Lemon Mascarpone Cheese Cake

Ingredients

50g Butter

150g Ginger Biscuits (crushed)

25g Stem Ginger

500g Mascarpone

2 Lemons (zested and juiced)

100g Caster Sugar

2 Eggs (separtated)

Fruit Coolis to Serve (cook 400g soft fruit (such as reasperries, strawberries, blackcurrants with 2 tablespoons of water for 5 minutes, cool and then press through a sieve, stir in 1 tablespoon of icing sugar (taste and add more if needed) et voila, fruit coolis!!

Equipment

2 Mixing Bowls

1 Balloon Whisk

2 Pans (if you are making the coolis)

1 Sieve (only if you are making the coolis)

1 Tablespoon

1 Wooden Spoon

1x10 Inch Cake Tin

Greaseproof Paper

The Good Bit

1. Start by pre heating your oven too 180c 350f gas 4, then line and grease your cake tin. Melt your butter in the panand then stir in the crushed biscuits, press this mixture into the bottom of your cake tin. (I put this in the fridge at this stage but it's not necessary)
2. In one of your mixing bowls beat the mascarpone, lemon zest, juice, sugar and egg yolk until you have a smooth mixture. Then in the other bowl whisk the egg whites until they are stiff.
3. Now fold in 1 tablespoon of your egg whites into the cheese mixture just to loosen it up then gently fold in the rest, poor this mixture onto your biscuit base and cook for 40 minutes.
4. Serve With a good helping of the coolis (or any topping you wish, cream, icecream it's up to you)

Serves 4

Sweet Mascarpone Mousse

Ingredients
450g Mascarpone Cheese
100g Caster Sugar
4 egg Yolks
400g Frozen Summer Fruits
Red Currants to Garnish
Amaretti Biscuits to Serve

Equipment
4 Cocktail glasses
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Wooden Spoon

The Good Bit

1. Beat the mascarpone until it is smooth then stir in the egg and sugar, leave for an hour in the fridge.
2. Layer the mascarpone and fruit in your glasses finishing with a layer of mascarpone, top with a few red currants and serve.

Serves 4

Cheats Tiramisu

Ingredients
200g Dark Chocolate
260g Mascarpone
100ml Double Cream (whipped till it holds it's shape)
260ml Black Coffee (with 17g caster sugar stirred in then cooled)
4 Tablespoons Rum/Brandy
24 Sponge Fingers
Cocoa Powder (for sprinkling)

Equipment
3 Mixing Bowls
1 Balloon Whisk
1 Wooden Spoon
1 Pan (with simmering water in)
4 Serving Plates

The Good Bit

1. Melt the chocolate in one of your mixing bowls over the pan with the simmering water in it then allow it to cool a little before stirring in the mascarpone and whipped cream
   
2. In the meantime, make your coffee, with the correct amount of sugar and rum or brandy, then you need to dip the sponge fingers in, one at a time, do it quickly so you don't make the fingers all soggy.
3. As you dip, lay out the sponge fingers on each of your 4 plates, 3 fingers next to each other pointing away from you, then spoon on some of the chocolate cream mixture, next add another layer of 3 fingers at 90 degrees to the first lot on top of the cream, now add another layer of chocolate cream and finally top with 3 more fingers pointing in the same direction as your first layer.
4. Chill for at least an hour the just before serving, sprinkle with cocoa powder.

Serves 4

Smoked Haddock and Leek Pie

Ingredients
500g Smoked Haddock Fillet (unskinned)
300ml Milk
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Leeks (sliced)
2 Teaspoons Mustard
1 Cup Mascarpone
3 Eggs (hard boiled and quartered)
1 Large Potato
75g Cheddar Cheese (grated)

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Cheese Grater
1 Pan
1 Large Pan
1 Ovenproof Dish

The Good Bit

1. Preheat your oven too 200c 400f gas 6. Place the fish in the heatproof dish, in the small pan, heat the bring the milk to boiling the pour over the fish and set aside for 5 minutes.
   
2. In the large pan heat the butter until it melts then add the leeks and cook for about 3 minutes until it begins to soften, now add the flour and keep stirring for a minute, now strain the milk from the fish into this pan and stir well, when you have a thick sauce add in the mustard and mascarpone, mix well then season with salt and pepper.
3. Now break off into chunks the fish and add the quartered eggs to this dish (the ovenproof one) pour in the leeks and sauce and give everything a gentle stir, at this point grate your potato and mix it with the grated cheese, season this with a little salt and plenty of pepper and then spread evenly over the top of the fish.
4. Bake for 30 minutes (until the top is golden) serve immediately.
   

