Step 1 - Put icing sugar, butter and vanilla into a mixing bowl and beat until a smooth thick buttecream is formed. If the buttercream is too stiff, then add a little milk to loosen it. If you want to do different coloured icing, divide your buttercream and use food colouring to reach your desired colour for each batch.

To make the Marzipan Bees

Step 1 - Put all of the marzipan ingredients into a bowl and mix them until a firm ball is made.

Step 2 - Then, roll twelve individual balls from this mixture - this will be your bees.

Step 3 - Stick two flaked almonds into each bee to make the wings.

Step 5 - Put your melted chocolate into a piping bag, snip off the end and use it to create stripes and eyes to complete your bees.

To decorate

Step 1 - Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 2D nozzle, then use it to pipe buttercream roses. To do this, start from of the cupcake and make a couple of outward circles, stopping when you reach the edge of the cupcake.

Step 2 - Place a marzipan bee on to each cupcake.

Step 3 -Enjoy!

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Step 1 - Seal the biscuits in a plastic bag and crush them to fine crumbs with a rolling pin.

Step 2 - Tip into a bowl and stir in the melted butter, mixing thoroughly so that all the crumbs are soaked.

Step 3 - Tip the mixture into your 24cm Springform Cake Tin and press down with the back of a metal spoon to make an even layer over the bottom of the tin. Chill in the fridge while you make the filling.

Step 4 - Submerge the gelatine leaves in a dish of cold water, and leave to soak and soften for 5 minutes. 

Step 5 - Pour the single cream into a pan and bring just to the boil, then take off the heat.

Step 6 - Take the gelatine leaves out of the water, give them a good squeeze to get rid of the excess water, and stir one by one into the cream (they will dissolve instantly). Leave to cool for a few minutes.

Step 8 - Beat the cheese in a bowl with the sugar, lemon zest and juice until smooth and creamy. 

Step 9 - Mix in the cream and gelatine mixture and the chopped strawberries. 

Step 10 - In another bowl, lightly whip the whipping cream or double cream so it falls in soft peaks, then fold it into the strawberry mixture.

Step 11 - Whisk the egg white in a clean bowl until it forms stiff peaks, then fold gently into the cheese mixture. Pour into the cake tin and smooth down lightly. Chill for at least 2 1/2 hours until set. 

Step 12 - To make the sauce, blitz all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. 

Step 12 - Taste and add more sugar if needed, then pour into a jug and keep in the fridge until you're ready to serve. (Both cheesecake and sauce can be made a day ahead). 

Step 13 - To serve, run a knife between the cheesecake and the tin to loosen it, remove it from the tin, then take it off its base and put it on a serving plate. Halve the extra strawberries lengthways, pile them in the middle and serve with the jug of sauce.

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As we are now officially in to summer, what better way is there to get in to summer cooking than dusting down the barbecue and having a go at making these fantastic thai red curry chicken kebabs!

These thai red chicken kebabs are full of fantastic flavours and are the epitome of what we class as summer recipes. They take virtually no time at all to prepare and cook, which is one reason they are a fantastic dish to serve at a barbecue. The thai flavours put an alternative twist on regular chicken kebabs and the crunch of fresh pepper and red onion really compliments the spice of the curry paste. So why not give these a go at home for your next barbecue to really kick start your summer!

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless chicken breasts cut in to large chunks
• 2 tbsp of Thai red curry paste
• 2 tbsp of coconut milk
• 1 red onion, cut in to chunks
• 1 courgette, halved and cut in to chunks
• 1 red pepper cut in to chunks
• 1 lime, halved to serve

Instructions:

Source: BBC Good Food 

Step 1-In a mixing bowl, mix together the salt, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder and dry mustard to form the rub for the pork. Once well combined, rub well in to the pork, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of an hour but preferably overnight.

Step 2-Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit/150 degrees celcius. Place the pork in a roasting tin, and allow it to slow cook for around 6 hours until it starts to fall apart. Try our vitreous enamel roasting tin for this, it’s perfect and comes with a roasting rack!

Step 3-Now you can start making the barbecue sauce to go with the pork. In a saucepan, add the cider vinegar, yellow mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, the crushed garlic cloves, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Cook on a medium heat until the sugar starts to dissolve. Once this has happened, take it off the heat and allow to cool.

Step 4-Once the pork has started to fall apart, remove it from the oven and let it rest for around 10 to 15 minutes. You want to get all of the juices and loose bits of pork from the bottom of the roasting tin to use for your sauce. To do this, take a cup of water and add it to the roasting tin over a medium heat. Scrape all of the pieces off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Reduce by no more than half and pour it in to the saucepan with the other barbecue sauce ingredients and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Step 5-The next step is to start removing the meat from the joint. Take 2 forks and use them to hold the meat steady while you pull pieces of the pork off. Place in bowl and pour half of the barbecue sauce over it and mix.

Step 6-Now make the coleslaw by mixing the carrots, onions, cabbage and chilli in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, add the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice and a pinch of sugar to form the dressing for the coleslaw. Once you are happy it is all well combined, pour over the vegetable mixture and mix well. Season the coleslaw to taste with salt, pepper etc.

Step 7- We suggest serving this bbq pulled pork in bread rolls with a generous portion of the coleslaw on top! Now all there is left to do is enjoy this delicious bbq pulled pork as part of your bbq weekend!

Step 1-Preheat your oven to 200 degrees celcius/180 degrees in a fan oven/Gas mark 6. Butter and line a baking tin (roughly 33cm x 24cm) with baking paper.

Step 2-Take a large mixing bowl and add the 6 eggs and 175g of golden caster sugar. Whisk for no more than 5 minutes using an electric hand whisker until it is light and fluffy. Then sift the flour in to the mixture and using a large spoon, fold it in to the egg and sugar mixture. Pour in the 50g of melted butter and quickly fold the mixture again to ensure it combines. Ensure you don’t mix too much as you don’t want to lose the air from the whisked eggs.

Step 3-Pour this mixture in to the baking tin ensuring it is smooth. Place in your pre heated oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Step 4-Take another piece of baking paper that is larger than the sponge you are baking and lay it on one of the work surfaces in your kitchen. Dust the remaining 3 tbsp of golden caster sugar on the baking paper. Take the baked sponge and remove it from the tin, placing it on the baking paper. Remove the piece of baking paper from the tin and then begin to roll the roulade up in the new piece of baking paper that has been dusted with the sugar before leaving it to cool down.

Step 5-Now start on the filling for your peach melba roulade. Add the vanilla extract and 3 tbsp of the syrup from the peaches to the double cream and combine with an electric whisk until the mixture starts to form soft peaks. Then add half of the peaches as well as half of the raspberry coulis.

Step 6-Unroll the roulade sponge and remove the baking paper. Take the peach cream that you have just made and evenly spread it over the sponge. Sprinkle the raspberries and remaining peaches on to the cream. Drizzle any of the remaining raspberry coulis on top as well and re-roll the sponge ensuring it is nice and tight so nothing can fall out.

Step 7-Place this delicious peach melba roulade on to a serving plate before cutting in to generous pieces and serving.