Chocolate clafoutis with caramelised oranges

“This grown-up chocolate sponge is gorgeously gooey and sticky in the middle ”

5 oranges

100 g good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

80 g unsalted butter

115 g self-raising flour

115 g ground almonds

115 g sugar

1 pinch salt

2 large free-range eggs

3 free-range egg yolks

180 ml full cream milk

100 g good-quality white chocolate , broken up

500 ml crème fraîche , optional

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Firstly zest 3 of your oranges, then carefully remove the outer peel and slice them across into wheel-shaped pieces just under 1cm-inch thick. Break the dark chocolate up, place in a small bowl and slowly melt it over some simmering water, giving it a stir once in a while with a spatula.
2. You will need a deep 20cm metal tin or earthenware dish to cook the clafoutis in. Rub the inside of it with a little of the butter. To make the clafoutis, sift the flour into a separate bowl, add the almonds, half the sugar, the salt, eggs, yolks, orange zest and milk. Whisk up until smooth and then add the rest of the butter to the melting chocolate. Scrape all the melted chocolate and butter into the batter mix and pour into your tin. Poke little pieces of white chocolate into the batter, then place the tin in the oven and bake for around 16 to 20 minutes. It will rise and should be firm around the edges but sticky and gooey in the middle. This doesn’t mean it’s undercooked... it means it’s perfect! So be careful not to overcook it or it will just be like a boring sponge.
3. While it’s cooking, bring the other half of your sugar to the boil with about 6 tablespoons of water on a medium heat until you have a golden caramel. Remove from the heat, add the juice from your remaining oranges and stir it in to loosen the caramel syrup slightly. Arrange your oranges nicely on a plate, pour over the caramel and serve with your chocolate clafoutis and, if using, a bowl of crème fraîche.
4. 
   • adapted from Jamie's Dinners

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Blackberry tart (Torta di more)

“The creamy filling and fresh fruit combo in this blackberry tart is a real winner, and so easy ”

For the shortcrust pastry

125 g butter

100 g icing sugar

1 small pinch salt

255 g plain flour

1 vanilla pod , scored lengthways and seeds removed, optional

½ lemon , zest of, optional

2 large free-range egg yolks

2 tablespoons cold milk or water

For the filling

1 vanilla pod

500 g mascarpone

100 ml single cream

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons grappa or vin santo

310 g blackberries or other fruit

2 tablespoons blackberry or raspberry jam

1 small handful fresh baby mint leaves

Method

1. I must have made thousands of these tarts when I worked for Antonio Carluccio at the Neal Street Restaurant in London. We used to make them for the Royal Opera House, and people going to see an opera or ballet would have one as part of the poshest picnics in London, in their boxes up above the stage. I once went along on my day off to see Swan Lake and looked up to see all the people in the boxes eating my tarts while I was down with the others in the cheaper seats (eating a tube of fruit pastilles!). Not that I was jealous. I just knew how damn good those tarts were! This is such an easy dessert to make, especially if you have a couple of tart shells in your freezer. You can make it with just about any soft fruit – raspberries, blackberries, strawberries or blueberries, even lightly cooked gooseberries. You are in for a real treat!
   
   First you will need to grease a 28cm loose-bottomed tart tin with a little butter. To make your pastry, cream together the butter, icing sugar and salt and rub in the flour, vanilla seeds, lemon zest and egg yolks – you can do all this by hand or in a food processor. When the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, add the cold milk or water. Pat and gently work the mixture together until you have a ball of dough, then flour it lightly. Don’t work the pastry too much, otherwise it will become elastic and chewy, not flaky and short as you want it to be. Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge for at least an hour. Remove it from the fridge, roll it out and line your tart tin. Place in the freezer for an hour. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4 and bake the pastry case for around 12 minutes or until lightly golden.
2. To make the filling, split the vanilla pod in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds by running a knife along the inside of each half. Put the mascarpone, cream, vanilla seeds, sugar and grappa into a large bowl and whip until shiny. Have a taste – you should have an intensely rich, fluffy and lightly sweetened cream with a fresh hint of grappa. If you can’t get grappa, you can do it without, or add a swig of vin santo instead.
3. Once the pastry has cooled, get yourself a spatula and add the sweetened cream to the pastry case. Smear it all round so it’s reasonably level, then cover it with the berries – place them lightly on the cream, no need to push them in. If you want to be a bit more generous than this, feel free, and if you want to mix your berries you can do this too. Next, in a small pan, melt down a couple of tablespoons of jam with 3 or 4 tablespoons of water. Stir until it becomes a light syrup, then, using a clean pastry brush, lightly dip and dab the fruit with the jam.
4. Sprinkle with the baby mint leaves before eating. Great served either as one large tart or as small individual ones. Lovely with your afternoon tea. Either serve straight away or place in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it.

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Banana pancakes

“My fluffy American-style pancakes with sticky bananas are a real treat for the weekend ”

3 large free-range eggs

115 g plain flour

1 heaped teaspoon baking powder

140 ml milk

1 pinch salt

2 knobs butter

3 tablespoons caster sugar

4 bananas

crème fraîche , to serve

Method

1. Separate the eggs, putting the whites into one bowl and the yolks into another. Combine the plain flour, baking powder and milk with the egg yolks and mix until it forms a smooth, thick batter. Whisk the whites with the salt until they form stiff peaks. Fold the whites into the batter – it is now ready to use. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a moderate heat.
2. Pour some of your batter into the pan and fry for a couple of minutes until it starts to look golden and firm. Loosen with a spatula and turn or flip the pancake over. Continue frying until golden. Melt the butter and sugar in a separate pan over a low heat until they form a caramel sauce – about 3 minutes.
3. Peel and cut the bananas lengthways, add them to the pan and cook gently until they are golden, turning after a few minutes. You might need to alter the cooking time slightly, depending on how ripe your bananas are. Serve them on the pancakes topped with a good spoonful of crème fraîche.

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Smush-ins

“A great idea for kids – grab a load of fruit, sweets and other bits and pieces and have some fun ”

1 big pot vanilla ice-cream

smush-in flavours

Method

1. Smush-ins are one of the coolest sweet treats to make. I remember when I was a kid, me and my sister would always try to defrost our hard ice-cream in our dessert bowls into almost a thick milkshakey consistency before scoffing the lot. Then as we matured we realised that many flavours could be mushed in to improve the flavour of the rubbishy ice-cream that our parents always used to give us.
2. So, from the word ‘mush’ and the phrase ‘mushing it in’ they became ‘smush-ins’. It was great going round the supermarkets as a kid secretly slipping possible smush-ins into the trolley. Anything could be a contender – from maple syrup to bashed up chocolate bits, meringue, fruit – you name it, we would smush it! Winegums aren't so good though. But melted chocolate caramel bars are choooooooice.
3. All you need to do is get a big pot of vanilla ice-cream and a selection of possible smush-ins. Take 2 large scoops of ice-cream per person, blob these on to a clean chopping board, sprinkle or dribble over your flavours and then, with a spatula or fork, mush and smush them together. Scoop up and lob into a bowl or cornet.
4. Give these a bash and make an event of them when you've got all the kids round. They're really good fun and great to use as bribes to get the kids helping you with the proper cooking! Smush away.

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Banoffee mess cups

“A killer mix of creamy banoffee pie and crunchy meringue, these little cups are great for parties ”

4 shop-bought meringues , broken up

250 g ready-rolled shortcrust pastry

100 g hazelnuts , toasted and crushed

3 ripe bananas , sliced

450 g dulce de leche toffee sauce

300 ml double cream , whipped

Method

1. A killer mix of creamy banoffee pie and crunchy meringue, these little cups are great for parties
   
2. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Unroll the pastry and place on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, until golden. Set aside to cool, then snap up into pieces. Divide the pieces between the tea or coffee cups.
3. Fill up the cups with alternate layers of hazelnuts (set some aside to decorate), banana slices, spoonfuls of dulce de leche, dollops of cream and bits of meringue. Sprinkle with the reserved hazelnuts to serve.

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King of puddings

“This pudding is a kind of mash-up of loads of good-old favourites with lovely goo, fruit and crunch ”

4 free-range eggs

565 ml milk

115 g fine breadcrumbs

225 g sugar , preferably vanilla sugar

4 level tablespoons jam , raspberry is really nice

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150ºC/300ºF/gas 2. Separate 3 of the eggs. Put the yolks into a bowl with the remaining whole egg and beat together. Add the milk, breadcrumbs and 85g of the sugar. Put the jam on the bottom of a pie dish and spread it evenly. Pour the custardy egg and milk mixture over the jam. Bake in your preheated oven for 1 hour or until set.
2. Whisk the remaining 3 egg whites until stiff, then slowly add the remaining sugar until it is all mixed in. Pile it on top of the custard, then bake in the oven for a further 15–20 minutes until the meringue is set and lightly browned.

