This month in the appetite kitchen, we have mostly been baking with (and drinking) gin. The results are sweet!
Gin, it seems to us, is much under-used in the kitchen. A good quality dry gin is a fine ingredient for cakes and puds, while a sweet sloe gin warmed with a little extra sugar makes for a syrupy glaze for cakes and fruit tarts.
All we’ve done here is take two familiar recipes and customise them with gin. You can do likewise with any favourite sweet recipes.
Just the tonic
Ingredients
- 3 large oranges, segments
- 250ml gin
- 50g sugar
- pinch salt
- 50ml water
- For the pavlova
- 4 large egg whites
- 200g caster sugar
- 500ml double cream
- 50ml gin
- mint leaves to garnish
- sliced almonds to garnish
Method
- Peel and pip the orange segments and put them in a shallow dish or Tupperware.
- Put the gin, sugar, salt, and water in a small pan and heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Pour the mixture over the oranges and leave to marinate for 1 hour (or up to a week).
- For the pavlova, preheat oven to 130C/Gas 1.
- Using an electric whisk, whip the egg whites until they are white and frothy.
- Gradually add sugar, whisking well, until all the sugar is combined and the whites are stiff and glossy.
- Spoon onto a lined baking sheet, spread into a circle and build up the sides to create a well in the centre for the cream.
- Place on the middle shelf of the oven for 1 hour.
- Leave to cool on the tray before carefully sliding onto a serving plate.
- Whip the cream with the gin and spread in the middle of the meringue, top with the marinated oranges, a few fresh mint leaves and a few sliced almonds.
