Little lemony syrupy polenta cakes

Craft night at my place = gluten free yummy things (one of the crafty peeps is a coeliac). Tonight we had individual serves of nachos and these little cakes.

The cakes have that distinctive grainy polenta texture with moist lemon syrupy goodness.

Lemon polenta syrup cakes

• 160g unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup fine polenta
• 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups almond meal
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced.
2. Grease a 12-hole, 1/3 cup-capacity muffin pan with butter. Remember to grease just outside the holes too.
3. Cream butter and sugar with lemon rind
4. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Mix polenta, almond meal and baking powder and then add to butter mixture with lemon juice and mix gently.
6. Spoon mixture into prepared holes. It will come almost to the top of the holes. Smooth tops.
7. Bake for 25 minutes.
8. Cool in pan for at least 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack over a baking tray.

Lemon syrup

• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

1. Combine sugar, lemon rind, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons cold water in a saucepan over low heat.
2. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sugar has dissolved.
3. Increase heat to high. Bring to the boil. Boil, without stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Carefully pour syrup over cooling cakes on the wire rack.

from Super Food Ideas – May 2009

And what’s on my sewing machine?

BurdaStyle 10-2012-118 in a navy and oyster striped stretch cotton

I’m not doing the bias cut layout for the front skirt, but placing the thicker navy stripes of the fabric at the hem. I’m using the thick stripes on the sleeves too, and made them short sleeves, not ¾ length as in the photo. Its looking good so far!