RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Dublin-bred chef Rachel Allen takes a trip down memory lane in her latest cookbook, celebrating her Icelandic mum’s cooking and drawing on beloved dishes her friends’ mums passed down to them, from soda breads, to kedgerees and creamy rice puddings. Here’s one to try

almond fingers

Makes about 24 fingers

75g butter, cubed, plus a little melted butter for brushing the tin

175g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 50g caster sugar

1/2tsp baking powder

1 egg, separated

50ml milk

1tsp vanilla extract

4tbsp sieved apricot jam

50g icing sugar

A few drops of almond essence 25g flaked almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Brush the inside of a 20 x 30cm Swiss roll tin with melted butter, or line with baking parchment.

2. Place the flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl and whisk. Rub the butter in and place the egg yolk in a small bowl. Add the milk and vanilla extract and whisk to mix. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix to a dough.

3. Tip the dough out onto a floured work surface, dust with a little flour and roll out to a rectangle to fit the prepared tin. Transfer and smooth out so it is evenly spread in the bottom of the tin. Spread the apricot jam evenly over the dough.

4. Place the egg white in a bowl and whisk until frothy. Sift in the icing sugar and add the almond essence, then spread thinly over the jam. It will be quite sloppy. Scatter the flaked almonds over the top.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Cut into fingers to serve. Recipes From My Mother by Rachel Allen, published by Harpercollins, priced £20.