Kate's Puddings

Biscoff Ice Cream

2022-03-14T10:57:00.001+00:00

Those Biscoff biscuits are terribly addictive! There's something about the delicious caramel flavour, the crisp texture, the fact that one isn't enough, two is wonderful and three are even better.... I hesitate to start you off on a path of addiction, but there are worse things in life. So, Biscoff Ice Cream was the next logical step. Frighteningly easy, it just involves a tub of Biscoff Spread (I'm clearly not the only addict) and a relatively small quantity of biscuits. I fed this to some of my holiday let tenants (Sappington Granary, if you are interested), and they said it was amazing!

Biscoff Ice Cream

Biscoff Ice Cream

3 egg yolks
23floz/600ml mixed milk and cream – normally 2/3 cream to 1/3 milk
4oz/120g caster sugar
1 jar crunchy Biscoff spread
6-8 Biscoff biscuits

Quick method:

Separate the egg yolks into a bowl/food processor (putting the whites into a jar to make meringues later). Add the sugar and beat the mixture together. Slowly add the cream/milk mixture, and whisk until it is well combined.

Slower Method:

Separate the egg yolks and add the sugar, mixing well. Warm the milk/cream mixture until blood heat, then pour it over the yolks/sugar. Return the mixture to the pan and heat gently, stirring until it has thickened up and you’ve made a beautiful custard. Allow it to cool, then…

Pour into an ice cream maker and churn until it is thick – probably about 35-50 minutes, depending on the warmth of the day. This quantity usually makes about 1.5 pint, enough for 6-8 people (or one hungry husband). When the mixture is done, take it out of the ice cream maker and add half a jar of crunchy Biscoff spread and a handful of crushed biscuits. Mix it all together badly, so you get lumps of the spread and biscuits – uniformity is not the aim! Put in the freezer for about 20 minutes to half an hour before serving.

Coffee, Baileys and Almond Roulade

2022-03-14T10:46:00.001+00:00

When a coffee-loving son in law comes to stay, what else is a cook to do? I found this wonderful recipe on-line (thanks Edward Hayden), but had to make an adaptation when the bottle of Baileys turned out to have gone off (Baileys goes off? Who knew!). But it turned out to be the easiest and most delicious meringue roulade ever! Highly recommend it.

Coffee, Baileys and Almond Roulade

Coffee, Baileys and Almond Roulade

4 egg whites (not too fresh)
8oz/225g caster sugar
1 tsp coffee extract
2oz/50g flaked almonds
To serve: 2 tbsp coffee extract, or Baileys (or both!)
½ pint/280ml double cream, softly whipped
Dark chocolate (if you wish)

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C and line a Swiss roll sized tin (12” x 14”.30 x 35cm approx) with parchment, cutting diagonally into the corners so the finished roulade has a better shape.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then slowly add the sugar, a teaspoonful at a time. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth it out evenly using a flat bladed knife dipped in hot water. Sprinkle on the flaked almonds as evenly as possible.

Bake for about 12 minutes or so – check, as it will brown quickly. The meringue should be risen and pale golden. Allow to cool in the tin. Turn out onto non-stick paper, carefully peeling off the parchment.

Whip the cream with Baileys and coffee, so it is semi-stiff – you don’t want it pouring out, but you don’t also want it to be too solid. Spread the roulade with the whipped cream, then roll up from the long side using the paper to help achieve the classic roll shape. Drizzle with melted dark chocolate for an extra hit of deliciousness.

Chocolate Panettone Pudding

2022-01-12T12:14:00.003+00:00

In the interests of using up Christmas leftovers, I thought I'd try something warming containing chocolate! Well, why not? This is a variation of Delia Smith's wonderful chocolate B&B pudding, but I used a plain panettone instead, and it is definitely better than her already wonderful original. As you can see from the photo, it has risen up in beautifully the dish and turned a little bit too brown. But it was also deliciously squishy, especially after one of my sons was overgenerous with the cream... So, it uses up leftovers, it is warming and chocolate is one of your five a day. What's not to like?

Chocolate Panettone Pudding

Chocolate Panettone pudding

8 thick slices of panettone (plain or with fruit)

4oz/110g dark chocolate

10 fl oz/300ml double or whipping cream

3 tablespoons rum

3oz/75g soft brown sugar

2oz/50g butter

1/3 teaspoon cinnamon

2 large eggs

Butter a dish approx 10” x 6” (or wait until you see how much mixture you make). Cut the panettone slices into halves or triangles. In a large bowl, put the chocolate, cream, rum, sugar, butter and cinnamon and stick it into the microwave. Heat until the chocolate is melted and the sugar has dissolved. Stir thoroughly. If you’re using the microwave, don’t over heat the mixture – the chocolate melts more slowly, and will mostly dissolve when you are stirring it prior to adding the eggs. Whisk the eggs in another bowl, add the chocolate mixture and whisk again until it is smooth (ish).

Pour a layer of chocolate mixture into the dish, and then put the bread over the top, overlapping the pieces slightly – I aim for two layers. After the first layer, pour on half of the remaining liquid, then put the last bread pieces on top. Pour on the last of the mix and cover all the bread, gently squidging it into the gooey chocolate…. cover with cling film and leave it to rest for a day (if you can, but half an hour is a minimum). Preheat oven to 180deg C. Remove the clingfilm and bake for about half an hour until crisp (not burned) on top yet still soft inside. This reheats well in the microwave.

Nigella's Chocolate-Topped Banana Cake

2021-10-15T08:22:00.003+01:00

Nigella Lawson and I seem to have one thing in common, which is a dislike of throwing away old bananas. Bananas ripen so quickly! One minute you’re looking at a totally green bunch that leave a film on the teeth if you were misguided enough to eat one, and the next they’re attracting fruit flies by the score. My chickens won’t touch them – they dig in enthusiastically for a moment and then wipe their beaks on the ground in disgust! Fortunately, for those sick of making yet another loaf of banana bread, Nigella has come to the rescue.

Chocolate Topped Banana Cake

Chocolate-topped Banana Cake

Cake:

12 oz/350g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
8.5oz/250g soft butter
8.5oz/250g white sugar (I used pale brown soft)
3 or 4 overripe medium bananas – total weight with skins 1lb/450g, peeled and broken into chunks
2tsp vanilla
4 large eggs

Icing:
30ml water, 30ml rum (optional but delicious)
2 tbsp golden syrup
2oz/50g dark brown/muscovado sugar
6oz/175g milk chocolate finely chopped (I used dark)
Sprinkles (if wished)

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C, line a 23cm springform cake tin with parchment, and grease with butter. Mix the flour and raising agents. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar before adding the bananas, then the vanilla. Don’t look, it’s not pretty! Add the eggs slowly, beating after each one and alternating with flour so that the mixture doesn’t curdle.