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Baked chocolate pudding

“Irresistibly gooey in the middle, this chocolate pudding recipe is heaven on a plate ”

455 g good-quality cooking chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

50 ml hot espresso or good strong instant coffee

125 g butter , plus extra for greasing

6 free-range eggs , separated

200 g caster sugar

100 g ground almonds

100 g rice flour

1 small handful chopped hazelnuts , toasted

Method

1. This pudding is chocolate heaven! The original recipe idea for it came from my mate Ben, when he was head chef at Monte's. I've changed it round a bit to make it easier to make at home.
2. Melt 125g chocolate with the coffee, then pour into small ice-cube moulds and freeze until hard. Take 6 small 3-inch pastry rings, dariole moulds or cappuccino cups and grease well with some butter. Place in the fridge while you make your sponge mixture.
3. Melt the remaining chocolate with the butter in a bowl over a pan of boiling water, then in a separate bowl whisk the egg whites with the sugar until firm. Fold the yolks into the cooled chocolate and butter mixture, then add the almonds and flour. Finish by carefully folding in the egg white mixture. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5.
4. Take your moulds out of the fridge and spoon a little mixture into each one, then push in a cube of the frozen coffee and chocolate mixture. Cover with the rest of the sponge mixture so each ice cube is completely enveloped. Bake in the preheated oven for about 18 to 20 minutes, then remove carefully from the moulds while hot. Serve immediately sprinkled with hazelnuts.

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Mrs Oliver's massive retro trifle

“A really good trifle recipe never goes out of fashion – this fruity number's an all-time classic ”

8 trifle sponges , or 1 Swiss roll, sliced

1 punnet strawberries , hulled and sliced

1 small wineglass Cointreau

135 g pack strawberry jelly

2 pints milk

4 teaspoons caster sugar

35 g sachet strawberry blancmange

450 g tinned mandarin segments , drained

135 g packet orange jelly

30 g custard powder , enough to make 600ml

300 ml double cream

good-quality chocolate , for grating

1 orange , zest of

Method

1. This trifle is a Christmas tradition at our house – and it looks amazing when it's finished! It takes a bit of time but is well worth it. Make sure you allow each layer time to set completely in the fridge.
2. Lay out the sponges or Swiss roll on the bottom of a large glass bowl. Scatter over the strawberries and drizzle with the Cointreau.
3. Tear up the strawberry jelly squares, put them in a jug and add 300ml boiling water. Stir until dissolved, then add 300ml cold water. Pour over the sponge, place in the fridge and allow to set.
4. Pour a little milk into a bowl with 2 teaspoons of sugar and the blancmange and mix until dissolved. Bring 600ml milk just to the boil then add to the blancmange mix. Stir and return to the pan, whisking as you bring it back to the boil. Pour the blancmange into the bowl and allow to cool, whisking occasionally, then pour over the set strawberry jelly. Allow the blancmange layer to set in the fridge, then scatter over the mandarin.
5. Make the orange jelly the same way as the strawberry and allow to cool before pouring over the mandarins. Set in the fridge. Once set, make the custard using the remaining milk and sugar and the custard powder. Allow it to cool and pour it over the orange jelly. (If you want to add extra layers of blancmange and custard, go for it!)
6. Whip the double cream until you get soft peaks, then spread it over the top layer of custard. Sprinkle the trifle with the grated chocolate and orange zest before serving. What a finish!

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Blackberry and apple pie

“The winter berries in my apple pie recipe really bring it to life, and the ginger adds lovely depth ”

1 old-fashioned sweet shortcrust pastry recipe

20 g butter , plus extra for greasing

100 g golden caster sugar , plus extra for sprinkling

2 large Bramley apples , cored, peeled and each cut into 16 wedges

4 Cox apples , cored, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges

1 heaped tablespoon chopped stem ginger in syrup

150 g blackberries

1 large free-range egg , beaten

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

1. This is the best apple pie in the world. You can’t go wrong with Bramley cooking apples, delicious blackberries and stem ginger. The cooking time can depend on how freshly picked the apples are, so the best thing is to cook them until they’re softened first. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but blackberries in shops never seem to taste of anything these days unless they’ve just been picked from a local grower – so do try to get fresh ones if you can, or pick your own straight from the bush!
2. First, make your pastry dough, wrap it in cling film and rest it in the fridge for at least half an hour. Then preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Put the butter and sugar into a saucepan and, when the butter has melted, add the apples, stem ginger and a tablespoon of the ginger syrup. Slowly cook for 15 minutes with a lid on, then add the blackberries, stir and cook for 5 more minutes with the lid off.
3. Meanwhile, remove your pastry from the fridge. Dust your work surface with flour, cut the pastry in half and, using a floured rolling pin, roll one of the pieces out until it’s just under 1cm thick. (Rolling the dough between two layers of greaseproof paper will also stop it sticking to your rolling pin.) Butter a shallow 26cm pie dish and line with the pastry, trimming off any excess round the edges using a sharp knife.
   
   Tip the cooled apples and blackberries into a sieve, reserving all the juices, then put the fruit into the lined pie dish so you have a mound in the middle. Spoon over half the reserved juices. Brush the edge of the pastry with beaten egg. Roll out the second piece of pastry, just as you did the first, and lay it over the top of the pie. Trim the edges as before and crimp them together with your fingers. Brush the top of the pie with the rest of the beaten egg, sprinkle generously with sugar and the cinnamon, and make a couple of slashes in the top of the pastry.
   
   Place the pie on a baking tray and then put it directly on the bottom of the preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. To serve, slice the pie into portions and serve with a generous dollop of custard.

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Christmas pud sundae

“This quick recipe makes the most of any Christmas pud leftovers and looks and tastes amazing! ”

150 g fresh cranberries

1 large orange , zest and juice of

2 tablespoons caster sugar

1 lime , zest and juice of

250 g fresh vanilla custard

2 medium bananas , peeled and sliced into 1cm slices

2 x 298 g tinned mandarin segments in natural juice , drained

1 knob butter

200 g Christmas pudding , cooked

1 handful flaked almonds

1 splash whisky

1 small tub good-quality vanilla ice cream

Method

1. Put the cranberries, half the orange juice and all of the sugar in a small pan and bring to the boil. Let it simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you get a lovely thick sauce. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool.
2. Stir the zest from the orange and lime into the custard and put the slices of banana and mandarins in a separate bowl with the lime juice and toss.
3. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and crumble in the leftover Christmas pudding, along with the flaked almonds. Toast lightly, add a good lug of whisky and fry gently until crispy.
4. Divide most of the mandarins and bananas into the bottoms of four sundae glasses then spoon over some of the zesty custard. Top with a scoop of ice cream, drizzle over some cranberry sauce, then sprinkle over most of the Christmas pudding mixture. Finish with the remaining bananas and mandarins and any remaining Christmas pud.

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Simplest fruit salad

“A handful of seeds and nuts takes this fruit salad recipe up a notch – a great snack or breakfast ”

1 cup fat-free natural yoghurt

1 tablespoon honey

2 oranges

2 bananas

1 apple

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

4 tablespoons sliced almonds , or your favourite nuts

Method

1. Stir the yoghurt and honey together in a small bowl. Top and tail the oranges. Stand them up on a cutting board and cut off the peel and the white pith right down to the orange. Work over a bowl to catch the juices and cut the orange segments free, letting them drop right into the bowl. Squeeze the juice from what’s left of the oranges into the bowl.
2. Wash the apple, cut it into quarters and cut out the core and seeds. Cut the apples into chunks and add them to the bowl. Peel and slice the bananas and toss them with the other fruit. Spoon the fruit into four bowls and spoon some of the yoghurt over each. Sprinkle the poppy seeds and almonds over the yoghurt.
3. Serving suggestions:
   Sprinkle over a small handful of your favorite seeds or lightly toasted nuts.

