Gin and elderflower granita

SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS

300ml tonic water

100g caster sugar 125ml good-quality gin 8 tbsp undiluted elderflower cordial Juice and zest of 1 lemon Fresh elderflower blossom to decorate (optional)

1. Warm the water in a large pan, on a medium heat. Add the sugar, swirling occasionally until completely dissolved.

2. Stir in the gin, undiluted elderflower cordial, lemon juice and zest. Leave to cool.

3. Transfer to a large, shallow freezer-proof container and freeze for two hours.

4. Remove from the freezer and fork through to break up ice crystals, return to the freezer for three hours and repeat.

5. Serve in chilled glass dishes and decorate with fresh elderflower blossom.

MAKES 10-12 SLICES

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

200g soft unsalted butter (plus some for greasing the tin) 200g caster sugar

200g ground almonds 100g fine polenta

1½ tsp baking powder

3 large free-range eggs Zest of 2 lemons (save the juice for the syrup)

2 tbsp of undiluted elderflower cordial

For the syrup

4 tbsp undiluted elderflower cordial Juice of 2 lemons

100g icing sugar

Fresh elderflower blossom to decorate (optional)

1. Line the base of a 23cm springform cake tin with baking parchment and grease its sides lightly with butter.

2. Preheat oven to 180˚C/160˚C fan/gas mark 4.

3. Beat the butter and sugar until light and whipped.

4. Mix together the almonds, polenta and baking powder in a separate bowl.

5. Add the almond and polenta mixture to the sugar and butter a few tablespoons at a time, followed by one egg, continuously beating. Then alternate the dry ingredients and the eggs until they are all fully combined.

6. Add the lemon zest and elderflower cordial and beat into the mixture.

7. Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes.

8. Remove from the oven to a wire cooling rack, but leave the cake in the tin.

9. To make the syrup, boil together the elderflower cordial, lemon juice and icing sugar in a smallish saucepan.

10. Boil for a couple of minutes, until the icing sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

11. Pour the warm syrup over the cake and leave to completely cool before taking it out of the tin.

12. Decorate with fresh elderflower blossom, if desired.

MAKES 4 x 1l BOTTLES INGREDIENTS

1kg sugar

18 heads of elderflower 4 lemons, zested and juiced Sachet of dry champagne yeast (follow the instructions on the packet)

4.5 litres of boiled water, allowed to cool slightly

1. Dissolve the sugar in 4.5 litres of just-boiled water in a sterilised clean bucket (with a lid).

2. Shake any bugs loose from the elderflower but don’t wash the heads because it is the natural yeasts in the elderflower that will cause fermentation.

3. Using a fork, remove all the elderflower blossom. Try not to include any stalk as it can add an unwanted bitterness.

4. Let the sugar water cool to 20°C, then stir in the lemon zest, juice, flowers and yeast.

5. Place the lid on the bucket and leave to ferment out of direct sunlight for six days.

6. Strain through clean muslin into a second sterilised bucket, leaving the sediment behind. Leave for a couple of hours to allow any last pollen or sediment to settle.

7. Pour into sanitised wine or fizzy drink bottles and seal, then leave for five days in a cool, dark place. Check the carbonation by lightly opening the lids to vent excess fizz, if needed.

MAKES 6 INGREDIENTS

500ml double cream

450ml full-fat milk

10 large elderflower heads, flowers picked

1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out 5 gelatine leaves

85g caster sugar

Fresh raspberries and elderflower blossoms, to serve (optional)

1. Put the cream, milk, elderflower, vanilla pod and seeds in a medium pan over a gentle heat.

2. As soon as the liquid has started to simmer, remove it from the heat and leave it until it has cooled completely.

3. Once the mixture has cooled, lightly grease the insides of six 150ml dariole moulds.

4. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes.

5. Strain the cooled cream mixture through a sieve into a clean pan, to remove the elderflower and vanilla pod.

6. Tip in the sugar and stir to dissolve. Place the pan on a low heat and bring back to a gentle simmer, then pour into a large jug.

7. Squeeze out any excess liquid from the gelatine and then stir into the hot cream until it has melted.

8. Keep stirring until the mixture has cooled and thickened slightly, so that the vanilla seeds don’t all sink to the bottom. Pour into the moulds and chill for at least four hours, until set.

9. Serve topped with fresh raspberries and elderflower blossoms, if you wish.