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Lemon Drizzle Cake |
Ingredients:
225g unsalted butter, softened
225g caster sugar
4 eggs
finely grated zest 1 lemon
225g self-raising flour
For the drizzle topping:
Juice 1½ lemons
85g caster sugar
How to Make Lemon drizzle cake:
Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Beat together 225g softened unsalted butter and 225g caster sugar until pale and creamy, then add 4 eggs, one at a time, slowly mixing through. Sift in 225g flour, then add the finely grated zest of 1 lemon and mix until well combined. Line a loaf tin (8 x 21cm) with greaseproof paper, then spoon in the mixture and level the top with a spoon.
Bake for 45-50 mins until a thin skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. While the cake is cooling in its tin, mix together the juice of 1 1/2 lemons and 85g caster sugar to make the drizzle. Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer or fork, then pour over the drizzle – the juice will sink in and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping. Leave in the tin until completely cool, then remove and serve. Will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
These delicate Creamy Strawberry Crepes are rolled with a cream cheese filling and sliced strawberries. Make them as a dessert for dessert during the strawberry season, or for a luxury weekend brunch.
Ingredients:
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
- 4 cups sliced strawberries
Directions:
- Place the eggs, milk, water, melted butter, flour, and salt in the pitcher of a blender; blend until smooth.
- Blend the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Gently fold in the whipped cream.
- Heat a lightly oiled griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 2 tablespoons for each crepe. Tip and rotate pan to spread batter as thinly as possible. Flip over when the batter is set and the edges are beginning to brown. Cook until the other side begins to brown. Stack finished crepes on a plate, cover with a damp towel and set aside.
- To serve, fill each crepe with 1/4 cup sliced strawberries and 1/3 cup of the cream cheese filling, roll up and top with a small dollop of the cream cheese filling and more sliced strawberries.
Recipe by: Meliss
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
- 300g plain flour
- 75g salted butter, cubed
- 100g cream cheese
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
For the filling:
- 150g salted butter
- 200ml maple syrup
- 250g light brown soft sugar
- 100g dark brown soft sugar
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 400g pecans, finely chopped
- 200g dark chocolate chips, or a bar, chopped
Method:
- First, make the pastry. Tip the ingredients into a food processor with 1 /4 tsp salt. Blend until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Drizzle 2-3 tsp cold water into the funnel while the blade is running – the mixture should start to clump together. Tip onto a work surface and bring together, kneading briefly into a ball. Pat into a disc, wrap in cling film, and chill for at least 20 mins. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
- Remove the pastry from the fridge and leave at room temperature for 5 mins to soften. Flour the work surface, then unwrap the pastry and roll to a circle the thickness of a £1 coin. Use the pastry to line a deep, 23cm round fluted tin – mine was about 3cm deep. Press the pastry into the corners and up the sides, making sure there are no gaps. Leave 1cm pastry overhanging (save some of the pastry scraps for later). Line with baking parchment (scrunch it up first to make it more pliable) and fill with baking beans. Blind-bake for 15-20 mins until the sides are set, then remove the parchment and beans and return to the oven for 5 mins until golden brown. Trim the pastry so it’s flush with the top of the tin – a small serrated knife is best for this. If there are any cracks, patch them up with the pastry scraps.
- Meanwhile, weigh the butter, syrup and sugars into a pan, and add 1 /4 tsp salt. Heat until the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 mins. Reduce oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
- Beat the eggs in a bowl. Add the syrup mixture, vanilla and pecans, and mix until well combined. Pour half the mixture into the tart case, scatter over half the chocolate chips, then cover with the remaining filling and chocolate chips. Bake on the middle shelf for 50-55 mins until set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, then chill for at least 2 hrs before serving.
Tip:
An indulgent chocolate and pecan treat with buttery pastry and a gooey filling everybody can get stuck into.