Recipe by Val Allen
Ingredients
4 medium mandarins, well washed
6 eggs, beaten
½ cup maple syrup, honey, light agave nectar, or rice syrup
2 cups ground almonds
3 tsp baking powder
Option
Replace ground almonds with ground hazelnuts
Method
Place mandarins in a medium saucepan. Cover with water, bring to boil, then simmer for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Drain, cool and chop mandarins roughly, removing any seeds. Process mandarins until smooth. Beat eggs and maple syrup together until thick. Combine mandarins, egg mixture, almonds and baking powder in a large bowl and mix well. Oil a 20cm (8in) springform pan or baking tin and line base with baking paper. Pour in batter and bake for 40 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out cleanly and cake is browned. Extra cooking time may be needed if the mandarins are very juicy. Serve warm.
Serves 8. Suitable for freezing.
Winter is a fantastic time for citrus and the myriad of uses for mandarins are often overlooked. Mandarins are high in vitamin C especially, and in Chinese medicine, Chen Pi (mandarin peel) has been used for centuries for its ability to clear congestion and as a digestive and pancreatic tonic. Mandarins contain powerful anti-inflammatories and bioflavonoids – predominently pectin, quercetin and hesperidin and provide a good source of soluble fibre. They also have a sweet, acidic nature. It is important however where possible to purchase organic mandarins as they are often heavily sprayed which affects their nutritional profile.
Rich in phosphorus and lecithin, eggs are useful for assisting in healthy brain function. Lecithin also offsets the high levels of saturated fats found in eggs. Eggs contain 8 essential amino acids therefore are considered a very high source of protein. They are easy to digest and have a sweet, neutral thermal nature.
Unlike other members of the nut family, almonds have an alkalizing effect on the blood and provide a valuable source of both protein and calcium. For this reason, the addition of almond meal to this recipe as a replacement for flour makes it a suitable alternative for people with diabetes or with weight loss in mind. This does not however mean it is unsuitable for people with neither of these issues as the mandarin almond cake provides a healthy, low GI snack or dessert.
For satisfying the sweet tooth, maple syrup, honey, agave nectar or rice syrup offer a much healthier alternative to sugar.
In the Summer much emphasis is placed on fluid intake to prevent us dehydrating, however many of us overlook this rule in the cooler months and look for hotter more nurturing drinks. Often these choices are tea or coffee which are diuretics and consequently have a dehydrating effect on the body when consumed in excess. Ideally we need to be consuming a minimum of 2L of purified water per day. If you find you have an aversion to drinking water during winter, try substituting tea and coffee with herbal teas as these count towards positive fluid intake. My personal herbal favourite is freshly squeezed lemon (the more the merrier!), grated ginger in hot water. Not only does it provide an injection of vitamin C and zinc for boosting the immune system, but the ginger is a circulatory stimulant and so has a wonderful warming effect on the whole body! The lemon and ginger tea has a wonderful zesty flavour which I think would accompany the mandarin almond cake quite nicely during Winter. For an added twist try heating the cake and adding a dollop of organic pure cream!
I thought it might be refreshing to sample a recipe that not only tastes good and is a sweet but is also good for you! I am all for simple recipes that require little preparation but with maximum results and the Mandarin Almond Cake most certainly fits that criteria. As I have mentioned previously, it is important to eat the foods that are in season to ensure you are getting the best nutritional value that it can give you so please enjoy.
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