Pour the batter into the tin and bake for approx 40-50 minutes until it is well risen and golden, or until a warm skewer comes out clean(ish). Slow is best, so don't be afraid to cook it longer. If it starts to brown on the top, cover loosely with a sheet of foil. Don’t take it out of the tin until it is cool.

When the cake is cool, mix the rum, water, syrup and sugar in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar crystals before putting it onto a low heat. Nigella says not to stir it once it is on the heat, but allow it to boil and take it off again. Now add the chocolate and swirl it around in the liquid so it melts before whisking it to combine. At this point it gets thick and shiny.

If you want to keep all of the icing in one place, put the cake on a large serving plate before pouring over the icing. When you pour, let it drip down the sides of the cake as well, and then quickly put on the sprinkles.

Raspberry and Lime Cheesecake

2021-09-13T07:42:00.000+01:00

The love affair with cheesecake is not yet over... here's a fresh, tangy raspberry and lime version, with a gel made from fresh raspberries. It is a perfect way of using home grown fruit which is less than perfect, as any unwanted extras are sieved out! I made this for a family lunch, and there was very little left over and lots of happy faces. This was made with gluten free digestive biscuits, which are a fantastic alternative to standard ones.

Raspberry and Lime Cheesecake

Raspberry and Lime Cheesecake

8oz/225g digestive biscuits, crushed to crumbs

4oz/110g butter

8oz/225g cream cheese or soft cheese (full fat)

8oz/225g Mascarpone cheese (or just cream cheese)

3oz/75g icing sugar

10floz/280ml double cream

Juice and zest of 2 limes

12oz/340g raspberries (fresh or frozen)

4oz/110g sugar

1tsp lemon juice

2 sheets gelatine softened in cold water

3 fl oz/80ml near-boiling water

More raspberries (fresh, optional), herb leaves and a lime

Line a 9” spring clip tin with parchment. Melt the butter in a bowl, add the biscuit crumbs, mix well and spread them over the base of the tin. Chill in the fridge until set. In a Magimix, beat together the cream cheese, Mascarpone, icing sugar, cream and lime juice. Beat until the cream thickens up, then add the lime zest. Pour the mixture into the tin and level it, making sure that it goes right to the edges. Allow to chill for 2hrs.

Bring the raspberries to the boil with the sugar until you can see that the raspberries have broken down. Sieve the hot purée. Now take the softened gelatine and melt it into the hot water – if it doesn’t dissolve, heat the water a bit more. Stir well, and then pour this into the raspberry mixture. Here it is best to wait until the gelatine has started to cool and set before pouring it over the cheesecake, but I couldn’t wait that long! I also sieved it again to get a little more clarity in the gel. Chill for a couple of hours until set.

To remove from the tin, run a knife or thin spatula around the edge so that, when you remove the clip, the jelly layer does not break (nor do you lose a lot of the cheesecake on the sides of the tin, though that’s a cook’s bonus!). Decorate with raspberries, herb leaves and parings of lime zest.

Neapolitan Parfait

2021-06-14T18:12:00.004+01:00

Some of my favourite food writers inhabit the Daily Telegraph, including the chef Angela Hartnett, who has a Sunday column of the most delectable recipes. I tried this amazing Neapolitan Parfait, and am so delighted, I thought that it deserves a wider audience. It is made without an ice cream maker, but does take time, as each layer is made and frozen in turn. Top tip - if your freezer has a boost setting, use it half an hour before you start.

Neapolitan Parfait

Neapolitan Parfait

Strawberry layer:

2 egg yolks, 25g caster sugar, 100g strawberry purée (fridge cold)

150ml double cream, lightly whipped

Line a 900g loaf tin with parchment paper and put it into the freezer to pre-chill. First, make the strawberry layer by whisking the yolks and sugar (as above) until doubled in volume, then take off the heat and whisk in the cold strawberry purée. Fold in the whipped cream and pour the mixture into the bottom of the loaf tin, levelling it before setting it in the freezer for at least an hour.

Vanilla layer:

2 egg yolks, 25g caster sugar, 1 vanilla pod, split down the middle and the seeds scraped out, 150ml double cream, lightly whipped

Mix the vanilla seeds with the egg yolks and sugar and whisk (as above) until doubled in volume before removing from the heat and continuing to whisk until cold. Fold in the cream and pour this over the strawberry mixture. Put it back into the freezer for at least an hour.

Chocolate layer:

2 egg yolks, 25g caster sugar, 50g dark chocolate broken into pieces, 150ml double cream, lightly whipped

Last but not least, make the chocolate layer. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar (as above), but also melt the chocolate in a separate bowl. When the sugar/egg mixture has doubled in size, whisk in the chocolate, then add the double cream until it starts to thicken. Pour onto the vanilla layer. Freeze again, this time for 2-3 hours or overnight.

To serve, you can turn the parfait out onto a plate or a board, and then leave it to defrost a little before cutting it with a warm knife.

Jaffa Cakes

2021-05-14T10:33:00.001+01:00

Jaffa cakes are one of the great British classics, with that delicious combination of dark chocolate, tangy orange and a slightly biscuitty cake. The company went to court to ensure that they were classified as cakes rather than biscuits, and, on the basis that cakes go hard when stale and biscuits go soft, they won their case (something to do with VAT, as I recall!). I have recently acquired a new job, which has the merits of a whole lovely group of people to test my baking on, so I thought I'd try some jaffa cakes...

Well, they all got eaten, although I have tweaked the recipe slightly to make the orange layer slightly more orangy. The recipe below is a combination of several, as I was looking for the Genoese sponge base which is the best match to the original, and then a top with proper gelatine instead of melted jelly. It seems to have a lot to it, but the result is definitely worth it, and my new testers were happy.

Home Made Jaffa Cakes

Home Made Jaffa Cakes

Jelly:   3 tbsp marmalade, 1 tbsp apricot jam (or just marmalade)
2 sheets gelatine, orange juice to make up to ½ pint/280ml liquid

Cakes: 2 eggs
2oz/50g caster sugar
2oz/50g plain flour, sieved

Chocolate: approx 7oz/200g dark chocolate

Make the jelly layer first – put the marmalade and jam into a jug and add enough orange juice to get to ½ pint/280ml. Pour into a small pan and heat it until bubbling gently. Soak the gelatine in cold water, squeeze out when soft and add to the mix.   Take this off the heat while you prepare the mould.   Grease a baking tray (8 x 10”/20 x 30cm) and line it with cling film. Now sieve the gel into the tray, where it should make a layer about ½”.5cm. Let this cool and then chill for a few hours as it has to be well set (trust me!).

