Nine recipe ideas to celebrate VE Day from caterer Searcys
note-0 Plans for marches and street parties to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day may have been postponed but chefs at Searcys have come up with some simple recipes to mark the occasion at home.
By Ian Smith
Published 8th May 2020, 07:00 BST
Searcys has come up with ideas ranging from allotment salad, and corned beef & piccalilli sandwiches to milk and toffee pudding.
Here are nine of its recipes or visit www.searcys.co.uk to find out more
5. Chocolate brownies
Chocolate brownies Makes 15 portions Prep time – 45 minutes Equipment needed – Bakewell tin, steel ruler INGREDIENTS 275g dark chocolate
275g unsalted butter
50g white chocolate dots
50ml milk chocolate dots
325g caster sugar
175g plain flour
4g baking powder
4 eggs
5ml vanilla extract
Method: Preheat your oven to 160°C
Melt the dark chocolate and the butter
Fold in sugar, add eggs and vanilla
Fold in flour, baking powder and the chocolate dots
Bake in a greased and lined half gastro for 25-30mins or until cooked
NOTE: the mixture will not be completely set
Allow to cool in the tin
Trim edges and cut into 15 pieces each approximately 7x6cm Photo: Searcys
Victoria sponge cake Makes 4 large or 12 small cakes Prep time – 20 minutes Cooking time – 20 minutes INGREDIENTS 200g self-raising flour
200g caster sugar
200g unsalted butter
4 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
For the filling 100g butter
150g icing sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
Strawberry jam
Method: • Grease four x 5-inch cake tins or 12 small tins
• Preheat oven to 200°C
• In a mixing bowl whisk the butter and flour until soft and fluffy
• Add vanilla essence and eggs and whisk until combined
• Add the milk then gently fold in the flour and baking powder
• Divide between the tins
• Place in oven and bake for around 20 minutes or until the middle of the cake is cooked
• Once cooked remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool
• For the filling place the butter, icing sugar and vanilla into a bowl and whisk until soft and fluffy
• Cut each sponge in half and spread a generous amount of jam on one half and a generous amount of filling on the other, sandwich the two together, dust with icing sugar and serve Photo: Searcys
Bird's nest chocolate and coconut cupcakes Cooking time – 12 – 15 minutes INGREDIENTS Cake 30ml – water, boiling
20g – cocoa powder
3 – eggs
175g – unsalted butter
165g – caster sugar
115g – self-raising flour
4g – baking powder
30g – desiccated coconut, toasted
Frosting 300g – icing sugar
100g – unsalted butter
30g – cocoa powder
40ml – full-fat milk
15g – milk chocolate, melted
To finish 60g – desiccated coconut, toasted
140g – chocolate mini eggs
18 muffin cases
Method: Heat the oven to 200˚C and line a muffin tin with paper cases.
Sift the cocoa powder into a mixing bowl.
Mix the boiling water with the cocoa to form a thick paste.
Add the remaining cake ingredients to the mixture and beat.
Divide the mixture equally between the 18 paper cases.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until they are well risen and springy to the touch.
Leave the muffins to cool on a wire rack.
The frosting Beat the icing sugar, butter and cocoa powder together.
Add the milk and melted milk chocolate and beat on high for 5 minutes.
To finish Using a piping bag with a fluted nozzle, pipe a nest of frosting on top of each cake.
Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the frosting and place 3 chocolate eggs in the middle of each nest. Photo: Searcys
Percy pineapples Makes eight portions Prep time – 30 minutes Cooking time – 30 minutes Soaking time – overnight INGREDIENTS 150g plain flour
150g self-raising flour
5g baking powder
130g unsalted butter
1 lemon, zested
1 orange, zested
3g ground nutmeg
100g dried pineapple
60g dried cranberries
140g sultanas
25 fresh pineapple
100g honey
50g dark brown sugar
1 egg
50g buttermilk
1 fruit teabag
Method: Steep the teabag in a bowl of boiling water and add 50g honey and all the dried fruits – leave to soak overnight.
Heat the oven to 160˚C.
Trim and cut the pineapple into chunks and toss with the remaining honey and brown sugar – roast for 10-15 minutes, make sure they do not burn.
Take the pineapple out of the oven and allow to cool – reserve the juice for glazing later. Leave the oven at 160˚C.
Rub butter into the flour until a crumb.
Drain the soaked fruits and add with the citrus zests to the mix.
Whisk the buttermilk and egg together and add to the dry mix.
On a floured table roll out and shape into 8 circles.
Press pieces of roasted pineapple into the centre of each circle.
Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and brush with the reserved pineapple juice – return to oven and bake for 5 minutes by which time they should be golden. Photo: Searcys/Sue Todd