In Praise of

In praise of … … Raspberries

This month I am featuring raspberries. Available from now until the end of September, they are lovely in cakes, ice creams and fruit desserts. Raspberries are a popular berry with a rich colour and sweet juicy taste. They are a good source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. There are many ways to include them in your diet, such as adding them to smoothies, yogurt, or oatmeal, adding raspberries, grapes, and walnuts to a chicken salad, topping whole-grain waffles or pancakes with fresh raspberries, or blending raspberries with a little water and using the mixture as a fresh syrup for desserts or ice cream sundaes. Here are three recipes to inspire you this month.

Raspberry and Lemon Madeleines

Cooking time 10 mins

Ingredients

180g plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 2 eggs 80g castor sugar 1 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp honey 2½ tbsp lemon zest (about half a large lemon), 1 tsp water 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted 12 raspberries

Method

Mix the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt together in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, white and brown sugar, maple syrup, lemon zest, and water until a smooth mixture is produced. Whisk the dry ingredients in until just incorporated, and then add the butter, whisking until the mixture is smooth and sticky. Cover your bowl with clingfilm and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Just before placing in the tin, stir in crushed raspberries. Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly coat a madeleine pan with butter and

dust with flour, tapping out any excess. Pipe or spoon (it doesn’t affect the shape of the madeleine) the batter into the pan, filling each madeleine well about two thirds full. Bake for 10 -12 minutes, until the edges are browned slightly and spring back when pressed lightly. Tap to release the madeleines. Cool and dust with icing sugar.

Raspberries and Dark Chocolate Traybake Ingredients

150g slightly salted butter plus some for greasing 150g castor sugar, 3 eggs 150g self-raising flour 50g ground almonds 1 tsp vanilla extract 150g fresh raspberries 150g dark chocolate chips

Icing

100g sifted icing sugar, 50g raspberries crushed and sieved, 2-5 tsp water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F). Beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined. Fold in the flour and ground almonds with a metal spoon and stir in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into a greased 20cm x 20cm tin. Place the raspberries on top so that they're evenly distributed. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden and springy if pressed gently in the middle. Allow to cool and then spread over raspberry glace icing, before cutting into twelve evenly sized pieces.

Raspberry and Limoncello Semifreddo

Limoncello lends a lively kick to both the semifreddo and the sauce - a perfect chance to use up that bottle you brought back from holiday! Prep 20 minutes, plus freezing

Ingredients

100g fresh or frozen (thawed) raspberries 85g golden castor sugar, 284ml carton double cream 4 tbsp limoncello 2 x 200ml cartons crème fraîche

For the coulis

225g fresh or frozen (thawed) raspberries 2 tbsp golden caster sugar 2 tbsp limoncello

To serve

Extra raspberries

Method

Line the base of a 1kg loaf tin (19cm x 12cm x 9cm deep) with baking parchment. For the semifreddo, mash the raspberries and half the sugar in a bowl with a fork. Whisk the cream, the rest of the sugar and the limoncello to soft peaks. Beat the crème fraîche briefly so it is in soft peaks like the cream. Gently fold the cream mixture and crème fraîche together. Pour the mashed raspberries into the cream and give a few stirs only - just enough to swirl it through the creamy mix. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and smooth the top. Cover the semifreddo with clingfilm and freeze it overnight. For the coulis, mash the raspberries, sugar and limoncello with a fork, then push through a sieve. To serve, thaw the semifreddo in the fridge for an hour. Remove it from the tin and peel off the lining paper. Drizzle with a little of the coulis and scatter some raspberries over the top. Serve sliced with the rest of the coulis.

Jane O’Hagan