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Q&A's? We are here to help. We being Delia and Lindsey. We work closely together and can answer any queries you have relating to Delia's recipes and our online Cookery School. Why not ask a question right now? What we can't do though, is answer questions about other recipes. (For general website queries or technical questions please click here)

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Questions

Shortcrust Pastry

Asked by: kettle

Hi Lindsey, Delia's shortcrust pastry is made with butter and lard, can the lard be changed for Trex or just all butter. Look forward to hearing from you. Linda

Answered by Lindsey: Hello Linda, You Can use Trex with butter or hard margarine or you can use all butter if you like which will taste good but not have the shortness that you get when you use a shortening (lard or Trex). Best wishes, Lindsey

Printing Recipes

Asked by: fitzpat

When printing a recipe why does the Method come before the Ingredients? Christine

Answered by Lindsey: Hello Christine, It is because the new site is responsive so that it is desktop, tablet and mobile friendly. On a mobile, when viewing a recipe, the method is the landing page and you can swipe between the method and the ingredients. Best Wishes Lindsey

The measure of it!

Asked by: Wendy

Hi Lindsey It's me again! Two things both after the event as it was too late to ask you. 1. The recipe for the Austrian coffee and walnut cake states 7 fluid ounces, 200 mls fromage frais. Yet on the strawberry and vanilla pavlova it says 200g fromage frais. How come it is in two measures, I have only seen it in grams. I realise there isn't much difference in the two measures on small amounts like that, I was just wondering that's all. 2. The topping on the coffee and walnut cake says instant espresso powder, I thought I had instant coffee powder but didn't so had to use ground coffee instead and that didn't work as well as I had hoped. Could I have brewed some coffee thereby adding liquid to filling? With hindsight I should have left the coffee out. Having said that we had a lovely barbecue although we had to eat indoors and my friends took half the cake home as there wasn't much pavlova left. Love Wendy x

Answered by Lindsey: Hello Wendy, At the time that the Austrian Coffee Cake was tested and published, fromage frais was sold in liquid units but the pavlova is a more recent version. The version of pavlova (Petits Monts Blancs) published at the same time that the Austrian Coffee Cake was published, was/is also in liquid units. The weight of fromage frais is probably about 5% less than the volume so in this recipe the difference isn’t enough to worry about. Unless Delia herself has updated a recipe, all the recipes here online are input exactly as published. For the coffee cake and filling, freshly brewed coffee will be too wet and not strong enough. If you don’t have any instant coffee, you could make very, very strong fresh coffee and leave the ground coffee to infuse in the water overnight, then strain it so you can use much less liquid to get a good coffee flavour. Sounds like you had a lovely day with the exception of the weather, but pavlovas do make perfect endings! Best wishes Lindsey x

Fromage Frais

Asked by: Wendy

Hi there Lindsey The recipe for strawberry and vanilla pavlova calls for 200g fromage frais. I can only buy it in 500g tubs so that leaves me with 300g spare. I was thinking of doing the coffee and walnut cake and wonder if I could use the same filling as for the pavlova but using the whole 300g or wouldn't that work well? Any other suggestions more than welcome Kindest regards Wendy x

Answered by Lindsey: Hi Wendy, In this version of coffee and walnut cake Delia used fromage frais with mascarpone. You can serve fromage frais cream with any fruits or fruit compote and it's lovely on sweet scones too. Have a great weekend. Lindsey x

Pastry Cases

Asked by: Fat Rascal

Hello Lindsey, Really enjoying the new look. I don't have an iPad, but it is really good on the phone. My friend up north told me about the website and have enjoyed looking around. I used to use Good Housekeeping but have gone off it. I've got all of Delia's books but this is my first venture around Delia's site. Can I ask please - I used to really like the pre-made pastry cases Delia used in her How to Cheat book but know they aren't available anymore. (Shame!) I must admit I'm not great with pastry but wanted to make a few quiches for the bank holiday weekend. How does it work without using baking beans? Am worried my pastry will shrink.... Thanks so much in advance. Fat Rascal x

Answered by Lindsey: Hello Fat Rascal, I’m so pleased that you are enjoying the new site. We have included lining and baking a pastry case as part of our online cookery school. To prevent the pastry shrinking it’s important that you rest the pastry, and then make sure that you don’t stretch it when you roll it. This lesson in term 3 shows making and rolling pastry… We use foil to keep the pastry in place when you bake it blind and we show you in this lesson…. Best wishes Lindsey

Paper Muffin Cases

Asked by: Hetty46

Paper cases for Delia's muffin tins. What are the exact dimensions of the paper cases that are used in the video to line the muffin tins. The ones I bought pop out of the tins and are a nuisance to fill. Thanks in advance. Hetty

Answered by Lindsey: Hello Hetty, The muffin cases we use are from Lakeland and they measure 4.5cm by 5cm. You can see them in this photo… Best wishes Lindsey