Guest chef Sophie Hansen’s pistachio and lemon loaf cake and chocolate salami

Here are two cracking recipes for afternoon tea: a moist pistachio and lemon loaf, and a delicious chocolate, hazelnut and nougat roll.

Oh, go on: pistachio & lemon loaf cake

Like all cakes full of ground nuts, this pistachio loaf is lovely and moist, plus it keeps well without the icing. Serve the chocolate, hazelnut and nougat roll for dessert, with fruit, or hand it around with coffee.

Chef Sophie Hansen

PISTACHIO & LEMON LOAF CAKE

1 cup (150g) pistachios

½ cup (80g) almonds

½ cup (75g) plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup (125g) butter, softened

1 cup (220g) caster sugar

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

3 eggs

For the icing

1 cup (125g) icing sugar

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 160C (140C fan). Grease and line an 8 cup (2 litre) capacity, 13 x 24cm loaf tin with baking paper. Spread the pistachios and almonds over a shallow baking tray and roast for about 10 minutes or until they are just becoming aromatic. Set nuts aside to cool for a few minutes, then tip them into a food processor and blitz for about 5 seconds or until rough crumbs form. Remove and reserve 2 tablespoons of the crumbs; process the remaining crumbs until you have a fine meal. Add flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; blitz for a few seconds to combine.

Beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a mixing bowl and wooden spoon) until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in the nut and flour mixture and lemon juice, then gently spoon the batter into the tin.

Bake the cake for about 45 minutes or until it is pulling away from the sides of the tin and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Mix the icing sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth and thick. Pour over the cooled cake and let it set for a few minutes; sprinkle the reserved nut crumbs over the top. Serves about 8

Chocolate salami

11/3 cups (200g) roughly chopped dark chocolate

½ cup (125g) butter, softened

¼ cup (50g) caster sugar

1 egg

100g amaretti biscuits, roughly chopped

150g hard nougat, roughly chopped

150g hazelnuts, toasted, skins removed

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Meanwhile, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and whisk on low speed until well combined. Pour in the chocolate, whisking slowly as you go, until fully incorporated. Fold in the biscuits, nougat and hazelnuts. Divide the mixture in half and place each half on a sheet of baking paper. Using damp hands, form into two sausage shapes and wrap tightly in the paper, twisting the ends to seal. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before slicing. Makes 2 logs

Around the Kitchen Table

Edited extract from Around the Kitchen Table by Sophie Hansen and Annie Herron (Murdoch Books, $39.99). Photography: Sophie Hansen