nearly hugh's lemon poppy cake

170g flour

1/2t salt

1t bicarb soda

1/2t baking powder

25g poppy seeds

zest of 2 lemons

170g butter, softened

170g caster sugar

4 eggs separated

170g yogurt

2t vanilla

~syrup~

juice of 2 lemons

6T icing sugar

zest of 1 lemon

icing sugar for sifting

180C

Butter cake tin and dust with flour.

Sieve flour, salt, bicarb and baking powder. stir in the poppy seeds and lemon zest. 

Beat together the butter and 120g sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk egg yolks, yogurt and vanilla.

Beat whites with a pinch of salt to soft peaks. Add remaining sugar a little at a time until stiff and meringue-like.

Beat flour and egg yolk mix alternately into butter and sugar. Stir in 1/3 of meringue mixture first and then gently fold in the rest. 

Spoon the cake mix into the tin and bake for 40-45 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

To make the syrup combine the juice, icing sugar and zest in a small saucepan, stir and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven and spike all over with a skewer, then pour over the syrup and leave to cool in the tin. 

Serve with a 50/50 mixture of Greek yogurt and whipped cream.

cheesecake cupcakes

500g cream cheese
1/2c caster sugar
2 eggs

100g biscuits, crushed
50g butter, melted

Mix crushed biscuits with butter and divide mixture between one 12-hole cupcake tin lined with cases. Press down firmly and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Mix cream cheese, sugar and eggs. Divide mixture between cupcakes and bake for 25 minutes at 130C (fan oven) or 150C (conventional oven). Refrigerate for two hours before serving.

~flavours~
lemon: add 2T lemon zest to cream mixture; once cooked, glaze with 2/3c warmed marmalade or apricot jam
ginger: use gingernut biscuits; add 2T finely chopped glace ginger to cheese mixture; glaze with 2/3c warmed apricot jam
raspberry: use chocolate biscuits; glaze with 2/3c warmed raspberry jam or gently warm 1/2c raspberries with a squeeze of lemon and 1/3c caster sugar
caramel: use caramel biscuits; glaze with 1/2c sugar which has been cooked until bubbling and brown then mixed with 1/3c cream
blueberry: glaze with 2/3c warmed blueberry jam or gently warm 1/2c blueberries with a squeeze of lemon and 1/3c caster sugar
chocolate: use chocolate biscuits; glaze with 200g melted dark chocolate mixed with 1/3c cream

chicken with lemon & red onion

1 or 2 kilos of chicken thighs and legs (or chop a whole chook into pieces)
4 regular or 2 large red onions, sliced
4 large sprigs of fresh rosemary
4 heavy slugs of olive oil
juice and zest of 4 lemons
Maldon and freshly ground black pepper

Spread out the onions on a roasting pan with the lemon zest and rosemary (pulled off the stem, but the stems can be thrown in too). Place the chicken pieces on top and pour over the lemon and oil. Scatter with the salt and pepper. Cook at 180-200C until done (the chicken will be cooked and browned and the onions soft and sticky. Serve with brown rice or puy lentils.