Guava Pie

This would work well with fresh figs.


3 tbsp plain flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
pastry for a 22 cm (9 inch) crust
4 cups guava, peeled, seeded and diced
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp buttter, cut in small pieces


Mix together the flour, sugar and salt.  Set aside.  Line a 22 cm (9 inch) pie plate with pastry.  Fill with sliced guava, slightly mounding in the centre.  Sprinkle the flour and sugar mixture evenly over the guavas.  Sprinkle with lemon juice and dot with butter.  Cover the top pastry and flute the edge.  Cut several vents into top crust to allow steam to escape.  Bake in a preheated 230 C (450 F) oven for 10 minutes, then reduce to 175 C (230 F) and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes.

Steamed Lemon Pudding

Serve this light lemon pudding with cream or custard.  Lemon curd could be added as well.

150g (5 oz) butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 large lemons, rind finely grated
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
cream or custard to serve

Grease a 6 cup capacity pudding basin (I use canola oil spray).
Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and lemon rind until light and creamy. 
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift flour over the mixture.  Add the lemon juice.  Fold until just combined.
Spoon batter into basin, smooth the surface.  Cover the basin with foil, and secure with string.
Place the pudding into a large saucepan.  Pour boiling water into the saucepan so it comes halfway up the side of basin.  Cover saucepan and simmer pudding over medium heat for 1 1/2 hours, adding more boiling water if needed.
Lift pudding out of saucepan.  Remove foil and string.  Turn pudding onto a warm plate.  Cut into wedges and serve with cream or custard.

Sticky Date Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Cream Topping

180g (6 oz) dates, pitted and chopped
1 tsp vanilla essence
180g (6 oz) self raising flour
1 tsp bicarb soda
80g (3 oz) unsalted butter
150g sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Salted Caramel Cream
125g caster sugar
80ml (3 fl oz)double cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
       
Preheat oven to 180 C fan forced ( 350 F).
Pour 180ml boiling water over the dates in a heatproof bowl and leave to soak for 20 mins.  Use a fork to break up the dates.  Stir in the vanilla essence.
Sift the flour and bicarb soda into a bowl and set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar for 5 mins until very light and creamy.  Add eggs gradually, beating between each addition, and adding 1 tbsp flour about halfway through to prevent curdling.
Lastly, fold in the remaining flour and then the date mixture.
Place paper cases into a 12 hole muffin pan.
Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases and bake for 20 to 30 mins.  The tops should spring back when pressed with a finger.  Remove and leave to cool.

Salted Caramel Topping
Dissolve the sugar and 60 ml water in small solid saucepan over a gentle heat, then increase the heat to a boil.  Wait a few minutes, leaving the pan undisturbed but watching it carefully.  As soon as it changes to a wonderful caramel colour (like strong tea) and is thicker, remove immediately from the heat, stand well back, and add the cream.  It may splatter a little.  Keep stirring, and add the salt and vanilla.  Leave until cold.

Sticky Date Pudding

 250g (8oz) pitted dates, chopped
1 tsp bicarb soda
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups self raising flour, sifted

Caramel sauce
1 cup brown sugar
300 ml (10 fl oz) double cream
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
60g (4 1/2 oz) butter

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).  Grease and line the base of a 22 cm (9 inch) cake tin.
Place dates and bicarb soda into a bowl, and pour over the boiling water.  Allow to stand for 20 minutes.
Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after
each addition.  Using a metal spoon, fold through date mixture until well combined.
Spoon mixture into the prepared cake tin.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the
centre comes out clean.  Turn onto a plate.
Make the sauce.  Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce comes to the boil.  Reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 2 minutes.
Pierce pudding all over with a skewer.  Pour 1/2 cup of warm sauce over the warm pudding.  Stand for 10
minutes.  Serve in wedges with the remaining sauce.