Preheat oven to 180 deg C, and grease a 12 cup muffin tin.   Pour a small amount of water in a pan and bring it to the simmer.   Put a heatproof bowl on top (don’t let the water touch the bowl).   Tip in the eggs and sugar and whisk this together for about 5 minutes so that the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute.   Put the batter into the muffin tin, about half way up each hole, and bake for 8-10 minutes.   A skewer should come out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the tin as you want that slightly denser texture.

Assembly time!    If the cakes are not flat on top, cut off a little bit. Use a cookie cutter similar size to the cakes to make jelly circles (slightly smaller is better than over the edges), and cover each cake with its own little jelly.    Melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring between bursts of heat. Don’t keep going until it is too hot, just stir and allow the heat of the chocolate to melt the last remaining bits.   Put the cakes onto a cooling rack with paper below to catch the drips and cover each little cake with chocolate, smoothing the junction over the cake and jelly bit.   My chocolate was quite cool, so it didn’t pour everywhere, and I think that worked better.   Lastly, drag a fork over the top to give that classic pattern (I forgot, so had to reheat the chocolate and drag a fork over the top). Allow these to set before serving, if you can wait.

Honeycomb Ice Cream

2021-03-15T12:47:00.005+00:00

I know when spring is on the way when I start feeling like making ice cream again! Here's a two in one recipe for honeycomb ice cream - either with an ice cream maker, or without. The latter does not contain eggs. Both kinds of ice cream taste better when not absolutely rock hard, so either take out of the freezer about 10 minutes before serving, or microwave it for about 15 seconds.

The honeycomb is ridiculously easy to make, but you have to work hard to stop yourself (and everybody who passes the kitchen) from testing it. And the ice cream is divine!

Honeycomb Ice Cream

Honeycomb Ice Cream

Honeycomb:

3oz/85g caster sugar
2tbsp clear honey or golden syrup
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Grease (well) a non-stick baking tray with a light oil. Heat the sugar and syrup/honey in a pan, stirring until the sugar has melted. Bring to the boil and allow it to boil until it is pale caramel coloured (it will darken later). Take it off the heat, throw in the bicarbonate of soda and then mix it up with a metal whisk. It will foam uncontrollably. Pour it into the baking tray to cool it down. After about half an hour, it should be cool and crisp. Break into large pieces for eating, or smaller pieces for the ice cream, and make sure you keep all the crumbs.

Ice Cream:

½ pint/300ml double cream
½ pint/300ml milk
4oz/100g sugar
3 egg yolks

Warm the milk/cream in a pan until blood temperature. Beat the eggs, vanilla and sugar in a bowl, add the milk and cream and then pour it all back into the pan. Stir lovingly for about 2 minutes but don’t let it boil or it will split, then allow to cool. Pour into an ice cream maker and churn until thick. At the end, add the honeycomb pieces/crumbs and mix in, and top with more pieces.

Honeycomb Ice Cream – no egg version

Ice Cream:

1 pint/600ml whipping cream
1 small tin condensed milk
1tsp vanilla

Make the honeycomb as above. Whip the cream until it is thickening and fold it into the condensed milk. Add the honeycomb and fold it in, keeping some back for the top. Pour the mixture into a plastic container and freeze. You do not need to stir this mixture as it is freezing.

Marmalade from Home Grown Oranges

2021-01-15T11:44:00.006+00:00

Living in grey, windy Britain, I would not have thought it possible to be posting my own, home grown orange marmalade. However, the little calamondin orange trees manage to survive even my own lack of care, and have produced a crop of tiny oranges. My mother contributed some beautiful specimens, much more carefully grown, so I just had enough to make a pot and a half of preserve. Most marmalade recipes (and there is one on this blog) direct you to use a lot of water and to simmer for a long time in order to soften the peel. That's definitely not the case with these little oranges!

Calamondin Orange Marmalade

Calamondin Orange Marmalade

1 bowl of calamondin oranges (roughly 10oz/300g)

Zest and juice of 1/4 lemon

8 fl oz/1 cup/240ml of water

4oz/120g sugar (add more if you want after tasting)

Slice the oranges and remove the pips. Put the oranges, lemon juice, zest and water into a medium size pan (wide across the base is better for evaporation) and simmer/slow boil for approximately 10 minutes, so that the peel is very soft. Add the sugar and taste the mixture. If you like it sweeter, add more sugar. Then, boil until setting point is reached - when a cooled dollop of the mixture on a cold plate wrinkles if you push your finger into it. It won’t take long!

Remove the pan from the heat and pour into one or two warmed, sterilised jars and cover with waxed paper circles to prevent mould growth. Top with solid lids, or cellophane pot covers.

This makes about 1 medium or 2 small jars of beautiful orange marmalade.

Fig Leaf Ice Cream with Honey Roasted Figs

2020-12-13T17:13:00.002+00:00

A fig tree grows by the front wall of my house. It was there when we arrived over 30 years ago, and I have passed it every single day, but have never really appreciated its bounty. Finally, I've decided that figs aren't that bad, and have been trying to harvest them, but somehow the local wasp and insect population always gets there first! Fortunately, the leaves are not as attractive, but do make the most delicious ice cream. The flavour is almost like coconut, but more subtle.

The photo below shows figs courtesy of a supermarket, but they are just as delicious as the home grown ones.

Fig Leaf Ice Cream with Honey Roasted Figs

Fig Leaf Ice Cream

3 egg yolks

1 pint/600ml double or single cream and milk mixed (more cream = richer ice cream)

4oz/120g caster sugar

4-6 medium sized fig leaves

Warm the milk/cream in a pan until blood temperature. Add the fig leaves and allow to steep until cool. Beat the eggs and sugar together in a bowl, remove the leaves, add the milk and cream and then pour it all back into the pan. Stir it gently until it thickens slightly, then allow it to cool. Pour into an ice cream maker and churn until thick.

Makes approx. 1.5-2 litres.

Honey Roasted Figs

1-2 figs per person

1 tbsp honey per person

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar per person

Preheat the oven to 200 deg C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, twisting the corners so that the paper will not spill. Mix the honey and vinegar together in a shallow bowl. Cut the figs in half and dip each into the mixture. Place on the baking tray, cut side up. Roast for about 15 minutes, then pour the rest of the mixture over the top and bake for another 15 minutes or so, until the figs have caramelised. When you serve them, pour over the lovely juices from the pan.

