Desserts
Melting Moments
(makes about 36)250g salted butter, softened150g pure icing sugar, sifted1 tspn vanilla bean paste250g plain flour60g custard powderpure icing sugar, to dustFor the filling: (or use the buttercream from 'rhubarb coconut cake')60g unsalted butter, softened150g pure icing sugar, sifted20g raspberriesPreheat oven to 160°CWhip the butter, icing sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour and custard powder and gently fold into the butter. Wrap and chill for about half an hour. Roll out to 2-3mm thick and cut into rounds. Place onto lined baking trays and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.For the filling: Beat the butter in a bowl until light and creamy add the icing sugar. Stir in the raspberries. Spoon into a piping bag and pipe onto a cookie and then place another round on top. Repeat for all the cookies and then dust with icing sugar, arrange on a serving plate and enjoy with a cup of tea.
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Raspberry Scones
Makes about 18420 plain flour30g baking powderPinch of salt60g caster sugar70g cold & unsalted butter, diced300 ml milkfrozen raspberries for decoratingPreheat the oven to 200°C Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and add salt and sugar. Add the butter and mix together with either a paddle attachment on your mixture or rub in with your fingertips until it resembles bread crumbs. Slowly add enough milk until the mixture just comes together into a ball. Do not over work the dough.Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, and gently pat the dough together into a round shape, about 3cm high. Use a scone cutter to cut rounds from the dough. Gently work the remaining dough together to cut as many rounds as possible. Place the scones close together on a lined baking tray and brush with milk. Press a few frozen raspberries into each scone. Bake in a hot oven for about 15 minutes or until they are golden and well-risen. Dust the scones with some icing sugar before serving. Serve warm or cold with rhubarb jam (recipe online) and clotted cream.
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Lemon Whoopie Cakes
Ingredients 225g self raising flour 2 eggs 1 lemon zest and juice 150g caster sugar 150g butter at room temp 60ml milk Lemon Butter (make in advance) 2 eggs 100g sugar 50ml lemon juice 50g butter, diced & chilled 2g cornflour 100-200ml whipped cream Strawberries MethodHeat oven to 170°C. Beat the butter and sugar until light & fluffy, add eggs one at a time. Fold in sifted flour and milk and then lemon juice and zest. With an icecream scoop or tablespoon, spoon onto lined baking trays and bake 10-15 mins. Cool on a wire rack. For the Lemon Fillingmix together in a saucepan, the eggs, sugar, cornflour and lemon juice. Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously until thick. Take off the heat and add butter. Allow to cool, preferably over night. Place into a bowl and add enough whipped cream to reach the desired flavour. Pipe onto the base of a whoopie cake and add sliced strawberries and place another whoopie cake on top. Dust with icing sugar and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee, on your own or with great company!
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Lemon Curd
Ingredients 2 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks ¾ cup (165g) caster sugar â…“ cup (80g) chilled unsalted butter Juice of 2 lemons Method In a saucepan whisk eggs, yolks and sugar until smooth, add the lemon juice then place pan over low heat and whisk until thick. Take off the heat and add the butter, and whisk until melted. Strain through a sieve into a sterilized jar. Lemon curd keeps, covered, in the fridge for about 2 weeks.
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Orange, Almond & Poppy Seed Cupcakes
Ingredients 120g unsalted butter, very soft 150g caster sugar 2 eggs, room temperature 235g self-raising flour 50g blanched almond meal 5g (1½ teaspoons) poppy seeds Grated rind of 1 orange Juice of ½ a strained orange Decoration Icing flowers Green and orange gel icing Fresh mint leaves Icing 30g milk 10g melted butter 180g icing sugar mixture MethodWhisk the butter until it is pale and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue whisking until it is fully incorporated. Add eggs one at a time and when fully incorporated on slow speed add the flour, almond meal, poppy seeds and rind. Mix through and add the orange juice. Pre heat oven to 175°C. Sit the patty pans in the muffin trays and scoop or spoon the mixture into them. Bake for 10 minutes for small and 15-20 minutes for large. Allow to cool standing on a cake rack, ice and decorate. This is a great base recipe that you can turn into all sorts of different flavoured cup cakes. Try omitting the orange rind and juice and adding 50g fresh or frozen raspberries instead. Decorate with raspberry icing and silver or pink cachous and little pink orchids or fresh violets in season. When you make you own innovations just remember that you need to substitute about 50g of fruit and juice (total weight).
