Sweet Treats for September

Try your hand at a seasonal galette or an afternoon tea classic thanks to this tantalising pair of mouth-watering recipes

Elisha Young’s Blackberry and Peanut Butter Galette

Our columnist shares this tried-and-tested method to make the most of easy-to-forage blackberries, paired with a peanut butter frangipane to avoid any soggy bottoms!

You will need

• Homemade pie dough/rough puff pastry, or 1 packet of shop-bought pastry
• 1 large egg
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar

Frangipane

• 100g crunchy natural peanut butter
• 55g unsalted butter, softened
• 55g brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• Big pinch of salt
• Vanilla extract
• 50g flour

Fruit

• 300-350g blackberries
• 60g caster sugar
• 2 tsp cornflour
• Pinch of salt
• Zest of half a lemon
• Step-by-step guide

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and warm a large baking tray on the middle rack.
2. Place your blackberries in a bowl with the caster sugar, cornflour, salt and zest. Mix well to coat the blackberries, then set aside. Whisk one large egg with a pinch of salt in a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, cream together the peanut butter, butter and brown sugar until soft and fluffy. Add the egg, salt and vanilla extract and mix well. Add the flour and carefully fold it in until just incorporated.
4. Take your pastry out of the fridge and place it on top of a large sheet of baking paper (this is so you can easily transfer the galette to the oven later.) Roll it out until it is approximately 4mm thick and circular shaped. You can cut the edges with scissors if you use shop-bought pastry, but it should be about 30cm in diameter.
5. Spoon the peanut frangipane on to the centre of your pastry in an even layer, leaving a border of 3.5-4cm around the edge. This recipe makes more frangipane than you need, but you can bake off the excess in muffin tins and enjoy them as small cakes.
6. Feel free to adjust the amount of frangipane and fruit to suit your tastes. Just keep in mind that the more fruit you add, the juicier the galette will be, so you might need to add more cornstarch. If you do use more frangipane, the galette will have more peanut flavour but be drier.
7. When you have the desired amount of frangipane, add the blackberries on top, dotting them evenly around the batter.
8. Take one edge of the pastry and fold it over the edge of the frangipane and blackberries. Work your way around the galette, folding over the excess pastry as you go and overlapping it slightly with the previous fold.
9. If your pastry has become hot and hard to handle, pop the galette in the fridge for 20 minutes to get it cold. When it’s cool again, brush the pastry with the beaten egg wash from step two. Sprinkle the edges of the pastry with the demerara sugar to add crunch and sweetness.
10. Use the baking paper to carefully transfer your galette to the hot baking tray in the oven. This helps you get an extra crispy bottom and ensures the pastry is cooked
    all the way through.
11. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. The exact time depends on your oven and how juicy your blackberries are, but you want the galette to be deep golden brown and the frangipane to be cooked through and lightly golden on top.
12. Leave to cool for about 15 minutes, then cut and serve with your choice of double cream, ice cream, crème fraiche or custard.

Scones from the Orchard Tea Garden 

The historic tea room gives us the lowdown on how to make one of their most-ordered afternoon indulgences. Best paired with a strong cup of tea, follow the steps below to make 12 scones.

You will need

• 950g plain flour
• 190g white sugar
• 50g baking powder
• 200g sultanas
• Pinch of salt
• 250g butter, either grated if cold or cubed if softened
• 500ml full-fat milk
• Step-by-step guide

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. 
2. Cover a flat baking tray with baking paper.
3. Weigh all dry ingredients and combine in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the grated or softened butter and mix thoroughly using your hands.
5. Slowly start to add milk and combine ingredients to form a soft dough.
6. Flour a clean work surface and roll out the dough using a rolling pin somewhere to approximately 4cm thickness.
7. Use an 8cm diameter cake cutter to cut 12 scones.
8. Move to the prepared baking tray and brush with either an egg or milk wash.
9. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until lightly golden.
10. Leave to cool.
11. Enjoy with plenty of cream and jam!