Summer Perfection With Lime And Berries Recipes

SUMMER BERRY STACK

Steps:

• Whisk 3/4 cup sugar, egg yolks, and 1 tablespoon lemon zest together in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until sugar dissolves and mixture is light in color, about 3 minutes. Stir in 2/3 cup lemon juice and 3 tablespoons butter. Cook, whisking constantly, until lemon curd coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let cool.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat two 9x13-inch baking pans with cooking spray and dust each with 1 teaspoon flour.
• Place 1 cup butter in a microwave-safe bowl; heat in the microwave until melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix together with graham cracker crumbs and 1/2 cup sugar. Press the crust into the bottom of 1 prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Leave oven on.
• Beat cake mix, water, 3 eggs, vegetable oil, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth. Mix in sour cream; fold in blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Pour 1/2 the batter on top of the crust; pour the rest into the second prepared pan.
• Bake the batter-filled pan in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool.
• Beat cream cheese in a bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in condensed milk until smooth and fluffy. Add lime juice and zest; mix well. Fold in whipped topping.
• Scatter dollops of lemon curd over every few inches of the crusted cake. Spread half the cream cheese mixture over the lemon curd. Flip the second cake onto a cake rack; gently place on top of the cheese layer. Smooth the remaining cream cheese mixture on top.
• Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 15-second intervals, stirring after each melting, 1 to 3 minutes. Drizzle on top of the cake. Cover cake; refrigerate until chocolate and cheese layer are set, about 3 hours.

SUMMER BERRY & LIME JELLIES

Steps:

• The day before serving, make the jelly by bringing 1 litre of water to the boil with the sugar, lime zest and juice. Soak the leaves of gelatine in a bowl of ice-cold water. When the sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat. Squeeze the excess water from the gelatine, then add to the pan. Pass the syrup through a sieve into a bowl, then allow to cool to room temperature.
• Ladle a layer of jelly into six ramekins or little jelly moulds, scatter in a layer of raspberries, then leave in the fridge for 1 hr or so to set. Top up with a bit more of the jelly, then leave to set. Continue with a layer of strawberries and then blueberries, remembering to set each layer before the next is started. Once the moulds are full of fruit, top with a drizzle more jelly, then place in the fridge. Leave overnight to set.
• To serve the jellies, briefly dip the moulds in hot water, then loosen from the sides and turn out onto small plates. Serve with clotted cream and shortbread.

SUMMER FRUITS WITH LIME COOLER

Steps:

• in small bowl stir together all dressing ingredients, set aside.
• in large bowl or individual fruit bowls toss together fruits.
• serve dressing over fruit.

LIME CURD TARTS WITH SUMMER BERRIES

Steps:

• To make the pastry, tip the flour, butter and sugar into the bowl of a food processor and process until fine crumbs form. Add the egg and 1 tbsp cold water, and mix until the dough comes together. Turn out onto a sheet of cling film, wrap and chill for 20 mins.
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece on a lightly floured surface and line 8 individual 10cm tart tins. Set on a large baking sheet and chill again for 20 mins.
• Line the pastry cases with baking parchment (paper muffin cases are perfect) and baking beans, and bake blind for 10 mins. Remove the paper and beans, and bake for a further 10 mins until golden brown and crisp. Trim the pastry edges using a small, sharp knife.
• To make the lime curd, put the zest of 2 limes, all the juice, sugar and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and the butter is melted.
• Stir in the eggs and continue to gently cook until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour the curd carefully into the pastry cases and sprinkle with remaining lime zest. Leave to cool.
• Prepare the fruits, halving the strawberries (if necessary) and mixing everything together. Whip the cream lightly. Set a tart on each plate with a spoonful of cream and heap of fruit on the side. Dust with icing sugar before serving.