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Mini Cheesecakes
Ingredients 250g crushed biscuits 120g melted butter 750g cream cheese 250g caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla essence 30g flour Juice of 1 lemon 4 eggs 600g sour cream 2 punnets raspberries Jelly 1 packet raspberry jelly crystals 250ml boiling water 100ml syrup from rose hibiscus 100ml cold water Garnish 1 jar hibiscus flowers in rose syrup Frosted pistachios 100g pistachio nuts, crushed Dried rose petals MethodLine individual rings with baking paper. Create a base by twisting a square of foil lined with baking paper around the base of the mould and secure with a firm twist. Arrange on a baking tray. Mix together biscuit crumbs and melted butter. Divide amongst the moulds and press down to cover the base of each individual portion. Place raspberries on the base & set aside. Place cream cheese and 200g of caster sugar in the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer with a paddle attachment and blend until smooth. Add vanilla and lemon juice. Add eggs one at a time and combine until smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl to remove any lumps. Add 200g of sour cream. Spoon into prepared moulds and fill 2/3rds of the way, and bake at 160°C for about 15-20 mins until just set in the centre. It should still be a little wobbly. Mix together 400g of sour cream and 50g of caster sugar and spoon a little into each mould, enough to cover 2-3mm, place in the oven for 4 mins. Allow to cool. Dissolve the jelly crystals in boiling water, add syrup and cold water. Allow to cool before pouring over the top of the cooled cheesecakes. Garnish with a hibiscus flower and fresh raspberries. Set in the fridge for several hours or overnight until the jelly has set. Garnish with half a frosted pistacchio on top and crushed pistacchios mixed with dried rose petals around the sides.
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Raspberry Macaroons
Ingredients 200g egg whites (room temperature) 50g caster sugar Wiltons red food colour 450g pure icing sugar 250g blanched almond meal Filling 3 egg yolks 150g sugar 40ml water 200g butter softened Vanilla essence or raspberry jam MethodProcess icing sugar & almond meal in a food processor & sieve. Whip egg whites with half the sugar to firm peak, add remaining sugar and food colour to the desired colour. Fold in the almond meal and pure icing sugar. Fold together until smooth and shiny. Place into a piping bag & pipe small rounds onto a lined baking tray. Sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking. Bake at 160°C for 12-15 minutes. For the filling, whip egg yolks in a KitchenAid mixer until pale & fluffy. Heat sugar and water in a pan until it reaches 121°C on a sugar thermometer. Slowly pour over the egg yolks & keep whisking until the mixture is cool. Slowly add butter and flavour. Pipe or spoon onto the centre of the macaroons and sandwich together.
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Chocolate Whoopie Cakes
Ingredients 115g butter softened 200g soft dark brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 large egg 280g white plain flour 50g cocoa powder 1¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda Pinch salt 225ml buttermilk Filling Ingredients 70g icing sugar 1 large egg white 225g light corn or golden syrup Pinch of salt MethodPreheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan) 375°F Gas Mark 5. Line 3-4 large baking sheets with baking paper or grease the wells of a whoopie pan. Put the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in an electric mixer bowl, or use a large mixing bowl and a hand-held electric mixer, and whisk together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into the bowl and stir together. Add the buttermilk and stir until combined. Using a level 5cm/2-inch ice cream scoop or heaped tablespoon, put the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets in 5cm/2 inch diameter rounds about 3cm/1¼ inches high and leaving at least 7.5 cm/3 inches between each round to allow room for spreading, or in the prepared pan. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool. When the whoopies are cold, match each whoopie half with its closest partner in size. Spreading with a palette knife or using a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle, cover the flat side of one whoopie half of each pair generously with the filling. Top each with its matching half, flat-side down, and press gently together. Filling MethodSift the icing sugar into a bowl. Put the egg white, syrup and salt in an electric mixer bowl, or use a large mixing bowl and a hand held electric mixer, and whisk on high speed for 5 minutes until thick and doubled in volume. On a low speed, gradually add the icing sugar in spoonfuls. Whisk until combined. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. The filling is suitable for spreading instead of piping into whoopies.
