Apricot and Almond Tray Bake

I promised to bake for church. Ive been crazy busy this week so I didnt have much time. I chose this recipe from my Good Housekeeping Cookbook. All ingredients into one bowl and then baked. Hey Presto. Quick Easy and Tasty. I also had enough batter to make some mini cakes with the help of my toddler.

250g (9oz) butter at room temperature plus extra to grease

225g (8oz) golden caster sugar

275g (10oz) self-raising flour

2 tsp baking powder

finely grated zest of 1 orange ( I used clementines as that is what I had)

2 tbsp orange juice (used clementine juice)

75g (3oz) ground almonds

5 medium eggs, lightly beaten

225g (8oz) ready to eat dried apricots roughly chopped

25g (1oz flaked almonds

Makes 18 Bars

Prep Time 10 Mins

Cooking Time 30 - 40 Minutes, plus cooling

280 Cals per Bar, 16g Fatm 30g Carbohydrate

1. Grease and base line a 33cm x 20 cm ( 13 x 8 inch) baking tin

2. Put the butter, caster sugar, flour, baking powder, orange zest and juice, ground almonds and beaten eggs into a large bowl (or a free standing mixer if you have one). Mix with an eletric beater on a low setting or 30 seconds, then increase the speed and mix for 1 minute until throughly combined.

3. Using a large metal spoon, fold in the dried apricots. Spoon the mixture into the baking tin, smooth the surface with a palette knife. Scatter the flaked almonds over the top.

4. Bake at 180oC (160oC Fan) mark 4 gas for 30 - 40 minutes or until risen and golden brown and skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

5. Leave the traybake to cool in the tin, then cut into 18 bars and lift out with palette knife.

Pear, Almond & Amaretto Tart

I was watching Lorraine Pascale on her new tv series for her new book, Fast, Fresh and Easy Food. I had all the ingredients in my store cupboard, so I just had to try it.

Here is her fabulous recipe: (serves 6-8)

• 500g pack of shortcrust pastry (or homemade sweet shortcrust)
• 100g butter
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g ground almonds
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp amaretto liqueur (Disaronno or other)
• 410g tinned pears or 4 ripe soft pears
• 250g mascarpone
• 1 stem ginger ball in syrup (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 50g icing sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180C (fan 160C)
2. Roll out pastry into a rectangle so it fits a 10 x 34cm fluted loose-bottomed flan tin
3. Use a wooden spoon handle to get pastry into the fluted edges of the tine
4. Remove excess pastry and place in fridge to harden
5. To make the almond filling mix together butter, sugar, almonds and plain flour
6. Beat in egg and amaretto liquer until it is well combined
7. Remove pastry from fridge and spoon in almond filling spreading it out smoothly
8. Make sure your pears are well drained before placing them on the almond filling
9. Lorraine suggests that you lay the pears in an alternating pattern so that they fit perfectly
10. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the filling is puffed up and golden

For the stem ginger mascarpone…

1. Mix together mascarpone, ginger, vanilla and icing sugar until well blended
2. Once the tart is cooked remove from the oven and leave in tin to cool
3. Remove from the tin and serve warm with cream and dust with icing sugar

Lorraine also says that this is “really good served cold!”