Berry Bonanza (Week One)
Morning!
So as summer is well under way, people across the country are starting to tuck in to British Berries, we just can't resist! Over the next three weeks I'll be sharing 6 recipes using 6 of my favourite summer berries that you can find being grown right here in the UK over the next few weeks and months!
Blackcurrants
Kicking us off is the humble Blackcurrant. Blackcurrants taste their best when cooked with a little sugar and a splash of water, it really brings out their flavour. They bring an essential base note to so many summer cakes puddings or a lightly cooked compôte. Blackcurrant jam is another firm favourite here in the UK!
Blackcurrant and Peppermint Macaroons
These delicate macaroons are flavoured with blackcurrant and mint. The two flavours really compliment each other. Fresh blackcurrants are juiced to give a powerful taste punch. Perfect for those summer nights sat in your garden soaking up those last few hours of sunlight! This recipe is a BBC Food recipe, so you know you can't go wrong!
Ingredients
Preheat your oven 150C. Blend the icing sugar and almonds in a food processor to a fine powder.
Whisk the egg whites, cream of tartar and caster sugar in a stand mixer, gently at first and gradually increasing the speed, add a drop of the food colouring just before the soft peak stage is reached, and continue until the egg whites reach the soft peak stage.
Sift the flour and almond powder into a separate bowl, then fold in a third of the meringue. Continue to add until all the meringue is incorporated and looks smooth and glossy. Slacken with a teaspoon or two of lightly whipped egg white if this stage is not reached.
Fill a piping bag with a 2-3mm nozzle with the macaroon mixture. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Pipe 3cm wide circles of mixture onto the parchment, set 3cm apart. Tap the tray underneath two or three times to release trapped air in the macaroons and set aside until they are dry to the touch (at least 15 minutes).
Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the macaroons can be easily lifted off the parchment with a palate knife. Remove from the oven and set the macaroons to cool on a wire rack.
To make the ganache, melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, and heat to no more than 45C (use a thermometer to measure this).
Blend the blackcurrants in a food processor and sieve them. Measure out 100g of the juice and bring it to the boil in a small pan. Add the peppermint essence and raspberry extract to the juice.
Pour the hot juice over the chocolate and stir rapidly until well combined.
Transfer the ganache to a bowl, cover with cling film and put in the fridge to cool and thicken.
Once cooled a little, transfer the ganache to a piping bag, and pipe a small amount of ganache, from the centre outwards, on one half of the macaroon shells.
Sandwich the macaroon shell with another to form a pair.
Chill the macaroons in the fridge to firm up.
Blueberries
Blueberries can be used in so many ways, from pancakes to cheesecake or millefeuille, they can just about sneak in to any dessert! Today's recipe is for Blueberry Cupcakes, which are super yummy and are full of juicy blueberries to get your afternoon off to the best start!
Blueberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
4oz self raising flour
4oz caster sugar
4oz softened butter
2 eggs
1 drop vanilla essence
A handful of any left over berries
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 180C, and line a muffin tray with 12 cupcake cases.
Put all the ingredients except for the berries in a bowl, and beat together well until all the ingredients are combined.
Add in the berries and fold them in to the mix, until just combined.
You need to go careful to not burst the berries, so just fold them in extremely lightly!
Spoon the mix into the cupcake cases, and fill them approximately three-quarters full, this will give the mix chance to rise without overflowing.
Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Transfer onto a wire cooling rack until completely cooled, before dusting with icing sugar.
Keep your eyes peeled for next weeks two equally yummy berry recipes, using cherries and mixed berries! I'm excited to share them already!
Happy baking,
Charley x
So as summer is well under way, people across the country are starting to tuck in to British Berries, we just can't resist! Over the next three weeks I'll be sharing 6 recipes using 6 of my favourite summer berries that you can find being grown right here in the UK over the next few weeks and months!
Blackcurrants
Kicking us off is the humble Blackcurrant. Blackcurrants taste their best when cooked with a little sugar and a splash of water, it really brings out their flavour. They bring an essential base note to so many summer cakes puddings or a lightly cooked compôte. Blackcurrant jam is another firm favourite here in the UK!
These delicate macaroons are flavoured with blackcurrant and mint. The two flavours really compliment each other. Fresh blackcurrants are juiced to give a powerful taste punch. Perfect for those summer nights sat in your garden soaking up those last few hours of sunlight! This recipe is a BBC Food recipe, so you know you can't go wrong!
Ingredients
110g icing sugar
60g ground almonds
60g free-range egg white
1 free-range egg, white only, lightly whisked for slackening the mixture
Pinch cream of tartar
40g caster sugar
Grape violet gel food colouring
Mint leaves, finely chopped to decorate
200g white chocolate
300g blackcurrants, juiced
½ tsp peppermint essence
5 drops raspberry extract
1 tbsp black raspberry liqueur
Whisk the egg whites, cream of tartar and caster sugar in a stand mixer, gently at first and gradually increasing the speed, add a drop of the food colouring just before the soft peak stage is reached, and continue until the egg whites reach the soft peak stage.
Sift the flour and almond powder into a separate bowl, then fold in a third of the meringue. Continue to add until all the meringue is incorporated and looks smooth and glossy. Slacken with a teaspoon or two of lightly whipped egg white if this stage is not reached.
Fill a piping bag with a 2-3mm nozzle with the macaroon mixture. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Pipe 3cm wide circles of mixture onto the parchment, set 3cm apart. Tap the tray underneath two or three times to release trapped air in the macaroons and set aside until they are dry to the touch (at least 15 minutes).
Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the macaroons can be easily lifted off the parchment with a palate knife. Remove from the oven and set the macaroons to cool on a wire rack.
To make the ganache, melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, and heat to no more than 45C (use a thermometer to measure this).
Blend the blackcurrants in a food processor and sieve them. Measure out 100g of the juice and bring it to the boil in a small pan. Add the peppermint essence and raspberry extract to the juice.
Pour the hot juice over the chocolate and stir rapidly until well combined.
Transfer the ganache to a bowl, cover with cling film and put in the fridge to cool and thicken.
Once cooled a little, transfer the ganache to a piping bag, and pipe a small amount of ganache, from the centre outwards, on one half of the macaroon shells.
Sandwich the macaroon shell with another to form a pair.
Chill the macaroons in the fridge to firm up.
Blueberries
Blueberries can be used in so many ways, from pancakes to cheesecake or millefeuille, they can just about sneak in to any dessert! Today's recipe is for Blueberry Cupcakes, which are super yummy and are full of juicy blueberries to get your afternoon off to the best start!
Blueberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
4oz self raising flour
4oz caster sugar
4oz softened butter
2 eggs
1 drop vanilla essence
A handful of any left over berries
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 180C, and line a muffin tray with 12 cupcake cases.
Put all the ingredients except for the berries in a bowl, and beat together well until all the ingredients are combined.
Add in the berries and fold them in to the mix, until just combined.
You need to go careful to not burst the berries, so just fold them in extremely lightly!
Spoon the mix into the cupcake cases, and fill them approximately three-quarters full, this will give the mix chance to rise without overflowing.
Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Transfer onto a wire cooling rack until completely cooled, before dusting with icing sugar.
Keep your eyes peeled for next weeks two equally yummy berry recipes, using cherries and mixed berries! I'm excited to share them already!
Happy baking,
Charley x
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