A recipe for delicious lemon and spinach bars and a review of the Veggie Desserts and Cakes recipe book. Vegetables in cakes? Sounds good to me.
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Adding extra portions of vegetables to my food is nothing new to me. With a seven year old who eats no fresh fruit and vegetables I'd say that hidden vegetable recipes are pretty essential around here. Hey, I started a whole blog around the idea after all.
So when I saw that Kate Hackworthy had published a cookbook based around the idea of baking with vegetables I knew I had to try it. Read on for my review of Veggie Desserts and Cakes. Kate has also let me share her recipe for lemon and spinach bars.
What is the Veggie Desserts book like?
Veggie Desserts has taken the concept of using vegetables as an ingredient to a whole new level. Her recipes, both on her blog and now on her brand new cookbook, use all manner of vegetables to add vitamins, goodness and nutrients.
Veggie Desserts + Cakes*, which was published earlier this summer, isn't a book about hiding vegetables into cake for kids. Nor is it a healthy baking book. The recipes use butter and sugar. You'll find cheesecakes, cup cakes, muffins and layer cakes inside. What it is is a celebration of vegetables and proof that they can be used to add colour, flavour and taste to your baking.
The book isn't just carrot cake. You'll find peas, sweetcorn, kale, parsnip and courgettes used in the bakes and desserts in the book. There's even a rainbow layer cake which would be perfect for a kids birthday party. And why wouldn't you want to add a little bit of extra goodness to your bakes?
I love this book. I literally want to bake everything in it and struggled big time to choose a recipe to make to share here. However, every time I opened the book it fell open on the lemon and spinach bars page so it felt like I should start with that. Next on my list is mascarpone tart with beetroot pastry. I'm so intrigued by the idea of the beetroot pastry that I wouldn't be surprised if a savoury version appeared on Sneaky Veg soon.
Kate and her publishers, Pavilion Books, have kindly agreed to let me share the recipe for the spinach and lemon bars here with you.
My kids (and the grown ups) absolutely loved these bars. R, 7, was suspicious because they were green. I told a tiny white lie - that they were made from green biscuits - as I didn't want him to run away without even trying them.
However, I was honest afterwards and told him they were made with spinach. He's already asked me to make them again and I think next time I'll get him to help me.
Pin lemon and spinach bars for later
How to make the Veggie Desserts lemon and spinach bars:
Lemon and spinach bars
Ingredients
For the base
- 75 g spinach leaves
- 75 g unsalted butter softened, plus extra for greasing
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 115 g plain flour
For the lemon filling
- 4 large free-range eggs
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 150 ml lemon juice
- 3 tbsp lemon zest
- 40 g plain flour
- 1 tbsp butter
To finish
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4. Grease and line a 20cm square baking tin.
- Wilt 75g spinach in a pan with a small amount of boiling water, then run under cold water to refresh, then squeeze out the moisture. Purée with a hand blender until smooth.
- In a large bowl, beat 75g unsalted butter and 2 tbsp caster sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth, but not too fluffy and aerated. Add the spinach purée and beat well. Sift in 115g plain flour and mix gently.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, spread to the edges and press down firmly with the back of a damp spoon. Be sure that the mixture goes right into all the edges and there aren't any holes. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn golden.
To make the lemon filling
- Meanwhile, in a saucepan, whisk 4 large eggs and 200g granulated sugar until well combined, then add the 150ml lemon juice and 3 tbsp lemon zest and gently whisk until completely combined. Gradually sift in 40g plain flour, whisking gently to combine, and add 1 tbsp butter. Heat the mixture, stirring constantly, until thick and the butter has melted.
- Spoon the mixture over the warm crust, spread evenly to the edges and bake for 25 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn golden. The filling will firm up as it cools. Leave to cool completely in the pan, then dust with 1 tbsp icing sugar and cut into squares to serve.
Want to read more reviews of Veggie Desserts and Cakes? Here's a few:
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Ben Robb
BEETROOT
George Wright
Spinach
Fiona jk42
Beetroot. I tend to eat it in salads, but have never used it to make a cake
Victoria B
Broccoli
Christopher Read
Carrots 🙂
Andrzej Szymanski
Parsnips
Elisa Cartwright
Parsnips
Claire Little
beetroot.
Jennifer Baker
Butternut Squash x x x
Averil Lea
Sweet potatoes
Chris Fletcher
I'd like to try baking with courgettes - we always have a summer glut so it would be good to know of some ways of eating them all!
Fiona Mallard
I want to try using beetroot, perhaps in red velvet cake for the colour
Christina Palmer
I have only ever baked with carrot so would love to try something different. Beetroot woul be something I would like to try in a recipe
MARK HOPKINS
Beetroot. I love beetroot on salads but never baked with them.
ellie spider
these bars look lovely - id like to try baking with cabbage or kale as I am not a fan of it as part of a meal
Adrian Bold
Carrots!
Jessica Hutton
Courgettes xx
Mandy Betts
Parsnips
Sue Bebbington
I would love to cook with beetroot. I think the colour would be amazing
Donna W
I already use spinach in quite a few recipes so I'd like to try something with beetroot next.
