Reasonably controversial I know, since not everyone is a fan of grapefruit, but as we get deeper into the winter months, I look forward to grapefruit season and start to crave the bitter, sour, citrusy freshness of this fruit.
Interestingly, grapefruits have many nutritional and medicinal benefits, to help our body’s response to the colder and more digestively stagnant winter time, and can be helpful for our body’s preparation of the more fruitful and energetic spring-time to come. Rich in vitamin C, betacarotenes and antioxidants, grapefruit are supportive to the immune system, and their bitter properties contribute to them being very effective digestive aids, and are especially supportive to the liver (though you do need to be mindful of consuming grapefruit when taking certain medications that are metabolised by the liver).
One of the noticeable digestive benefits of grapefruit is its ability to release excess weight via increasing the metabolism and reducing appetite (perhaps not so much when used as the main ingredient in the cake recipes that follow!). It has also been associated with supporting cardiovascular health and improved insulin resistance.
Aside from all this, grapefruit has a beautiful flavour and tartness that lends itself to many sweet and savoury dishes and offers a welcome freshness in the coldest months of the year. A beautiful fresh salad to support digestion and a balanced weight — to serve alongside slow-cooked fatty meat or fresh fish — is thinly-sliced raw fennel and its tops, thinly sliced grapefruit, sliced black olives and a salty, lemony olive oil vinaigrette.
Grapefruit shortcake
Very easy to make and whip up, this shortcake base can also be used with any other fresh, raw seasonal fruit (gooseberries, apricots or frozen berries are particularly good) in place of the grapefruit curd and is a great one to have in your repertoire. Follow the steps as below but put the raw fruit directly on the uncooked base, then top with the remaining pastry and bake at 180 for about 30-35 minutes til browned on top.
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
180g butter, softened
180g (just under 1 cup) sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g (2 cups) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Zest of 1 grapefruit
For the grapefruit curd:
200g (1 cup) sugar
30g flour (¼ cup)
3 eggs
Zest of 1 grapefruit
Juice of 2 large grapefruit and ½ lemon
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a medium baking tin, cake tin, or tart tin ( I use a deep 25cm round tart tin) lining it with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, and continue to beat for about 5 minutes until well combined.
Sift the flour and baking powder together and gradually incorporate it into the butter mixture.
Spread about two-thirds of the mixture into the prepared baking tin with clean hands, creating an even base and try to bring the pastry up the sides of the tin. Keep the remaining pastry aside. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes til just starting to brown. Lower the oven to 160°C.
While the base is baking, prepare the grapefruit curd.
In a mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, stir the flour and sugar together, add the eggs, grapefruit and lemon juice and whisk on high speed til very smooth.
Once the base is slightly browned, take it out of the oven and carefully pour over the grapefruit curd.
(Don’t forget to turn the temperature down to 160°C.)
Take small pieces of the remaining pastry and drop them over the grapefruit mixture, creating a rustic top crust (don’t worry if it sinks into the grapefruit curd).
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, til the curd is mostly set but with a slight jiggle to it. You might need to cook a little longer.
Once baked, remove from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin completely (it will continue setting as it cools).
Serve the grapefruit shortcake chilled or at room temperature and dusted with icing sugar. It can be enjoyed on its own or with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum!
Grapefruit, rosemary, almond and marmalade cake (GF)
I love almond-based cakes for their dense crumb and heavy texture and this cake, with its slight bitterness from the grapefruit and savoury notes from the rosemary, makes a really interesting addition to the winter treat stash. Equally good served as a dessert with something creamy or as a simple and casual afternoon tea.
This cake tends to last five days in a cake tin or covered in the fridge.
Ingredients:
225g butter, softened
250g white sugar (1¼ cups)
Zest of 2 grapefruits
1½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp very finely chopped fresh rosemary
5 eggs
140g gluten free flour (1 cup)
1 tsp baking power
1 tsp salt
180g ground almonds (1¾ cups)
2 grapefruit, very thinly sliced (you can use the grapefruit you have zested and take the skin off if you prefer)
1 cup of chunky marmalade
A few sprigs of rosemary
Method:
Preheat the oven to 160°C and grease and line a deep 10" (25cm) cake tin then lay the thinly sliced grapefruit and rosemary sprigs in an overlapping pattern at the base of the cake tin. Spoon on the marmalade and spread in an even layer on top of the grapefruit. Set aside while you make the batter.
In an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, grapefruit zest, rosemary and vanilla til pale and thick.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the gluten free flour, baking powder, salt and ground almonds and set to the lowest speed, mixing til only just combined.
Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 40–50 minutes or until the centre springs back when pressed.
Allow to cool completely in the tin.
Once cool, turn out and display with the grapefruit layer at the top. You may top with cream cheese frosting or serve as it is with yoghurt, cream or icecream. Makes a particularly good breakfast cake with a cup of strong coffee.
Penelope Maguire runs Botanical Kitchen in Waikouaiti.