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Appleberry pie

“Loads of filling and seasonal berries give the great British apple pie an American feel ”

For the pastry

500 g plain flour , plus extra for dusting

100 g icing sugar

1 pinch sea salt

250 g unsalted butter , chilled and cut into cubes

2 large free-range eggs

1 splash milk

For the filling

10 Granny Smith apples , peeled, cored and halved, 3 sliced

2 oranges , juice and zest of

7 heaped tablespoons caster sugar

400 g huckleberries or blueberries

1 heaped tablespoon plain flour

1 large free-range egg , beaten

1 small handful demerara sugar

good-quality vanilla ice cream , optional, to serve

cream , optional, to serve

custard , optional, to serve

Method

1. Even though it has a strong British heritage, America has embraced the apple pie to the point that it’s now considered a quintessentially American dessert. American pies often look like the ones from those Desperate Dan comics – big, robust and full of attitude. The crumble-like topping sprinkled over my pie is an idea I’ve been playing about with, and I think it helps make it unique. Because huckleberries grow wild in Wyoming, I felt it was only right to use them, but feel free to use fresh or frozen blueberries in their place for equally delicious results. Assembling your pie is dead easy, and I’ll talk you through it step by step, but if you’d like to see how it’s done before you start, check out the How to video for a demonstration.
2. You can make your pastry by hand, or simply pulse all the ingredients in a food processor. If making by hand, sieve the flour, icing sugar and salt from a height into a large mixing bowl. Use your fingertips to gently work the cubes of butter into the flour and sugar until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Transfer a handful of this mixture to a separate bowl, rub it between your fingers to get larger crumbs, then put aside. Add the eggs and milk to the main mixture and gently work it together until you have a ball of pastry dough. Don’t work it too much at this stage – you want to keep it crumbly and short. Sprinkle a little flour over the pastry, then wrap it in cling film and pop it into the fridge to rest for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, put the apples into a large pan with the zest and juice of 1 orange, a splash of water and 5 tablespoons of caster sugar. Cover the pan and simmer on a medium heat for 10 minutes, until the apples have softened but still hold their shape. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Scrunch a handful of berries in a bowl with the remaining caster sugar and the zest and juice of your remaining orange. Add the rest of the berries. Toss the cooled apples and their juices in a large bowl with the berries and the flour, then put aside.
4. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Take your ball of pastry out of the fridge and let it come up to room temperature. Get yourself a pie dish around 28cm in diameter. Flour a clean surface and a rolling pin. Cut off a third of your pastry and put that piece to one side. Roll the rest into a circle just over 0.5cm thick, dusting with flour as you go. Roll the circle of pastry up over your rolling pin, then gently unroll it over the pie dish. Push it into the sides, letting any excess pastry hang over the edge. Tip in the fruit filling and brush all around the edge of the pastry with some of the beaten egg. Roll out the smaller ball of pastry about 0.5cm thick and use your rolling pin to lay it over the top of the pie. Brush it all over with more beaten egg, reserving a little. Sprinkle over the reserved crumble mixture and the demerara sugar.
5. Fold the scruffy edges of pastry hanging over the sides back over the pie, sealing the edge by twisting or crimping it as you like. Brush these folded edges with your remaining beaten egg. Using a small, sharp knife, cut a cross into the middle of the pie. Place on the bottom of the oven and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until golden and beautiful. Serve with ice cream, cream or custard.

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Pears in Amarone

“Absolutely delicious in winter, these pears in red wine are so simple but really look the business ”

2 vanilla pods

1 bottle Amarone or Barolo red wine

225 g sugar

1 small cinnamon stick

1 orange , zest and juice of

1 small bunch fresh thyme

8 Comice pears , peeled and base removed

250 g butter

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5. Split the vanilla pods and remove the seeds. Put the seeds and pods into an appropriately sized casserole-type pan that will hold all your pears snugly, and add the wine, sugar, cinnamon, and orange juice and zest. Throw in your thyme, secured together in a little bunch with string. Bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer, and add your pears, sitting upright. Put the lid on the pan and bake in the preheated oven for around 1 hour until the pears are soft and tender but not falling apart. They should be soft all the way through but retain their shape. (Sometimes they can take less or more time depending on the ripeness of the pears.) When they're ready they will have taken on the flavour and colour of the wine and should smell delicious.
2. By now the wine and the sugar will have thickened and the flavour will have intensified. Remove the pears to a dish, turn up the heat under the pan, and reduce the wine by about half. Remove from the heat and add the butter – agitate the pan but don't give it any more heat. This will give you a really intense, tasty sauce which is to die for. Put the pears back in the pan and leave until ready to serve. Warm is the best temperature to serve this dish, and it’s best with some nice whipped sour cream or crème fraîche – a lovely contrast to the richness of the sauce.

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Banana tarte Tatin

“The thing I love about this banana tarte tatin is how easy it is, with just a few ingredients ”

60 g unsalted butter

150 g caster sugar

4 large bananas

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 orange

plain flour , for dusting

250 g puff pastry

crème fraîche , optional

vanilla ice cream , optional

a few tablespoons desiccated coconut , optional

Method

1. This is such a great recipe. The thing I love most about it is how simple it is. All you need to do is buy some ready-made puff pastry, split a few bananas in half and get something magical happening in the oven! You just have to be extremely careful when you flip it out on to a board as hot caramel can burn quite badly. It’s best to cover your hand with a tea towel and make sure you concentrate on what you’re doing. And if you don’t like bananas, try using apples or pears.
2. To make your caramel bananas:
   Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Cut your butter into cubes and put into a sturdy deep-sided baking tray (roughly 19 x 30cm). Place the tray on a low heat, let the butter melt, then add the sugar and stir constantly until completely combined. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes or until the sugar has all dissolved and the mixture is golden and caramelized. By the time this happens, the mixture will be roasting hot so be very careful and whatever you do, DON’T be tempted to put your fingers in the mixture as you’ll give yourself a nasty burn.
3. Meanwhile, peel the bananas, halve them lengthways, and lay them carefully on top of the golden caramel. Remove from the heat, then sprinkle over the cinnamon and finely grate over the zest of half your orange.
4. To make your pastry topping:
   Dust a clean work surface and rolling pin with flour. Rather than putting your pastry down flat and rolling it out, place it on its side and roll it from there, as this will give you a lighter, crisper texture. Roll it out until you have a rectangle shape about the same size as your tray and about 0.5cm thick. Drape your pastry over your rolling pin and carefully lay it on the baking tray, gently tucking it around the bananas to make sure they’re well covered with no gaps. Using a knife or fork, prick the pastry a few times. Place the tray at the top of the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until baked golden.
5. To serve your tarte Tatin:
   When your tarte Tatin is ready, you must turn it out at once or it will end up sticking to the baking tray. Again, you want to be very careful and make sure you don’t burn yourself on that hot caramel mixture. To turn the tarte out, cover your hand with a folded tea towel, carefully hold the tray with a serving plate or board on top and gently turn it over. Using the tip of a knife, pull a corner of the pastry up to check if it’s all cooked underneath (if not, pop it back into the oven for another couple of minutes), then ease the whole thing out of the tray.
6. If using crème fraîche, put it into a bowl, grate over the rest of your orange zest and stir well. If using vanilla ice cream, sprinkle a few tablespoons of desiccated coconut on a plate and quickly roll a scoop of ice cream in it until coated. Serve your tarte Tatin with a dollop of crème fraîche or coated ice cream and eat immediately!

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Pumpkin pie

“I've swapped the pumpkin for butternut squash – much easier to get hold of and just as tasty ”

500 g ready-made dessert pastry

1 large butternut squash , quartered and seeds reserved

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 tablespoons maple syrup

6 tablespoons caster sugar

3 large free-range eggs , beaten

200 ml double cream

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Roll the pastry to the thickness of a pound coin. Get a 22cm loose-bottomed tart tin, line with the pastry and bake blind for 20 minutes. Set aside.
2. Lay the squash in a baking tray. Sprinkle with the nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon and drizzle with the maple syrup. Cover the tray tightly with a double layer of tinfoil and bake for 45 minutes until soft. Reduce the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
3. Allow the pieces of squash to cool, then scoop out the flesh. You should have about 600g of cooked squash flesh. Don't forget to scrape out the bits in the tray and the maple syrup. Put in a food processor and whiz until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the eggs. Mix well and stir in the cream.
4. Fill the cooled tart case with the mix and bake for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, wash the stringy bits of squash off the seeds, dry them and lay them flat on a tray. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and place in the oven with the pie for the last 10 minutes until crispy.
5. Remove the tart from the oven. Sprinkle with the seeds when cool. Serve with cream or ice cream, if you're feeling naughty.

