Juliet Sear's red and white buffet!
If you’re hosting family and friends for tonight’s match, Juliet Sear’s here with a buffet that’s anything but beige. Ahead of the Three Lions taking on The Netherlands, she’s helping you get the party started with the perfect England-inspired finger food - where everything is red and white!
Raspberry and Cream England Traybake
Makes 1 23x33cm traybake
Ingredients
165g butter spread (e.g. Lurpak) or margarine of your choice35g light olive oil or sunflower oil 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract200g caster sugar4 medium eggs250g self-raising flour½ tsp baking powder½ tsp sea salt65g soured cream, room temperature 250g raspberries
For the topping: 600ml double cream1 tbsp icing sugar1 tsp vanilla bean pasteRaspberries, to decorate
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan. Line a 23x33cm deep tin with parchment paper.
2. Beat together the butter and oil with the vanilla. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in one egg at a time until combined.
3. In another bowl, whisk the baking powder and salt into the flour.
4. Gently mix half of the flour into the wet ingredients. Add the soured cream, mix, and then add in the remaining flour and raspberries.
5. Pour the batter into the lined tin and bake for 25-30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
6. To make the topping, whisk together the cream, sugar and vanilla until it forms stiff peaks.
7. Spread the over the cake, and arrange the raspberries over the cake in two lines, to represent the English flag.
Savoury:
Feta and Watermelon Skewers
Block of feta cheese, cut into cubes Watermelon cubes
Thread the watermelon and feta cubes onto skewers or large cocktail sticks, alternating red and white elements.
Cherry tomato and mozzarella sticks
Cherry tomatoes Mozzarella pearls
Thread the tomatoes and mozzarella pearls onto cocktail sticks, alternating red and white elements.
Red and White Pizza
Shop-bought pizza dough/pizza bases, even better if already with tomato sauceTomato/marinara sauce Fresh mozzarella Fresh tomatoes, sliced
Top the pizza dough with the sauce, and overlap the tomatoes and mozzarella, and bake according to packet instructions.
Sweet:
White chocolate-covered strawberries
1 punnet strawberries White chocolate Sunflower oil
Melt the white chocolate with a little sunflower oil to loosen it, in a pan, in a bain marie or in the microwave in short bursts. Dip the strawberries into the melted chocolate and set on a rack or lined tray to set in the fridge.
Meringue sandwiches
Shop-bought meringuesShop-bought buttercream - or made by beating together 1 part butter to 2 parts icing sugar, with a dash of vanilla extract, to tasteRed food colouringStrawberry jam
Mix a little red food colouring into the buttercream until it reaches the desired shade.
Spread a little buttercream and jam over the meringues
Sweet treat tasting board
Selection of white and red sweets, biscuits, confections, arranged on a board like a charcuterie platter, or in bowls and plates
E.g.White pretzels MarshmallowsJelly beans Red and white heart sweetsRed chocolate sweetsRed gummies/fizzy sweetsRed liquorice/laces Cherries Popcorn