The Lemon Tree Café by Cathy Bramley (42)

Irresistible recipes inspired by The Lemon Tree Café

St Clement’s Cake

‘Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St Clement’s …’

This cake works brilliantly as a cake or as a pudding and looks so impressive that you get loads of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’. And to top it off, it’s really easy to make. If you want to make it gluten free, check the details of your baking powder before adding.

You will need . . .

• Remove any remnants of stalk from the fruit, place in a saucepan, cover with cold water and boil for two hours. Drain and discard the water. Cut fruit into quarters and remove the pips. Then put the lot into a food processor and blitz until really smooth (I often do this the day before making the rest of it).
• Grease a 9-inch springform cake tin really well and preheat the oven to 190°C (fan 170°C), gas mark 5.
• Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl, add the sugar, almonds and baking powder and mix until everything is incorporated. Then add in the orangey puree and stir thoroughly.
• Tip the mixture into the tin and bake in the oven until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. It will take roughly an hour, depending on your oven.

Enjoy warm or cold with a dollop of crème fraiche and a small glass of dessert wine.

Almond Croissants

My husband really loves these. The ones covered in flaked almonds and filled with frangipane. But delivering them fresh and warm to the breakfast table is a step too far living where we live. However, I devised a cunning plan and these work wonderfully well for a special breakfast (like over a bank holiday weekend or birthday).

You will need . . .

• Cream the butter and sugar together with a hand mixer until pale and fluffy.
• Add the ground almonds and eggs and blend well. (There should be enough mixture to fill the croissants and spread some on the top after they have baked.)
• Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C), gas mark 6.
• Open the can of dough and unroll and separate the triangles as per the instructions. Spread some of the frangipane mixture over the entire triangle. Roll up from the wide end to the pointed end of the triangle, tucking the pointed end underneath and place on a baking sheet.
• Repeat with all six, brush lightly with egg wash and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden but not too brown and remove from the oven.
• Take the remaining frangipane, spread a small amount over each one and top with a sprinkle of flaked almonds. Pop them back in the oven for 2 minutes. Remove and dust with icing sugar.

Enjoy with coffee in your favourite mug!

Honey Cake

My family are big fans of honey – on toast, on breakfast cereal and even on ice cream. So this recipe is especially popular in this house. Perfect with a cup of coffee or add a drizzle of cream to jazz it up for pudding.

You will need . . .

• Preheat the oven to 190°C (fan 170°C), gas mark 5 and grease a 20cm (8-inch) cake tin – I use a square silicone one for this recipe.
• Then simply add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and beat until thoroughly mixed.
• Transfer the batter to the cake tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and the top springs back up when you press it.
• Cut into squares to serve. Pop any leftovers in an airtight container and it will taste even better tomorrow!

Ginger Whoops

My friend, Carey, is the best cake maker I know. A couple of years ago, she realized a dream to open her own café called Fintons in Derbyshire as you can imagine, the menu is to die for and she has kindly shared this recipe which is one of their best sellers. It was invented by accident one day – hence the ‘Whoops’ part!

You will need a 23cm square loose-bottomed tin or silicone baking mould. Line if necessary. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan), gas mark 4.

For layer 1 you will need …

• Place all the ingredients into a food mixer until combined into a dough.
• Press the dough into the bottom of the tin.

For layer 2 you will need …

• Spread the jam over the layer of dough.

For layer 3 you will need …

• Place all the ingredients in a food mixer until combined into a cake batter. If you are doing this by hand then use the creaming method – combine margarine and sugar until light, add eggs and combine. Then add flour and ginger.
• Cook on the middle shelf for about 30 minutes ensuring the middle is cooked. Leave to cool.

For layer 4 you will need …

• Slowly add the lemon juice to the icing sugar until you have a thick paste. You might not need all the lemon juice. If it goes too runny just add more icing sugar.
• Spread this onto the top of the sponge layer.
• Sprinkle some chopped candied ginger on top of the icing if desired.

Blueberry crumble cake

This is heavenly with a dollop of clotted cream. Yum.

You will need …

• Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan), gas mark 4 and grease and flour a 23cm square cake tin.
• Place the flour, the baking powder and salt together in a mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla essence and beat together, adding a spoonful of flour if the mixture starts to separate.
• Tip in a third of the flour mixture and mix, then some of the milk, then more flour, alternating until all of it has been incorporated.
• Transfer the mixture into the prepared tin and cover with the blueberries.
• Make crumble topping by combining all the ingredients in a bowl with a fork. Sprinkle over the blueberries.
• Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin before serving warm.

Almond biscuits

These look really elegant. But they are very easy to make and gluten free!

You will need …

if you haven’t amaretto, milk will do

• Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan), gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
• Whisk the egg whites until frothy. Very gently, fold in one third of each of the ground almonds and sugar. Pour in the amaretto or milk. Add the remaining almonds and sugar.
• Take a teaspoonful of mixture and drop it onto the baking tray using a second teaspoon to push it, leaving at least 3 centimetres between each biscuit. Top each one with an almond.
• Bake for 10-12mins. They should be light golden brown but still have some ‘give’ and they will crisp up as they cool. Leave on the tray to cool and store in an airtight tin.

Rachael Lucas’s Cranberry Biscotti

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you’ll probably know that Rachael and I are good friends. She helped me a lot through this book, actually, she helps me through life on an almost daily basis! This is her recipe, in her words. (That’s why it’s longer than my usual ones!)

