Recipes: Afternoon tea with Rachel's

Gooseberry Tart (pictured above) 

Ingredients
375g shortcrust pastry
400g fresh gooseberries
50g caster sugar
3 tbsp cornflour
4 egg yolks
75g Rachel's unsalted butter
100g Rachel's Gooseberry Yogurt

For the meringue
4 eggs whites
115g caster sugar
115g icing sugar

Preparation time: 1 hour 40 mins
Serves: 6-8

Method
1.Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.
2.Lightly grease the tart case and line with pastry. Chill the pastry for ten minutes in the fridge as this will prevent the pastry shrinking. Meanwhile cut out a sheet of parchment paper or greaseproof paper the same size as the tart, crumple and place inside the tart case. Pre-bake with baking beans for 20 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and lightly browned.
3. To make the filling, add the gooseberries together with the sugar and 250ml of water in a pan and simmer until the fruit is soft. Drain the liquid off and reserve the gooseberries. Use the liquid to make a paste with the cornflour and stir this on the heat until it thickens. Beat in the egg yolks and butter. Allow to cool slightly and add the yogurt, then stir. Re-add the gooseberries and stir again. Pour the mixture into the tart case.
4. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Add the caster sugar in three stages on full mixer speed. When the caster sugar is all incorporated, fold in the icing sugar in two stages with a metal spoon or spatula.

Tip
This method will ensure a crispy meringue which doesn't weep. Pipe or spoon the meringue on top of the filling.
Bake on 150C/300F/Gas Mark 2 for 30/ 40 minutes until lightly brown and crisp.

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Clementine Cake

Ingredients
175g unsalted butter, room temperature
175g caster sugar
3 eggs
250g self raising flour
100g Rachel’s Greek Style low fat yogurt
3 clementines – zest and juice of one
100g apricot jam
Warmed Rachel’s crème fraiche to serve

Preparation time: 50 mins
Serves: 4

Method
1.Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Prepare and grease one loaf tin. Tip: we used paper loaf shaped cases, which are self supporting and are easy to release
2.Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl (using an electric mixer if available) until pale and fluffy
3.Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour with each egg to stop curdling
4.Add the remaining flour, then fold in the yogurt and the zest and juice of one clementine
5.Spoon the mixture into the paper case or tin and level the top
6.With the remaining 2 clementines, cut the bottom and top of the skin off and discard. Following the contour of the orange with a knife, cut away the skin and discard. Remove any white pith but be careful not to remove any flesh7.Slice each fruit horizontally into thin slices, place these over the top of the cake batter
8.Bake the cake in the middle of the oven for approximately 30 minutes until risen and golden brown, and the oranges are beautifully caramelised. Test the cake with a skewer to check the cake is cooked, if the skewer comes out clean then the cake is ready
9.Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly
10.Brush over with apricot jam and leave to cool completely
11.Serve wedges of cake with a dollop of Rachel’s crème fraiche

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Madeline Cakes

Ingredients
2 eggs60g caster sugar, sifted
60g icing sugar, sifted, extra for decoration
35g self raising flour, sifted
35g plain flour, sifted
75g unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp water
30g Rachel’s low fat rhubarb yogurt
3 drops pink food colouring (we used Dr Oetker Hot Pink Gel)
Cake release spray or 2tsp vegetable oil for greasing

Preparation time: 20 mins
Serves: 24

Method
1.Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4
2.Grease a 12 hole Madeleine pan
3.Beat together the eggs, sifted caster and icing sugar using an electric whisk, and whisk until thick and creamy4.Add the sifted self raising and plain flour to the egg and sugar mixture
5.Melt the butter with the water, ideally in a jug. Pour this down the side of the mixing bowl, fold in well and then add the yogurt. Stir again gently
6.At this stage, split the Madeleine mixture, take half of the mixture and put into a separate bowl. Add the food colouring to one bowl being really careful to gently incorporate, so as not to lose the light and fluffy texture. Tip: the mixture will keep in the fridge at this stage for a couple of hours and the texture of the resulting cakes will improve7.Drop rounded tablespoons of each mixture, plain and pink into each pan hole.

Tip
For a neater finish use a disposable piping bag with a small cut. Feeling creative? You could also try striped Madeleine cakes by piping a pink centre and vanilla either side

8.Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown. Tap the pan gently to release the cakes or remove with a small palate knife
9.Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately

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Apple and Yogurt Cake

Ingredients
3 apples
113g unsalted butter, softened
150g caster sugar (plus 1 tbsp for sprinkling)
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
250g plain flour, sifted
2tsp baking powder
¼tsp salt
1tsp ground cinnamon (plus 1tsp for sprinkling)
125g Rachel’s Greek Style Apple & Cinnamon Yogurt

Preparation time: 1 hour 15 mins
Serves: 8-10

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170?C/350?F/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line an 8 inch round loose bottom or spring-form cake tin
2. Begin by peeling and coring one apple, quarter and chop into rough pieces. Take the other two and leaving the skin on cut into quarters and then into thin slices, taking out the core. Set aside for a moment
3. Cream together the butter, sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one by one and then add the vanilla extract
4. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and ground cinnamon, stir well until these are all incorporated. Add the reserved apple pieces and the yogurt and give the mixture a good stir
5. Pour into the prepared tin and smooth the top making sure it is level. Arrange the apple slices on top of the cake in a circular pattern
6. Combine 1tbsp of caster sugar and 1tsp of ground cinnamon and sprinkle this over the top of the apple slices
7. Bake for 50 mins/ 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean
8. Allow to cool in the tin before removing and transferring to a wire rack

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Peach and Passion Fruit Cake

Ingredients
300g caster sugar
3 medium eggs, beaten
300ml sunflower oil
200g banana, mashed
227g peach slices, tinned & roughly chopped
1tsp ground cinnamon
300g plain flour
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g walnuts, chopped
3tbsp Rachel’s 0% fat Greek style Peach and Passion Fruit yogurt

For the Icing
200g cream cheese
250g icing sugar
100g Rachel’s fat free peach and passion fruit yogurt

For the Syrup
2 passion fruits
150g caster sugar

Preparation time: 15 mins
Serves: 10-12

Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas Mark 5.
2. Line and grease 3 x 20cm cake tins.
3. Place the sugar, eggs, oil, banana and peaches in a bowl and whisk with an electric mixer.
4. Add the cinnamon, flour, bicarbonate of soda slowly and mix until all the ingredients are incorporated.Add the walnuts followed by the yogurt.
5. Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared tins and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes, until springy to touch. Or use a skewer, if it comes out clean then the cakes are done.
6. Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool.
7. Prepare the icing. Soften the cream cheese by placing it in a bowl and beat until smooth, ideally with an electric mixer then add the icing sugar and beat again. When the mixture is completely smooth, add the yogurt.
8. When the cakes are cold spread half of the icing onto two of the cakes to make the bottom layers and finally sandwich the third cake on top.
9. Chill the cakes and continue to make the syrup. Cut each passion fruit in half and scoop out the flesh and seeds. Make sure you catch all the juice. In a small saucepan heat the passion fruit pulp with the sugar and allow the mixture to come to a rolling boil.
10. Allow to cool slightly, the syrup should thicken as it cools. Take the cake from the refrigerator and pour over the syrup allowing it to drizzle down the sides of the cake.