Lena Kuppens

The Kruidkoek is a traditional Dutch recipe, with the mixed spices a nice warmer for the colder months. Traditionally it’s baked in a bread pan and sliced, but I like to bake it in a square baking tray and cut up in squares.

The ‘Mock Apple Choko sauce’ I made with the kids at the Cobargo Public School in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program and they loved it.

Kruidkoek (Spice cake)

• 300g plain flour
• 200g brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 200ml milk
• 1 tbsp golden syrup

Preheat the oven to 175C. Line a square 18 x 18 cm baking tray

Mix all dry ingredients in a big bowl. Warm the milk a little and melt the syrup in it.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the warmed milk mixture in. Mix till a smooth wet batter. Pour batter in the prepared baking tray. Bake 25-30 minutes

Mock Apple Choko Sauce

• 2 Choko’s
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp raw sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick

Peel, core and grate the choko’s. Put the grated choko into a small saucepan with the lemon juice, raw sugar and cinnamon. Place on a medium heat till it boils, turn down the heat to low and cook till soft while stirring once in a while. When soft, take from the heat, leave to cool. When cool take out the cinnamon, check the flavour and adjust if necessary with a little more lemon juice and/or sugar. Transfer to serving bowl