Syllabub Recipes

LEMON SYLLABUB

Steps:

• Whip the cream and sugar together until soft peaks form. Stir in the wine, most of the lemon zest and the juice. Spoon into glasses or bowls, sprinkle with the remaining zest and serve with almond thins or berries.

SYLLABUB

Steps:

• Heat the sugar and wine on low heat in a 1 1/2 quart saucepan until the sugar dissolves; stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and slowly add in the half-and-half.
• Beat until frothy; chill completely, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Pour into glasses, top with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg.

LEMON SYLLABUB

Steps:

• Whip the cream and sugar in a chilled bowl, until the cream begins to thicken. Gradually whip in the white wine, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Continue to whip until light and fluffy, but not grainy. Cover the mixture and chill until serving time.
• Serve in chilled parfait glasses, garnished with a dash of nutmeg, a sprig of mint, and a slice of lemon. Syllabub should be eaten with a small spoon, and savored.

TURKISH DELIGHT SYLLABUB

Steps:

• Combine the orange-flavored liqueur, lemon juice and sugar in a large bowl (I use the bowl of my freestanding mixer) and stir to dissolve the sugar, or as good as. Slowly stir in the cream then get whisking. As I said, I use my freestanding mixer to this, but if you haven't got one, don't worry - but I would then advise a handheld electric mixer. This takes ages to thicken and doing it by hand will drive you demented with tedium and impatience. Or it would me.
• When the cream's fairly thick, but still not thick enough to hold its shape, dribble with the flower waters and then keep whisking until you have a cream mixture that's light and airy but able to form soft peaks. I always think of syllabub as occupying some notional territory between solid and liquid; you're aiming, as you whisk, for what Jane Grigson called "bulky whiteness." Whatever: better slightly too runny than slightly too thick, so proceed carefully, but don't get anxious about it.
• Spoon the syllabub in airy dollops into small glasses, letting the mixture billow up above the rim of the glass, and scatter finely chopped pistachios on top. In my How to Eat cookbook, there's a recipe for pistachio crescents that would be fabulous dunked into and eaten with this. But only if you feel like it: the cool, fool-like smoothness of this is perfect as it is.

AN EVERLASTING SYLLABUB

Steps:

• Grate the lemon rind finely, squeeze the juice and mix both with the white wine, Madeira and sugar.
• Add nutmeg and beat in the heavy cream gradually with an electric beater or wire whisk. Beat until the cream forms soft peaks, but don't overbeat or the cream will become too dense.
• Spoon the mixture into parfait or Sherry glasses and chill or serve at room temperature. If you want the cream and liquor to separate, make syllabub several hours ahead.
• When ready to serve, garnish each glass with a sprig of rosemary, mint, lavender or a twist of lemon.

RHUBARB & GINGER SYLLABUB

Steps:

• Put the rhubarb, root ginger, sugar and white wine in a pan, bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat for 4-5 mins until the rhubarb has softened. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• In another bowl, whisk the mascarpone, double cream and icing sugar to soft peaks. Remove 4 tbsp cooled rhubarb and mash with a fork, then fold into the cream mixture.
• Divide the rest of the poached rhubarb between 4 glasses, reserving a bit. Spoon over the cream mixture, then top with a few pieces of crystallised ginger and the rest of the rhubarb. Can be chilled for several hours before serving.

ROSé STRAWBERRY SYLLABUB

Steps:

• Halve the strawberries and put them in a bowl with the sugar and wine. Mix well, then set aside at room temperature for about 40 mins - this will make the strawberries really juicy.
• Use a slotted spoon to put the fruit into 4 large wine glasses, then pour the cream into the juices left in the bowl.
• Whip the cream and juice until it holds its shape, then spoon on top of the fruit. Decorate with a strawberry leaf if you like. Don't make these too far ahead as chilling spoils the flavour. Keep in a cool place for up to 1 hr until ready to serve.