Gooseberry frangipane bars

1 HOUR + COOLING | CUTS INTO 16 | EASY

gooseberries 400g ripe, trimmed of any stalks

golden caster sugar 400g

ready-rolled shortcrust pastry 320g sheet

unsalted butter 200g, softened

eggs 4

plain flour 75g

ground almonds 200g

flaked almonds 30g

icing sugar 6 tbsp

lemon juice a squeeze

1 Tip the gooseberries and 200g of the caster sugar into a pan set over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Turn up the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened slightly and the fruit has broken down. Cool completely.

2 Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and line the base of a 20cm x 30cm baking tray with the pastry, trimming it to fit the sides neatly. Prick all over with a fork and bake for 15 minutes until golden.

3 Meanwhile, beat together the butter and remaining 200g of caster sugar using an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Crack in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Stir in the flour, ground almonds and a pinch of salt.

4 Reduce the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Spread the gooseberry compote over the pastry in an even layer, then spoon the frangipane over the compote, gently smoothing it into an even layer using a spatula. Scatter over the flaked almonds and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden on top and the frangipane springs back when lightly pressed. Cool completely.

5 Mix the icing sugar with enough lemon juice to make a drizzly icing, then spoon this over the cooled frangipane in a zig-zag pattern. Cut into bars and serve.

PER BAR 446 kcals | fat 25.9G saturates 9.9G | carbs 44.9G | sugars 33.6G fibre 1.7G | protein 7.3G | salt 0.2G