Creamed squash and corn

At this time of year where late summer drifts into early autumn and warm, sunny afternoons are punctuated by misty mornings and a slight chill in the air I find myself feeling very happy and content with my lot. I’m looking forward to snuggly winter which will bring a family wedding, my birthday and, hopefully, a finished kitchen. But I’m jumping ahead; there’s so much to enjoy in these harvest months. The squirrels I can see from the window are busy scampering about preparing for winter. Veggie boxes are brimming with goodies and the hedgerows are laden with hazelnuts, sloes and blackberries which I need to hurry up and pick before the Devil spits on them on the 29th!

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Tres leches cake

Tres leches cake is, so I hear, quite ubiquitous in Latin America and very popular in the US. It is also, apparently, quite the fashion in Albania. I’d love it to become more popular here in blighty since it’s pretty darn good cake. It is, essentially, a light-as-air sponge cake soaked in ‘three milks’: sticky, sweet condensed milk, evaporated milk and rich, fresh cream; and, if you like, a kick of rum. The sponge, being made of eggs whipped up to frothy peaks, is full of tiny bubbles which act as little pockets to hold the milks which means the cake is incredibly moist but not soggy. As you can probably imagine, for something soaked in condensed milk, this cake is quite sweet so it is just perfect topped with softly whipped cream and fresh summer berries which are tart enough to balance out the favours.

Tres leches cake makes a wonderful summer cake for a tea party or dinner; it’s so pretty decorated with a riot of red, pink and purple berries, simple and elegant at the same time. Once it’s been doused in milk, the cake goes in the fridge to chill so it’s cool and remarkably refreshing when served: not what your guest are expecting but a pleasant surprise. And that’s what I really love about tres leches – it’s not your everyday cake, it’s a bit of a surprise. Tell someone you’re serving them sponge cake soaked in milk and they’ll probably think you’re nuts (unless they’ve already been inducted into the tres leches club) but one bite in they’ll wonder how they’d gone so long without this cake in their lives.

Tres leches cake with berries

Adapted very slightly from Simon Rimmer on Saturday Kitchen

Serves 8

For the cake:

• 4 eggs, separated
• 150g sugar
• 200g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 100ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the milk sauce:

• 397ml condensed milk
• 350ml evaporated milk
• 200ml double cream
• 3 tbsp rum

For the topping:

• 150ml double cream
• fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, red currants, cherries)

First make the cake. Preheat your oven to 180°C and grease a 23cm square pan (but not one with a loose base! I used a pyrex dish).

In a spotlessly clean bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks, add 50g sugar and beat until stiff.

In another large bowl beat the yolks and remaining sugar until pale and fluffy. Sift over the flour and baking powder and fold in. Stir in the milk and vanilla.

Fold one-third of the egg whites into the yolk batter to loosen then gently fold in the rest of the whites. Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 30–40 minutes. The cake is ready when it’s golden and a skewer comes out clean.

While the cake is baking stir together the milk sauce ingredients.

As soon as the cake comes out the oven prick it all over with a fork and gradually pour over the majority of the sauce, about ¾. Allow to cool in the baking dish then chill.

Two hours before serving pour over the remaining sauce.

Just before serving turn the cake out and whip the 150ml cream to firm peaks. Spread the cream over the top of the cake and decorate with fresh berries.

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Rhubarb and strawberry semifreddo

More Italian-inspired food today, this time in the form of a cool, fruity frozen dessert that’s lighter than ice cream but far more rich and creamy than sorbet. It’s also much easier to make than those other two treats – no fancy-schmancy churns needed here but I was glad to be in possession of an electric whisk, I tell you. That’s the secret of a good semifreddo – whisking in air, and lots of it. By trapping as much air as possible in whipped yolks, whites and cream you create a fluffy mousse-like confection (and a lot of washing up!) that stays smooth once frozen. Being a ‘semi’ freddo, or half cold, you need to take your dessert out of the freezer a good half hour before serving to let it start to melt (or in my case, having what we affectionately call the ‘absolute-zero freezer’, a full hour).

