This week Britain celebrates National Afternoon Tea Week (8-14 August). Whether enjoyed in a quintessential tearoom, beautiful stately home or restaurant, Britain loves any excuse to enjoy an elegant cup of tea accompanied by a selection of delicate, flavoursome bakes. BaxterStorey’s classic ‘Fondant Fancy’ recipe is a perfect addition to any afternoon tea. With its sweet, colourful icing, buttercream dome and succulent sponge, the Fondant Fancy is a firm favourite. This recipe features in the Butter Wouldn’t Melt recipe book, created by the food development team at BaxterStorey.
Ingredients
Sponge Base:
- 390g caster sugar
- 6 whole eggs
- 250g plain flour
- 11g baking powder
- 150g whipping cream
- 100g melted unsalted butter
- 7g vanilla extract
Strawberry Puree:
- 50g fresh or frozen strawberries
- 50g icing sugar
Buttercream:
- 150g icing sugar
- 55g unsalted butter
- 15g strawberry puree
Fondant Icing:
- 500g fondant icing
- 40g strawberry puree
Method
Sponge Base:
- Whisk the eggs and sugar to a sabayon.
- Sieve the flour and baking powder and fold into the sabayon.
- Warm the cream and butter and fold into the mixture.
- Bake at 175ºC for approximately 30 minutes.
- Check with a skewer and when it comes out the centre of the fancy clean, remove from the oven.
- Allow to cool overnight before cutting into 35mm squares.
Strawberry Puree:
- Blend and sieve the strawberries to remove the seeds.
- Combine well with the sugar and set aside.
Buttercream:
- Cream the icing sugar and butter until pale in colour.
- Add the puree slowly until you have your desired consistency.
- Pipe a penny sized amount of buttercream onto each square.
- Chill in the freezer until the cream has set.
Fondant Icing:
- Warm the fondant on the stove or in a microwave to about 50°C.
- Add the strawberry puree and mix in well.
- Place in a piping bag and use to cover the fancies.
Tip: Allow the Fondant Fancies to rest for 2-3 hours before placing in a case and serving.
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