You will need …

• Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan), gas mark 5. You’ll need one large or two smaller greased baking trays.
• Throw the flour, sugar, eggs and butter into your mixer (there are no words to describe how much I love my KitchenAid – even more so when it’s a bit grubby through hard work), add the vanilla and the spices (I know, that seems like LOADS, but somehow the flavours are really muted if you use a normal amount) and baking powder and mix briefly before adding the cranberries and almonds. What you have now is a rather splodgy dough.
• Divide in two, and plop onto the baking trays. Shape into sort of rectangular shapes. Whether this is a case of gently prodding or giving up as it lies in an uncooperative manner depends on some kind of strange baking alchemy. Doesn’t make much difference, anyway. (I blame the eggs.)
• Pop it in the oven for 15-20 minutes. You want it cracked on top and feeling quite firm to the touch. Take the giant biscuits out of the oven. Do NOT eat. Not even a tiny taste.
• Let them cool for five minutes, then slice them into biscotti-sized pieces and place them on another non-stick baking tray, cut side up.
• Pop them back in the oven for ten minutes, until they look toasted on the outside.
• Then you have to let them cool without eating any. Not even one. I’m really good at this, honestly. Whilst you’re waiting for them to cool, you can deal with the resultant mess. The end result is the best biscotti ever. The children said so, so it must be true.

Happy baking!

Lemon Shortbread Biscuits

Call your friends, tell them you’re baking these and watch them appear at the door!

You will need …

• Preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C), gas mark 3½.
• Cream the butter and sugar until pale and then stir in the lemon zest. Sift in the flour and cornflour a couple of tablespoons at a time, mixing as you go until it has all bound together.
• Dust your hands lightly with flour and knead gently to make a smooth dough. Wrap the mixture in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the cling film and turn out onto a floured board. Using a rolling pin, roll out to a depth of 5mm and then use a biscuit cutter to cut into your desired shapes.
• Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and place the biscuits evenly on the sheet. Bake for 15–20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and before removing them from the baking sheet, while they are still warm, sprinkle with the extra tablespoon of sugar. After ten minutes, transfer to a cooling rack.

Tiramisù

This recipe comes from my editor, Francesca, who had her very own Italian nonna, Bruna. This is a real family favourite of hers! ‘Tiramisù’ means ‘pick-me-up’ and is recommended for those times when you need the little boost that only coffee and chocolate (and alcohol!) can bring.

NB. You’ll need to chill this in the fridge overnight, or for at least four hours, before serving.

You will need …

• Add the sugar to the egg yolks and beat until pale, thick and creamy. Add the mascarpone and beat well again.
• With a clean whisk, beat the egg whites until you have stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.
• Pour the Marsala wine (if you’re using it) and the cooled black coffee into a shallow dish. Working quickly, dunk each sponge biscuit into the liquid one at a time (you want the biscuits to have soaked up the coffee but not to become soggy or break. A couple of seconds will do it) and line the bottom of a glass dish, approximately 20cm square.
• Top with half the mascarpone mixture, making sure you go right into the corners of the dish with an even layer.
• Dust with a little cocoa powder. Repeat with another layer of soaked biscuits, then the rest of the mascarpone, and another dusting of cocoa powder. Add some grated dark chocolate to finish off.
• Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving.

Limoncello Meringue Ice Cream

Isn’t this the perfect recipe for The Lemon Tree Café?! My friend Lucy, who owns a restaurant called Lucy’s On a Plate in the Lake District gave me this recipe. Delicious for a summer dinner party!

You will need …

• Pre-heat the oven to 110°C (90°C fan), gas mark ¼.
• Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Add the caster sugar a spoonful at a time until meringue is really stiff.
• Spoon into even-sized dollops and place on baking parchment and bake in the oven for 3 hours.
• Whip the cream until firm. Add the limoncello and fold in the lemon curd. Stir in the zest and rind of the lemons.
• Crush the cooled meringues into bite-sized pieces and stir into the cream mixture (don’t worry as you fold, it binds together well).
• Put the mixture into a plastic tub and freeze for at least six hours.

Triple Chocolate Cookies

These cookies are absolutely delicious and are best eaten while still warm. The trick is to take them out of the oven before they set even though they don’t look quite ready!

You will need …

• Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C), gas mark 6. Line two trays with baking paper or a silicone sheet.
• Cream together the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until soft and pale. Crack in the egg and add the flour and cocoa powder. If the mixture is looking dry add a small amount of milk to bring it together.
• Break up all of the chocolate (I use a rolling pin while it’s still in the packaging) and add to the bowl and mix thoroughly.
• Now, with clean hands, divide the mixture into ten portions and pop them on the trays leaving plenty of room between them – they will spread in the oven!
• Bake the cookies in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
• Remove from the oven while they are still squidgy and leave on the trays to cool. As soon as you can pick one up without it disintegrating (about 25 minutes!), they are ready to eat.

‘Healthy’ Flapjacks

This recipe hits the spot when we fancy something sweet but want to feel a bit more virtuous. It is great to take as part of a packed lunch because it really fills you up. Please feel free to make substitutions depending on your tastes or what you have in your cupboards; for example, sunflower seeds for pumpkin, dried cherries for cranberries, or figs for apricots… the combinations are endless!

You will need …

• Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan), gas mark 4. Grease a 30cm x 20cm cake tin and line with baking paper.
• In a large saucepan, gently heat the coconut oil, honey, vanilla extract and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Add all the dry ingredients and stir well.
• Tip into the cake tin and press down firmly with the back of a spoon.
• Place in the oven for 25 minutes until golden brown.
• Take the tin out of the oven and leave it on a cooling rack to completely cool before cutting the flapjack into squares. This will keep in an airtight tin for about two weeks.