lemon-sourdough pound cake (vegan)

1st March 2021

Another delicious recipe by Aran Goyoaga that was shared in her newsletter. I adapted it slightly by making it vegan, replacing the three eggs with ground flaxseed, adding baking powder, using maple syrup instead of honey and reducing the glaze by half.

I have recently entered the world of sourdough bread, and every Monday, I make a loaf of sourdough to bake the following day, so this recipe was perfect for using any leftover starter and using up the lemons that are hanging heavy from the trees in the garden.

The sourdough starter does add more complexity to the crumb. I use a 1:1 ratio, meaning equal amounts of flour and water.

If you don’t have a sourdough starter to discard, replace it with ½ cup/70g rice flour and ⅓ cup/80g of water/buttermilk, and increase the baking powder to 1 ½ teaspoon.

Scroll down for the blueberry variation.

tip

Save time; soak the flaxseed first, grate the zest and prepare the other ingredients, giving the flax the time it needs to thicken.

lemon-pound sourdough cake

Preparation 15 minutes

Baking 45 – 55 minutes

Makes one pound cake (11 x 25cm loaf pan) or 14 cupcakes (baked for 25 minutes, using these cake liners)

*I take my starter (sourdough leaven) from the fridge in the evening, just before bed, measure out 40g, and then feed it – 100g flour + 100g water. Allow it to sit overnight; by the morning, it may be fully active, or even if it has deflated already or hasn’t quite reached its full potential, no matter. With this starter, I make this lemon-pound sourdough cake.

ingredients

3 Tbsp/22g ground flaxseed + ½ cup/100g hot water (allow to sit for 10 mins as below)

¾ cup/150g light brown sugar

2 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest (zest from 3 lemons), plus more for garnishing

2 Tbsp/50g maple syrup (this gives a crisp caramelized exterior)

*½ cup + 2 Tbsp/200g sourdough starter

½ cup/110g extra virgin olive oil or neutral-tasting oil

¼ cup/55g lemon juice (1 very juicy lemon)

1 cup/140g brown rice flour

1 cup/100g almond flour

¼ cup/30g tapioca starch (or arrowroot powder)

¾ tsp fine rock salt

¾ tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

glaze

2 Tbsp/25g light brown sugar

2 Tbsp/27g lemon juice (½ of a very juicy lemon)

preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 180C/350F. Generously grease your loaf pan.

2. Into a large bowl, add the flax with water and allow to sit for 10 minutes, then add sugar, zest, maple syrup, sourdough starter, oil and lemon juice – whisk until smooth.

3. In a small bowl, measure the brown rice flour, almond flour, tapioca starch, salt, baking soda and powder.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 45 – 55 minutes (my oven took 55 minutes.) Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan, then invert it onto a platter.

5. Meanwhile, make the glaze by gently heating the sugar and lemon juice in a small pan until the sugar dissolves – don’t heat for too long. Immediately brush the top of the cake, allowing it to drip over the sides. Generously garnish the top with lemon zest (I like combining lime, lemon and orange.)

note

Use a metal pan, as suggested and grease it well. Alternately, you can line it with baking paper, making it easier to lift out of the pan, but note that the exterior won’t caramelize, as it won’t be in direct contact with the metal.
Important! Let the cake cool completely. This will allow the crumb to set nicely and not fall apart.

variation with blueberries/blackberries

Fold in 1 cup/125g of blueberries into the batter.

(Always toss the blueberries in cornstarch or tapioca flour before adding them to your batter. This will stop them from sinking to the bottom.)

1

anne’s magical sesame-tahini-ginger dressing

18th February 2018

Our Christmas and New Year were spent up in the beautiful, snowy mountains of Boulder, visiting our oldest and dearest friends. As soon as we arrived, a daily ritual was naturally established of cooking and sharing meals, morning and evening communing around a big table and warm fire. On these nights, Anne would arrive with a basket of organic salad greens, which she would chop up and serve drizzled with this magical tahini dressing.

This unique dressing adds a delicious splash of flavour to anything you put it on. Whenever I make it, it transports me to those special evenings shared with like-minded friends.

Anne’s magical sesame-tahini-ginger dressing

Makes about 2 cups

I like to tear up some bitter-tasting leaves from the garden, add a sliced pear and a handful of nuts and seeds, and there’s a quick salad or steam some kale leaves, green beans or broccoli. For a more substantial meal, cook brown rice, roast some seasonal vegetables and drizzle over this dressing. It is guaranteed to add a bit of magic to any dish.

ingredients

3 Tbsp/35g sesame seeds

¼ cup/60g white miso

½ cup/115g hulled tahini

1 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)

2 Tbsp /40g honey or agave

zest from half a lemon

2Tbsp/25g fresh lemon juice

1-inch/25g grated ginger

2 Tbsp/20g raw apple cider vinegar

½ tsp flaked dulse (optional)

½ cup/100g water

¼ cup/45g olive oil

preparation

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, lightly toast the sesame seeds until they start popping, and keep toasting for another minute. Remove from heat and set aside for the seeds to cool.

2. In a medium jar, place the miso and tahini, stir well until pasty and incorporated, and stir in the sesame oil and honey.