Coconut and Lime Angel Cake

2020-12-02T10:12:00.005+00:00

I can't believe that I have been sitting on this beautiful recipe for such a long time! Judging by the photo, it must have been one of my Stour Puddings for 2019. Oops.... Better late than never, and if you are making a lot of custard at the moment - aren't you? - you will have left over egg whites. An angel cake uses 10 egg whites, and is somehow not quite as sugary as a meringue. It is supposed to be made in an angel cake pan, which is a peculiar device with a core and legs. It is easily available from any website. This recipe is from my favourite Delicious Magazine, the source of a lot of cooking inspo.

Coconut and Lime Angel Cake

Coconut and Lime Angel Cake

5oz/125g plain flour
10oz/300g caster sugar (put 4 oz/100g into a separate bowl)
10 egg whites
Finely grated zest 4 limes, 1 tbsp juice
1tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp salt

½ pint/300ml double cream (at least!)
Juice of 1 lime
3 tbsp icing sugar
75ml coconut cream
3 tbsp coconut rum (I didn’t have any so used more coconut cream)
Coconut flakes to decorate

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C.

Sift the flour and 100g sugar into a small bowl and put onto one side. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until frothy, then add the lime juice, zest, cream of tartar and salt. Carry on whisking on medium until the mixture forms soft peaks. This will take about 2 minutes. Turn the mixer up and add the rest of the sugar, about a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is glossy.

Now gently fold in the flour/sugar mixture, 1/3 at a time, using a metal spoon. It is important to get it mixed in, but not bash out all the air you’ve so carefully incorporated!

Pour/scoop the mix into the dry pan, using a knife to slice through it to eliminate any pockets of air. Bake 45-50 minutes until springy.

When you take it out of the oven, immediately turn the whole thing upside down and rest the pan on its little legs. Leave the cake to cool for at least an hour. Then take out of the pan (you will probably have to put a knife round the edges) and allow to rest on a wire rack.

Whisk all the remaining ingredients (other than the coconut flakes) until soft peak stage. Slather this delicious mixture all over the cake, and then decorate it with coconut flakes (I like to add a little extra grating of lime zest). The recipe I have used says it is “best eaten the day it is made”. Too right!

Toffee Apple Crème Brûlée

2020-11-18T14:40:00.003+00:00

This post celebrates the glory of English apples in autumn, plus our very own historic Bonfire Night, when toffee apples are the order of the day. Crème Brûlée is a classic French pudding, here given an underlay of cooked apples and a solid caramel top. I specifically made a poured caramel topping here, as it really does create the feeling of biting into a toffee apple - that first splintering bite, with the combination of very sweet caramel and apple.

Toffee Apple Crème Brûlée

Crème Brulée

1lb Bramley apples (or other cooking variety)
2 tbsp brown soft sugar

4 egg yolks
2oz (50g) caster sugar
600ml (20 fl oz) double cream
half a vanilla pod

Caramel: 2.5oz (70g) caster sugar and a little water
8 little ramekin dishes

Peel, core and chop the apples, then put into a pan with the sugar and about 1tbsp water so it doesn't burn. Cook until the apple is soft and it has nearly become mushy, then distribute the puree between the little ramekins.

Next, boil a kettle of water (I always forget this bit).... and heat the oven to about 140 deg C. Heat the double cream in a saucepan over a low heat, scraping in the seeds from the vanilla pod, plus the pod itself. Meanwhile, mix the yolks and sugar together. When the cream is at blood temperature, pour it (minus pod) over the yolks/sugar and whisk gently until well mixed.

Pour the crème into eight ramekin dishes, and place the dishes in a roasting tin containing enough boiling water to come at least half way up the sides. Bake for about an hour until the mixture is set but not coloured (better that than runny though!). Remove from the water, and allow to cool.

Over high heat, melt the caster sugar with a little water, stirring until it boils, and then watch it until it turns brown and caramelises. Carefully (it is HOT), pour evenly over the ramekins. Refrigerate until cold. The caramel will start to melt slightly after 24hours, but it will still be delicious.

Surprisingly, this will also freeze!

Cookbooks for Christmas

2020-11-11T10:30:00.005+00:00

It's cookbook time again! The perfect Christmas present....

I have two books - "Kate's Puddings, the Cookbook of the Blog" and "Kate's Puddings - Second Helpings", containing some of my favourite recipes from the blog.

Both books are in an easy spiral bound format, with lots of lovely recipes that won't be on the blog, the rest my favourites . There are labels identifying gluten and dairy free puddings and cakes.

The books helping to raise money for two fabulous charities - my Volunteer Reserve Unit, the FANY, plus my local church, Petham, near Canterbury. So far, the books have raised more than £1,000 for both worthy causes.

Both books are available via email on katespuddings@gmail.com. UK price is £14.50, plus £ 3 postage. Obviously the postage will be more for further afield, sorry. The book is also available locally in Canterbury - message me for details. My earlier book "Kate's Puddings, the Cookbook of the Blog" is also available via email above. It costs £14.50, postage £3 to UK. Both books together are £25 plus postage and packing which won't be quite as much.

Kate's Puddings - Second Helpings

Update - November 2020

The blog continues.... we're now up to 360,000 hits from practically every country in the world, so we are a global phenomenon! Thank you to everybody who follows, comments or just finds and makes these amazing recipes. Most are not mine, I am truly standing on the shoulders of greater women.

This last few years has seen a bit of a reduction in my blog output as I've become a holiday let host! I have my own little self-contained Airbnb hideaway and, without wishing to spoil the surprise, enjoy putting puddings in the fridge for my unsuspecting guests!

At the moment, we are in lockdown, so I cannot welcome guests, but here's hoping things will get better in 2021.

Sappington Granary

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/19241495?s=67&unique_share_id=fbaf898d-c33a-418b-8f62-b2b4b761aa0d

Quick baked apples

2020-11-11T10:17:00.001+00:00

The glory of an English orchard is the Bramley apple tree. Laden with enormous, bright green fruit, this tree is a sight to behold. The apples are far too sour to eat, but perfect to cook, going fluffy and tartly gorgeous, and are a perfect pairing with raisins, spices and golden syrup.

This recipe is so simple, I'm almost embarrassed to post it. However, one of my sons is new to this blog (Welcome, William!), as he is in proud possession of a kitchen and a girlfriend who would like him to step up to the mixer. So, in honour of novice pudding makers everywhere, let's do this really, really simple recipe.

