Passion Fruit Posset

With the sight of summer ever closer, the meals get lighter and fresher. The heavy casserole and soup recipes, gradually get pushed to the back of the recipe books. The salad recipes become more used, the desserts become less chocolate and sponge based, and more fresh fruit based. Its also the time i start using all the tropical fruit that i love: I could never tire of eating mango and passion fruit!!

If you had to pick a fancy dessert, that seemed really difficult, but isn't, then a posset would definitely be it. Having grown up watching my mum do a lemon version every time she invited people over, there was no doubt in my mind, that it was easy, and super delicious. With my recent craziness over passion fruit (you'll understand in a few posts), it seemed like an obvious choice to combine the two!! Plus, i had a dinner party that i was cooking for, so it was an obvious choice, as these can easily be made a day or two ahead.

Serve them in individual pots, topped of with extra passion fruit. Serve them with crisp coconut biscuits (recipe coming soon!!!). If you wanted to add another element, top with small cubes of mango, and sprigs of mint for extra colour.

Ingredients

600ml double cream

120g caster sugar

6 passion fruit

1 lime

coconut biscuits to serve, optional

1. Put the cream and sugar, into a saucepan. Gently heat up until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil, and reduce to a simmer for 3 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, scoop out the pulp from 5 passion fruit, and pass through a sieve. I prefer to blitz the pulp, for a couple of seconds, so the juice separates from the seeds better.

3. once the cream has simmered, take off the heat and stir in the passion fruit juice and lime juice.

4. allow to cool slightly, before pouring into ramekins. chill for 4-6 hrs or overnight

5.  to serve, spoon over the flesh from the leftover passion fruit. Serve with coconut biscuits, if wished.

My Christmas Cake

As soon as it gets towards the end of November, you go into any supermarket, and i can almost grantee you, there will be no currants, marzipan or royal icing left on the shelves, as everyone rushes to make there Christmas cakes, and Christmas puddings. So, if you're super organised, and haven't left the hunt for currants until now, and just looking for a recipe: I'm obviously biased, but this is my favourite one (even better than my college's, because wow,how much more booze can you fit into a cake?!).

With just the right amount of alcohol for most taste buds, soaked into the fruit it will please most people. If you like a bit more alcohol; Simple, just soak it in a bit more, and feed it with a bit more! I added the almonds as i love the surprise crunch against all the plump fruit, plus i just generally love almonds, but if you don't swap with an extra 50g of currants. 

And yes, you did read the title correctly, I was super organised last year and photographed the Christmas cake on the day, and saved it. Not that I was organised in writing the post, and still manage to be still writing it the night before, and morning.Though i will praise myself, for writing it and putting it up before "Stir up Sunday", this Sunday on the 22nd, which is traditionally the day you make the Christmas cake, and the pudding, so they both have time to mature before Christmas.

This recipe is super adaptable, if you don't like alcohol soak the fruit in the juice of 1 orange. Feed the cake as little, or as often as you like. I also swapped glacé cherries, for an extra 25g of raisins, and an extra 25g of sultanas, but feel free  to put them in, or sometimes i add in sour cherries which I prefer.

Ingredients

450g currants
200g sultanas
200g raisins
50g mixed peel
3 tbsp brandy
225g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp mixed spice
50g chopped almonds
225g soft dark brown sugar
1 dtsp treacle
4 eggs
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon

apricot jam
royal icing
marzipan

1. the night before, mix the dried fruit and mixed peel, with the brandy and leave to soak overnight at least 12 hrs
2. cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
3. gradually add in the eggs
4. gently fold in sifted flour and spices
5. stir in the fruit and peel, nuts, treacle and the zest.
6. spoon into a prepared cake tin, and level the cake
7. tie a band of paper around the outside of the tin, and cover the cake with a double layer of greaseproof paper with a 50p sized hole in the middle.
8. bake the cake at 140°, gas 1, for 4 1/2 
9. remove from the tin and leave to cool
10. make holes with a cocktail stick and feed, repeat every 2 weeks or as wished, leading up to Christmas day
11. when ready glaze the cake with warm apricot jam, to help the marzipan stick and cover
12. decorate as wished

Coconut and Apricot Slice

Writing about these is making me want one so badly, and yes, you probably here that a lot on blogs, but honestly this is one of my favourite bakes. Luckily for me; one sister didn't like it, the other was going through a vegan stage, my mum was away dog/house sitting, and my dad tends to forget about the things i bake, if they're in the cupboard. So as you can imagine, i had a lot to eat myself, not that i minded too much.

If you wanted something sweet, bite size and that pairs together so well, like carrot and cumin, apple and cinnamon, then look no further. The sweetness of the biscuit, and condensed milk, with the tartness of the apricot and then the lemon icing, topping off the perfect crunch, to chew ratio underneath. 

Personally, I love apricots and wouldn't change them, but if you don't, raisins would work just as well. I used digestive biscuits, but any plain, sweet biscuit would do the job. I also added lemon zest to the icing, and extra lemon juice because I love lemon, as you might know, if you've been reading my blog for a while. 

I don't particularly like super thick icing on slices, so i halved the original recipe, but feel free to double the one below, if you like thicker icing. I also pressed in extra coconut, to make it look pretty, since my icing lost its shine, as i kept touching it, but if your more skilled than me, and can create a flat and shiny surface, then go ahead!!