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Ile flottante

“This classic French meringue dessert is so easy to make, but utterly decadent and really impressive ”

800 g rhubarb , cut into 6cm pieces

4 tbsp golden caster sugar , or to taste

2 oranges , zest and juice of

500 ml whole milk

500 ml double cream

6 tbsp golden caster sugar

1 vanilla pod , split, seeds scraped

8 free-range egg yolks , 3 whites reserved for the meringues

150 g caster sugar

1.5 litres semi-skimmed milk

Method

1. This classic French dessert's name means 'floating island' – it's a meringue island in a lake of custard. Despite what you might think, it's really easy to make. If you fancy a bit of crunch on the top, scatter it with some toasted almonds.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6. Place the rhubarb in an ovenproof dish along with the sugar and orange zest and juice. Cover with foil and roast in the oven for 15–20 minutes, or until softened – the cooking time may vary, depending on the thickness of your rhubarb. Taste it and add a little more sugar if you like.
3. Transfer the rhubarb to a plate, set aside, and pour the roasting juices into a pan. Boil it for a few minutes until it forms a thick syrup, then set this aside too.
4. To make the custard, pour the milk, cream, 4 tablespoons of the sugar and the vanilla pod and seeds into a pan over a medium heat. Bring it to the boil, stirring continuously, then remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
5. Place the egg yolks in a large bowl and beat in the remaining sugar to combine. Remove the vanilla pod from the milk, then slowly whisk the warm milk mixture into the yolks. Return the custard to the pan and place over a low heat for a few minutes, stirring continuously, until it coats the back of a spoon. Sieve it into a clean bowl, cover the surface with a layer of cling film to stop it forming a skin, and set aside.
6. Make the meringues by placing the egg whites in a clean bowl and beating them with an electric whisk until they form firm peaks. Continue whisking as you add the sugar, then turn up the mixer and whisk for about 7 minutes, or until they’re white and glossy.
7. To poach the meringues, pour the milk into a wide, shallow saucepan over a medium heat and warm it through until it just begins to simmer. Float 3 or 4 heaped tablespoons of the meringue mixture on the hot milk, making sure they are well spaced out to allow them to expand. Cook for about 30 seconds, then turn over and cook for 30 seconds more, or until they’re firm.
8. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meringues to a plate lined with kitchen paper, to absorb any milk. Repeat with the remaining meringue mixture, discarding the milk once you’ve finished.
9. Spoon the custard into serving bowls, top with the roasted rhubarb – stirring a little for a rippled effect, if you like – then finish by placing a meringue island on top. Drizzle with rhubarb syrup and serve right away.

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Gluhwein tart

“This recipe turns mulled wine into a delicious winter tart with a spicy, sticky filling and a crumbly topping. ”

375 g sweet pastry

350 ml red wine

1 stick of cinnamon

2 star anise

4 cloves

1 vanilla pod

1 orange

500 g cranberries

440 g light brown sugar

340 g redcurrant jelly

40 g unsalted butter

80 g plain flour

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

40 g pine nuts

1 tablespoon demerara sugar

Method

1. Roll the pastry to 5mm thick and line a 26cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Prick the base with a fork and refrigerate.
2. Pour the wine into a saucepan and add the cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves, then split and add the vanilla pod. Finely grate in the orange zest and squeeze in the juice.
3. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes to infuse. Remove the spices; add the cranberries and 400g brown sugar. Stir in the redcurrant jelly, bring back to the boil, then leave to simmer on a low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and jammy and the cranberries have broken down.
4. While your cranberry filling is cooking, make the crumble topping. Rub the butter and flour together in a bowl until you have fine breadcrumbs, then fold in remaining brown sugar, cinnamon, pine nuts and demerara sugar (if using).
5. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4.
6. Remove the pastry case from the fridge, line with greaseproof paper and rice or baking beans and blind bake for 12 minutes. Remove the baking beans and paper and bake for a further 10 minutes, or until lightly golden.
7. Pour the cranberry sauce into the case and sprinkle over the crumble topping. Return to the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
8. Leave to cool and serve with crème fraîche, ice cream or whipped cream.

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Icelandic rice pudding

“This little twist on good-old rice pudding is creamy, sticky, fresh and fruity – delicious! ”

SAUCE & TOPPING

150 g mixed dried fruit, such as cranberries, sour cherries, blueberries

50 ml vodka

6 teaspoons crème fraîche

150 g fresh redcurrants

RICE PUDDING

300g g pudding rice

1.5 litres semi-skimmed milk

500 ml single cream

3 tablespoons runny honey

1 cinnamon stick

1 vanilla pod

Method

1. Put the dried fruit and vodka into a large pan with just enough water to cover.
2. Place over a medium heat and cook gently for 10 minutes, then add 5 tablespoons of cold water and whiz in a blender until smooth.
3. Place the rice, milk, cream, honey and cinnamon in a deep pot. Score the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape the seeds out, adding both to the pot.
4. Stir well and bring gently to the boil, then simmer very gently for 30 to 35 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is just cooked and oozy.
5. Spoon the cooked rice pudding into a serving dish, swirl the fruit sauce into it and top with crème fraîche. Scatter with fresh redcurrants, then serve.

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Frozen grapes, chocolate & grappa

“These flavours and textures work so well together and make a really impressive, easy dessert ”

1 bottle grappa , chilled

2-3 bunches frozen grapes

a few bars good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

Method

1. If you’re having a nice night with mates and there’s good wine and some conversation happening then I think this is a lovely thing to bring out a few hours after dinner.
2. It’s like a sorbet, but without the work. Fiery chilled grappa, good-quality chocolate and delicious frozen grapes are a great little combo that show you care and you’ve made a bit of effort. You could either use dark chocolate or a mixture of different flavours, depending on what you fancy.
3. Put your bottle of grappa and the grapes in the freezer about 2 to 3 hours before you want to serve them. Right before serving; give your bars of chocolate a good whack against the counter to break them up into large chunks.
4. Pile these chunks in the middle of a nice wooden board, arrange your frozen grapes beside them and serve with a nice little glass of grappa to sip on while you watch the grapes and chocolate disappear. So simple, but such a treat.

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Vegan chocolate, cherry & honeycomb parfait

“Being a vegan doesn’t mean you can’t create knockout puddings. This dark chocolate, honeycomb, almond and berry dessert is even better than it sounds ”

200 g dark dairy-free chocolate

85 g blanched almonds

150 g dairy-free margarine

85 g glacé cherries

100 g dried cranberries

For the honeycomb:

5 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tbsp golden syrup

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

1. Recipe by Pippa Kendrick
2. 1. Begin by making the honeycomb. Generously grease a baking tray with vegetable oil. Melt the granulated sugar and golden syrup in a high-sided saucepan over a low heat. Once melted, turn up the heat a little and bubble the syrup until it turns to a rich, caramel gold colour.
   
   2. Whisk in the bicarbonate of soda. The syrup will foam up – immediately pour it onto your greased baking tray. Set the tray aside and leave it to cool for 20 minutes. Slide the honeycomb off the tray and roughly chop it up.
3. 3. Line a 450g loaf tin with enough cling film to allow it to drape over the sides by about 7–8cm, smoothing the cling film into the tin to form a crease-free surface. Break up the dark chocolate and roughly chop the almonds. Place the chocolate and margarine in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, stir together until melted and combined to a smooth and glossy finish.
4. 4. Take the bowl off the heat and stir in the chopped honeycomb, almonds, cherries and cranberries. Spoon the mixture into the lined tin and level the top. Fold the overhanging cling film loosely over the parfait then freeze for 1 hour.
5. 5. Remove from the freezer and transfer the parfait to the fridge until completely set. Once you’re ready to serve, carefully lift the parfait from the tin, unwrap the cling film and cut into 2cm slices.

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Lemon & rosemary cakes

“These delicate cakes make a gorgeous teatime treat, with rosemary adding a lovely fragrant note. ”

unsalted butter , for greasing

75 g plain flour , plus extra for dusting

½ teaspoon baking powder

150 g icing sugar

125 g ground almonds

3 large free-range egg whites

125 g olive oil

1 tablespoon runny honey

2 lemons

20 g flaked almonds

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

SYRUP

2 lemons

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

100 g caster sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/gas 5. Melt the butter, then lightly grease a 12-hole mini brioche or cupcake tin, dust with a little plain flour, then tap out the excess.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and icing sugar into a bowl, then mix in the ground almonds.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of sea salt until they form soft peaks. Add the sifted dry ingredients, as well as the oil and honey. Finely grate in the lemon zest, then fold it all together, until thoroughly combined.
4. Pour the batter into the tin holes, until they’re three-quarters full, and scatter over the flaked almonds.
5. Place the tins on a baking tray on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until well risen and golden.
6. Leave them to cool in the tins for 2 minutes, before running a knife around the edges and turning them out onto a wire rack.
7. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup. Pare the zest off the lemons using a speed-peeler and slice it into fine strips. Squeeze the juice of both lemons into a bowl and set aside.
8. Blanch the lemon strips in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and rinse under cold water. Return them to the pan with the lemon juice, sprigs of rosemary, sugar and 5 tablespoons of water. Gently bring it to the boil, then simmer, until reduced by half.
9. Remove the rosemary and slowly spoon the syrup (including the pared zest) over the warm cakes.
10. Pick a few rosemary leaves over each cake, leave to cool slightly, and serve.

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Plum and almond tart

“This rustic, nutty plum tart is incredible served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream ”

350 g blanched whole almonds

300 g unsalted butter

300 g caster sugar

3 whole free-range eggs

1 handful whole pistachio nuts , shelled

500 g shortcrust pastry

6-7 plums , halved and destoned

3 tablespoons vanilla sugar

Method

1. Line a 28cm/11 inch loose-bottomed flan tin with the pastry and bake it blind.
2. In a food processor, blitz the whole almonds to a fine powder and put into a bowl. Then blitz the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add this to the almonds with the lightly beaten eggs and fold in until completely mixed and nice and smooth. Stir in the pistachio nuts, then place in the fridge to firm up slightly. Once the mixture has chilled, pour it into your tart case about three-quarters full. You don’t want to overfill it otherwise it will spill over the edge when you add the plums.
3. Toss the plums in the vanilla sugar, let them sit for 10 minutes, then push them into the tart mixture. Bake the tart on a tray at 180°C/350°F/gas 4 for about 1 hour, or until the almond mix has become firm and golden on the outside but is still soft in the middle. Allow to cool for about ½ an hour and serve with ice cream or crème fraîche.

