Baked Vanilla and Lemon Cheesecake with Ginger Fairing Base

10 - 12 Mullion Coves Cornish fairing biscuits

50g Butter, softened

500g Cream cheese

120g Caster sugar

1 tbsp Plain flour

Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

2 large free-range eggs, plus

1 large egg yolk

3 tsp Vanilla extract

170ml Tub of soured cream (or 4 dessert spoons of Greek-style yoghurt)

Strawberries to decorate

Rodda’s clotted cream for serving

1. Preheat oven to 160C/fan140C/gas 3. Put the fairings into a bag and crush with a rolling pin or whizz in food processor. Mix with melted butter and press into greased bottom of 20cm spring form cake tin. Put in the fridge for 30mins or more.

2. Put the rest of the cheesecake ingredients into a large bowl and beat or whisk until light and fluffy. Pour on top of the biscuit base.

3. Place the tin on a baking tray in the middle of the oven for 40 – 50mins until firm and slightly wobbly in the middle. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven to cook. Don’t worry if it cracks. When cool, carefully remove from the tin and chill in the fridge.   

4. Quarter the strawbs. Either add a bit of caster sugar or for a fancy twist, pop strawbs in a bowl with orange zest and juice, Cointreau and a sprinkling of sugar. Leave to marinade.

5. To serve, spoon over the strawbs and serve with Rodda’s clotted cream.

Cornish Buttery Shortbread

175g Cornish Butter (Trewithen dairy is our favourite)

75g Caster Sugar

175g Plain Flour

75g Fine Semolina

1. Preheat oven to gas mark 2/150°C.

2. Beat the butter in a bowl with an electric whisk, then beat in the sugar.

3. Stir in the sifted flour and the semolina with a spoon. Then gently bring together all of the dough using your hands,
but try to touch it as little as possible so it doesn’t get too greasy.

4. Put the dough onto a floured worktop and roll out until it is round and transfer to a 20cm round flan tin with a loose
base.

5. Prick the dough all over using a fork to stop it from rising during cooking.

6. Bake for 1-1 ¼ hours in the middle of the oven until it is very lightly golden.

7. Use a blunt knife to mark out squares onto the surface of the shortbread whilst it is still warm.

8. Cool in the tin, then take out and dust with more caster sugar.

For something different, try heart and star shaped shortbread biscuits

Same as above but use heart and star shaped cutters to cut into shapes and place on greased baking tray. Bake in oven for 15 – 20 mins or until lightly golden.

Once they’ve cooled down, decorate with you favourite coloured icing.

Cornish Fairings

4oz Self Raising Flour

1 level tsp ground ginger

1 level tsp mixed spice

2oz Stork or other cooking margarine

2oz caster sugar

1 level tblsp golden syrup

1. In a mixing bowl, sieve the flour and mix in the spices.

2. Rub in the margarine until you have a breadcrumb consistency. Add the sugar.

3. Gently heat the syrup and add that too and mix well.

4. Roll teaspoonful amounts of the mixture into balls, place on lightly oiled baking tray giving the fairings enough room
to expand and flatten slightly with your fingers.

5. Bake at gas mark 6 (205°c) for 5 mins (or gas mark 5 for 7 mins) until golden brown. Leave to set slightly before
cooling on a wire rack.

Perfect with a cup of real Cornish tea!

Scones

300g self raising flour

75g butter

50g caster sugar

150ml milk

pinch of salt

beaten egg

1. Preheat oven too 200C. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into small squares and add it to the flour. Rub the butter in the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Lift the mixture to incorporate air and keep it light.

2. Stir in the sugar. Pour in the milk and mix with a round-bladed knife to make a soft dough. When the mixture forms a dough ball, place on a work surface that has been lightly dusted with flour.

3. Knead the dough very briefly to soften any cracks taking care not to overwork the dough as it will not rise as well. Press or roll out to 1.5cm thickness and cut into rounds with a 6cm pastry cutter. Gather up the scraps of dough and roll out again until all the dough has been used.

4. Place the scones onto a lightly greased baking sheet spacing them a little apart. Glaze tops with beaten egg for an extra glossy shine. Bake for 10-12 minutes until they are risen and golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and leave to cool. Serve warm or cold. Split scones and serve with lashings of butter, strawberry jam and a big dollop of clotted cream!

Traditional Saffron Buns

6oz dried fruit

1lb plain flour

2oz margarine

20z lard

1/2 teaspoon salt

3oz caster sugar

1oz dried yeast

Pinch of saffron

1/2 pint warm water

1. Soak saffron overnight in small amount of hot water.

2. Stand saffron mixture in ramekin placed in a saucepan of hot water to warm.

3. Mix yeast with sugar and add warm saffron mixture. Add remaining warm water.

4. Add yeast/saffron mix to flour to make a batter and then cover with tea towel and let rise for 20 mins.

5. Melt the lard and margarine in a saucepan on a low heat. Let cool and then add in small parts to the batter and beat. This is the sloppy part! Stir in dried fruit and salt.

6. Cover mixture and let rise for 1 hr.

7. Preheat oven at 190C. Turn out onto floured board and knead for 2-3 mins.  Divide into balls and place on greased baking sheet with enough space to let balls expand.

8. Place on top shelf and cook for 13 mins. Once cooked, place buns on wire rack. Serve with Cornish butter and jam, clotted cream or simply on their own.