An elegant “take ” on a traditional favourite
Serves 8
Ingredients
1.2kg Mixed Berries (remember to hold some back for decoration)
150gm Caster Sugar
175ml Cassis
600gm pre-sliced Brioche Loaf
Butter to grease tin
For the Elderflower Cream
125ml Double Cream
50gm Icing Sugar
25ml Elderflower Cordial
150gm Creme Fraiche
Preparation Method
Hull and chop the strawberries.
Put all the fruit except the Strawberries, into a pan with the Caster Sugar and 100ml of Water. Bring to a simmer, over a medium heat, stirring until the juices from the fruit start to “leak out”. Add the Strawberries and allow to bubble for 10 minutes.
Empty the mixture into a sieve , and allow to drain into a large bowl for about 10minutes – do not crush the fruit. (Taste – if too tart add a little more sugar). Finally, add the Cassis to the liquid.
Lightly grease the sides of an 8inch cake tin (the expandable with a loose bottom are the easiest to use – but make sure that you leave it standing on a deep dish to catch the juices that will inevitable seep through the bottom!) and line the sides with parchment paper.
Cut off the crusts from the Brioche slices and then individually dip the bread into the Cassis/fruit juice to soak and then lay them in the cake tin forming the first layer (tear the slices to fit).
Spoon half the fruit (from the sieve) over the first layer of soaked Brioche, repeat with a second layer and then finish off with a soaked Brioche layer on top. Retain any surplus juice.
Cover the tin and chill.
Whip the Cream, Icing Sugar and Elderflower Cordial until the mixture just holds its shape. Fold in the Creme Fraiche, cover and chill.
To serve, invert the tin over the serving dish, unclip and remove the base. Peel off the parchment paper. Cover with the Cream mixture, decorate with the remaining (saved) fruit and drizzle some of the “soaking liquid”.
Ormside Kitchen 