Apple and blueberry slump

1 lb bramley apples
9 oz blueberries or mixed berries
5 oz caster sugar
250g mascarpone
3 oz butter
8 oz SR flour
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 pint milk or buttermilk

Peel, core and slice apples
Fry for 3-4 mins in butter till soft
Transfer to ovenproof dish, add berries and 3 oz sugar
Rub butter and flour until breadcrumb stage
Add sugar, zest and milk
Spoon blobs of mascarpone on fruit
Spoon blobs of slump on top
Bake at 200C for 20-25 mins

Apple brioche

Toast brioche slices
Spread with butter and honey
Fan half dessert apple on each slice
Sprinkle sugar
Grill until sugar melts

Blueberry clafoutis

3 oz flaked almonds, toasted
1 oz plain flour
5 oz caster sugar
3 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
13 fl oz double cream
13 oz blueberries, cherries or mixed berries

Grind almonds to very fine powder
Mix in flour and pinch of salt
Add sugar, eggs, egg yolks, cream and whiz until creamy
Butter gratin dishes, add berries
Pour in batter
Oven at 200C for 18-20 mins

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Buttermilk pancakes

4 oz plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 large eggs, separated
284ml tub buttermilk
1 oz butter

Sift dry ingredients in bowl
Whisk egg whites till stiff
Mix egg yolks, buttermilk and butter and whisk into flour mixture
Fold in egg whites
Fry 10cm diameter pancakes in heavy duty pan

Topping - apple, pecan & maple syrup heated together gently

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Bread and butter pudding

1. Ginger bread and butter pudding

bread, rind off
ginger jam
4 egg yolks
1 egg
3 tsp sugar
500 ml double cream
200 ml milk
butter
dried fruit

Make sandwiches with bread, butter and jam
Cut in triangles and arrange, overlaping, in oven dish
Sprinkle on fruit
Mix egg, egg yolks, milk, cream, sugar
Pour on bread
Sprinkle cinnamon, demarara and knobs of butter
Bake at 180C until set

2. Panettone bread and butter pudding

500g panettone
berries
4 large eggs
1 pint milk
1 pint cream
170g sugar

Butter panettone
Make custard using eggs, milk, cream and sugar
Dip panettone in custard
Arrange in oven dish
Sprinkle fruit
Bake at 190C for 40-45 mins

Caramelised tomato

Peel and de-seed plum sweet tomatoes
Make syrup using sugar and water in sauté pan. Don't put any utensils in, they'll stick, swirl the pan by hand
Add orange juice, orange liqueur and reduce slightly
Remove from heat and add tomatoes

Serve with ice cream, top with candied orange peel

Cheesecake bombe with summer fruits

2x250g cartons curd or ricotta cheese
4oz/100g + 4tbsp icing sugar
500g tub low fat fromage frais
zest and juice of 1 orange
2 lb strawberries & raspberries
1 punnet blueberries
12oz/350g mixed summer fruits
3 tbsp crème de cassis

Beat cheese, 4oz icing sugar and orange zest
Fold in fromage frais
Line a colander or terracotta flowerpot with muslin of J-cloth
Spoon in cheese mixture, press firmly
Set over a bowl and put in fridge overnight to drain
Turn out to puate and remove the cloth
Arrange fruit around bombe
Make sauce by blitzing summer fruits, juice, remaining icing sugar and liqueur, sieve

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Chewy meringue kisses

Whisk 4 egg whites until stiff
Make a paste of 1 tsp cornflour and water
Whisk 8 oz sugar one tbsp at a time into the egg whites, alternating with paste
End result should be a very stiff meringue
Spoon 12 blobs onto lined baking sheet, swirl
Bake at low oven 140C for 1 hour
Turn off heat and allow oven to cool naturally
Sandwich with cream and raspberries

Chocolate pudding

50g butter
200g sugar
200g SR flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
3 tbsp cocoa powder
100g chocolate
sauce:
100g chocolate
100g icing sugar
100g butter
4 tbsp milk

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
Add eggs
Sift in flour and bp
Mix cocoa in enough water to dissolve
Add to mixture
Break in chocolate pieces but leave as bits to melt in sponge
Bake at 180C for 18-20 mins
Melt sauce ingredients in double bowl and pour over sponge

Serve with custard

Eton mess

Mix broken meringue pieces with raspberries or other berries
Whisk mascarpone, milk and icing sugar until smooth
Decorate with strawberries

