Greengauge and Marzipan Cakes

I love greengages and meant to post this last month but time seems to speed by to fast. Greengages are a small sweet green coloured plum, they are only in the supermarket (cheap) for a few weeks each year and are great to eat as they are, but are also excellent to cook with. Most sweet plum recipes work with them. 

Preheat the oven 180 C / 350 F / Gas mark 4 

Prepare a 12-hole bun tray with paper cases

For the Grengage and Marzipan Cakes

• 75g/ 3oz Softened butter
• 75g/ 3oz Caster sugar
• 1 Extra large egg (room temperature)
• 100g/ 4oz Self raising flour (with a pinch of salt added)
• 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 6 Greengages (remove stones)
• 100g/ 4oz Marzipan (also known as  almond paste)

To make the Cakes
Place the  butter and sugar into a large bowl then beat with spoon or electric mixer until pale and fluffy.
Add the egg one to the butter/ sugar mixture, beating until smooth.  
Add the flour, cinnamon and salt, fold them into the mixture until combined.

Chop the greengages and marzipan into silimar sized small cubes and add to the mixture,
lightly mixing in.

Divide the mixture into the prepared 12 bun tray filling each papercase so they are just over half full.

Bake the cakes for 12 - 15 minutes until golden-brown. Leave to cool.

No need to add any icing, these are sweet enough. For serving you could lightly dust with icing sugar (also known as confectioners sugar)

Plum & Almond Tarts

 

Plum and Almond Tarts 

Plums are beginning to reappear in the shops, I love cooking foods that are in season, different tastes to experiment with each month.

Ingredients:

Shortcrust pastry purchased or made

For the frangipane 

• 4oz/ 100grams Butter
• 4oz/ 100grams Caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 4oz/ 100grams Ground Almonds 

For the filling

• Approximately 3 plums (you may need more or less plums depending on size and type used) 

Oven temperature 200C/400F/Gas Mark6

Roll out (or unwrap) and cut your pastry into squares (removing the corners) I wanted a rustic look, you can use purchased pastry or make your own (shortcrust is very easy to make, I used the same recipe as the rhubarb and strawberry pie) 

Bake blind = Cook for 8 minutes I used a Yorkshire pudding tray with another on top to keep the pastry flat you do not want to brown the pastry as you will be returning it to the oven later.

 

While pastry is cooking make your frangipane 

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the egg and continue beating until combined

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the ground almonds and mix well.

 

   

 

 

  

Add mixture to blind baked pastry  

 

 

 

 

 

Remove the stones from approximately 3 plums and cut each one in half. Cut the halves into slices and divide between the tarts pushing into the frangipane mixture.      

 Bake until golden and frangipane is springy with touched.

Serve warm with cream or creme fraiche

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