Easy Raspberry Desserts

Chocolate Cake with Raspberries

Ingredients

• 9 oz butter, softened
• 6 oz sugar
• 3 medium eggs, beaten
• 8 oz self-rising flour, sifted
• 3 oz cocoa powder plus 1 tbsp
• 6 oz confectioner's sugar
  
• Fresh raspberries, to decorate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 12 hole muffin tin.
3. Place 6 oz of butter, the sugar, eggs, flour and 3 oz of cocoa into a food processor or bowl.
   
4. Blend or beat until well mixed.
5. Spoon mixture into tins.
6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until firm to the touch.
7. Cool for 10 minutes, turn out and leave to cool completely.
8. Blend 1 tbsp cocoa with 2 tbsp boiling water.
9. Cool. Beat remaining butter until light and fluffy.
10. Gradually beat in the confectioner' sugar and cocoa.
11. Spoon icing onto the tops of the cupcakes and decorate with the raspberries.
12. You may dust the top with some confectioner's sugar.

Chocolate/Lemon/Raspberry Delight

Ingredients

• 6 oz chocolate digestive biscuits or plain chocolate cookies
• 2 tbsp golden syrup or light corn syrup
• 1 oz unsalted butter
• 6 tbsp thick lemon curd
• 8 oz fresh raspberries
• Mint sprig and confectioner's sugar to decorate (optional)

1. Fine crush the chocolate biscuits.
   
2. Pour the syrup into a heavy based saucepan and add the butter.
   
3. Heat gently until blended, then remove from the heat and add the crushed biscuits.
4. Mix well, then press firmly into the base and sides of an 8 inch spring-form pan.
   
5. Chill in the fridge for an hour or more.
6. When ready to serve, remove the biscuit base from the pan, spoon the lemon curd into the biscuit base, then top with fresh raspberries.
   
7. Decorate with a mint sprig and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Fruit Gratin

Ingredients

• 2 ripe peaches, stoned and sliced
• 4 ripe plums, stoned and sliced
• 5 oz fresh blackberries or raspberries or a mixture of both
• 9 oz tub of mascarpone cheese
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 4 tbsp double cream or crème fraiche
• 1 lime, grated rind only

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Arrange the fruits in a shallow ovenproof dish or individual ones if you like.
3. Mix the mascarpone with 2 tbsp sugar, the double cream and lime rind.
4. Spoon this over the fruits, spreading into an even layer.
5. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar.
6. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese has softened and the sugar browned.
7. Serve immediately.