Mixed Berry and Coconut Dessert Shots

Of course, you probably know me very well for invading Vocal with my film studies stuff and articles entitled ‘a filmmaker’s guide’. I have often explained that I love to bake as well. Since I was young, I have loved the idea, the creativity and the relaxation of baking different things. I love to make macarons, layer cakes and gingerbread in particular and the activity of it really gets me away from my laptop (where I’m sure you know that I spend most of my life). So, I hope you enjoy me talking about what I bake and why I bake it complete with pictures (if not very good) of me actually baking, my baked goods in the process of being created and when they’re finished. I’m really happy to share this with you. And if you like, you can show me your baking (yes, I spend a lot of time writing, but I also spend a lot of time reading other people’s articles!), I would love to see it. Since I was in school, I was always interested in creating things, whether that be pieces of writing, welding things to make small statues or baking foods and making sweets (candy, if you’re American). I hope you enjoy looking at some of the stuff that has honestly kept me sane, because I seem to be going slightly mad.

Mixed Berry and Coconut Dessert Shots

I love mixed berries and they are the perfect winter recipe because they aren't the regular spices and they aren't the regular fruits. Making things with mixed berries can make winter feel a little closer to me. Now, as you already know, I love making dessert shots and in fact, they were the first thing I shared amongst my baking stories. Check it out here.

Well, I've come back to experimenting with dessert shots and I've managed to create a tasty concoction between mixed berries and coconut. Let's take a look at the recipe (and it's super easy!)

(Tip: I use Boston Shot Glasses because of the rim being nice and wide, but you may use any as long as you scale it accordingly).

Part One: Making the Shortbread

• 25g Caster Sugar
• 50g Chilled Butter
• 75g Plain Flour

1. Preheat the oven to 200C
2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper
3. Cream together the butter and sugar, adding the flour in afterwards.
4. When finished mixing, put in the fridge for half an hour.
5. Roll out and cut into small circles about the size of a 2p coin
6. Bake for 15mins and allow to cool for 15mins
7. Chop into quarters and place a 2 quarters into each shot glass. Do not pat down.
8. Put it in the fridge

Part 2: Making the Mixed Berry Curd

• 2 Lemons worth of juice
• 100g Caster Sugar
• 50g Chilled Butter
• 2 Beaten Eggs
• 155g Mixed Berries

1. Grab a pot and put in a cup of water. Start to simmer it over the hob.
2. Put the sugar, butter and lemons in a heat-proof bowl and melt them together, whisking whilst it melts.
3. Put in the mixed berries and whisk until mostly squished up
4. Pour in the eggs and mix until a custard-like texture
5. Sieve the mixture and keep the pulp in a separate bowl.
6. Pour the sieved mixture equally into the glasses so that it just about covers the shortbread
7. Put it in the fridge again.

Part 3: Adding the mixed berries

Make sure that the curd has set, take the pulp that is left over and put it on top of the curd. Put it back in the fridge once more.

Part 4: Making the buttercream

• 150g Chilled Butter
• 300g Icing Sugar
• Desiccated Coconut
• Pink Food Colouring

1. Whisk the butter on its own until it turns white and fluffy.
2. Add the icing sugar and coconut and whisk again until blended
3. Whisk one more time after adding some pink food colouring to your own design.
4. Add the buttercream as a layer atop the berries
5. Put the shots back in the fridge so that the buttercream hardens slightly

Part 5: Making the Meringue

• 4 Egg Whites
• 115g Caster Sugar
• 115g Icing Sugar
• 2tbsp Desiccated Coconut
• Rose-Coloured Food Colouring

1. Preheat the oven to 110C
2. Whisk the egg whites together until they're white. Then, add in the caster sugar spoon by spoon
3. When the mixture is thick and glossy, fold in the icing sugar making sure not to lose any air and fold in the colouring as well.
4. Form small circles on a baking paper-lined tray with the meringue. Sprinkle with desiccated coconut and put in the oven for 45mins. Cool for 10mins