• Home
  • About
  • Birds
  • Bread
  • Cakes and Cookies
  • Chocolate Making
  • Chocolate Making II
  • Chooks
  • Christmas
  • Fabulous Food
  • Family & Friends
  • Frugal Living
  • Homemade
  • In My Kitchen
  • In Our Garden
  • Jams, Preserves & Sauces
  • Musings
  • My Cool Things
  • Savoury
  • Suppliers
  • Sydney
  • Waste Reduction Plan
  • Pandemic Posts 2020

Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Living well in the urban village

Feeds:
Posts
Comments
« Ninja Chickens
In My Kitchen, May 2012 »

Blitzing

April 27, 2012 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

I’m still having a blast with  my new food processor!

Here’s our lime and almond cake, which Pete has now declared to be the best non-chocolate cake I’ve ever made, baked in a Wilton Queen of Hearts bundt pan.  The icing was decorated with lime zest…

We were off to the markets and needed something quick and easy to feed the stall holders, so I tried baking a very basic chocolate pound cake in a roasting tray to see if we could turn it into a slab cake.  It worked a treat!  We took some to the markets and our sons demolished the rest while we were out…

This simple and unpretentious chocolate cake is made special by its icing. I love that the pound cake recipe is so easy that I can make them from memory – even when I mess about with the ingredients!  The instructions are here…

  • 250g (8oz) unsalted butter
  • 185g (6oz) self-raising flour
  • 65g (2oz) sifted Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 250g (8oz) castor (superfine) sugar
  • 4 large (59g) free range eggs

The batter was baked in a 23cm x 33cm (9″ x 13″) parchment lined pan in a preheated 160C (320F) fan-forced oven for 30 minutes, then topped with icing while still warm and popped into the fridge to set.  Allow the cake to come back to room temperature before serving.  To make the icing, stir and melt the following ingredients together in a double boiler..

  • 100g (33/4oz) dark chocolate callets, or finely chopped chocolate
  • 100g (33/4oz) unsalted butter
  • 100g (33/4oz) icing sugar, sifted (it’s important to sift, or you’ll get lumpy icing)
  • 60ml (¼ cup) milk

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Making hot chocolate mix in the old food processor used to be hard work, but our new Magimix blitzed it up in record time.  I made two kilos (a double batch) using our favourite recipe…

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

A dollar’s worth of dried chick peas was turned into a large vat of Syrian hommus.  We ate a little of it for lunch, with pita bread and grilled eggplant…

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

And finally, using the small bowl and blade of the Magimix, I turned the last of our cayenne chillies…

…and a few of the bishops’ crown chillies…

…plus a handful of spearmint…

…into a small jar of harissa. I’ve been smearing it on toast for breakfast!

Share this:

  • Email
  • Tweet

Like this:

Like Loading...

Posted in Recipes | Tagged chocolate slab cake easy, food processor cakes, harissa, homemade dips, hommus recipe, hot chocolate mix, lime and almond cake | 52 Comments

52 Responses

  1. on April 27, 2012 at 1:15 am zestybeandog

    Looks lovely! What a need bundt pan! Wonderful pictures as well :)


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:43 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thank you! I love that bundt pan! I have quite a few now, and that’s one of my favourites!


  2. on April 27, 2012 at 4:42 am heidiannie

    Do you ever just sit down?
    You have twice the energy I do- I can’t get over all the baking, cooking, making, shopping you do! Thanks for sharing,
    Celia, at least I can READ about all your activities in record time! :D


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:43 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Heidi, it’s not really that frenetic – this was all over the space of a week or so! :) xx


  3. on April 27, 2012 at 5:47 am Lizzy (Good Things)

    Fantastic! The cakes look beautiful and I love those little chillies. I am soon to blog a harissa recipe too. Great minds!


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:42 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Lizzy, great minds indeed! Sorry I haven’t had a chance to catch up on everyone’s blogs, it’s been hectic here the last few weeks!


  4. on April 27, 2012 at 6:45 am frugalfeeding

    The coolest chillies ever! I’m so jealous of your food processor too. What a beautiful cake at the top, Celia. So lovely.


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:41 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks Nick! You need to let your dad know you’re on the hunt for a food processor, I’m sure he’ll track one down for you somewhere! :)


  5. on April 27, 2012 at 8:29 am hotlyspiced

    What a beautiful almond and lime cake and didn’t it come out of the cake tin perfectly! I had madarin and almond cake on the weekend (but it wasn’t presented as beautifully as that). And your bishops peppers are stunning. And I love how you make your own harissa. I needed some for a recipe earlier this week and not one shop at my local shopping centre sold it so we had to go without. I’ll have to be like you and make my own! xx


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:41 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Charlie, thank you! Harissa is so easy to make, I hope you get a chance to play with the recipe. We love it!