Don't make too early or meringue will melt

Fruit châteaux

4 egg yolks
3 oz sugar
8 fl oz dry white wine (chardonnay or riesling)
grated zest of 1 orange or lemon

Whisk egg yolks, sugar and zest for 7-8 mins until very thick
Heat wine until just to the boil
Mix wine into egg mixture on low speed
Return to pan, heat stirring constantly until a wooden spoon is lightly coated. Do not boil.
Set custard on ice and stir occasionally

Serve over fruit

Fruit crumble

1 lb fruit - apple, blackberries, rhubarb, plums, pears, summer fruits, orange & ginger, figs
3 tbsp sugar
8 oz plain flour
4 oz butter
3 oz sugar
pinch of salt

Rub flour, butter and sugar until breadcrumb stage
Put fruit and sugar in ovenproof dish, add dash of balsamic vinegar
Put crumble mixture over fruit
Bake at 200C for 30 mins until golden

Lemon & apple bavarois

1 lb bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped
2 granny smith apples
gelatine
400 ml custard
carton double cream
8 oz + 2 tbsp caster sugar
zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus zest of 2 lemons
2 egg whites

Soak gelatine in 3 tbsp cold water
Cook bramleys in 2 tbsp sugar and lemon juice till soft
Sieve to make a purée, taste for sweetness
Heat gelatine over double bowl of water until dissolved
Add to custard
Add purée and 1 lemon zest
Whip cream and fold in
Whisk egg whites and fold in
Chill overnight
Dissolve sugar in 400ml water, boil for 5 mins
Thinly slice granny smiths, add to syrup for 2 mins, drain
Bake in over at 110C for 1 1/2 hours

Combine

Lemon curdy pudding

2 oz buter
4 oz sugar
2 large eggs, separated
2 oz SR floour
1/2 pint milk
zest & juice of 1 lemon

Cream butter, sugar, add lemon zest
Add egg yolks
Fold in flour
Add milk and lemon juice
Whisk egg whites and fold into mixture
Pour into oven proof dish and bake over tin of water at 200C for 45 mins until top is set

Lemon ice & minty strawberries

2 unwaxed lemons, chopped into eights
5 oz caster sugar
14 oz strawberries
500ml water
Mint leaves

Blitz lemons with sugar with water until lemon is pulpy
Strain into shallow freezer container
Take out 2 tbsp and freeze rest till firm
Break into frozen chunks and return to blender
Blitz into sorbet consistency
Reurn to container and freeze for 30 mins
Once scoopable, serve in bowls with strawberries and mint leaves

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Limoncello panna cotta with strawberry sauce

3 gelatin leaves
1/2 pint milk
1/2 pint double cream
1oz sugar
50ml limoncello
6oz strawberries
2oz sugar
juice of half a lemon

Soften the gelatin leaves in cold water
Heat milk, cream, sugar and liqueur until gentle simmer, do not boil
Remove from heat and add gelatin leaves, stir until dissolved
Pour into basins and leave to cool
To make the sauce, heat a knob of butter with sugar until melted
Add chopped strawberries and lemon juice
Remove from heat and strain
Dip moulds in hot water and drop panna cotta onto plates
Serve with sauce, decorate with lemon slices dipped in icing sugar

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Mocha fondant puddings

4oz/100g dark chocolate
4oz/100g butter
4 large eggs
5oz/140g caster sugar
1 tbsp top quality instant coffee
2oz/50g plain flour
double cream, to serve

Butter 6 small pudding moulds
Dissolve coffee in 1tbsp boiling water
Melt butter with sugar
Beat eggs and sugar until thick and foamy and has tripled in volume
Add coffee and chocolate to egg mixture and beat
Add flour
Pour into moulds and bakd at 200C for 8-9mins
Remove carefully and serve with cream and raspberries

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Ricotta hotcakes

250g ricotta
125ml milk
100g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs, separated

Mix egg yolks with cheese and milk
Mix in dried ingredients
Beat egg whites to soft peaks
Fold into egg yolk mixture
Fry on griddle until golden brown

Serve with syrup and strawberries

Strawberry cheesecake crunchies

1 1/2 oz butter
4 oz caster sugar
1 oz flaked almonds
1 oz pistachios, chopped
2 oz plain flour
4 fl oz double cream
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200g cream cheese
397g can condensed milk
zest of 2 lemons
8 tbsp lemon juice
142 ml double cream, lightly whipped
1 lb strawberries
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp redcurrant jelly

