Blog

Onion Soup

Creamy Onion Soup with Sage

This velvety, smooth and mild Onion Soup is the perfect autumn or winter comfort food. It is very different from a traditional French Onion Soup which consists of pieces of onion in a thin, strongly-flavoured broth. I add a gentle hint of sage to my soup which adds an extra dimension to the flavour.

The idea for this soup came to me when I was making an onion sauce. I made a white sauce, containing soft pieces of onion, to serve with some Chestnut and Mushroom Pies. It occurred to me that the mild-but-tasty sauce would make a brilliant soup. I thinned it out a bit and blended it smooth and found out that it did!

I now make this soup regularly. It is one of those brilliant, simple recipes where very basic ingredients produce something wonderful with very little effort.

What you need to know about this Onion Soup recipe

  • The key to this recipe is to cook the onions on a low heat for twenty minutes to ensure that they become soft and sweet. This process (step 2) is transformational and gives the finished soup a real depth of flavour and sweetness.
  • Try and use a good quality stock (step 4) as this will also make a big difference to the flavour. If you have home-made stock, so much the better. However, I generally use good quality vegetable bouillon powder.
  • My version of this soup is vegetarian. However, it is very easy to make the recipe vegan by using vegetable oil instead of butter (step 1) and by using a non-dairy milk (coconut milk or a nut milk such as almond or cashew) (step 6).
  • This soup can be made in advance and then reheated. It also freezes well and can be kept in the freezer for at least 6 months.

Other easy vegetarian soup recipes

I have lots of easy, vegetarian soup recipes. If you like this Onion Soup you might like some of the others. All my soups are vegetarian and all can be made vegan by substituting animal fats, such as butter, for vegetable fats. Some of them are pretty simple such as Leek and Potato Soup, Nettle Soup, Fennel SoupJerusalem Artichoke Soup  or Sweetcorn Chowder and showcase a single vegetable.

Others combine vegetables which have complimentary flavours such as Curried Parsnip and Apple SoupMoroccan Spiced Sweet Potato SoupCeleriac and Apple SoupMushroom and Chestnut SoupPumpkin and Sweetcorn Soup or Leek and Potato Soup. A few have more unusual combinations of flavours such as Beetroot Soup with Coconut or Butternut and Peanut Butter Soup. I also have a few chilled soup recipes, which are fantastic cold in the summer, but can also be served warm such as Asparagus and Pea and Tomato.

Recipe for Creamy Onion Soup with Sage

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Onion Soup with Sage

  • Author: Tastebotanical
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6
  • Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: English

Description

This mild and velvety Onion Soup, gently flavoured with sage, is easy to make and is the perfect comfort food.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 75 g (3 oz) butter or oil
  • 5 large onions
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried sage
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 50 g (2 oz) plain flour
  • 600 ml (1 pint) vegetable stock
  • 300 ml (Half a pint) of milk, vegetable stock or water

Instructions

  1. Heat the butter or oil in a heavy-based pan. 
  2. Peel and slice the onions.  Add to the pan with the sage, season with salt and pepper and cook slowly for twenty minutes until they are soft and sweet. 
  3. Add the flour and cook for a further two minutes. 
  4. Add the 500 ml of vegetable stock and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
  5. Blend the soup until smooth using a hand blender or food processor.
  6. Add up to 300 ml of milk, vegetable stock or water to thin the soup to your desired consistency. 

 


Keywords: soup, onion soup, onion, vegetarian

This recipe has been shared on #CookBlogShare with Lost in Food and #FiestaFriday with Fiesta Friday and   Liz@Spades, Spatulas & Spoons 

Shallot Tart with Thyme and Anchovy

Shallot Tart with Thyme and Anchovy

Shallot Tart

This Shallot Tart is very quick and easy to make.   The flavours are a good balance with sweet, caramelised shallots, salty anchovies, pungent thyme and creamy mascarpone on a base of crispy, buttery puff pastry.     If you are a vegetarian, you could replace the anchovies with olives or capers which both have a strong, salty taste.

I make a lot of similar tarts. Generally, the toppings on these puff pastry tarts are determined by what I have to hand in my kitchen but they usually include something cheesy or creamy and also something oniony plus a few stronger flavours to pep things up!   

