The kindly animals of Redwall have a tradition of sitting in the dappled sunlight of the abbey orchard to share a teatime picnic of wonderful, summer fruit inspired treats. Below you'll find recipes and photos for three of these treats, but the cookbook contains so many more!
Note: My mom has a little patch of gooseberries at our family farm and was so nice to cook some up with sugar and send the results to me cross-country in jars. While gooseberries are the traditional fruit for the old English dessert of "fool", if you're not able to find them where you live simply substitute in some other summertime fruit–no worries!
Afternoon Tea Scones w/ Jam & Cream
Ingredients:
1 3/4 Cup Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice (or 1/4 tsp. ea. cinnamon, nutmeg, & ginger, ground)
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. Unsalted, Chilled Butter, cubed
2 Tbsp. Sugar
2/3 Cup Milk
Strawberry Jam
Whipped Cream (recipe here, make w/ no sugar) or Clotted Cream
Directions:
1. Place a baking sheet in the oven & preheat the oven to 450ºF. In a medium bowl whisk together the 1st 4 ingredients. Rub the butter cubes into the flour mixture with your fingers until it becomes crumbs. Stir in the sugar & then add in the milk, stirring until you get a soft dough.
2. Flour a work surface & pat the dough into about a 7" round. Flour a large knife & cute the round into 8 wedges. Pull the tray out of the oven (oven mitts!) & transfer the wedges onto the tray. Bake in the top part of the oven for about 12 mins or so, until the scones are risen & beginning to brown.
3. Let cool a little bit on a wire rack & then serve immediately with strawberry jam & whipped cream.
Great Hall Gooseberry Fool
Ingredients:
1 lb. Gooseberries, washed
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Tbsp. Water
Custard (or simply use 1/2 cup already made vanilla pudding)
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1/2 Cup + 2 Tbsp. Milk
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream, whipped into whipped cream (no sugar added)
Grated Chocolate (simply grate a little choc. w/ a cheese grater)
Directions:
1. In a large pot combine the gooseberries, 1/2 cup sugar, & water. Cook on medium for about 10 mins or until the berries are completely soft. Place a mesh strainer over a bowl & press the berries into the strainer, letting the bowl beneath catch the puree. Place the bowl of puree in the freezer for a few mins to cool it down.
2. If you're going to make your own custard instead of using pre-made vanilla pudding, stir together the 1 Tbsp. sugar & the cornstarch with 2 Tbsp. of the milk in a small-med. bowl until the cornstarch is dissolved. In a small pot bring the 1/2 cup milk to a low boil & then pour it into the bowl with the sugar/cornstarch mixture & stir until it's all blended well. Pour the whole mixture back into the pot & cook over med-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from the heat & stir occasionally while it cools.
3. Fold the cooled custard into the gooseberry puree until smooth, & then fold in the whipped cream. Cover the bowl & let it chill in the fridge for an hour. Serve in nice little dessert bowls or glasses with grated chocolate on top.
Summer Strawberry Fizz
Ingredients:
4 Cups Fresh Strawberries, tops cut off (hulled)
1 Cup Strawberry Ice Cream
4 tsp. Sugar
1 Cup Seltzer (Carbonated) Water
Directions:
1. Put the strawberries, sugar, & ice cream in a blender or food processor & blend until smooth. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour & then stir in the carbonated water. Serve immediately.
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