Berries With Buttermilk And Honey Food

BERRY SCONES WITH ORANGE HONEY BUTTER

Steps:

• You can do this the old fashioned way and add ingredients to a mason jar, cover with the lid and shake vigorously for 10 minutes, or you can use the food processor.
• In a food processor bowl add all the ingredients and turn on high. The liquid will slosh, whip and then separate after about 4 minutes. When the mixture separates, (these are the butter solids and buttermilk), stop processing and strain out the buttermilk - there will be just under a cup. Reserve the buttermilk to make the scones. Strain out the butter and squeeze dry. Work the butter a couple of times to bring it together to form a nice ball. Refrigerate butter until ready to use.
• For the scones:
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a food processor bowl add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add cold butter cubes and pulse until you have the texture of coarse bread crumbs. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, then add 3/4 cup of buttermilk and stir to combine. As it comes together add berries and fold dough to incorporate berries but not break them up too much.
• Drop spoonfuls of dough onto a parchment lined sheet pan. Using a pastry brush, paint the tops of each scone lightly with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake until golden brown, and nice and puffy, about 17 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack.
• Serve warm with the Orange Honey Butter.

LITTLE BUTTERMILK CHEESECAKES WITH HONEY ROAST SUMMER FRUITS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and line nine holes of a muffin tin with muffin cases. Put the biscuits in a food bag and crush to fine crumbs using a rolling pin or use a food processor, then mix with the butter. Spoon into the muffin holes and use the back of a spoon to press the biscuits into a compact layer.
• Whisk the cream cheese, buttermilk, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a jug. Pour onto the biscuit bases, filling them right to the top. Bake for 20 mins, then turn the oven off and leave the cheesecakes inside for 2 hrs, or until the oven is completely cool. Once cool, chill for at least 3 hrs, or overnight if you can.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Toss the stone fruit, honey, wine and vanilla in a roasting tin and cook for 15 mins, until the fruit starts to soften and caramelise in places. Add the berries to the tin and cook for another 2-3 mins until they look shiny and juicy. Leave to cool. When you're ready to serve, place the cheesecakes on a platter or individual plates, then top each one with a spoonful of jam and some of the fruits, drizzling over any juice from the tin.

STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• To make the strawberries, toss the coined berries and cane sugar together in a bowl. Let them sit for about 20 minutes, or until they start to break down and liquefy.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C or gas mark 8) and have a sheet pan lined with parchment nearby.
• To make the biscuits, in a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, granulated sugar and salt. Drizzle over the olive oil, and gently toss with your hands until droplets of oil are dispersed evenly throughout the flour. Add the buttermilk, stirring gently and compressing with your hands until a shaggy dough is formed. Dump out onto a floured work surface and knead until it comes together into a solid mass. Roll it out into a 1¼-inch (3-cm)-thick disk. Using a 3-inch (7.5-cm) biscuit cutter, punch out 6 biscuits, folding and re-rolling the dough if needed. Place the biscuits on the lined sheet tray, brush with more buttermilk, sprinkle with raw sugar if using, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until slightly puffed and golden brown. Remove the biscuits and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• To make the balsamic glaze, combine the balsamic vinegar and honey in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the liquid reduces by half. Set aside to cool and thicken.
• To make the whipped cream topping, when you're ready to serve, beat together the cream and honey in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, or in a bowl with an electric mixer, until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Split the cooled biscuits in half and spoon on some of the strawberries along with some of their juices so it soaks into the bottom biscuit. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, followed by a drizzle of the balsamic glaze. Top with the other half of the biscuit, and repeat with more strawberries, more cream, and another drizzle of glaze. Repeat with the rest of the biscuits, and serve immediately.

MILK AND HONEY CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper and grease the parchment.
• Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.
• In a small bowl, beat eggs until smooth.
• In a medium bowl, stir together buttermilk, honey and vanilla.
• Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed to break it up, then gradually beat in sugar, continuing to beat until very light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
• With the mixer on medium speed, add eggs, 1 tablespoon at a time. If the mixture looks curdled at any point, add 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture to bind it back together.
• Reduce mixer to low and mix in a third of the flour mixture. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula, then mix in half the buttermilk mixture. Mix in another third of the flour mixture, scraping down sides of bowl, then mix in remaining buttermilk mixture followed by remaining flour. Scrape down bowl.
• Scrape batter evenly into prepared pans and smooth tops with a spatula. Bake until the cake springs back when lightly pressed, and a toothpick inserted into center of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Run an offset spatula or butter knife around edges of pan to loosen cakes, then unmold onto the rack, remove parchment and allow to cool completely.
• Just before serving, whip the cream with a drizzle or two of honey, to taste (up to 2 tablespoons if you like it sweet). Frost the top of one cake, top with the remaining cake then frost the top of the stacked cake. Drizzle with additional honey and garnish with berries, if you like.