Rose Gray - River Cafe Pocket Books: Puddings, Cakes and Ice Creams

Contents List of Recipes

Introduction The puddings in this book span the 19 years we have been cooking in the River Cafe, from the almond tart that was on the menu the first day we opened, to the delicious lemon and ricotta cake we discovered in Tuscany just last summer. Like all the food we cook, the puddings weve chosen are both seasonal and regional. Lovely recipes, such as the lemon apple tart and the Vernazza cake, were taught to us by chefs and friends when visiting Italy. Others have evolved as our tastes developed, sometimes Italianising traditional English recipes such as Summer pudding, by using sourdough bread, or accompanying the classic Italian panna cotta with champagne rhubarb and orange peel. The puddings in this book are quick and easy to make. We use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and sugar, and suggest you invest in a good set of scales.

When making the cakes, as ovens differ, use your own judgement as well as our guidance. Feel the top of the cake to test for firmness, or insert a skewer to see if the cake is cooked inside. Though in our first River Cafe Cookbook we wrote that Italians tend to have their cakes for breakfast and prefer to end a meal simply with an espresso, we also know that nearly everyone looks forward to eating a mouth-watering dessert. All recipes serve four unless otherwise stated. The quantities we have given for 10 will give you ice creams and sorbets just as delicious if divided in half. All eggs are medium, free-range, organic unless otherwise stated.

CHAPTER ONE TARTS

1 Sweet pastry tart shell Serves 14 350g Plain flour A pinch of salt 125g Cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes 100g Icing sugar 3 Large egg yolks Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Pulse the flour, salt and butter in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, then the egg yolks, and pulse again. The mixture will immediately combine and leave the sides of the bowl. Remove, form into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for at least an hour. Using the large holes in the side of a cheese grater, coarsely grate the pastry into a 30cm loose-bottomed fluted flan tin, then press it evenly onto the sides and the base.

Prick the base with a fork and chill for at least 10 minutes. Bake blind for 20 minutes, until very light brown. Cool and remove from the tin. 2 Blackberry and almond tart Serves 14 750g Blackberries 350g Almonds, finely ground 350g Caster sugar 1 Vanilla pod, split in half, seeds scraped out 350g Unsalted butter, softened 50g Icing sugar 4 Eggs 1 Sweet Pastry Tart Shell (), baked and cooled Preheat the oven to 150C/Gas Mark 2. Mix the caster sugar with the vanilla seeds. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and light.

Add the ground almonds and blend, then beat in the eggs one by one. Pour into the tart shell and bake for 45 minutes. Cool, remove from the tin and cover with blackberries. Sieve over the icing sugar just before serving. 3 Raspberry and almond tart Serves 14 750g Raspberries 350g Almonds, finely ground 350g Unsalted butter, softened 350g Caster sugar 4 Large eggs 1 Sweet Pastry Tart Shell (), baked and cooled Preheat the oven to 150C/Gas Mark 2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and light.

Add the ground almonds and blend, then beat in the eggs one by one. Pour into the tart shell and bake for 45 minutes. Cool, remove from the tin and cover with raspberries. If the raspberries are sour top with 1 tbs of caster sugar before scattering over the tart.

4 Pear and almond tart Serves 14 4 Ripe Comice pears, peeled, halved and cored 300g Almonds, finely ground 1 Sweet Pastry Tart Shell (), baked and cooled 300g Unsalted butter, softened 300g Caster sugar 3 Large eggs Crme frache, to serve Preheat the oven to 150C/Gas Mark 2. Place the pears face down in the tart shell.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and light. Add the ground almonds and blend, then beat in the eggs one by one. Pour the mixture over the pears and bake for 45 minutes. Cool and remove from the tin. Serve with crme frache. 5 Plum, Amaretto and almond tart Serves 14 500g Dark-skinned plums, halved and stoned 100ml Amaretto liqueur 300g Almonds, finely ground 300g Unsalted butter, softened 300g Caster sugar 3 Large eggs 1 Sweet Pastry Tart Shell (), baked and cooled Preheat the oven to 150C/Gas Mark 2.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and light. Add the ground almonds, blend to combine, then add the eggs, one by one. Finally, slowly add the Amaretto. Pour this mixture into the tart shell. Push the plums, cut-side up, into the filling and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. 6 Prune and almond tart Serves 14 16 Prunes dAgen, stoned 300g Almonds, finely ground 1 Earl Grey teabag 100ml Vecchio Romagna brandy 300g Unsalted butter, softened 300g Caster sugar 3 Large eggs 1 Sweet Pastry Tart Shell (), baked and cooled Preheat the oven to 150C/Gas Mark 2. 6 Prune and almond tart Serves 14 16 Prunes dAgen, stoned 300g Almonds, finely ground 1 Earl Grey teabag 100ml Vecchio Romagna brandy 300g Unsalted butter, softened 300g Caster sugar 3 Large eggs 1 Sweet Pastry Tart Shell (), baked and cooled Preheat the oven to 150C/Gas Mark 2.

Pour enough boiling water over the prunes to cover, then add the teabag. Leave to expand for 1 hour. Remove the prunes from the water and pour the brandy over them. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and light. Add the ground almonds, blend to combine, then add the eggs, one by one. Finally add the brandy prune juices.

Pour this mixture into the tart shell. Push the prunes into the mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Cool and remove from the tin.

7 Apricot, lemon almond tart Serves 14 500g Fresh ripe apricots, halved and stoned Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon 300g Almonds, finely ground 300g Unsalted butter, softened 300g Caster sugar 3 Large eggs 1 Sweet Pastry Tart Shell (), baked and cooled Preheat the oven to 150C/Gas Mark 2. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and light.

Add the almonds, blend, then slowly add the grated lemon zest and lemon juice. Beat in the eggs, one by one. Pour the filling into the tart shell. Push the apricots into the mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. 8 Lemon, mascarpone tart Serves 14 Juice and grated zest of 6 lemons 300g Mascarpone 6 Eggs 6 Egg yolks 350g Caster sugar 1 Sweet Pastry Tart Shell (), baked and cooled 2 tbs Icing sugar Preheat the oven to 140C/Gas Mark 1. 8 Lemon, mascarpone tart Serves 14 Juice and grated zest of 6 lemons 300g Mascarpone 6 Eggs 6 Egg yolks 350g Caster sugar 1 Sweet Pastry Tart Shell (), baked and cooled 2 tbs Icing sugar Preheat the oven to 140C/Gas Mark 1.

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