Easy Summer Fruits Pavlova

 

 

Ingredients

3 Large Egg Whites

175g Caster Sugar

 

For the Topping

200ml Whipping or Double Cream (whipped)

300g Mixed Summer Fruits. ( I went for Strawberries, Raspberries and a pomegranate)

 

 

This recipe requires a little time it is best to make the pavlova the night before and let it cool in the oven.

 

Heat the oven to 140oC. Lay some grease proof paper on a flat oven tray.

 

Measure out the sugar and in a separate clean bowl begin to whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. When you can turn the bowl upside down and the egg whites don't fall out your done! Do not over whisk or the pavlova will collapse.

 

Now whisk in a table spoon of sugar at a time gently until it is all mixed in.

 

Take a metal spoon and put some of the meringue onto the baking sheet form a circle with it being, then blob the rest around the edges to for a bowl look.

 

Bake for 50 mins -1hour, if it begins to colour to much too soon reduce the heat to 120oC. Leave to cool overnight in the oven.  This should prevent it from cracking.

 

Once cooled. Whip up your cream and prepare your fruit then dollop the cream followed by the fruit on top of your meringue et voila! a completed Pavlova. 

Jubilee Marble Cake

Ingredients

6oz Self Raising Flour

6oz Caster Sugar

6oz Butter or margarine

3 Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Strawberry Flavouring

Red and Blue Food Colouring

Icing

75g Butter

350 Icing Sugar

Sprinkles

1tsp Vanilla Extract

Heat the oven to 180oC, then cream the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk. To this add one egg at a time and continue whisking. Sift in the flour and mix until all combined. Separate the mix into three equal measures.

To the first bowl add one teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix thoroughly. To the second bowl add one teaspoon of Vanilla extract and some blue food colouring. To the third bowl add one teaspoon of strawberry and the red food colouring.

Once you have your three mixtures put spoon fulls of the mix dotted about in a loaf tin. Use a fork to blend the gaps but do so gently, you want to see the colours individually not end up with a big purple cake!

Bake for 45-55 minutes depending on your oven then remove from the oven and allow to cool.

When your cake is cool mix the icing sugar and butter together and spread over your cake adding sprinkles to finish. And there you have it, one jubilee cake!

Strawberry Cupcakes

Makes 12

Ingredients

4oz Self-Raising Flour

4oz Caster Sugar

4oz Butter

2 Eggs

3tsp Strawberry Flavouring

Colouring

Icing

3oz Butter

9oz Icing Sugar

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Sprinkles (to top)

Pre-heat the oven to 180oC then whisk butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Into this whisk one egg at a time. Sift in the flour and add the flavouring and colouring and mix it all together. Place into cupcake cases and bake for 20 mins until springy to touch. Take out of oven and let them cool.

Once cool whisk the butter and icing sugar together add flavouring then pipe onto cakes. Decorate with sprinkles of your choice. Or if you are serving them fresh why not top with Strawberries.

Cheesecake

This is a Delia Smith recipe and my favourite cheesecake to make.

Ingredients For the Base

175g Sweet Oat Biscuits

50g Butter

50g Chopped Hazelnuts

For the Filling

350g Full Fat Curd Cheese

350g Fromage Frais

3 Eggs

175g Caster Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

For the Topping

700g Strawberries (or fruit of your preference)

2 tbsp of Caster Sugar

Pre heat your oven to 150oC then bash up your biscuits until fine. In a pan melt the butter. Take the butter off the heat and add to the biscuit also add the chopped hazelnuts stir together and then press the mixture down onto the base of your tin. Put it in the fridge to chill slightly whist you make the filling.

In a large bowl mix the curd cheese, fromage frais, eggs, sugar and vanilla with an electric hand whisk. It will go lovely and smooth. Pour this mixture onto the base and put in the oven for 30mins. When the 30mins is up turn the oven off and let the cheesecake cool in the oven this prevents it from cracking. Once cooled take out of the oven and out of its tin.

Weigh out 225g of your strawberries cover them with caster sugar and let sit for 30 minutes. now place these in a food processor and puree. Arrange the remaining strawberries on the top of the cheesecake and pour the puree over the top. Alternatively if you want bite size portions perfect for a party cut your cheesecake into squares place an individual strawberry on top then pour some puree over.