Date & Pear Puff

Date & Pear Puff

Ingredients:

• 2 sheets prepared puff pastry

• 5 peeled, cored and sliced pears

• 1 cup stoned, chopped dates

• 1 cup flaked almonds, toasted

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar

• 2 heaped tablespoons castor sugar

• 1 dessert-spoon cinnamon

• 2 tablespoons liquid i.e. fruit juice, almond or soy milk

Method:

Preheat moderate oven, oil an oven-proof baking dish and line the dish with pastry. Lay the pears on the pastry, then cover with the dates. Scatter the almond over dates, cover with the brown sugar over almonds. Add a second sheet of pastry. Using a pastry brush, wet the pastry with two tablespoons of - liquid-apple juice, water or plant milk. Place sugar and cinnamon in a jar or paper bag, shake to combine well, then scatter the contents over the pastry. Bake for twenty minutes or till pastry is puffy and feels crisp to touch. Serve plain or with custard.

Vegan Custard

Ingredients:

• 1 cup silken tofu

• 1 cup almond milk

• 1 cup soy milk (I like Bonsoy)

• 1/2 cup castor sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 tablespoons cornflour

Method:

Blend or pulse tofu till smooth, then put it aside. Put almond milk and a half cup of soy milk in a pot over low heat, add the castor sugar and stir till blended. While milk is heating, combine cornflour with the remaining soy milk. Before the milk boils, stir in the cornflour mix. Keep stirring till thickened. Remove from stove, add vanilla essence and the tofu, return to the low heat and stir till almost boiling. Serve hot or cold.