Citrus in Season
PROVINCIAL KITCHEN
RECIPES: ROBYN KEELING / STYLING: LAUREN PHILLIPS /
PHOTOGRAPHER: SARAH-JAYNE SHINE
The homestead is the centre of the farm, and the kitchen often the heart of the homestead, as a gathering place for sweet treats…from morning tea to special occasions. Here, mother of five and grandmother of soon to be eight, Robyn Keeling, shares a few of her favourite recipes from the farm kitchen. Styled by Lauren Phillips, Robyn’s daughter who grew up on the family farm.
The elegant Citrus Dessert Cake.
Citrus Dessert Cake
INGREDIENTS
Cake
250g butter, softened
2 cups sugar
6 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
4 teaspoons orange or lemon rind
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sour cream
Glaze
Juice from one medium orange or lemon. May add a little sugar if desired.
METHOD
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in beaten eggs and grated rind. Gradually fold in the sour cream, then flour and baking powder.
Prepare care tins. You can either bake in one tin as a cake, or bake in two sponge tins and sandwich the cakes together with cream.
Bake at 160 degrees until skewer comes out cleanly. After removing cake from oven, pour over glaze.
Fill or serve with whipped cream and orange or lemon curd.
Makes one cake or two layers.
Citrus Yoyos.
Citrus Yoyos
BISCUIT
200g butter, softened
200g sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
570g flour
zest of 2 large lemons
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
ICING
200g icing sugar
90g butter, softened
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
METHOD
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add lightly beaten egg. Gradually add in flour, zest and lemon juice. Using a measuring tablespoon, make the mixture into round balls, and then squash down with a fork, and lay out on a baking tray.
Bake for approximately 15 minutes at 180 degrees.
Beat icing sugar, lemon zest and butter until smooth. Gradually add lemon juice to the consistency required. Sandwich biscuits together, once cold, with icing.
Makes 24 biscuits.
Morning Tea Lemon Friands.
Morning Tea Lemon Friands
FRIANDS
100g butter
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup desiccated coconut
1 ¼ cups ground almonds
1/16th teaspoon salt
zest of one large lemon or orange
5 egg whites
ICING
250g cream cheese
4 tablespoons softened butter
2 tablespoons cream
1 cup sugar
3-4 teaspoons lemon juice, or more to taste
METHOD
Melt butter, then add sugar and dissolve. Leave to cool. In a bowl, mix together the coconut, ground almonds, salt and lemon zest.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks are formed.
Add the cooled melted butter and sugar to the dry ingredients. Fold in the egg whites. Do not overmix. Spoon into greased pans.
Bake at 180 degrees for 15 minutes.
To make icing, beat cream cheese and softened butter until light and fluffy. Add in cream, sugar and lemon juice and beat until smooth. Ice friands.
Makes 9.