0 Tumbleberry and yogurt iced lollies

Need to cool down, these gorgeous summertime treats are a doddle to whip up and are much better for you than the icy treats you buy from the shop. Made with fresh berries, some sugar and a little yogurt they have just the right amount of fruity tang to creaminess ratio to deliver a very satisfying ice lolly.

For many months I have been searching for the perfect iced lolly mold, ideally my perfect one would be metal where you can use wooden sticks, just like the one I remember from the 1970's from the little corner shop that made vimto lollies in summer. So far I have managed to buy a plastic one where the plastic handles snapped one by one and then a supposedly metal one which turned out to be plastic with a steel finish (and yes I did complain to the manufacturer - who frankly wasn't very forthcoming). So the search continues......

To make tumbleberry and yogurt lollies you need

• 500ml mixed berries (can be frozen and defrosted)
• 200-250g sugar (varies depending on mix of fruit you use)
• 75ml of yogurt (I used a Greek yogurt)
• Icing sugar
• Ice lolly mold and sticks

To make the mixture

• Start by making a over sweetened compote, using the berries, the sugar and just a drop of water to get the juices going in the pan. Once the berries are softened and the sugar dissolved, switch off the heat. 
• Cool a little and then sieve to remove pips and seeds and any tough skins.
• Cool and then taste for sweetness, what you are trying to achieve is just a bit too sweet before freezing. If you need to add more sugar then use icing sugar as this dissolves without heating.
• Once you are happy with the level of sweetness, mix in the yogurt.
• Pour into molds and insert lolly sticks
• Freeze for at least 12 hours

Ta dah Tumble berry and yogurt iced lollies, on a hot sunny day you will be popular.

Detail: Tumbleberry and yogurt iced lollies

0 Strawberry, rhubarb and creme fraiche pavlova

We are currently dealing with a surfeit of eggs in our household (our chickens are in full production ! not that I'm complaining) so any recipe that uses a good quantity of eggs is welcome at the moment. I love Pavlova and still remember the first time I experienced this blousey confection at a friends birthday party when I was about 10 years old, I was blown away with the crunchy crumbly yet marshmallowy texture of the meringue offset by the creamy fruity centre.

This Pavlova uses local strawberries, some homemade homegrown rhubarb anise compote (see earlier post here) to contrast with a cream fraiche and yogurt centre which was slightly sweetened with a little icing sugar.

I love the rustic look of this dish, garnished with just fresh fruit and lemon balm leaves and it tastes amazing, I can't for the life of me recall why I don't make this more often........, I'm off to the kitchen for another slice.

What you need

• 4 egg whites
• 220g Caster Sugar
• Lemon juice - generous splash (this is to make the meringue marshmallowy in the middle)

For the filling 

• 1  pot of Creme fraiche
• Half a large pot of Greek yogurt
• Icing sugar, 1 tbsp
• Fresh fruit of your choice, I used local strawberries and rhubarb compote/jam
• A few lemon balm or mint leaves
• Icing sugar

What you do 

• Pre heat the oven to 140c / 275F, gas mark 1
• Prepare your baking tray with either using a silicone sheet or a large piece of baking parchment.
• Whisk the egg whites in a scrupulously clean mixer bowl until stiff, add the lemon juice and caster sugar whilst still whisking in roughly tablespoon amounts until all incorporated and the meringue is all glossy and shiny
• Scoop the meringue onto the prepared baking tray making a rough circle about 8 inches in diameter, make the sides higher the middle so it can hold the filling.
• Bake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours until very lightly golden and firm to touch,switch the oven off and allow to cool fully in the oven with the door slightly wedged open with a tea towel
• Once fully cool remove from the oven.
• To make the filling mix the creme fraiche and Greek yogurt with a little icing sugar, spoon into the centre of the Pavlova
• Drizzle with the rhubarb compote and top with fresh fruit
• Dust with icing sugar and dot with artistically with a few lemon balm or mint leaves

I am also going to use this post as an entry in this months cooking with herbs challenge as the recipe features the beautiful lemon sherbety leaves of lemon balm as a garnish. I think the dish would also work beautifully with elderflower scented strawberry compote. The challenge this month is hosted right here on Lancashire Food

                                                               

I am also linking up to Four Seasons Food Summer who's theme this month is red, well this is strawberry red. Created by Eat your Veg and Delicieux, its being hosted our on the Spicy Pear this month

Here is an instagram image of the partially demolished pavlova ! , very rustic but very very delicious.....

