Raspberry and Polenta Cake GF

The recipe says it serves 12 but that can't possibly be when the Gumboot Girls are together!! Although we do usually have two slices each.

225gm unsalted butter, softened ( I used salted butter)
225gm sugar
3 eggs
125gm ground almonds ( I did not have almonds so used hazelnut)
125gm polenta
1 tsp gluten free baking powder
1 tsp salt
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
200gm raspberries plus a few extra for decoration ( can use frozen raspberries in the cake mixture)
icing sugar to decorate
Creme fraiche to serve

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.
Grease and line the base of a 23cm baking tin.
Beat the butter and sugar until creamy and pale.
Beat in the eggs one at a time.
Fold in the dry ingredients and then the lemon juice and zest.
Pour half the mixture into the tin and the add half the raspberries.
Add the remaining cake mixture and sprinkle the remaining raspberries on top, do not mix them into cake mixture as it will discolour the cake mixture.
Bake for 50 to 60 mins until golden and just firm in the middle.
Cool in the tin.
Remove from tin, then sprinkle with icing sugar before serving with creme fraiche and a few fresh raspberries.

Sparkling Elderflower

From ‘A Year in a Bottle’ by Sally Wise.

The beautiful elderflower heads make a deliciously flavoured non-alcoholic drink, ideal to serve on its own or as part of a mocktail or a cocktail.

3 cups of sugar

4 cups of boiling water

14 cups of cold water

6 elderflower heads…I add at least 10. Most individual flowers on flower head, need to have opened but it is good to have a few on the head that are unopened.

2 lemons chopped roughly

2 tablespoons of white vinegar or cider vinegar ( I use apple cider vinegar)

Dissolve the sugar in the boiling water in a food-safe bucket or ceramic container.

Add cold water and then the elderflower heads, lemons and vinegar.

Stir well to mix.

Cover and allow to stand for 48 hours.

Strain and pour into clean bottles ( PET bottles are best as they allow for a degree of expansion without exploding. If using glass bottles leave about 1/3 of bottle unfilled.)

The Sparkling Elderflower will be ready in 1 to 2 weeks.

Chill before CAREFULLY opening and preferably outside.

Makes approximately 4.5 liters.

Sparkling Cordial can also be made using raspberries or rhubarb.