The Cake of the Summer

Raspberry and Orange Polenta Cake
Summer 2015.....it was all a bit.....meh. Apart from a few "phew, what a scorcher" days, the weather in my part of the world didn't quite know what to do with itself. Apart from rain. Which it has done in biblical proportions over the past few days. So much so that had I seen Noah and his Ark, I would not have been surprised.
Which brings me on to this cake - my absolute favourite bake of this summer. A cake full of almonds, citrus flavours and a seasonal berry is always going to have the potential to be a winner in my eyes. Drenched in a sticky orange syrup, and studded with whole raspberries, this golden hued polenta cake is so reminiscent of sunshine that it can't fail to cheer a person up on a miserable day, or bring joy when the skies are blue, and the weather warm. It is altogether a win-win situation of a cake.
I think I am in love with polenta in a cake. Not only does it bring such an unusual crumbly and crunchy texture, but it also has the benefit of being gluten free. Use gluten free baking powder as well, and this cake becomes a treat for those who are gluten intolerant or those just trying to reduce it in their diet. 
I enjoyed this cake plain, with a few extra raspberries, but a dollop of creme fraiche or mascarpone cheese would be very acceptable with it. 

For the Cake

(adapted from the Waitrose website)

200g unsalted butter, with a little extra for greasing the tin

200g golden caster sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature 

1 tsp vanilla extract

100g polenta

200g ground almonds

1 tsp baking powder

Finely grated zest of 2 oranges

165g raspberries, plus extra to decorate

2 tbsp flaked almonds

For the Syrup

Juice of 2 oranges

100g golden caster sugar

You will also need a 23cm springform tin, greased and the base lined with baking parchment 

1. Preheat the oven to 150C / 300F/ Gas mark 2

2. Beat the butter and the 200g of golden caster sugar in a bowl until very light, fluffy, and pale in colour. 

3. Next, add in the vanilla extract and then the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Stir in the polenta, ground almonds, baking powder, and the orange zest until combined.

5. Gently fold in the raspberries so as to try and keep them whole. However, don't worry if a few get broken up while doing this.

6. Transfer the mixture into the prepared tin, and scatter the ground almonds evenly over the top.

7. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes until the cake is golden on top, and a skewer comes out clean when inserted. You might find that the cake sinks in the middle. Don't worry about this as the dip will be covered up by the extra raspberries.

8. While the cake is in the oven, make the syrup. Put the orange juice and sugar into a small saucepan and simmer gently for about 10 minutes until the liquid has thickened.

9. Take the cake out of the oven and prick it all over with a skewer. Spoon over the orange syrup, making sure it goes into all of the holes, and leave to cool in the tin.

10. Remove from the tin, and decorate with the extra raspberries, before serving.

Baking Notes

When I made this cake the result was quite wet since my oranges were particularly juicy, and I used all of the syrup. Your oranges might not be as juicy, or you might not want a cake that is so wet. In that case, just use as much of the syrup as you feel is right.

When Life gives you Lemons......

.....there are 3 options:

a. Make lemonade
b. Have a gin and tonic
c. Make a cake

Lemon Drizzle Cake
I don't know anyone who doesn't love Lemon Drizzle Cake. Those people may be out there, but I can honestly say that I haven't met any of them. In a survey I read many moons ago, the nation's favourite cake was found to be this one. That, plus a glut of lemons that seemed to be accumulating at the bottom of my fridge, was all the encouragement I needed to get baking this simple, classic, zesty delight.

Why is this cake is so loved, I wonder? I can't say I have any profound theories on this subject; I am a baker, not a philosopher, after all. But I know why I love it.

If you have been reading my blog for a while, I think you will have gathered that I am not about the elaborate cake. I am about the cake that is relatively simple to make, but is full of good ingredients and most importantly, flavour. There is something about the flavour of lemons that brightens any  cake, and makes it sing. If you like some cake with your drizzle then, in my opinion, the holes you make for the syrup must go all the way to the bottom. Not only does this impart the whole cake with the most delicious lemon flavour, it also makes it incredibly moist. 

You could just leave the cake there, and you wouldn't be disappointed. But the addition of some icing and candied lemons makes this cake really special and worthy of any afternoon tea table.

