Citrus Apricot Puff Pudding Food

FAVORITE PUFF PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Beat butter, sugar and lemon peel in large bowl until light and fluffy.
• Beat in egg yolks.
• Stir in lemon juice, flour, cereal and milk.
• (Mixture will look curdled, but this will not affect finished product).
• In a separate bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks.
• Gently stir in beaten egg whites.
• Pour into greased 1 quart baking dish.
• Place dish in a pan of hot water.
• Bake for about 1 hour or until top is golden brown and pudding begins to pull away from the side of the dish.
• (Pudding will have a cake-like layer on top with custard below).
• Serve warm or cold with cream or whipped cream, if desired.
• Variation: Mix ingredients as directed, and pour into 5 (5-oz) or 4 (6-oz) custard or souffle cups.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes or until tops are golden brown and pudding begins to pull away from the side of the dish.
• Substitutions: You may substitute honey for sugar, and 2% milk for whole milk.
• Enjoy!

FRUIT PLAIT

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface into a large rectangle. Transfer to a lightly greased baking tray.
• Put the sultanas in a small mixing bowl with just enough warm water to cover them, and soak for 10 mins.
• Core the apples and pears and slice them into even-sized pieces - you don't need to peel them. Put the pieces in a bowl and add the honey and 2 tbsp apricot jam. Drain the soaked sultanas and add them to the mixture. Stir well and add the mixed spice and cinnamon to taste.
• Spoon the mixture in a thick strip down the centre of the puff pastry. Use a sharp knife to make roughly 8 diagonal cuts down each side of the pastry like a lattice. Fold the pastry strips alternately across the filling like a plait.
• Crack the egg into a bowl, whisk with a fork and, using a pastry brush, glaze the top of the puff pastry.
• Place the plait in the oven and bake for 25-30 mins or until the apples are soft and the pastry is golden brown. Serve with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.

EASY APRICOT TART

Steps:

• First, make the marzipan. Mix both sugars with the ground almonds and vanilla in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle. Reserve 1 tsp of the beaten egg in a small dish, then tip the rest into the well along with the lemon juice. Mix everything well, then mix in the cream, 1 tbsp at a time, until the mixture is spreadable (you may not need all the cream). Chill for 20 mins if it's too warm to spread properly, or greasy. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Roll out the puff pastry on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, then score it lightly around the edges to create a 1.5cm border - be careful not to cut all the way through. Lightly score a diamond pattern over the middle to keep the pastry from rising in the centre during cooking.
• Spread the marzipan over the middle of the pastry, leaving the border clear (see tip, below). Top with the apricots, cut-side down. Brush the border with the reserved beaten egg, then bake for 15 mins. Scatter over the flaked almonds. Bake for 5-10 mins more until the almonds are golden and the pastry has cooked through.
• Warm the jam over a low heat, then brush it over the apricots. Cut into squares and serve warm with ice cream or cream. Will keep chilled for up to two days.

SELF-SAUCING CITRUS PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C and grease a 1.5 litre pudding bowl.
• Beat the butter, vanilla seeds, lemon zest and half the sugar together in an electric mixer until thick and pale and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until combined.
• Fold in the plain flour, baking powder and salt and then fold in the milk until combined.
• Spread the batter into the pudding basin.
• Mix conrflour with remaining 1/2 cup sugar, then use a sieve to dust over the pudding.
• Combine lemon juice, orange zest and orange juice and boiling water in a jug and then gently pour over the batter by pouring over the back of a large spoon (DO NOT stir mixture).
• Bake the pudding for 50-60 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the sponge layer comes out clean.
• Allow to cool slightly, then scoop into bowls, dust with icing sugar and serve with vanilla icecream and or cream.
• NOTE - do not discard deseeded vanilla bean, insert into a jar of sugar and make your own vanilla sugar.