Blooming good dessert recipes from chef Shane Smith

Chef Shane Smith, who has over 23 years of pastry experience, is set to pop up at Bord Bia Bloom this year, which will take place at the Phoenix Park from June 1-5. Known for his online cookery school and deliciously accessible dessert recipes, Smith will be hosting several summer dessert-focused cookery demos at the event next month. Here, he shares some sunny treats for you to make at home.

Strawberry shortbread stack

Could anything be nicer than layers of buttery shortbread, sweet Irish strawberries and fresh cream? I think not. The simplicity of this dessert is one of the reasons I make it all summer long. When you think about it, it’s a fancy way to serve strawberries and cream, and the tastiest way to celebrate Irish strawberries.

Ingredients, makes 14 biscuits/7 stacks

For the biscuits

125g butter, soft

50g caster sugar

½ tsp vanilla essence

200g plain flour

1/4 tsp salt

For the filling

300ml cream, whipped

14 strawberries

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 190°C/17°0C fan. Line a large baking tray with parchment and set aside.

2. In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar until soft. Add the vanilla and mix well.

3. Add the flour and salt, and mix to form a soft dough.

4. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to 1cm in thickness and, using a 2.5-inch round cutter, cut out 14 discs. You will need to re-roll the trimmings to make 14.

5. Place on the lined tray and bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown, then remove and allow to cool.

6. To assemble, whip the cream and place in a piping bag with a star nozzle and slice the strawberries.

7. Using two biscuits per stack, layer them with piped cream and sliced strawberries and serve straight away.

Raspberry cheesecake brownies

When two magical worlds collide, it results in this beautiful bake. The fudgy chocolate brownie base topped with a velvety raspberry ripple cheesecake complement each other perfectly. There are a few steps to make this sweet treat, but trust me: it’s worth it.

Ingredients, makes 16 brownies

For the brownie base

110g butter

175g dark chocolate

100g caster sugar

2 medium eggs

Dash vanilla essence

95g plain flour

15g unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch salt

For the raspberry cheesecake

440g cream cheese

80g caster sugar

2 medium eggs

Dash vanilla essence

150g fresh raspberries

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Line a 9-inch square baking tin with parchment paper and set aside.

2. For the brownie, put the chocolate and butter into a bowl and set over a pot of gently simmering water. Once melted and combined, set aside to cool slightly.

3. Add in the sugar, eggs and vanilla, and mix. Finally stir in the flour, salt and cocoa powder.

4. Spoon this batter into the base of the lined tin.

5. To make the cheesecake layer, mix the cream cheese and sugar in a bowl until smooth. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until combined. Pour the cheesecake mix on top of the uncooked brownie layer.

6. Using a fork, mash the fresh raspberries to make a soft purée. Drizzle this over the cheesecake layer, using the back of a knife to pull it through the mix to create a marble design.

7. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. After this time, the edges will start to go a light golden brown colour but the centre will be soft and have a wobble. That’s okay as it will firm up once cooled.

8. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before placing in the fridge for a minimum of three hours, preferably overnight, then remove and portion into delicious bite-sized pieces to serve.

Carrot cake bites

Whether it’s a lunchbox filler or a weekend bake you’re after, these beautifully moreish carrot cake bites are divine. Get creative and swap out the dried fruit for nuts, or personalise it with your favourite spice. The cream cheese butter icing is optional, but absolutely recommended.

Ingredients, makes 16

For the cake

90g plain flour

130g wholemeal flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Pinch salt

335g grated carrot

150g raisins

80ml vegetable oil

120g honey

2 medium eggs

245g Greek yoghurt

Dash vanilla essence

30g brown sugar

For the icing

300g full-fat cream cheese

160g icing sugar

Dash vanilla essence

100ml cream, whipped

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Line a 9-inch square baking tin with parchment. Set aside

2. Add the wholemeal flour, plain flour, soda, baking powder, salt, spices and raisins to a bowl and mix well.

3. In a separate bowl, add the oil, eggs, yoghurt, vanilla, honey and brown sugar and whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold through.

4. Finally, add the grated carrot and mix. Use the largest side of the grater as we are looking for large pieces of carrot, not a fine mushy texture.

5. Spoon this mix into the lined baking tin. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Once cold, cut into bite-sized pieces.

6. If you have opted to make the icing. Put the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla into a bowl and whisk until thick and combined.

7. Fold through the whipped cream. Spoon this into a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle and pipe some on top of the carrot cake bites.

8. Garnish with sliced carrot and edible flowers.

Lemon curd raspberry cake

Look no further for your signature summer showstopper. This lemon curd raspberry sponge is guaranteed to turn heads at every summer BBQ. The zesty sponge with fresh cream, lemon curd and Irish raspberries work harmoniously together. For me, the best part is that you can make all the elements the day before and assemble right before you serve.

Ingredients, serves 10

For the sponge cake

165ml buttermilk

1 large egg

45ml vegetable oil

1 lemon zest

160g plain flour

25g custard powder

170g caster sugar

1 tsp bread soda

Pinch salt

1 tsp baking powder

115g butter

50g fresh raspberries

For the lemon curd

2 large eggs

2 lemons, juiced

1 lemon, zest

150g caster sugar

110g cold butter, diced

1 ½ tbsp cornflour

To garnish

250ml single cream, whipped

200g raspberries

Fresh mint

1 lemon

Method

1. To make the lemon curd, place all the ingredients except the butter into a heatproof bowl and whisk to combine.

2. Place this bowl over a pot of gently simmering water and stir until the curd heats and thickens, approximately 8-10 minutes.

3. Remove and add the butter; with a hand blender, blitz until combined and smooth.

4. Place a disc of parchment paper directly on top and chill for a minimum of 3-4 hours, preferably overnight.

5. To make the sponge, heat your oven to 170°C/150°C fan. Line the base of an 8-inch loose-bottom cake tin with parchment, grease and dust with butter and flour.

6. Sieve the flour, custard powder, baking powder, bread soda and salt into a bowl. Add the sugar and mix through.

7. Into another bowl, add the buttermilk, lemon zest, egg and oil, whisk to mix and set aside.

8. Add the room temperature butter to the flour and mix to a breadcrumb consistency.

9. To this add the wet ingredients and mix until you have a smooth batter. Don’t forget to scrape the bowl and mix well.

10. Spoon the batter into the lined tin and sprinkle the raspberries on top.

11. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the tin for a few minutes before removing and placing on a wire rack to cool fully.

12. To assemble the cake, spoon three-quarters of the curd on top of the cake and spread to cover, keeping the rest to serve on the side.

13. Spoon the whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe ten rosettes around the top border of the cake.

14. Fill the centre of the cake with fresh raspberries, garnish with some fresh mint and lemon rind.

Shane Smith will be part of a line-up of leading Irish chefs on the Quality Kitchen Stage at Bord Bia Bloom, which returns to its home in the Phoenix Park, Dublin from Thursday, June 1 to Monday, June 5. Tickets are available at bordbiabloom.com; two children under 16 go free with every ticket purchased.