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Spiced flapjacks

“This nutty, spiced slice is super quick and easy to whip up – and as it bakes it will fill your kitchen with amazing Christmassy smells. ”

100 g unsalted butter , plus extra for greasing

120 g chestnuts

75 g shelled pistachios

1 1/2 oranges

9 cardamom pods

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

100 ml golden syrup

150 g light soft brown sugar

225 g oats

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4. Grease and line a 25cm x 30cm roasting tray with non-stick paper.
2. Roughly chop the chestnuts and pistachios and finely grate the orange zest.
3. Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and place in a pestle and mortar, along with the caraway seeds and ground until fine.
4. Put the golden syrup, sugar and butter in a pan and place over a low heat to gently dissolve the sugar and melt the butter.
5. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Stir in the wet mixture until combined.
6. Pour into the tin and smooth to even the surface. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.
7. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Cut into squares, then leave in the tin to cool completely.

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Mint choc teacakes

“Fluffy, mint-tinged marshmallowy meringue is piped into peaks over chocolate biscuits, then dipped in dark chocolate ”

110 g butter , softened

100 g caster sugar

1 free-range egg , beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

150 g flour

30 g cocoa powder

Icing sugar , for dusting

Peppermint meringue filling

275 g caster sugar

4 free-range egg , whites

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

A few drops of pure peppermint extract

Chocolate topping

100 g 70% cocoa chocolate , broken into pieces

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

1. Recipe by Georgina Hayden
2. Fluffy, mint-tinged marshmallowy meringue is piped into peaks over chocolate biscuits, then dipped in dark chocolate.
3. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Whisk in half the beaten egg (you only need half) and the vanilla extract, then stir in the flour and cocoa powder until just combined. Divide the mixture in half, shape each into balls, wrap both in clingfilm, then chill for a couple of hours until the dough has firmed up.
4. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4, and grease and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Dust a work surface with icing sugar and roll out 1 batch of dough to 5mm thick. Cut out rounds using a 5cm cutter (re-roll and cut any trimmings), then transfer the biscuits to the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes till cooked through. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the second batch of dough.
5. To make the peppermint meringue filling, place the sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar and 1½ tablespoons of water in a large heatproof bowl. Beat with an electric whisk till fluffed up, about 1 minute. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water set over the lowest heat possible, and continue to beat at high speed for 10–12 minutes, until stiff peaks form. Remove from the heat, add a few drops of peppermint extract and beat for 2 more minutes, until the meringue has thickened even more.
6. Fit a 1cm plain nozzle to a piping bag and fill the bag with the peppermint meringue. Pipe onto the biscuits in an upward spiral, working from the outside in; leave a small border around the edge – aim for a swirl around 3–4cm tall. Place the biscuits on a tray and leave to set in the fridge while you make the chocolate topping.
7. Place the chocolate pieces and oil in a small heatproof bowl and gently melt over a pan of simmering water until completely smooth and glossy. Transfer to a small, deep bowl and leave to cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
8. To finish the teacakes, hold the chilled biscuits by the base and gently dip the meringue into the melted chocolate, swirling so it’s completely covered. Or, place the biscuits on a wire rack with greaseproof paper underneath and drizzle over the chocolate until each biscuit is covered. Chill the biscuits for a few hours until the chocolate has completely set, and serve.

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Sour cranberry Bakewell

“My sweet and sour bakewell tart has a wicked praline filling, and the sour cranberries really make the whole thing sing. ”

100 g blanched hazelnuts

100 g shelled walnuts

250 g cold unsalted butter , cut into cubes

250 g golden caster sugar

1 lemon

1 orange

3 large free-range , eggs

60 g plain flour

For the pastry

250 g plain flour , plus extra for dusting

100 g icing sugar , sifted

125 g cold unsalted butter , cut into cubes

1 orange

1 large free-range egg , beaten

a splash of milk

For the cranberry jam

500 g fresh or frozen cranberries

150 g golden caster sugar

2 oranges

For the frangipane

Method

1. I'm really excited about this tart. It’s my contribution to the evolutionary journey of the great British Bakewell tart, which was born when somebody in a pub kitchen made a mistake while making a Bakewell pudding. I’m using hazelnuts and walnuts in place of almonds to give the filling a wicked sort of praline flavour.
2. Sift the flour and half the icing sugar into a large bowl, then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in the zest of the orange, then add the beaten egg and a small splash of milk and mix together until you have a ball of dough. Don’t work it too much. Lightly flour the dough, wrap it in cling film, then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. After that time, roll the pastry out on a clean floured surface until it’s about 0.5cm thick. Loosely roll it around the rolling pin, then unroll it over a 25cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Ease the pastry into the tin, pushing it into the corners. Trim off any excess overhanging pastry, wrap that in cling film and keep for use in another recipe. Prick the base of the tart all over with a fork. Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for another 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Remove the cling film from the chilled base, then line it with scrunched-up greaseproof paper and dried rice. Blind bake for 12 minutes, then remove the paper and rice and bake for a further 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put a large pan on a medium heat and add the cranberries, sugar and the zest and juice from 11⁄2 oranges. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer over a medium to low heat and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lovely and jammy. At this point, take the pan off the heat and leave to cool.
4. Blitz the nuts for the filling in a food processor until really fine. Tip into a clean bowl, then put the butter and sugar into the food processor and whiz until pale, creamy and fluffy. Grate the zest of the lemon and orange into the food processor, then crack in the eggs, one at a time, keeping the food processor running until well mixed. Tip the blitzed nuts back into the food processor along with the flour, and blitz again to mix. Set aside.
5. Spread a third of your cooled cranberry jam mixture over the base of your pastry case, then spoon over the frangipane and gently spread it out. Dot a few more blobs of cranberry jam on top, and put the rest of it aside (it will be delicious on toast and makes the perfect filling for jam tarts. Cook the tart in the hot oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden and set. Once cooked, leave to cool for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack while you make your icing.
6. Put the remaining icing sugar into a bowl, then squeeze in drops of juice from the zested orange and lemon until you have a nice thick drizzly mixture. Serve the tart drizzled with that zesty icing, and with a little dollop of cream, if you like.

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Bonkers bread & butter panettone pudding tart

“We all know we love bread and butter pudding, but it’s time for a change – this version is super-fun ”

125 g unsalted butter , plus extra for greasing

4 tablespoons demerara sugar

750 g plain panettone

1 vanilla pod

300 ml double cream

300 ml whole milk

5 large free-range eggs

100 g golden caster sugar

60 g quality dark chocolate (70%)

60 g bitter orange marmalade

Method

1. OK guys, we all know we love bread and butter pudding, but it’s time for a change. This version is super-fun – ripping up a panettone, layering it with chocolate, marmalade and custard, then baking it until golden and gorgeous in a tart tin. It’s a total showstopper, unexpected, and from a flavour and comfort perspective I’m sure there won’t be much conversation happening round the table when you bring this bad boy out.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Lightly grease a 28cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Bash 2 tablespoons of demerara sugar in a pestle and mortar until fine, then mix with the remaining demerara so you have a range of textures. Tip into the tart tin and shake around to coat. Tap gently, then tip any excess back into the mortar for later. Slice the edges off the panettone in strips and use them to line the base and sides of the tart tin, pressing down hard to compact and create a pastry-like shell.
3. Halve the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds, then put both the seeds and pod into a pan on a medium heat along with the cream, milk and butter, and simmer for 5 minutes or until the butter has melted. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs and golden caster sugar for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Whisking constantly, add the hot cream mixture to the bowl until combined, then discard the vanilla pod.
4. Now it’s time to build this crazy comfort pudding. Pour one-third of the custard into the base of the tart and leave to soak in for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, tear up all the remaining panettone into rough chunks, soak them in the bowl of creamy custard for a minute or two (the more it sucks up, the better!), then layer up in the shell you’ve created, snapping up and adding little chunks of chocolate and dollops of marmalade between the layers – there’s no need to be neat about it, you want a range of heights, saturation and textures. Pour over any leftover custard, leaving it to soak in if necessary, then sprinkle with the remaining demerara sugar. Bake for around 25 minutes, or until set. Allow the pudding to rest for 10 minutes, then serve with cream, custard or ice cream, if you like – it’s delicious cold, too, if you’ve got any leftovers!

