Raspberry & rose kadaif nests

Makes 8 small nests

Junior works for the company that supplies us with Greek produce—he brings us olive oil, our beautiful Kalamata olives, delicious honeys and the kadaif pastry we love so much. I first met him some years back in my old job. A dour man, he would drop by every Wednesday, leave his stuff and go without as much as a hello or goodbye. We decided to rebrand him; we changed his name to Sunny and made a point of chatting to him every time he came. When we finally got to know him, we discovered a lovely guy with a lovely smile, and everyone’s Wednesdays became better.

This is a beautiful little treat. It may seem rather complex at first glance, but really it is all about planning: you make the different parts in advance and simply assemble when you want to eat. If you decide to make the pistachio praline, and I recommend that you do, you’ll find that this makes about double the amount you need here. However, it will keep for up to 2 weeks in a sealed container and is extremely tasty, so don’t worry about it—just keep the rest to nibble on another time.

For the kadaif nests

150g kadaif pastry

60g granulated sugar

120g unsalted butter, melted

For the rose cream

200g/ml heavy cream

100g white chocolate

1 tsp rose water

For the macerated raspberries

120g/ml base sugar syrup (here)

1 tbsp vodka (or 2, if you feel so inclined)

1 tsp rose water

2 pints of fresh raspberries (about 200g)

For the pistachio praline (if you like)

75g granulated sugar

10g unsalted butter

60g whole roasted pistachios

Preheat the oven to 375°F/350°F convection. Place the kadaif pastry in a bowl and add the sugar and melted butter. Mix around and make sure the pastry is coated well. Divide into eight (about 30–40g each), then shape in shallow muffin molds to resemble birds’ nests—you know what I mean: the pastry should be higher at the sides, coming to just above the rim of the muffin mold, and flat at the bottom to create a nest shape.

Bake the nests in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown, then remove from the molds and cool on a wire rack. You can make the nests up to 2 days in advance. Keep them in an airtight container, but make sure not to put them in the fridge, as they will soften and you want them nice and crispy.

Boil the cream for the filling in a small pan, then pour it over the white chocolate in a bowl and leave for 30 seconds. Stir to combine before mixing in the rose water. Cover and place in the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours (and up to 2 days). When you are ready to use, whisk to create a lovely thick, fluffy cream, but be careful not to over-whisk as it can split and become too buttery.

To macerate the fruit, mix the sugar syrup with the vodka and rose water and pour over the raspberries in a bowl. Leave to soak for a minimum of 2 hours. You can keep them in the fridge for a day or two to let the flavor really intensify.

If you are making the praline, line a baking tray with a sheet of greaseproof paper and put a small frying pan on a high heat. Sprinkle in the sugar and stir around with a wooden spoon until it is all melted and the color starts to deepen to a rich caramel, then remove from the heat and add the butter. Mix until it is thoroughly combined, then stir in the pistachio nuts. Quickly transfer to the lined tray and leave to cool and set entirely before chopping up. You can make this up to 2 weeks in advance and keep it in a dry airtight container.

To assemble, place the little nests on a serving platter and spoon some of the rose cream into the center of each one. Top with soaked raspberries, sprinkle with pistachio praline (if using) and serve immediately.

Dilute any remaining macerating syrup with some sparkling water and serve alongside for an excellent accompaniment.