Feijoa Shortcake

Before I moved to New Zealand I never heard of a feijoa let alone tasted one which certainly was an experience unto itself! There is a definite divide on people who either love them or really dislike them, my first taste was quite a surprise and I really wasn’t sure what to think. The feijoa has a very floral aromatic scent and taste which is sweet with a slight tart under taste to it and after a few tastes of this fruit i was certainly in the ‘love them camp’. 

I always thought it was an indigenous plant to New Zealand because there is such an abundance during the autumn months when the trees are fruiting. Everyone seems to have feijoa trees in their back garden and there is always a constant supply from people politely foisting them off onto others. I am a glad recipient of these delicious fruits and while at my friends in New Plymouth this weekend I came came away with a whole shopping bag full of them. So this will be the first of many feijoa recipes to come. The fruit actually originates from the highlands of northern Brazil and parts of Colombia, Uruguay and Argentina.

Ingredients

110g butter, softened
110g icing sugar
220g self raising flour
1 egg
8-10 feijoas

Method

Preheat oven to 170 degrees centigrade
Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin.
Cream butter & sugar together.
Add flour and combine into fine crumbs.
Add egg and bind together to form dough, do not over mix or the dough will become tough.
Split dough in half and put one half in the fridge to chill.
Press half the dough into the base of tin.
Slice feijoas in half and scoop out the fruit pulp and put into a bowl. Lightly mash fruit into smaller pieces.
Take chilled dough out of the fridge and roll out to cover dough with the feijoas. Use plenty of flour on rolling surface and rolling pin. If the dough breaks apart you can piece it together on top of the fruit and gently bring it together.
Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.