Simple Baked Apples

Quick Baked Apples

1 apple per person
1 handful raisins or mixed dried fruit per person
2-3 tbsp golden syrup per person
Demerara sugar
1 knob butter (or spread)
Cinnamon or mixed spice
Small quantity of water

Preheat the oven to 190 deg. Peel and core the apples, cutting into large chunks. Put into a high sided baking dish, sprinkle over the raisins. Dollop on the golden syrup (be generous), shake on some Demerara sugar and a bit of spice and finish with a knob of butter. Add a little water, probably ½”/10mm.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes or so until the apples are soft, starting to go golden brown, but haven’t quite fallen apart (you can see at the top of the photo how quickly they collapse).

Serve hot with Greek yoghurt, whipped cream, or home-made custard. (William – next challenge, make the custard!) This keeps well for a few days and is best re-heated in the microwave.

Mary Berry's Pear Frangipane Tart

2020-11-11T10:02:00.001+00:00

I've been spending the late summer months working in local orchards in Kent, the Garden of England, which has been terrific fun, but the main downsides are: becoming a fruit snob, wishing you could eat everything and making too many puddings! Some people wouldn't reckon that to be a down side...

Mary Berry, the ever-trusted, came up with a beautifully simple recipe for a Pear Frangipane Tart. She got me at the point where she says "make the filling in the unwashed processor". Now, who wouldn't love somebody like that??? I cheated on her recipe a bit (sorry, Mary), as I used a gluten free pastry blend and didn't add sugar to the mix. I've also scaled it down 1/3, as hers was enough for 12. This recipe is great because you don't need to poach the pears, nor do you have to bake the pastry case beforehand. However, to avoid the famous "soggy bottom" you need a very hot baking sheet to sit the tart case on.

Mary Berry's Pear Frangipane Tart

Pear Frangipane Tart

Pastry:
8oz/225g plain flour (or a gluten free blend)
4oz/110g cold butter
(1oz/25g icing sugar – I didn’t use this)
1 egg

Frangipane:
4oz/110g butter
4oz/110g caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4oz/110g ground almonds
1oz/25g plain flour (or a blend)
2/3 tsp almond flavouring
3 large (4 small) ripe pears, peeled, cored and quartered (Mary halves hers)

To finish:
Apricot jam, melted and sieved, to glaze (marmalade works too)
1oz/25g toasted flaked almonds

Preheat the oven to 190 deg, putting a baking sheet in to heat. Make the pastry (put all dry ingredients into a processor, add the egg, pulse until it starts to make a large ball). Pat the dough into a cake and rest it in the fridge for 15 mins (confession – I didn’t bother). Roll out the pastry on a floured worktop (or lightly floured baking parchment), put it into a 9”/23cm case. Prick the base with a fork. You could chill this if you wanted to, while you were making the mixture.

So, take the famous unwashed processor. Cream the butter and sugar, then add the beaten eggs. You will have to scrape the mixture off the sides every now and again. Add the ground almonds, flour and almond extract. Process a bit more.

Spread the frangipane mixture in the tart and then add the pears, pressing gently down. Leave room in between for the filling to rise up. Put in the oven on the baking sheet for about 40-50 minutes until it is golden brown and the filling is set. I’d check if I were you – mine didn’t take as long.

Warm the jam/glaze until it is really liquid and brush it over the tart while it is hot. Sprinkle over the almonds. Eat warm, with crème fraiche, yoghurt or lashings of home made custard.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

2020-07-27T11:47:00.001+01:00

This was a fabulous recipe from Nigella Lawson that I found on line, in the search for a new flavour cheesecake. It was amazing! So easy to make, and so utterly delicious - creamy and delicate with smooth white chocolate. I took Nigella's suggestion and sprinkled pomegranate and pistachio onto it, as it makes it look so pretty. She used gingernut biscuits, but I prefer the Lotus Biscoff ones. Alternatively, use gluten free biscuits - ginger, hobnob or digestive.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

White Chocolate Cheesecake

6oz/175g Lotus Biscoff caramelised biscuits, crushed to crumbs (Nigella used ginger biscuits)

2oz/5g butter

7oz/200g cooking white chocolate, roughly chopped

10oz/300g full fat cream cheese, at room temperature, liquid drained

10 floz/300ml double cream

1tsp lemon juice

1tsp vanilla extract

Handful of pistachio nuts

Small quantity of pomegranate seeds

Line an 8” spring clip tin or a loose base cake tin with parchment. Melt the butter in a bowl, add the biscuit crumbs, mix well and spread them over the base of the tin. Chill in the fridge until set.

Gently melt the white chocolate, either in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, or in a microwave, stopping frequently to see how it’s getting on. Stir the chocolate and allow it to cool (as otherwise it goes stiff when you add the cream).

Beat the cream cheese with a spoon in a large bowl until soft. Fold in the white chocolate. Half whip the cream and fold it into the mixture. Add lemon juice and vanilla. Pour the mixture into the tin and level it, making sure that it goes right to the edges. Allow to chill for several hours, preferably overnight.

Before serving, remove from the tin, by running a knife or thin spatula around the edge so that, when you remove the clip or push up the base, you don’t lose a lot of the cheesecake on the sides of the tin (though that’s a cook’s bonus!). Decorate with the pistachios and pomegranates. This is best served not quite chilled.

Black Cherry Jelly

2020-07-27T11:45:00.001+01:00

One of the most traditional jellies, and a favourite of many Stour regulars.... I have simplified the recipe a little, and got rid of the jelly packets from the original, as a) I can never remember to buy it and b) I always end up eating at least one little cube.

Good jelly, unfortunately, is not made with vegetarian alternatives to gelatine - I have tried!. Having said that, I much prefer to use leaf/sheet gelatine to powder. In the UK, good quality leaf gelatine (for example, Dr Oetker's) is pork based, and powder is beef based. The distinction is important to note, just in case somebody needs to know for religious reasons.

Black Cherry Jelly

Black Cherry Jelly

1 18oz/530g (approx) tin of cherries/400g/1lb cold poached cherries (stoned!)
1 litre of fruit juice, the same colour as the cherries, chilled
1.5 sachets gelatine (6 leaves - this produces a light set - if you want to be able to turn it upside down, add more leaves)
sugar to taste

Drain the cherry juice into a large jug, then add the the gelatine, heating the juice and gelatine slightly in the microwave to dissolve it. Add the sugar, and stir until the sugar has dissolved too. Pour in the remainder of the coloured juice and stir until the gelatine and sugar is evenly distributed.

