from the Guardian

This summer’s prime sandwich is bbq pork belly and needs a good chewy light crust around it. This is it.

75g semolina or cornmeal, plus more to finish
25g unsalted butter
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp natural yoghurt
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant dry yeast
450g strong white flour, plus more for shaping
oil for kneading

Spoon the semolina into a mixing bowl, pour on 150ml boiling water, stir well and leave for 10 minutes. Mash the butter, honey, yoghurt and salt into the mixture with a fork then slowly work in 200ml warm water, breaking up any lumps with your fingers. Stir in the yeast and flour, work to a smooth soft dough and leave for 10 minutes. Give the dough three 10-sec kneads on an oiled surface over 30 minutes, then leave, covered, for an hour. Roll the dough to about 25cm x 35cm on a floured surface, lay on a baking tray lined with non-stick paper and leave covered for 20 minutes. Cut the dough into eight flat rectangular “rolls” and leave again covered until risen by half. Heat the oven to 240°C/fan 220°C/465°F/gas 9. Brush the tops with water, sprinkle evenly with semolina and score a crisscross on top with a butter knife. Bake for about 20 minutes until brown on top.

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from The Guardian

AGA, the oven people, invited me to cook the canapés for a celebration evening a few weeks ago, and for dessert I wanted an “Eaton mess” of brandied cherries, an old black variety called Waterloo that I picked at Brogdale and bottled at home, served with whipped cream and miniature chocolate honey meringues. It’s a knock-out dessert perfect for a summer’s evening, and works equally well with fresh cherries stoned and marinated overnight in brandy.

200g dark chocolate
the whites from 4 medium eggs
175g caster sugar
50g honey
100g icing sugar
flaked almonds

Cover a baking tray with foil or non-stick baking paper, and heat the oven to 140°C/fan 120°C/285°F/gas 1. Melt the chocolate and leave to one side. Using an electric whisk beat the eggs whites until stiff then add the sugar, a third at a time, and whisk on high speed till smooth, glossy and very thick, so the meringue holds it’s shape. Beat in the honey till just combined then gently fold in the sifted icing sugar. Gently fold in the chocolate and stop when it’s still a little streaky. Place small spoonfuls on the tray, as they go flat if too big, scatter with almonds and bake for about two hours.

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from The Guardian

A magnificent tower of light saffron buttercake rich with clotted cream, then layered with lemon curd then finally topped with clotted cream frosting and more swirls of lemon. The perfect summer party cake.

for the cake:
75ml lemon juice
a large pinch saffron
100g unsalted butter, softened
50ml corn or sunflower oil
250g caster sugar
50g cornflour
4 large eggs, separated
150g clotted cream
275g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder

for the icing:
50g clotted cream
125g icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
lemon curd, either a good brand or make your own (see below)

Line the base and sides of two 20cm round deep cake tins with non-stick baking paper. Heat the lemon juice in a pan, add the saffron and leave off the heat to infuse for 10 minutes.

Beat the butter, oil, sugar and cornflour until light and fluffy then beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, followed by the saffron liquid and clotted cream.

Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff then fold half through the butter mixture. Sift the flour and baking powder together and gently fold half through, then repeat with the remaining egg whites and flour.

Divide the mixture between the tins and bake at 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/gas 4 for 35 minutes.

For the icing
Beat the clotted cream, icing sugar and vanilla with 2 – 3 tsp boiling water until thick and smooth. Horizontally slice each cake in two, then fill and stack with lemon curd. Alternately swirl spoonfuls of the icing over the top of the cake with small teaspoonfuls of lemon curd.

Easy lemon curd

5 large egg yolks
1 large egg
finely grated zest of 3 lemons
125ml lemon juice
150g caster sugar
225g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Have ready a large sieve placed over a clean mixing bowl. Then in a saucepan whisk the yolks, whole egg, lemon zest and juice with the sugar until evenly combined then add the cubes of butter. Bring to the first plop of a boil, stirring all the time across the base of the pan to check it isn’t sticking. Quickly spoon the mixture into sieve, and press through with the wooden spoon to remove the zest, then cover and leave until cold before using.

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from The Guardian

Great with sweet chilli dipping sauce.

2 aubergine, not the huge ones
250g cottage cheese
1 tbsp chopped dill or marjoram
2 chopped spring onions
salt and pepper
300g plain flour, plus more for rolling
1 tsp salt
25ml olive oil
the leaves from a small bunch flat-leaf parsley
100g cold butter, cut into 1cm cubes
125ml cold water
beaten egg

Prick and bake the aubergines on a tray for an hour at 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/gas 4. Scrape out the flesh, spoon into a sieve over a bowl with 1/2 tsp salt and drain an hour. Stir in the cheese and dill, and leave to drain again. Make the dough: place the flour and a tsp salt in a bowl, rub in the olive oil, toss in the parsley and cold butter. Add the cold water, coax into a rough dough then chill 30 min. Using extra flour roll to about 40cm by 15cm, fold in by thirds, repeat the roll and fold, then wrap and chill 30 min. Repeat the double roll and fold steps twice more at 30 min intervals. Roll the dough about 1/4 – 1/2 cm thick and cut into 12. Season the filling, discard the liquid, and spoon a little on each pastry square. Seal like pasties, place on a paper-lined tray, brush with egg and bake at 210°C/fan 190°C/410°F/gas 6 1/2 for 30 minutes.

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