desert

Stewed Tamarillo and Strawberry Compote with Ginger & Cinnamon

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 2 cooking apples peeled, cored and cut into small pieces
  • 3 tamarillos (Tree Tomatoes)
  • 5 strawberries (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1/2 cup caster sugar
  • 1 knob ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Prepare the fruit – peel and core the apples, then slice apples and strawberries into small cubes.
  2. Scoop out the tamarillos with a spoon and chop into small pieces
  3. Put the apples, tamarillos and caster sugar in a saucepan with the cinnamon, grated ginger and vanilla, cook, covered, for 15 mins until soft, stirring once or twice.
  4. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
  5. Cool for at least 20 mins before serving with ice-cream or dolloped on toast as a spread.
  6. Store in a jar in the fridge, for up to 5 days

Optional: Add 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind when cooking

Tamarillo Sago

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup sago
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups water
  • 1 cup sliced tamarillos (Tree Tomatoes) or other seasonal fruit like peaches, berries.
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar

Instructions

  1. Add sago and water to a saucepan, bring to the boil, stirring all the time.
  2. Cover with a lid, then reduce heat and summer until sago is clear.
  3. Scoop out the tamarillos with a spoon and chop into small pieces.
  4. Add the tamarillo, vanilla and sugar to the saucepan, simmer for 5 more minutes.
  5. Serve hot or warm with ice-cream or cream.

Optional: Add a pinch of cinnamon when cooking

Banana Streusel Bread

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 110 grams softened butter
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 ripe, medium bananas
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Streusel topping:
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 180 C. Line 1 large (or 2 small) loaf pan with baking paper, letting the excess hang over the long sides (this makes it easy to pull the loaf out at the end).
  2. Cream the softened butter and sugar in a mixer until pale and smooth.
  3. In seperate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork.
  4. Add the milk, eggs, vanilla and salt to the bananas, mix until combined.
  5. Add the banana mix to your creamed butter and sugar, fold in with a spatula until combined.
  6. Add the flour and baking soda, to the mix, fold in with a spatula until the ingredients till just combined and no more dry flour is visible, do not over-mix!
  7. Pour 1/3 of the mix into your prepared tin, top with half your streusel mix, repeat with next 1/3 mix and remaining streusel, then the last 1/3 mix.
  8. Bake until the top of the bread is brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, (approx 50 to 65 minutes for a large loaf, or 40-50 mins for small).

Optional: Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, after step 6, fold in to combine.

Tamarillo and Apple Hand Pies

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 2 cooking apples peeled, cored and cut into small pieces
  • 3 tamarillos (Tree Tomatoes)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • juice from 1 orange
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 x 320g shortcrust pastry sheets
  • 1 egg beaten
  • baking tray and baking paper

Instructions

  1. Prepare the fruit – peel and core the apples, then slice into small cubes.
  2. Scoop out the tamarillos with a spoon and chop into small pieces
  3. Put the apples, tamarillos and caster sugar in a saucepan with the orange juice and vanilla, cook, covered, for 6 mins until soft, stirring once or twice.
  4. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
  5. In a separate bowl, mix the cornflour with 1 tbspn cold water, and the cinnamon, then add it into the fruit mixture, stirring until combined.
  6. Unroll the pastry sheets and cut into 4 squares per sheet.
  7. Spoon the fruit filling onto one half of the pastry, leaving a 1cm border around the edge. Brush the beaten egg around the edges and fold the pastry over the top.
  8. Use the prongs of a fork to seal the edges, then brush tops with egg.
  9. Use the fork to poke some steam holes in the middle.
  10. Repeat with the remaining pastry / filling.
  11. Arrange the hand pies on a baking sheet lined with baking paper then chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins, or up to 24 hrs. You can also freeze them at this stage for up to 3 months.
  12. Bake the pies for 20 mins at 200 celsius. If cooking from frozen, bake for an extra 5 mins.
  13. Cool for at least 20 mins before serving with ice-cream or custard.

Optional: Add a pinch of cinnamon when cooking

Cheats Rhubarb Custard Pie

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 1 packet Sweet shortcrust pastry
  • 1 carton Thick & Creamy Custard (600g)
  • 5 stalks rhubarb, chopped into 2 cm slices (discard the leaves and woody ends)
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 125g caster sugar 
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 1 extra tbsp caster sugar
  • 25 x 35cm shallow baking tin or pie dish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 180 Celcius, leave the custard on the bench at room temperature while you prepare the pastry.
  2. Toss the rhubarb, cornflour and 125g sugar together in a bowl.
  3. Split the Sweet shortcrust pastry into 2/3rd and 1/3rd.
  4. Using a lightly floured rolling pin (or a wine bottle!) roll out the larger of the two pieces of dough on a lightly floured surface, to a rectangle large enough to line the base and sides of your baking tin, about ½cm thick.
  5. Lift the dough over your rolling pin and drape into the tin, leaving any excess hanging over the edges.
  6. Blind bake the pastry for 10 mins (can just cover in baking paper and tip on dry rice, if you don’t have baking beads). Cool slightly.
  7. Spread the thick custard over the pastry base.
  8. Scatter the top with the Rhubarb/sugar mix
  9. Roll out the smaller piece of pastry and cut into strips, then lay them across the pie dish.
  10. Brush the top with beaten egg and scatter over the 1 tbsp caster sugar.
  11. Bake at 180 C 35-40 mins, until the pastry is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
  12. Serve at room temperature or just warm, with whipped cream or ice-cream.

Optional: Add a pinch of cinnamon

Apple (or Pear) and Rhubarb Crumble

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 3 large apples, (or substitute 5 medium pears) peeled and cored
  • 5 stalks rhubarb, in 2cm slices (discard leaves and woody ends)
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 piece orange peel, scored
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 75 grams butter
  • pinch salt

Instructions

  1. Prepare the fruit – peel and core apples (or pears), and slice into fine slices, cut the rhubarb into 2cm pieces, discarding the leaves and woody ends. Using a vegetable peeler, take a thin slice of orange peel, then lightly score it with a knife.
  2. Place the fruit and peel in a shallow saucepan with the vanilla, sugar, spices, water and cinnamon.
  3. Bring to the boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cook 10 minutes until the fruit is tender.
  4. Transfer to a 5 cup capacity dish – a pie dish or baking dish is fine.
  5. To make the crumble, place the flour and sugar in a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. TIP: You can also do this step in a blender.
  6. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit base.
  7. Bake at 180ºC for 35-40 minutes till well cooked / golden.
    Serve hot with ice-cream or custard.

Optional: Add a swirl of whipped cream.