Chocolate & chestnut yule log

 

Ingredients

• 100 g walnuts
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 5 large free-range eggs
• 125 g caster sugar
• 25 g plain flour
• 25 g quality cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons marsala or sweet sherry
• 160 g dark chocolate (70%)
• 180 g icing sugar
• 180 g unsalted butter , (at room temperature)
• 150 ml double cream
• 150 ml sweetened chestnut purée

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4. Line a 26cm x 37cm swiss roll tin with baking paper, making sure it is higher than sides.
2. Blitz the walnuts in a food processor until finely ground, then add the baking powder and a pinch of sea salt.
3. Separate the eggs. Use an electric beater to whisk the egg whites to firm peaks. Gradually beat in half the sugar, till glossy.
4. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until pale and thick. Gently fold in the walnut mixture, flour and cocoa. Using a large metal spoon, fold the egg white mixture into the nut mixture, a little at a time. Spoon into the tin and bake for 25 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out clean and the sponge is springy.
5. While still warm, lay a sheet of baking paper over the sponge and flip it out of the tin. Peel off the tin lining and leave to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Drizzle the cake with the marsala and roll from the longest edge, the paper inside. Cover with a damp cloth.
   
   Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Put the icing sugar in a food processor with the butter and blitz to cream. Add the slightly cooled chocolate and pulse till smooth. Place in a bowl and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Whisk the cream until just starting to peak and then gently stir in the chestnut purée.
   
   When the sponge is cool, unroll and spread with the cream, leave a 2cm border around the edge. Re-roll the cake, without the paper but using it as a guide.
6. Spread the chocolate icing on top. Make wood-effect with a fork, then dust with icing sugar.

Peach ice cream

 

“Some people find the double cream cloying. You can make this with a custard made from 5 egg yolks, well-whisked with 150g caster sugar, to which you add 300ml of almost boiling single cream. Add fruit and alcohol and cool before freezing. ”

Ingredients

• 500 g ripe peaches
• 150 g caster sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons brandy or peach schnapps
• 275 ml double cream
• 
  

Method

1. Peel, stone and thickly dice the peaches, then place in a heatproof bowl.
2. Make a sugar syrup by boiling the sugar with 300ml water for 5 minutes, then pour over the fruit (if you’re using an ice cream maker with its own cooling unit, you can do this in the well of the machine, and leave to cool before switching it on).
3. Next, add the alcohol, then the cream.
4. Let the mixture cool, then freeze according to your machine’s instructions, or freeze the mixture in trays, stirring it at least once when it’s half-frozen.

Epic chocolate and beetroot cake

 

“This is a fantastic baking recipe to do with kids and let’s face it, what kid doesn’t love chocolate cake? ”

Ingredients

• olive oil
• plain flour , for dusting
• 300 g good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
• 250 g raw beetroot
• 4 large free-range eggs
• 150 g golden caster sugar
• 120 g ground almonds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon good-quality cocoa powder
• natural yoghurt , to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
2. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 20cm springform cake tin with olive oil. Use scissors to cut out a circle of greaseproof paper, roughly the same size as the bottom of the tin, and use it to line the base. Dust the sides of the tin lightly with flour, then tap the tin to get rid of any excess.
3. Break 200g of the chocolate into small pieces and add to a heatproof bowl.
4. Place the bowl on top of a small pan of simmering water over a medium heat, making sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the water, and allow to melt, stirring occasionally.
5. Once melted, use oven gloves to carefully remove from the heat and put to one side – beware of the steam when you lift up the bowl.
6. Use a Y-shaped peeler to peel the beetroot (you might want to wear gloves to do this), then quarter them on a chopping board.
7. Push the beetroot through the coarse grater attachment on the food processor, then tip into a large mixing bowl.
8. Separate the eggs, placing the whites into a large clean mixing bowl and adding the yolks to the beetroot, then wash your hands.
9. Stir the sugar, almonds, baking powder, cocoa powder and melted chocolate into the beetroot and mix together well.
10. Use an electric hand whisk to whisk the egg whites until you have stiff peaks.
11. Use a spatula to fold a quarter of the egg whites into the beetroot mixture to loosen, then once combined, fold in the rest but try not to over-mix.
12. Add the mixture to the prepared cake tin and spread out evenly using a spatula.
13. Bake in the hot oven for around 50 minutes, or until risen and cooked through.
14. To check if it’s done, stick a cocktail stick or skewer into the middle of the sponge, remove it after 5 seconds and if it comes out clean the cake’s cooked; if it’s slightly sticky it needs a bit longer.
15. Allow the cake to cool slightly, then carefully turn it out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
16. When you’re ready to serve, melt the remaining chocolate (in the same way as above), then serve each slice with some yoghurt and a little drizzle of the melted chocolate.

Dairy-free banana loaf

 

“An unbelievably moreish banana loaf that’s super-easy to make. ”

Ingredients

• 175 g dairy-free margarine , (suitable for baking), plus extra for greasing
• 175 g self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 175 g golden caster sugar
• 200 g ground almonds
• 2 large free-range eggs
• 3 ripe bananas

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/gas 5. Grease a 1.5 litre loaf tin with dairy-free margarine and line with greaseproof paper.
2. Sieve the flour into a food processor, then add all the remaining ingredients (except the bananas). Blitz well until combined.
3. Peel the bananas, roughly mash in a bowl, then add to the food processor. Pulse briefly to combine, then scrape the mixture into the prepared loaf tin.
4. Place the tin and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until golden and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
5. Leave to cool slightly in the tin, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy with a drizzle of honey and a few extra slice of banana, if you like.

