Divide the raspberries among 4-6 ramekin dishes, making sure that
you leave sufficient room for the topping.
Sprinkle over the orange rind and caster sugar whip the cream until
thick and stir into the yoghurt.
Spread over the raspberries and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the
grill to high.
Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the cream to evenly cover.
Place the ramekin dishes on a baking sheet, then place the sheet
under the grill for a few minutes until the sugar is golden brown
and just starting to caramelise.
Place1 biscuit in the bottom of 6 glasses and crush the remaining
biscuits.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon liquor over each biscuit in the glasses and
the remaining liquor over the crushed biscuits.
Stir the honey into the fromage frais.
Reserve a few raspberries for decoration and layer the rest with
the fromage frais and crushed biscuits in the glasses.
Decorate with the reserved biscuits and raspberries and chill for
up to 2 hours.
Sheer Luxury Strawberry Cheescake
Pastry Base: 4 ozs (100g) plain flour 3 ozs(75g) butter or margarine
softened 1½ oz (35g) icing sugar 1 egg yolk, size 3 Topping: 8 ozs (200g)
strawberries 1 kiwi fruit Size of tin: 9" (21 cm) loose bottom tin.
Filling: 3 size 3 egg yolks 6 ozs (150g) caster sugar grated rind and
juice of 1 orange 8fl oz (200 ml) milk 12 ozs (300g) creamed cheese
1 sachet powdered gelatine 3/4 Pt (375 ml) double or whipping cream
- Sift the flour on to a work surface and
make a well in the centre. Put the butter or margarine, icing sugar
and egg yolk into the well and mix together with your fingertips. (The
mixture will resemble scrambled eggs). Gradually work in the flour to
make a smooth, even dough. Roll the pastry into a ball, wrap and chill
for 15-20 minutes. Set the oven at 4000F, 2000C, Gas Mark 6. Roll out
the pastry on a lightly floured surface and line the base of the 8½"
loose-bottomed tin. Prick with a fork then line with greaseproof paper
and fill with baking beans. Bake 'blind' for 10 minutes, then remove
the beans and greaseproof paper and bake for a further 10 minutes. Leave
to cool. Sprinkle the gelatine over the orange juice in a small heatproof
bowl and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Stand the bowl in hot water and
heat gently until the gelatine has dissolved. Beat the cream cheese
until soft, then add the cream and beat until thick. Add the custard
and mix well until thoroughly combined. Stir in gelatine. Pour filling
over the pastry base and leave to set overnight in the fridge. Remove
the cheesecake from the tin and transfer to a flat serving plate. Wash
and hull the strawberries, then slice thinly. Peel and slice the kiwi
fruit. Arrange strawberries vertically around edge of cheesecake and
in a flower pattern in the centre using the kiwi slices as leaves.
Filling:
280ml (1/2pt) cream 225g (1/2lb) strawberries or (1/2lb) raspberries
Oven Temperature:
150oC, Gas 4. Cooking Time: 25-30 mins. Size of tin: 13"x9"
Prepare large Swiss roll tin by lining with silicone paper. Then whisk
eggs until stiff Add sugar gradually and whisk continuously Whisk in
vinegar, cornflour and essence. Spread in prepared tin and sprinkle
with flaked almonds. Place in heated oven. When cooked, allow to cool,
then turn on to sugared paper Spread with whipped cream and sliced strawberries.
Roll like a swiss roll. Serve sliced on a pureed strawberry sauce with
fresh dairy cream for a stunning dessert.
Strawberry Delight
8 ozs (225g) Digestive Biscuits
4ozs (110g) Margarine - melted
1 Strawberry Jelly
3/4 pint (425 ml) Water
1 tin Strawberries
20 marshmallows
1/4pint (140m1) Cream
9" Loose bottom tin
Melt margarine and add Co crushed biscuits.
Put into the tin and leave to firm. Melt jelly in 3/4 pint boiling
water and leave until setting point.
Add strawberries (drained).
Put jelly mixture on top of base.
