Bake until the crust is golden brown and crisp, 35–40 minutes. Let stand for 15–20 minutes before serving.
Summer berry trifle
These pretty little trifles appeal to any age group—it all depends on what style of serving glass you use. The only specification I give is that the glasses must be crystal clear, so they show off the red berries against the cool and pale layers of creamy custard. To add a little crunch, sprinkle the filled glasses with lightly crushed amaretti cookies before you top with the remaining fruit.
SERVES 8
Custard:
2½ cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
scant ½ cup granulated sugar
6 extra-large egg yolks
5 tablespoons cornstarch
2/3 cup heavy cream
Trifle:
5 ounces each strawberries, raspberries, and red currants stripped from stems (about 1 heaped cup each), plus 8 small sprays of red currants on their stems
1 tablespoon crème de cassis
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, or to taste
Put the milk into a saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the milk along with the bean and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining sugar together in a bowl. Slowly pour in the hot milk, stirring all the time to prevent the eggs from scrambling. When fully incorporated, rinse out the pan. Strain the custard mixture back into the clean pan and return to low heat. Whisk until the custard thickens—this usually occurs just before simmering point. Transfer to a bowl and let cool, stirring every once in a while to prevent a skin from forming.
Once the custard has cooled, whip the cream into soft peaks and fold into the custard to lighten it. Chill for a few hours, or overnight if preparing in advance.
Cut four attractive strawberries into quarters and set aside with the sprays of red currants. Put the rest of the strawberries, the raspberries, and stripped red currants into a large bowl along with the crème de cassis and confectioners’ sugar. Crush the fruit with a potato masher or a large fork to get a compote-like texture.
To assemble the trifles, spoon some custard into eight small dessert glasses, to fill the bottom third. Spoon a layer of fruit into each serving glass, then top with the remaining custard. If you have any left, spoon a little juice from the crushed fruit over the custard, then garnish with the reserved strawberry quarters and red-currant sprays.
Peach, raspberry, and ginger crumble
A little stem ginger lifts the flavors of the fruit in this crumble, which is similar to a fruit crisp. The best way to eat it is warm from the oven, with a generous scoop of cold vanilla or ginger ice cream (see Chapter 7).
SERVES 4–6
Filling:
butter for greasing
8 firm but ripe peaches, about 1¾ pounds in total
8 ounces raspberries (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons crème de pêche (or confectioners’ sugar)
2 pieces of stem ginger in syrup, drained and minced
Crumble topping:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of fine sea salt
3 tablespoons butter, diced
scant ½ cup rolled oats
¼ cup Demerara or Turbinado sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup slivered almonds or crushed hazelnuts
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a wide 6-cup baking dish and set aside.
Halve the peaches, remove the pits, and cut into wedges. Place in a large bowl and gently toss with the raspberries, lemon juice, crème de pêche, and stem ginger. Spread the fruit evenly in the prepared baking dish and set aside.
To make the crumble topping, put the flour and salt into a bowl and add the diced butter. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Stir in the oats, sugar, cinnamon, and nuts. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the peaches and raspberries.
Bake until the topping is golden brown and the fruit underneath is soft, 20–25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Baked gooseberries with honey and almonds
Tart gooseberries need sugar and a touch of cream to balance out their acidity. This effortless recipe takes 10 or 15 minutes to make, and most of that time is spent trimming the gooseberries. When fresh gooseberries are not available, use thawed frozen gooseberries, or substitute other berries or fruits such as plums or peaches.
SERVES 4
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces, plus extra for greasing
1¼ pounds gooseberries (about 4 cups)
1–1½ tablespoons sugar
½ cup sliced almonds
clear honey for drizzling
whipped cream for serving
Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly butter four individual baking dishes. Trim the ends from the gooseberries, then divide among the baking dishes. Sprinkle with a little sugar and scatter the almonds over the top. Drizzle with a little honey. Dot a few small pieces of butter over the almonds and gooseberries.
Bake until the gooseberries are soft and have started to burst, 25–30 minutes. The sliced almonds will be golden brown and caramelized. Remove the baking dishes from the oven and let cool slightly, then serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream.
Fig ice cream
If you make this ice cream using black figs, it comes out a pretty shade of light purple. Creamy and luscious, the ice cream makes the perfect accompaniment to a pecan tart, or simply serve it with a bowl of fresh figs drizzled with honey.