Baumkuchen

 

“This cake may take a little time to make, but it’s not especially difficult, and has a real wow-factor. It’s the number of cake layers that give it its distinctive pattern – in Germany they cook them on a spit, but we’ve gone for the easier option of a grill. The name means tree or log cake in German, because the inside looks like the grain of wood. ”

Ingredients

• 220 g unsalted butter (at room temperature) , plus extra for greasing
• 300 g golden marzipan
• 100 ml single cream
• 225 g sugar
• 10 large free-range eggs
• ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 orange
• 150 g self-raising flour
• 100 g cornflour
• 300 g thin-cut marmalade
• 200 g dark chocolate (70%)
• 50 ml spiced run , such as Sailor Jerry
• 25 g toasted flaked almonds
• 
  

Method

1. Preheat the grill to medium-high, and grease and line the base of a 23cm springform cake tin.
2. Roughly chop and place the marzipan and a little of the cream in the bowl of a standing mixer and beat using the paddle attachment until you have a thick paste. Gradually add the rest of the cream and continue to beat until you have a pale paste.
3. Add 170g of the butter and beat until completely incorporated. Next add the sugar and beat again until the mixture is pale and creamy.
4. Finally, separate and beat in the egg yolks one at a time (save the whites), then the vanilla extract. Finely grate in the orange zest.
5. Sift the self-raising flour and cornflour into a bowl, mix together, then, using a large metal spoon, gradually fold into the cake batter.
6. Whisk the egg whites to firm peaks, then fold into the batter with the large metal spoon, being careful not to knock out too much of the air.
7. Spoon the marmalade into a small pan and melt over a low heat, add a splash of water if needed to loosen, and keep warm.
8. Now to assemble the cake: using a ladle as your measure, spoon just enough batter into the cake tin to cover the base – you’ll probably need to fill the ladle to about two-thirds.
9. Use a pastry brush to spread the mixture evenly over the base of the tin, so it just covers the surface, then cook under the grill for 4 minutes, or until set and golden all over.
10. Ladle another thin layer of batter on top, and return to the grill. Once golden, brush a thin layer of the softened marmalade over the cake – you want just enough for a thin glaze.
11. Continue layering and grilling, glazing with marmalade every second or third layer, until the batter is used up – you should get 15 to 18 layers.
12. Brush the top of the cake with a good layer of marmalade, then run a knife around the outside of the cake. Leave to cool, then cover with clingfilm and chill for a few hours, or overnight, to set.
13. A couple of hours before you’re ready to serve, break the chocolate into pieces and melt with the remaining 50g butter in a heatproof bowl set over a small saucepan of simmering water. Once completely melted and glossy, stir through the rum, then set it aside for 10 minutes to cool.
14. Remove the cake from the tin and set it on a serving plate. Pour on the chocolate sauce and use a spatula to spread it evenly over the top, letting it drizzle down the sides.
15. Leave it to set slightly, then garnish with the toasted flaked almonds, before leaving it to cool completely. Serve with a big mug of tea or a festive sherry. This cake keeps really well in a tin for up to 2 days (not that it’ll be around that long!).

Boozy pears & chocolate

 

Ingredients

• 40 g blanched hazelnuts
• 1 x 410 g tin of pear halves , in juice
• 50 ml Armagnac
• 50 g dark chocolate , (70%)
• 4 large scoops of vanilla ice cream
• 
  

Method

1. Toast the hazelnuts in a large non-stick frying pan on a high heat for 2 minutes, until lightly golden, tossing regularly, then tip into a pestle and mortar, returning the pan to the heat.
2. Pour in the pears (juice and all), let them get hot, then add the Armagnac. Stand back and carefully set light to the liquor with a match. Let it flame, then leave to bubble and reduce to a lovely syrup.
3. Meanwhile, crush the hazelnuts and divide between four plates, making a pile on each one.
4. Spoon the pears on to the plates, cup side up.
5. Remove the syrup from the heat, then snap most of the chocolate into the pan.
6. While it melts, top each hazelnut pile with a nice round scoop of ice cream, and shave over the last bit of chocolate.
7. Mix up the chocolate syrup, drizzle into the pear cups, and serve.

Ginger & treacle cake with ice cream

 

Ingredients

• 500 g plain flour , plus extra for greasing
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 250 g treacle, golden syrup or light molasses
• 75 g light brown sugar
• 125 g unsalted butter , plus extra for greasing
• 200 ml milk
• 1 tablespoon crème fraîche
• 1 orange
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 2 large free-range eggs
• TO SERVE
• strawberries
• golden rum
• icing sugar
• vanilla ice cream slab

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC/gas 4.
2. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg with 1 teaspoon of sea salt into a bowl.
3. In a saucepan over a low heat, combine the treacle, sugar and butter, then simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Allow the treacle mixture to cool until lukewarm then stir it into the flour mixture. Add milk and crème fraîche and stir again. Squeeze in the orange juice, then add the brandy, beat and add the eggs, then stir to a smooth batter.
5. Pour into lightly buttered and floured 24cm square baking tin and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.
6. While the cake is cooling, hull and slice the strawberries, then macerate them in twice as much rum to icing sugar.
7. When the cake is cool, cut it into 3cm slices, then in half again. Top a piece of cake with a slab of ice cream, another piece of cake, more ice cream, then strawberries.