recipes continued
strawberry and apricot gâteau
ingredients: sponge
3 eggs
75 g ( 3 oz) caster sugar
75 g ( 3 oz) plain flour
filling and decoration
150 ml (
Sugar to taste
225 g ( 8 oz) strawberries
225 g ( 8 oz) apricots
method
Halve the apricots and remove the stones. Cook gently in very little
1
water, adding sugar to taste, until soft.
Wash and halve the strawberries.
2
To make the sponge, whisk the eggs and sugar at maximum speed until
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very pale and thick.
Remove the bowl and the whisk. Fold in the flour by hand using a large
4
metal spoon - do this carefully to keep the sponge light.
Put the mixture into two 18 cm ( 7 ") greased and lined sandwich tins.
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Bake at 180˚C/350˚F /Gas Mark 4 for about 20 minutes until the cake
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springs back when lightly touched.
Turn out onto a wire rack.
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Whisk the cream at maximum speed until stiff. Add sugar to taste.
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Roughly chop the apricots and a third of the strawberries. Fold them into
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half the cream.
Spread this over one of the sponges, then put the other sponge on top.
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Spread the remaining cream on top and decorate with the remaining
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strawberries.
meringues
ingredients
4 egg whites
250 g ( 9 oz) icing sugar, sieved
Line your baking tray with non-stick baking parchment.
method
1
Whisk the egg whites and sugar at maximum speed for about 10 minutes
2
until it stands in peaks.
Spoon the mixture onto the baking tray (or use a piping bag with a 2.5 cm
3
( 1 ") star nozzle).
Bake at 110˚C/225˚F /Gas Mark
4
crisp. If they start to brown, leave the oven door slightly ajar.
Store meringues in an airtight tin.
shortcrust pastry
ingredients
450 g ( 1 lb) flour, sieved with the salt
5 ml ( 1 tsp) salt
225 g ( 8 oz) fat (mix lard and margarine straight from the fridge)
About 80 ml ( 4 tbsp) water
hint
Don't overmix
Put the flour into the bowl. Chop the fat up roughly and add to the flour.
method
1
Mix at speed 1 until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stop before it looks
2
greasy.
Add the water and mix at minimum speed. Stop as soon as the water is
3
incorporated.
Cook at around 200˚C/400˚F /Gas Mark 6 , depending on the filling.
4
beefburgers
250 g ( 9 oz) prime sinewless beef
ingredients
method
Cut into 2.5 cm ( 1 ") cubes.
1
If you don't have a mincer, use your liquidiser and mince small amounts
2
at a time. Use speed 2 for 15 seconds maximum . Clean around the
blades between one batch and the next.
Mix with seasonings such as chopped onion, mixed herbs (fresh or
3
dried), coarse black pepper, and the juice and rind of a lemon.
Shape into 2 beefburgers and grill on medium to high heat until
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thoroughly cooked.
⁄
pt) double cream
1
4
⁄
for about 4 - 5 hours until firm and
1
4
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