Recipe Dish Type: Dessert

Applesauce Spice Cake

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease 9-inch square pan with olive oil. In bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
  • Using electric mixer at medium speed, mix brown sugar with olive oil until blended. Add applesauce; mix well. Add flour mixture all at once; beat on low speed until well blended. Stir in raisins and walnuts. Spoon batter into prepared baking pan.
  • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool completely on rack; cut into squares.

Tip: If you like, dust the cake with icing sugar or frost with whipped cream.

Almond Brunch Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch spring-form pan with oil. In bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In food processor fitted with metal blade, process almond paste until finely ground. Add sugar and almond extract; process until combined. With machine running, drizzle oil through feed tube; process until smooth. Add eggs; process until smooth.
  • Add flour mixture in three additions and milk in two additions, starting and ending with flour mixture, pulsing just to combine after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  • Bake for about 35 minutes or until the cake is lightly browned and tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Transfer to rack; let cool. Sprinkle with icing sugar; serve warm or at room temperature.

Tip:

• Serve the cake with lightly sugared seasonal cut fruit.
• Almond paste, a stiff mixture of ground almonds and sugar, is sold in the baking section of supermarkets. Do not replace it with almond filling, which is a much softer, sweeter mixture.

Recipe Provided by Chef Sharon Sanders

Grilled Banana Sundaes

  • Banana “Nice” Cream: Freeze banana slices in a single layer for 4 to 6 hours or until completely frozen.
  • In food processor or high-speed blender, mix frozen banana slices, almond milk, olive oil, vanilla, and honey until smooth and the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. Scrape into a metal bowl or small baking pan. Freeze for 30 to 40 minutes or until firm but still scoopable.
  • Sundaes: Preheat grill to low heat; grease grate well. In small saucepan, combine brown sugar, olive oil and brandy; heat just until sugar is melted. Remove from heat and keep warm.
  • Place granulated sugar in small plate. Peel ripe bananas; cut in half lengthwise, then cut in half horizontally (you should have 16 pieces). Brush each piece of fruit with olive oil on sliced sides; dip in sugar. Grill bananas for 45 to 90 seconds or until golden and slightly grill-marked.
  • Place 4 grilled banana pieces in each serving bowl; add a scoop of Banana “Nice” Cream. Top with brandy sauce; drizzle with chocolate. Sprinkle with brown sugar, and pecans (if using). Serve immediately.