This thyme which is one of my favourite herbs. I use it in lots of savoury recipes but also in sweet ones such as Thyme Ice Cream with Honey, Thyme Cake and Thyme Biscuits (Cookies) with Pinenuts.

Shallot Tart

What you need to know about this recipe

  • There is no shame in using ready-made puff pastry  – it makes things so much easier – but if you can find a brand that says it is made with butter it will taste so much better!
  • I love shallots, partly because they generally have a milder, sweeter flavour than most onions.   It is easy to remove the skins using boiling water, as described below (step 4). I like that they can be eaten whole (or halved) rather than needing to be chopped or sliced like regular onions.
  • You can omit the anchovies if you want to make this tart vegetarian (or simply don’t like anchovies). A few olives or a sprinkle of capers are good vegetarian alternatives.
  • When you are putting the toppings onto the pastry, make sure that you leave a border of around 2 cm (1 inch) around the edge.  This will mean that you get a lovely crispy edge of risen pastry.
  • I think this tart is best eaten hot with the pastry crisp from the oven.

Shallot Tart

Other quiche and tart recipes

Savoury tarts and quiches are a fantastic, cook-ahead simple supper or lunch. They are easy to make and are great either hot or at room temperature. They can also be easily divided into portions if you are feeding a large number of people. Easily transportable, they also make a good addition to lunch-boxes or basis for a picnic. Some of my favourites are listed below.

Recipe for Shallot Tart with Thyme and Anchovy

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Shallot Tart with Thyme and Anchovy

  • Author: Tastebotanical
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: for 6 people 1x
  • Category: Tart
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: English

Description

This Shallot Tart with Thyme and Anchovy makes an easy and very tasty lunch or supper.  The combination of crisp buttery pastry, sweet shallots, fragrant thyme and salty anchovy is superb!


Ingredients

Scale

500 g (1lb) pack of ready-made puff pastry (get one made with butter if you can)
A little plain flour
A few sprigs of fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons of dried thyme
1 tin of anchovies
500 g (1lb)  of shallots
150 g (5 oz) of mascarpone


Instructions

  1. Set your oven to 180 C, 350 F or Gas Mark 4.
  2. Lightly dust your oven tray with flour.
  3. Roll out the puff pasty into a large rectangle and place on your oven tray.
  4. Remove the skins from your shallots.  The easiest way of doing this is to put them in a small saucepan, cover with boiling water and leave for 3 minutes.  Then drain off the water and the skins will be easy to remove.
  5. Cut each peeled shallot in half.  Place shallots in a small frying pan with a little butter and cook very gently until golden and softened.  This should take around 10 minutes.
  6. Spread the mascarpone over the puff pastry.  Leave a border of around 2 cm (1 inch) around the edge.  This will mean that you get a lovely crispy edge of risen pastry.
  7. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and small pieces of anchovy.  Then add the cooked shallots.
  8. Place the tart in the oven and cook for 20 minutes until the pastry is crispy and golden.
  9. The tart can be eaten hot, warm or at room temperature.   I like it best hot.

Keywords: shallot tart, thyme, anchovy

This recipe has been shared on #CookBlogShare with Peachicks Bakery and #FiestaFriday with Fiesta Friday 

Thyme Biscuits with Pinenuts

Thyme Biscuits (Thyme Cookies)

Thyme Biscuits (Cookies) with Pinenuts

These quick and easy sweet Thyme Biscuits (Cookies) are crumbly, buttery and sweet with a fantastic fresh herby flavour. The thyme provides a gentle but complex flavour which really makes these biscuits special. They are topped with golden roasted pinenuts which provide added crunch.

If you are a bit wary of using thyme in a sweet recipe, I would really encourage you to try making these biscuits. I firmly believe that one of the joys of home-cooking is to experiment with different flavours, and combinations of flavours. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you will know that all my recipes are very easy and simple which allows a focus on but the common thread is , and to have the freedom to discover new flavours and to use familiar ingredients in new ways.

