Sweet

At the Farm Shop we don’t treat cooking as a precise science, nor are we trying to give a comprehensive list of recipes. These are some of our favourite dishes and we hope you’ll give some of them a try. They’ve worked for us on countless occasions but that doesn’t mean, with a bit of imagination and a few tweaks, they can’t be improved. Good luck.
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Dessert8 Recipes
Robert Freson’s Tarte Au Sucre D’yportBy Ben Watson

This classic Normandy apple and almomd tarte is somewhere between apple and frangipane - using a custard with the ground almonds forming a top crust. Almond flour tends to be a little too uniformly fine so I’d recommend blitzing some flaked almonds in the food processor.

Published in Robert Freson's 'A Taste of France', 1983.

 

Cider Vinegar Strawberry ShortcakeBy Ben Watson

You can't beat a bowl of strawberries in the summer. Especially when eating wild European strawberries, which do taste exquisite and that’s not a word that comes to me easily. This dish calls for a slight caramelisation in a pan with a dash of our very own apple cider vinegar to really make the strawberries sing. Don't forget the delectable addition of a side of shortcake to soak up all of the tangy syrup. 

Rhubarb granolaBy JessThis rhubarb is almost too good for crumble. It shines when gently poached—just fresh fruit juice and sugar will do. The key is not to overcook it: two to three minutes is plenty. Like toasting pine nuts, turn away for a moment and it’s burnt/overdone! Serve with thick yoghurt and our BFS granola for a simple, elegant breakfast.

Marmalade blender cakeBy JessThis easy and fragrant Orange Blender Cake is perfect for citrus lovers! Made with a whole orange (yes, peel and all!), it’s bursting with fresh flavour and a beautifully moist texture. With just a few simple ingredients and minimal effort—thanks to the blender—this cake comes together in no time. Enjoy it as a light afternoon treat or a delicious dessert with a dusting of icing sugar.

Hot Cross Bun & Lemon Curd PuddingBy Ben WatsonUsing a good dollop of our lemon marmalade and lemon curd, this recipe will turn your excess of leftover hot cross buns into a delicious dessert this Easter.
Lemon Meringue PieBy Ben WatsonOur take on the traditional lemon meringue pie. A great way to use up a handful of lemons when you have a glut...just as we did when our friends La Montesina, based in Valencia had a bumper lemon harvest.
Lemon MarmaladeBy Ben WatsonBy themselves, lemons make a surprisingly good marmalade – particularly if you find the whole Seville thing a little overpowering. This recipe will give you roughly 10 jars to store away. I think you get a better and clearer result if you scoop out the flesh with a sharpened spoon before cooking. Chopping uncooked rind reasonably evenly is easy and it’s also far easier than removing the pips from a squidgy, sticky mass of cooked lemon flesh...
Marmalade MarzipanBy Ben WatsonWe only tend to use it at Christmas but marzipan is wonderful stuff and incredibly easy to make. Easter is on the horizon and if you’re Simnel cake inclined, homemade marzipan is so much better than shop bought. Well chilled, you can grate it into Hot X buns and tea cakes. It’s really not hard either and it doesn’t have to be ultra sweet. Many recipes call for orange zest but a few spoonful's of marmalade are so much easier. Most home made recipes call for egg as a binding tool but the marmalade does much the same thing.
Plum FrangipaneBy Ben WatsonFrangipanes of various kinds have been my go-to dessert for years. Let’s face it; it sounds, and is, a bit more impressive than Bakewell tart. The frangipane is easy-peasy, and doesn’t change much and for the fruit – the choice is yours. And varying, all year round, seasonal frangipane is a distinct possibility because forced rhubarb works a treat – as does all the end of season pears, blackberries, damsons etc. Bottled, spiced plums are good but fresh, slightly underripe ones are just tart enough to keep it interesting. Using, and blitzing, a third, whole almonds adds a bit of texture. Homemade pastry is always best but if you’re feeling lazy, just go and buy some. It will still be good. The quantities below make a Watson sized, 26cm (approx. 3cm deep) tart but you can never have too much frangipane.
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