62 The Times MagazineExtracted from Bella:
My Life in Food by
Annabel Langbein,
published by Allen &
Unwin (£20)READY IN
1 HOUREat!
DESSERTS
tray and flip to place the
buttered and sugared side down.- Arrange the apple slices in
an overlapping pattern on the
pastry. Brush all over with the
remaining butter and sprinkle
with the remaining sugar. Bake
until golden and crisp (about
50-55 minutes). - While the tart is baking,
warm the apricot jam with a
splash of water to thin it, then
strain through a sieve. Remove
the tart from the oven and
brush with the apricot glaze
while still hot. Serve with
scoops of vanilla ice cream.
FUDGEY CHOCOLATE
BROWNIE
Makes 20-30- Gluten free, if gluten-free flour
is used
This recipe once won a best
brownie competition. Dates are
hygroscopic, which means they
attract water, so they make
these brownies moist and tender.- 350g chopped dates
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 200g butter, diced
- 4 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 400g caster sugar
- 125g cocoa, sifted, plus 1 tbsp,
for dusting (optional) - 120g plain flour or gluten-free
flour - ½ tsp baking powder
- 250g dark chocolate chips or
chopped dark chocolate
- Preheat the oven to 160C
(180C non-fan). Line a 30cm x
20cm slab tin with baking paper. - Combine the dates, 180ml
water and bicarbonate of soda in
a small pan and bring to a boil.
Simmer for 1 minute, then add
the butter and stir until melted. - Remove from the heat and
mash the dates with a fork to
a creamy consistency. - Stir in the eggs and vanilla
extract until well combined. Stir
in the sugar, then add the cocoa,
flour and baking powder and
stir until smooth. Stir in the
chocolate chips or chunks. - Smooth into the prepared
tin and bake until set in the
middle and it begins to come
away from the sides of the tin
(about 40 minutes).- Leave to cool fully before
cutting into squares and dusting
with cocoa (if using). They will
keep for up to 2 weeks in an
airtight container. n