SERVES 8
16 fresh figs in season (or about 8 dried figs)
2/3 cup sugar
½ cup water
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2½ cups heavy cream
3–4 tablespoons lemon juice
Trim off the stems from the top of each fig, then cut lengthwise into eighths. Put the figs in a saucepan with the sugar, water, and lemon zest. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid has reduced to a syrup and the figs have broken down to a jam texture, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wide bowl and let cool completely.
To make the ice cream base, put the cooked figs into a blender and pour in the cream and lemon juice to taste. Blitz until smooth. Stop the machine as soon as the mixture starts to thicken and increase in volume. Scrape into an ice-cream maker and churn until almost firm. Scoop into a suitable container and freeze until firm.
Remove the ice cream from the freezer about 10–15 minutes before serving to let it soften a little.
Cinnamon rice pudding with apricot compote
Rice pudding is pure comfort food. I really enjoy a bowl of warm rice pudding in the winter, and it is equally good served chilled in the summer, with fresh fruit compote. The pudding tends to set when cold, so loosen the consistency with a splash of milk or a little extra cream right before serving. Any extra compote would be great with breakfast muesli.
SERVES 6, WITH EXTRA COMPOTE
Rice pudding:
1 cup short-grain rice
2½ cups whole milk
pinch of fine sea salt
½ cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup light cream, plus optional extra for serving
Apricot compote:
1 pound ripe apricots
2 tablespoons butter
3–4 tablespoons sugar
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
Put the rice, milk, salt, sugar, and cinnamon into a heavy-based saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring once or twice, then turn the heat to very low. Partially cover the pan and slowly simmer until the rice is tender, 45–55 minutes. Remember to stir the pudding frequently or the rice will stick and burn on the bottom of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in the cream. Keep warm.
While the rice pudding is cooking, halve and pit
the apricots, then roughly chop them. Melt the butter in a pan and add the apricots, sugar, star anise, and cinnamon. Toss over high heat just until the apricots are soft, 3–4 minutes. Pour into a bowl and let cool slightly.
To serve, spoon the warm rice pudding into individual serving bowls or glasses and top each with a generous spoonful of the apricot compote.
Custard tart
A few strips of orange zest lend a subtle fragrance to this custard tart. As it is not overly sweet and is high in calcium-rich dairy, I think it’s a good dessert to serve to children. Mine can devour this in minutes.
SERVES 8
10 ounces, or about 2/3 recipe, sweet tart pastry (see Chapter 9)
1¼ cups whole milk
1¼ cups heavy cream
3 pared strips of orange zest
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
5 tablespoons sugar
6 extra-large egg yolks
nutmeg for grating
Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to about 1/8-inch thickness. Use it to line a tart pan with a removable bottom that is 9–10 inches in diameter and 1½–1¾ inches deep. Leave a little excess pastry hanging over the sides of the pan. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Line the tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until set and lightly golden, 15–20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and return to the oven to bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
While the pastry is cooling, prepare the custard. Put the milk, cream, and orange zest into a saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the pan with the bean. Bring just to a simmer. Beat the sugar and egg yolks together in a large bowl. As soon as the creamy milk begins to bubble around the edge, slowly trickle it into the egg mixture, stirring. When fully incorporated, strain the mixture and discard the orange zest and vanilla bean.
Trim the edges of the pastry shell level with the rim. Place the pan in the oven, then pull the oven shelf halfway out (the pan should still be level). Pour the custard into the pastry shell until it almost reaches the top, then carefully slide the oven shelf back into the oven. Bake until the custard is set but still has a slight wobble in the center, 30–40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and dust the surface with freshly grated nutmeg. Let cool completely before slicing with a sharp serrated knife for serving.
Lemon meringue tart
I loved lemon meringue pie as a child, but now I’m a little less keen on the texture of the lemon-cornstarch filling. My version uses a rich French-style lemon tart as the base, topping it with a generous pile of pillowy white meringue. Irresistible.
SERVES 6
10 ounces, or about 2/3 recipe, sweet tart pastry (see Chapter 9)
Lemon filling:
juice of 2 lemons
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 extra-large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
Meringue:
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
4 extra-large egg whites
Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to about 1/8-inch thickness. Use it to line an 8-inch-diameter tart pan with a removable bottom. Leave a little excess pastry hanging over the sides of the pan. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line the tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until set and lightly golden, 15–20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and return to the oven to bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 275°F.
