Elderflower

Another food favorite of mine in recent years is also very much a taste of home



------------------------------------------------------------
Elderflower Cordial
30 heads of elderflower
3 pints of boiling water
200g of caster sugar
3 tbsp of citric acid
2 lemons , cut into quarters

Mix the sugarwith boiling water into a pan , leave to cool for 30 minutes you should be able to dip your finger in easily
Mix in the lemons , citric acid and elderflowers
Leave to cool and strain through a muslin bag ( I use a clean cotton shopping bag)
Place into clean bottles
To serve dilute by half

------------------------------------------------------------
Elderflower Syllabub
1/2 pint (280ml) double cream
2 egg whites
1 tbsp white wine
3 tbsp elderflower cordial

Blend the elderflower cordial with the white.
Whisk the cream and stir in the wine and cordial.
Now whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the cream.
Spoons the cream into glasses and chill for at least 30 minutes.

------------------------------------------------------------
Apple Cake with a difference

2lb (800g) Cox's apples
4 tbsp elderflower cordial
8oz (200g) butter or margarine 8oz
(200g) castor sugar 8ox (200g)
self raising flour
4 eggs

Peel and roughly chop the apples into a large pie dish.
Pour the elderflower cordial over the top.
Make the sponge by creaming together the butter and sugar.
Whisk the eggs and add to the suger and butter mixture.
Fold in the flour and spoon over the apples.
Place in a pre-heated oven at Gas 4 (275F/180C) and bake for 30 minutes until golden and risen.

------------------------------------------------------------
Vanilla Ice Cream with Apricot and Elderflower Sauce
(Serves 4)
3-4 scoops of good quality vanilla ice cream
4 Fresh Apricots
75g Castor Sugar
2 tbspns of Elderflower Cordial
3 fl oz of water

Place the apricots into a saucepan with the sugar, Elderflower Cordial and water, bring slowly to a simmer then stir to dissolve the sugar.
Continue to heat until the apricots have cooked and the sauce looks thick, take off the heat and allow to cool.
When cooled, purée until smooth and pour over the ice cream.

------------------------------------------------------------
Strawberry and Elderflower Cream Slice
(Serves 4)
1 Pack of frozen Puff Pastry
2 Punnets of fresh Strawberries
1/2 Pint of Cream
4 tbspns of Elderflower Cordial

For the Icing 2 tbspns of Elderflower Cordial 4oz of sieved Icing Sugar

Roll the pastry out into 3 oblongs 12cm x 26cm.
Soak the Strawberries in the Elderflower Cordial for 1/2 an hour.
Whip the cream until firm, then layer the cream on the pastry and top with strawberries.
Repeat on the next layer and top with the third sheet of pastry.
To make the icing, sieve the icing sugar and add the Elderflower Cordial, stirring all the time.
Pour over the top of the slice and serve.



Addendum - during the Middle Ages, the English believed the elderberry tree to have mystical abilities and that to have these trees on one's property meant good blessing. The medicinal value of the elderberry goes back to the 5th century BC and is mentioned in the writings of Hippocrates, Dioscurides and Plinius.