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Gluten-free blondies

“Using honey and soya yoghurt makes these blondies super sticky in the centre. Make them vegan by changing the honey to maple syrup ”

150 g gluten-free flour

1 tsp gluten-free baking powder

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

200 g soya yogurt

1/2 vanilla pod , split lengthways and seeds scraped

2 tbsp honey

250 g light brown sugar

200 g vegan 70%-cocoa chocolate , roughly chopped

Method

1. Recipe by Anna Jones
2. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4 and line a 23cm square brownie tin with baking parchment.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder and sea salt into a bowl.
4. Combine the soya yoghurt, vanilla seeds and honey in a large bowl. Add the light brown sugar and mix until well combined.
5. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then fold in the chopped dark chocolate.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared brownie pan and evenly spread over the pan with a spoon or spatula. Bake in the oven for 30–35 minutes, until the top of the blondie is firm and brown. Remove from the oven and let the blondie cool completely in the pan. Cut into 12 pieces and serve.

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Jools’ easy creamy rice pudding

“You can top this pudding with any fresh fruit you like, mashed or whole, and occasionally I add a few small blobs of jam, too. I’ve used unsweetened almond milk here because my kids like the taste of it, but regular milk works just fine, too ”

120 g risotto or pudding rice

800 ml unsweetened almond milk , or regular milk, plus an extra splash

4 tablespoons maple syrup or runny honey

1 teaspoon vanilla paste , (or you can scrape out the seeds from a vanilla pod, if you have one)

1 handful of blueberries

1 ripe banana

Method

1. Put the rice, milk, 200ml of water, half the maple syrup or honey and the vanilla into a large pan. Give it a good stir, then place the pan on a very low heat. Cook gently for around 45 minutes, or until thick and creamy, stirring regularly. Loosen the rice pudding with an extra splash of milk before serving, if needed. Peel and slice the banana, then serve the rice pudding scattered with the blueberries and banana and the remaining maple syrup or honey drizzled on top.
   
   Tips & tricks: As a treat, I sometimes like to turn this into chocolate rice pudding by adding two tablespoons of quality cocoa powder in with the rest of the ingredients.

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Vegan bread & butter pudding

“Lovely and soft in the middle while crisp and golden on top, this really is comfort food at its best ”

100 g dairy-free margarine , (suitable for baking)

1 large pinch of ground cinnamon

1 large pinch of ground ginger

1 orange , zest of

10 thick slices of quality stale bread

100 g apricots

100 g sultanas

5 tablespoons quality thick-cut marmalade

For the custard:

1 vanilla pod

800 ml organic soya milk , unsweetened

5 tablespoons cornflour

6 tablespoons golden caster sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Combine the margarine, cinnamon, ginger and orange zest in a bowl. Use a small amount to grease a medium ovenproof dish (roughly 20cm x 25cm), then spread the remaining margarine onto the bread.
2. Halve the bread slices diagonally, then place roughly a third into the dish in a single layer. Roughly chop the apricots, then scatter a third into the dish along with a third of the sultanas. Cover with another layer of bread, scatter with more dried fruit, then cover with the remaining bread. Set aside, reserving the remaining dried fruit for later.
3. To make the custard, halve the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds to a medium pan with the remaining custard ingredients and 400ml of water. Whisk well until smooth and combined, then place over a medium–low heat. Simmer gently for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the custard is almost boiling and coats the back of a wooden spoon, whisking continuously.
4. Pour the custard over the bread then scatter the remaining dried fruit on top. Leave to soak for around 20 minutes, then place in the hot oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until lightly golden and starting to set.
5. Meanwhile, gently warm the marmalade in a pan over a low heat. Once the pudding is ready, brush over the warm marmalade, then return to the oven for a further 5 minutes, or until golden and sticky. Allow to cool slightly, then tuck in.

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Profiteroles

50 g shelled pistachios

250 ml double cream

3 tablespoons icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

100 g dark chocolate (70%)

CHOUX PASTRY

85 g unsalted butter , plus extra for greasing

100 g plain flour

3 large free-range eggs

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas 6 and grease a baking sheet.
2. For the choux pastry, melt the butter in a saucepan with 220ml of water then bring to a rolling boil.
3. Sift the flour and 1 pinch of fine sea salt onto a piece of folded greaseproof paper, then quickly pour into the boiling water.
4. Beat the pastry mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon until it’s smooth and the bottom of the pan is beginning to fur, then spread out on a plate and leave to cool for 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Crush the pistachios. Place the cream and most of the pistachios in a small saucepan and slowly bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse until ready to use.
6. Beat the eggs. Once the pastry is cool, return it to the saucepan and gradually beat in the beaten egg until the pastry mixture reaches a consistency that lazily drops off the spoon (you may not need all of the beaten egg).
7. Using teaspoons, space out small dollops of pastry mixture on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
8. Once cooked, use a skewer or drinking straw to pierce holes in the bases of the profiteroles, then leave them upside down on a wire rack to dry completely.
9. When you’re ready to fill the profiteroles, strain the cream and discard the pistachios. Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla essence until it holds its shape. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe a teaspoonful or so into the centre of each profiterole.
10. Break the chocolate into bites, then melt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (without letting the bowl touch the water).
11. Arrange the profiteroles on a platter and drizzle over some of the melted chocolate. Serve the leftover chocolate in a small jug on the side.

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Black forest frozen cheesecake

“This is a great make-ahead dessert that will definitely impress your guests! ”

BISCUIT BASE

75 g unsalted butter , plus extra for greasing


300 g dark chocolate biscuits

FILLING

2 x 425 g tins of dark cherries in syrup

2 clementines

350 g caster sugar

6 large free-range eggs

400 ml double cream

560 g Philadelphia plain cream cheese

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

TOPPING

200 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) , plus extra for serving

1 dash of double cream

50 g unsalted butter

1 clementine

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Grease the sides and line the base of a deep 23cm loose-bottomed __cake tin.
2. To make the biscuit base, melt the butter in a pan over a low heat. Blitz the biscuits in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs, then add to the melted butter.
3. Mix well to coat the crumbs, then tip into the prepared __cake tin, spreading it out evenly.
4. Place in the hot oven for 10 minutes, or until darker in colour, then remove and leave to cool.
5. Meanwhile, to make the filling, add the tinned cherries and their syrup, the clementine zest and juice and 150g of sugar to a pan over a medium heat.
6. Cook for around 20 minutes, or until reduced to a syrupy consistency. Leave to cool and set aside.
7. Separate the egg yolks and whites into 2 separate bowls. Add the remaining 200g of sugar to the yolks, then use an electric whisk to beat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until pale and fluffy.
8. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
9. Place the cream, cream cheese and vanilla extract into a third bowl and beat into soft peaks.
10. Fold the egg yolk mixture into the cream cheese mixture and gently fold through the egg whites. Spoon the mixture onto the biscuit base, then gently swirl through the cherry syrup.
11. Place the cheesecake in the freezer to set overnight.
12. When you’re nearly ready to serve, make the chocolate glaze topping. Place a medium heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, then add the dark chocolate, cream and butter. Allow to melt, stirring occasionally.
13. Remove the cheesecake from the tin and place on a cake stand.
14. Pour over the chocolate glaze, then decorate with some gratings of dark chocolate and clementine zest. Serve with a gold leaf and sparklers to make it extra special.

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Strawberry shortcake

unsalted butter , for greasing

270 g plain flour , plus extra for dusting

1 tablespoon baking powder

55 ml double cream , plus extra for brushing

450 g ripe strawberries , sliced

2 tablespoons caster sugar

1 tablespoon icing sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220ºC/gas 7. Lightly grease a baking sheet with butter.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of sea salt into a bowl. Add 300ml of the cream and mix into a dough.
3. Gently knead on a lightly floured surface, then pat into a 25cm round, about 7mm thick.
4. Cut out 4 rounds with a lightly floured 7.5cm to 8cm cutter and place on the baking sheet. Gather scraps of dough and pat out again. Cut out another 2 rounds.
5. Brush the tops of the shortcakes with cream and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to a rack to cool.
6. Slice the strawberries and place in a bowl with the caster and icing sugars and vanilla extract, stirring to combine or gently mashing.
7. Beat the remaining cream in a bowl until it’s just holding soft peaks.
8. Split the shortcakes in half and dollop with the whipped cream, then add some of the strawberry mixture and sandwich together. Serve with any remaining cream and strawberries.