Lydia Graham
It's got to be beetroot or parsnips
Ali
I'd love to try cooking with courgettes!
Lisa Pond
Sweet potato, yum yum
Lindsay Bang
Red peppers!
Emma Davison
I have used beetroot, courgette and pumpkin but never made a carrot cake so it would have to be carrots
Wendy Guy
I would like to try baking with beetroot.
Joanna Ford
Courgettes would be lovely
Joanna Ford
Courgettes
Charlotte Hoskins
Courgette. A friend once made me a courgette cake which was divine and I'd like to replicate it!
Angela Kelly
Courgette
Ruth lee
Carrots
Emma
Pumpkin!
Tracey Susan Anderson
I'd love to introduce asparagus into my baking as it's my favourite vegetable 🙂 x
Suzie W (@SuzieLudo)
Carrot because I've never even made a carrot cake
nicky pearce
asparagus
KATHY D
Butternut Squash
Diana
Aubergines
Emma Smith
I've used courgettes a couple of times in cakes and they work great. I would love to find some more recipes using these too
Laura Muir
My friend makes a gorgeous beetroot and chocolate cake - so moist! I'd love to try making little cupcakes with the same recipe 🙂
Juli Savage
Apart from having Beetroot in salads, I would love to try it in cooking
carol boffey
id like to try baking with beetroot
Emilia nastaly-howard
Beetroot 🙂
Catherine Barton
Parsnips.....they are so full of flavour, it would be quite interesting
Lucinda Fortune
Parsnips
Debbie Hoare
I'd like to cook with beetroot
Sheri darby
Cauliflower
chloe brill
carrot
emma franklin
I have seen recipes for Cauliflower brownies, I would love to try but I'm not sure if I am brave enough!
Hannah Scudder
Carrots, my son loves them
Astrid C
parsnip, those lemon bars look lush
Rich Tyler
Sweet Potato
Elizabeth Cooke
Carrot, as I know it works in desserts 0 i.e carrot cake!
katie w
carrot would be good, love a good carrot cake
Maxine G
I've never used parsnips in baking but I can imagine it would work really well
Michelle Stewart
Sweet potato pie
Victoria Prince
I'd love to try baking with sweet potato 🙂
These bars sound soo delicious, I've added them to my list of recipes I want to try!
Julie Wilson
Sweet potato
Rebecca Howells (@PeanutHog)
I like carrot cake. Maybe try courgette?
Melissa Lee
I've never tried making a courgette cake but have heard they work really well
Sally angel
I would love to learn to bake with butternut squash, it seems like such a versatile vegetable, but I just have no idea what to do with it! 🙂
Carole Nott
i always like to make carrot cake - so tasty
Katherine Shann
Beetroot. The colour is truly delightful.
Iris W
I have used courgettes before and it was delicious, now I would really like to try beetroot as I love them anyway
Sadiyya Maryam
This looks fascinating. Beetroot, carrot and courgette in cakes!
MICHELLE O'NEILL
Beetroot as i love it!
Laura Chapman
Beetroots - I've heard they go really well with dark chocolate, but I am yet to try it!
SarahPea
Beetroot or courgette
Ben Audsley
beetroot
lynn neal
Beetroot because I love the flavour and the colour!
ADEINNE TONNER
I would love to be able to bake with pumpkin
hannah igoe
I would love to bake with beetroot as its one of my favourites
Natalie Turner
Pumpkins!
Dawn Andrews
Sweet potatoes,
Heather Bowie
I've heard of courgette in baking so would like to give that a try
Laura Jones
courgettes we eat loads and it would be nice to find a different alternative way of using them
Jo Carroll
I'd love to do something tasty with a Swede...and I don't mean Bjorn or Bennie 😉
Mandy Mazliah
That made me laugh - thanks for brightening up my Friday morning!
Claire Glace
Sweet Carrots x
kaye steeper
parsnips , i could eat them with everything
leanne weir
Beetroot is supposed to be nice
Alexandra oliver
courgette- after watching GBBO!
Lisa Wilkinson
Courgettes
amy bondoc
id love to try baking with spinach more i love it!
Caroline H
Loving the look of these spinach and lemon bars. I'd love to try sweetcorn, I can see it working really well in bakes with the right recipe.
maria blythin
parsnips x
Susan Hoggett
beetroot, I'm intrigued by cakes made with it
Becky | The Family Beehive
I keep seeing some lovely sounding recipes with beetroot, so I'd love to try baking with beetroot!
Kat B
I've got about 100 courgettes in the fridge so I'd like to start there!
Amy Dugdale
Parsnip
Rebecca Inman
Beetroot
Nick grant
Id love to try cooking with beetroot again, we have lots around at the moment from the garden
Ren Taylor
definitely sweet potato xx
Caroline Bourne
Courgette would be good
Rebecca Harris
Beetroot, but only cos everything I make would turn out pink!
MelK
Courgette. Have just started growing them so need some new recipes.
stuart hargreaves
Butternut Squash - I just love them
Fiona
I've always heard beetroot was meant to be good, but have never tried it!
Keith Hunt
i all ways love a bit of Beetroot
julie W
Perhaps parsnips! They're lovely and velvety.
