recipes continued
strawberry and apricot gâteau
ingredients: sponge ● 3 eggs
●75g (3oz) caster sugar
●75g (3oz) plain flour
filling and decoration ● 150ml (1⁄4pt) double cream
●Sugar to taste
●225g (8oz) strawberries
●225g (8oz) apricots
method 1 Halve the apricots and remove the stones. Cook gently in very little water, adding sugar to taste, until soft.
2Wash and halve the strawberries.
3To make the sponge, whisk the eggs and sugar at maximum speed until very pale and thick.
4Remove the bowl and the whisk. Fold in the flour by hand using a large metal spoon - do this carefully to keep the sponge light.
5Put the mixture into two 18cm (7”) greased and lined sandwich tins.
6Bake at 180˚C/350˚F/Gas Mark 4 for about 20 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly touched.
7Turn out onto a wire rack.
8Whisk the cream at maximum speed until stiff. Add sugar to taste.
9Roughly chop the apricots and a third of the strawberries. Fold them into half the cream.
10Spread this over one of the sponges, then put the other sponge on top.
11Spread the remaining cream on top and decorate with the remaining strawberries.
meringues
4 egg whites
ingredients ● 250g (9oz) icing sugar, sieved
●Line your baking tray with
method 1 Whisk the egg whites and sugar at maximum speed for about 10 minutes until it stands in peaks.
2Spoon the mixture onto the baking tray (or use a piping bag with a 2.5cm (1”) star nozzle).
3Bake at 110˚C/225˚F/Gas Mark 1⁄4 for about 4 - 5 hours until firm and crisp. If they start to brown, leave the oven door slightly ajar.
●Store meringues in an airtight tin.
shortcrust pastry
●450g (1lb) flour, sieved with the salt ingredients ● 5ml (1tsp) salt
●225g (8oz) fat (mix lard and margarine straight from the fridge)
●About 80ml (4tbsp) water
●Don’t overmix
hint 1 Put the flour into the bowl. Chop the fat up roughly and add to the flour. method 2 Mix at speed 1 until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stop before it looks greasy.
3Add the water and mix at minimum speed. Stop as soon as the water is incorporated.
4Cook at around 200˚C/400˚F/Gas Mark 6, depending on the filling.
carrot and coriander soup
ingredients ● 25g (1oz) butter
●1 onion chopped
●1 clove garlic crushed
●480g (1lb 1oz) carrot cut into 1.5cm cubes for a 1.2 l goblet
●600g (1lb 6oz) carrot cut into 1.5cm cubes for a 1.5 l goblet
●cold chicken stock
●
●salt and pepper
method 1 Melt the butter in a pan, add the onion and garlic and fry until soft.
2Place the carrot into the liquidiser, add the onion and garlic. Add sufficient stock to reach the maximum 1.2 level or 1.5 level marked on the goblet. Fit the lid and filler cap.
3Blend on maximum speed for 5 seconds for a coarse soup or longer for a finer result.
4Transfer the mixture to a saucepan, add the coriander and seasoning and simmer the soup for 30 to 35 minutes or until cooked.
5Adjust the seasoning as necessary and add extra liquid if required.
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