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Easter Shortbread
Ingredients For the Humpty Dumptys/Chicks 110g caster sugar 1 packet ready made fondant 300g plain flour Wilton food colours 45g rice flour 250g butter, chilled & diced Sugar Syrup 200g sugar 200ml water For the Stain Glass Eggs 110g caster sugar 300g plain flour 45g rice flour 250g butter, chilled & diced Lollipops, finely crushed MethodFor the Humpty Dumptys/ChicksFor the sugar syrup; In a saucepan dissolve the sugar in the water over low heat, once dissolved boil for 2 minutes & allow to cool. Store in a air tight container in the refrigerator. Sift the flours together in a mixing bowl, add the sugar. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Bring together with your hands until it forms a ball, kneading slightly but only to combine. Do not over work the pastry as it will shrink in baking and be less delicate to eat. Wrap in cling film & chill for about ½ hour. Preheat your oven to 160°C. Sprinkle your work surface with a light dust of flour and roll out the shortbread to about 4mm thick. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters and carefully place onto lined baking sheets. Bake for about 10-15 minutes until very lightly golden in colour. Allow to cool on a wire rack before decorating. For the fondant, use a little food colour and mix well until you have the desired colour. We recommend Wilton colours, so that you achieve a good colour without the addition of liquid which will make the fondant too soft. Dust your work surface with a little icing sugar and roll out until very thin, approximately 2mm thick. Cut and shape as desired. Brush the back of the fondant with sugar syrup & stick onto cookies. Use coloured icing or melted chocolate to pipe final touches (face, eyes, bow ties etc).For the Stain Glass EggsSift the flours together in a mixing bowl, add the sugar. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Bring together with your hands until it forms a ball, kneading slightly but only to combine. Do not over work the pastry as it will shrink in baking and be less delicate to eat. Wrap in cling film & chill for about ½ hour. Preheat your oven to 160°C. Sprinkle your work surface with a light dust of flour and roll out the shortbread to about 4mm thick. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. For the glass window effect, make cut outs with a small knife on half of the biscuits and carefully place onto a lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Gently sprinkle crushed lollipops into the holes and place in the oven for a few minutes to melt. This will create a stained glass look. Allow to cool. Sandwich together with a plain shortbread biscuit for the back with a little icing. (icing sugar and water)
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Apple Soufflé
Ingredients 4 apples 3 tbspn butter 200g caster sugar 1 lemon zest 6 egg whites Icing sugar Extra sugar for ramekins MethodBrush 6 small ramekins with melted butter & sprinkle with enough sugar to coat evenly, shake out the excess sugar. Place on a baking tray & set aside. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Peel, core & roughly chop the apples. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan & add the apples, add half of the sugar & the lemon zest. Cook on medium heat until soft or until all the liquid has evaporated. Purée in a food processor or a hand held stab blender. Place in a large bowl & set aside to cool & firm. Place the egg whites in a bowl & whip until stiff peaks form, add in the remaining sugar & whisk for one minute until glossy. Carefully fold the egg whites into the apple mixture, 1/3 at a time. Do not over mix. Spoon equal amounts of the mixture into the prepared ramekins 2cm above the rim. Bake for about 5 minutes. Turn the oven down to 180°C & bake for a further 7-10 minutes. The soufflés will have risen and be golden on the top. Carefully take them out of the oven, & dust with icing sugar. Serve immediately…
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Almond Praline Parfait
Ingredients 100ml pouring cream 100ml thick/heavy cream 180g sugar 4 egg whites 80g almonds lightly roasted 40ml water MethodDissolve 100g sugar in the water and cook until a deep golden caramel. Add almonds and quickly pour onto a lined baking tray and allow to cool. Once cool, chop into small pieces, and set aside. Beat together the 2 creams until soft peak. Add the chopped almond praline. Whip the egg whites until soft peak, and slowly add the remaining sugar and whip until firm and glossy. Gently fold into the cream and place in a container and freeze overnight. Enjoy on its own or with a hot apple pie…
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Apple Crisps
Ingredients 150g sugar 150ml water 2 granny smith apples MethodDissolve the sugar in water and then bring to the boil. Allow to cool. Slice the apples very finely with a mandoline slicer and dip in the sugar syrup. Place on a lined baking tray and place in a very low oven until crisp. This will take a few hours, being careful not to gain too much colour. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container.
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