When my daughter, Louise, and her family come to England for the New Year, Easter and in August, I cook their favourite foods.

Daniel, as a strapping nearly 18-year old, loves desserts in general and Plum Traybake in particular. I can’t remember where the original recipe comes from but it’s one of those that work every time.

As well as Louise’s family, our elder son, Simon, and Bernard and his girlfriend, Jo, came to dinner. It was Josh’s turn to cook but I made the dessert while he cooked a vegetarian cottage pie – Bernard is a vegetarian.

And saw online that my memoir Woman in a White Coat is still selling well on Amazon. Thank you all.

Recipe for Plum Traybake

Bake 180°C 35-40 minutes 

200gm margarine/ butter
200gm caster sugar
3 lightly beaten large eggs 

250 gm self-raising flour
50 gm ground almonds
2 tab milk  

6-8 halved and stoned plums, nectarines or apricots
Generous 25 gm flaked almonds

Cream margarine/ butter and sugar
Beat in eggs with some of the flour
Fold in the rest of the flour and ground almonds
Add the milk + a little more if required to form a dropping consistency

Spread mixture into a greased and lined flat 20 X 30 cm Swiss roll tin
Press the plums into the mixture in 3 rows cut side up – don’t push in too deep
Scatter the flaked almonds over the top

Bake 180°C 40 minutes until risen and slightly golden and a skewer comes out clean