Rhubarb and Berry Shortcake

Ingredients

Fruit
3-4 stalks rhubarb
3 tbsp sugar
1 heaped cup of mixed berries

Shortcake
125g butter, softened
125g sugar
1 egg
225g standard flour
25g cornflour
1 tsp baking powder

To serve
icing sugar
lightly whipped cream

Preheat the oven 180ºC. Line the bottom of a 20-22cm shallow round non-stick cake tin with baking paper.

To prepare the fruit, trim and slice the rhubarb and put in a large non-stick frying pan with sugar.
Place over a low heat and shake the pan every now and then, until the fruit is almost tender.
Trim and slice the berry and add to the pan.
Give the pan another shake and set aside until the mixture is lukewarm.

To make the shortcake, put the softened butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg.
Sift the flour, cornflour, and baking powder together and beat in until just thoroughly mixed.
Scoop two-thirds of the dough into the cake tins and press it evenly over the bottom and up the sides.
The remaining dough will be used for the topping.

Spread the warm fruit over the shortcake base, then grate the remaining dough over the top, allowing a little of  fruit to pep through.

Bake for about 30 mins, until the shortcake is a light biscuit brown,
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before upending on to a wire rack and then on to a plate

Serve warm, cool or cold, dusted with icing sugar and with lightly whipped cream on the side


By Lois Daish - A Treasury of New Zealand Baking