Outside the box …

… just to give you something different from the norm.

If you were thinking of making a Victoria Sandwich anytime soon, here's an idea – instead of using jam for the centre, try gooseberry curd.

Gooseberry Curd

900g gooseberries

50ml water

50g butter

3 fresh eggs

450g sugar

Top and tail the berries and place in a large saucepan with the water. Bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the berries are soft and mushy.

Remove from the heat and push them through a sieve into a medium sized mixing bowl, pressing the fruit through with a wooden spoon. Discard the stuff left in the sieve.

Use a bain marie – melt the butter. Beat the eggs lightly and stir into the bowl with the sugar and gooseberry purée.

Cook the mixture, stirring frequently for 25-30 minutes or until it thickens.

Remove the bowl from the heat and pour into clean, dry, warm, sterilized jars. Seal and cover.

Label with date and contents when cooled.

Makes about 900g of curd – 2lb in old money.

Be careful – some fruits contain more juice than others – if you want to be sure weigh the purée and use an equal amount of sugar. Personally I'd find adding an equal amount of sugar too sweet. If your curd is too thin then add a teaspoon of slaked arrowroot to achieve the thickness required.

The curd is best kept in the fridge and has a limited life – two to three weeks at best. Bear in mind too that the curd contains lightly cooked eggs and so there is a risk to the usual groups – i.e. expectant mothers, babies, younger children and the elderly.

Cherries coming next!