NIGEL SLATER'S LEMON POSSET

This classic recipe is taken from Nigel Slater's wonderful book Tender Vol II.
A Cook's Guide to the Fruit Garden.

Only three ingredients are used in this delicious recipe, lemons, sugar and cream and they produce one of the best desserts you will ever eat and perfect for a Summer's day.

Many people pass on making the dessert course and this is sometimes because of time restraints or possibly cost. This is a dessert that can be made in advance, takes ten minutes to prepare and for a cost of around £2.50 fills eight shot glasses. I bought my shot glasses from a well known discount department store and have used them time and time again. They are a crafty way to serve individual desserts and always look good on the plate.

My shortbread is a recipe by Lorraine Pascale from Baking Made Easy and you can see my posting here. The shot glass is perhaps swamped by the shortbread, but who wants a tiny piece of homemade sugary shortbread anyway.

Makes: 8 shot glass servings

500ml double cream, 150g caster sugar, 75ml lemon juice.

1. Place the cream and caster sugar into a saucepan and then bring to the boil, stir occasionally in order to dissolve the sugar. Now lower the heat and leave to bubble for approximately 3 minutes, stirring from time to time.
2. Reduce the heat enough to stop the mixture boiling over, now let it bubble enthusiastically for about 3 minutes, stirring regularly.
3. Remove from the heat, now stir in the lemon juice and leave to settle.
4. If you are using glasses leave to cool for a while and then pour into your glasses, cover with clingwrap to prevent a skin from forming.
5. Place in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

DREAMLIKE SHORTBREAD

I made this shortbread to go with the Lemon Posset in the above posting. The shortbread melts in the mouth and is extremely moreish.

Shortbread is something I haven't made for a long time now and I forgot just how much better it is than shop bought. The recipe is easy to make and one that I will put on my list of recipes to return to time and time again. Dreamlike Shortbread is the recipe title and I couldn't think of a better way of describing it.

The recipe is taken from Baking Made Easy by Lorraine Pascale.

Click here for the recipe on the BBC Food Website.

Cupcakes and Sugar Sprinkles

I have recently been sent some samples of Dr. Oetker Sugar Sprinkles, Polka Dots, Citrus flavour strands, Shimmer sugar and Cake Release Spray (a new product due to be in the shops towards the end of May).

I mixed some toffee sauce into the butter cream, put a blob of toffee sauce in the centre and then sprinkled on some delicious Fudge Chunks.

Dr. Oetker can be found on Facebook or visit their online store.

Thank you Dr. Oetker

COFFEE & WALNUT CUPCAKES

Coffee and walnut cake, coffee and walnut cupcakes, both are in my top ten favourite cakes.

Some time back I was invited to the launch of Kenco Millicano. Designer Patrick Cox and Patissier Eric Lanlard teamed up with Kenco Millicano to create a Kenco Millicano 'Cake Pop'. Unfortunately, I couldn't attend because it was in London, and an evening event. I'm ok, honest, but I'm still not over missing out on this!

Kenco Millicano is a 'wholebean instant coffee': a combination of instant coffee and finely-milled Arabica coffee beans. Just perfect for making my coffee and walnut cakes.

Makes: 12

You will need: 12 hole muffin tray lined with muffin cases.

150g softened unsalted butter, 150g caster sugar, 175g self-raising flour, 3 eggs, 1 tablespoon Kenco Millicano.

1. Mix 1 tablespoon of Kenco Millicano in 1 tablespoon of boiling water. Leave to cool whilst you weigh out the other ingredients.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4.
3. Put all the cake ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat for 2 minutes until light and creamy. Divide the mixture evenly among the cake cases.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and leave to cool in the bun tray.

Buttercream

You will need: 150g softened unsalted butter, 250g icing sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons hot water.

1. Put the butter and icing sugar in a bowl and beat until light and smooth.
2. Add the vanilla extract and hot water, beat again.

Thank you Kenco Millicano and Mel.

BLUEBERRY AND ELDERFLOWER SYLLABUB

This dessert is perfect for hot weather days. It doesn't take long to prepare and needs only four ingredients to make the perfect dessert.

I made this dessert last weekend when the weather was really sunny. It would have been lovely to eat outside, but the wasps were out in force, and I wasn't going to share my dessert with any crafty wasps!

Serves: 4

You will need: 4 serving glasses

4 tablespoons caster sugar, 175g blueberries, 8 tablespoons elderflower cordial, 250ml double cream.

1. Pour 4 tablespoons of water into a saucepan and add the sugar. Place the pan over a medium heat and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Add the blueberries to the pan and bring it to the boil. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool.
2. Strain the syrup from the blueberries into a measuring jug and add the elderflower cordial. Make the quantity up to 100ml with water, if necessary.
3. Whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks, then gradually whisk in the blueberry and elderflower syrup until the mixture holds it shape. Divide about half the blueberries between the serving glasses and divide the mixture between the glasses. Spoon the remaining blueberries and any juices on top. Put the syllabub in the fridge for a few hours before serving.