The Friday List, caramel peach slice and the beach

We are heading up north for a little holiday today. It has been a long winter here in Orange, and while I’ve was lucky enough to escape the cold recently with my trip to Denmark, Tim and the kids are absolutely busting to break out the shorts and hit the beach. We are incredibly grateful to Tim’s parents Judith and Andrew who will be keeping an eye on our farm while we are away. Here’s Andrew feeding the stags with Alice and Tom this afternoon. And here below is a little recipe for caramel and peach squares that made a good afternoon tea today.

For those heading off on School holidays this weekend, safe travels. And just before we pack the car and head off, here is today’s Friday List

• Nutella stuffed brown butter sea salt chocolate chip cookies – wowsers
• Small town Texas and cinnamon twists via Chasing Delicious
• Beautiful styling and a lovely recipe for plum, rosemary and brandy cakes over here at Desserts for Breakfast
• I’d quite like a big tall glass of this blueberry, ginger and rum cooler at the beach tomorrow night please
• The seville orange season is just about over so if you can grab a few, this sorbet with sevilles and sichuan pepper might be worth a try
• Berry and ginger crumble via Herriott Grace
• Lovely new online magazine, The Simple Things
• David Tanis’s comfort food via the New York Times
• This creme caramel with pine nuts and thyme looks and sounds amazing
• Lots of eye candy at this Tumblr site, Modern Hepburn
• A new favourite food blog; Reclaiming Provincial
• One-bowl chocolate muffins from The Sophisticated Gourmet

Caramel and dried peach slice

You had me at caramel…it’s always nice to reach into the post office box and pull out the latest issue of Country Style magazine instead of (but usually as well as) a wad of bills. And nicer still when you find within, a recipe that combines good old school ingredients like condensed milk and golden syrup, plus dried fruit which I am currently well stocked up on (after visiting an orchard in Young on the weekend that dries its own organic fruit – more on this to come). The original recipe was written by Dixie Elliott and features on page 96 of the October issue of Australian Country Style. I made just a few little changes, namely the addition of the dried peaches.

2 cups wholemeal plain flour
1 cup wholemeal self raising flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
220g butter, cubed
2 eggs
1 x 395g can condensed mlik
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 cup dried peaches, cut into small pieces (or other dried fruit)

Preheat oven to 180C and grease a lamington tray with baking paper. Combine the flours, sugar and 180g of the butter in a food processor and blitz until you have a mixture resembling fine breadcrumbs. Add the eggs and pulse until it becomes a soft dough. Divide this in half, press one portion into the lamington tray and shape the remainder into a sausage shape, wrap with baking paper and place in the fridge for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the caramel filling by pouring the condensed milk, golden syrup and remaining butter in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the mixture is a smooth, golden brown. Allow to cool a little then pour over the slice base. Sprinkle with the dried peaches and then grate over the remaining topping so it resembles a fine crumble. Bake for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden. Slice and serve or store in an airtight container.