Creamy velvet strawberry milkshake - Recommended Recipe!

Creamy Velvet Strawberry Milkshake - makes 4 small milkshakes, takes 10 minutes to make

Ingredients

 200ml cold milk, straight from the fridge

1 tsp vanilla extract

200g strawberries, hulled (or raspberries or blueberries)

2 scoops vanilla flavoured ice cream, plus 4 little scoops to serve

Method

1. Put the milk, vanilla extract and berries into a blender and whizz until smooth.
2. Add the ice cream and quickly whizz up again. Divide the mixture between 4 glasses, and top each with a small scoop of ice cream. Enjoy straight away.

Per serving: 155 kcal, 5.9g fat, 3.4g saturated fat, 16.7g sugars, 0.1g salt

Source: the Co-operative instore magazine

Strawberry tart - Recommended Recipe!

Strawberry Tart- serves 6, takes 15mins to make and at least 1 hour to chill.

Ingredients

150g digestive biscuits

40g baking margarine

4 tbsp lemon curd

250g strawberries

To decorate, a few fresh mint leaves (optional)

Method

1. Lightly grease an 18cm loose-bottomed tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.  Bash the biscuits into tiny crumbs (whiz them in a food processor or put them into a plastic bag and bash them with a rolling pin).
2. Melt the margarine, add to the biscuits and mix together.  Spoon into the tin and press down with the back of the spoon.  Chill for at least 1 hour until hard.
3. Spoon the lemon curd over the base and carefully spread to cover the surface.
4. Hull the strawberries, cut into wedges and scatter over the lemon curd.  Sprinkle mint leaves over the top, if using, and serve.

Per serving: 220kcal, 10.9g fat, 3.3g saturated fat, 12.1g sugars, 0.5g salt.

Source: the Co-operative instore magazine.

Berry ice lollies - Recommended Recipe!

Berry Ice Lollies - makes about 4 lollies (depending on the size of your moulds).  Takes 10 mins to make plus overnight to freeze.

Ingredients

For raspberry lollies

150g raspberries

150g Greek-style natural yoghurt

2tbsp sugar

For strawberry lollies

250g strawberries, hulled

250g Greek-style natural yoghurt

3 tbsp caster sugar

Method

1. Using a blender, whizz the berries, yoghurt and sugar until smooth.  Pour into moulds, poke sticks in the middle and freeze overnight.
2. Enjoy!

Per serving: 165 kcal, 6.9g fat, 2.2g saturated fat, 22.9g sugar, 0.1g salt.

Source: the Co-operative instore magazine

Three-cheese cheesecake - Recommended Recipe!

Three-cheese cheesecake - makes 8, ready in 1 hour, plus cooling.

Ingredients
50g/2oz butter, plus extra for greasing
6oz digestive biscuits, crushed
50g/2oz walnuts, finely chopped
1 tbsp sugar
300g pot full-fat soft cheese
150g pot mild, creamy goat's cheese
50g/2oz caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
50g pot mascarpone
4 eggs, lightly beaten

For the sauce
50g/2oz caster sugar
250g punnet raspberries
strawberries, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/as 4.  Butter 8 x 150ml ramekins.  Melt the butter in a pan, then mix in the digestives, walnuts and sugar.  Divide the mixture equally between the ramekins, so the base of each is covered with a layer about 1cm thick.  Press down lightly on each, then cookin the oven for 10mins until crisp and golden.  Leave to cool, then turn oven down to 150C/fan 130C/Gas 2.
2. Whisk together all remaining ingredients until you have a smooth mixture.  Place the ramekins on  a baking tray and pour some mixture into each one, filling to about 1cm below the rim.  Carefully slide them into the oven and cook for 25-30 mins until just set.  The mixture should give the faintest jiggle in the centre when gently tapped.  Don't worry if the mixture falls a little and cracks.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely before covering with cling film and putting in the fridge.  You can make to this point up to 2 days in advance.
3. Make the sauce by gently heating together the sugar and 50ml/2 floz water until syrupy, about 5mins.  Then stir in half the raspberries and cook for 2 mins until they begin to burst.  Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove the pips, then toss through the remaining raspberries and leave to cool.
4. When ready to serve, remove the cheesecakes from the fridge.  Run a knife dipped in hot water around the edges.  Invert, one at a time, onto a board, then turn over again onto a serving plate so the biscuit base is on the bottom.  Finish by drizzling with raspberry sauce and top with strawberries.

Per serving - 600 kcal, 13g protein, 34g carbohydrate, 47g fat, 25g saturated fat, 2g fibre, 19g added sugar, 1.17g salt.

Source - BBC Good Food magazine.

Chilli Chocolate Ginger Cupcakes - Gourmet Garden's Blog Off Cook Off

Gourmet Garden are the the producer of fresh herbs and spices easy for weekday cooking.  Their passion is organically-grown herbs and spices packaged in a convenient squeezable tube that lasts for up to 3 months in your fridge.  They are currently running a Blog Off Cook Off competition where one lucky blogger can win a trip to Australia and a whopping £3000!

Using some of their great range of fresh herbs and spices, I have to develop and make a recipe to be judged by the great Rosemary Shrager.

So here we go - here's one of my entries to the fantastic Gourmet Garden's Blog Off Cook Off competition.

Chilli Chocolate Ginger Cupcakes  - makes 12

Cupcakes
140g self raising flour
115g unsalted butter (softened) or liquid Stork margarine
115g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 medium eggs
1 tbsp Gourmet Garden ginger

Buttercream
200g icing sugar, sifted
100g unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp cocoa powder mixed with 1 tbsp hot water (cooled)
1 tsp Gourmet Garden chilli
12 strawberries, washed and wiped

1. Add all of the cupcake ingredients to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 3-5 minutes until all the ingredients are well combined.
2. Divide between 12 large cupcake/muffin cases and bake in a preheated oven (Gas 4) for 12-15 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire cooling rack.
4. For the buttercream; beat the icing sugar and butter for 5-6 minutes until pale, light and fluffy.  Add the cooled cocoa powder/water and the chilli - mix until well combined.
5. Pipe swirls of the buttercream on top of the cooled cupcakes and top with a fan-cut strawberry.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Silent Sunday 22nd July 2012