Lavender-Citrus Polenta Cake

Lavender and citrus, a perfect combination for a spring-time cake. This cake has a lovely floral fragrance and taste and the citrus is subtle.  A cup of Earl Grey tea is the perfect accompaniment.  Have a piece for breakfast or serve as dessert.  

The cake is made with almond meal and polenta and uses applesauce to make it light in texture and calories.  1/10 of an 8 inch cake is 310 calories and is gluten free.  Be sure to use culinary lavender. 

Lavender-Citrus Polenta Cake

4 oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing pan

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs 

1/2 cup applesauce

2 cups almond flour, plus extra for flouring pan

3/4 cup fine polenta

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons orange zest

2 tablespoons culinary lavender buds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Butter a round 8 inch cake pan and dust with almond flour.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until fluffy and lighter in color, about 2 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time then applesauce.  Beat until combined.   

In a separate bowl, combine flour with polenta and baking powder.  Add flour mixture, both zests and lavender to bowl of the stand mixer.  Mix on medium-low speed until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 - 40 minutes.  Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before cutting or turning out onto a rack to cool.  

Pie Worth a Double Workout

I was craving chocolate pie over the weekend and now I am paying for it.  I did back to back classes at the gym today to compensate for my indulgence.  It was so worth it and I'm about to have another piece.  

This is one of my favorite pies, chocolate with a bit of espresso powder which intensify the chocolate flavor.

It isn't a really beautiful pie but the texture is gooey, rich and dark chocolate.  

You'll know the pie is finished baking when the surface begins to get cracks around the edges.

Top with whipped cream if you wish.  A 10 inch pie serves 10.  This is a very simple dessert to make.  Make your own pie crust or purchase a pre-made, unbaked crust.

Recipe:

1 10 inch, unbaked pie shell

8 tablespoons butter

2 oz unsweetened chocolate

1 oz semisweet chocolate

1 tablespoon instant coffee or espresso

2 tablespoons sour cream

3 eggs

1 1/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

If making your own pie shell, roll dough and fit into 10" pie pan and then refrigerate.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F

Melt butter and 2 chocolates and let cool (melt in microwave or on top of the stove)

Dissolve coffee in sour cream and beat with eggs, sugar, corn syrup and vanilla until well blended.  Stir in chocolate and butter mixture.  Pour into prepared pie shell. Bake until filling puffs and forms a crisp, deeply crackled crust, 35 - 45 minutes.  Cool to room temperature.