Dayplan

Cakes

64. Apricot bites

100g dried apricots
75g desiccated coconut
2 teaspoons orange juice
½ level teaspoon grated orange zest
½ level teaspoon grated lemon zest
25g desiccated coconut (for rolling)

Put apricots in bowl and pour boiling water over to cover them. Leave for 10 minutes. Drain water away, mince apricots or chop finely. Put apricots into mixing bowl and add coconut, orange juice and grated orange and lemon zest. Knead mixture to blend thoroughly. Shape the mixture into balls 25mm in diameter (approximately 16). Roll balls in desiccated coconut and serve chilled.

65. Banana bread

200g self-raising flour
½ teaspoon mixed spice
100g butter or block margarine
50g currants
50g mixed peel
50g walnut pieces
2 bananas
1 tablespoon thin honey
2 size 2 eggs (size 2 = large)

Set the oven at 140C, gas mark 1. Lightly grease a 1 lb bread tin. Sift the flour and spice into a large mixing bowl. Tip in bran remaining in sieve. Add the fat, cut into cubes in the flour and rub the mixture together until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the walnut pieces, currants and mixed peel. Peel and mash the bananas in a basin. Beat the eggs together in a small basin. Add the mashed banana, honey and beaten eggs to the dry ingredients. Pour the mixture into the bread tin and cook for about 1 hour or until a skewer comes out dry and not sticky when the cake is pierced. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes. Then turn on to a cooling rack. When thoroughly cooled, wrap in aluminium foil and cut slices as required. Keeps well.

66. Nutty carrot cake

200g carrots
3 size 1 eggs (size 1 = very large)
125g brown sugar
125g hazelnuts
50g wholewheat flour
2 level teaspoons lemon zest
½ level teaspoon baking powder

Set the oven at 180C, gas mark 4. Lightly grease and line an 18 cm square cake tin. Scrape and trim the carrots and grate finely. Chop the hazelnuts. Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and creamy in a large mixing bowl. Add the grated carrots, chopped nuts and lemon zest and fold in using a metal spoon. Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture, tipping in any bran left in the sieve and fold in. Whisk the egg whites to the stiff peak stage and fold them into the cake mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and cook in the oven for about 40 minutes. Leave in the tin to cool for 15 minutes then turn on to a cooling rack.

67. Date cake

250g wholewheat flour
2 level teaspoons baking powder
300g stoned dried dates
100 ml sunflower oil
200 ml water

Sift flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Tip bran remaining in sieve into bowl. Chop dates into small pieces. Place two thirds of dates in with dry ingredients. Place remaining one third of dates in blender with oil and water. Blend thoroughly. Pour liquid mixture in with dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour cake mixture into a 150 mm round cake tin or into a loaf tin 190 x 55 mm. Cook on middle shelf of oven for about 1 hour at 180 C, gas mark 4. Leave to cool in tin for 15 minutes then turn on to a cooling rack.

68. Fruit bites

50g currants
50g raisins
50g sultanas
25g Brazil nuts
25g desiccated coconut (for rolling)

Put currants, raisins, sultanas and nuts into a blender and blend to a smooth mixture, or pass mixture through a mincer. Shape mixture into balls 25mm in diameter. Roll balls in caster sugar or desiccated coconut and serve chilled.

69. Fruity fingers

100g seedless raisins
100g stoned dried dates
100g dried apricots
100g ground almonds
50g cashew nuts
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Rice paper

Blend raisins, dates, apricots, cashew nuts and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Add the ground almonds. When the mixture looks like a thick paste, spread it on to a sheet of rice paper. Leave the mixture in refrigerator for about 3 hours to harden. Cut into fingers using a sharp knife. Dip the knife into ground almonds to prevent the fruit slab sticking to it.

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