Match of the week

Turkish coffee cake and Abanico Solera Gran Reserva Vi Dolc Natural

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on October 15 2012 at 10:48

One of the things I most enjoy doing when I get a new cookbook is flicking through sticking Post-it notes on the recipes I plan to cook and this recipe for Turkish coffee cake in Margot Henderson’s charming You’re all Invited really stood out.

I’m not sure in what way it’s Turkish - whether it’s Turkish because it includes coffee or that it's designed to go with coffee (which it would) - there’s no introduction on that page - but it’s unbelievably delicious: fudgy sweet with a big hit of cinnamon. And very easy to make.

We had it as a pudding with a glass of raisiny Spanish dessert wine, Bodegas Abanico’s Solera Gran Reserva* from Emporda which is made from white and red garnacha and aged in oak using a solera system for a minimum of 10 years. Similar to a Rivesaltes - in fact it's labelled Vi Dolc Natural. And is a similar ABV at 15.5%.

When I got round to reading the back label I discovered the suggested pairings were desserts, cakes, pastries, dried fruits and chocolate. So spot on then! A Vin Santo or Samos Muscat would work well too.

* UK stockists include Hedonism Wines, Carruthers & Kent, The Longship and Liberty Wines. The retail price is around £19.99 for a 50cl bottle.

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