Courgette and almond loaf with crunchy lemon topping

In an attempt to keep up with the courgette glut I am back to baking cakes with them, this blog already has about 6 recipes on it for courgette cakes, but I feel there is room for a few more. This one is going almondy with a cheeky crunchy lemon topping which really does make a difference to the finished cake.

Not the most pretty of cake I have made but it more than makes up for it in flavour and it keeps beautifully wrapped in foil.

What you need

• 200g ground almonds
• 240g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarb
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 350g caster sugar
• 225ml olive oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 tsp vanilla paste
• 300g grated courgette

For the topping

• Juice of one lemon
• 4tbsp granulated sugar
• 125g icing sugar

What you do 

• Preheat oven to 180c
• Line two 2lb loaf tins with baking parchment
• Whisk up the olive oil and the caster sugar, until lightened and slightly fluffy
• Add the eggs one by one to the oil and sugar mixture
• Now add all the other ingredients except the courgettes, mix well and then fold in the courgettes
• Pour into the loaf tins , level and bake in the oven for approximately for about 45 -50 minutes, until tested cooked with a skewer.
• Allow to cool initially in the tins
• Whilst the cakes are cooling, mix the lemon juice, granulated and icing sugar in a bowl and brush on the top of the cakes whilst still cooling, don't worry this will set to a crunchy glaze.

Based on a recipe from the Telegraph in 2012, the stunning photography is once again by Mr Lancashire Food.

Cheesy potato topped chilli

This is another recipe which uses Tasty Creations ready made Lancashire Cheese sauce, in need of a quick warming supper dish and not having much time to make it, I raided my stash of frozen goodies. I found a pot of Tasty Creations sauce and a couple of pots of homemade quorn chilli, so out they came, with the frugal addition of a couple of par boiled potatoes and this dish was born. Pronounced delicious by Mr Lancashire Food it certainly hits the spot on a cold winters night.

Ingredients

• Tasty Creations Lancashire Cheese Sauce - thawed
• Quorn chilli - made to this recipe but using quorn instead of mince and vegetable stock
• 3 large white potatoes, peeled , sliced and parboiled until tender

Method

• Pre heat the oven to 180c
• Place the chilli mixture in your oven proof dish, covering the whole of the dish
• Place the drained potatoes on the top of the chilli mixture in an even layer
• Pour oven the tasty creations sauce
• Place in the oven and bake for approx 25 - 35 minutes until golden and bubbling
• Serve accompanied with a fresh green salad if you are especially hungry.