Kokova Magazine

Belvoir Fruit Farms has been producing Elderflower Cordial on the family run farm based in the beautiful Vale of Belvoir since the 80s.

The recipe has been passed down from Mother to son and Belvoir became the first commercial Elderflower Cordial producer in 1985.

Since then, they have continued infusing, pressing and cooking fresh flowers, fruits and spices and blending with local spring water to create a range of delicious drinks. All of the varieties are made from the finest, freshest ingredients with no additives.

Syllabub is a delightful concoction of cream and sweet wine. It was first enjoyed by the Tudor elite at their grand banquets. Because of the enormous amount of man-hours it took to whisk into light pillows and the use of sweet wine it was out of the reach of any but the most privileged. It is also said that Mary Queen of Scots had a hand in refining the shortbread recipe into the dainty dish we know today.

Sophie Conran

Elderflower Syllabub

Serves 6

Ingredients

• The zest of a lemon
• 4tbsp sweet sherry
• 2 tbsp Belvoir Fruit Farms’ Elderflower Cordial
• Juice of 1 lemon
• A heaped tbsp caster sugar
• 300ml double cream

Procedure

• Mix the zest, sherry, cordial, lemon juice and sugar together in a bowl.
• Mix well and pour in the cream.
• Using a hand-held whisk, whisk into soft peaks.
• Spoon into a serving dish or individual glasses and chill for an hour. Serve with shortbread.

Shortbread

Makes about 40

Ingredients

• 225g plain flour
• 75g corn flour
• 200g butter, straight from the fridge, cut into cubes
• 100g caster sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt
• Extra sugar and flour for dusting

Procedure

• Preheat oven to 180C.
• Cover a large baking sheet with baking parchment, cut to size. A little butter rubbed on to the sheet can get the parchment to stay in place.
• Sift the flours together and put into a food processor with the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt.
• Blitz until it is well mixed and it looks like breadcrumbs or begins to clump.
• Turn out onto the work surface and work into a ball. Divide into 4 and dust the work surface with a little flour.
• Roll out each piece of dough to a thickness of a £ coin or a little thinner. Cut with a heart-shaped cookie cutter if you have one or an upturned glass and place on the baking sheet.
• Place on the middle rung of the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Leave in the tin to cool and dust with caster sugar.

The Belvoir Fruit Farms range comprises 16 cordial varieties, 15 pressés, 2 fruit punches and 4 still drinks including organic and non organic. They are available from leading supermarkets, delicatessens, food halls, farm shops or via the website www.belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk.

Prices start from £3.00 upwards on cordials, £2.15 upwards on 75cl pressés, £1.75 upwards on 25cl pressés and £1.65 upwards for Belvoir Stills