  

For the Cake
(adapted from Nigella Lawson How to be a Domestic Goddess)

125g unsalted butter, at room temperature 

175g golden caster sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

zest of 1 lemon

175g self-raising flour, sifted

pinch of salt

4 tbsp milk

For the Syrup

4 tbsp lemon juice (1 1/2 lemons)

100g icing sugar

For the Icing (optional)

140g icing sugar, sifted

juice of 1 lemon

You will also need a small loaf tin, size 23 x 13 x 7cm, greased and lined with baking paper

1. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F/ Gas 4.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together for about 5 minutes until they are light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition, and then add the lemon zest.

4. Fold in the flour and salt gently until well mixed in, followed by the milk.

5. Transfer the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden and a skewer comes out clean when inserted.

6. While the cake is cooking, make the syrup by putting the icing sugar and lemon juice into a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.

7. When the cake is done, take it out of the oven and straightaway using a skewer, or cocktail stick, prick all over the surface and spoon over the syrup. 

8. Leave to get completely cold in the tin before turning out onto a cake rack.

9. To make the icing, put the icing sugar in a bowl, and stir in enough lemon juice to make an icing that is thin enough to pour over the cake.

10. Leave the icing to set.

11. Make the candied lemon slices according to the method below and use to decorate the cake.

 

Baking Notes

I decorated the cake with candied lemon slices, which are very easy to make. Cut 1-2 lemons in slices (but not too thin because they have a tendency to fall apart whilst being candied). Put 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water into a saucepan and heat until dissolved, stirring. Place the lemon slices in a single layer in the sugar syrup and boil for 5-7 minutes until they are soft and translucent.

When ready remove from the syrup and place on a sheet of baking parchment on a wire rack, until cold, and then use to decorate the cake.

 

I Heart This

Flourless Chocolate Cake
'If chocolate be the food of love, munch on', wrote William Shakespeare.......never.
Excuse my play on the Bard's opening line from his play, 'Twelfth Night', but as Valentine's Day is here again, I couldn't resist.
I can't say I get terribly excited about this 'Day of Love', but I do like to mark an occasion by mixing up a treat that I can share with my loved ones.
I did want to try and avoid the obvious chocolate recipe to celebrate this occasion, but this (and I admit not very pretty) cake is so delicious and so special that it was my only choice. Plus, I was actually craving it. Therefore, based purely on my greed, I hope you love this cake as much as I do and it becomes a staple in your repertoire for when you need a truly celebratory dessert. This is no delicate, light sponge, but rather a very rich, dense, fudgy pudding, which simply melts in the mouth. Think of the richest, darkest chocolate truffle you have ever eaten, and it is like that. But in cake form.
As in the recipe, you can cover the cake with crème fraiche or cream, before piling the berries on top, but I prefer to serve it separately. A mixture of strawberries, redcurrants and raspberries would be lovely in summer, and in the autumn, blackberries and blueberries. But whatever fruit you choose, the only rule is to not be shy. This is a decadent pudding so be decadent.
When I made this cake I used just raspberries, and replaced the crème fraiche with double cream simply because they are my personal favourite. The sour tang of crème fraiche would of course cut through the richness of all of this cake, but call me old fashioned, I do like a bit of cream with my chocolate. The Cajuns have their 'holy trinity' of bell peppers, onions and celery, and I have my classic 'holy trinity' of chocolate, raspberries and cream.

For the Cake
(adapted from Sophie Dahl's Voluptuous Delights)

300g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, (plus extra to decorate, but this is optional)
225g golden caster sugar
180ml boiling water
225g salted butter, cubed
6 medium eggs, at room temperature and separated
1 tsp instant coffee powder
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

To Decorate
250g of your choice of berries
200ml crème fraiche, or double cream

You will also need an 8in / 20cm square, or a 9in / 23cm round cake tin

1. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas 4.
2. Grease and line the base and sides of the tin with baking parchment.
3. Break up the chocolate into small pieces and put it in a food processor with the sugar and pulse until fine.
4. Add the boiling water, butter, egg yolks, coffee powder and vanilla extract and give it another mix. The chocolate and butter should melt so that you have a molten chocolate mixture. Transfer into a large bowl.
5. Whisk the eggs whites in a glass bowl until stiff and fold a quarter into the chocolate mixture using a metal spoon, to slacken it. Fold in the remaining egg whites until they are thoroughly mixed in. You will need to do this gently in order not to knock the air out of the egg whites.
6. Pour the mousse like mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 45 - 55 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
7. The top of the cake will crack and the centre will collapse. This is entirely normal, so don't worry.
8. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin and place in the fridge for a few hours, or better still, overnight.
9. When you want to serve the cake, remove from the tin and take off the paper. At this stage I would also put the cake on the serving plate before decorating.
10. If you are using the double cream give it a bit of a whisk so that it has thickened up enough to hold its shape, but is not stiff, and dollop on top of the cake. The crème fraiche doesn't need whisking so you can just spoon that on top as is.
11. Put the fruit on top of the cream or crème fraiche, and grate over some extra chocolate if you fancy it.
12. Devour. Greedily.

