Passionfruit curd

Easy and delicious passionfruit curd can be used in tarts, cakes and desserts… to be honest it is so yummy I can eat it straight from the jar!


Ingredients:

• 3 large or 4 small passion fruits
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 50g unsalted  butter
• 45g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Combine all of the ingredients in a small sauce pan and cook over a low heat until well combined and thick.

Leave to cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Homemade lemon curd

Lemon curd is one of my favourite things to use in cakes and desserts- so lemony and refreshing, it is very easy to make at home.  You can also use mango, grapefruit or lime instead of lemon. Yum!

Ingredients (for one large jar):

• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks (additional)
• 160g caster sugar
• 80g unsalted butter
• juice and zest of 2 lemons

Lightly beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar in a small saucepan, then put on a low heat.  

Add the butter, lemon juice and zest and continue cooking (stir often) until the mixture has thickened and all ingredients are well combined. 

Keep in a sterilised jar in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Cranberry mincemeat

I love cranberries and I can't stop myself from adding them to everything! I made my own, delicious version of mincemeat, based on fresh and dried cranberries, with rum and amaretto.  It is so tasty it might just become your favourite recipe too!  It will become your favourite recipe and you will never want to eat shop-bought mincemeat again!


Ingredients (for about 650g):

• 40g dark brown sugar
• 300g fresh cranberries
• 30g caster sugar
• 4 tbsp red wine (sweet or semi-sweet is best)
• 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground gloves
• 70g dried currants
• 100g dried cranberries
• 50g dried apricots, chopped
• zest of 1 orange and juice of 1/2 orange
• 2 tbsp dark rum
• 1 tbsp amaretto
• 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
• 2 tbsp honey

Place fresh and dried cranberries, currants, apricots, brown sugar, orange zest, wine, cinnamon, ginger, orange juice and zest and cloves in a sauce pan and cook over a low heat until the fruit becomes soft and all of the liquid has been absorbed.  When the mixture is thick and sticky but the fruit is still holding its shape stir in caster sugar and take off the heat. Leave to cool a little, just for a few minutes, then stir in the rum, amaretto, vanilla and honey.  

Store in a jar in the fridge for up to a couple of weeks.  

Enjoy!

Apricot jam with amaretto

There is only one thing I have to say about this jam:  this really is the best jam I have ever had.  Apricot and amaretto is a great combination and it really couldn't taste better.  You have to try it!

Ingredients:

• 1kg apricots
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup amaretto liquor 
• 1 sachet of pectin (use as advised on the box)

Wash the fruit, cut into quarters and remove the stone.

Place in a heavy-based saucepan, add water, lemon juice and sugar, bring to the boil then turn the heat down, continue cooking on a low heat.  

Add the butter.

When the fruit is soft and has broken down, add the pectin and stir, cook until dissolved.  

To check if the jam has reached setting point, place a spoonful of hot jam on a frozen plate- if a 'skin' has formed on top and has wrinkled when touched, the jam is ready.  

Stir in the amaretto and take off the heat.

Pour into sterilised jars. (To sterilise the jars place in boiling water or oven pre-heated to 100C, for couple of minutes.)

Enjoy!

Gooseberry and elderflower preserve

I love gooseberries and combined with elderflower are absolutely delicious. You can eat this preserve with toast, croissant or brioche or use it in cakes and tarts.  You definitely have to try it!

Ingredients:

• 900g gooseberries
• 800g granulated sugar
• 150ml elderflower cordial
• 1 tsp unsalted butter 

Additionally:

• 3-4 saucers placed in the freezer (to test if the jam is the right consistency)
• 3 x 450g jars 

To sterilise the jars place in a pre-heated oven at 100C for about 5 minutes, or simply wash in a dish-washer.

Spread the butter onto the base and sides of a heavy- based sauce pan.  Top and tail the gooseberries and place in the sauce pan along with the elderflower cordial.  Bring to a simmer and let it cook, until fruit is soft and starts to break up, about 15 minutes.

Add the sugar, stir well and continue cooking on a low heat.

When the sugar has dissolved completely, bring to a boil and leave for about 6-8 minutes.

Place a spoonful of the preserve on to a cooled saucer and place in the fridge, when cooled completely the preserve should form a thin skin on top, if it doesn't, boil for further couple of minutes and repeat the test.

Leave it to set slightly for 10-15 minutes, then pour into sterilised jars. 

This recipe makes about 1300g of preserve.

Enjoy!