Plum, Almond & Pear Flan

This is the most gorgeous flan, cinnamon laced plums and pears nestling in a plump almond batter. Perfect for an idle baker, it looks much more work than it really is. By baking this as a flan, rather than a tart, you cut out all the fussy pastry making and introduce a delicious biscuit base that adds a satisfying depth and crunch to the taste. It's also one of those puddings that can be made in advance, and brought out to much acclaim when it's time to eat, leaving you free to relax and enjoy yourself rather than slaving over a hot oven.

Adapt this recipe to accomodate whatever fruit you have in the house, using plums or pears alone if you like. If I'd had them I'd have added more plums, as they taste particularly good and look stunning against the almond filling.

Recipe
Adapted from the one online that I printed out years ago, and can't find on the web now
Serves 8-10


for the flan base:
200g digestive biscuits, crushed
85g butter, chopped small

1. To crush the biscuits, seal them in a plastic bag and hit them with a rolling pin. Then place the crushed biscuits on the weighing scales to measure out the right amount.


2. Gently melt the butter over a low heat, before stirring the crushed biscuits into the pan and stirring until they're well combined.


3. Press the mixture into a 9 to 12 inch tart case with a removable base, as you would for a cheesecake.

for the filling:
100g unsalted butter, softened
100g caster sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
85g self raising flour
100g ground almonds
2 or 3 drops of almond extract
4 or more large plums, halved and cored
1 pear, halved and cored (and peeled if you wish)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
vanilla sugar, to sprinkle
2 tablespoons red or purple plum jam
3 handfuls flaked almonds, toasted



4. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl for approx 3 minutes until light and fluffy.


5. Beat in the eggs one by one, followed by the drops of almond extract.


6. Next add the flour, milk and ground almonds, mixing well until smooth.


7. Pour the filling over the biscuit base in the tin, and smooth it down.


8. Roll the fruit in the cinnamon on a plate, before placing the plums and pears into the filling. You can either chop them finely and arrange them in concentric circles, or for a more rustic flan like mine you simply place the fruit halves into the filling, pressing them into the batter.


9.  Sprinkle a little vanilla sugar ontop, and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until the filling looks pale golden and bounces back under your thumb.


10. Take out of the oven and leave to cool a little, before taking out of the tin.


11. While the flan cools, warm a couple of spoonfuls of plum jam over a low heat and then strain through a sieve. Brush the flan with the strained jam juice, before scattering with flaked almonds.
I didn't bother, but you could also sift a little icing sugar over the flan if you like.


12. Serve warm or cold, with creme fraiche or cream.

This flan was idly baked while listening to London Calling by The Clash

Chocolate Biscuit Refrigerator Cake

When I asked Mum what cake she wanted for her birthday, the answer was instantaneous 'Chocolate Biscuit cake please!'. I'd never made a biscuit fridge cake, and I'd forgotten how much I used to love the taste of it. Remarkably easy to make, without needing half the usual cake ingredients, it was a real winner. You'll be pleased to know that we let the birthday girl have the lion's share, but not without internal struggle. Just goes to show that this delightful cake thrills children of ALL ages.

Recipe
Adapted from one torn out of Grazia magazine last year, author unknown.
Serves 8

200g Rich Tea Biscuits
70g Maltesers
70g Mini Marshmallows
70g hazelnuts, chopped small
70g pistachio nuts, shelled
70g raisins or other dried fruit
150g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon golden syrup
250g dark chocolate
edible silver glitter, to decorate, optional
small white birds or anything else you fancy to decorate, optional



1. Line a 1lb loaf tin with cling film, making sure to leave extra overhanging the sides.

2. Put the biscuits in a double bag made from 2 plastic bags. Tie the end securely, and then hit the biscuits with a rolling pin, until all are crushed.

3. Pour the crushed biscuits into a large bowl, and then add the sweets, nuts and dried fruit.

4. Melt the chocolate, butter and golden syrup together in a bain mairie (a heat proof bowl over a pan of just simmering water). Leave to cool for a moment.

5. When cooled a little, carefully stir the melted ingredients into the dry using a wooden spoon.

6.  Once combined, spoon the mixture into the prepared cling filmed loaf tin, and press it down gently to flatten the top evenly.

7. Place in the fridge for 2 hours, until solid.

8. Remove the cake from the tin once set by pulling on the cling film and easing it out with a knife. Turn it out on to a plate, and decorate with edible glitter. I added a couple of white birds I'd found in the local florist - purely for decoration and not to be eaten obviously!

9. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve. This cake slices best when just out of the fridge.

 

This cake was idly made while listening to the Anthony & The Johnsons album I Am A Bird Now

Double Chocolate Biscuits

If you're looking for a gorgeous rich and chewy chocolate biscuit, then this is the recipe for you. These beauties are the Rolls Royce of choccy biccies, but cheap and easy to make, and can be tasty presents piled up ontop of eachother and wrapped in ribbon. So very moreish.

Recipe

Makes 25-30, so serves a greedy 8 if you ask me!

Adapted from a recipe from a tiny book by Marks and Spencer called Easy Baking.

Buy the book online at Marks & Spencer here.

140g caster sugar

225g plain flour

225g unsalted butter, softened

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

2 tsp vanilla extract

55g cocoa powder

200g dark chocolate, 70% solids

pinch of salt

90g sugar sprinkles or chocolate vermicelli

1. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together, then beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract.

2. Next sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt into the creamed mixture. Mix until well combined.

3. Split the dough in half, before wrapping each part in cling film and placing in the fridge for an hour.

4. Meanwhile turn the oven to 190C (170C fan ovens), and get out 2 large baking sheets (or if you're like me and don't have any, normal baking trays will do). Butter the sheets and line with baking paper.

5. After an hour, take out the biscuit dough. Place the dough between 2 sheets of greaseproof or baking paper (this stops the rolling pin from the touching the dough therefore preventing tearing), and roll out to about a quarter of an inch thick. Using a two and a quarter inch round cookie cutter, carefully cut out about 30 biscuits.

6. Place the dough biscuits onto the prepared baking sheets, making sure to leave plenty of space between them to allow them to spread.

7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then leave to cool on the sheets for another 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

8. When the biscuits are completely cool, break up the dark chocolate into small pieces and melt carefully in a bain mairie, a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water.

9. Once the chocolate is melted, remove it quickly from the heat, and spread a spoonful over the middle of each biscuit. Let the spread chocolate cool briefly on the biscuit, before sprinkling the sugar sprinkles or chocolate vermicelli ontop. Leave to set for half an hour.

These biscuits were idly baked to the sounds of Wild Beasts' brilliant album Smother