Baking Notes
For this cake use the best chocolate you can afford, and do make sure it contains 70% cocoa solids. If you don't want to make such a dark, bitter cake and want something is a little sweeter, use a mixture of dark and milk chocolate, but with the dark being the in the greater proportion. 
 

 

Baking up a Storm........

Zimtsterne (Cinnamon Stars)
One of the more interesting things about having parents of different nationalities is that high days and holidays are celebrated with a mixture of the traditions from both countries. Not only does it keep both parents happy, but as a child I enjoyed the best of both worlds. I believe that it is the mother who marks out the traditions in the household, and fortunately for her, my English father was more than happy to celebrate Christmas German style, and wouldn't have had it any other way.
Celebrations started on Christmas Eve evening with the exchange of presents, as is the German way, with Christmas Day being a bit more low key. However, in keeping with British traditions, lunch was turkey and all the trimmings, followed by Christmas pudding, if there was any room.
We also had a mixture of English and German baking. Mince pies and Christmas cake nestled against Stollen and all the Weihnachtsplatzchen (Christmas biscuits) that my mother and I made.
In Germany, Christmas is absolutely not Christmas without a never ending supply of these specially baked goodies that women (and maybe a few men) spend hours making. These are not large flat cookies, or biscuits that you might dunk in your tea, but small, dainty mouthfuls of indulgence that are often decorated with chocolate, jam, or nuts. There are hundreds of varieties, and in Germany there is no end of magazines devoted to the platzchen in the run up to Christmas.
Each family has their own recipes, and they are often handed down. My mother still makes those that her mother made (and the ones I grew up with), and I make six varieties that have been tried and tested over the years since my late teens. For several years I would try a new recipe each year and if I liked it enough it would stay in my repertoire. If not, well, you live and learn - there is always next year. Add to that there are the two types of mince pies that I make, because I do also like to embrace my English side.
You might be thinking that all of this baking might seem a bit excessive given that in Britain mince pies and Christmas cake are the backbone of the Christmas tea-time table. It might be, if I was to eat them all by myself. But they are also gifted to special friends, as well as being exchanged with family.
The first two weekends in December are given over to baking. I must admit that some years I can get in the zone and bake, bake, bake. And other years it can be a labour of love. But one thing it always is, is worth it.
Zimtsterne (or Cinnamon Stars) are one of my favourites and an absolute classic. No biscuit assortment would be complete without them. I have been making them since my teens and if I can remember back that far, they were the first variety I made. The recipe came from one of the aforementioned magazines. In fact, I think all of my biscuit recipes were sourced from them. Where they are now, I have no idea, but that doesn't matter much now as I have them all written in a small book that gets dusted down every Christmas. I love these because although a little fiddly to make, the end result is a delicious mix of cinnamon, nuts, crunch and chew.
There is still time to make them if you fancy adding a little Continental flavour to your baking. Or if you want to give a personal hand made gift to someone, they would be very welcome, I am sure.
The original recipe uses only ground almonds, but I have always added ground hazelnuts because they add flavour, colour and texture. However, if you find ground hazelnuts hard to get hold of, and don't fancy making your own, it is absolutely fine to just use all ground almonds. Indeed, many recipes do.

Recipe
4 medium egg whites, at room temperature

350g icing sugar, sifted (plus extra for rolling out)

250g ground almonds

250g ground hazelnuts

2 tsp ground cinnamon

You will also need 2 - 3 baking trays, lined with baking parchment, and a star shaped biscuit cutter

This mixture makes about 60 biscuits

1. Whisk egg whites until stiff.

2. Add the icing sugar in 3 batches and whisk in each addition for a couple of minutes until thick and glossy.

3. Put aside 6 tablespoons of the mixture into a bowl and cover with cling film or foil.

4. Add the almonds, hazelnuts and cinnamon into the remaining mixture and using a wooden spoon stir until you have a dough. It can be quite sticky at this stage, so there is no harm in adding a little more icing sugar (especially on your hands), if necessary to make it easier to handle.