Slowly heat butter, cream and sugar
Remove from heat and stir in nuts and flour
Spread half in 20cm round, bake at 180C for 10-12 mins
Repeat with other half
Cool until brittle and crispy
Beat cheese until soft then add milk, lemon and cream
Chill for 2-4 hours till softly set
Squash 4 strawberries through sieve into a pan
Add sugar, jelly and heat into a syrup
Slice remaining strawberries
Break biscuits
Layer cheese, strawberries, syrup, biscuits in tall glass
Chil up to 2 hours ahead

Summer pudding

2 lb summer fruits
6 oz caster sugar
5 tbsp crème de cassis
stale white bread

Hull, slice and prepare the fruits
Dissolve sugar in 3 tbsp water and liqueur then boil for 8 mins
Just before caramelisation, add any blackcurrants or redcurrants
Stir in rest of fruit
Place 1 slice of bread at bottom of basin
Spoon a layer of fruit, then a layer of bread
Final layer is bread
Weigh down and chill
Turn out and serve with cream

For autumn pudding use 1 lb apples and 12 oz blackberries with port

Toblerone mousse

300g dark toblerone
2 large eggs, separated
400ml whipped cream
icing sugar

Melt chocolate in bain marie with knob of butter
Stir 2 tbsp icing sugar into egg yolks, add melted chocolate
Whisk egg white and fold into chocolate mixture
Fold in cream
Set in fridge

Try substituting toblerone with 4x65g Mars bars

Trifle

Bottom layer - swiss roll, sponge fingers in liqueur, amaretti biscuits in amaretto

Fruit layer - strawberries, raspberries, mango, any fruit, blitz some frozen berries as sauce

Custard - pour custard on fruit

there is no need to make compact layers, haphazardly arranged is better

Warm summer fruits on french toast

Make french toast using thick farmhouse loaf and egg
Cook summer fruits with a little sugar until soft
Serve fruits on toast

Baked banoffe cheesecake

3 oz butter
8 oz digestive or gingernut biscuits
~~~
750g mascarpone
5 oz caster sugar
2 tbsp cornflour
3 large eggs
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
~~~
2 oz butter
4 oz light muscovado sugar
142 ml double cream
284 ml double cream or mascarpone
3 bananas

Make base with butter and biscuits, chill
Whisk filling ingredients in a bowl until smooth
Pour onto base
Bake at 180C for 45 mins until top is wobbly, will set as it cools. Turn off oven, open door and allow to cool.
Make toffee by heating butter, sugar and small carton of cream until sugar has dissolved
Whip large carton cream or mascarpone and swirl over cheesecake
Peel and slice bananas, squeeze lemon juice and arrange
Drizzle toffee sauce and serve rest in jug

Banana bread

4 oz butter
4 oz brown sugar
2 large eggs
8 oz plain flour
4 tsp baking powder
3 bananas

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
Add eggs
Add mashed bananas
Fold in flour and bp
Bake at 180C for about 40-45 mins

Brownies

185g unsalted butter
185g best dark chocolate
85g plain flour
1 1/2 cocoa powder
50g white chocolate
50g milk chocolate
3 large eggs
275g caster sugar

Melt butter and dark chocolate over bain marie, stirring occasionally, cool
Whisk eggs and sugar until thick and creamy and has doubled in volume
Add dark chocolate mixture
Double sift flour and cocoa powder into mixture
Add white and milk chocolate chunks
Put strip of foil at the bottom of square tin with ends sticking out
Pour in mixture
Bake at 180C for 25 mins
Leave in tin until completely cold before removing from tin

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Chilled cheesecake

2 oz butter
4 oz digestives
8 oz cream cheese
4 oz cottage cheese
3 oz caster sugar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
gelatine
1/2 pint double cream
3 egg whites
fruit to decorate

Make base using butter and biscuits, chill
Sift cheeses, add sugar, lemon rind
Dissolve gelatine in double pan over water
Add to cheese mixture
Fold in half the cream
Whisk egg whites till stiff and fold in
Pour over base and chill till set
Decorate with remainind cream and fruit

