1. Raspberry soufflé
Ingredients: 10oz raspberries (plus a few to decorate), juice of 2 lemons, 4 eggs, 5oz caster sugar, 5tsp powdered gelatine, 284ml carton double cream. Serves 10-12
Tie a double fold of greaseproof paper around a 1½ litre soufflé dish and secure with tape. Puree the raspberries and lemon juice until smooth and sieve to remove seeds. Whisk egg yolks and 4oz of caster sugar in a bowl until doubled in volume. Dissolve the gelatine in 4fl oz of cold water and leave until it goes spongy. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the gelatine melts. Remove and whisk into egg yolk mixture, along with raspberry puree. Lightly whip the cream and fold into the mixture. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then whisk in the rest of the caster sugar a spoonful at a time, until mixture is thick and glossy. Fold the egg whites into the raspberry mixture and pour into soufflé dish. Chill overnight. Serve decorated with raspberries.
2. Peach and berry pie
Ingredients: 4 cups peaches (peeled, pitted and sliced), 1 cup raspberries, ¾ cup white sugar, 3tbsp flour, 1tsp ground cinnamon, 2 9in pie crusts, 2tbsp butter (softened and cut into pieces), 1tbsp coarse granulated sugar. Serves 8
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place peaches and berries in a large bowl and gently toss with sugar, flour and cinnamon. Transfer to a pie crust. Dot with butter and top with remaining crust. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 45 minutes, until crust is golden brown.
3. Traditional trifle
Ingredients: 3 egg yolks, 1 pint double cream, 1oz caster sugar, 1tsp cornflour, 5 trifle sponge cakes, 2oz flaked almonds (lightly toasted), a few spoonfuls of raspberry jam, 2fl oz sherry, 8oz raspberries, 2 bananas (peeled and thinly sliced). Serves 6-8
Break the sponge cakes into pieces and spread raspberry jam on them. Put them in a large glass bowl and sprinkle over raspberries and sherry, stirring well. For the custard, heat ½ pint double cream in a saucepan. Mix egg yolks, sugar and cornflour together and add when cream is hot, stirring over a low heat until thick. Allow to cool. Add bananas to raspberries and pour custard over top. Whip the remaining cream and spread over top. Decorate with almonds. Chill for 3-4 hours before serving.
4. Meringues with berry compote
Ingredients: 13oz strawberries (quartered), 12oz blueberries, 10oz blackberries, 11oz raspberries, 40z redcurrants, 1tbsp caster sugar, 3tbsp finely chopped fennel greens, 5 meringue nests, whipped cream to serve. Serves 5
Combine all the berries in a large bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and gently stir in the fennel greens. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes. Spoon the compote into meringue nests and add whipped cream as desired.
5. Summer fruit gratin
Ingredients: 4 apricots, 3 nectarines, 250g strawberries, 1tbsp lemon juice, 4 egg yolks, 50g caster sugar, 4tbsp dessert wine or sweet sherry, 100ml whipping cream, 4 strawberries and mint to decorate. Serves 4
Slice the fruit and drizzle with lemon juice. Divide among four heatproof gratin dishes. Put the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl, add the sugar and whisk until pale and creamy. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk until the mixture thickens, adding wine/sherry gradually and then the cream. Preheat the grill to high. Pour the mixture over the fruit and place the dishes under the grill. Leave for a few minutes to brown, then serve immediately decorated with a whole strawberry and mint on each dish.
6. White silk and berry tarts
Ingredients: 16 tart shells, 1 cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup sugar, 6oz white chocolate, 1/3 cup heavy cream, 1sp vanilla flavour, ½ tsp almond flavour, 2tbsp sour cream, 2 eggs, ½ pint blackberries and raspberries, 2oz bittersweet chocolate (melted). Makes 16 tarts
Whisk butter and sugar for a few minutes. Melt the white chocolate in the heavy cream and cool to room temperature. Whisk the chocolate mixture into the butter and sugar. Continue whisking while adding flavourings and sour cream. Add eggs gradually and keep whisking until smooth. Spoon mixture into tart shells. Top with whole berries and the melted chocolate. Chill for three hours and allow to stand for 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.