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Retro arctic roll

“This ice-cream __cake is the ultimate is retro desserts. You’ll get sweet and sour, crunch and softness, all in one mouthful. ”

optional:

edible flowers

For the sponge:

3 large free-range eggs

100 g golden caster sugar , plus extra for sprinkling

75 g plain flour

a few knobs of butter , for greasing

1 heaped teaspoon cocoa powder

For the filling:

2 x 500 ml tubs of good-quality ice cream, vanilla and chocolate

300 g good-quality strawberry or raspberry jam

1 Crunchie or Dime bar or a bag of Maltesers , bashed up

To serve:

200 g fresh berries

juice of ½ a lemon

Method

1. In the 60s and 70s, having a frozen dessert you could serve at a moment’s notice was the posh thing to do. The simple but glorious arctic roll started popping up everywhere, from restaurants to school and hospital menus. Eventually it became seen as something a bit naff and tacky, but I think smearing a home-made sponge with quality jam, good ice cream and a little bashed-up honeycomb is easy, fun, and just a bit silly. Roll it up, freeze it for a few hours, and you’ll get sweet and sour, crunch and softness, all in one mouthful. Heaven.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Move the ice cream to the fridge so it starts to soften. Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl, add the sugar, and whisk until pale, fluffy and at least doubled in size. You can do this with an electric mixer, or by hand if you’ve got the muscle. Once it’s looking good, sift in the flour and slowly fold it through with a spatula. Grease a baking tray (roughly 26 x 36cm) with butter, then line it with greaseproof paper and grease that too. Spoon half your sponge batter on to the tray, blobbing it about in different places, then sift the cocoa powder into the remaining batter and fold it in.
3. Spoon the chocolatey sponge into the gaps on the tray, and use the spoon to drag it through the white sponge in S-shapes and circles until it looks beautiful and marbled. Make sure there are no gaps. Place the tray on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
4. Grease another large sheet of greaseproof paper with butter and sprinkle over a few good pinches of sugar. Take the sponge out of the oven and confidently flip it over on to the paper. Peel and discard the top piece of paper, then, while the sponge is still warm and flexible, loosely roll it up into a long sausage, including the paper, and leave it to cool for around 20 minutes.
5. Once cooled, gently unroll the sponge and spread over half of the jam. Take big dessert spoons of your soft ice cream and randomly distribute them over the sponge, leaving the last 5 or 6cm at one end free of filling so that it creates a seal when you roll it up. Put whatever you don’t use back in the freezer. Dollop over teaspoons of the remaining jam, then sprinkle your bashed-up chocolate bar all over. Use a spatula to smear everything into a fairly smooth dense layer.
6. Confidently, start rolling the sponge up again, making sure there's no paper inside it. If the filling starts to slip out, just push it back in. Twisting the ends and squeezing it into a long, fairly even ice-cream sausage. Pop it into the freezer for 3 hours, and take it out around 5 to 10 minutes before you want to use it so it thaws enough to slice. Unwrap your arctic roll, take a slice out of each end to expose the frozen insides, and serve with fresh summer fruits tossed in lemon juice and a pinch of sugar, or any edible flowers if you have them.

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Passion–berry choux buns

“These might seem fiddly, but they’ll make your party one to remember. The burst of berries balances the richness of the cream and pastry perfectly. ”

125 ml double cream

125 ml Greek yoghurt

4 large passion fruit

250 g fondant icing sugar

RASPBERRY CURD

300 g raspberries , plus extra to serve

3 tablespoons caster sugar

1 lemon

25 g butter

1 large free-range egg

3 large free-range egg yolks

½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste

CHOUX PASTRY

50 g butter

75 ml whole milk

100 g plain flour

1 teaspoon caster sugar

3-4 medium free-range eggs

Method

1. For the raspberry curd, tip the berries into a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of the sugar, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and a little splash of water.
2. Cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes, until the fruit is very soft, then push it through a fine mesh or sieve into a heatproof bowl.
3. Mix the remaining sugar into the raspberries, then add the butter and sit the bowl over a pan of simmering water.
4. Stir for about 2 minutes, or until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
5. In a separate bowl, beat together the egg, yolks and vanilla bean paste, whisk in 2 to 3 tablespoons of the warm raspberry mixture to loosen, then mix it into the remaining raspberry in the bowl.
6. Cook the curd over the simmering water for about 10 minutes, until thickened and it coats the back of a spoon, stirring often.
7. Strain the mixture into a clean bowl, cover the surface with clingfilm (to stop a skin forming) and set aside to cool.
8. For the choux, preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4.
9. Dice and add butter to a pan with the milk and 75ml of water. Place it over a low heat until the butter has melted, then increase the heat to bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
10. Remove the pan from the hob (turn down the heat to low). Sift and beat in the flour, along with the sugar and a pinch of sea salt.
11. Keep beating until the mixture is smooth, glossy and comes away from the sides of the pan.
12. Flash the pan on the hob for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, to dry out the mixture a little. Take it off the heat, tip the mixture into a clean bowl and leave it to cool for 5 minutes.
13. Beat the eggs, then gradually add them to the choux mixture, mixing well between each addition. You may not need all of the egg – just enough so the mixture drops reluctantly from the spoon.
14. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper, then drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the choux batter onto it, leaving space between each to allow for expansion.
15. Bake them on the middle shelf of the oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden and doubled in size.
16. Pierce the bottom of each bun with a skewer to release the steam and return them to the oven for a further 2 minutes.
17. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
18. In a bowl, whip the double cream and Greek yoghurt until it holds firm peaks, then fold in the raspberry curd until it holds soft peaks – don’t over-fold as this will make it hard to pipe into the buns.
19. Scoop the filling into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle. Cut a small hole underneath each choux bun and fill with the raspberry cream.
20. To make the glaze, scoop the passion fruit pulp into a sieve set over a bowl, pushing as much juice though as you can.
21. Whisk the fondant icing sugar into the juice until smooth and the icing holds a ribbon trail.
22. Carefully spoon the passion fruit icing over each bun and leave to set for 5 minutes before topping with a fresh raspberry and a few rose or raspberry sprinkles, if you like.

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Classic spotted dick

“You can’t beat an old-school pudding like this one – melt-in-your-mouth sponge with a good old helping of custard, this is as British as it gets! ”

300 g mixed dried fruit , such as currants, golden sultanas, blueberries, cherries, sour cranberries

300 g self-raising flour

sea salt

75 g unsalted butter , plus extra for greasing

75 g suet

75 g golden caster sugar

180 ml semi-skimmed milk

50 ml brandy

Method

1. Place a medium pan over a high heat and add the dried fruit and 150ml water. Cover and simmer for around 5 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed, then leave aside to cool.
2. Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a large bowl, then rub in the butter and suet until it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in the sugar and the soaked dried fruit, then gradually add the milk, stirring continuously to combine.
3. Grease a 1.5 litre pudding bowl with butter. Cut a circle of greaseproof paper to roughly the diameter of the pudding bowl and grease lightly with butter. Scoop the dried fruit mixture into the pudding bowl, then cover with the greaseproof paper, butter-side down. Place a double layer of tin foil on top, scrunching it around the rim of the bowl (if it has a lid, then simply place that on top instead). Wrap about 2 metres of string twice around the rim, tie in a double knot, then attach the end to the opposite side with a double knot to make a loose handle – this will make pulling the bowl out at the end a lot easier.
4. Place a deep pan over a high heat and place a saucer upside-down on the bottom. Gently place the pudding bowl into the pan, topping up with boiling water so the bowl is half submerged. Pop the lid on and simmer gently for 1 hour 40 minutes, or until the sponge is firm, but still slightly sticky in the middle, checking the water levels from time to time to make sure it doesn't dry up.
5. Carefully remove the bowl from the pan, take off the tin foil and greaseproof paper, then leave it to cool in the bowl for a few minutes. Meanwhile, heat the brandy in a pan over a low heat.
6. Place a large plate face-down on top of the pudding bowl and carefully turn out the spotted dick. Bring it to the table, pour over the brandy, then set it alight. Serve with a good helping of custard, and enjoy!

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Dairy-free chocolate mousse

“Rustle up this smooth, creamy and super-chocolaty mousse in minutes, then whack it in the fridge ready to serve as a dinner-party dessert ”

150 g dairy-free dark chocolate , plus extra for serving

2 large ripe avocados

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 x 160 g tin of coconut cream

Method

1. Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the base doesn’t touch the water. Break the chocolate into the bowl and allow it to melt, then set aside to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, halve and stone the avocados, then scoop the flesh into a food processor, discarding the skins. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse for a few seconds. Scrape down the sides with a spatula, then pulse again to combine.
3. Pour in the cooled chocolate, then pulse a final time until creamy and smooth. Divide the mixture between six small bowls, then pop in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes. Serve with an extra grating of chocolate and a fresh fruit salad.

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Frozen yoghurt layer cake

“Frozen yoghurt __cake screams summer, and kids will pounce on this as soon as they see all those bright colours. There’s nothing artificial here, though – it’s the fruit that brings the colour. Use any fruit that you have to hand, everything works. ”

250 g strawberries

16 tablespoons natural yoghurt

250 g bananas

250 g raspberries

250 g blackberries

seasonal berries

Method

1. Line a loaf tin with clingfilm.
2. In a blender or food processor, blitz the strawberries with 4 tablespoons of yoghurt. Pour the fruit mixture into the tin and place in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, rinse out the blender or food processor, and blitz the bananas with another 4 tablespoons of yoghurt. Add this layer to the tin and return it to the freezer.
4. Repeat with the other 2 types of fruit and remaining yoghurt.
5. The __cake is ready as soon as the top layer is hard, but you can keep it in the freezer as long as you like. Slice the cake while still frozen and serve with berries.