When the mixture has cooled down and is about to set, pour a small quantity into a pretty glass bowl, then spoon the cherries over the top. Wait, then add more jelly mixture. If you wanted the cherries evenly distributed, you do it a small quantity of cherries/jelly at a time.

If the jelly mixture isn’t really at setting point, when you add the fruit, it will rise like goldfish at feeding time. The decision is yours – either go for a two layer jelly, or be patient and wait until each section sets – you can tell what I did just by looking at the photo…

White Currant and Cream Vacherin

2020-07-14T15:37:00.002+01:00

Just occasionally, there will be a glut of egg whites lurking in the fridge, and there are many ways of pimping a standard meringue! This is my favourite – a Vacherin - with several thin layers of meringue. I had home grown white currants and no idea what to use them in, so this was perfect: a beautiful double decker confection of meringue, cream with Greek yoghurt (a concession to health) and delicate white currants. The white currants are like a delicate gooseberry, and the combination is absolute heaven! We had a dear friend to lunch at the end of lockdown, and he and my husband nearly demolished a pudding for 6 in two helpings.

White Currant and Cream Vacherin

White Currant Vacherin

1lb/400g white currants or green gooseberries – keep a few sprigs/berries for decoration
8oz/200g caster sugar

5 egg whites
10oz/280g caster sugar
2tsp cornflour
1tsp vanilla
½ tsp vinegar

3/4 pint/12floz/400ml double cream
3/4 pint/12floz/400ml Greek yoghurt

Pick over the currants/gooseberries and remove leaves and stems where possible. Put into a pan, add 3 tbsp water and sugar and simmer the fruit until soft. Purée in a mixer and sieve the purée to take out the seeds. Allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 130 deg C. Inscribe 9-10” circles on two pieces of baking parchment to act as a guide (or put a 10” circular tin base underneath each one as you load on the meringue), and place on two baking trays. Then whisk up the egg whites until stiff, adding the sugar gradually, plus the essence, vinegar and cornflour. Spread the mixture equally onto the three circles.

Bake the meringues until they are not soft and squidgy – this can take up to an hour and a half. If they start to go too brown, cover with a hat of foil. Cool.

To assemble, whip the cream, add the Greek yoghurt. Peel the parchment off the meringues, and put the first layer on the serving dish. Use half of the cream/yoghurt mixture and half of the purée, swirling the purée into the mix, but try to keep it from mixing entirely (top tip – the cream layer slides off if you put the purée on first!). Then add the next layer and do the same. Finish with the fruits and leave the pudding in a cool place to soften for up to half an hour before serving.

Lemon Trifle

2020-06-12T10:25:00.002+01:00

The many variations on trifle for me have just increased by one! Trifle is the classic "what do I make with leftover cake" pudding, and this time I had a lot of lemon drizzle traybake left over from a tea party. So.... one batch of delicious home made lemon curd later, there was the most fabulous trifle. Oh, and a big glug of limoncello from one of those holiday souvenir bottles..... This photo is of the last scoopful, so you can see the trifle in all its messy glory. It never looks great, but tastes amazing.

Recipe quantities are completely arbitrary, as it just depends on what's available at the time and how many people you are feeding - this quantity will do approx 6, depending on greed. Be bold!

Lemon Trifle

Base Layer:

Approx 4 pieces of lemon cake (as stale as you like)

Lemon curd to spread over the sponge cake

4 macaroons, or shortbread biscuits (optional, but gives a change of texture)

zest of half a lemon

good slug of limoncello or lemon liqueur (or any alcohol)

Middle Layer:

Custard made with 3 egg yolks, ¾ pint/400ml of cream and milk mixed, ½ tsp vanilla or lemon flavouring, 1.5oz/40g caster sugar, plus half tsp cornflour if there is more than half milk to cream ratio. (or you could cheat and buy custard)

Top:

¾ pint Double cream with a bit of milk to whisk up with a lighter texture

1 lemon cut into slices (if the slices are thin, you could use the lemon you have just zested)

Trifle is an assembly job…. In the bottom of a pretty bowl put the cake, spread with a lot of lemon curd, plus broken up macaroons or biscuits. Grate over the lemon zest. Add the limoncello.

Make the custard – heat the milk and cream in a pan (preferably non-stick). In a bowl, beat together the egg yolks and caster sugar (plus cornflour), pour the hot milk/cream over it, and then pour back into the pan. Stir this mixture lovingly as it simmers – do not allow it to boil, or it will split. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it starts to look grainy, pour it straight into a cold bowl and stick in a metal spoon before adding a little more cream and cooling it down. Anyway, it’s trifle, so it doesn’t matter too much. Let the custard cool before pouring it over the trifle.

Finally, whip the cream with the added milk until it is thick but still just pourable, and then pour it over the pudding. If you don’t want a hugely thick layer, dollop spoonfuls on the top instead like clouds. Thinly slice the lemon and decorate the top of the trifle.

Trifle is always best eaten after it has sat for an hour or so.

White Chocolate, Ginger and Pistachio Ice Cream

2020-05-19T16:42:00.001+01:00

Lockdown or not, it's hot and that means only one thing.... ice cream! Here's a new one I thought I'd test on my husband (no other family living with us - not sure if that's a blessing or a curse). As three of his favourite things are ice cream, ginger and white chocolate, I was onto a winner.

If I'm honest, the flavour of the chocolate didn't come through all that well, although it added a delicious smoothness to the ice cream. As you can see below, I added some of the chocolate in chunks as well as melting it, and that worked well.

If Amazon is your bag, make sure you get an ice cream maker pretty quickly - it's so easy to use and you can while away your solitary moments in devising new flavours.

White chocolate, pistachio and ginger ice cream

White Chocolate, Ginger and Pistachio Ice Cream

3 egg yolks

1 pint/600ml double or single cream and milk mixed

(more cream = richer ice cream)

1 tsp powdered ginger

3oz/75g caster sugar

75g white chocolate

3oz/75g (or more) chopped preserved ginger pieces (with some of the syrup)

2oz/50g chopped pistachios

25g chopped white chocolate

Warm the milk/cream in a pan until blood temperature. Beat the eggs, ginger and sugar in a bowl, add the milk and cream and then pour it all back into the pan. Slowly add the 75g of white chocolate, piece by piece, stirring all the time. Allow the mixture to cool. (If life is too short, omit the heating part, but melt the chocolate in the microwave and pour some of the cream/egg yolk mixture over it, mix well and pour it back with the rest of the mixture and stir it all in.) Pour into an ice cream maker and churn until thick. As it gets thicker in the ice cream maker, and you can see it is mostly ice cream and no longer slush, add the chopped ingredients. Alternatively, add the chopped items at the end and stir them in. They will cause the ice cream to warm up a bit, though.

