Fruitof life

Roll up your sleeves and make the most of the season with these colourful creations, which are as fun to make as they are to give as gifts. Now, who wants to lick the spoon?

Elderflower cordial

MAKES 1 LITRE

20 elderflower heads 4 lemons

500g caster sugar

1-litre capacity bottle, sterilised Wash the elderflower heads well. Juice 1 of the lemons, and thinly slice the rest. Combine the sugar and 1 litre of water in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.

Remove the pan from the heat. Add the lemon juice, lemon slices and elderflower. Cover the pan and set aside for 24 hours.

Strain the liquid, discarding the flowers and lemon slices. Decant the cordial into sterilised bottles ready to be given away or chilled.

Strawberry and elderflower pops

MAKES 8

250g strawberries

250ml elderflower cordial (see recipe, left)

8 ice lolly moulds Blend the strawberries with the elderflower cordial and 500ml of water. Check the taste. The flavour will dull a little when frozen, so you might want to make it sweeter than you would make it to drink by adding more cordial. If it’s too sweet, add a little more water or puréed strawberries. Pour into 8 ice-lolly moulds (if you don’t have them, ice-cube trays will do the trick). Freeze for at least 4 hours or until frozen solid.

Cherry frangipane galette

SERVES 4-6

For the sweet shortcrust pastry 200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

40g icing sugar

¼tsp ground cardamom

150g chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

For the frangipane filling 80g butter, softened

110g caster sugar

80g almond flour

1tbsp plain flour

1 egg

1tsp natural vanilla extract

To assemble 450g pitted cherries 50g demerara sugar Combine the flour, icing sugar, cardamom and a pinch of salt on a work surface. Bring into a mound and make a well in the centre. Fill the well with the butter and a splash of iced water. Using the heels of your hands, bring everything together, working the butter into the flour. Add more water as needed, until you have a rough dough. Shape into a disc, cover with cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

For the frangipane filling, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Fold in the flours, egg and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Keep the frangipane at room temperature if you’re using it soon, otherwise keep chilled for up to a week, or freeze.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/ Gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Dust your work surface with flour, then roll out the pastry into a large round, around 3mm thick, and transfer to the tray. Spread the frangipane mixture over it in a 1.5cm-thick layer, leaving a 5cm border. Arrange the cherries on top, piling them on top of each other. Bring in the pastry edges, pinching or folding to form little pleats. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar and bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature with custard, ice cream, cream or yoghurt.

‘At their peak from late May to mid-June, foraging for elderflower is a half-term activity for all the family. Simply serve the cordial over ice with a glug of sparkling water for kids, or a splash of sparkling wine, for adults, or use to make lollies’

Lemon and passion fruit curd

MAKES AROUND 1KG 220g unsalted butter

370g caster sugar grated zest and juice 4 lemons (you will need 185ml juice) 6 eggs, lightly beaten pulp from 4 passion fruits

(you will need 125g)

sugar thermometer Put the butter, sugar and lemon zest in a glass bowl resting over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Add the eggs, lemon juice and passion fruit pulp and cook, gently whisking, for 15–20 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon – it should read 160C/320F on a sugar thermometer. Use immediately, or spoon into sterilised jars, seal and keep, chilled, for up to 2 weeks.

Pastry Cases

To make lemon and passion fruit curd tarts, use the sweet shortcrust pastry recipe for the cherry frangipane galette (see previous page), leaving out the cardamom. Reduce the cooking time a little if you’re cooking mini tart cases. Allow the pastry cases to cool before filling with the sour-sweet curd and topping with a dollop of whipped cream

Ruby grapefruit, orange and barley cordial

MAKES AROUND 700ML 250g pearl barley

310ml freshly squeezed ruby grapefruit juice

310ml freshly squeezed orange juice

660g sugar

250g honey

1 vanilla bean, split lengthways

1-litre capacity bottle, sterilised

‘This fragrant curd makes a sublime cake filling, but also works really well with fluffy pancakes and meringues. If you don’t have passion fruit to hand, just add in an extra lemon, or else try it with lime or orange instead’

Toast the barley in a large pan over a medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often so the grains don’t burn, until it is a golden colour. Stir in the remaining ingredients and 1 litre of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then strain into bottles. Store, chilled, for up to 2 weeks.

Sour citrus rinds

MAKES AROUND 150G 4 oranges, 2 limes, 2 lemons and 2 pink grapefruit (or any other combination of citrus fruits you fancy, so you have around 10 pieces in total)

550g caster sugar

2tbsp citric acid Halve the citrus fruits and gently scrape out the flesh. Cut the rind halves into 1cm-thick strips.

Fill a saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add the rinds and boil for 10 minutes. Drain, then fill the saucepan with fresh water and bring to the boil again. Return the rinds to the pan to boil for 10 minutes. Drain the rinds and return them to the empty pan with 440g of the sugar and 750ml of water. Bring to the boil and cook for 30 minutes, then drain. Arrange the rinds on a rack set over a baking tray lined with baking paper, then chill until completely cool.

Combine the citric acid and remaining sugar in a large bowl. Toss the rinds in the sugar, then return to the drying rack, reserving the sugar, and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes

(make sure you keep them away from ants). Toss the rinds in the sugar one more time, then return to the rack to dry out overnight, or for at least 8 hours. Once completely dry, store the rinds in an airtight container. RECIPES AND PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN FROM A BASKET BY THE DOOR

BY SOPHIE HANSEN (MURDOCH BOOKS, £18.99). TO BUY THE BOOK AT A SPECIAL PRICE, TURN TO READER OFFERS ON PAGE 94.