5. Wrap the dough in cling film or foil and put it in the fridge for about an hour or two until it firms up a little. Doing this makes the dough easier to handle, I find.

6. Preheat the oven to 150C / 300F / Gas 2.

7. When you are ready to make the biscuits take the dough out of the fridge and divide into quarters. Dust the surface of your work surface and rolling pin with icing sugar, and a quarter at a time, roll out the dough to a thickness of  5mm.

8. Cut out star shapes using the biscuit cutter and place onto the lined baking trays. Press the off cuts together into a dough again (do not knead) and re-roll and cut until you have used it all. Then use another quarter and do the same.

9. Brush each cookie with the meringue mixture that you have set aside and bake for 20 - 25 minutes until the meringue is set. and hopefully not too coloured.

10. Leave to cool on the tray for about 10 minutes. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely and store in an airtight tin lined with foil.

Baking Notes

You don't have to make 60 biscuits. Halve the mixture and make a more manageable 30 if you prefer.

Ideally, the idea of the meringue is to stay white (to look like stars), but in the years I have been making these this has never happened. They usually turn a very light golden colour, which is fine for me. Just keep an eye on them though so they don't colour too much.

You will also find that the base of the biscuits don't look cooked. They are. As long as you can pick each biscuit off the paper easily, they are done.

I hope you will give these a try and I would love to know if you do and what you think of them.

 

'It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas......'

Guinness Gingerbread

Oh my gosh......December is here and I don't know how that has happened. Where this year has gone, I have no idea. I think I blinked and missed it. Christmas is just around the corner and the next couple of weeks are going to be focused on getting ready for it. Braving the crowds to find the perfect present, wrapping, and writing cards. It doesn't really stop. Come the big day (and not wanting to sound like the Grinch), I am rather relieved that it is almost over. And happy to have a couple of days where all I am expected to do is peel a few potatoes and not much else.
I love Gingerbread because it is the most perfect cake for this time of year. Not only is it chock-full of ginger, cinnamon and cloves, those warming and wintry spices that you can't help but associate with Christmas, but it is also super quick to make and is therefore brilliant if you are short on time and still want to whip up a sweet treat. The smell that permeates the home while baking can't help but make you feel a little bit festive. It is the cake that I turn to if I need a quick bake, because, to be honest, by the time I have finished all of my traditional baking, I am all baked out.

I have a friend, Miss B, who each time I feed her cake, always loudly and with great gusto proclaims that it is her new favourite. This always amuses me, because although I know she is being absolutely genuine, I am not sure how that is possible. However, one thing I do know, is that she absolutely loves Gingerbread, and that has always remained a constant. This recipe is therefore dedicated to her so now she can make and enjoy it at any time she likes.

I hope you find this Gingerbread just as it should be; damp and sticky and full of spicy flavours. Don't be put off by the Guinness. Even if it not your favourite tipple, you don't actually taste it. I think it adds a richness and an ever so inviting deep, dark colour.
This cake is also versatile. Cut it into small squares and enjoy it as is, or cut the squares larger and drown in custard for a delicious pudding. After a roast. On a Sunday.
 

For the Cake

(from Nigella's Kitchen by Nigella Lawson)

150g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the tin

300g golden syrup

200g dark muscovado sugar

250ml Guinness

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

300g plain flour

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

300ml soured cream

2  medium eggs

Square baking tin 23cm square, greased and lined with baking paper, or a foil tray tin 30 x 20 x 5 cm, greased and lined as before.

1. Preheat the oven to 170C / 325F / Gas 3. 

2. In a large pan put in the butter, syrup, muscovado sugar, Guinness and spices, and melt over a low heat. When melted, take the mixture off the heat.

3. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda together in bowl and then add to the melted mixture, whisking until no lumps of flour remain.

4. Mix the soured cream and eggs together in another bowl, pour into the mixture and whisk again until you have a smooth batter.

5. Pour into your prepared tin, and then bake for about 45 minutes, until it is risen in the centre, and the sides are coming away from the tin.

6. Leave the gingerbread to cool before removing from the tin and cutting into as squares. I used the square tin and it made 36 fairly small but quite deep squares.