Serves 4

Chicken and Mushroom

Ingredients
4 Chicken Breasts
50g Mushrooms (sliced/quartered, whatever you want)
50g Plain Flour
50g Butter
1 Small Onion (thinly chopped)
2 Cloves Garlic (thinly chopped)
125ml White Wine
125 Mascarpone Cheese
A Handful Fresh Chives (chopped)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Large Frying Pan

The Good Bit

1. In the bowl, season the flour with the salt and pepper, then chuck in the chicken and make sure it's fully coated all over, Heat the oil in the frying pan and add the butter, when the butter begins to bubble add the chicken.
2. Cook the chicken rapidly so its brown and both sides (4 minutes) then take out and set aside keeping warm. Throw the onion and garlic into the pan now and cook for 5 minutes until going soft, then pour in the wine, give this a good mix and scrape any brown burnt bits off the bottom of the pan.
3. Add the mascarpone and mushrooms to the pan and stir well making sure the mascarpone is melted, keep an eye on the thickness of the sauce, heat rapidly if it is too runny, add a little more wine if it is to thick, just remember that the mushrooms will release a lot of liquid as they cook so only adjust the thickness of the sauce when you are ready to serve.
4. Return the chicken to the pan for the 10 minutes and finally add the snipped chives, season and serve.

Serves 4

Something Fruity For The Weekend

Ingredients
250g Mixed Fruit (strawberries, apples, mango, whatever takes your fancy, if you have no time to prepare, shops do frozen bags of mixed summer fruit)
1 Tablespoon Caster Sugar
White Rum
50g Amaretti or Almond Macaroons (any biscuit will do though)
100g Caster Sugar
1 Lemon (zested and juiced)
250g Carton Mascarpone Cheese
2 Tablespoons Icing Sugar

Equipment
1 Zester/Juicer
1 Small Pan
2 Small Mixing Bowls
1 Wooden Spoon

The Good Bit

1. Put the fruit, 1 tablespoon caster sugar and 2 tablespoons of rum in the bowl and mix well and leave whilst you do the next bit.
2. Heat 100g caster sugar in the frying pan along with the lemon juice and a splash of water, keep stirring until the sugar dissolves then heat rapidly without stirring until it turns golden.
3. Whilst that is boiling rapidly, mix the mascarpone with 2 tablespoons of rum, the icing sugar and lemon zest.
4. now fill the bottom of 4 dishes with the biscuits, spoon over the fruit, then top with the cream and finally drizzle over the caramel sauce, allow this to set for a minute then serve.

Serves 4

Lemon Cheesecake

Ingredients
150g Digestive Biscuits
50g Butter (melted)
2 250g Cartons Mascarpone
200ml Double Cream (makes the traditional thick cheesecake, if you want it a little lighter use crème fraiche and 100g caster sugar)
2 Egg Yolks
2 Tablespoon Cornflour
1 Lemon (juiced)
Ice Cream/Cream to serve

Equipment
2 Mixing Bowls
1 Rolling Pin (or something heavy)
1 Strong Plastic bag
1 Big Spoon
1 Oven Proof Dish (20cm/8 inch)

The Good Bit

1. Pre-heat your oven to 190c 375f gas mark 5. Place the biscuits in the bag and crush with your rolling pin, then mix in one of the bowls with the melted butter, spread out evenly over the base of the oven proof dish and whack it in the freezer to set.
2. Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl together and pour over your now set base and smooth out, or leave a little jagged for that rustic look (that's what i tell everyone anyway and I'm sticking to it)
3. Slap this in a preheated oven for45 minutes, it should be golden when done, still a little jiggly but that will set, LEAVE it in the oven to cool with the oven door OPEN, then and only then when you can take it out by hand place it in the fridge for a few hours before serving, it's better if you can leave it over night.

Serves 6 (yeah right, if I'm one of your guests then it serves 1, ME!!)

Meringue Magic

Ingredients
1 Box Meringue nest (usually come in sixes, some poor sod is gonna have to have two!! Chefs Bonus)
1 250g Tub Mascarpone Cheese
150ml Single Cream
1 Tablespoon Icing Sugar
Fruit of Your Choice (hardish fruit is better for cutting, strawberries work well as do peaches, it's up to you, as little or as much as you like, less makes it easier to decorate, say 2 strawberries each)
1 Bottle Toffee Sauce (or chocolate)
1 Bag Chopped Mixed Nuts (check nobody has a nut allergy, smack em if they have!!)

Equipment
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Fork
1 Spoon
1 Knife
1 Chopping Board
Imagination.

The Good Bit

1. This takes seconds but looks amazing!! mix the mascarpone with cream and icing sugar in a bowl, that's the hard bit done!
2. Slice the fruit however you like (strawberries 1/2 or 1/4 them, peaches cut into slices so 1 peach could do all four), fill 4 of the meringue nests with a good scoop of the cream, decorate however you like with the fruit.
3. Sprinkle over some of the chopped mixed nuts, then do something arty with the toffee sauce, serve and enjoy, if you are the chef there are 2 nests left over, a sneaky one for you and 1 for someone special!

Serves 4