Food and Drink

Mini Pudding Cheesecakes

Why not try these delicious mini pudding cheesecakes for an Easter treat? This lovely recipe has been written for Plym Links by Tan Luke of Porsham Cakes. n Naughty, but nice!

Makes 6 individual puddings Ingredients 125g biscuits – I used chocolate hobnobs but you can use plain digestives or chocolate chip ones. 40g butter - melted 200g white chocolate - chopped 200g cream cheese 2 eggs – any size 75g plain chocolate - chopped 2 tsp coffee powder 1 tsp vanilla paste

Method 1: Preheat the oven to 150C, gas mark 2 and grease 6 x 150ml dariole moulds or ovenproof dishes of the same size. 2: Line the bases with two strips of baking paper crossed over and coming up the sides – this is to help you remove the puddings from the tin. 3: Melt the butter gently in a small saucepan. 4: Put the biscuits in a plastic food bag and bash into crumbs with a rolling pin. Stir in the butter until mixed. Divide among the tins and pack down with a teaspoon so the mixture lines the base and slightly up the sides. 5: Melt the white chocolate, either in a microwave on short bursts or over a bowl of hot water, stirring occasionally, and then remove from the heat. 6: Using a balloon whisk, mix the soft cheese, vanilla paste and eggs together in a separate bowl. 7: Put 50g of the dark chocolate in a small clean bowl and add the coffee with 2 tbsp of boiling water. Allow to melt.

8: Stir the melted white chocolate into the cream cheese and egg mix. Using two thirds of the mix, split evenly between the six moulds. 9: Spoon the dark chocolate mixture around the top in small blobs, then add the remaining third of the white chocolate mix. 10: Bake the cheesecakes for 15 minutes. They will be very wobbly still when you remove them from the oven. 11: Leave until cold then remove from the moulds and chill. Optional decoration Whip 150g of double cream until it forms soft peaks and spoon a little onto each cheesecake. Top with the remaining chocolate chunks, coffee beans, or chocolate buttons and chocolate mini eggs for the children. Alternatively, use 60g of melted white chocolate and top with your choice of mini eggs, chocolate chips or sprinkles. Or better yet, let the children make the cheesecakes and decorate them themselves with appropriate supervision.

The change in the seasons is always a great excuse to celebrate. How about trying this tasty tipple created by the experts at Badger’s Holt - just right for the spring! Method 1 Slice up fruit and toss it in a pitcher. 2 Add some Cointreau, Grand Marnier or other orangeflavoured liquor along with a bottle of white wine. 3 Chill and let the flavours meld together in the refrigerator for a few hours (at least 3 hours) 4 To serve, stir the ingredients in the pitcher, then pour over a glass of ice. Garnish with fresh mint. (Don’t add ice to the pitcher because that will dilute it) This white sangria is a casual cocktail and not fussy at all. You can store the white sangria for up to two days in the fridge. Solstice White Sangria with fruit and berries Time to prepare: 10 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients 1 peach, mango or similar fruit, peeled and diced 1/2 orange, thinly sliced 6 strawberries, sliced Handful of raspberries 1/3 cup Cointreau, Grand Marnier or orange-flavoured liqueur 1 bottle white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio) Fresh mint leaves, for garnish Beer, BBQ - and live music Badger’s Holt at Dartmeet held a mini ‘Summer Solstice Festival’ last summer - it proved such a success, this year they are making a full weekend of it! Father’s Day falls on the Sunday of the solstice weekend - so why not treat Dad to a day out on the banks of the River Dart, complete with a beer festival, barbecue and live music?

Come and support local bands as they fi ll the valley with wonderful tunes and songs to warm the spirit, soothe the soul, and get those feet moving as you dance a jig or shimmy-a-shake by the fl owing waters of the river.

And as the sun sets, enjoy the warmth of the fi re pits as the fl ames dance to the last of the day’s tunes and the river runs lazily to the sea.

Badger’s Holt will have a wet weather plan on standby – but here’s hoping for the same weather as 2019!

The Summer Solstice/Father’s Day Beer and Music Festival takes place at Badger’s Holt on Saturday and Sunday, June 20th and 21st. BBQ available from noon until 8pm on both days, bar and music from noon until late on both days. Dogs on leads welcome. n