Michelle Darmody: Quick and easy jam hearts

Plus a tasty cheesecake you can share with the whole family

If I am really honest with myself I think I prefer Pancake Tuesday to Valentine’s Day. It is an excuse to eat pancakes three times in one day. I usually make the batter the evening before and keep it in the fridge overnight, as it often yields a better end result when the flour, eggs and milk have had time to blend. Making the batter ahead of time will not stop the ‘first pancake syndrome’ though; the first one never works out.

Lemon and sugar were the most popular pancake toppings in Ireland for years, maybe a with a smear of jam added as well. Nowadays pancakes come stuffed with many delicious combinations, both sweet and savoury. Yoghurt and berry compôte is good for breakfast and some spiced mince and melted cheese for later in the day.

American style pancakes with their puffy and light texture are wonderful, but on Pancake Tuesday I think it has to be the thinner more traditional crepe style pancakes, which are more versatile. The recipe here is for an Asian inspired filling.

This Valentine’s Day none of us will be heading out for a romantic restaurant dinner. It will be a stroll in a park, if we are lucky and probably a homemade affair for dinner and dessert. The cheesecake might be one to share with the whole family rather than just for you and your valentine.

If you would like to add another layer to strawberry hearts, you can make some vanilla buttercream and spread this on the base biscuit before spooning on the jam.

Vanilla and strawberry hearts 

Ingredients

• 125g butter 
• 55g golden caster sugar 
• 2 tsp vanilla 
• 180g plain flour 
• 4 tbsp strawberry jam 

Method

Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until they are turning pale in colour. Slowly add in the flour until combined. Wrap the dough in parchment and place into the fridge to cool for at least a half an hour.

Preheat your oven to 190 degrees and line two large flat baking trays with parchment.

Roll about half of the pastry out to about 3mm in thickness, cut discs for the base of the cookies. Lay them out on the baking tray and place this back in the fridge while you work on the other half. Roll out the rest of your discs and then cut a heart out of the center of each one. You can re-roll these hearts to make more biscuits or bake them as they are.

Bake the biscuits until lightly golden, it will take about ten minutes. Transfer them onto a wire rack to allow to cool completely.

Sandwich the base discs and the top biscuits together with strawberry jam. Sprinkle with icing sugar if you wish and share with your Valentine.

Cheesecake with a cherry heart 

Ingredients

For the base

• 100g melted butter 
• 250g gingernut biscuits, very finely crushed 

For the cake topping

• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 600g cream cheese 
• 90g icing sugar 280mls of cream for the cherry heart:
• 250g frozen cherries, thawed and drained 
• 120g golden caster sugar 
• ½ the juice of a small lemon 3 tsp of kirsch (or another cherry liqueur) 

Method

Line a 9-inch springform or loose base tin with parchment.

Stir the melted butter and the crushed biscuits together and press them into the base of the tin. Press really firmly so they are well compacted. Place into the fridge to cool completely.

To make the topping, beat the vanilla, cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth. Add in the cream until it too is combined. Scoop the topping onto your cooled base and smooth out the surface. Place it back into the fridge until it has cooled and solidified.

To make the cherry compote for the heart on top of the cake, place all of the ingredients into a heavy-based saucepan, simmer on a low heat until it is reduced and sticky. Allow to cool completely.

Place the sticky cherries (rather than any juice) onto the top of the cake in a heart shape and fill in the centre.

Savoury pancakes with Asian-influenced turkey filling 

Savoury pancakes with Asian-influenced turkey filling

Ingredients

For the batter

• 280g plain flour, sieved 
• ½ tsp of sea salt sieved 
• 400mls of milk 
• 1 tbsp of cold water 
• 4 eggs 
• 50g of melted butter

for the filling

• a dash rapeseed or sesame oil 
• 1 small red onion, sliced thinly 
• 1 small red chilli, sliced 
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed 
• 500g turkey mince 
• ½ tbsp fish sauce 
• ½ tbsp light soy sauce 
• a handful of mint leaves, chopped 
• a handful of coriander leaves, chopped 

To serve

• a small handful of finely chopped peanuts 
• a wedge or two of lime
  Method

To make the batter mixed the sieved flour and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre.

In a jug, mix the milk, water and eggs. Slowly add this to the well in the centre of the flour, bringing it together with a whisk. Continue adding the liquid with the slow whisking process until you have a smooth batter. Beat in the melted butter and then place the batter in the fridge overnight, covering the bowl before you do so.

To make the filling heat the oil in a large pan or a wok. Add the onion, chilli and garlic to the pan and fry for a minute or so until the onion is softening. Add in the turkey mince and stir it until it is all broken up and beginning to brown. Cook until it is all cooked through. Add the fish sauce and the soy sauce and taste. Add some crushed black pepper if you like or a little more soy.

While the filling in cooking heat a flat pan with a small dash of rapeseed oil. Pour in some pancake batter into the pan and swirl it around so you lightly coat the whole pan. Cook over a medium heat until golden underneath. Flip the pancake and cook the other side until golden. Repeat until you have the amount of pancakes you need.

Place a line of the filling into a pancake and fold it over, you can serve with a variety of things on the side, crushed peanuts work well or some chopped fresh coriander.