Mixed Berry Cheesecake
This beautiful cheesecake is the perfect centrepiece to impress guests. With its pale pink colour and a bounty of berries on top it’s delicious too. Add edible flowers for an extra touch.
Ingredients:
125g digestive biscuits, 75g ginger biscuits, 100g melted butter, 300g strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, 150g icing sugar, 400g cream cheese, 300g double cream, extra berries to decorate. Serves 8-10.
Method:
1. Line the bottom of a 23cm springform cake tin with greaseproof paper. Put the biscuits into a food processor and whizz into crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and whizz again then tip into the cake tin. Use the bottom of a glass or back of a spoon to press down evenly then refrigerate to set.
2. Put the berries into a pan with the icing sugar and heat. Stir and mash the berries until they break down, allow to bubble for a few minutes until the mixture looks like jam. Allow to cool for a few minutes then sieve into a bowl and leave to cool.
3. Beat the cream cheese and cream together then whip in the berry juice until well combined.
4. Spoon the cream mixture over the biscuit base, level the top and return to the fridge to set for 2 hours or until firm.
5. To serve, carefully remove the cake tin, use a pallet knife to separate the greaseproof paper from the base. Slide onto a serving plate and top with extra berries.
Strawberry Rocky Road
Our strawberry rocky road is a decadent and quick way to indulge. Whip up a batch when you’re expecting visitors, just don’t expect it to last long! Its the ultimate naughty but nice snack.
Ingredients:
400g plain chocolate, 2 tbsp golden syrup, 50g unsalted butter, 250g strawberries, hulled and halved, 1 apple peeled and cut into chunks, 100g blanched almonds, icing sugar to dust. Serves 6.
Method:
1. Line an 8” square tin or small roasting tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Melt the chocolate, syrup and butter over a pan of simmering water.
3. In a bowl, mix the strawberries, apple,
nuts and cherries. Once the chocolate has melted, pour over the fruit and nuts and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, and allow to set.
4. Turn the Rocky Road out, and cut into chunks before dusting with icing sugar.
Hazelnut Meringue Cake with Strawberries & Raspberries
This as a celebration cake, perfect for special occasions. The layers of meringue with the fruit in between look very pretty and it’s super easy to make ahead and assemble last minute.
Ingredients:
250g whole hazelnuts, 8 egg whites, 300g caster sugar, 200ml double cream, 200g strawberries, hulled and sliced in half, 100g raspberries, icing sugar to decorate. Serves 8.
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas mark 4.
2. Blitz the hazelnuts in a blender until very fine.
3. Take a clean, grease-free bowl and add the egg whites. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually add the caster sugar spoon by spoon, whisk well in between. Continue until all the sugar has been added and the mixture is thick and glossy, then fold in the hazelnuts.
4. Divide mixture between 3 greased and lined Victoria sandwich tins and then bake it in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, until golden.
5. When done, take out of the oven, cool in the tins and then carefully remove.
6. Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks and spread a third of the mixture onto one of the meringues. Add a layer of strawberries and raspberries, and then top with the second meringue. Repeat the process with the second and third meringue topping the final meringue with the remaining cream and strawberries until you end up with a top layer of strawberries. To finish, sprinkle with icing sugar!
Cook’s tip: Run a knife around the outside of the cake tins to release the meringues and upturn them to get them out of the tin. Carefully peel off the lining paper.
Recipes taken with permission from www.berryworld.com.
