Yoghurt and orange semifreddo with cherries and amaretti
You can make semifreddo without an ice-cream machine, so it’s a brilliantly easy and useful summer pudding to have up your sleeve. This one will look especially beautiful if made in a medium brioche tin or a patterned tin, but a basic pudding bowl (or any other bowl, for that matter) will work just fine, too. A couple of hours before you want to serve, transfer the semifreddo from the freezer to the fridge to thaw, so it’s soft on the outside and icy inside: perfect for a hot day. Serves eight.
270ml double cream
60g caster sugar
1 tsp finely grated orange zest (ie, from 1 orange)
1 tsp orange blossom water
Scraped seeds from 1 vanilla pod
200g Greek-style yoghurt
70g amaretti biscuits (the hard kind, not the soft), roughly broken into thirds, plus 2 whole biscuits, to serve
2 egg whites
70g black cherries in kirsch, drained, plus 2 tbsp of syrup (I used Opies, but see what you can get hold of; if need be, you can always add kirsch to some cherries in syrup)
2 tsp lime juice (1 lime)
Salt
Line a 18cm-diameter (or so) 1.5-litre bowl with enough cling-film to leave plenty draping over the sides – you’ll need this to wrap over the semifreddo before it goes in the freezer.
Put the cream, sugar, orange zest, orange blossom water and vanilla seeds in the bowl of a free-standing mixer with the whisk attachment in place (or large bowl, if using a hand-held whisk). Whip on high speed for a minute or two, until firm but fluffy, then fold in the yoghurt and broken amaretti. Transfer to a separate bowl, and thoroughly clean and dry the mixer bowl and whisk attachment. Put the egg whites and a small pinch of salt in the mixer bowl, then whisk on high speed for a minute, until it forms stiff peaks. Using a spatula, carefully fold the egg whites into the cream mix, then spoon everything into the bowl lined with cling-film. Smooth the top with a spatula, draw over the excess cling-film, so the whole thing is covered, and freeze for five hours (or overnight), to set.
Two hours before serving, transfer the semifreddo to the fridge to thaw. Using your fingers or a spoon, tear the cherries into halves and thirds.
To serve, invert the semifreddo on to a large plate and carefully peel off the cling-film. Spoon the cherries and syrup over the top, letting some drop and drip down the sides here and there for visual effect, then drizzle over the lime juice. Crumble the remaining two amaretti biscuits over the top and serve at once.
Mint and pistachio chocolate fridge cake
I’ve called this a fridge cake, but it could just as easily be labelled a larder cake, because it’s handy for using up whatever ingredients you have in the cupboards. Depending on what’s to hand and what you like, you could put in any kind of flavoured chocolate (ginger, chilli, etc), biscuits, nuts, dried fruit and alcohol instead of what’s listed here. It will keep, covered, in the fridge for up to a week. Makes 24 bars.
100g mint-flavoured dark chocolate, roughly chopped into 3cm pieces
200g dark 70% cocoa solids chocolate, roughly chopped into 3cm pieces
100g golden syrup
120g unsalted butter, cut into 2cm cubes
Salt
100g sultanas (or raisins), soaked in 2 tbsp rum for 30 minutes
170g digestive biscuits, roughly broken into 2cm pieces
100g pistachios, roughly chopped
Line a 28cm x 18cm baking tray or glass dish with greaseproof paper.
Put both chocolates, the golden syrup, the butter and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water (make sure the base of the bowl isn’t touching the surface of the water, or the mix will get too hot and split). Heat for two to three minutes, stirring, until melted and combined.
Stir the sultanas and their soaking liquid, the biscuits and three-quarters of the pistachios (use the larger pieces at this stage, and save the more powdery bits to finish) into the chocolate mix, until everything is well coated – a spatula is the best tool for this job – then scrape into the lined tray. Smooth the top flat, and sprinkle the remaining pistachios on top.
Set aside for 10 minutes to cool, then wrap the whole tray tightly in cling-film and refrigerate for two to three hours, until set. Cut into bars: you should get 24. If not serving them straight away, put in an airtight container and refrigerate. Serve fridge-cold.
Sumac-roast strawberries with strained yoghurt cream
Even over-ripe strawberries are fine in this: roasting turns the fruit deliciously soft and sticky. Sumac is mostly used in savoury dishes, but here it sharpens things up beautifully. Shortbread biscuits would work alongside. Serves six.
900g Greek-style yoghurt
140g icing sugar
Salt
120ml double cream
1 lemon – zest finely grated, to get 1 tsp, then juiced, to get 2 tbsp
600g ripe strawberries, hulled and cut in half lengthways
1½ tbsp sumac
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways and seeds scraped
10g mint, half left on the sprig, the rest picked and finely shredded (chop the leaves only at the last minute, otherwise they’ll discolour)
Mix the yoghurt in a bowl with half the sugar and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, then tip into a sieve set over a bowl and lined with muslin (or a J-cloth). Tie up the muslin into a bundle, weigh it down with a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Once drained, squeeze out as much extra liquid as you can, to leave 550g thickened yoghurt. Tip into a bowl, mix in the cream and lemon zest, and refrigerate.
Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. While the yoghurt is draining, toss the strawberries with the sumac, mint sprigs, vanilla pod and seeds, two tablespoons of lemon juice, the remaining icing sugar and 80ml water. Tip into a 30cm x 20cm oven dish and roast for 20 minutes, tossing halfway, until soft and bubbling. Leave to cool to room temperature, then discard the mint and vanilla pod.
Strain the roasting juices into a jug and gently fold 40ml into the yoghurt cream, so it’s rippled. Set aside three tablespoons of the juices (the rest will keep in the fridge for two or three days; it’s lovely on ice-cream or yoghurt).
To serve, spoon the cream into shallow bowls and spoon the strawberries on top. Dribble a teaspoon and a half of the juices over each portion, sprinkle with shredded mint and serve.
- Food styling: Emily Kydd. Prop styling: Jennifer Kay
