Strawberries & Cream Semifreddo

What can you do with $10 & big expectations on a steamy hot spring morning?

Well you could g0 to the markets, purchase a huge punnet of fresh strawberries fragrant & warm from the sun. Take them home, lovingly bathe them, hull them, squish them with your hands & mix them into a cream semifreddo…just saying…you could totally do it!

The Italians are such a clever people for figuring out how poor ice cream machine-less souls such as myself can enjoy yummy frozen desserts..Italy, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Strawberries & Cream Semifreddo

Ingredients:

• 250g washed & hulled strawberries
• 250g caster sugar
• 3 eggs separated
• 500g full fat thickened cream

Method:

1. Line a loaf tin with plastic wrap & set aside.
2. Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form in a very clean bowl
3. In a separate bowl whip the cream until thick
4. In a separate bowl whip the egg yolks with the sugar until thick & pale
5. Fold the egg whites into the whites in 3 batches
6. Fold the cream into the egg mixture in 3 batches
7. Crush the strawberries with a fork & fold through the cream mixture
8. Pour mixture into prepared tin & cover with cling film & freeze for at least 5 hours or overnight

To serve remove from the freezer & allow to soften a little before scooping with a hot ice cream scoop or slice into 2cm thick slices.

Serves about 10

This is the perfect thing for a lazy spring day, sit outside with it…on a cushion on the ground. Top it with leftover crumble mix if you’re game.

Spring flavours. Orange & Rhubarb crumble pots & Orange & Hazelnut cake

Sometimes when I’m feeling lost I just need to let nature inspire me. I walk into the market, close my eyes & drink in the smell. Wherever my nose leads me is usually a good start. This week it lead me to blood oranges & some nearby rhubarb, surely they were meant to be friends?

Orange & Rhubarb Crumble Pots

Ingredients:

• 1 Bunch of rhubarb, roughly chopped diagonally
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 teaspoon orange zest + extra for garnish
• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup caster sugar + 1 tablespoon for fruit
• about 2-3 tablespoons butter frozen
• Mascarpone or ice cream to serve

Method (in my madness):

1. Preheat your oven to 180c
2. Place flour, almond meal & sugar in a bowl. Using a cheese grater, grate in about 2-3 tbsp frozen butter. Mix with your fingertips until a thick crumble mixture is achieved. If it looks too wet add a little extra flour, too dry..add more butter (got it?)
3. Place in a brownie tray or similar & bake for about 10-20 min, removing periodically & stirring. Keep a good eye on it.
4. Meanwhile place a small saucepan over low heat, add rhubarb, sugar, zest & orange juice. Cover & let simmer until rhubarb starts to break down. Do not stir too vigorously or the rhubarb will collapse to mush.
5. Remove crumble mixture from oven.
6. Spoon rhubarb into 4 small ramekins & spoon over crumble mixture, top with extra zest & serve with mascarpone or ice cream

Serves 4

Wait…that’s not enough! I want cake too! I must admit this was nearly a cake-wreck of monumental proportions because I didn’t line the pan with paper. I keep telling myself it’s not ruined…it’s just rustic. So I devised a yoghurty drizzle to cover my sins, it’s a winner.

Orange & Hazelnut Cake with Yogurt & Orange Glaze

Ingredients:

• 2 oranges (I used blood oranges but navel will work fine, Seville might even be interesting)
• 6 eggs
• 250g caster sugar
• 250g hazelnut meal
• 1tsp baking powder
• Extra caster sugar for dusting before baking
• oil spray (for greasing the pan)
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp orange juice
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 2 tbsp plain yogurt
• 1 orange sliced & cut into quarters
• 3 tbsp sugar

Method:

1. Wash oranges and place unpeeled, in a pot of boiling water for 2 hours. Drain the water and allow the oranges to cool. This can be done ahead of time.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C.
3. Break 6 eggs into a mixing bowl or blender. Add caster sugar and beat or blend together.
   Place the two oranges into the egg mix. Break up the oranges and then blend together to a smooth consistency. Add the hazelnut meal and baking powder and blend.
4. Grease cake ring with vegetable oil spray and line with baking paper.
5. Pour batter into the pan and sprinkle caster sugar on top and bake for 1 hour to an hour and a half or until the top is golden brown. Allow to cool completely before turning out & decorating
6. For the glaze simply sift the flour into a bowl, add yogurt, zest & juice & stir with a fork.
7. Preheat oven to 140c. Place the orange pieces on a baking tray lined with baking paper & top each with a little sugar. Bake for about 30 mins until caramelized.
8. Spoon glaze generously over the cake & place in the fridge for 10 mins then top with orange slices. Place back in the fridge to allow glaze to set.

Serves about 10

To me these are spring on a plate. What inspires you each season?