Ingredients
100g butter
3/4 cup condensed milk
375g digestives, crushed
150g dried apricots, finely chopped
1 cup desiccated coconut
2 tbsp lemon juice

icing
25g butter
1.5 tbsp boiling water
1 tbsp lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1 3/4  icing sugar

1. melt the butter and condensed milk. bring to the boil and simmer for 2 mins.Remove from the heat
2. Add the crushed biscuits, apricots, coconut and lemon juice. Mix well.
3. press into 30cm x 24 cm lined baking tin. Pop in the fridge until set, then ice.
4. For the icing: Melt butter and mix with the boiling water, icing sugar, lemon zest, and juice to a smooth consistency
5. Spread over base. Press into extra coconut if desired, and once set, cut into squares  

Fluffy Yoghurt Pancakes with Roasted Rhubarb

The Sunday Post- 

There's nothing better than picking something,cooking it, then eating all within an hour. Then serve the freshly picked Rhubarb with a sunday staple, pancakes, with creamy greek yoghurt for a perfect Sunday breakfast. Welł, it would be perfect if I didn't have to get up, and make it myself, but sadly neither of my cats have quite worked out how to do that yet, so I'll have to make it myself for a while yet (forever).

The fluffy yoghurt pancakes with a slight tartness, pair wonderfully well with the sweet and sharp rhubarb(wow.didn't realise how much that sounded like Masterchef!) If you don't have time to roast rhubarb, it also works well with yoghurt and fresh seasonal fruit, such as nectarines or try a quick berry sauce. 

I just like roasting the rhubarb with just with sugar, but feel free to add spices such as cinnamon, or orange zest would work particularly well.The leftovers can be served with porridge in the morning, or with a crumble topping or granola for a quick dessert. 

Ingredients

Rhubarb
sugar( i used three types, but that was just for photos)

175g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp caster sugar
250g greek style yogurt
3tbsp milk
1 egg
butter/ flavourless oil/ coconut oil

1. wash the rhubarb, chop into even sized pieces
2. pop in a roasting sprinkle over sugar, roast until tender

3. when the rhubarbs cooked,mix together the flour, B.P, and sugar
4. pour in the yogurt, milk, and the egg. whisk until a smooth thick batter is formed
5. fry until golden and bubbles start to appear, then flip and fry until the other side is also golden 

6. Serve with extra yoghurt and the rhubarb 

Canapés: Elderflower, Raspberry, Almond Cake with chargrilled Apricots, and quenelle of Marscaspone

Just one of those posts, that make you feel like a professional, as you did it so long ago (March), when the main ingredients were out of season(it was a nightmare, finding apricots, and had to resort to tinned, sadly). I did have a reason though, instead of seeming incredibly organised, which i wish i could be. The main reason why i held off sharing it, was because it was the winning canape (i won something for the first time in my life!!) so i wanted it too appear first (in all it glory) at the event.

I created it for the London produce show, the brief was to create a seasonal cold canapé, for the event. Simples, nope, not really. You might have gathered from the majority of my posts, that i have a sweet tooth, so of course it had to be sweet, not to mention i couldn't think of a good savoury one, without tomatoes or peas/beans, as i knew everyone else would use them. 

Feel free to change the apricots, if you don't like it, to another stone fruit e.g. nectarine or peach, and just grill the same, although you might want to cut them a little smaller. You could also switch up the base flavour, with lime or add in blackberries like my favourite slice here. Also feel free to take out the lemon basil (which a didn't actually use, it was just for the recipe) and replace with tiny normal basil, or mint leaves.

So, after many hours of brainstorming, searching pinterest, looking back at old recipes, and double checking that the fruit was definitely in season, i finally came up with my canapé.

My inspiration behind the recipe:

"I wanted to create something delicious with several of my favourite foods, using ingredients that I personally eat seasonally.

I chose a sweet canapé, because I have a sweet tooth, and I like making things look pretty.

I forage for elderflower every year, make it into the cordial, and am always looking for an excuse to use it because I enjoy its flavour.

I also wanted raspberries in the canapé, as they are my favourite fruit, and I only tend to eat them when they are in season, as they are most flavoursome then.

I used an almond sponge as I enjoy the taste and texture of almonds, but also because I wanted to create something lower in gluten, as it’s becoming more popular to eat less gluten."

Makes 48 (4.5cm cake tin), preparation(including cordial):-approx. 49hrs, preparation(excluding cordial):- approx. 30mins Cooking time:- approx. 1 hrs.

Elderflower cordial recipe

For the cake:

225g butter

50g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

200g almonds

225g caster sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

4 eggs

2 packs raspberries(300g)

100ml undiluted elderflower cordial(can also use bought)

Juice 1 lemon

1tbsp caster sugar

8 apricots

100g Sugar

200g Mascarpone

250g Pistachios

1 pack Raspberries(150g)

Lemon basil to garnish

To make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 180c°.Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time, making sure everything is incorporated, before adding more. Fold in the almonds, flour and baking powder. Place into greased tins, about half. Put one raspberry in each, and press down. Bake for 15 mins, or until risen and golden on top. While the cakes are baking, stir together the cordial, lemon juice and 1 tbsp sugar. When the cakes are done, remove from the oven. Spoon the syrup over the cakes whilst still hot. Leave to cool.

To finish:

Cut the apricots into 6ths, dip into the sugar. Place on a preheated and lightly oiled griddle/barbecue. Cook the apricots for 1-2 mins or until caramelised on both sides. or sprinkle with sugar and blowtorch. Leave to cool.

Cook the raspberries until they start to break down. Blend the raspberries, sieve to remove and seeds. Set aside to cool.

Chop up the pistachios, set aside.

Quenelle the mascarpone and place on top of the cakes.(if you don't have small spoons feel free to pipe).
Place the apricot on top of the mascarpone, place on the pistachios, drizzle with the raspberry coulis and garnish with lemon basil.