Mini Mandarin and Almond Cakes

Autumn & Winter is the time that citrus fruit is at its most bountiful and delicious. 

I had a slightly unwell little person at home with me today (He was coughing and running a slight temp & he didn't complain when I said that a sick day meant time in bed! I think he needed a Mental Health Day) and we splurged after dropping off his sister at school with a coffee and a cupcake. The cupcake was a Gluten Free Mandarin cake & little Mr and I shared it & he LOVED it. He wanted to know if we could make it & I told him that I had made them previously, so I would hunt out the recipe & we could make them (after he had a big sleep).

Mini Mandarin & Almond Cakes

Ingredients

·            3 seedless mandarins, skin on

·            1 cup caster sugar

·            1 cinnamon sticks

·            125g butter, softened

·            3 eggs

·            1 1/2 cups almond meal (ground almonds)

·            1/3 cup plain flour (or for Gluten Free option, use Corn Flour or Gluten Free Plain Flour)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Place liners in a 12 hole muffin pan.
2. Combine mandarins, 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon and 2 cups cold water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Boil, covered, for 15 minutes or until mandarin skin is tender. Remove mandarin and process in a food processor until mandarin is almost smooth. Cool.
3. In an electric mixer, beat butter and ½ cup sugar until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in almond meal, flour and mandarin purée. Spoon mixture into prepared cases. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

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Banana Loaf

Over summer the bananas at "The Fresh Ingredient" were ripening incredibly quickly. We decided that every now & again we would put a box of these super ripe bananas on the bench outside the shop with a sign saying"free to a good home".
Naturally most of these bananas went off to good homes. This recipe was left by a friendly customer alongside the box of bananas.
I haven't had a chance to make the Banana Loaf until today, it will now go into my regular repertoire.
It is simple, tasty, economical & fast....what more could you ask for. I prefer to use organic flour and milk & free-range eggs, but this isn't necessary.

Ingredients
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup dessicated coconut
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 bananas (mashed)

Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 180C.
2. Grease & line a loaf tin.
3. Sift flour into a large bowl, add remaining ingredients & mix until combined - do not over mix.
4. Bake for approx. 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
5. Cool in pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto cooling rack.
6. When cool slice using a bread knife, serve with butter if required.