They Say What They Say

I found this fabulous motto today: People can learn a lot from llamas. Isn't it just too true?!

I found it in yesterday's paper. It's actually a recipe for Rhubarb Yeast Cake, but I have all these blackberries that need using. Instead of cooking the berries, I just mixed them with the sugar, crushing a few to get more juice out, and let them stand while I made the dough. I also left out the dried fruit, cognac and nuts because I didn't have any. Plus I found that I had to add more flour to the dough to make it firmer.

Rhubarb yeast cake


INGREDIENTS

For the filling
250g rhubarb, cut into 1cm slices
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup dried fruit (currants or raisins)
1 tbsp cognac
1 tsp cornflour
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
2 tbsp strawberry or raspberry jam

For the yeast dough
2 tsp instant dried yeast
200g plain flour
pinch salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp sugar
60g butter, chopped into small pieces
1 egg
extra butter to grease the bowl

For the icing
1/2 cup pure icing sugar, sifted, mixed with
1 tbsp milk

METHOD

* For the filling: Bring a pot of water to the boil. Drop in the rhubarb for one minute, then drain. Place rhubarb in a bowl with sugar, dried fruit and cognac and leave for an hour or so while you make the yeast dough.

* For the yeast dough: Mix yeast, flour and salt in a bowl. Warm milk with sugar and butter, until the butter is just melted. Lightly mix egg and whisk into milk.

* Make a well in the flour and add the liquid mixture. Work to a smooth dough. (This is easiest in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook.) Put dough into a lightly buttered bowl and set aside, covered with a tea towel, in a draught-free spot until doubled in size (about one hour).

* Meanwhile, drain all juices from the rhubarb filling into a small saucepan. Slake the cornflour with a little water.

* Bring rhubarb juices to a simmer, stir a little into the cornflour mixture, then add the cornflour mixture to the juices and stir until evenly thickened. Pour the thickened juice back over the rhubarb filling. Stir and add walnuts to the mix if using. Refrigerate.

* To assemble: Knock back dough and dust workbench with flour. Roll or pat dough to a 16cm x 20cm rectangle. Lift onto a paper-lined baking tray.

* Smear jam down the centre and cover with the filling. Using scissors, snip sides at several intervals right through to the filling. Fold the ends of the dough over the filling and then fold strips alternately across the filling in a criss-cross pattern, there should be glimpses of the filling within. Cover with the tea towel and leave to double again (about 30?minutes).

* Heat oven to 180C. Bake for 30 minutes until crust is golden and tests cooked with a fine skewer. Allow to cool and then drizzle with the icing.

* Best eaten faintly warm. Slices of the cake, wrapped in foil, can be successfully reheated in a low oven.

Serves 8