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| Raspberry and Almond Bakewell Cake |
Oh is that all. I expected a more textbook definition or hoping for something more insightful. Lately I have become quite the insomniac. For the past two weeks I haven't been able to differentiate whether my non-sleep is attributed to jetlag or well, insomnia.
The alarms goes off, I hit snooze. It buzzes again. I trudge to the bathroom and declare "I slept so badly last night". My flatmate responds that for as long as she has lived with me she has never known me to sleep well. Hmm. That is over 18months. It never occurred to me my degree of restless and sleeplessness - for not getting my forty winks has really become the norm. It is easier the measure the number of hours I think I slept. If I think I slept 7 hours, then surely my brain would fool my body into believing it had?
Lack of light in my room means I have no inkling what time it is for the most part without hearing or seeing my alarm. I could leave my window pane slightly ajar but I would then have further problems of falling asleep. I like darkness. I get distracted too easily by any sound or light, external to myself. Although, for anyone who knows me, they will say that my lack of sleep is internal to me, to my restless and analytical mind. In university days, I would have said this was true. Now, still true, but too a lesser degree. I value my sleep alot more now... I crave it. On the few mornings I wake up feeling rested, I have energy and look forward to the day ahead. Today was one of them.
Caffeine really affects me. I love the smell and taste of coffee - it is just synonymous to walking, cup in hand on a chilled weekend and so I look forward to it daily. It perks me up. Give me two and I will feel guilty. Three, and I will be bouncing off walls. Caffeine past about 3pm is the death of me - an exhausted body with an alert mind are not the perfect match. Yet stubbornness, cravings and false pretences makes me cave in to my desires at times. I was supposed to give up caffeine for Lent. I am not religious but we at work all decided to give up something so I chose caffeine. It's a vicious cycle and it didn't last but if at first you don't succeed...so I am starting again tomorrow.
A friend sent me an article on foods for better sleep - foods that help in the creation of melatonin in your body which apparently controls your internal clock - correcting the mismatch between this and your daily routine. In order these are:
Raspberries
Almonds
Sunflower seeds
Cherries
Flaxseeds
Strawberries
I guess it is not as effective if these are coupled with lashings of sugar in the form of a raspberry and almond bakewell cake, washed down with a fresh mug of coffee. Perhaps that was where I was going wrong. More reading to be done. Recipe below anyway.
Ingredients
1. 140g ground almonds
2. 140g butter , softened
3. 140g golden caster sugar
4. 140g self-raising flour
5. 2 eggs
6. 1 tsp vanilla extract
7. 250g raspberries
8. 2 tbsp flaked almonds
9. icing sugar , to serve
Method
1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and base-line and grease a deep 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Blitz the ground almonds, butter, sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla extract in a food processor until well combined.
2. Spread half the mix over the cake tin and smooth over the top. Scatter the raspberries over, then spread the remaining cake mixture on top and roughly spread - you might find this easier to do with your fingers. Scatter with flaked almonds and bake for 50 mins until golden. Cool, remove from the tin and dust with icing sugar to serve. ƒ
I served it with a dollop of clotted cream to satisfy the scone craving I had been having. Vanilla ice cream would also work.
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