Feijoa and almond shortcake recipe
The Kiwi fixation for feijoas shows no signs of abating.
Can you hear that sound? It’s the sound of feijoa trees up and down the country groaning under the weight of their generous and ripening bounty. That’s right, it’s feijoa season.
Suddenly, the small, green rugby-shaped fruit are everywhere. People leave boxes of feijoas outside their homes for anyone to take, they pass bags full across the fence to neighbours, and bring them to work
for colleagues.
Then, just as quickly as it came, it’s all over.
While they’re originally from Brazil, New Zealand is one of the largest producers of this unique fruit, known for their distinctive flavour and versatility. The feijoa conundrum is that they have a short shelf life and are not suited to transportation so feijoa fans can waste no time in freezing stewed fruit, dehydrating it, baking feijoa muffins and loaves and making feijoa chutneys, jams and jelllies. For the true feijoa fanatic, there’s ice-cream and yoghurt to make as well.
If you’re wondering what to do with all the feijoas coming your way this season, read on to find a recipe for feijoa and almond shortcake, with thanks to the New Zealand Feijoa Growers Association.
Feijoa fun facts
Feijoas pack a surprising nutritional punch. They are an excellent source of fibre for keeping things regular; plenty of vitamin C to combat winter lurgies, and a small amount of vitamin B complex, which helps in the transfer of energy. All things we need as the weather cools (Mother Nature knows what she’s doing).
Feijoa and almond shortcake
What could be nicer than a delicious slice of feijoa and almond shortcake, straight from the oven and served with ice-cream and a hot drink? We’re sold.
Don’t tell kiwifruit but feijoas have become the unofficial national fruit of New Zealand. The humble feijoa has stolen the heart of Aotearoa. Why are we so fond of this humble little South American sweetheart?
Is it because they’re shaped like mini rugby balls? Is it because they remind us of Easter eggs at this time of year? Or because you can either eat them with a spoon or just bite off the top and suck out the goodness? Is it because they can be used to make everything from jam to cupcakes to ice-cream?
We don’t know why, we just know we love them. Why not celebrate the fabulous fruit this season with a piece of this mouthwatering feijoa and almond shortcake?
Ingredients
- 24 feijoas, halved, flesh scooped out with a teaspoon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 125g butter
- 125g caster sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 egg
- 1 Tsp baking powder
- 250g flour
- 140g ground almonds
- Icing sugar and flaked almonds to garnish
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Put the feijoas in an ovenproof tray that’s big enough to hold them in a single layer then sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar. Bake for 15 minutes or until bubbling and browned. Leave to cool.
- Put the butter, caster sugar and lemon zest in a food processor then process until creamy and pale. Add the egg and mix well to combine.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and ground almonds. Process until thoroughly mixed. Briefly knead the dough on a floured surface then wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C. Remove the dough from the fridge and stand for five minutes or until it is soft enough to roll out. Divide in half then roll one half out on a floured surface to line a 35cm x 10cm rectangular tin (the pastry is probably going to be quite crumbly so just patch it back together).
- Drain the feijoas well but keep the syrup and put it to one side. Spread the feijoas evenly over the dough in the tart tin. Roll out the remaining dough to make a rectangle to cover the feijoas then crimp the edges together to seal.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until well cooked. Serve warm with whipped cream, drizzled with the reserved syrup and dusted with icing sugar and flaked almonds.
To get creative with your feijoa haul this season, find more recipes at the NZ Feijoa Growers Association website, feijoa.org.nz.