Whisk together all the ingredients for the filling, taking care not to aerate the mixture too much.
Trim the edges of the pastry shell level with the rim of the pan. Place the pan in the oven, then pull the oven shelf halfway out (the pan should still be level). Pour the filling into the pastry shell, then carefully slide the oven shelf back into the oven. Bake until the filling looks slightly set, about 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the tart inside to cool slowly. It will continue to set as it cools. Take the tart out of the oven only when it has completely cooled, after a few hours or overnight.
For best results, make the meringue 10–15 minutes before you are ready to serve. Preheat the broiler. Toss the sugar in a pan over low heat—you do not want to melt the sugar, just heat it until it is warm to the touch. (The warmth of the sugar helps to stabilize the beaten egg whites.) Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks in a greasefree bowl. Gradually beat in the warm sugar, then continue beating until the meringue has tripled in volume and is firm and glossy.
Spread the meringue over the filling and broil, 4–5 inches from the heat source, until browned around the edges, 2–3 minutes. Alternatively, run a blowtorch over the meringue until it is nicely caramelized. Let cool briefly, then serve.
Bakewell tart
This favorite English tart, named for the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire, has a long history, with similar tarts dating back to medieval times. The best Bakewell tarts are made with homemade strawberry jam. If you use store-bought jam, taste it first and reduce the amount if it is very sweet.
SERVES 10–12
1 pound, or 1 recipe, sweet tart pastry (see Chapter 9)
11/3 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup plus 6 tablespoons sugar
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3¼ cups ground almonds
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3–4 tablespoons strawberry jam
2 tablespoons apricot jam, mixed with 1–2 teaspoons boiling water
Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to about 1/8-inch thickness. Use it to line a tart pan with a removable bottom that is 9–10 inches in diameter and about 1½ inches deep. Leave a little excess pastry hanging over the sides of the pan. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Gather up the pastry trimmings and roll out into a rough rectangle. Transfer to a baking sheet. Use a ruler to help you cut the pastry into neat ½-inch-wide strips. These will be used to decorate the tart. Refrigerate.
Line the tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until set and lightly golden, 15–20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and return to the oven to bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
For the filling, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs and vanilla, then fold in the ground almonds and flour.
Trim the edges of the pastry shell level with the rim of the pan. Spoon a thin layer of strawberry jam over the bottom of the pastry shell, then spread the almond mixture over the jam. Use the pastry strips to create a lattice pattern on top of the filling, trimming off any ends that stick out. Bake until the top is a light golden brown, 35–40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. While the tart is still warm, brush the apricot glaze over the top. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.
Poached rhubarb with ginger ice cream
I love pink rhubarb, as long as it has been lightly poached and still retains its shape. Then it needs to be paired with something creamy, and here ginger ice cream does the trick perfectly.
SERVES 4–6
Poached rhubarb:
1 pound rhubarb
1¼ cups sugar
2 cups water
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Ginger ice cream:
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1-ounce piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
6 extra-large egg yolks
7 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup stem ginger in syrup sliced into thin matchsticks (optional)
Trim both the ends from the rhubarb, then cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths.
Put the sugar and water into a saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the pan along with the bean. Stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat slightly and simmer until the liquid has thickened slightly, 2–3 minutes. Tip in the rhubarb and poach until just tender but the pieces are still holding their shape, 3–5 minutes. Remove the rhubarb with a slotted spoon and put into a bowl.
Boil the poaching liquid until reduced by two-thirds to a syrupy sauce, 8–10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the rhubarb. Let cool completely, then refrigerate. With time, the rhubarb will continue to stain the poaching syrup into a gorgeous pink sauce. The poached rhubarb can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week.
For the ginger ice cream, put the milk, cream, and grated ginger into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a large heatproof bowl. When the milk and cream begin to bubble at the sides of the pan, remove from the heat. Slowly trickle the hot liquid into the egg and sugar mixture, stirring. When fully incorporated, strain the mixture into a clean saucepan. Return to a low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens to a custard that lightly coats the back of the spoon.
Remove from the heat and stir in the stem ginger, if using. Let cool completely, giving the custard a stir every now and then to prevent a skin from forming. Pour into the bowl of an ice-cream maker and churn until almost firm. Transfer to a suitable container and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Cooking for Friends Page 12