This recipe is very loosely inspired by the Italian pinolate biscuits, which are often lemon flavoured and contain ground pinenuts in addition to a topping of whole ones.    When I was putting together a recipe for thyme-flavoured biscuits, I thought that a topping of pinenuts would make them look attractive and go well with the herby flavour.  The pinenuts become golden and toasted while the biscuits are cooking in the oven and this makes them crunchy and also enhances their flavour.

Thyme Biscuits (Thyme Cookies)

Other sweet herby recipes

If you like this recipe, I have a number of other recipes that use herbs in sweet dishes. I have two simple loaf cake recipes, for Thyme Cake and Rosemary Cake, which highlight how brilliant these herbs are as flavourings for cakes. I also have a great recipe for Thyme Ice Cream with Honey and Mascarpone which goes pretty well with these Thyme Biscuits!

Thyme Biscuits (Thyme Cookies)
In praise of thyme

Thyme is one of my favourite herbs. It is extremely versatile and I use it in both sweet and savoury dishes. The fresh  thyme that you buy in the supermarket will generally be common thyme which does make a good flavouring for these biscuits.  However, I used lemon thyme when making these biscuits, as I grow it in my garden and particularly like its lemony-herby flavour.    If you have space for a few pots and want to grow your own thyme, there are many different types, a number of which have distinctive citrus notes such as lemon, orange or lime.   Herbal Haven has a very large variety of thyme and other herbs which can be bought online.

In addition to my sweet recipes for Thyme Cake and Thyme Ice Cream with Honey and Mascarpone, I also use thyme a lot in savoury dishes. It is a great partner for onions and shallots, such as Shallot Tart with Thyme and Anchovies, and is also brilliant with chicken as in my Roast Chicken with Garlic, Lemon and Thyme.

Thyme Biscuits (Thyme Cookies)

Biscuits and cookie recipes are a great place to start if you are new to home-baking.  They are quick and easy to make and taste so much better than shop-bought varieties.   You can have home-baked treats on the table in under an hour.

Shortbread is one of the easiest baking recipes. I have a number of shortbread recipes including Almond Shortbread with Rosewater, Shortbread with White Chocolate and Raspberries and Lavender Shortbread. I also have a very simple recipe for crisp and buttery Lemon Biscuits (Cookies). My recipe for Ginger Biscuits (Cookies) is oaty and mildly spiced. If you are looking for something savoury, I have an extremely moreish recipe for Cheese Biscuits (Cookies).

Recipe for Thyme Biscuits (Cookies) with Pinenuts

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Thyme Biscuits (Cookies) with Pinenuts

  • Author: Tastebotanical
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 30 biscuits 1x
  • Category: Biscuits
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: English

Description

These biscuits (cookies) are flavoured with fresh thyme and topped with crunchy, toasted pinenuts.  They are great eaten on their own or as an accompaniment to ice-cream.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 150 g  (6 oz) plain flour
  • 100 g (4 oz) butter 
  • 50 g (2 oz) caster sugar
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or half a tablespoon of dried thyme
  • 50 g (2 oz) pinenuts

Instructions

  1. Set the oven to 170 C/325 F/Gas Mark 3
  2. Put the flour and butter into a bowl and rub together using your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Alternatively, process in a food processor. 
  3. Add the sugar and the chopped fresh thyme.
  4. Squeeze the mixture together with your hands until it forms a soft dough.
  5. Roll the dough out to approximately 1 cm thickness.
  6. Cut into circles or other shapes if you wish.
  7. Place the circles on a baking tray lined with baking parchment or grease-proof paper.
  8. Press pinenuts into the top of each circle of dough.
  9. Bake for 15 minutes until golden.

Keywords: biscuits, thyme, pinenuts

This recipe has been shared on #CookBlogShare with Recipes Made Easy and #FiestaFriday with Fiesta Friday 

Fish Pie Recipe

Easy Fish Pie

This easy Fish Pie is one of my favourite comfort food recipes. The filling consists of delicate fish fillets, prawns and sliced hard boiled eggs in a creamy white sauce. It is covered with buttery mashed potato and topped with a sprinkle of tangy mature cheese. The milk that is used to cook the fish then forms the basis of the sauce which means that there is a double hit of flavour. If I make this for my family, I feel that I am doing full-on food-related nurturing!

