Sherry Cobbler

Given the growing popularity of sherry cocktails and the fact that it's World Sherry Day this weekend here's a recipe for a sherry cobbler from Hawksmoor at Home (my son's restaurant, I have to confess).

Will and Huw write: "As the discerning drinker’s pre-air conditioning coolant of choice, this was, according to the New York weekly New World in 1840, ‘the greatest “liquorary” invention of the day’. Its popularity continued, leading Harry Johnson to observe in the 1888 edition of his Bartenders’ Manual, that it is ‘without doubt the most popular beverage in the country, with ladies as well as gentlemen’. A description in The Gentleman’s Magazine explains why: ‘[The cobbler is] a light vinous punch, exceedingly well iced, and grateful to the delicate æsophagus’ (William Burton, 1840.)

Sherry seems to have had a rather different image back then as it was deemed the perfect match for an evening of debauchery: ‘[at a San Franciscan saloon] we find the governor of the State seated by a table, surrounded by judges of the supreme and superior courts, sipping sherry cobblers, smoking segars [cigars], and reveling in all the delights of anticipated debauch’ (Dreadful California, Hinton Helper, 1855).

Early recipes call for it to be made with slices of orange. We think it makes for a more refreshing drink if lemon and lime are added as well.

For each person

2 slices each of lemon, lime and orange

100ml manzanilla sherry

50ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

25ml sugar syrup (gomme)

crushed ice

Dice one slice of each fruit into small pieces (about 3cm x 3cm) and put these at the bottom of a large glass tumbler

Add the sherry, lemon juice and sugar syrup, then fill the tumbler 3/4 of the way up with crushed ice. Churn the drink until well mixed and top with a little more crushed ice. Add a straw and garnish with the other slices of lemon, lime and orange.

Espresso and Hazelnut Cake and Fairtrade Coffee

As you've probably noticed we're currently in the middle of Fairtrade Fortnight. Encouragingly sales of Fairtrade produce and products were up 12% last year making sales in the UK worth £1.32bn in 2011, compared to £1.17bn in 2010, according to this recent piece in the Guardian.

To celebrate here's a delicious recipe from the Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook (£16.99 Dorling Kindersley) from Ruth Rogers and the late, great Rose Gray of London’s famous River Café. I suggest accompanying it with a cup of freshly brewed Rwandan or Ethiopian Fairtrade coffee from my favourite coffee company Union Hand-Roasted (available online at www.unionroasted.com.)

Ingredients
Serves 6
Preparation time 20 minutes
Cooking time 50 minutes

200g (7oz) butter, plus extra for greasing
400g (14 oz) hazelnuts, shelled
2 tbsp espresso used making Fairtrade coffee
200g (7oz) Fairtrade 70% dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
6 medium eggs
220g (7 3/4 oz) caster sugar

Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5.
Using the extra butter grease a 25cm (10in) cake tin and line with parchment paper
Roast the hazelnuts in the oven until brown. Let cool, rub off the skins and grind the nuts to a fine powder.
Make up espresso, using Fairtrade coffee.
Melt the chocolate with the butter and coffee in a bowl over barely simmering water. Cool, then fold in the hazelnuts.
Separate the eggs and beat the yolks and sugar in a mixer until pale and doubled in size. Fold in the chocolate.
Beat the egg whites until stiff and then carefully fold into the mixture. Pour into the tin.
Bake in the oven for 50 minutes. Cool in the tin.

Tip: Turn the cake upside down out of the tin to serve. You could dust it with some icing sugar if you like.

NB: This would also be delicious with a coffee or hazelnut liqueur such as Kahlua or Frangelico