Detail: Strawberry, rhubarb and creme fraiche pavlova

0 Double Strawberry Flapjacks

My hubby has recently joined a weekly walking club so its essential we always have a homemade cake or sweet treat ready for his lunch box. Flapjacks are practical for lunchbox duty as the tend to be robust enough not to disintegrate whilst being carried around in your work bag or rucksack.

This double strawberry version came about as I pimped my usual recipe with a packet of dried strawberries I had found in the store cupboard along with some strawberry flavoured chocolate drops.

What you need 

• Standard flapjack recipe here
• Dried strawberries - chopped into small pieces
• Melted strawberry flavoured chocolate drops

What you do

• Follow standard flapjack recipe but added chopped dried strawberry pieces
• Once baked and cooled, drizzle with melted chocolate
• Double strawberry flapjacks ! 

The stunning photography is by the talented Mr Lancashire Food.

Detail: Double Strawberry Flapjacks

0 CCC No 16 - Strawberry and rose swiss roll for South Lancashire CCC visit to Thru the Looking Glass, Wheelton (16th)

Summer is in full swing in Lancashire and we have been really lucky to snaffle a great venue for our June clandestine cake club meeting. Our meeting was hosted at the delightful vintage tearoom "Thru the Looking glass" tea room is situated in the quaint Lancashire village of Wheelton, just outside Chorley. This gorgeous vintage tea room is so cute and so beautiful, delightfully quirky and has beautiful teas, coffees and of course CAKE ! 

Lynn the owner is also a very talented Interior designer as well and she stocks a great range of fabrics and interior design products. Thru the Looking glass also prides its self in catering for gluten and lactose free diets as well. 

                                         

                           


                           

Delightful outside seating area

                                  

Our theme for our meeting was "Vintage Classics" taking its inspiration from the tea room and our members rose to the challenge wonderfully, producing an array of delightful summery vintage creations. My bake for this meeting was a Strawberry and Rose Swiss roll the recipe is below.

The cakes we enjoyed

• Toffee apple cake
• Black Forest cake
• Caramel cake
• Pineapple upside down cake
• Victoria sponge with cream
• Battenburg
• Cherry cake (apologies to Anne as I missed photographing your cake)
• Weetabix
• Strawberry and rose swiss roll

We had a wonderful time sipping tea and munching cake on a lovely sunny Lancashire evening, our members old and new had travelled from near and far and thoroughly enjoyed our hidden gem of a location. Many I am sure will be back in the near future to visit this lovely tea room.

What you need to make the strawberry and rose swiss roll

• 3 eggs - free range, separated
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 100g self raising flour - sifted 
• 170g caster sugar
• Fresh strawberries - hulled and halved and sliced
• 200ml double cream - whipped to soft peak stage
• 2 tbsp strawberry jam (thinned slightly with the cordial)
• Rose cordial
• Greased and lined swiss roll tin

What you do 

• Firstly pre heat your oven to 180c 
• Now whisk the egg yolks and vanilla paste with 3/4 of the caster sugar until pale, light and fluffy
• In a separate bowl now whisk the egg whites , gradually adding the remaining 1/4 of the caster sugar until you reach soft peak stage. I use my trusty Kitchenaid mixer.
• Now gently fold a large spoonful of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture to loosen it and the fold in most of the egg white mixture trying at all times to retain the air in the mixture, now sieve in the flour gently and fold in, finishing with the last of the egg white.
• Now that the mixture is well incorporated, pour into the prepared tin, smooth with a palette knife if necessary.
• Bake in the oven for 10 -15 minutes, until golden and well rise and tested cooked with a cocktail stick.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes in the tin
• On another piece of baking parchment turn out the sponge, quickly removing the top layer of paper.
• Using the remaining piece of baking parchment , gingerly roll the swiss roll up still containing the paper. This is so the roll can cool folded to prevent cracking.
• Whilst your roll is cooling, mix the whipped cream with the jam and rose cordial, just gently you are going for a ripple effect and prepare your strawberries.
• Once the sponge roll is cool, unroll and spread the whipped cream mixture across roll and the strawberries , then gently re roll using the paper to assist rolling it back up.
• When roll dust with icing sugar and decorate to your taste, I used strawberries and rose petals on a vintage plate inherited from my Nanna.

And here's a cheeky image of fellow blogger Rachel (Vintage Folly) suitably vintage styled enjoying the tea and cake !

                                                  

Detail: CCC No 16 - Strawberry and rose swiss roll for South Lancashire CCC visit to Thru the Looking Glass, Wheelton (16th)