Maple syrup and parsnip cake

This cake could not be classified as healthy, even though if you eat enough of it you will have several of your five-a-day. Unfortunately, the benefits of the apple, parsnip, lime and orange are cancelled out by the devilish amounts of butter, sugar and syrup- but everyone needs to spoil themselves occasionally (regularly in my case). Thoroughly indulgent, this moist treat could tempt even the most stringent of carbophobes!

Maple syrup and parsnip cake

CAKE170g butter
240g soft brown sugar
90ml maple syrup
3 eggs
230g self-raising flour
half a teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
half a teaspoon of nutmeg/ground ginger (optional)
one and a half teaspoons of baking powder (to give an extra lift)
one apple, grated
3 parsnips, grated (about 250g when prepared)
2 shots of whisky
zest of a large orange

TOPPINGmarscapone
ricotta
maple syrup
zest and juice of 2 limes (or to taste... you want the acidic lime to cut through the blandness of the cheeses)

Preheat the oven to 200C and grease two 23cm baking tins.
Over a low-to-medium heat, melt the sugar, butter, whisky and maple syrup together. Once thoroughly melted and combined, set aside to cool down slightly.
Beat the eggs and slowly add into the cooled mixture.
Whisk the dry ingredients into the mixture, then the rest if the ingredients.
Pour into the cases and put into the oven.
After 10 minutes in the oven, turn the heat down to 180C.
The cakes should be cooked after around 35 minutes, but check the cakes with a fork after 25 minutes.
When the cakes have cooked, leave them in their tins for 5 minutes (to keep their shape), and then turn out onto wire racks to cool down.

Maple syrup and parsnip cake

Beat the marscapone until the volume begins to increase.
Then beat in the maple syrup.
Add the ricotta and the lime juice, and whisk until you get a smooth, creamy and sweet mixture.
Once the cakes have cooled down, top them with the icing.

..Try to put your mixture in the oven as soon as you can once you've added the baking power, as it immediately reacts with the wet ingredients.

..You could decorate the cake with walnuts or pecans.

Maple syrup and parsnip cake

Adapted from Catherine Berwick's Parsnip and Maple Syrup Cake

Banana and butterscotch fool

Bananas, grown in 107 countries (according to Wikipedia), have the 4th highest monetary value in food (after rice, wheat and corn). In 2011, India produced 29.7 million tonnes of bananas (20% of the world's production) (also according to Wikipedia).When I made this dish, it was purely to use up a few overripe bananas, but it became SO much more... It's moreish and indulgent, yet light, as well as tasting just like bannoffee pie - which can only be a good thing. In the highly unlikely possibility that you have butterscotch left over, serve with ice cream for a knickerbocker glory, or with stewed apples.

Banana and butterscotch fool

 BANANA FOOLfour overripe bananas (just because their skin is speckled or brown, it doesn't mean the bananas are too ripe- especially if you're blending them!)
350ml double cream
100g marscapone/ ricotta
a few tablespoons of caster sugar (how much you use depends on the sweetness of the banana)

BUTTERSCOTCH200g soft brown sugar/ caster sugar
150g salted butter, cubed
200ml double cream

Banana and butterscotch fool

Blitz the bananas until smooth and set aside.
Whip the cream into soft peaks, then stir in the sugar until thoroughly combined.
Turn the whisk back on and add the marscapone (be careful the mixture doesn't splash up everywhere, unless you want your kitchen redecorated...)
Mix in the blitzed banana, and set the mixture aside.

Banana and butterscotch fool

In a medium-sized saucepan, put the sugar in on a low-to-medium heat.
If the mixture starts bubbling at the sides, add the butter onto the sugar, and start to stir.
Continue stirring until all the butter has melted, and the sugar has completely dissolved into it.
Take the mixture off the heat, and stir in the cream. Even if it looks like the cream is separating from the mixture, continue stirring until it combines.

In individual ramekins, layer the banana mixture, then the butterscotch, then banana mixture then butterscotch. I layered it up whilst the butterscotch is still warm, though not really hot (so the mixture is liquid enough to drizzle over and set).
Leave in the fridge until ready to be served.
Just before eating, top with flaked almonds.

Banana and butterscotch fool

Or, you could...

crumble amaretti or gingernut biscuits on top just before serving.

add a bottom of espresso-soaked biscuits.