Sarah Venning’s recipes

Base:
85g plain sweet shortbread biscuits
1/2 cup ground almonds
45g butter melted

Topping:
600g cream cheese
1 cup caster sugar
6 fl oz sour cream
6 eggs
Grated rind from 1-2 lemons, depending on how big they are and how lemony you like it

Pre-heat the oven to 140C.

Crush the biscuits in a plastic bag with a rolling pin, then mix them in a bowl with the ground almonds and the melted butter. Squash them into the bottom of a 9inch / 22cm spring-form tin and put it into the fridge until you’ve made the topping.

Put the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream in the food processor and whizz until smooth. Add the eggs and lemon rind and whizz again. Pour into the tin. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until the topping is firm and you have a little bit of a wobble underneath, but not too much. Cool it in the tin. Run a sharp knife around the edge before unclipping the spring form. I find it impossible to get it off the base so usually just transfer it wholesale to a pretty plate, not letting it slide off en route to the table.

I’m going to try this for Edward’s birthday lunch. Possibly it’ll flatten us all, but hey ho…

125g v soft unsalted butter
4 eggs separated
30g plus 1 teaspoon caster sugar
100g plain flour
25g cornflour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarb of soda
zest of 1 lemon
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons milk
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
150ml double or whipping cream
150g lemon curd

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Line and butter two 21cm sandwich tins.

Mix the egg yolks, 100g sugar, butter, flour, cornflour, baking powder, bicarb and lemon zest in a processor. Add the lemon juice and milk and whizz again.

Divide the mixture between the prepared tins - spread until smooth.

Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until peaks form then slowly whisk in 200g of sugar. Divide the mixture between the two tins, spreading the meringue mixture straight on top of the cake batter. Smooth one flat with a metal spatula and peak the other one using the back of a spoon. Sprinkly one teaspoon of sugar over the peaks. Put into the oven for 20-25 minutes.

With a cake tester, pierce the cake that has the flat meringue topping to check it’s cooked all the way through. Remove both cakes to a wire rack and let cool completely in the tins.

Unmould the flat-topped cake onto a cake plate, meringue side down. Whisk the double cream until thick but not stiff then set aside. Spread the flat sponge surface of the first cake with the lemon curd, then spatula over the cream and top with the remaining cake.

Pre-heat oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5

6 Granny Smith apples
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp brandy
125g/4.5 oz soft brown sugar
12 thin slices of bread
125g/4.5 oz butter, melted.

Peel and core apples and cut them into 1cm/0.5 inch dice. Place in very hot dry pan and sauté for c.30 secs. Add cinnamon and brandy then add sugar and cook for 10 minutes.

Cut bread into circles the same diameter as pot to be used as charlotte mould (or in ramekins) and strips the height of pot (or ramekins). Dip into melted butter and line pot.

Fill lined moulds with apple mixture. Seal with final round of bread and bake for 20-25 minutes until crisp and golden. Cool slightly and dip cut.

Serve with custard

675g fruit
100g self-raising flour
55g butter
55g demerara sugar
55g crushed flaked almondsPreheat oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Cook for 30 minutes.

500g ripe cherries, stoned
170g caster sugar
4tbsp kirsch (optional)
10g butter, melted
4 medium eggs
6 drops vanilla essence (optional)
zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
20g plain flour
100ml milk
150ml whipping cream
70g unsalted butterMarinate cherries with 2tbsp caster sugar and the kirsch for two hours. Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Brush the inside of a round cast-iron or china baking dish (5cm deep x 20cm) with melted butter. Add 3tbsp caster sugar and shake dish to coat the inside. In a bowl whisk the eggs, remaining caster sugar, vanilla and lemon zest together until creamy. Add flour and two pinches sea salt and whisk until smooth, then slowly incorporate milk and cream. In a small saucepan, heat the butter until it reaches a blonde hazelnut colour and whisk it into the mixture. Mix the batter with the cherries and their juices and pour into the baking disk. Dot with butter and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. The calfoutis is cooked when the blade of a knife comes out clean. To serve, sprinkle caster sugar over. Apricots, pears or apples can be used instead of cherries.

450g ricotta
Pinch salt
1tbsp plain flour
100g soft brown sugar
2 eggs, separated
1tsp grated orange zest
25g raisins
25g candied orange peel
0.5tsp cinnamon
2tbsp icing sugarPreheat oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Grease a 20cm round, loose-bottomed cake tin. Mix ricotta, salt , flour, brown sugar, egg yolks and orange zest. Mix in the raisings and candied orange peel. Whisk egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold into mixture with metal spoon. Pour into tin and bake for 40 minutes until firm when tested. Remove from oven, cool. Sprinkle with cinnamon and icing sugar before serving.

1lb moist sugar
1lb beef suet (2 packets)
0.5lb plain flour
1 grated nutmeg
1oz mixed spice
1oz cinnamon
0.5pt milk
2 wineglasses brandy or rum
1lb raisins
0.5lb mixed peel
1lb sultanas
1lb currants
rind and juice of 2 lemons
pinch salt
8 eggsMix dry ingredients. Add milk, eggs separately, rum or brandy and lemon juice. Boil 4-5 hours.

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2 packs Lyons trifle sponges (for my glass bowl you need fewer – 10-12 tops)
150ml Marsala or Madeira
2×300g packs raspberries, defrosted
2×250g pots ricotta cheese?
4tbsp icing sugar
284ml pot double cream
25g cut mixed peel
100g plain chocolatePlace half trifle sponges in base of glass bowl. Drizzle over half of the Madeira and leave to soak for five minutes. Scatter over about one third raspberries.
Combine ricotta, icing sugar and half the cream, mix with fork until smooth. Add mixed peel and remaining raspberries. Chop two-thirds of choc into small pieces and stir it.
Spoon layer of ricotta mixture into sponges, then add sponges on top, then remaining Madeira, then rest of ricotta mixture.
To serve, whip rest of cream until soft peaks. Spread over top of ricotta mixture. Grate remaining choc over top. Chill before serving.

4 large cooking apples
2 large eggs
225g caster sugar
225g butter, melted
225g plain flour
55g walnuts or almonds, chopped
2tbsp soft brown sugar
2tbsp sultanas
1tsp cinnamon
0.5tsp ground ginger
Juice of half a lemonPreheat oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Peel core and clice apples. Beat eggs and sugar together. Stir in butter then flour. Spread three-quarters of the mixture over the base of a 20cm greased sponge cake tin, preferably with loose bottom. Cover with half the sliced apples then sprinkle with nuts, brown sugar, sultanas, spices and lemon juice. Cover with remaining apples. Put the rest of the batter in spoonfuls on top of the apples and bake for about 40 minutes. Leave to settle for a few minutes before transferring to a warm serving plate. Serve warm or cold with cream or crème fraiche.
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8oz demerara sugar
6oz flour
4oz butter or margarineServes 6. Proportions 4, 3, 2 sugar, flour and margarine. Serve cold.