Food photography blog

Cherry Friands

1/31/2025

These cherry Friands are quick and easy to make, utterly delicious, and can be baked in a muffin tin. Perfect for afternoon tea, and for surprise visitors alike. They keep for several days in an airtight tin, and because the main ingredients are ground almond and egg white, they don't dry out. Pop one in your child's lunchbox, or take for days out in the park, they are the ultimate feel good treat.
Prep 20 min
Cook 30 min

Ingredients
Makes 12 muffin size cakes

250g fresh cherries - stoned and quartered. You can use tinned, but do strain the liquid off and pat them dry before using. They are squishier than fresh, so you many not need to cut.
160g icing sugar
120g melted butter - plus a little extra to grease a muffin tin
65g plain flour
100g ground almonds
6 medium egg whites

Method

pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius, gas mark 4.
Smear the holes in your muffin tin with melted butter and dust with flour.
Add a pinch of salt to the flour and then stir together with the ground almonds and icing sugar in a large mixing bowl.
In a seperate bowl, beat the egg whites with a balloon whisk (or electric hand mixer) just long enough to get a froth on the surface. Then whisk this gently into the dry ingredients until combined with the balloon whisk (not electric beater).
Add the melted butter to the mixture and use your balloon whisk or spoon to combine. Finally add the cherries and stir gently into the mixture. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin and bake for 25-30 minutes. They should be golden brown and bounce back when pressed with a finger tip. Loosen the edges of the cakes with a knife and then leave for 5 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack. Eat warm or cool. Store in an airtight comntainer -0 they will keep easily for a few days and remain deliciously moist.

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Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Blood Orange

1/24/2025

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This quick and easy dessert feels refined and tastes divine. They say oppposites attract and the blood orange is a perfect partner for the creamy Panna Cotta. With only a handful of ingredients, it's deliciously simple, although a chill time of at least 4 hours is needed to make sure it sets.

Ingredients

350ml Double Cream
2 leaves Gelatine
100g Caster Sugar
150ml Buttermilk
2 Blood oranges
Some Fresh Thyme leaves

Method

Put the gelatine leaves in a dish of cold water to soften. Zest one of the oranges.
Heat the cream and sugar in a saucepan until almost (but not quite) boiling.
Remove from heat. Squeeze the water from the gelatine and stir into the cream mixture until dissolved.
Add the buttermilk and orange zest to the mixture and stir to combine.
Strain the mixture into a jug and then divide between 4 ramekins. Place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
Serve by upturning the ramekins onto a dish (can be loosened by running a knife around the edge of the panna cotta beofre tipping out, and also by sitting the ramekins in hot water for a few minutes)
Juice the zested orange and serve as a sauce. Peel and slice the second orange to decorate the tops of the finished Panna Cottas. Finish with a scattering of thyme leaves.

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Rustic Frittata with smoked Trout

10/16/2024

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This is a deliciously simple recipe in which veg can be substituted based on what you have in the fridge, and you can use salmon instead of trout if preferred. The veg will cook in the tart so must be cut small.
INGREDIENTS:
4 medium eggs beaten
5 medium new potatoes, halved
Edamame beans (or any chopped green veg like broccoli)
120g smoked trout
a handful of chopped parsley or dill
75ml soured cream

METHOD:
Pre heat oven to 150 degrees Celcius
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 10 minutes, strain and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Cook any frozen veg for 7 minutes in the potato water.
If using fresh veg add to the beaten egg along with half the trout and fresh herbs.
Slice potatoes into disks and layer in an oven proof dish or frying pan with metal handle that has been lightly greased.
Carefull pour over the egg mixture.
Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until set. Cool for 15 minutes and then top with the soured cream, remaining trout and a sprinkle of herbs before serving.

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Polenta and Sweetcorn Muffins

8/13/2024

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These are incredibly easy to bake, and perfect for picnics or as a savoury element to afternoon tea. Delicious too straight from the oven with butter!
Makes 12 muffins.
Ingredients:

160g sweetcorn or peas - either from frozen, tinned or fresh.
60g butter
100g polenta
100g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
80g strong hard grated cheese
25g pack of chives - chopped
2 eggs
284 ml of buttermilk
grind of pepper

Method:

Pre-heat theb oven to 200 degrees C (180 fan) or Gas Mark 6.
melt the butter
use a balloon whisk to combine this with the eggs and milk
Mix the polenta, flour, baking powder, bicarb of soda and salt and then add the chesse, chives, sweetcorn/peas
Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture
Stir and spoon into about 12 muffin cases
bake for about 20 minutes
eat when cooled a little or cold. Add a smear of butter for luxury.

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