insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 05 - July 2015 | Page 33
FOOD+DRINK
perfect picnic recipes cont.
Smoked Salmon Palmiers
These tasty treats are ideal finger food, and just right for nibbling on a picnic
blanket by a babbling brook.
Ingredients:
• 320g puff pastry
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• 5 tbsp cream cheese
• 100g smoked salmon (chopped)
• Fresh chives (chopped)
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C
fan, gas mark 6)
2. Roll the pastry out and brush one side
of it with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the
poppy seeds over the pastry and then
carefully turn it over
3. Spread the cream cheese over the
other side, place the salmon over the
top, and finish with the chives
4. Use a knife to mark a line down the
middle (lengthways) of the pastry sheet,
but don’t cut all the way through. Now
roll each side up tightly until it reaches
the middle line
5. Slice the roll into pieces about 1cm
thick and place on a lined or greased
baking tray and bake for about 20-25
minutes, until the pastry is golden and
puffed up
Honey and Grapefruit Lemonade
It may sound strange, but this combination of sour and
sweet really hits the spot on a hot summer’s day, especially
with a sprig of mint! You can make this before you set out,
and keep it cool in a Thermos flask. Don’t add the mint
leaves until it’s time to serve though, as they’ll go brown.
This recipe makes about 1 litre.
Ingredients:
• Juice 2 pink grapefuits
• Juice 1 lemon
• 1/2 litre water (use sparkling for extra zing)
• 3 tbsp honey
• Fresh mint leaves
Method:
1. Combine the grapefruit and lemon juice (you can use a jug to
make this) and then stir in the honey – it should completely
dissolve
2. Now add the water, tasting as you pour to make sure it doesn’t
become too diluted
3. That’s it! Serve with fresh mint leaves for a refreshing alternative
to fizzy drinks
Mini Financiers – Raspberry, Basil and Apricot
These sound fancy (they look fancy!), and they will be sure to impress.
Take some of the most summery fruits you can think of and bake them
into a biscuity dessert. Delicious!
Ingredients:
• 40g plain flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 120g icing sugar (and extra for dusting)
• 45g ground almonds
• 4 egg whites
• 65g butter
• 12 basil leaves (finely shredded)
• 12 raspberries
• 12 pieces dried apricot
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C and grease the moulds with butter (ideally, you will
use financier moulds, but if you haven’t got them, muffin moulds will work –
your puds will just be a different shape)
2. Sift the flour and baking powder together, and stir in the icing sugar and
ground almonds
3. Add the egg whites and whisk
4. Melt the butter until it just starts to brown, then add it to the rest of the mixture
5. Separate your financier mixture into two bowls, and add the basil leaves to
one. Leave both bowls to rest for 10 minutes
6. Fill your moulds to about 3/4 full, filling half with the basil mixture, and half
with the plain (or you can bake your financiers in two batches in you prefer)
7. Add at least one (two if they are small) raspberry to each mould filled with the
basil mixture, and at least one piece of apricot to the plain ones
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown
9. Dust with icing sugar before serving
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