Chocolate chip cookies

4 oz butter
2 oz sugar
1 egg
5 oz SR flour
6 oz chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
Add eggs
Fold in flour
Add chocolate chips
Spoon teaspoons onto baking tray
Bake at 180C for 15 mins

Chocolate ricotta cheesecake

For the base
2oz/50g unblanched whole almonds
6oz/175g dark chocolate oatmeal biscuits
1oz/25g Grape-Nuts cereal
2oz/50g butter

For the cheesecake
5oz/150g dark chocolate
12oz/350g ricotta, at room temperature
7 floz/200ml crème fraîche, at room temperature
2 large eggs, separated
2oz/50g caster sugar
3 leaves gelatin, soaked in cold water
2 tbsp milk

For chocolate curls
4oz/110g dark chocolate, melted

Spread almonds on baking tray and toast at 200C for 7mins, then chop finely
Crush biscuits, add cereal
Melt butter and add biscuit mixture
Press in tin, bake in oven for 10mins, cool
Melt chocolate over bain-marie, cool
Mix together ricotta, crème fraîche, egg yolks and sugar
Heat milk, squeeze water out of gelatin and add to milk
Add gelatin to cheese mixture
Add chocolate to cheese mixture
Whisk egg whites until soft peak stage and fold into cheese mixture
Pour onto base, cover with clingfilm and chill
Decorate with chocolate curls

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Chocolate truffle torte

9 oz best dark chocolate
2 tbst golden syrup
568 ml double cream
4 tsp instant coffee granules
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Melt chocolate, syrup and 1/4 of cream over boiling water
Stir and leave to cool until barely warm
Whisk rest of cream with coffee and cinnamon until very soft (like milkshake)
Add chocolate and fold until mixture is soft and downy
Pour mixture into lined cake tin and level
Leave to cool in fridge
Unclip tin and turn out cake
Dust with cocoa powder

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Double chocolate layer cake

7oz/200g + 2tbsp plain flour
2oz/50g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
2 egg whites
1tbsp instant coffee powder
1tsp vanilla extract
4tbsp buttermilk or plain yogurt
3oz/75g butter
9oz/275g caster sugar
chocolate shavings to decorate

For the frosting:
7oz/200g caster sugar
4oz/100g cocoa powder
1/2 pint skimmed milk
1tsp vanilla extract
2oz/50g milk chocolate

Make the frosting the day before
Mix the sugar and cocoa with enough milk to make a paste
Stir in remaining milk and heat until it starts to boil
Simmer for 3mins
Remove from heat and add vanilla extract
Cover with greaseproof paper and chill overnight

For the cake, whisk egg and egg whites
In another bowl dissolve the coffee powder in 1 1/2 tbsp hot water
Stir in vanilla extract and buttermilk
Beat the butter till soft, add sugar until it reaches a light crumbly mixture
Beat in egg mixture
Add 1/3 of dry ingredients
Add 1/2 buttermilk mixture
Add 1/3 dry ingredients
Add remaining buttermilk mixture
Add remaining dry ingredients
Bake in 180C for 40mins until it starts to shrink from sides
Cut to 3 layers and sandwich using frosting
Cover with rest of frosting and decorate with shavings

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Fallen chocolate soufflé torte

2 oz whole blanched almonds
3 tbsp plain flour
3 oz chocolate
2 oz cocoa powder
7 oz caster sugar
2 egg yolks
4 egg whites
1 tbsp brandy
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Grind almonds and flour
Mix chocolate, cocoa and 5 oz sugar, add 1/4 pint boiling water
Whisk in egg yolks and brandy, then flour and almonds
Whisk egg whites and cream of tartar, add remaining sugar
Add to chocolate mixture
Bake on lower shelf of oven at 190C for 30-35 mins until skewer leaves moist crumbs
Cool on wire rack, torte will sink

Serve with cream, chocolate shavings and icing sugar

Layered almond and hazelnut gâteaux

2 oz ground almonds
3 1/2 oz hazelnuts, finely chopped
3 oz caster sugar
3 egg whites
chocolate cream:
4 oz plain chocolate
1 oz butter
4 fl oz double cream
orange cream:
4 oz butter
5 fl oz double cream
1 oz sugar
rind of 1/2 orange

