For centuries the traditional sign that summer has arrived is the eruption of the creamy frothy elderflower in the hedgerow. This ancient plant is synonymous with the magic and mystery of nature as bumble bees hum around the saucer-sized blossoms rich with pollen, packing their baskets with yellow gold as they have done for time immemorial, ready to transform it into sweet, sticky honey.
At Belvoir Fruit Farms, the arrival of the elderflowers heralds a period of extreme industriousness as the sweet fragrant flowers are vital for their delicious drinks. Every year the artisanal cordial and pressé maker must harvest around 60 tonnes of elderflowers to guarantee supply of their award-winning Elderflower drinks.
While we may have some time to wait before we see the flowers bloom, their taste can be enjoyed year round via Belvoir’s Elderflower Cordial which can be used in recipes, such as these created by lifestyle blogger English Mum, which are ideal for sharing with friends and family. Enjoy!
Belvoir Elderflower Buttermilk Scones
MAKES 10
These light, fluffy scones make use of a simple technique which sours the milk with lemon juice to make quick, home-made buttermilk.
- 125ml milk
- Juice of half a lemon
- 225g self-raising flour
- 1tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 75g butter
- 25g caster sugar
- 2tbsp Belvoir Elderflower Cordial
- 1 egg, beaten
- Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas 7 and make the quick buttermilk by adding the lemon juice to the milk. Stir and set aside.
- Weigh out the flour, add the salt, then gently rub in the cold butter, using just your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Stir in the sugar.
- Add the elderflower cordial to the homemade buttermilk and pour just enough into the flour mixture to bring it together into a soft dough. You might not need it all.
- Place the dough on to a floured work surface and press it down to about 2cm depth, cut out the scones using a plain or fluted 7cm cutter – don’t twist the cutter or the scones won’t rise as well. Bring the remaining dough together gently again and cut out more until all the dough is used up.
- Put the scones on the baking tray and brush with a little beaten egg. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden. For a final flourish, brush with some extra elderflower cordial and sprinkle with sugar while fresh out of the oven.
Delicious served with clotted cream and lemon curd.
Belvoir Elderflower Marshmallows
CUT INTO 40 PIECES
These fragrant elderflower marshmallows are fluffy, sweet and great fun to make. You really do need a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or an electric hand whisk, plus a sugar thermometer. Obviously, be very careful when you’re handling the scalding hot sugar syrup.
- 50g cornflour
- 50g icing sugar
- 500g caster sugar
- 1tbsp honey
- 200ml water
- 125ml Belvoir Elderflower Cordial or Belvoir Elderflower & Rose Cordial
- 2 x 12g sachets powdered gelatine
- 2 egg whites
- Line a 25 x 17cm brownie tray with baking paper.
- Sieve the cornflour and icing sugar together. Place the caster sugar, honey and water in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has melted, then turn up the heat, bring to the boil and pop in the sugar thermometer. Boil the liquid until it reaches the soft ball stage on the thermometer at 118°C.
- Meanwhile, pour the cordial into a small heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, and sprinkle over the gelatine. Heat gently, whisking until the gelatine is all dissolved. When the sugar solution is nearly at the required temperature, whisk the egg whites in the stand mixer until they form stiff peaks.
- When the sugar has reached the soft ball stage, turn off the heat and carefully pour in the elderflower gelatine mixture. Don’t be alarmed when it puffs up, just keep mixing until it forms a smooth mixture.
- With the whisk running, slowly pour the sugar and elderflower mixture into the whisked egg whites, beating all the time. Beat the mixture for around 5-6 minutes. Stop as soon as you start to see it form chewing gum-like strings.
- Sieve a layer of the cornflour/icing sugar over the bottom of the prepared roasting tray and pour in the marshmallow. Level it off as best you can, then sieve over another level. You can now gently use your fingers to press the marshmallow flat. Leave for a couple of hours to set completely.
- Sieve another layer of cornflower/icing sugar on to a board and tip out the marshmallow. Peel off the parchment and slice into portions (use a knife dipped in boiling water). Dust the cut edges in the remaining powder.
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.
Chef’s tip: If you choose to use the Belvoir Elderflower & Rose Cordial, you might want to make the marshmallows pink. To do so, simply add a few drops of natural food colouring to the mixture while you’re whisking in the syrup.
Belvoir Ginger and Elderflower Cheesecake
SERVES 6-8
This delicate no-bake cheesecake is the perfect summer dessert. Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature before you start – this gives the cheesecake a lovely, smooth texture.
- 250g ginger biscuits
- 100g butter
- 280g cream cheese (at room
temperature) - 2tbsp Belvoir Elderflower Cordial
- 100g icing sugar
- 150ml double cream
- Place the biscuits into a sturdy plastic bag and bash them into crumbs with a rolling pin.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat and stir through the biscuit crumbs. Press into a loose-bottomed tart-tin (I used a 20cm fluted tin) and place in the fridge to set.
- Stir together the cream cheese, elderflower cordial and icing sugar until smooth, then whip the cream until firm. Gently fold the cream through the mixture until just combined.
- Finally, pile the soft cheesecake mixture on to the biscuit base and chill for at least four hours or overnight before serving.
Chef’s note: As this cheesecake doesn’t use gelatine to make it as light and fluffy as possible, it definitely needs the chilling time.
- Visit www.belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk