MAKE YOUR MOTHER’S DAY WITH DELICIOUS HOMEMADE TREATS

3/24/2011 6:41 AM EST

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 seedsHow to cook it:
Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan160C/Gas 4. Grease a deep 20cm/8inch diameter round cake tin and line with baking parchment
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
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
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
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
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:
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5
Grease a 2lb loaf tin with butter and line with a strip of greaseproof paper
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
Separate 4 eggs, reserving the yolks for the lemon curd, and whisk the whites until stiff
Slowly add 120g caster sugar to the egg whites and whisk in well until thick and glossy
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
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
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
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
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 dustingHow to cook it:
Break the chocolate into pieces and roughly chop the chestnuts into small pieces
In a heavy-based saucepan heat the double cream gently until warm. Add the chocolate pieces and continue stirring, until the chocolate has melted
Add the butter and brandy then heat gently, stirring all the time, until the mixture is thick and glossy
Add the chopped chestnuts and mix well
Remove from the heat, cover and chill to allow the chocolate to cool and become firm and fudge-like in consistency (approx. 2 hours).
Sift the cocoa powder into a large bowl
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
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. 24th March 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