Here’s a lovely, easy, tasty bake that’s fruity and moist with a crumbly, nutty coconut top. It’s a terrific bake, my only problem has been thinking of a shorter title, so please let me know if you have one to offer.
Makes: 16 squares
Time: 30 mins hands-on, 50 – 60 mins baking, 30 mins chilling, 10 mins to cut and finish. Total – just over 2 hours.
Level: Easy
Need: 20cm/8” square tin
Ingredients
- 150g/5½oz SR flour
- Pinch of salt
- 75g/2½oz ground almonds
- 150g/5½oz unsalted butter, softened
- 200g/7oz golden caster sugar
- 75g/2½oz desiccated coconut
- 1½ large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 200g/7oz Plums from a jar, cut into quarters (*Keep some of the syrup from the jar)
- 75g/2½oz white chocolate chips
- 30g/1oz flaked almonds
- 3 – 4 Tbsp apricot jam (if needed to help set the topping)
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180C / fan 160C / 350F / Gas 4. Wet the tin & line with baking parchment.
2. Tip the flour, salt, ground almonds, butter and sugar into a food processor or stand mixer and beat just until everything is well mixed and the butter is evenly distributed.
3. Remove about 75g/2½oz of the mixture and mix with the coconut (rub in with finger tips) – set aside.
4. Add the eggs and almond extract to the rest of the main mixture and mix briefly. (It doesn’t need to be smoothly mixed.)
5. Spread this mixture over the base of the tin then lay the plum quarters onto it. Sprinkle over the white chocolate chips then spread the coconut mixture on top. Finally, add the flaked almonds.
6. Gently level and press down the mixture. Give the tin a few taps on your work surface to settle it and remove any air. Bake for 50 – 60 minutes. Check after 45 in case it needs to be covered with foil if darkening too much.
7. Cool in the tin. (It will benefit from 30 minutes or longer in the fridge before being cut into pieces.)
8. If the desiccated coconut topping is dry or very loose on the surface, warm the apricot jam with a little of the plum syrup and gently dab or brush it over the surface. Give it a bit longer in the fridge. Cut and eat.
Gallery
Basic mix 
Plums added 
coconut and almonds added
Click this link for more tasty traybake recipes. Here are some of my personal favourites that I’m sure you’ll love too:
Lemon Millionaires Shortbread.
If you’d like to make a comment or ask a question please do, via the contact page. In the mean time, I hope all your baking goes well and tastes wonderful.
Retired Bloke on Food n stuff 