Four fabulous Yorkshire chefs showcase their perfect patisseries for the sweetest summer.
‘Raspberry & Tarragon Cake’ by Stefan Rose, Grantley Hall
Welcoming back some more summery flavours to our Afternoon Tea menu, I have paired together one of my favourite flavour combinations for our new ‘Raspberry & Tarragon Cake’. The fresh herbaceous notes combine perfectly with the sweet tartness. We use the incredible chocolate producer Valrhona, who have combined freeze dried raspberry powder with cocoa butter and sugar to produce an amazing raspberry flavoured chocolate, which has fresh flavour and acidity.
This raspberry ‘Inspiration’ chocolate is formed in a band which encapsulates the whole dessert. When you cut or bite into the cake, the clean and simple exterior reveals layers of vanilla sablé biscuit, light almond sponge, a soft set raspberry ganache, raspberry confit, raspberry compote, tarragon crémeux, and finally a whipped raspberry cream. On top of this we add some sliced fresh raspberries, some whipped Madagascan vanilla cream, and some mascarpone to enrich it. Finally, some little ‘sticks’ of the same raspberry chocolate, some fresh lime zest, and a touch of silver leaf for that visual note. It’s very satisfying to create!
Summer Fruit Tart by Florian Poirot, Florian Poirot
My Summer Fruit Tart has a crunchy base with almond cream, soaked with bergamot syrup, raspberry confit, fresh vanilla cream and then some seasonal summer fruits. It is then topped off with some fresh bergamot zest to give it a seasonal twist that screams summer….et voila! For me, I always keep my pastries simple, with the emphasis on taste over looks every time.
Blackberry Mousse by Devin Jones, The Grand
Blackberry Mousse, Vanilla Whipped Crème, Green Apple Compote, Shortbread my second favourite after the passion fruit , the blackberry mousse has a lovely light texture and rich purple colour which hides a small nugget of granny smith apple compote which in itself is quite sour but together with the rich mousse , the vanilla whipped crème and the shortbread really creates a balanced taste and mouth feel. The white chocolate we use is not as sweet so not to be too over powering as blackberry is such a soft and subtle flavour. We finish off with an ultra-shiny blackberry glaze which adds a different colour purple in contrast to the mousse.
‘Blackcurrant and its Leaf’ and ‘Strawberry, Goats Curd, Basil’ by Ruth Hansom, Swinton Estate
As summer comes, the terracotta walls that line our Walled Garden are awash with berries and currants – so long as we get to them before the birds do! On our 7-course tasting menu we allow these to shine, our pre dessert ‘Blackcurrant and its Leaf’ comprises of a blackcurrant jelly, wood sorrel mousse, candied white chocolate, poached angelica stalk and a whole blackcurrant leaf baked gently in a brown butter cigar paste. It’s a dish bursting with juicy flavours; the blackcurrants are picked from the garden and are lightly set and remain tart, the sorrel is foraged from the woodlands that surround the hotel, the angelica stalks are poached in a blackcurrant leaf syrup. It’s such an underused product but I love the floral notes and unique texture that it gives the dish. And last but not least, the blackcurrant leaf, that could so easily be discarded, but is full of flavour, and when baked in the cigar paste looks impressive and gives a lovely crunch.
To the dessert, and how can we talk about British summer desserts without talking about strawberries?! We are lucky to be in abundance of both grown and wild strawberries here on the Estate, so we use them both on our dessert, ‘Strawberry, Goats Curd, Basil’. Strawberry gel sits on top of a buttery sable, around that sits dots of goats’ curd mousse, wild strawberries, strawberry crisps, basil sponge and a strawberry sorbet. I love the savoury, sour notes that the goat’s curd adds to this dish, making it almost cheesecake like. And of course, the super sweet, freshness of daily picked berries is what really makes this special.
