MAKE YOUR MOTHER’S DAY WITH DELICIOUS HOMEMADE TREATS

Let your mum put her feet up and have a well deserved rest this Mother’s Day (3rd April 2011), whilst you take over the kitchen and bake up a sweet treat just for her.

MAKE YOUR MOTHER’S DAY WITH DELICIOUS HOMEMADE TREATS IMPRESS YOUR MUM WITH YOUR NEWFOUND BAKING SKILLS! Let your mum put her feet up and have a well deserved rest this Mother’s Day (3rd April 2011), whilst you take over the kitchen and bake up a sweet treat just for her. Using the cooking skills that have been passed down by your mum, you can show how much you love her – and how great in the kitchen you are - by making one of Merchant Gourmet’s favourite three cake recipes that are perfect for Mother’s Day! For health conscious mums that always eat their five a day, a slice of Pumpkin Seed Cake is ideal – fruity and flavorsome. It’s great to bake if you haven’t got much time – only taking 15 minutes to prepare – giving you plenty of quality time with your mum. Cooking time: 45-50 mins Preparation: 15 mins plus cooling Serves: 12 Vegetarian: Yes Ingredients: • 120ml Merchant Gourmet Pumpkin Seed Oil • 2 eggs • 175g dark muscovado sugar • 2 tbsp marmalade • 225g self-raising flour • 1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda • 225g carrots, peeled and grated • 1 ripe banana, peeled and mashed • Zest and juice 1 medium orange • 50g pumpkin seeds • 50g raisins For the icing: • 300g full fat soft cheese • 2tbsp sugar • A few drops of vanilla essence • A handful of pumpkin seeds How to cook it: 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan160C/Gas 4. Grease a deep 20cm/8inch diameter round cake tin and line with baking parchment 2. Place the oil, eggs, sugar and marmalade in a large bowl. Whisk together using an electric hand whisk, for 2 mins or until the mixture is thick enough to leave a trail when the whisk head is lifted 3. Sift over the flour and bicarbonate of soda, then add the grated carrots, banana orange zest and juice, seeds and raisins then gently mix together 4. Pour into the prepared tin. Bake for 45-50mins or until the cake springs back when lightly touched in the centre. Leave to cool in the tin 5. Remove the cake from the tin and peel off the lining paper. Mix all the icing ingredients together with a wooden spoon. Cut the cake in half horizontally then sandwich together with half the cream cheese mixture 6. Spread the remaining icing over the top of the cake and scatter the pumpkin seeds around the edge of the cake. Serve in wedges Merchant Gourmet’s recipe for Lemon Polenta Cake couldn’t be easier to make – and its the perfect homemade afternoon treat for mum to enjoy with a cup of tea. Cooking time: 30 mins Preparation time: 20 mins Serves: 6-8 Vegetarian: Yes Ingredients: • 120g Merchant Gourmet Polenta • 120ml Lemon Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil • Zest and juice 5 lemons • 7 large eggs • 150g unsalted butter • 400g caster sugar • 450g raspberries How to cook it: 1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5 2. Grease a 2lb loaf tin with butter and line with a strip of greaseproof paper 3. Put the Polenta into a bowl. Add the juice and zest of 2 lemons and the lemon infused extra virgin olive oil. Mix gently and set aside 4. Separate 4 eggs, reserving the yolks for the lemon curd, and whisk the whites until stiff 5. Slowly add 120g caster sugar to the egg whites and whisk in well until thick and glossy 6. Once all the sugar has been added to the egg whites take two tablespoons of the mixture and beat into the Polenta mixture to loosen. Once combined, gently fold in the remaining egg whites 7. Transfer to the lined loaf tin and bake for 30 minutes. Test the cake with a skewer, which should come out clean when the cake is cooked. Turn the cake out of the loaf tin and allow to cool 8. To make the lemon curd, mix the zest and juice of 3 lemons with the remaining 3 eggs and 4 egg yolks, 150g butter and 180g sugar in a saucepan, and whisk over a medium heat until it thickens to the texture of thick custard. Cover and set aside to cool 9. Add the final 100g sugar to a saucepan and cover with 200ml water. Bring to the boil and continue to cook until you have a thin syrup. Gently fold in half of the raspberries 10. To serve, cut the cake into slices, sandwich with the lemon curd and remaining fresh raspberries and serve with the raspberries in syrup For aspiring chefs who love to spend time in the kitchen, Chocolate Chestnut Truffles are perfect to make! Your mum will love to indulge in these rich, chocolate-y treats – just make sure that you make enough for the whole family, as everyone will want one! Cooking time: 10 mins Preparation time: 2 hours Serves: 8 Vegetarian: Yes Ingredients: • 200g packet Merchant Gourmet Whole Chestnuts • 300ml double cream • 250g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa content) • 10g butter • 2 tbsp brandy • 125g cocoa powder, sifted, for dusting How to cook it: 1. Break the chocolate into pieces and roughly chop the chestnuts into small pieces 2. In a heavy-based saucepan heat the double cream gently until warm. Add the chocolate pieces and continue stirring, until the chocolate has melted 3. Add the butter and brandy then heat gently, stirring all the time, until the mixture is thick and glossy 4. Add the chopped chestnuts and mix well 5. Remove from the heat, cover and chill to allow the chocolate to cool and become firm and fudge like in consistency (approx. 2 hours). 6. Sift the cocoa powder into a large bowl 7. Take two teaspoons and form the mixture into rough shaped balls, the size of chestnuts. Drop the chocolate balls into the cocoa powder and gently roll them in it until they are coated thoroughly. Place into a sieve and shake off excess cocoa 8. Eat at once or store, tightly covered, in the fridge for up to 2 days Merchant Gourmet products are available in all major supermarkets in the UK. For more cooking ideas and inspiration please visit www.merchant-gourmet.com/recipes Ends. 2nd February 2011 Issued on behalf of Merchant Gourmet by Public. For further information or product images, please contact Katie Owen and Liam Grady on 01302 730303. Notes to Editors: About Merchant Gourmet Merchant Gourmet was started by Mark Leatham in 1985, sparked by his passion for quality ingredients that are capable of transforming any meal. Today, the company supplies over 40 products to supermarkets up and down the country, from Porcini Mushrooms to Puy Lentils, all of which meet the company’s criteria for ease of use and outstanding taste. Details for all of these products, exclusive recipes and further information about Merchant Gourmet can be found at www.merchant-gourmet.com

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