3. Remove the zest from half a lemon and squeeze the lemon juice into the jar; add the grated ginger, apple cider vinegar and, if using, the dulse flakes. Stir well, adding the water until the dressing comes together.

4. Add the toasted sesame seeds and pour in the olive oil; whisk until smooth and creamy.

5. Taste and adjust the seasonings until you have a pleasing balance of fat and acid. The ideal consistency is pouring cream; stir in some water or oil until it runs easily off a spoon.

Goodness shared by Stacey

4

barley salad with roasted-spiced fennel & carrot

3rd April 2016

The plum trees are blossoming. Spring has arrived.

A delightful spring salad with substance.

barley salad with roasted spiced fennel & carrot

Serves 4 -6

A perfect salad for the early weeks of spring when the days are still cool and the season´s beautiful ingredients are starting to trickle in. I love the chewy, nutty texture of the cooked barley, the satisfying sweetness brought out from the roasted vegetables and the earthy spices that bring it all together. It is lovely served with a bowl of guacamole or creamy hummus and this beetroot salad.

for the salad

2 cups barley, cooked (see lemon barley water)

3 medium fennel bulbs

5 medium carrots

1 heaped tsp cumin seeds

1 heaped tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp cinnamon powder

⅛ tsp chilli flakes or chilli powder

2 Tbsp ghee/oil

⅓ cup fresh roughly torn mint leaves

⅓ cup finely chopped fennel fronds

for the citrus dressing

zest from one lemon

zest of one orange

3 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp orange juice

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp sweetener, honey, agave, or maple syrup

¼ heaped tsp salt

preparation

1. Preheat the oven 405 degrees F/210C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Prepare the barley, following these directions and keeping the water to make a luscious barley lemonade.

3. Wash the fennel, trim the fennel stalks and fronds (save for the salad), remove the tougher ends and outer layer – cut into small slices. Wash carrots, peel and cut into medium chunks. Set aside.

4. Dry roast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small pan, when lightly toasted turn off the heat and grind to a rough powder with a mortar and pestle. Add the cinnamon, turmeric, paprika and salt. Stir to combine.

5. Spread the vegetables out in one layer on the baking tray, lined with baking paper, drizzle over the ghee and sprinkle over the spice mix, toss the vegetables until they are well coated.

6. Place the tray in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes, or until vegetable are browning. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

make the citrus dressing

7. Combine all the ingredient in a bowl and whisk to combine; set aside.

assemble the salad

8. Place the cooked barley in a large salad bowl, pour over the dressing ingredients and allow to marinate for 15 – 30 minutes.

9. Once sufficiently marinated add to the bowl, the roasted vegetables, fresh mint leaves and fennel fronds. Toss to combine, season with more salt, and a few rounds of freshly ground pepper.

Goodness shared by Stacey

1

sesame lemon biscotti (vegan)

7th March 2014

This is a gift to you – a celebration of sunshine, the hint of spring approaching, the lingering scent of jasmine and just the gratefulness of life.

Kristin made these while she was here attending another magical retreat with our teachers. She made them to send back with a friend, who was returning to India. They were discovered in a book called, “The Healthy Hedonist” by Myra Kornfield. I wasn’t sure whether to call them biscotti, as I changed the recipe a little and choose not to bake them a second time. They were so tasty and perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside with just first baking, that it seemed a shame to meddle in that perfection.

sesame lemon biscotti

Makes about 24 cookies

ingredients

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup hulled tahini

½ cup maple syrup

grated zest from 1 lemon

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch rock salt

½ cup ground almonds

1 cup Spelt flour (I used half white and half whole)

¼ cup sesame seeds

preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, tahini, maple syrup, lemon zest, vanilla and salt until emulsified.

3. Using a spoon or a rubber spatula, stir in the flour and the almonds until the dough is moistened and well combined – allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes.

4. Spread the sesame seeds on a plate. Divide the dough in half and using your hands, shape into a sort of long sausage. The dough will be oily, but not sticky. Place onto the plate with the sesame seeds and sprinkle the seeds on top.

5. Using a knife, cut into 1 cm slices rolling the sides just lightly in the sesame seeds. Don’t worry about how they look as they shape up beautifully when baked. As you cut, place onto the baking sheet, leaving 2-inches between each biscuit. Repeat with the second half of the dough.

6. Bake until the top is starting to brown, 15 – 20 minutes. Rotating the trays halfway through baking.

This makes a biscuit which is crunchy on the outside and soft in the centre. If you would like them to be more traditionally biscotti, allow to cool after the first baking, and bake for a further 15 minutes.

Goodness shared from Stacey & Donna

Recent Posts

lemon zest

lemon-sourdough pound cake (vegan)

1st March 2021

lemon-pound sourdough cake

anne’s magical sesame-tahini-ginger dressing

18th February 2018

Anne’s magical sesame-tahini-ginger dressing

barley salad with roasted-spiced fennel & carrot

3rd April 2016

barley salad with roasted spiced fennel & carrot

sesame lemon biscotti (vegan)

7th March 2014

sesame lemon biscotti