Mandarin Almond Log

This make a great dessert for a dinner party - cut into a diagonal slice and served with strawberry couli and thick cream. It was given to me by Sue, an old friend over 30 years ago.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 (310 g) can mandarin segments
• 30  g butter
• 1⁄4 cup caster sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄2 cup  ground almonds
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄4 cup sultana
• 325  g puff pastry (use ready rolled if available)
• 1  egg white, lightly beaten

• Topping

• 1  teaspoon water
• 1⁄2 cup  slivered almonds
• 2  tablespoons caster sugar

Directions

1. Drain mandarins well, chop 2/3 and reserve remainder for decoration.
2. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light, stir in ground almonds, cinnamon, sultanas and chopped mandarin.
3. Roll out pastry, or use ready rolled, on tea towel into 9” by 12” rectangle.
4. Spoon almond, mandarin mixture down centre of pastry, fold one of the longer sides to centre, brush one edge with water and overlap 1” and seal, moisten ends and seal.
5. Place on baking paper lined tray and brush with egg white, lightly beaten.
6. Combine water, almonds and castor sugar, stir until almonds are coated then spoon over or down centre of log and bake 30 mins at 180 deg C (350 deg F) or until golden brown.
7. Cool and decorate with cream and the remaining mandarin segments.