Mix almonds and 1 1/2 oz hazelnuts and half half sugar
Whisk egg whites until soft peaks, whisk in remaining sugar
Fold into nut mixture and spread on swiss roll tin
Bake at 200C for 20 mins
Make chocolate cream - melt chocolate in bain marie, add butter and cool
Whip cream and fold into chocolate mixture until silky
Make orange cream - beat butter until soft and light
Whip cream and sugar until thick, add to butter slowly
Stir in orange rind
Trim edges of sponge and cut into 3 equal pieces
Place one sponge piece on rectangular plate
Spread with chocolate cream
Top with another piece of sponge and chill until set
Spread with half orange cream and top with remaining sponge
Cover completely with rest of orange cream
Coat top and sides with hazelnuts
Sprinkle icing sugar

Muffins

5 oz plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
4 fl oz milk
2 oz butter, melted
filling - blueberries, banana & pecan

Sift flour, bp, salt into large bowl
In a separate bowl mix egg, milk and melted butter
Sift dry ingredients into egg mixture
Fold in VERY QUICKLY, leave lumps intact
Fold in filling
Bake in cases at 200C for about 15 mins

Pear & chocolate tart

For pastry (pâte brisée)
6oz plain flour
4oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp caster sugar
3/4 tsp sale

For topping
1 egg
1 egg yolk
142ml single cream
vanilla extract

For filling
3-4 ripe dessert pears
4oz best quality dark chocolate
caster sugar for sprinking

Make the pastry by sifting the flour onto the work surface
Make a large well in the middle
Put butter, egg yolk, sugar and 1 tbsp cold water in well
Work mixture lightly using one hand, draw the flour in with pastry scraper
Pull dough into large crumbs and knead until smooth and pliable
Wrap in greaseproof paper and chill for 15 mins
Roll pastry and fit in tart tatin tin, trim and prick holes all over
Chill till firm and bake on low shelf at 200C
Make custard by whisking egg, egg yolk, cream and vanilla
Chop chocolate and arrange in shell
Peel and halve pears, scoop out stem, chop into thin slices, keeping the pear shape
Arrange on chocolate
Cover with custard and bake at 200C for 10 mins, then at 180C for 20-25 mins

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Profiteroles

2 oz butter
150 ml water
2 1/2 oz plain flour
2 eggs

Melt butter in saucepan, add water and bring to boil
Remove from heat and add flour all at once
Beat until sides of pan is clean
Cool, beat in eggs
Bake at 200C until crisp and golden brown

Remove, slit and let steam out
Dip in melted chocolate and fill with cream

A tower of profiteroles is a croquebouche

Scones

8 oz SR flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 oz butter
2 tbsp caster sugar
3 oz mixed dried fruit
1/4 pint milk

Sift flour and bp, rub in butter until breadcrumb stage
Add milk to give a soft dough, add fruit
Knead and roll to rounds, brush with milk
Bake on lightly floured baking sheet at 200C for 10 mins

Try substituting with buttermilk to give a richer flavour.

Serve with clotted cream, butter and jam

Strawberry mascarpone tart

Either buy or make base using digestive biscuits or shortcrust pastry
Beat mascarpone and milk until smooth
Add icing sugar to taste
Top with heaps of strawberries (can be maserated in liqueur)
Dust with icing sugar

Swedish apple cake

4 eating apples
4 oz butter
4 oz caster sugar
2 eggs, separated
4 oz ground almonds
grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

Bake sliced apples with a little sugar at 180C for 10 mins
Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy
Beat in egg yolks, almonds, lemon zest and juice
Whisk egg whites and fold into mixture
Return to apples and bake for 25-30 mins

Serve with mascarpone cream

Tart tatin

2oz/50g butter
2oz/50g caster sugar
6 cooking apples
1/2 tsp cinnamon
375g ready rolled puff pastry

Melt butter in a 20cm tart tatin tin directly over hob
Stir in sugar until mixture starts to caramelise
Stir in cinnamon
Add chopped apples and cook for about 10 mins, stirring
Remove from heat
Unroll pastry, prick with fork and lay pastry over apples
Trim excess, allowing a 2cm rim, then tuck inside tin
Bake for 20-30 mins at 220C, then allow to rest and invert onto plate

Serve with brandy cream madef from crème fraîche, icing sugar & brandy

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Victoria sponge

2 parts butter (6-8 oz)
2 parts sugar
1 egg
2 parts plain flour
baking powder (4 tsp per 8 oz flour)

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
Add egg
Sift in dry ingredients and fold
Add milk and vanilla essence
Bake at 180C until clean