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Gratin dauphinoise

Gratin dauphinoise is a sinfully good, classic French dish that I wish I could eat everyday. Unfortunately my hips would never forgive such indulgence so this dish is reserved for high days and holidays only. Oh, and those days when you realise you ‘accidentally’ bought too much cream and need a way to use it up. I can’t only be me who does that, right?

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Devonshire splits

Bread making has always been something I’ve enjoyed but not been particularly good at; I think it all stems from the dismal cookery lessons I had at school where our teacher instructed us to knead rock-solid little balls of dough that baked up so dense not even the park ducks would touch it. Salvation came in March when I finally got to go on an eagerly anticipated bread making course at the Real Food Store in Exeter.

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Banana and Nutella milkshake

It’s that time of year again where bloggers around the world unite to profess their love of their favourite chocolate and hazelnut spread. Organized by Sara at Ms Adventures in Italy and Michelle at Bleeding Espresso, February 5th 2012 is the 6th annual World Nutella Day, let’s celebrate!

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Lime and ginger cheesecake

Every year in July we celebrate my husband’s birthday by hosting a barbecue for our friends. Come rain or shine we sit out in the garden enjoying burgers, sausages and cold beers as well as occasionally throwing Maltesers, singing stupid songs and sending toy hamsters through ‘the ring of fire’. Every year I ask my other half what kind of birthday cake he would like and every year the answer is cheesecake. We’ve seen double chocolate, dulce de leche and tiramisù versions come and go but last year’s cake seems set to stay. Inspired by a dessert he had at a Mexican restaurant well over a year and a half ago, once again the request was made for lime cheesecake with a spicy ginger crust. To lift it from the realms of delicious dessert to birthday-worthy celebration cake it is topped with a cloud of whipped cream, curls of lime zest and a cute flag I found in my favourite card shop.

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Tarte aux fraises – strawberry tart

With summer in full swing (ha! what’s all this wet stuff coming from the sky?), the shops have ripe, red strawberries piled high and as you walk past their perfume lures you to take the inevitable detour and come home with a box full. Wimbledon is also in full swing and tennis fans will all be sipping Pimms and munching on overpriced but utterly delightful strawberries and cream while they wonder at the Williams sisters’ latest outfits, swoon over Nadal and appreciate the snazzy new roof. (And, of course, cheer for our guy Andy!)

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Chocolate, vanilla and cherry cake

Come Easter, when the bunny is all tuckered out* from his chocolate deliveries, I’m sure we’ll all have the odd bar or egg that could be put to good use in a rather glorious cake, no? I mean, surely it’s better to get them out the way before I’m tempted to devour them in one sitting? This way you can share them around – surely that’s the heathy option despite the additional cream, and butter and jam.

And of course the creator of this delight – David Lebovitz – knows good cake. Yes, I’m pretty sure this cake is the right thing to do. Just think about that light, fluffy chocolate cake filled with boozy cherry jam and smothered in a soft, smooth chocolate ganache.

Now I should probably confess that this cake is designed to make a feature of several types of vanilla – Tahitian and Mexican are called for in the original. Me being me only had Madagascan to hand (and to be honest that’s all I’ll ever have). I’m quite sure that if you have a good enough pantry to stock different origin vanillas this cake would be quite extraordinary but rest assured, as long as you use good quality extract (not essence) you’ll end up with a pretty-darned-good cake.

I also reduced the amount of sugar (sorry David, I know if I fiddle with recipes they won’t come out as you describe) but quite frankly, I often find American recipes too sweet and I’m trying to be a good diabetic. With all that jam I really didn’t miss the extra sugar and neither did any of my family who happily devoured the lot.

