Spiced Brandy Snap Cones with Ricotta, Lemon and Raspberry Cream (GF)

This is my twist on a great classic: fragrant with spices and lemon zest then brimming with creamy ricotta and fresh raspberries.

• 50 grams caster sugar
• 50 grams butter
• 50 grams golden syrup
• 50 grams plain flour or plain gluten-free flour*
• 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch each ground cloves and salt
• finely grated zest 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3 cream horn moulds or use the round handles of thick wooden or metal spoons.
• 2 flat baking trays lightly greased and lined with non-stick foil or baking paper.

Preheat the oven to 160˚C fan bake.

Put the sugar, butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has fully dissolved. Take off the heat and leave until lukewarm.

Sift in the flour, spices and salt and add the lemon zest and juice. Stir well until thoroughly combined.

Place 3 teaspoonfuls of the mixture on each tray, spaced well apart.

Cooking one tray at a time, bake for 6-7 minutes or until the biscuits are lacy and a good golden colour.

Leave the tray for about 1 minute for the biscuits to firm up slightly, but still be pliable enough to shape. Turn the biscuits over then quickly roll around the moulds you are using. Ensure the join is underneath and press lightly to seal.

Place on a cooling rack, seam side down then remove the mould. If any of the biscuits harden before you can roll them, return them to the oven for a few seconds to soften.

Place the second tray in the oven to cook. Place 3 more spoonfuls on the empty tray so you have a production line of one in the oven and one tray to roll until all the mixture has been used. You should get about 15 cones. Fill with the following cream just before serving.

*I found the Orgran brand of gluten-free flour gave me the brittle crispness that is the hall mark of brandy snaps. I made both versions and no one could tell them apart.

Ricotta, Lemon and Raspberry Cream

• 1 punnet raspberries, crushed roughly
• 150 grams firm ricotta
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar
• finely grated zest 1 lemon
• 100 grams mascarpone
• ⅓ cup cream, softly whipped

Put the ricotta, icing sugar, mascarpone and lemon zest in a bowl and combine well but don’t over mix or it will curdle. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold in the cream and raspberries, stirring as little as possible.

In batches, spoon the cream into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm diameter fluted nozzle. Pipe the cream into the horns then garnish with finely chopped pistachios, a dusting of icing sugar and extra raspberries.