Raspberry sponge drops recipe

These raspberry sponge drops are one of our prettiest desserts and you won't believe how easy it is to create. 

Homemade soft sponge biscuits, layered with sweet whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Making your own sponge layers might sound time-consuming, but they cook in just 12 minutes and in fact you can create the whole thing in about half an hour (plus a little bit of cooling time). This recipe makes four puds, but if you're creating them for an intimate dinner à deux, you can halve the amounts to make just two. Or you can wrap up the spare sponges and freeze them for the next time you fancy something a bit fancy for dessert. Out of season, just frozen raspberries but defrost them before assembling.

Ingredients

• 175g raspberries
• 55g butter, softened
• 4 tbsp caster sugar
• 55g self-raising flour
• 1 egg
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt
• 250ml double cream
• 1 tsp icing sugar, plus extra to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180oC/350oF/Gas 4 and line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Put the butter, caster sugar, flour, egg, vanilla extract and salt in a bowl and beat, using an electric mixer, for 2–3 minutes until just combined.
2. Drop 12 tablespoonfuls of the mixture on to the baking sheets, spacing well apart. Bake for 10–12 minutes until golden and firm to the touch. Carefully slide the parchment and sponge drops on to wire racks and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, put the cream and icing sugar in a bowl and whip, using an electric mixer, until stiff peaks form. Put 1 sponge drop on each of four plates and divide half the whipped cream over them. Nestle half of the raspberries into the cream and then layer again. Top with the remaining sponge drops and serve dusted with icing sugar.
   
   

Top tip for making raspberry sponge drops

Add a naughty kick to the cream layers with a tipple or brandy, cointreau or amaretto. Not too much or the cream will soften - about 1 tbsp, but add a little at a time.

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