Chocolate, vanilla and cherry cake

This is the recipe I followed with less sugar and one type of vanilla. The original is from David Lebovitz’ wonderful Great Book of Chocolate

Serves 12-16

For the cake:

• 280g plain flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• 1½tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½tsp salt
• 375ml sour cream
• 250g sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 30g unsalted butter, melted
• 4tsp vanilla extract

For the filling:

• 230g good quality cherry jam
• 2tbsp kirsch or framboise
• 2tsp vanilla extract

For the truffle frosting:

• 120g sugar
• 250ml double cream
• 115g plain chocolate
• 115g unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
• 1tbsp vanilla extract

First make your cakes:

Preheat your oven to 175°C and grease and line two 23cm round cake tins.

Over a big bowl, sift together the dry ingredients except the sugar. In a large jug whisk the wet ingredients with the sugar. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined.

Divide the batter into the two tins and bake for 20-25mins. Try not to overbake as the cakes will dry out. Remove from tins and leave to cool.

While the cakes are baking, make the frosting:

In a medium pan bring the cream and sugar to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 8 mins, stirring from time to time.

Remove the cream and sugar from the heat and stir in the butter, chocolate and vanilla. Leave to cool then chill for several hours so it becomes thick enough to spread.

When you are ready to assemble the cake stir together the jam, kirsch and vanilla. Place one of the cakes upside down on a serving dish (secure with a little frosting). Spread the jam over the top leaving a 1cm border around the edge. Put the second cake the right way up on top of the jam. Smooth the forsting over the cake.

The frosting recipe is very generous and you will probably have some left over. The original recipe suggests piping some rosettes for decoration but I saved mine in a small bowl in the fridge to sandwich between cookies. It would also be good as a macaron filling or warmed and poured over ice cream. Or you could just eat it with a spoon…

* Make that bunnies. Apparently even a cardboard tube makes a good pillow…

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Rhubarb and Mango Pavlova

Following a spate of yolk-rich curds and cakes, I found my freezer filling up with egg whites while I procrastinated over what to do with them. First up was a batch of macarons – my first try at Italian meringue! – followed by this pretty Mother’s Day Pavlova.

According to my flavour thesaurus, chef Richard Corrigan goes a bundle on rhubarb and mango. Given that both are ready available at the moment, I decided to give it whirl. The delicate pink of forced rhubarb coulis contrasted with the deep yellow mango make for a visual treat – perfect for spring or Easter. And the flavour? Super! Of course, before adorning my plus-sized meringue with an untested combination, I had try a sample (or two). After dipping a slice of peppery mango into the rhubarb sauce I declared it a success – something like peaches and raspberries only completely different and positively dreamy.

Rhubarb and Mango Pavlova

Serves 8

For the rhubarb coulis

• 400g pink rhubarb
• 50g sugar

Heat oven to 180°C. Wash, dry and chop the rhubarb into 5cm sticks.

Place in an over-proof dish and toss with the sugar. Cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to cook for another 5-10 mins until soft.

Leave to cool completely. Blend in a food processor or mouli until you have a smooth sauce.

For the meringue

• 4 egg whites
• 225g sugar
• 1tsp cornflour
• 1tsp white vinegar

Keep the oven at 180°. In a large, spotlessly clean bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks.

Add the sugar a little at a time, beating well between additions. Once all the sugar has been added beat for 3-4 minutes more. Add the cornflour and vinegar and beat until smooth.

Spread the meringue on a lined baking tray and smooth into a 25cm circle. Place in the middle of  the oven and turn the heat down to 120°C. Bake for 1½ hours. Turn the oven off and leave the meringue to cool in the oven, overnight if possible.

And to finish

• 284ml double cream
• 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
• 1 large ripe mango

Place the meringue on a serving dish.

In a large bowl, whip the cream and vanilla to firm peaks. Fold through about half of the rhubarb coulis. Spread the cream evenly over the meringue.

Peel the mango and cut into thin slices. Arrange the slices over the cream and pour over the remaining coulis.

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