JAM AND POLENTA SHORTCAKE

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Mix together 300gm ( 2x cups ) of s.r flour with 140 gm (3/4 cup ) of polenta along with 100gm ( 1/2 cup ) of castor sugar in a large bowl . Use your fingertips to rub in 125 gm of butter / marg (at room temperatre) until it resembles fine breadcrumbs . In a separate bowl beat together 2 eggs and 1 tsp of vanilla extract , add this to the flour mixture . Use a butter knife to cut into the mixture until it holds together , continue until smooth . Turn onto a lightly floured surface and divide the pastry in half . Roll out 1 pastry half with a lightly floured rolling pin , until 5 mm thick . Spray the base and sides of a 22cm loose base flan pan and lightly sprinkle with polrnta . Line the pan with rolled dough ( base and sides ).Trim excess pastry . FILLING....... Combine 410 gm of raspberry jam ( 1 and 1/4 cups ) , with 3/4 cup ( 145 gm ) of chopped raisins along with 65 gm ( 1/2 cup ) of granulated nuts and 1 tsp of orange essence in a medium bowl , mix well to combine . Pour the mixture evenly into the pastry base and roll out the remaining pastry and place over the the jam filling . Press edges to seal and brush the top with milk . Place the flan pan in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden . Leave cool in the pan before romoving to a wire rack to cool completely . Dust with icing sugar and slice into pieces.