens slightly.
    • STEP 8Remove from heat when texture is glossy and slightly thickened.
    • STEP 9Cut a hole in the centre of each cake and scoop out some of the cake mixture, retaining a portion for the lid. Pour in the lemon mixture and replace the lid.
    • STEP 10Meringue: Use a dry mixing bowl and electric beaters to beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the sugar a little at a time, waiting for the sugar to dissolve before adding more.
    • STEP 11Continue to beat until the mixture is glossy and holds a firm peak.
    • STEP 12Using a piping bag or a tablespoon, put the meringue onto the top of each cake.
    • STEP 13Brown with a kitchen blow torch or alternatively, place under the grill for a minute or two until golden.