Makes approx. 1.5 litres.

If there is any left over, put it into the freezer in a container with a lid, preferably wrapped in a bag or another container round it. Microwave it for about 15 seconds before serving again.

Quick cheese biscuits

2020-04-01T11:23:00.000+01:00

Some of the best things are made with the fewest ingredients. This is an infinitely adaptable recipe as the proportions are easy to scale up and down. This makes about 30-40 or so biscuits (if you slice them thin), but as the dough can be put into the fridge, you can leave it there (or freeze it) while you eat the first 20… They have been tested several times on friends, with the accolade of the empty plate. I made these with Cheddar and Parmesan, but you could use any hard cheese that is lingering in the fridge.

Quick Cheese Bicuits

Cheese Biscuits

4oz/100g plain flour (or a gluten free blend)

4oz/100g butter cut into chunks

2oz/50g Cheddar, fine grated

20z/50g Parmesan, fine grated

1 egg white (not absolutely necessary)

Black pepper/paprika/cayenne/mustard powder – any of these, not all!

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, or in a food processor, until you get a soft dough (at this stage, you could add ½ tsp mustard or paprika). Roll the dough into a sausage and chill it until it is hard. When the dough is chilled, heat the oven to 170 deg C, 150 deg fan, and put parchment on one or two baking sheets. Cut the dough into 5mm rounds, and put them into the parchment. Brush with egg white (or milk) and grind on some pepper/dust with cayenne.

Bake for approx. 10-15 minutes until the biscuits are golden and crisp. They keep well in a tin for a day or so, but are definitely best warm and fresh! If you choose not to bake all the dough at once, wrap the dough up and keep in the fridge for no longer than a week, or freeze it.

Please note that the gluten free biscuits were much more fragile.

Easy Salt Caramel Cheesecake

2020-03-01T18:04:00.003+00:00

I'm a great one for easy cheesecakes, and have recently been perfecting the "all in one" method - ie, putting everything into a Magimix-style food processor and pressing the button. It works! So, needing a quick and different cheesecake in a hurry, I thought I'd use my favourite things - chocolate, caramel and cream. As always, cheesecake can be gluten free, simply by using gluten free biscuits. The no-gelatine recipe also makes it suitable for vegetarians.

Easy Salted Caramel Cheesecake

Easy Salted Caramel Cheesecake

8oz/225g digestive biscuits, crushed to crumbs

4oz/110g butter

4oz/110g dark chocolate (optional)

8oz/225g cream cheese or soft cheese (full fat)

8oz/225g Mascarpone cheese (or just cream cheese)

3oz/75g icing sugar

10floz/280ml double cream

2 tbsp of caramel from a tin

1400g tin of caramel/Dulce de Leche (or a jar of salt caramel)

Sea salt flakes (though not massive ones)

Line a 9” spring clip tin with parchment. Melt the butter in a bowl, add the biscuit crumbs, mix well and spread them over the base of the tin. Chill in the fridge until set. Melt the chocolate and spread it over the chilled biscuits. Allow to set.

In a Magimix, beat together the cream cheese, Mascarpone, icing sugar, cream and caramel. Beat until the cream thickens up. Scoop this mixture into the tin and level it. Allow to chill for at least an hour.

To finish, tip on the rest of the caramel and smooth it over. Sprinkle salt on the top - the aim is to offset the sweetness of the caramel, not make people think of the Dead Sea. Add flowers!

World's Best Cake - "Verdens Beste/Kvaefjordkake"

2020-01-14T22:01:00.001+00:00

This is, quite without doubt, the most amazing cake in the world, and it's name doesn't lie! Known as the World's Best Cake, or Verdens Beste, it comes from Kvaefjord in Troms, a northern county of Norway. Last year, I had the privilege of skiing on part of the route the World War II SOE "Operation Gunnerside" saboteurs took to get to the heavy water plant at Vermork. My team leader had lived in Norway as a teenager, and the family she got to know then kindly invited the entire team to supper. The crown of a fabulous evening was this cake. A confection of cake, meringue, almonds and cream... .heaven in a single (massive) slice... Of course, I had to have the recipe! So, Toril and family, many, many thanks - I hope I've done your recipe justice.

World's Best Cake - "Verdens Beste/Kvaefjordkake"

World's Best Cake - "Verdens Beste/Kvaefjordkake"

5oz/150g butter

5oz/150 g caster sugar

5 egg yolks mixed with

4 tbsp milk

5oz/150 g flour (I used self raising flour)

1 tsp vanilla essence or vanilla sugar

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Meringue:

5 egg whites

6oz/180g caster sugar

4oz/100g flaked almonds

Filling:

1 pint/600ml double cream

2 tsp vanilla sugar (I used 1tsp vanilla essence)

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C and put parchment in a Swiss Roll tin/baking tray. The meringue will come quite high, so be generous with the parchment.

Cream the butter and sugar until it is light and airy, then mix in the egg yolks and the milk. Add flour, bicarbonate of soda and vanilla essence or sugar. Spread the dough evenly onto the tray.

Using a mixer, whisk the whites almost firm and then add the sugar in a

thin stream while whisking until the meringue is firm and shiny and will keep its shape. Dollop the meringue all over the cake mixture, lifting it with the spatula (ie, so it isn’t smooth on top). Sprinkle the flaked almonds all over the top.

Bake the cake in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes and allow to cool.

Cut the cake in half (I found it easier to keep the cake on the parchment, cutting right through, so you can tip it upside down). Put one half on your serving dish with the meringue facing down. Whisk the cream and the vanilla sugar softly together and spread it over the cake. Top with the other half of the cake, meringue side up.

The cake is now ready to be served, or you could refrigerate it for later. Toril says she sometimes makes the cake a day in advance, adding the filling on the day.

Apple Jelly

2019-12-08T09:54:00.003+00:00

Have you ever made anything so delicious with just two ingredients? For my holiday let (Sappington Granary, listed on Airbnb as "Charming Romantic Hideaway just outside Canterbury", just in case you were wondering), I do a range of home made breakfasts, which always includes my own home-pressed apple juice. Having some wonderful friends who grow apples commercially, I am allowed to wander among the orchard after the pickers have been through to collect all the apples my car boot can hold. A lot of pressing and hard work later and... ta dah!!!! Beautiful apple juice. You must try it, although be prepared for a lot of work resulting in not a lot of juice.

