In the spotlight - Satsumas

With Christmas not that far away now, I thought it was time satsumas got a mention. Along with other citrus fruits, these have been associated with Christmas since they were given as a gift - fresh fruits other than those grown in the UK were once a real treat and satsumas were only available towards the end of the year. Although fruits from all over the world are now readily available, the association has stuck and citrus fruits often feature in festive recipes.

So what do satsumas have to offer?

• Packed with Vitamin C, a single satsuma can provide your daily requirement for this vitamin.
• "Mammoth" is the official term for the biggest satsumas. The larger they are, the sweeter they taste - something to particularly remember if you're offering them to your children
• Segments make a nice addition to a salad or why not add them to an orange, lemon or lime jelly?
• Combine the juice of some satsumas with a whole blended banana and a handul of strawberries and hey presto, you've got a delicious smoothie.
• If we get enough snow to build a snow man, a satsuma can rival a carrot for his nose! Just think back to Raymond Briggs' "The Snowman".

Chocolate satsuma cake

•  Put approx 400g peeled satsumas whole into a pan of boiling water and cook until soft (may take up to 2hrs). Once cool quarter and remove any pips, before blending in a food processor.
• Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (gas mark 4) and line a 20cm circular tin.
• Add 6 eggs, 1tsp baking powder, 0.5tsp bicarbonate of soda, 200g ground almonds, 150g sugar and 50g cocoa powder to the orange mix in the food processor. Blend until it looks like cake mixture.
• Pour into the cake tin and cook for an hour or until a skewer comes out clean - in some ovens it may only take 45mins.