Baking Notes

There is no reason why you couldn't adapt this recipe and add some extra goodies. I have made this before with some chopped stem ginger mixed into the cake to add texture and a little extra heat. Chopped walnuts or pecan nuts would add crunch. In addition, drizzle with a simple icing made with icing sugar, ginger syrup and a little water, and sprinkle liberally with some more chopped ginger or nuts for decoration.

If you want to make this in advance, then do so as it keeps brilliantly in an airtight tin for (in my case) five days.

Just a little note re the styling of my photographs. I would love to lay claim to their originality but unfortunately I can't. I watched Nigella Lawson make this cake and decorate it like this on one of her programmes. I loved it so much I that I just had to re-create it for myself. I can't resist a bit of retro kitsch, especially at Christmas, and these decorations take me back to when I was a child and my mother and I would decorated the cake with very similar. 

 

A Pumpkin is not just for Halloween

Chocolate, Pecan and Pumpkin Cake

Pity the poor old pumpkin. Abundant and plentiful in the two weeks before Halloween when everybody wants to be its friend, only to be granted 'billy no mates' status the day after, and disappearing into the great pumpkin graveyard in the sky.

It did make me think that surely we, and I, could do more with a pumpkin at than just turning it into a lantern. With perfect timing a few weeks ago when pumpkins were everywhere, I came across this unusual spiced chocolate cake by accident, and it immediately intrigued me. Pumpkin I have used to make soup (yum) and pie (not that fussed, to be honest), but never cake. I love chocolate in all its forms and am always drawn to rich, dark chocolate cakes which are a little out of the ordinary. 

Chocolate, pumpkin, and cinnamon are all flavours that work in any combination, so it makes sense that they all work together. Pumpkin adds a richness and sweetness, as well as moisture to what is quite a solid, but not heavy, cake. Pecans add crunch, while cinnamon lends a spicy and exotic warmth that is so right and comforting at this time of year. 

This is a proper, dark, grown up chocolate cake and I think a slice of this is best served on a cold afternoon, cosy under a blanket, watching a black and white movie, with a cup of tea, and as always, a dollop of whipped cream.

For the Cake

(adapted from Chocolat by Eric Lanlard)

125g pecan nuts

225g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped

150g unsalted butter

3 medium eggs

275g dark muscovado sugar

275ml water

3 tsp vanilla extract

250g self-raising flour, sifted

3 tsp cinnamon

100g peeled, deseeded pumpkin, grated

To Decorate

extra whole pecan nuts (optional)

Cocoa powder or icing sugar for dusting

You will need a 23cm / 9in diameter springform cake tin, greased and lined with baking paper

 
1. Preheat the oven to 170C / 150C fan / 325F / Gas 3.

2. Toast the pecan nuts in a dry frying pan over a low heat for about 10 minutes until they have deepened in colour slightly and begin to release their nutty fragrance. Keep an eye on the nuts during this time as they can easily burn. A little moving around with a spoon or shaking the pan from time to time doesn't hurt. Leave them to cool, and then roughly chop.

3. Put the chocolate and butter into a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of barely simmering water until melted (make sure that the surface of the water does not touch the bowl). Beat the melted mixture until combined.

4. In a bowl whisk the eggs and sugar together for about 5 minutes until thick and creamy. Continue whisking while adding in the melted chocolate and butter, and then add in the water and vanilla.

5. Stir the cinnamon into the sifted flour, and fold into the chocolate mixture until smooth, followed by the grated pumpkin and chopped pecan nuts.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and decorate with whole pecans if you wish.

7. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. When the cake is cold, wrap it in cling film and foil and keep at room temperature for at least 24 hours before eating, and before serving, dust with cocoa powder or icing sugar.

Baking Notes

The original recipe calls for a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to be stirred into the pecan nuts before toasting, but I actually omitted this, mainly because it didn't really appeal. However, when I make it again, I will be brave and add it. You never know, it might be a 'taste sensation'!

Noted in the ingredients list is that you can use butternut squash as an alternative to pumpkin. It does exactly the same job, and the bonus is that it is more readily available than pumpkin, and so much more easy to cut.

If you decide to try this cake I would love to know what you think of it. And if you do add the cayenne pepper.....well done!

