How could I resist reading the column heading above???
It is funny sometimes how an idea for a recipe comes about. I had been thinking about making a spiced clementine cake I had seen in this month’s Olive magazine when I saw Diana Henry’s article in The Sunday Telegraph about the herb Rosemary and saying how could it was with all sorts of things including oranges. Well that was the inspiration for this recipe. We had it today for lunch and on a cold day the caramel and clementines were perfect with the perfume of Rosemary giving a hint of warmer more Mediterranean days to come It is a wonderful indulgence with the feel of a steamed pudding yet it does not feel too heavy when you eat it!!!
Ingredients
- 7 small, firm clementines
- 200g caster sugar
- 80g soft brown sugar
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 180g butter, room temperature
- 180g self raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 eggs
- 3 tbsp milk
Method
- Heat the oven to 180c
- Put 250ml of water in a small saucepan together with the 2 sprigs of Rosemary. Boil for approx 8 mins until liquid is reduced by half
- In a tarte tatin tin (or a frying pan to make caramel and then pour into an 8″ cake tin) put in 100g caster sugar
- Cook until a caramel forms and then slowly add the Rosemary water taking care as it will spit and stir until fully incorporated.
- Allow to simmer for a further two mins till reduced slightly
- Remove pan and allow caramel to cool whilst continuing with next stages.
- Finely zest 6 of the clementines into mixing bowl
- Peel all 7 clementines and cut each into three horizontally
- Arrange in circles on top of the caramel, filling the tin completely
- Put butter and remaking caster and brown sugar into mixing bowl with the zest and whisk till light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one by one until fully incorporated
- Fold in flour and baking powder and add as much milk as needed to make a soft dropping consistency
- Spread over oranges and bake for 35 mins in the preheated oven
- Run a knife round edge of tin and leave cake to cool in tin for ten minutes before turning out.
- Serve with either cream, custard, mascarpone or Greek yoghurt.