Making Use Of That Fruit

You probably know my theory that if a food has fruit in it, it has to be good for you. At the very least it has to be slightly healthy. I made some lovely little cakes this afternoon that are laden with sugar and butter but they do have one tiny little slice of nectarine on the top so following my theory... they're actually good for you!

I was looking at different recipes that would help me to use up some of the fruit bounty but ran into a couple of problems. Offspring #1 had a small friend to play today who is unable to eat nuts. Not the end of the world but it did rule out a number of recipes, particularly some scrummy friands I'd had my eye on. The other problem was all my own fault - the first however-many recipes I looked at I just didn't feel like making! Then I found a lovely Donna Hay recipe for Summer Nectarine Cakes - it was sooooo lovely and I desperately wanted to make them but they called for almond meal. Oh well, I'll save that one for another day. Then I turned to Bill for inspiration. Bill Granger who I can rely on any day, any meal, any occasion. And I found exactly what I wanted. Well, exactly what I wanted after I changed a couple of things! And as you can see they met with Offspring #2's approval too. I had to include the middle pic because it makes me laugh every time I look at it. She looks so sweet until the 'crazy' comes through.

Little Nectarine Cakes

Using Bill Granger's Vanilla Cup Cake recipe (from Bill's Open Kitchen)

125g unsalted butter, softened

250g caster sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

3 eggs

185g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup milk

1 nectarine, halved, stone removed. Cut each half into six slices

icing sugar

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 12 hole 125ml (1/2 cup) muffin tray with paper cases. Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour, baking poser and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and fold into the mixture, alternating with the milk until it has a soft dropping consistency, Spoon into the cases and top each cake with a slice of nectarine. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes in the tin. Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool. When cool dust with icing sugar.