Julie
I think sweet peppers could be interesting!
Kristie Metcalfe
Beetroot
lorraine kirk
I like using courgettes because they add a lot of moistness to cakes etc. I would like to try using beetroots.
Mary Mayfield
I've tried baking with carrots, pumpkins and beetroot, so the next veg to try would be parsnips.
Renee
Perhaps Cauliflower could be nice! It's quite a subtle and versatile vegetable 🙂
Claire C
I would like to try cooking with beetroot
Mark R
I'd like to try something with beetroot, would be interesting in chocolate cake
Tracey Parker
Butternut squash
Mary H
I need to sink my gnashers into those spinach and lemon bars. Yum!
Laura Pritchard
Butternut Squash would be interesting!
Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder
The idea of baking with all sorts of vegetables sounds great. We are all used to standard bakes like with carrots or courgettes but kale or peas perhaps not so much lol and these are the veggies I would like to try baking with 🙂 x
laura banks
ive always thought beetroot would be interesting
Michelle Ferguson
I would like to try beetroot as a friend made cakes with beetroot and they were delicious.
Cassandra Mayers
I have heard corgette is meant to be good to bake with
Lindsey Smith
I would like to try baking with carrots
Sheena Batey
Courgettes because we grow so many on the allotment
Jade Hewlett
I'd like to try baking with beetroot
Ruth Harwood
Cucumber, it can be grated and the juice squeezed out to add to a cinnamon ans apple cake adding a little difference xx
Sue leake
Courgette
Lindsey C
I've never been brave enough to try beetroot (fear of it being plastered across my kitchen) but would love to give it a go - got to be better than shots of beetroot juice to provide a nitrate boost for my running!
Solange
Carrots
Rowena
I'd love to bake with kale! 😀
ElizM
beetroot - I once tasted a wonderful red velvet cake made with beetroot and I've never got over it!
Margaret gallagher
Beetroot the colour would CERTAINLY entice the little ones -they are not keen in fresh beets -a sneeky little recipe would be perfect
fiona waterworth
courgettes, we grow them but cant keep up with how fast they are ready
Jules Eley
carrots
brenda heads
I am going to try this Lemon and Spinach recipe and would like to bake with parsnips.
Ritchie
Parsnips
Rebecca Beesley
love the sound of using KALE in baking and desserts - have only ever used Kale as a savoury ingredient before
Alice Dixon
Parsnips
pete c
using beetroot intrigues me
Suzanne
Beetroot would be interesting
Paula
I would love to try using beetroot in baking
Ashleigh Allan
Beetroot would be good
A S,Edinburgh
I think courgette. They're quite a standard vegetable to bake with, but I haven't got round to trying them yet; I think I've only baked with carrot so far. Thanks for the review and giveaway!
sarah rees
I would love to try cooking with aubergines
Jessica barber
Beetroot would give an awesome colour!
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain
I absolutely love the sound of Kate's book, and am very much intrgued to try some of her recipes. I think I'd like to try peas in a bake first, especially as they're naturally sweet.
Angela x
Max
There is so much I love about this book. Love that you
Use butter and sugar. Love that it's not about
demonising any particular ingredient but rather
being playful about the stuff that our bodies want
more of. Looking forward to trying the recipe x
Mandy Mazliah
Totally agree with everything you say Max. Hope you enjoy the recipes x
Laura
I've never made a carrot cake so I might try that first (before I move on to anything more complicated!)
Aileen Russell
Sounds a really nice recipe I have made a chocolate cake with tomato soup in the past my family never knew until after they finished the cake then I told them.
laura stewart
i would like to try baking with beetroot x
Junie
Is it possible to use avocado ???
The book looks fantastic.
Junie
Mandy Mazliah
yes! There are some avocado recipes in the book
Bev B
That's a lovely recipe! I'd like to try using spinach in baking. It's about the only vegetable our family unanimously dislikes!
Kim M
Have your cucumber and lemon cake recipe with the gin icing I'd love to try x
Kate | Veggie Desserts
Thanks for the lovely review and such gorgeous pictures of the spinach lemon bars! 🙂
Mandy Mazliah
You're welcome - they were so tasty!
Lin Martin
Beetroot have never cooked a sweet dish with it but love it on salad and grow my own, so must give it a try.
Clare Hubbard
Courgettes
Susan Lloyd
Sweet potato as I love them!
Heather Haigh
Beets as I've grown loads and parsnips - but would love to try lots really
Leila Benhamida
Parsnips like a mousse maybe with lemon and orange.
Rebecca Brown
I'd love to try making a courgette chocolate cake - I've tried beetroot cakes and truffles and they were really yummy, I think courgettes are my next experiment!
Kai Turner
I'd like to cook with aubergine
Tracey Peach
I would love to try & cook with winter veg to spice up my cooking!
claire Thorpe
i'd like to try baking with Beetroot - gorgeous colour and have seen lovely bakes with chcolate!
Tracy Nixon
I'd love to try baking with root veg such as beets, potatoes, carrots this Autumn!
Margaret Clarkson
The spinach and lemon bars look lovely, so I'll say I'd like to try baking with spinach.