Pear and Blackcurrant Slice

We eat a lot of fruit as a family and whatever fruit is left in the fruit bowl at the end of the week I usually try and use it up by baking something delicious.  Pears are a regular feature in these bakes as they are either rock hard or soften rapidly and become over-ripe before we notice.  I still have some jars of blackcurrant compote I made in the summer so decided to use some of that in this bake too.

Pear and Blackcurrant Slice

200g butter, diced

100g caster sugar

200g self raising flour

1 free range egg, beaten

1-2 Tblsp milk

2 - 3 large pears, peeled and diced or use 420g tinned pears well drained

200ml blackcurrant compote or use blackcurrant jam
handful of rolled oats (optional)

Preheat your oven to 190C/170C Fan.  Line a 23cm cake tin with non-stick baking paper.  In a bowl rub the butter into the sugar and self raising flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Add the egg and milk and mix well.

Press two thirds of the mixture into the base of your lined cake tin.  Spread the compote over the dough then scatter over the pears.  Mix a handful of rolled oats into the remaining dough if you wish.  Lightly flour your hands and then dot the remaining dough over the top of the filling.

Bake the preheated oven for 40 minutes.  Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before carefully transfering to a wire rack.  When the slice has cooled completely, dust with icing sugar, cut into squares and serve.  This slice is also delicious as a pudding, served warm with custard.