Raspberry & White Chocolate Tarts

Last weekend saw a brief break in the rain long enough to get up to allotment to do some weeding, and whilst up there Jack picked a few raspberries. Some of them were quite ripe, and after a quick wash they were a little on the mushy side. We could've eaten them with vanilla ice cream but as I had a pack of puff pastry nearing it's use by date I thought tarts would make a nice dessert.

Making these couldn't be simpler, as they require zero cooking skills or effort, although if you want to refine your baking skills and learn some new tricks of the trade, corporate cooking classes could work for you.

Raspberry & White Chocolate Tarts - makes 8

320g pack of ready rolled puff pastry
2 tbsp milk

approx 200g ripe raspberries

1 tbsp caster sugar
75g good quality white chocolate

• slice the pastry sheet into 8 equal pieces
• lay the pastry onto a large baking tray (or 2 smaller ones) lined with baking paper
• brush the pastry sheets with milk
• gently mash the raspberries with the back of a fork
• spoon the raspberries into the centre of each pastry sheet and spread over the sheet, leaving approx 2cm around the edge
• sprinkle the sugar over each sheet, including around the edge
• bake in a 200C oven for approx 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and puffed up
• allow to cool before drizzling with melted white chocolate

Lemon, Prosecco & Raspberry Shot Glass Trifle

Over the Christmas period I have a couple of favourite tipples, one of which is Prosecco. On Christmas morning it's traditional for us to start off with a Bucks Fizz breakfast, which we make with fresh orange juice and either Cava, Prosecco or Champagne. Later in the day I switch the orange juice for a dash of Chambord raspberry liquor, or my homemade Cherry Vodka. I've stocked up my wine rack in preparation (especially as my Mum will be joining us, as she likes her Prosecco), and after trying the Prosecco from Premier Estates Wine I liked it so much that I bought a few more!

Raspberries go really well with Prosecco and I always keep a box of frozen raspberries in the freezer ready to add to a glass of fizz to add a little flavour, or help chill the Prosecco down if I've forgotten to pop one in the fridge in advance.

These individual shot glass trifles combine both raspberries and Prosecco, along with a touch of zing from lemon curd, and they would make great Christmas Day desserts when you fancy something sweet but are too full for Christmas pud. They can be made in advance or whipped up to order in just a few minutes.

Lemon, Prosecco & Raspberry Shot Glass Trifle - makes 6

base of trifle

2 1/2cm slices of Madeira cake

lemon curd

Prosecco

trifle topping

100g cream cheese
30g lemon curd
2 tbsp double cream
2 tbsp Prosecco
18 fresh or frozen (thawed) raspberries

• spread one slice of cake with lemon curd and sandwich the 2 slices together
• cut 6 discs out of the cake a similar diameter to the glass
• place a disc of cake into the bottom of each glass
• drizzle approx 1/2tsp of Prosecco onto the cake & set aside
• whisk the cream cheese, lemon curd, double cream & prosecco together until smooth and forming soft peaks
• place 2 raspberries into each shot glass & press down lightly
• spoon the creamy mixture into the shot glasses, or pipe in with an icing bag
• top with a raspberry and refrigerate for a minimum of 15 minutes before serving

I was provided with a case of Prosecco from Premier Estates Wine to use in my recipe, and over the festive period. This post contains a referral link.

Raspberry & White Chocolate Crumble Muffins

On a recent visit to our allotment I was surprised with a lovely crop of raspberries, just when I thought raspberry season was over. They don't last long once picked, so rather than filling my face with them I decided to make some muffins for the family to enjoy over the following few days.