There are a few steps involved in making the pie but they are all very simple and they can be done in parallel. For example, you can prepare the potatoes and the eggs while the fish is cooking. I find it quite therapeutic to put this pie together ready for a family supper or lunch. I will sometimes make it on the day that we are planning to eat it. However, quite often, I will make it a day ahead and re-heat it which means that it can be on the table within half an hour.

Another brilliant aspect of this pie is that all you need to accompany it is a green vegetable, steamed beans or peas, or maybe some carrots. You need nothing else as the pie includes both filling and potato. This is great if you are entertaining as you can spend time with your guests.

What you need to know about this Fish Pie Recipe

  • You can use any kind of fish to make this recipe. I like to use a combination of different kinds but you can just use one kind if you prefer. Good options are salmon or any kind of white fish (cod, haddock, hake, pollack). If you don’t want to add prawns, you can just increase the quantify of fish.
  • Whatever kind of fish you use, you must use ensure that it is filleted. You do not want any bones lurking in your pie. It is worth checking the fillets to make sure that all the bones have been removed before cooking the fish (step 2).
  • I include hard boiled eggs in my fish pie. I do this because my mother added them to her fish pie and because I love the combination of egg and fish. However, I understand that not everyone is a boiled egg fan. If you don’t like them, it is fine to leave them out.
  • You can freeze the pie once it has been assembled (step 10) and keep it for three months. Make sure that you assemble your pie in a freezer-proof container. Allow the pie to cool to room temperature. Wrap the whole container in cling-film or foil and freeze. When you want to use it, allow it to defrost in the fridge and then take it out and allow it to reach room temperature. You can then remove the wrapping and heat in the oven for 30 minutes.

Step-by-step recipe

Place fish fillets in an oven-proof dish

Add chopped onion, bay leaves and pepper to the milk

Pour the milk over the fish fillets and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the cooked fish and retain the flavoured milk to make the sauce.

Hard boil the eggs.

Put the cooked fish fillets and hard boiled eggs into the oven-proof dish.

Make the white sauce using the retained milk. Add the prawns and then pour the sauce over the fish and eggs.

Cover with mashed potato and top with grated cheese.

Cook for 15 minutes (or 30 minutes if reheating from room temperature).

Other simple suppers

I am always on the look-out for simple supper or lunch recipes. I need things that are easy to make and can, if required, be made in advance. In addition to this Fish Pie recipe, I also have a few others that I make regularly.

I love easy stew recipes, particularly if they have a bit of an exotic twist, and often make Lemon Chicken with Olives and Moroccan Seafood Stew.   Both of these are very simple but taste delicious.  They are great week-night recipes but also are good if you are entertaining.

I also have a huge repertoire of pasta recipes including Smoked Salmon Pasta and Mushroom and Chestnut Pasta plus a few easy sauces such as Mint Pesto and basic Tomato Sauce.

Another good option for a simple supper is a savoury tart. These can be eaten hot or at room temperature and are easily portioned.  Some of my favourites include Onion Tart,  Carrot and Coriander Tart and Beetroot Tart.

Other seafood recipes

If you love seafood, you might like some of my other recipes.

Easy Fish Pie recipe

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Fish Pie

Fish Pie Recipe

  • Author: Tastebotanical
  • Prep Time: 45
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: Serves 8
  • Category: Pie
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: English

Description

This easy Fish Pie combines fish fillets, prawns and hard boiled egg slices in a creamy white sauce.  It is covered with mashed potato and topped with a sprinkle of tangy cheese.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 900 g (2 lb) fish fillets (cod, haddock, salmon etc)
  • 425 ml (3/4 pint) milk
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and pepper
  • 5 eggs (optional)
  • 25 g (1 oz) butter
  • 25 g (1 oz) plain flour
  • 165 g (6 oz) raw peeled prawns
  • 675 g (1 1/2 lb) potatoes
  • A little butter and milk
  • A little hard cheese (eg cheddar)

