back on the tools

It feels like an age since I had my big guns camera out and taken some real photos........ I have been preoccupied with writing, family and a little teaching/ sewing.

I was at a wedding last weekend out in the country and my husband was the official photographer - he let me assist! 

The hall was beautiful and between the bride and event stylist it was filled with great photo opportunities.

The two pics below are actually from the day after the wedding when the hall was being cleaned up. Such pretty autumn light.

Take a look at Instagram for more pics.

We stayed in a beautiful house at Canowindra called Marlow House.
I will get around to posting more pictures of the house - It was beautiful!

The quilt in the picture below is from my book By The Block - which is due out any day now.

Yes I did bring some book quilts with me on my weekend away .....

I was lucky enough to score a huge basket of figs from a friends farm - thank you farmers Mel & Percy! 

I used all the very squishy ones straight away and made some burnt fig and vanilla jam, the medium very ripe ones I made a cake and the ones that had a few days in them I shared with my baking friend 

The fig jam was easy-ish

I had 2kgs figs with 1kg white sugar and one vanilla bean.

I cooked them on a high heat, stirring until it reached 104c and put it into sterilised jars. The 2kgs made around 5 jars.

The cake was a bit of an experiment that thankfully was yum and worked!

Fig, almond and maple Syrup cake

perfect for this coming Easter weekend

I used a 24cm/9.5 inch spring form tin

  

Ingredients

   2 cups skin on almonds 

4 eggs - separated

    1 cup caster sugar 

1 tsp Vanilla paste  

1/4 cup vegetable oil   

1 teaspoon baking powder   

1/4 cup maple syrup, and more to sprinkle on top   

2 1/2 cups mashed ripe soft fresh figs*

1/2 cup plain flour  

pinch teaspoon salt 

 5 - 8 figs sliced for the top

*trim the top off the fig and mash up with a fork in a bowl

Method

Line your spring form tin with baking paper on the bottom and sides and set aside till needed.

Roast the almonds in a hot oven until they begin to colour- usually around 5-10 minutes(be careful not to burn them)

Put the warm almonds in a food processor and pulse till its a course mix - not fine like almond meal, I like my almond mix to still have almond chunks in the cake and give it a nutty texture.

Turn your oven down to 180c fan forced

Beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy, add in the vanilla paste, oil, maple syrup and mashed figs - mix until just combined.

Using a clean bowl whisk the egg whites till stiff peaks form.

add all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt and almonds) to the wet ingredients. Gently fold with a spatula.

Add a third of the stiff egg whites to the cake batter and fold through carefully - Then add the rest.

Spoon the cake batter into your prepared lined tin, tap the tin on the bench to let the cake batter settle. Arrange your sliced figs on top of the cake batter and bake for 90 minutes - check your cake after 40 minutes to double check its doing ok.All ovens can be a little different.

The cake will be very dark on the outside but not burnt when it is cooked, and a wooden skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean. Whilst the cake is still warm pour on some extra maple syrup. Let the cake cool completely in the tin before you remove it.

 Served with some double cream and 

a pot of tea = Heaven

Let me know if you bake it and how you go

Xx Siobhan Rogers