Revisiting Old Favourites

Fresh Pear Shortcake
I recently decided that I was going to put myself on a self imposed ban on buying any more cook books, and more specifically, books on baking. There are so many in my collection that I don't use on a regular basis that I really want to revisit them all to uncover some hidden (and forgotten) gems.
I predict, though that this will not be easy. I can become so enthused by a new cooking show on the television that I want to rush out and the buy the accompanying book, only to read it (usually in bed), ear mark pages of recipes, make a couple of them, and then leave it to gather dust while something else catches my eye (I am sure I am not alone in this).

Consequently, space is currently in short supply in which to house them all. In reality, how many books on baking do I need, and how many recipes can one person make in a lifetime? There are so many sources now in which to find recipes that I really need never to buy a baking book again.
I am a keen browser of the internet and magazines for recipes and inspiration, and as I have mentioned before, I have a large file of recipe printouts and tear outs which I enjoy giving a good old perusal now and again. Therefore, if I am to buy a new book now, then I need to be very specific about its content, and question whether it is different enough from what I have already in my collection. In fact, when I think about it, this is how I approach buying a new handbag. I just need to apply this to all sweaters that are either grey or striped. 
To kick start my new thinking, this seasonal Fresh Pear Shortcake was a favourite pudding from my first cookbook* that I received for my 18th birthday and one I haven't actually made since.....gosh, I can't remember when.

I have tweaked the recipe slightly. Not by much, but when I made the shortcake for the first time a couple of weeks ago I thought that the addition of ground ginger to the 'buttery biscuit base' and almond extract to the topping would be very welcome. Both flavours are very good friends with pears and when I made it again I thought it worked quite well.
One word of advice though about the pears you select if you are going to make this. Please make sure that they are ripe to ensure they soften during the cooking time. If they are not ripe, or indeed, too hard, they will never soften in the cooking time. I know this from experience, and semi-cooked pears, although edible, are not the ideal. I also think that this dessert is better the day after making as the flavours will have developed. Keep it in the fridge overnight, and then bring it up to room temperature before serving.

 

For the Base

150g self raising flour, sifted

25g ground rice (or rice flour, which I used because I didn't have ground rice)

Grated rind of 1 lemon

50g dark soft brown sugar, sifted to remove any lumps

150g cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 tsp ground ginger

For the Topping

3 ripe large pears, all even in size, and about 450g in weight

125g full fat soft cheese

1 medium egg

1 tsp almond extract

2 tbsp flaked almonds (optional)

You will also need a 20.5cm(8 inch) loose based fluted flan tin, greased 

This will serve 6 people

1. Preheat the oven to 190C / 375F / Gas 5

2. Put the flour, ground rice or rice flour, lemon rind and ground ginger into a bowl and stir until well mixed.

3. Stir in the sugar and rub in the butter until a dough forms.

4. Put the dough into the tin and press down using your fingers until you have an even layer over the 

base. Mark into 6 portions and prick with a fork.

5. Bake for 25 minutes, take out of the oven and leave to cool in the tin while you prepare the pears 

and topping. 

6. Turn the oven down to 180C / 350F / Gas 4

7. Peel and halve the pears, and then scoop out the cores. You can use a teaspoon to do this, but I found that a melon baller (how very retro) works brilliantly. Also remove the stringy part that runs vertically from the top of the pear to the core, as that is not much fun to eat.

8. Score each pear half crossways in narrow but even sections and then place a half within each marked portion.

9. Mix the cream cheese, almond extract, and egg together until smooth and spoon evenly over the pears making sure it covers completely the fruit and shortcake. At this stage you can scatter the flaked almonds over the top if you like. I do like to do this because it adds a little crunch and makes the tart look pretty.

10. Return the tin to the oven and bake for a further 40 minutes until the pears are soft and cooked through, and the top is golden brown. (To check the pears, insert a skewer and if it goes in without any resistance, then they are done).

11. Take the shortcake out of the oven, and cool for about 10 minutes and remove from the tin.

12. Serve warm or cold, as you prefer, or the day after as I recommend.

 

 

Baking Notes

Ground rice, or rice flour are not ingredients you might have readily to hand, and I imagine that if you don't then it can be replaced with the same quantity of flour, but its inclusion gives the base a wonderfully short texture.

*I have mentioned the book before in a previous post, but it is the Good Housekeeping Cookery Book 'the classic cookery book, completely revised'. My version is from the mid 80s, which can be found here, but there are updated versions, should you prefer something a little less old fashioned.