Fig and Berry Slice

This is a recipe from a Weight Watchers book and it's not bad at all.

In fact it's quite nice with a cuppa of an afternoon, or as something sweet for breakfast

You'll need

8 dried figs (chopped)
1 tablespoon of honey
1/4 cup water
60 grams butter (or margarine)
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups plain flour

Topping
200 gr frozen raspberries (I used mixed berries)
1/2 cup raspberry jam

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and grease and line a 20x30 lamington tray. (I used a 20x20 cake pan)

Combine the figs, honey and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes and let cool

Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy then stir in the flour and cooled fig mixture. Place it in the baking tray and press down with a fork then bake for 20 minutes.

Combine the raspberries and jam in a saucepan and bring to the boil then let cool for a minute
Spoon it over the cooked slice and allow to cool before slicing and serving

Delicious

A cake by any other name.....

William Shakespeare once wrote:  "What's in a name? that which we call a rose  By any other name would smell as sweet"

In other words, it doesn't matter what something is called, it's what it is (and how it tastes) that's important...and so I apply that to this little cake.

This is a SPICED BUTTERMILK PRUNE CAKE that I found on Taste.com.au some time ago and have made it a lot, because, well, because I like prunes. I mean, they're just dried plums aren't they?

I've never known why people have an aversion to prunes....they're just the sugary equivalent of sun dried tomatoes, and I don't think I've ever seen anyone turn up their noses at them.

So anyway, here's the recipe, which I have "tweaked" to suit me and my tastes.

1 cup pitted prunes, chopped finely
1 cup buttermilk
125grams softened butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
2 cups self raising flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
large dollop plain yogurt

Crumble Topping
1/3 cup plain flour
1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
50 grams butter, chopped.

• Combine prunes with half a cup of buttermilk in a bowl and let sit for about about 2 hours
• Make crumble topping: combine the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor and pulse until it resembles bread crumbs
• Preheat Oven to 180 C. Line the base and sides of a loaf pan with baking paper
• Cream the butter and sugar until pale and creamy then add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each one
• Sift the flour and spices over the butter mix and fold it in with a large metal spoon, along with the prunes and the remaining half cup of buttermilk.
• Spoon it into the prepared cake pan, sprinkle the crumble mix over the top and place it in the oven for around 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean
• Let it sit in the tin for about 10 minutes to let it settle, then put it onto a wire rack to cool

I had a little bit of mix left over so I made a couple of cupcakes....That's it...enjoy it with cream or a cuppa or whatever you like...it really is lovely.



Mango Tartlets

This would have to be one of the easiest and most delectable little sweet treats I've ever made...and did I say they were easy?

I saw the idea for these in the Herald Sun a few weeks back and thought I'd try them out. I'm really glad I did because they all got devoured.

As usual, I tweaked the original recipe which called for ginger nut biscuits and shredded coconut as well as rum. I'm not a fan of ginger or coconut...and the kids were coming over, so the rum was also omitted.

You'll need:

Pack of butternut snap biscuits

2 mangoes

250g mascarpone cheese

Here's what I did....

I took the biscuits and, three at a time, heated them in the microwave for 20 seconds on high. It makes them nice and pliable so you can press them into small foil tart trays. As you can see I used the handle of a lemon juicer to gently press them down. I used the foil trays because that's all I had, but a small tartlet tray would work just as well.

This is what you end up with...little butternut tarts that you fill with this delectable concoction.

Blend the mascarpone and the chopped flesh of 1 mango together, then spoon it into the cooled tarts

Slice some more mango and place the slices on top.

Then eat!

That's it!

All gone.....