Tag: Rachel Allen

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Rachel Allen’s lavender sponge cake with rhubarb curd

lavender-sponge-cake-with-rhubarb-curd

A lovely lavender flavoured cake with a hint of rhubarb from Rachel’s TV series “All Things Sweet” proudly sponsored by Connacht Gold.

Ingredients

For the lavender sponge

  • 6 eggs
  • 175 g (6 oz) caster or granulated sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 150 g (5 oz) plain flour
  • 2 tsp lavender buds, finely chopped (off the stems)
  • 125 g (4½ oz) butter, melted, plus extra for greasing

For the rhubarb curd

  • 550 g (1 lb 3 oz) rhubarb, cut in to 1cm (½in) slices (weigh when sliced and trimmed)
  • 200 g (7 oz) caster or granulated sugar
  • 75g (3 oz) butter
  • 3 eggs, whisked
  • To decorate
  • icing sugar

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4. Line the base of three 18cm (7in) cake tins and butter the sides.
  2. To make the sponge, place the eggs, the sugar and the salt in the bowl and, using an electric whisk, beat for 5–8 minutes until tripled in volume, light and fluffy. Sift in the flour and fold into the light mousse-like mixture with the lavender and the melted butter, working quickly so that too much air does not escape.
  3. Divide the cake mixture into the three tins and place in the oven. Bake for 22–25 minutes until light golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Take out of the oven and let sit in the tin for a few minutes before taking out and cooling on a wire rack.
  4. Next, make the curd. Place the rhubarb and 50g (2oz) of the sugar in a saucepan on a medium heat, stirring every so often. Cook for about 5–6 minutes until the rhubarb has softened, broken up completely and the mixture has thickened to a pulp.
  5. Pour into a sieve sitting over a bowl and push the mixture through the sieve into the bowl, making sure to scrape the underside of the sieve to get every last bit.
  6. Next, place the butter in the cleaned saucepan on a low-medium heat and allow to melt. Take off the heat just while you add in the eggs, rest of the sugar and the rhubarb purée. Put back on a low heat and stir all the time for about 2–3 minutes until thickened. Take off the heat, tip into a bowl and allow to cool.
  7. When ready to assemble, place one cake (save the cake with the best-looking top for the top) upside down on a plate or cake stand. Place half of the curd on top and spread it out (I like to allow the curd to drip slightly over the edges). Put the next cake, right side up, on top, then cover with the second half of the curd, as before. Finally, top with the third (and best-looking) cake. Dust with icing sugar and decorate with some more lavender if you’d like.

http://www.connachtgold.ie/recipes/rachel-allen-lavenderspongecake/

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Rachel’s Quick Fruit Brulée

peach-brulee

Ingredients

(serves 4)
2 bananas, peeled and cut at an angle into 5mm (ªin) thick slices

4 nectarines or peaches, stones removed and flesh cut into wedges 5mm (ªin) thick

16 strawberries, hulled and quartered

100g (3ƒoz) caster sugar, plus an additional tablespoon of caster sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 tablespoons mascarpone or 
whipped cream

In a large bowl, toss the sliced 
bananas, the chopped nectarines or peaches, whichever you are using, 
and the quartered strawberries with 
one tablespoon of the caster sugar 
and the lemon juice. Divide between individual bowls, adding a few blobs of the mascarpone or whipped cream, whichever you’re using, to each one.

Next, make the caramel to go on top. Place the 100g (3ƒoz) caster sugar in a small to medium saucepan on a medium heat and stir. It will begin to look lumpy and sandy, but don’t worry – just keep stirring. Eventually, it will become viscous, turning from golden to a rich caramel colour. Altogether, this can take up to about 12 minutes.

Using a spoon, carefully drizzle all the caramel over the mascarpone or whipped cream, whichever you’re 
using, and over the fruit. Set aside for about five minutes, just to allow the caramel to cool and set hard, then serve.

Peach Recipes:

http://www.rachelallen.com/

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Debbie’s Red Quinoa Tabbouleh with Toasted Pinenuts and Pomegranates

quinoa-salad-recipe_0

Serves 8.
You will need:
  • 225g (8oz) red or black quinoa
  • 350ml (12fl oz) of cold water
  • Pinch of salt
  • 25g (1oz) fresh parsley, chopped
  • 25g (1oz) fresh mint, chopped
  • 110g (4oz) spring onions, white and green parts, chopped
  • 50g (1¾oz) dried cranberries
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
  • 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pomegranate, cut in half, seeds removed
  • 75g (3oz) toasted pine nuts (toasted in a dry frying pan over a high heat)
  • For the olive oil dressing, you will need:
  • 50ml (1¾fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon honey

Rinse the red or black quinoa, whichever you are using, in a sieve under cold water for two to three minutes to remove the bitter coating. Put the quinoa in a saucepan with the cold water and the salt and add a tight-fitting lid. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 12 minutes until the quinoa is tender. Turn off the heat, but leave the lid on for 10 more minutes.

To make the dressing, mix the extra-virgin olive oil, the lemon juice and the honey. Add the dressing to the warm quinoa and allow it to cool. Then add in the chopped parsley, the chopped mint, the chopped spring onions, the dried cranberries, the grated carrots, the ground cinnamon and the ground allspice to the cooled quinoa. Mix well and season with the salt and freshly ground black pepper. Tip into a serving bowl and scatter the pomegranate seeds and the toasted pine nuts over the top.

http://www.rachelallen.com/post/debbies-red-quinoa-tabbouleh-toasted-pinenuts-and-pomegranate