  6. on April 27, 2012 at 9:12 am rose2007

    I don’t know which I like best! But, I must say, the lime and almond cake has huge appeal — I have an embarrassment of limes.


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:40 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      An embarrassment of limes! Oh how I wish I could have that one day – we’ve just bought Tahitian and Kaffir lime trees (one of each) to replace all the apple trees that don’t seem to thrive in our yard!


  7. on April 27, 2012 at 9:24 am theintolerantchef

    I’m glad your having so much fun with your new toy!
    It all looks so yummy, but the hot chocolate mix looks sublime! Before they figured out I was lactose InTolerant I had to have a cup of warm milk before bed for the extra protein. The resulting itching, tummy aches and terrible nightmares finally put a stop to it, but I would have put up with a lot worse if I was getting a cup full of this instead :)


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:39 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Becca, I’m heading out to buy some soy milk, I’m finally getting used to the taste of it, and I want a hot chocolate tonight as well! :)


  8. on April 27, 2012 at 9:35 am Just A Smidgen

    Oh, Celia.. I need that Queen of Hearts pan!!! It’s calling out to me now!! And now I know what harissa is!! And.. that simple cake for the crowd will be perfect for my work at the hospice tomorrow!! Thank you so much! xoxo


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:37 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Smidge, you are such a kind soul working at a hospice. I’m sure it must be both demanding and rewarding at the same time. The Queen of Hearts pan should be easy to track down – my friend Dan found Wilton pans at her local Walmart. Here’s the link if you need to order it, plus I think you can buy it off Amazon too!

      http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E31858A-475A-BAC0-522858249A0B137A&killnav=1


  9. on April 27, 2012 at 12:19 pm Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide

    More. Cake. Torture. Love those peppers.


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:29 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Are you complaining, or begging, Greg? More. Cake. Torture. Please? ;-)


  10. on April 27, 2012 at 6:29 pm Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella

    Hehe you feed the stallholders too? Does everyone swoon when you go their way? :P


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:28 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Nah, but they do look at us in anticipation as we approach.. ;-)


  11. on April 27, 2012 at 6:57 pm Sous Chef

    You are certainly putting the processor through it’s paces, that cake looks amazing and love the pic of the chillies – so vibrant!


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:28 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Sue, thank you! I’m putting it through its paces and it’s holding up well – only annoying thing is that we’re not supposed to put the bits and pieces in the dishwasher…


  12. on April 27, 2012 at 7:35 pm SarahKate

    That hummus looks dreamy!! I adore my food processor and use it constantly. So great to see all these uses for it!


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:27 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks Sarah Kate! I’m sure there are squillions more uses – I haven’t even tried pastry or bread in it yet!


  13. on April 27, 2012 at 7:44 pm Jeannette

    I’m always pleased to see recipes that can be baked in a bundt tin because I have a few, not a collection like yours I might add, and there are not that many recipes about that are suitable for them, at least I haven’t come across them . I love the look of your almond and lime cake,must try it soon.


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:27 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Jeannette, I’m very proud of myself, I haven’t bought one in ages! Mind you, my husband was getting cross – they’re very hard to store, and they don’t stack very well! The pound cakes seem to work exceptionally well in the bundt or ring tins – lets them cook a bit more evenly in the middle…


  14. on April 27, 2012 at 8:14 pm Sally

    What a busy bee you are. The lime and almond cake is stunning. Love the shape of those chillies too.


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:25 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Sally, I had a little manic food processing episode. I’m much calmer now.. ;-)


  15. on April 27, 2012 at 8:39 pm mykitchenstories

    You’ve taken the pound cake to the stratosphere. !!. and your harissa looks brilliant. A woman with a food processor is a force to be reckoned with….
    http:www.mykitchenstories.com.au


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:18 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks Tania! I don’t recall using my old food processor nearly this often! :)


  16. on April 27, 2012 at 9:31 pm Jane @ Shady Baker

    This all looks fabulous as usual Celia, I am especially loving the slab cake and the hommus. The lime cake is a work of art! Happy weekend my friend :)


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:17 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks Jane! It was a hectic weekend – full of dinners and a wedding! The slab cake was very simple, but quite nice, and I suspect quite kid-friendly!


  17. on April 27, 2012 at 10:25 pm Melanie

    Now I feel hungry again after looking at your wonderful foods! I’ve been having a craving for hummus the past week and keep glancing longingly at that can of chickpeas in my pantry. I’ll have to try making that harissa when I get some spearmint planted. It sounds like a spread hubby and I would love. Your spearmint plant looks very healthy.


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:16 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Mel, it works really well with regular mint as well, but we don’t seem to have that in the yard at the moment. It’s one of those recipes that tends to use whatever we have at hand! :)

      I really like the hommus as it’s less oily than most. It keeps really well in the fridge too!


