Feijoa Oatmeal Cake

 When we lived in Taranaki some 35 or so years ago I often made this delicious cake.

Back then there was no internet so we just thought of it as "our" cake that we'd shared amongst friends, but as I look up oatmeal cake now I realise that it's a tried & true old fashioned fave from way back further.

Our recipe has been stored in a handwritten cookbook all these years & I have just made it again for Rob's birthday. I don't think I'd change anything.

I have always preferred baking that was more "wholesome food" than a sweet treat, so in making a comparison with online recipes I had already halved the sugar content & it is more than sweet enough.

To make use of the feijoas of the season & to add interest & moistness to the cake I began adding the fruit to the mix. I'm sure apple would be good too.

Nice & simple:

In to a large bowl add:

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup of soft brown sugar

1 cup of boiling water

1/2 cup or around 100 grams butter

 a pinch of salt, 1 tsp vanilla essence

Stir together & leave to do it's thing for 20 minutes or so

Add 2 eggs- mix

1 cup of flour & 1 rounded tsp baking powder

1 cup dried fruit & 1 cup chopped feijoas

Mix & pour in to a lined or greased cake tin.

Mine was around about a 20 cm tin

Bake in a moderate oven for 50 minutes to an hour.

Do the old skewer test to make sure it's cooked in the middle.

While the cake is cooling make the topping. Such a tasty treat that makes all the difference to this cake.

Put 100 grams butter, 2 tbsps cream & 1/2 cup brown sugar in to a pot & cook stirring until it is golden & caramelized.

Add 1 1/2 cups of coconut. Fine coconut is good or a mix of fine & shredded. 

Stir & allow to cool. While it is still workable spread over the cake.

Some passionfruit pulp is a nice tangy edition to the topping if you have it.

Summary ingredients for the cake:

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup of soft brown sugar

1 cup of boiling water

1/2 cup or around 100 grams butter

Pinch of salt, 1 tsp vanilla essence, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger

2 eggs

1 cup of flour & 1 rounded tsp baking powder

1 cup dried fruit

1 cup chopped feijoas or apple

Topping: 

100 grams butter

1/2 cup soft brown sugar

2 tbsps cream

1 1/2 cups coconut

I'll add a photo of the finished cake tomorrow.

Catherine

Wild, Seedy Crackers

These wild seedy crackers are a great way to include wild weeds, seeds and fibre in to your diet.

A totally flexible recipe- so just use what you've got and make adjustments according to your own taste.

1 c organic wheat or spelt flour

1/2 c flour quick cook rolled oats

1 cup a mix of seeds &/or nuts:: black or white sesame, sunflower, walnuts etc

1/4 c psyllium husks 1/4 c chia seeds (1/4 c hemp hearts- optional).

OR 1/2 c psyllium, OR 1/2 c of chia seeds- psyllium or chia help the crackers to hold together.

1/2 c of wild seeds & spices: any mix of fennel seeds or dried flowers, black cumin, cumin, coriander, fathen, harakeke/flax seeds, nettle, wild mustard, ground dried Horopito, yellow dock seeds, wild carrot seeds (but not if you're pregnant) dried pineapple weed or calendula flowers.

1 tsp sea salt, ground black pepper, 1 dsp dried onion weed or 1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 c olive oil, 1/2 c warm water

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, add the olive oil & water & work with a wooden spoon or your hands until it all comes together nicely. Add more water a little at a time if it's still a bit dry.

Tip out on to baking paper on a n oven tray (or just grease the tray) & roll out thinly- 3 mm or so.

Mark squares, rectangles with a knife.

Bake for around 20 minutes in a moderate oven- 160 degrees.

Cook until golden but not too brown. Store in an airtight container when cool.

 Mix of wild seeds

Mix of spices

All together, stir, add olive oil & water.

Rob thought he'd try the postage stamp effect but a simple knife cut works best.

They'll come out different every time but are sure to be delicious.

Next lot looked like this- Rob says he'll remember to roll them a little thinner through the middle another time. They still taste great.

Catherine