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Chocolate & caramel tart with hazelnuts

PASTRY

150 g plain flour

40 g cocoa

25 g icing sugar

120 g unsalted butter

1 large free-range egg yolk

FILLING

300 g caster sugar

60 ml runny honey

300 ml double cream

45 g unsalted butter

NUT BRITTLE

50 g blanched hazelnuts

100 g caster sugar

SPUN SUGAR

100 g caster sugar

1/2 tablespoon glucose syrup

Method

1. To make the pastry, sift the flour, cocoa and icing sugar into a bowl. Rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs and stir in a pinch of sea salt.
2. Stir in the egg yolk and 45ml water, then bring together into a dough, add more flour if necessary. Wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5.
4. Line a 25cm fluted tart tin with the pastry, pressing into the sides. Line with baking paper and fill with baking beads or rice. Set on a baking sheet and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
   
   Transfer the tin to the oven on the baking sheet for 15 minutes. Roast the nuts for the brittle at the same time, until they are a golden brown. Remove the baking paper and beads or rice. Return the pastry to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the base has cooked through. Set aside.
5. To make the filling, place the sugar and honey into a pan and set over a medium heat. Once the sugar begins to melt, swirl in circular motions to start the caramel until it’s golden. Remove from the heat, whisk in the cream and butter. Place back onto the heat and whisk until the caramel turns golden brown. Remove and pour into the tart case, then set aside.
6. To make the nut brittle, line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the sugar in a pan with the thermometer and set over a medium heat. Have your roasted hazelnuts ready.
7. When the sugar starts to gently bubble at the edges, tilt the pan to ensure the sugar melts evenly. Before long (about 3 minutes) all of it will be melted. When it gets to 150ºC, remove the pan from the heat and swirl in the hazelnuts (do not stir with a spoon). Quickly pour it onto the tray and leave to aside.
8. When the nut brittle is cool, chop or blitz in a processor to small pieces. Sprinkle the pieces of brittle over the top of the finished tart.
9. To decorate with spun sugar, heat the sugar and glucose with 50ml water in the same pan, over a medium heat. Allow the sugar to melt, stir for even texture. Heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until 150ºC, then remove and quickly place into an ice bath to stop the process and set aside.
10. Take two forks and pull the sugar out, twirling the forks to make long strands into nests. Alternatively, place a piece of baking paper on your countertop. While holding a long metal spoon with one hand over the paper, pull the sugar from the pan and quickly flick it back and forth over the long spoon, allowing the sugar to form long thin strands, which you can gather. Use these to decorate the top of the tart.
11. Delicious served with crème fraîche or yoghurt.

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Raw chocolate cake

“This __cake is pure indulgence. If you can get your hands on some bee pollen, I highly recommend it for its intense burst of honey flavours and satisfying crunch. ”

300 g pecan nuts

150 g medjool dates

150 g dried figs

3 tablespoons raw honey

5 tablespoons raw cacao powder , (see note)

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

BASE

60 g cacao butter , (see note)

150 g hazelnuts

3 tablespoons raw cacao powder

1½ tablespoons raw honey

ICING

200 g coconut oil

120 g cacao powder

2 teaspoons raw dark agave nectar , (see note)

2 tablespoons bee pollen , optional

Method

1. Line a 20cm springform __cake tin with greaseproof paper.
2. To make the base, shave the cacao butter very finely into a small bowl, then place in a large bowl of hot water and allow to melt (it melts at about 34ºC, so is still considered raw).
3. Blitz the hazelnuts in a food processor until very fine, combine with the other base ingredients and press into the tin. Chill while you make the filling.
4. Blitz the pecan nuts until very fine, then add the remaining ingredients (remember to destone the dates) and blitz until everything comes together. Press into the tin and chill for at least 3 hours.
5. Combine the icing ingredients and chill for about 20 minutes to set a little, stirring once or twice.
6. Run a round-bladed knife around the edge of the cake and remove from the tin. Spread the icing on the cake with a palette knife and dust with the bee pollen (if using).

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Vegan chocolate pots

“With tofu and dairy-free chocolate, these are a tasty vegan twist on regular chocolate mousse ”

200 g dairy-free dark chocolate (at least 75% cocoa solids)

700 g silken tofu

160 g maple syrup

1 lime , zest of

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

1 tablespoon dark rum

1 large pinch of dried chilli flakes

1 large pinch of sea salt

Method

1. Place a small pan over a medium-low heat, half-fill with boiling water, then place a medium heatproof bowl on top, making sure the base doesn’t touch the surface of the water. Break in the chocolate, then allow to melt, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, line a medium bowl with a clean tea towel. Add the tofu, bunch up the tea towel and squeeze out the excess moisture into the bowl.
3. Add the tofu to a food processor with the remaining ingredients and 1 good pinch of sea salt, then blitz for 1 to 2 minutes, or until smooth.
4. Add the melted chocolate and pulse until silky and combined.
5. Divide the mixture between little bowls (to make it extra special, I like to use a mixture of espresso cups and cute little glasses).
6. Pop in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill, then serve.

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Vegan chocolate brownies

“Gooey, nutty and seriously chocolaty, these vegan brownies are a total joy to eat ”

5 tablespoons sunflower oil , plus extra for greasing

200 g dairy-free dark chocolate

170 g self-raising flour

3 heaped teaspoons cocoa powder

180 g golden caster sugar

sea salt

1 vanilla pod

230 ml unsweetened organic soya milk

200 g pecan nuts

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Grease a square baking tin (roughly 20cm) with a little oil, then line with greaseproof paper.
2. Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the base doesn’t touch the water. Break 150g of chocolate into the bowl and allow it to melt, then set aside to cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, sieve the flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl, then stir in the sugar and a pinch of salt. Halve the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape out the seeds, then add them to the bowl. Stir in the oil, soya milk and melted chocolate until combined.
4. Roughly chop and stir in the remaining chocolate and most of the pecans, reserving a few for the top. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle over the remaining pecans, then place into the hot oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked on the outside, but still gooey in the middle.
5. Leave to cool for around 5 minutes, turn out onto a wire cooling rack, then serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if you’re feeling extra indulgent.

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Chocolate calzone

“Oozing with homemade nutella, this sweet take on the Italian calzone is totally filthy – carve them up on a big board and let everyone help themselves. ”

DOUGH

1 kg tip 00 flour , plus extra for dusting

1 x 7 g sachet of dried yeast , or 5g fresh yeast

1 tablespoon caster sugar

HOMEMADE NUTELLA FILLING

350 g hazelnuts

100 g golden caster sugar

450 g quality dark chocolate (70%)

225 ml double cream

150 g unsalted butter , at room temperature

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6.
2. To make the dough, sieve the flour and 1 big pinch of fine sea salt onto a clean work surface, then make a well in the middle.
3. Combine the yeast, sugar and 650ml of tepid water in a jug, leave for a few minutes until it starts to froth, then pour into the well.
4. Using a fork, gradually bring the flour in from the sides and swirl it into the liquid. Keep mixing and incorporating the flour until it comes together into a rough dough. With clean, flour-dusted hands, work the rest of the flour into the dough, then knead until it forms a smooth, springy and slightly wet dough.
5. Place into a large flour-dusted bowl, dust with a little more flour, then cover the bowl with a damp cloth. Leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
6. To make the filling, spread the hazelnuts out on a baking tray, then place in the oven for 10 minutes, or until golden. Leave to cool completely.
7. Reserving a small handful of the toasted nuts, place the rest into a food processor with the sugar, then blitz to a fairly smooth paste.
8. Snap the chocolate into a medium heatproof bowl, and rest over a pan of simmering water on a medium heat. Stir until melted.
9. Add the cream and 100g of butter, then stir until smooth and combined. Fold in 1 big pinch of sea salt and the hazelnut paste.
10. Knock back the risen dough, then divide into 14 portions. On a flour-dusted surface, roll each portion out into rough 16cm rounds.
11. Spoon 1 heaped tablespoon of the chocolate mixture onto one side of each pastry round, then fold the pastry over the filling into a half-moon shape, crimping the edges to seal – they should look like Cornish pasties.
12. Melt a small knob of the remaining butter in a large frying pan on a medium-low heat, then add as many calzones as will fit, being careful not to break or pierce them. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp, turning halfway.
13. Roughly chop or bash the reserved toasted nuts.
14. Slice the calzones into wedges or halves, if you like, then serve straightaway with a few toasted hazelnuts scattered on top. If you have any leftover chocolate, melt it and drizzle on top. Repeat with the remaining calzones, serving as you go.

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