Instructions

  1. Heat your oven to 180 C, 400 F or Gas Mark 4.
  2. Put the raw fish fillets into a large oven-proof dish.   Pour over the milk.  Peel and roughly chop the onion and add this to the dish together with the bay leaf.  Season with salt and pepper.   
  3. Put the dish in the oven for 15 minutes until the fish fillets are cooked.   
  4. Remove the dish from the oven.  Leave the cooked fish in the dish.  If any of the fillets had skin on them, this can now be easily removed.  Strain the milk into a measuring jug and set it aside.  Discard the onion pieces and bay leaf.
  5. If you are using eggs, place the raw eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water.  Bring to the boil and then simmer for 6 minutes.   Remove the eggs from the pan and immediately place them in a pan of cold water to stop the cooking process.    When the eggs are cool enough to handle, remove the shells, slice the eggs and place them in the oven-proof dish with the cooked fish.
  6. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.  Add the flour and stir to combine.  Cook gently for 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat and gradually add the milk in which the fish was cooked.   Then return the pan to the heat and simmer until the sauce starts to thicken.  This will take around 5 minutes.
  7. Put the raw prawns into the saucepan of sauce and cook for 3 minutes until they turn pink.
  8. Pour the sauce containing the prawns over the cooked fish and egg slices.   
  9. Make the topping by peeling the potatoes and chopping into large chunks.  Put the potato pieces into a saucepan of cold water with a pinch of salt.   Bring to the boil and then simmer for 25 minutes.  Drain the cooked potatoes and mash them with a knob of butter and a little milk.
  10.  Spread the mashed potatoes over the fish mixture.  Top with a few small knobs of butter and a little grated cheese.
  11. Put the pie in the oven and cook for 15 minutes until the top is golden brown.    If you assemble the pie in advance, you will need to re-heat it for around 30 minutes from room temperature.

Keywords: fish, pie

This recipe has been shared on #CookBlogShare with Lost in Food and #FiestaFriday with Fiesta Friday

Walnut Cake

Walnut Cake with Tahini

Walnut Cake with Tahini

This Walnut Cake is flavoured with tahini which gives it an extra nuttiness. Chopped walnuts and tahini are included in the cake batter and the buttercream icing also includes tahini. The cake is decorated with toasted sesame seeds and more chopped walnuts.

Using tahini and yogurt in the cake batter results in a beautifully tender sponge. The tahini ensures that the sponge does not dry out as well as adding an extra dimension of flavour. I think this is the perfect easy autumn (fall) cake.

What is tahini?

Tahini is a paste made from ground, roasted sesame seeds which is used in cuisines of the eastern Mediterranean and north Africa. It is used in both savoury dishes, such as hummus, and also in sweets like halva. It adds a distinctive nutty flavour to dishes and is a good flavour partner for walnuts.

The flavours in my cake are inspired by nevzine, which is a traditional Turkish dessert. It is made from a dough incorporating walnuts and tahini which, when baked, is then soaked in a sweet syrup. I have eaten nevzine in Turkey and enjoyed it although it is slightly too sweet for my taste. However, I thought that the walnut and tahini combination might be pretty good in a traditional loaf cake.

You can buy tahini in most supermarkets and also in specialist Middle Eastern or stores. It keeps for several months in the fridge and can be used in lots of different recipes. I use it in salads, such as my Beetroot Salad with Yogurt and Tahini, and also in home-made Butternut Squash Hummus.

Latest posts on tastebotanical

Walnut and Tahini Cake

What you need to know about my Walnut Cake with Tahini
  • This is a very simple loaf cake. It is quick and easy to make. As with all cakes of this kind, if your butter (stage 5) is at room temperature it makes the cake-making process much easier.
  • You can use walnuts that are already roasted or use walnuts that are not roasted. However, roasting your walnuts just before they are used makes a huge difference to the flavour. It is really easy to do this. Simple put the walnuts in a frying pan with no oil and dry fry them (stage 2) until they are toasted. Sometimes it is hard to tell if they are done from looking at them. They will give off a delicious roasted-nut aroma when they are done. If in doubt, taste a piece of the chopped nuts. You need to keep an eye on the nuts while they are dry frying and stir them occasionally to prevent burning.
  • Similarly, dry frying the sesame seeds (stage 3) makes a big difference to their flavour.

Loved this recipe? Check out the Recipe Index.

