Pear, Apple, Pecan and Maple Crumble - GLUTEN FREE

Serves 4: Takes 10 mins to make 35 mins to cook. (can double the recipe for larger quantities)

For the filling

2 cooking apples
2 pears
80g Demarera / brown sugar / raw cane sugar
Juice of half and orange / lemon ( I used both)
60g Pecan nuts, lightly toasted

For the topping

70g rice flour
30g sunflower spread / (low fat spread)
30g coconut oil
70g oats
60g sugar (brown)
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon

1. To make the filling, peel and core the apples and pears, then cut them into large chunks and transfer to a large saucepan. Add the sugar, lemon / orange juice and 1 tbsp of water to the pan and toss to coat the fruit. Set over a low-medium heat, then stew for 10 - 15 mins, until half cooked. Transfer the stewed fruit to a medium pie dish or casserole with all the juices, then mix in the pecans reserving some to decorate the top. Set aside to cool while you make the topping.

2. Pre heat the oven to 180oC/160oC Fan/ Gas 4. Tip the rice flour sunflower spread and coconut oil into a bowl and rub the fat into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the oats, sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon, mix thoroughly and  then sprinkle the topping over the fruit and scatter remaining pecans ontop and bake for 35 - 45 mins until the crumble is golden and bubbling around the edges.

Serve with frozen yogurt / your favourite accompanyment.

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!”