Recipe: Iced cherries with white chocolate sauce and pistachio and rose madeleines

Treat dinner party guests to iced cherries with white chocolate sauce and pistachio and rose madeleines for a riot of different textures and heady summer scents

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 600g cherries, halved, stoned and frozen

• 300ml double cream

• 300g white chocolate, chopped

For the madeleines:

• 125g butter

• 40g pistachio nuts

• 100g icing sugar

• 40g plain flour

• 3 large egg whites

• 2 tsp honey

• 2 tsp rose water

• A few drops almond extract

Find it in Hampshire

• Cherries - Godshill Cherry Orchard; Isle of Wight, 07919 522973; godshillorchards.co.uk• Double cream, butter & eggs - H.G. Witt & Son, Fordingbridge, 07714 768974

• Honey - Sinah Common Honey; Hayling Island, 07708 922013; sinahcommonhoney.com

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C (150 fan)/gas 3. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then cook, swirling occasionally, until it turns golden brown and smells caramelised. Leave to cool a little.

2. Put the pistachio nuts in a food processor with the icing sugar and pulse until finely ground, being careful not to over work it into a paste. Tip the mixture into a bowl and combine with the flour.

3. Lightly whisk the egg whites, honey, rose water and almond extract together, then stir into the dry ingredients. Strain the butter and incorporate into the madeleine mixture, then cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 1 hour or until you’re ready to cook.

4. Brush a 12-hole madeleine tin with melted butter, then dust with flour and shake off any excess. Spoon in the madeleine mixture to come almost level with the top of the holes then bake for 10 – 15 minutes. While the cakes are cooking, divide the frozen cherries between six bowls or glasses and heat a jug ready for the ganache.

5. When the madeleines have set and turned golden, turn them out onto a wire rack and leave to cool slightly while you prepare the ganache. Heat the double cream until it starts to simmer, then take the pan off the heat and stir in the chopped chocolate until melted. Transfer to the warmed jug.

6. Pour the hot chocolate sauce over the frozen cherries at the table and serve with a couple of the warm madeleines per guest.

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