Other loaf cakes

I love baking and have lots of easy baking recipes for cakesbiscuits (cookies) and muffins. I especially like making loaf cakes. They are quick, easy, versatile and do not require any extra icing or decoration (unless you want to do it). If you want a basic everyday cake, look no further than a loaf cake. They are also a great base for experimenting with flavours which is a big reason for me to love them. If you like my Walnut and Tahini Cake recipe, you might like some of my other loaf cake recipes.

  • Cherry and Almond Cake – traditional favourite which combines sweet glace cherries with ground almonds
  • Coconut Cake – a full-on celebration of coconut made with dessiccated coconut and coconut cream
  • Ginger and Pear Cake – fresh pears in a loaf cake flavoured with ginger
  • Gingerbread Loaf Cake – old-fashioned gingerbread cake made with treacle and brown sugar
  • Earl Grey Cake – a simple cake flavoured with Earl Grey tea and citrus
  • Latte Cake with Salted Caramel – a mild coffee cake topped with swirls of salted caramel – a caramel latte in the form of a cake!
  • Lavender Cake – delicate and delicious floral cake flavoured with lavender
  • Lemon Drizzle Cake – a classic cake for all the right reasons – an easy hit of lemony deliciousness!
  • Lime Drizzle Cake with Coconut – a simple coconut-flavoured cake flavoured with fresh lime and lime drizzle
  • Orange Drizzle – using oranges in this drizzle cake gives a softer citrus flavour
  • Rhubarb Crumble Cake – rhubarb crumble in cake form – simple cake containing fresh rhubarb and with a streusel topping
  • Rosemary Cake – a simple, unusual cake flavoured with fresh rosemary
  • Rum Banana Bread – absolutely the best way to use up those squishy bananas
  • Thyme Cake – another simple cake flavoured with fresh thyme

Loved this recipe? Checkout the Recipe Index.

Recipe for Walnut Cake with Tahini

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Walnut and Tahini Cake

Walnut Cake

  • Author: Tastebotanical
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 45
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 1 loaf cake 1x
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: English

Description

This deliciously nutty Walnut Cake with Tahini is very quick and easy to make.  It is flavoured with toasted walnuts, tahini and sesame seeds.


Ingredients

Scale

For the cake:

  • 125 g (4.5 oz) butter
  • 175 g (6 oz) caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 175 g (6 oz) self-raising flour
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
  • 50 g (2 oz) walnuts

 

For the icing:

  • 50 g (2 oz) butter
  • 100 g (4 oz) icing sugar
  • 1 tablespoons tahini
  • 10 g (0.5 oz) sesame seeds
  • 25 g (1 oz) walnuts

Instructions

  1. Set your oven to 180 degrees centigrade or Gas Mark 4.
  2. Dry fry all the walnuts – the 50 g for the cake and the 25 g for decoration – in a small frying pan.   Stir to ensure that the do not burn. When they are brown and toasted, remove from the pan, roughly chop them and set aside to cool.
  3. Dry fry the sesame seeds that you will use for decoration, following the same method, and set aside to cool.
  4. Grease a 450 g loaf tin and line the bottom with baking parchment.  Alternatively, use a baking parchment loaf tin liner.
  5. Cream the butter with the sugar.  This is much easier if the butter has been left out of the fridge for at least an hour and is at room temperature.
  6. Gradually add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture.  If it looks as if it is going to curdle, add some of the self-raising flour.
  7. Once the eggs have been incorporated add the rest of the self-raising flour.
  8. Stir in the tahini and Greek yogurt.
  9. Add 50 g of the chopped, toasted walnuts.
  10. Spoon the cake mixture into your prepared loaf tin.
  11. Put the tin in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
  12. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely.
  13. Make the butter icing by beating the butter with the icing sugar.  This is much easier if the butter is at room temperature.   Add the tahini and beat to combine.
  14. Spread the icing over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with the roasted sesame seeds and the remaining roasted chopped walnuts.

Keywords: walnut cake, tahini cake

This recipe has been shared on #CookBlogShare with Recipes Made Easy and #FiestaFriday with Fiesta Friday and  Liz @ Spades, Spatulas & Spoons

Loved this recipe? Check out the Recipe Index.