Melt marshmallows and half cup milk slowly.
Cool and add whipped cream.
Fold cream into mixture and put on top of jelly.
Decorate with cream and sprinkle with chocolate.
Blackcurrant Pie
Pastry: 8 ozs (200g) plain flour 1 oz (25g) caster sugar 4 ozs
(100g) softened butter ½ small egg 1 tablespoon milk
Combine flour, sugar and butter together. Add the eggs and milk. Mix
to a dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for one hour. Roll out pastry
to line the base and sides of a 9-inch (23 cm) spring form cake tin.
Sprinkle the biscuits on the pastry base. Whisk the egg whites until
stiff, gradually whisk in the sugar - a spoonful at a time. Add the
ground almonds and blackcurrants and gently fold in. Turn mixture into
pastry case, spread evenly. Bake at 4000F, 2000C, Gas Mark 6, for 20
minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 3500F, 1800C, Gas Mark 4, for 15-20
minutes until the top is light brown. Dredge with icing sugar and serve
hot or cold with whipped cream. This is a delicious pudding with a very
special and quite delicate flavour as well as black currants, fresh
redcurrants or white currants can be used. Frozen fruit can be used
but must be thawed slightly at first as they would sink in the meringue.
Crunchy Gooseberry Whip
1 lb (400g) gooseberries
3 tablespoons
(45 ml) clear honey 10 fl oz
(250 ml) double cream, whipped
1½ oz (40g) butter
3 ozs (75g) wholemeal breadcrumbs
1 or (25g) hazelnuts, chopped and toasted 2 tablespoons
(30 ml) demerara sugar
Place gooseberries in a pan with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water, cover
and cook gently for 15 minutes until soft.
Cool slightly, then puree in a blender or food processor. Sieve
to remove tops and tails.
Add honey and leave to cool. Stir in the whipped cream.
Melt butter in frying pan, add the breadcrumbs and fry until golden
brown. Leave to cool, then stir in hazelnuts and sugar.
Divide half the gooseberry whip between 4 glasses and cover with
half of the crumbs.
Repeat the layers finishing with crumbs. Freezing of this dessert
is not recommended.
Not-So-Rich Strawberry Shortcake
1 litre strawberries
1/2 cup honey or sugar
1 recipe shortbread (below)
2 cups vanilla or plain yogurt
Wash, hull and slice the strawberries. Pour honey or sugar over
berries and let them soak in the sweetener for an hour or more at
room temperature. Reserve a few perfect berries for decoration.
Bake the shortbread following the recipe below.
To assemble, place the bottom shortcake on a serving platter.
Pour half of the sweetened strawberries and juice over it. Cover
with yogurt, reserve about two tablespoons for decorating the top
layer and then put on the top layer.
Slowly pour on the rest of the strawberries and juice, letting the
juice soak into the shortcake. Top with remaining yogurt and decorate
with whole reserved berries. Best if served immediately.
Makes 6 dessert servings.
Shortcake Short Dough
1 stick butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus
1 egg white
1/2 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
In food processor bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and
salt. Drop in butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Pour into a bowl and set aside.
In a small bowl blend milk, lemon peel and one whole egg.
Pour egg mixture into flour mixture, gently mix to form a soft ball
of dough. On a floured surface, divide dough in half. Roll into 9
inch circles.
Prick each circle with a fork. Brush generously with the remaining
egg white, beaten. Sprinkle tops with additional sugar.
Bake at 425 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Assemble shortcake using hot or cold shortbread.
Fabulous Strawberry Muffins - Makes 12 muffins.
2 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup melted butter
2 eggs, slightly beaten, 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
Pre heat oven to 400°F. Spray muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray
or line muffin cups with paper cupcake liners.
On a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda
and salt, stir well until all ingredient are well blended.
In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, eggs and
vanilla. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour
liquid mixture in and the strawberries.
Using a large spoon, gently fold ingredients just until moist do
not overmix.
Spoon the batter evenly into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin
with about 1/2 teaspoon sugar, if desired. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.
