Auckland and the Dancing Sister's Tamarillo Pudding

Back from a quick trip across the ditch to see the Dancing Sister, Mum and brother Al. I was only there for 6 days but managed to eat, drink, shop and be merry and even had a moment of cultural edification at a photographic exhibition.

My favourite fruit in the world is the feijoa. I first tried it in Auckland in the 1970s when my parents lived next to a house with a huge feijoa tree. The house belonged to Tom Skinner for those of you old enough to remember that feisty fellow. Thankfully the tree hung over the fence and that meant feijoa heaven from March through to about June. In Australia they have a very short season and most are imported from NZ. I have two young  trees down at Narooma which I am hoping will provide me with more than the 10 I harvested last season. Although there was not a feijoa to be found last week in Auckland it's very best friend and mine, the tamarillo, was easy to find. A plate of peeled and sliced tamarillos alternated with peeled and sliced feijoas is near enough to perfection in my foodie book.

With a dinner date at brother Al's imminent the Dancing Sister offered to bring dessert. Now this dessert has loomed large in her repertoire for some time. I have eaten it in various guises. She just calls it a fruit pudding. Until this week my favourite was always based on feijoas. All sorts of fruit can be used, even canned plums but this time it was fat tamarillos picked up at Fruit World at New Lynn. This recipe has to be one of the fastest and best little desserts I have ever come across. Experiment with different fruit. It seems that tart fruits work best. The Dancing Sister credits two fellows who lived next door years ago with this recipe but I credit her with this version.

Ready for the oven

Ingredients
125 grams butter
125 grams caster sugar

125 grams self raising flour              
2 eggs,well beaten
tamarillos, peeled and thickly sliced
-we used 6 or 7
pinch salt
1 tablespoon caster sugar, extra
icing sugar

Method
Heat the oven to 150-160 C fan forced or 180 C conventional oven.
Butter and flour a 23cm flan dish.

Melt butter and sugar together and allow to cool. Add eggs and sift in flour and salt and whisk to mix well. Pour batter mixture into the flan dish. Lay the fruit slices over the top of the batter and sprinkle with the extra caster sugar. Cook in the oven for about 25 minutes. Test with a skewer and if it needs a little longer, put it back in. Allow the pudding to cool a little and then sprinkle with a little icing sugar. Serve warm or cold with cream, ice cream or yoghurt (or all three).