STRAWBERRY AND REDCURRANT PAVLOVA

I watched Delia on a TV advertisement making Strawberry & Vanilla Pavlova, so next time I went shopping in Waitrose, I couldn't resist picking up the Waitrose Recipe Collection card.

I always use Nigella's pavlova recipe, which for me just can't be beaten, I looked at Delia's recipe and to me it's a meringue recipe and not a pavlova recipe. A friend brought us some homegrown redcurrants, I then returned to the Waitrose Recipe Collection card and made the vanilla cream and strawberry sauce. So basically, I have paired Delia up with Nigella!

The secret to a great pavlova is to make it the evening before and then let it dry out in the cooling oven. This way you will get a crisp outside and a marshmallow inner, bliss.

The vanilla cream, which is made with fromage frais and Mascarpone set to give a firm filling. Next time I would alter the recipe yet again and use my usual filling of softly whipped cream mixed with yogurt. The pavlova was delicious except for the cream filling which my husband wasn't very keen on. You must make the strawberry sauce though because it is so very, very delicious.

Has anyone else made Delia's Strawberry & Vanilla Pavlova?

Nigella's Pavlova recipe from How to Eat.

You will need: A large baking tray lined with baking parchment.

4 large egg whites, 250g caster sugar, 2 teaspoons cornflour, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar.

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they reach the soft peak stage. Whisk in the caster sugar a third at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny.
Fold in the vanilla essence, cornflour and white wine vinegar.
3. Draw a 20cm circle on the baking parchment, put blobs of meringue on a baking tray, turn the greaseproof paper over and stick the baking parchment down onto the tray.
4. Spoon the meringue onto the baking parchment circle and flatten the top and smooth the sides.
5. Place in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 150°C and cook for 1¼ hours.
6. Turn the oven off and leave in the oven overnight to dry out.
7. Take the pavlova off the baking paper, fill with cream and decorate with fruit.

STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES

My strawberries are fabulous this year and I think the squirrel has got the message at last that my strawberries belong to me and not to him!


I was very fortunate a couple of years ago and won a huge prize from Rocket Gardens which included a fruit garden, a spring and autumn vegetable garden, herbs and other garden goodies as well. I couldn't use all of the prize and I donated lots of it to my Grandson's school who have an allotment, which is supervised and run by a very keen gardener, namely the caretaker. He couldn't contain himself with excitement when I told him his school and the children were to share in my good fortune and I know they have had lots of fun with all of the plants Rocket Gardens sent to them on my behalf.

I made some lemon cupcakes, topped them with butter cream and half a strawberry - delicious.

Makes: 12 cupcakes

You will need: A standard size 12 hole cupcake tin lined with paper cases.

125g softened butter, 125g caster sugar, 2 medium eggs, finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon, 125g self-raising flour.

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, lemon rind and juice. Fold in the flour.
3. Divide the mixture between the paper cases and bake in the centre of the oven until the cakes have risen and are just firm to the touch in the centre or bake for about 20 minutes.
4. Remove the cakes from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

Buttercream

You will need:

175g softened unsalted butter, 350g sifted icing sugar, 3 tbsp boiling water, few drops vanilla extract.

1. Beat the butter in a bowl to soften it. Add the icing sugar, boiling water and vanilla extract, and beat until the icing is very smooth and pale in colour.

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.