Judaism

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Another delicious recipe from Denise Phillips

For more recipes and inspiration visit my website: www.jewishcookery.com

Whisky Honey Cake

Yom Tov is not the same without honey cake, but this one has a slight alcoholic kick which gives an extra warming flavour and dimension . It makes sufficient for 2 loaf tins but if you wish to make just one large cake just increase the cooking time by another 15- 20 minutes . Moist, delicious and more to the point it does not SINK!

Preparation Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 45 minutes Makes: 1 large cake or 2 loaf cakes

Ingredients 450g plain flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda ½ teaspoon dried ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon mixed spice ~ 200ml vegetable oil 340g clear honey 200g brown sugar 3 large eggs at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 125ml warm coffee – 1 tablespoon with 125ml water 120 ml apple juice 60ml whisky

Whisky Syrup: 100g caster sugar, 1 tablespoon whisky, 25ml water Method 1 . Preheat oven to 170 C/ 325°F . 2 . Line and grease the cake tins with baking parchment paper . 3 . In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate soda, ginger, salt, cinnamon and mixed spice . 4 . Make a well in the centre, and add oil, honey, sugar, eggs, vanilla, coffee, apple juice and whiskey . 5 . Using an electric mixer, combine until the mixture is smooth . 6 . Transfer batter into prepared cake tin and place on a baking tray to ensure even heat . 7 . Bake until the cake is done . It will spring back when you gently touch the cake centre and when a skewer is inserted it comes out clean . This will take about 50 to 55 minutes . 8 . Let cake stand fifteen minutes before removing from tin . 9 . To make the syrup place the sugar in a saucepan with 25ml of water, bring to the boil and gently simmer for 2 minutes . Add the whisky and then pour over the cooked cake .

Honey, Honey, Honey…

BY DENISE PHILLIPS

Honey plays a major part in the Rosh Hashanah celebrations - representing a sweet and healthy forthcoming New Year. There are many reasons, one is that it symbolises our relationship with G-d: bees are known for the sweetness of their honey but if you annoy them, they can sting - reminiscent of the image of a stern but merciful creator.

The one question that I am often asked at this time of the year is which honey do I use?

There are over 300 different types of honey produced around the world – some are best for cooking with, others are best to mix into drinks, drizzle over as a garnish or simply just have on toast.

The flavour, colour and consistency vary, depending on the flower(s) the nectar is collected from and the production method used – as a general rule, the darker the colour, the stronger the flavour.

Honey is also available clear and runny, thick and opaque, in a honeycomb or as a chunk of cut honeycomb suspended in runny honey and raw.

Ideally, match the colour to the food: More delicate honeys, like clover, work well in salad dressing while more assertive varieties (buckwheat) make great marinades.

Raw honey is best described as honey as it exists in the beehive. It is extracted from the beehive, strained and poured straight into the bottle, bypassing commercial processing methods. Raw honey contains pollen, may be more nutritious and does not have any added sugars or sweeteners, both of which may be present in commercial honeys. And organic honey is subject to different laws depending on which country it comes from, so check the label carefully.

One big no no with honey is do not refrigerate it. Keeping your honey in the refrigerator will preserve it for longer, but the cool temperature will cause your honey to form a semi-solid mass.

As for me, when it comes to which is the best honey to use in a honey cake, it is the one with a strong flavour – and one of my favourites is Troy raw Greek mountain honey. (KLBD).