Desserts Recipes - Fruit Shortcake with Fresh Nectarines Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 375 g/12 oz plain flour, sifted

• 250 g/8 oz soft margarine or butter

• 125 g/4 oz soft brown sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 175 g/6 oz curd cheese

• 1 tablespoon clear honey

• 2 nectarines

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Method:

1. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Place the sifted flour in a large mixing bowl and rub in the margarine or butter. Stir in the sugar, then add the vanilla extract.

2. Bring the mixture together with your hand to make a ball and knead lightly. Divide the dough in half. Rollout each half on a lightly floured surface to a 20 cm/8 inch round. Flute the edges with a fork.

3. Place both rounds on the prepared baking sheets and mark one into 8 sections. Bake in a preheated oven, 160°C (325°F), Gas Mark 3, for 50 minutes-1 hour until lightly browned.

4. Remove from the oven. Cut through the sections on the marked round. Leave to cool slightly. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before filling.

5. Cream the curd cheese and honey in a bowl. Peel, stone and chop one nectarine and add it to the curd cheese. Spread this mixture carefully on to the uncut round of shortbread.

6. Arrange the shortbread wedges neatly on the cheese mixture, each at a slight angle and overlapping a little.

7. Thinly slice the remaining nectarine, without peeling it, and use the nectarine slices to decorate the top of the shortcake.