Middle Eastern flourless Orange cake

Middle Eastern flourless Orange cake and a love letter to my Sister

I’ve been thinking about my sister a lot lately. It’s not like I don’t see her often (she lives in the same suburb). I see her most days – I bump into her at school pick up – but sadly, unless we book in a ‘cup of tea’ date, it’s a quick smooch and a warm rub on the back as we rush past each other, with our tribe of daughters who need to be somewhere.

Needless to say, I adore my sister, and I always have done. She is the oldest child, I am the middle child, and we have a younger brother. As young sisters, I dressed like her, sang with her, belting out the Nolan Sisters to the tape deck with our leg warmers pulled high. I danced with her as little girls do –  we enjoyed 13  years of ballet lessons together, danced as teenagers together at parties, and as women, enjoying the music and the moment. We went to school together, and we shared secrets, we shared friends, we had each other’s backs, we laughed, we cried…we grew up.

We stood right next to each other, as Maids of honour at each other’s weddings. We are the godmothers to each other’s beautiful daughters. After all of this and with the natural constraints of time – both of us being working mothers – slowly, we had less and less of that precious time together. As I write this, it makes me sad. I miss our late nights, sitting up, sipping wine and smoking cigarettes as we would talk, tell stories and console each other about ‘the one that got away’.

I miss how often we would laugh until we would cry or until the chocolate milkshake would burst out of my nostrils with such gusto (this hurts, by the way) because I have no self-control when a good belly laugh with her is building. I also miss the easiness and simplicity that you feel when you see someone you love so often. It is a beautiful thing.

We recently vowed to make more purposeful time for each other when it was just ‘us’ and ‘our time’. We have slotted in some sweet coffee catch-ups, even if half an hour was all we had.

My sister is one strong woman. She has braved some challenges over the past few years, and now I watch her regaining her health, nurturing herself, nurturing her family, and she has a fab new job to boot. She is beaming, and it is so beautiful to see. For health reasons, she has completely changed her diet and boy…can you see the benefits! In the process, she is cutting right back on gluten.

I have taught many cooking classes of late, and I recently added this Middle eastern flourless orange cake to a couple of our class menus.

This cake is one of my favourites. It is moist, it’s light, and the texture from the coarsely ground almonds is divine. It really is ‘a piece of cake’ to make. It is simplicity at its best. We all need a bit of that in our lives to make time for things we like to do and those we love.

Every time I have cooked it lately, I thought of my gorgeous sister. It is the perfect cake to cook for someone who is gluten intolerant, and it will be a nice addition to our little dates. Now, they can include a quick pot of tea and a big slice of cake. If you can’t eat cake with your sister, who can you eat cake with?

Kirsty, this cake is for you with lots and lots of sisterly love.

Nellie

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Middle eastern flourless orange cake

Serves 8-10