Summer baking: seasonal fruits, minimal effort, sensational results

Baking during the summer months should be about seasonal fruits, minimal effort and sensational results.

Few desserts boast simplicity and deliver the most incredible flavours and textures – the mighty crumble is among them. It’s a rather simple concept of taking in-season fruit and baking it until caramelised and oozing under a buttery crumble topping. I have one bug-bear with the traditional crumble topping though; if the crumbs are too fine, the end results are a mealy and unsatisfying top. To counter this, the crumble topping I have been making for many years uses a generous amount of butter, light brown sugar, and my secret weapon: rolled jumbo oat flakes. The combination of these ingredients results in a crunchy caramelised topping that makes for a far more interesting bite.

Let’s talk about the fruit filling; my favourite is strawberry and rhubarb for it’s pink and red hues and tartness, which pairs beautifully with cold vanilla-scented whipped cream. But for the deeper days of summer, a more heady mix of summer stone fruits such as peaches or nectarines is a true treat. I’ve suggested serving with the best quality vanilla ice cream you can find but just as with the rhubarb and strawberry mix, a dollop of whipped cream will do just fine.

If you have tried and failed to make macarons, and especially if you are one of the few who think the whole concept to be somewhat of a fad, then these chocolate cherry meringue stacks are for you. I once re-tested a macaron recipe for one of my first cookbooks so many times that I had to abandon ship. If I was having trouble with it, I had no doubt others would too. I’m not one for giving up easily but if there is an easier road that will get you to somewhat similar results, I take it. Which is why I arrived at these almond meringue discs. I’m sure some may argue that they are basically a failed macaron, but they result in a crisp shell and chewy interior. Stacked with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, flaked almonds and the summer’s ripest cherries, nightmares of flopped macarons will quickly drift into the ether.

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Recipe: Cherry and chocolate almond meringue stacks

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Recipe: Oozing buttery peach crumble

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Two desserts worth basing a summer feast around, that require little effort and provide serious satisfaction – enjoy.

Oozing buttery peach crumble
Peaches tossed in a little sugar and baked in the oven until soft and caramelised are a delight just as they are, but combine them with this fool-proof crumble topping and they reach levels of ambrosia.

Serves 6
1kg ripe peaches, stoned and cut in quarters
150g raspberries
150g caster sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp cornflour

For the crumble topping:
150g plain flour
150g jumbo oat flakes
175g light brown sugar
200g cold butter, cut into pieces
Vanilla ice cream, to serve

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.

In a bowl, combine the peaches, raspberries, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice and cornflour until the fruit is completely coated.

Transfer to a large oven proof dish 25cm in diameter and place in the oven for 10 minutes.

While the fruit cooks, place the flour, oat flakes, brown sugar and butter in a large bowl. Using your fingertips, rub all the ingredients together until it resembles chunky breadcrumbs.

Remove the fruit from the oven and add a couple of tablespoons of water to the dish.

Add the crumble mix on top of the filling and spread over the top until everything is evenly covered, leaving the edges slightly uncovered.

Bake in the oven for 30–35 minutes or until the crumble topping is golden brown and the fruit is soft and bubbling beneath. Serve in generous portions with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Cherry and chocolate almond meringue stacks
These sweet almonds stacks will keep extremely well in an airtight container for a week or so if you were inclined to bake them ahead of time.  I've suggested cherries here, but if you can't find sweet and ripe ones, replace with raspberries, blueberries or some sliced strawberries. The chocolate sauce here is one that can be used over and over again for many desserts and is worth adding to your cook's arsenal. A dash of kirsch wouldn't go amiss folded through the whipped cream.

Serves 4
250g icing sugar
4 egg whites
50g ground almonds
2 tsps of cornflour
1 tsps of white wine vinegar
50g flaked almonds, plus extra to serve

For the chocolate sauce:
100g of good quality dark chocolate
30g of butter
50g of icing sugar, sifted
75ml of double cream

To serve:
500ml of cream, lightly whipped
200g cherries with stems

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2. Line two baking trays with baking parchment. Draw 6x10cm circles on each piece of parchment paper.

Place the icing sugar and egg whites in a standing food mixer and whisk on high for 10 minutes until glossy white peaks form. Using a spatula, gently fold in the almonds, cornflour and the white wine vinegar.

Divide the meringue mixture between the two baking trays and using a tablespoon, form six thin meringue discs. Sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

For the chocolate glaze, melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl sat over a pan of just simmering water. When melted, remove from the heat, whisk in the icing sugar and the cream.

Allow to cool until the mixture becomes thick enough to leave a figure of eight on the surface.

Assemble each meringue stack by placing a single meringue disc on a serving plate and topping with whipped cream. Repeat with two more meringue discs, finishing with a layer of cream. Drizzle with chocolate sauce, top with cherries and sprinkle with extra flaked almonds.