  18. on April 28, 2012 at 11:23 am Jan

    I never leave empty handed when I visit your blog Celia. Harrissa on toast for breakfast reminded me of a young Asian woman I was talking to many years ago in Byron Bay who had her own general store in which she also sold some
    really good homemade products. She had a small market garden which she worked on very early every morning; she said every morning, in her market garden, she ate five birds eye chillies and she never had a cold! I told her I didn’t think I, let alone a cold germ, would survive that. I’m going to make the Harissa for my Pete – it is exactly the kind of thing he would love for breakfast and I’ve never thought of it before.


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:12 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      I can’t imagine anyone eating five birds eye chillies every morning, Jan! I wonder if she could taste anything for the rest of the day? I hope your Pete likes the harissa – I’m a huge fan. Some recipes use cinnamon instead of the paprika, but I find that just a bit too perfumed for my tastes..


  19. on April 28, 2012 at 12:33 pm Platanos, Mangoes and Me!

    What fun…I like the lime and your pictures are so beautiful…Love kitchen toys…

    Hope you and yours are well. I have been busy, but I try to catch up…


  20. on April 28, 2012 at 12:35 pm Platanos, Mangoes and Me!

    I tried to leve a comment and did not show. Any way..love the post..the lime bunt is delicious and your pictures are gorgeous…


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:10 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Got both your comments, thank you! The lime bundt was delish, I must make it again, because it’s always eaten so quickly!


  21. on April 28, 2012 at 3:39 pm Manuela

    What a cute bundt pan! Wonder if there are any like that over here?


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:06 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Manuela, they’re an American product, so I’m sure you could track one down! You could probably mail order one if you don’t find it in the shops…

      http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E31858A-475A-BAC0-522858249A0B137A&killnav=1


  22. on April 28, 2012 at 8:35 pm promenadeplantings

    A mouthwatering post! And I’m still hankering after some of those beautiful chillies :)


    • on April 30, 2012 at 1:05 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks Claire! We’ve been having fun with the new machine! :) The bishops crown chillies are still going strong, even this late into autumn!


  23. on April 30, 2012 at 2:15 pm Choc Chip Uru

    I am so glad you are cranking it up with your food processor – obviously with beautifully stunning delicious results too :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru


    • on April 30, 2012 at 2:49 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thank you! It’s been great fun! :)


  24. on May 1, 2012 at 12:18 am niasunset

    Which one is the most beautiful I can’t decide… They are all so beautiful and sounds so delicious too. Thank you dear Celia, with my love, nia


    • on May 1, 2012 at 8:16 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks Nia! :) xx


  25. on May 2, 2012 at 5:45 pm Sophie33

    You sure are having fun using your new foodprocessor! Yeah for you & for us! ;) That cake with the icing & drizzles over the top looks just so beautiful, wonderful & must taste divinely! ;) Yum Yum Yum! And that rich chocolate cake looks just stunning! Really! ;)


    • on May 2, 2012 at 7:49 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks Sophie! I really AM having a ball with it! :)


  26. on May 8, 2012 at 3:05 am Choclette

    Hehe Celia, you are putting your food processor to good use – what a lot of goodies have come out of it. Made me laugh that you have Harissa on toast for breakfast – I use my chilli sauce for the same purpose. The hummus looks wonderfully smooth – I get a really lumpy consistency with my ancient old food processor and it’s just not the same.


    • on May 8, 2012 at 7:33 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Choc, I think to get really smooth hommus, you need to soak dried chick peas and then boil them up until they’re very soft – I never get a smooth result using tinned chick peas. I’m almost out of harissa, and I’ve been willing my chillies to ripen so I can make some more! :)


      • on May 11, 2012 at 2:57 am Choclette

        No, my food processor just isn’t up to it, even when cooking chick peas ourselves. It used to work a treat in my mother’s high powered liquidiser – never mind, one day! Hope your chillies get on and do their ripening.



Comments are closed.

  • Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

  • Follow @celiafigjam
  • Recent Posts

    • Making Zokin
    • Curry Puff Pastry
    • Hiatus
    • The Glass Lid
    • Denim Revisited
    • Vegan World Peace Cookies
    • Here Be Chickens!
    • A Tale of Two $2 Quilts
    • Daily Quaft Therapy
    • A Repaired Tea Bowl
  • Categories

  • Archives

  • © All text and photos are copyright 2009 - 2022 Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. All rights reserved. Please ask first.

    Protected by Copyscape

Blog at WordPress.com.

WPThemes.


  • Follow Following
    • Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
    • Join 14,023 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Copy shortlink
    • Report this content
    • View post in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

  • Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
    To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • %d bloggers like this: