WHITE CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA BAVAROIS

You can make this two days before serving. It will sit happily in the fridge as long as it is well covered.

YOU WILL NEED:

1 packet digestive biscuits

70g butter, melted

250ml fresh cream

450g good quality white chocolate

2 gelatine leaves

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

380ml fresh cream, whipped

TO SERVE: honeycomb fresh strawberries icing sugar

1. Crush the biscuits in a food processor, then add the melted butter. Press the mixture into a 22cm springform tin.

2. Place the cream and white chocolate into a heat-proof bowl and place this over a bowl of boiling water. Heat it through till the chocolate melts.

3. Place the gelatine sheets into a bowl full of water for a few seconds to soften them. Then remove them using your hands and squeeze out as much water as you can before stirring them into the melted white chocolate. Add the vanilla extract.

4. Let the mixture cool slightly before folding in the whipped cream. Pour the mixture into the biscuit-lined springform tin. Wrap it well in cling film and place it in the fridge.

5. At lunchtime, remove the bavarois from the springform tin and transfer it to a serving dish. Serve slices of the bavarois topped with honeycomb and fresh strawberries, and dusted with icing sugar.

Honeycomb

Crunchy and sweet, honeycomb is perfect to garnish most desserts, especially soft and creamy ones, as it provides a great textural contrast. Make the honeycomb a few days before it’s needed and store it in a covered container in the freezer. A word of warning: do not make honeycomb when humid, southern winds are blowing or it will dissolve into a sticky mess.

YOU WILL NEED:

200g sugar

100g golden syrup

2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

1. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Place the sugar and golden syrup into a heavy-based pot and heat it up gently till you get a golden brown caramel.

2. Working quickly, remove the pot from the heat and use a wooden spoon to stir in the bicarbonate of soda. The mixture will froth up quite dramatically. Stir the mixture just enough to work in the bicarbonate of soda. The more you stir the mix, the smaller the bubbles will be.

3. Pour the mixture onto the lined baking sheet and let it cool and set completely before storing in a very airtight container. You may also wrap the honeycomb well in non-stick paper and cling fil, and store it in the freezer for longer periods.