Cherry Almond Sponge With Pistachio Crème Fraîche Recipes

CHERRY PISTACHIO COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and orange zest. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in cherries and pistachios., Divide dough in half ; shape each into an 11-in.-long roll. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate at least 2 hours or until firm., Preheat oven to 375°. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 1/2-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Frost cookies with melted white chocolate; let stand until set., To Make Ahead: Dough can be made 2 days in advance. Wrap in plastic and place in a resealable bag. Store in the refrigerator., Freeze option: Place wrapped rolls in a resealable plastic freezer bag and freeze. To use, unwrap frozen logs and cut into slices. If necessary, let dough stand 15 minutes at room temperature before cutting. Bake as directed, increasing time by 1-2 minutes. Decorate as directed.

CHERRY & ALMOND SPONGE WITH PISTACHIO CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Heat a large frying pan. When hot, add the cherries, lemon juice, orange zest and sugar. Allow the cherries to cook and release their juices for 4-5 mins until they are tender and the juices are syrupy.
• Transfer the cherries to the base of a 20-22cm diameter ceramic pie dish. At this point, you can chill the dish until half an hour before you want to eat, then finish it.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. To make the topping, put the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat until light and foamy - an electric whisk is best for this. Add the extract and orange flower water as you whisk.
• When the mixture is very light and airy, whisk in the cream. Finally, sieve in the flour and a pinch of salt. Carefully fold them into the egg mixture with a large metal spoon until there are no lumps.
• Pour the sponge mixture over the cherries and use the back of a spoon to cover evenly. Bake for 20 mins until well risen and evenly browned.
• While the sponge is baking, stir the chopped pistachios into the crème fraîche and spoon into a serving dish. When the sponge is cooked, remove it from the oven and let it cool for 10 mins before dusting with icing sugar and serving with the pistachio crème fraîche.

CHERRY, CUSTARD & ALMOND SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Butter two 20cm loose-bottomed round sandwich tins and line with baking parchment. Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 4. Tip the butter and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat for 10 mins, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt and the milk. Spoon the batter into the prepared tins and bake in the centre of the oven for 22-25 mins, or until risen and firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 mins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Put the cherries, vanilla, sugar, lemon juice and kirsch or liqueur (if using) in a pan and bring to a simmer over a low heat. Cook for 5 mins, turn up the heat to medium and cook for 5-7 mins more until the liquid becomes syrupy. If the cherries are softened but the liquid isn't yet syrupy, strain the liquid into a separate pan and simmer until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
• Beat the cream and icing sugar together using an electric whisk until the cream has thickened, then fold in the custard and chill for 1 hr.
• Put one of the sponges on a cake plate or stand and spread over the custard cream. Spoon over the cherries, then top with the second sponge. Dust with more icing sugar and serve immediately. Leftovers will keep chilled for two days and are best served at room temperature.