Raspberry & White Chocolate Crumble Muffins - makes 12

300g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

150g caster sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

225ml milk (I use skimmed)

50ml oil (I used rapeseed)

125g fresh raspberries

125g white chocolate chips

crumble topping

50g plain flour

25g butter

25g caster sugar

• mix the flour, baking powder and sugar together in a large bowl
• beat the egg, vanilla, milk and oil together in a second bowl or jug
• add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine (making sure not to over mix)
• fold the raspberries and chocolate chips carefully through the batter
• pour batter into 12 muffin cases
• add the crumble ingredients to a food processor and blitz until a breadcrumb type consistency is formed
• spoon the crumble onto the batter
• bake in a preheated 180C oven for approx 25 minutes until golden brown

Seasonal Recipes - Mini Raspberry Tarts

It would appear that the Summer is almost over in the UK, and Autumn is well and truly upon us. The evenings are feeling decidedly chillier than they were a few weeks ago. However, in terms of fruit picking, you may still be able to find some pick your own raspberries and strawberries if you're lucky. Sadly the pick your own raspberry season at our local farm shop finished last week, but we should still be able to get strawberries for a while yet.

If you get your hands on some juicy raspberries and you fancy trying my recipe for Mini Raspberry Tarts you can find the recipe featured on Great British Chefs here.

Dark Chocolate & Raspberry Cheesecake

With it being Mother's Day last Sunday my Mum and Mother in Law were coming for dinner and I thought it would be nice to use the luxurious chocolate covered raspberries, that I had been sent, in a dessert.

In hindsight I should have made this first thing in the morning, but I was enjoying the lazy morning that Mother's Day brings with it a little too much. I then took Jack to football, which meant that when I did get around to making it there wasn't really enough time to allow it to set fully, which is why it's a bit messy around the edges (that's my excuse anyway...nothing to do with the pink fizz that I'd been drinking before I removed the flan dish).

Dark Chocolate & Raspberry Cheesecake

Base

300g chocolate Bourbon biscuits, crushed

50g butter, melted

Filling

284ml Double Cream

1/2 can of Condensed Milk

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

400g Full Fat Cream Cheese

350g raspberries

Topping

75g Dark chocolate

100ml Double Cream

• Make the base by mixing the crushed biscuits & melted butter together until combined
• Cover the base of a loose bottomed flan dish with the biscuits & press down firmly all over
• Refrigerate the base for around 20 minutes
• Whisk the double cream, condensed milk & vanilla extract together until thick & forming peaks
• Mix the cream cheese until smooth and then beat in the cream mixture a little at a time until all combined
• Stir the raspberries in gently
• Pour onto the biscuit base, smooth over and refrigerate until set (around 3-4 hours)
• For the topping, melt the chocolate in the microwave on short bursts until melted
• Stir in the double cream quickly, and beat well
• Immediately pour over the cheesecake and smooth over
• If your cheesecake is very cold the chocolate topping will set straight away
• Decorate as desired - I used The East India Company chocolate covered raspberries.

Sugar Free Raspberry Muffins

I felt a bit guilty after I'd made muffins with my husband's favourite chocolate so I thought I would make him something nice to make up for it. The very same day I received some Total Sweet* sugar alternative in the post so decided to give it a go in muffins.

Sugar Free Raspberry Muffins - Makes 10-12

175g Self Raising Flour

25g Ground Almonds

1 tsp Baking Powder

50g Total Sweet

150g Mashed Banana (2 small bananas)

2 Eggs, beaten

75ml Sunflower Oil

150 ml Milk

100g Frozen Raspberries

• Mix the flour, almonds, baking powder & Total Sweet together
• Mix the banana, eggs, oil & milk into the dry ingredients - do not over mix, it should be lumpy
• Break the raspberries up and stir gently into the mixture - just a couple of mixes
• Divide mixture between muffin cases 
• Bake in a preheated 180 C oven for 18-20 minutes
• Cool on a wire rack

The husband thought these were THE best muffins, and I must admit they do seem to be improving every time I make a batch. He now has a sweet treat that he can enjoy without worrying about having too much sugar. My regular muffins only have 50g of sugar in (per 12) anyway and considering your average low fat yoghurt has around 17g of sugar in, one of my muffins surely has to be better for you!

* some of the benefits of Total Sweet - low GI value, non artificial, aspartame free, suitable for diabetics, 40% less calories than sugar. Excessive consumption may have a laxative effect, especially in children, so eat sparingly

I was sent some Total Sweet to try out in my recipes