Jeremy Vincent’s raspberry shortbread and pudding recipes

The light, crumbly texture of this shortbread owes itself to a clever technique.

WHILE I’m a great believer in keeping the seasonal availability of fresh produce front-of-mind in cooking, there are some indulgences which allow forward-thinking cooks to celebrate great flavours right through the year.

Raspberries are a treat that suggest sunshine and warm summer days, but raspberry jam should be a treat we can enjoy all year round.

The pandemic isolation has prompted me to bring a little sunshine into the kitchen.

Those who indulge in making homemade jam when fresh raspberries are in plentiful supply have it made.

The rest of us have to resort to buying commercial product, or reaching into the supermarket freezer for frozen berries.

Frozen berries make great homemade jam, which features in this delicious raspberry shortbread recipe.

RASPBERRY SHORTBREAD

THE light, crumbly texture of this shortbread owes itself to a clever technique: freezing the dough and grating it. This makes a great afternoon tea treat, or a delicious finish to an evening meal.

Serves 8–10

250g plain flour, plus more as needed

1 tsp baking powder

Generous pinch salt

225g unsalted butter, plus more for the tin, at room temperature

190g sugar

2 egg yolks

¾ cup raspberry jam

Sweet treat: Raspberry shortbread prepared by Jeremy Vincent. Picture: Dannika Bonser

Using a sieve over a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter in a large bowl, using a hand mixer on high speed, until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and egg yolks and mix until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is light, about 4 minutes.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture. Mix until the dough just begins to come together, about a minute. Turn the dough on to a lightly floured surface and bring it together with your hands. Divide the dough in half and form two balls. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap, then freeze for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.

Arrange an oven rack in centre of the oven and preheat to 180C (160C fan). Grease a 25cm springform tin with butter. Remove a ball of dough from freezer, unwrap, and grate, using the large holes of a box grater, directly into the prepared tin. Gently pat the grated dough to even it out. Spread the jam evenly over the dough, leaving about a 1cm border around the edges. Grate the remaining dough over the jam layer and then pat until the surface is even. Bake until light golden brown, about 25–30 minutes. Let cool completely in the tin, on a rack, before cutting into wedges or slices. Keeps well in an airtight container.

RASPBERRY PUDDING

THIS is an old favourite from my childhood days. It was a specialty made regularly by my grandmother.

Preheat the oven to 150C (130C fan). Separate 3 eggs. Put the yolks into a bowl with a further whole egg and beat . Add 2 cups milk, 100g breadcrumbs (preferably Japanese-style, called panko) and 85g sugar.

Put 4 tablespoons of raspberry jam on the bottom of a pie dish and spread it evenly. Pour the egg and milk custard mixture over the jam. Bake for an hour or until set.

Whisk the remaining 3 egg whites until stiff, and then slowly add 140g sugar until it is all mixed in. Pile the meringue mix on top of the custard, then bake in the oven for a further 15–20 minutes until the meringue is set and lightly browned.

MAKE YOUR OWN RASPBERRY JAM

IT’S worth taking the effort to make your own raspberry jam. If it’s the wrong season for fresh berries, you can find good quality frozen berries in the supermarket freezer all year round. The jam can be made using a lower sugar version and can be mixed with other berries to vary the taste.

Wash 4 cups fresh or frozen raspberries. If using fresh, check for any damaged berries and discard them. If necessary, after checking for faults, top up the quantity to ensure you have four cups of good berries. Place the berries in a heavy saucepan, and cook for 15 minutes, crushing them with a spoon or potato masher while they are cooking.

Add 3 cups sugar and bring the mixture to a boil. Insert a sugar thermometer, and continue to simmer until the raspberry mixture reaches 100C, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Put into sterilised jars and store in the fridge.

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