This year, in the quest for a Stour Festival pudding I hadn't tried, I thought I'd use my beautiful juice to make a jelly. Result? A very, very delicately apple flavoured jelly, which was enthusiastically hoovered up by the singers, musicians and helpers (particularly the latter - singers prefer heartier food). You must try it, if you try nothing else. Commercial apple juice will work just as well.

Apple Jelly

Apple Jelly

6 gelatine leaves (enough to lightly set 1.5 pints liquid)

1.5 pints/775ml strong apple juice

Heat 4 fl oz/100ml of apple juice until it is steaming. Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water until they are flexible, then squeeze off the water before dropping the soggy leaves into the hot apple juice and stirring to dissolve the leaves entirely.

Pour this mixture into a jug and add the rest of the juice. Stir well to combine it all – you don’t want a layered effect with a thicker jelly at the bottom. Pour the jelly into a pretty bowl and leave it to set in the fridge for at least four hours. Decorate just before serving with flowers.

This has quite a delicate flavour, so if you wanted to add sharpness, you could try adding the strained juice of half a lemon.

Cinnamon shortbread stars

2019-12-08T09:43:00.001+00:00

Isn't cinnamon the most wonderfully versatile spice? It appears in so many guises, but mostly at Christmas, when its subtle warmth and evocative smell brings cheer to the dark and dismal days of rain-washed England in December. And we've certainly been rain-washed this year!

My local church has a Christmas Tree Festival, and there are always baked goodies for sale on the Open Day. These little cinnamon stars were one of my contributions, and where I had the ultimate accolade from young Joseph (perfectly name for a Christmas visitor) who liked them so much, he not only wanted to take the rest home, but also have the recipe. So, Joseph, here you are, with very best wishes for a happy Christmas.

Cinnamon Shortbread Stars

Cinnamon Shortbread Stars

5oz/150g plain flour (works very well with just rice flour)

3 level tbsps rice flour – if no rice flour, just use more plain flour

2oz/50g caster sugar

4oz/100g butter at just above room temperature

½ tsp of mixed spice and cinnamon

1tsp cinnamon

1tsp icing sugar mixed together

gold powder

Preheat oven to 170deg C/325 deg F. Grease a large baking sheet. Mix together the flours, spices and the sugar. Add the butter and work it into the dry ingredients. It will form a dryish dough, which you knead a little before rolling (this stretches the gluten and makes the biscuit stick together better).

Roll out the dough between two pieces of greaseproof parchment, about .5cm thick. Cut stars, about 2-3”, 50-75mm, and transfer using a fish slice to the baking sheet. When you gather up the leftovers and roll them out again, try not to over-knead it, as the final result isn’t as good (what Mary Berry would described as “overworked” – you know the feeling!)

Bake until firm and golden – the butter in the mixture will brown while your back is turned, so check it frequently after 10 minutes or so. When they are done, dredge them with the cinnamon/sugar mixture, using a small sieve, then add a little gold powder for festive sparkle.

This quantity of ingredients made about 24 or so biscuits. Joseph suggests putting a hole in each one before baking, so you could hang them on the Christmas tree.

Kate's Puddings

Biscoff Ice Cream

3 egg yolks23floz/600ml mixed milk and cream – normally 2/3 cream to 1/3 milk4oz/120g caster sugar1 jar crunchy Biscoff spread6-8 Biscoff biscuits

Coffee, Baileys and Almond Roulade

Coffee, Baileys and Almond Roulade

4 egg whites (not too fresh) 8oz/225g caster sugar 1 tsp coffee extract 2oz/50g flaked almonds To serve: 2 tbsp coffee extract, or Baileys (or both!) ½ pint/280ml double cream, softly whipped Dark chocolate (if you wish)

Chocolate Panettone Pudding

Chocolate Panettone pudding

Nigella's Chocolate-Topped Banana Cake

Raspberry and Lime Cheesecake

Neapolitan Parfait

Jaffa Cakes

Honeycomb Ice Cream

Marmalade from Home Grown Oranges

Fig Leaf Ice Cream with Honey Roasted Figs

Coconut and Lime Angel Cake

5oz/125g plain flour10oz/300g caster sugar (put 4 oz/100g into a separate bowl)10 egg whitesFinely grated zest 4 limes, 1 tbsp juice1tsp cream of tartar½ tsp salt

Toffee Apple Crème Brûlée

Cookbooks for Christmas

Quick baked apples

Mary Berry's Pear Frangipane Tart

White Chocolate Cheesecake

Black Cherry Jelly

1 18oz/530g (approx) tin of cherries/400g/1lb cold poached cherries (stoned!)1 litre of fruit juice, the same colour as the cherries, chilled 1.5 sachets gelatine (6 leaves - this produces a light set - if you want to be able to turn it upside down, add more leaves)sugar to taste

White Currant and Cream Vacherin

1lb/400g white currants or green gooseberries – keep a few sprigs/berries for decoration8oz/200g caster sugar

5 egg whites10oz/280g caster sugar2tsp cornflour1tsp vanilla½ tsp vinegar 3/4 pint/12floz/400ml double cream3/4 pint/12floz/400ml Greek yoghurt

Lemon Trifle

White Chocolate, Ginger and Pistachio Ice Cream

Quick cheese biscuits

Easy Salt Caramel Cheesecake

World's Best Cake - "Verdens Beste/Kvaefjordkake"

Apple Jelly

Cinnamon shortbread stars

3 egg yolks
23floz/600ml mixed milk and cream – normally 2/3 cream to 1/3 milk
4oz/120g caster sugar
1 jar crunchy Biscoff spread
6-8 Biscoff biscuits

4 egg whites (not too fresh)
8oz/225g caster sugar
1 tsp coffee extract
2oz/50g flaked almonds
To serve: 2 tbsp coffee extract, or Baileys (or both!)
½ pint/280ml double cream, softly whipped
Dark chocolate (if you wish)

5oz/125g plain flour
10oz/300g caster sugar (put 4 oz/100g into a separate bowl)
10 egg whites
Finely grated zest 4 limes, 1 tbsp juice
1tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp salt

1 18oz/530g (approx) tin of cherries/400g/1lb cold poached cherries (stoned!)
1 litre of fruit juice, the same colour as the cherries, chilled
1.5 sachets gelatine (6 leaves - this produces a light set - if you want to be able to turn it upside down, add more leaves)
sugar to taste

1lb/400g white currants or green gooseberries – keep a few sprigs/berries for decoration
8oz/200g caster sugar

5 egg whites
10oz/280g caster sugar
2tsp cornflour
1tsp vanilla
½ tsp vinegar

3/4 pint/12floz/400ml double cream
3/4 pint/12floz/400ml Greek yoghurt