SAVARIN

Ingredients.....250 gm of plain flour, pinch of salt, 1 level tbs of dried yeast, 1 level tsp of castor sugar, 6 tbs of warm milk, 4 eggs ( beaten), 125gm of very soft butter/ marg. Ingredients for the syrup......175gm of castor sugar, 250ml of water, thin strips of lemon rind, 6 tbs of Apera sherry. Ingredients for the filling.........300ml of cream, 2tbs of Apera sherry, 250 gm of fresh fruit (strawberries, raspberries, kiwi fruit , icing sugar for dusting. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Mix the flour and salt into a bowl. Blend the dried yeast with the sugar and half the warm milk in a separate dish and leave in a warm place for 10 minutes or until frothy and then add to the flour mix. Add the rest of the milk and eggs to the flour and work the mixture to a smooth dough, it should be very soft and almost runny. Continue to beat until smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl with oiled cling wrap and leave in a warm spot until doubled in size around about 45 minutes. Then beat the softened butter/ marg into the dough until blended and then turn into a well greased and lightly floured ring pan ( 20cm / 8" diameter). Now cover the the pan with greased cling wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough has risen to the top of the pan. Cook in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Turn the pan onto a wire rack and leave upside down until the cake drops out. Prepare the syrup, heat the sugar, lemon peel in the water and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the lemon rind and stir through the Apera sherry. Place a plate under the savarin while still on the wire rack and prick all over with a fork. now spoon the prepared syrup all over the savarin, until it is all absorbed. Remove the cold savarin carefully to a serving dish. Finally prepare the filling , whip the cream with the Apera sherry until thickened , and alternatively fill the middle of the savarin with the fruit and cream. Finish off with a fine dusting of icing sugar.