7. Summer berry sorbet
Ingredients: 500g mixed summer fruits – try raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and redcurrants, juice and grated rind of 1 large orange, 3tbsp of orange liqueur such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier, 2 egg whites, 100g caster sugar, mint to decorate
Blend fruit, orange rind and juice, liqueur and 175ml of water until smooth. Pour into a rigid container and freeze, stirring every 30 minutes or so until ice crystals form and it feels slushy. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then gradually add the sugar, whisking until firm and glossy. Fold the egg whites into the fruit mixture and continue to freeze and stir until completely frozen. Transfer to fridge half an hour before serving. Decorate with mint and serve.
8. Torta alla frutta
Ingredients: for the pastry – 100g soft butter, 50g caster sugar, 120g flour, 50g cornflour, for the filling – 425ml milk, 1 split vanilla pod, 2-3 strips unwaxed lemon zest, 5 egg yolks, 100g caster sugar, 2tsbp flour, 1tbsp cornflour, fruit (try peaches, strawberries, raspberries and apricots), a few spoonfuls of apricot jam. Serves 4-6
To make the pastry, whip the butter and sugar until soft. Add the sieved flours and stir together to make dough. Sprinkle flour on a clean counter and roll the dough out 2-3cm thick. Cut out rounds to fit greased pastry cases. Bake at 300ºF for 30 minutes, until the pastry is lightly browned. For the filling, warm milk in a saucepan and add the vanilla and lemon zest – leave to infuse for a few minutes. Remove the vanilla and scrape out the seeds – you can add them to the milk for extra flavour. Remove the lemon zest. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until light and fluffy. Sift the flours into the mixture and fold in. Place in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and add the hot milk. Cook gently, stirring well, until the mixture thickens. Allow to cool. When the pastry and cream mixture are cool, spread some mixture onto each tart. Pile slices of fruit on top in a decorative fashion. Melt the jam and brush over the fruit.
9. Perry and berry jelly with elderflower mousse
Ingredients: for the mousse – 2 egg yolks, 40g caster sugar, 120ml elderflower cordial, 3 gelatine leaves, 300ml double cream, for the jelly – 4 gelatine leaves, 500ml perry, 80g caster sugar, mixed summer berries (try strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants and blackberries). Serves 4
For the mousse, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water until soft. Lightly whisk the egg yolks, then mix in the sugar and 100ml of the cordial. Place in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk for a few minutes. Remove from heat, add the rest of the cordial and stir. Drain and squeeze the gelatine leaves, then add to the mixture and stir until melted. Whip the double cream, fold one-third into the mixture, then fold the mixture back into the remaining cream. Pour the mousse into serving glasses and chill until set. For the jelly, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water until soft. Place 150ml of the perry in a saucepan, bring to the boil and dissolve the sugar in it. remove from heat. Drain the gelatine leaves and add to the hot perry. Add the rest of the perry and leave to cool. Arrange the berries on the mousse, then pour jelly on top and chill until set.
10. Summer berry and coconut cheesecake
Ingredients: 7oz crushed coconut biscuits, 1oz desiccated coconut, 3oz melted butter, 14oz condensed milk, 18oz mascarpone, juice of 2 lemons, 450g summer berries (try raspberries and strawberries), 2tbsp fruit jam (match with the berries you’ve chosen). Serves 12
Mix the biscuits, coconut and butter and press into the base of an 8in cake tin. Chill for about 15 minutes. Whisk together the condensed milk and mascarpone until smooth, adding the lemon juice gradually. Puree half the berries with the jam until lightly crushed. Spread half the cream mixture onto the biscuit base. Spoon over the crushed berries, then top with the remaining cream mixture. Chill for at least four hours. Halve the remaining berries and arrange on top of the cake to serve.
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