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.

Roasted banana & cinnamon ice cream

 

“Somewhere between frozen yoghurt and ice cream, this is easy to make and oh-so hard to resist. ”

Ingredients

• 5 ripe bananas
• 2 oranges
• 4 tablespoons runny honey
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 300 ml milk
• 250 g fat-free natural yoghurt
• dark chocolate (70%)
• 
  

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/gas 3.
2. Peel the bananas and lay them in a snug-fitting heatproof dish. Finely grate the orange zest and put aside, then halve and squeeze over the juice of 1½ oranges.
3. Drizzle with the honey and sprinkle over 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, then roast in the oven for around 20 minutes, or until golden and soft, then set aside to cool.
4. Place the bananas and their syrup in a blender, then blitz with the milk and yoghurt.
5. Add in a handful of the zest, the juice of the remaining orange half, a pinch of sea salt and the rest of the cinnamon, then churn in an ice-cream machine. If you don’t have one, freeze the mixture in a suitable container for about 3 hours; every hour, take it out, whip with a whisk, then return to the freezer.
6. Serve in bowls with a scattering of orange zest and a fine grating of dark chocolate.

Walnut-whip affogato

 

Ingredients

• 50 g dark chocolate , (70%)
• 20 g unsalted butter
• 50 g shelled unsalted walnut halves
• 4 large scoops of vanilla ice cream
• 4 long shots of espresso

Method

1. Melt the chocolate and butter with a pinch of sea salt in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, then remove.
2. Reserving 4 perfect walnut halves for decoration, slice or crumble up the rest.
3. Roll your ice cream into nice round scoops and divide between four teacups.
4. Scatter over the sliced or crumbled walnuts, pour a shot of hot espresso into each cup, stick a walnut proudly on top, then drizzle over the melted chocolate.

Frozen cranberry cranachan

 

A creamy semifreddo inspired by the oaty Scottish dessert cranachan, and topped with a Drambuie cream. It ticks all the boxes when it comes to layers, flavour and texture – and better still, it can be made in advance.

Ingredients

• 300 g pack of frozen cranberries
• 150 g frozen raspberries
• 4 tablespoons caster sugar
• 6 tablespoons Drambuie
• OATMEAL CRUNCH
• coconut oil , or olive oil, for greasing
• 75 g medium oats
• 125 g caster sugar
• FROZEN CREAM
• 4 medium free-range egg yolks , (at room temperature)
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 100 g clear wildflower honey
• 600 ml double cream
• 3 tablespoons Drambuie
• 
  

Method

1. Place the cranberries, raspberries, sugar and 3 tablespoons of the Drambuie in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until the cranberries are very soft and breaking up. Leave to cool, then stir in the rest of the Drambuie to loosen.
2. Lightly grease a baking sheet and a large loaf tin, then line the tin with clingfilm, leaving excess hanging over the sides.
3. Toast the oats in a dry, non-stick pan for 5 minutes, or until golden, stirring often. Tip them onto a plate and leave to cool.
4. Wipe the pan clean, add the caster sugar and very gently melt over a low heat, without stirring, for about 5 minutes, until molten. Once most of the sugar is liquid, gently swirl the pan to mix it into a smooth, golden caramel.
5. Stir in the toasted oats, coating them in the caramel, then tip onto the baking tray and spread them out evenly. Leave to cool completely, then crush into small pieces, using a pestle and mortar or a food processor. You can make this a day or two ahead – just store in an airtight tin in a cool place until needed.
6. For the cream, add the egg yolks to a large bowl and whisk in the sugar with an electric whisk, until very thick and creamy, for about 5 minutes.
7. Bring the honey to the boil in a small pan over a medium heat, let it cool for 1 minute, then pour into the yolk mixture in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Very softly whip the cream and Drambuie together in a large bowl, then fold this into the egg mixture, followed by half of the crunchy oatmeal.
8. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of the fruit compote into the base of the loaf tin, top with a third of the cream, then repeat the layers until you have used all the cream and fruit. Run the handle of a teaspoon through the mixture to ripple the fruit a little. Leave in the freezer overnight.
9. Remove from the freezer 10 to 15 minutes before serving, to allow it to soften slightly, then cut into slices and serve with the rest of the crunchy oats scattered on top.

Berry meringue ripple

 

Ingredients

• 2 large scoops of vanilla ice cream
• 200 g blueberries
• 2 shop-bought meringues
• 100 g raspberries
• dark chocolate , (70%), to serve

Method

1. Get your ice cream out of the freezer.
2. Put the blueberries into a non-stick frying pan with a splash of water and place on a high heat for 2 minutes, or until they all start to burst and get jammy, then remove from the heat.
3. Layering up as you like, crumble the meringues between glasses or bowls, halve and add the raspberries and a nice round scoop of ice cream to each, then spoon over the jammy blueberries and their juices.
4. Shave or grate over a little chocolate and tuck in, rippling it all together in a wonderful collision of flavours.

Shortcrust sweet pastry

 

“As this is a book about what I cook and what I find easy at home I’m not going to hide the pastry recipe in a small corner in the back of the book. I find it such a simple thing to make, pre-make, freeze and vary; it is such an asset to home cooking and so versatile. ”

Ingredients

• 250 g unsalted butter , (cold)
• 200 g icing sugar
• 500 g plain flour
• 4 large free-range egg yolks
• 4 tablespoons cold milk , or water

Method

1. You can make this pastry by hand or in a food processor. Cream together the butter, sugar and a pinch of sea salt, then rub or pulse in the flour and egg yolks.
2. When this mixture has come together, looking like coarse breadcrumbs, add the cold milk or water.
3. Pat and gently work together to form a ball of dough. Lightly flour and push, pat and squeeze into shape. The idea is to get your ingredients to a dough form with the minimum amount of movement, i.e. keeping your pastry flaky and short (the more you work it, the more elastic it will get, causing it to shrink in the oven and be chewy – ooooh no, matron).
4. I normally roll the pastry into a really large, short and fat sausage-shape, wrap it in clingfilm and place it in the fridge to rest for at least 1 hour.
5. Carefully slice off thin slivers of your pastry (don’t try to slice frozen pastry) lengthways, around 5mm thick. (I personally like it around that thickness as it’s delicate, but you can make it thicker if you want, it just takes longer to cook.)
6. Place the slivers in and around the bottom and sides of your tart mould, just fitting them together like a sort of jigsaw. Then simply push the pieces together, level out, then tidy up the sides by pushing with your thumb and either cleaning off the excess pastry from the rim of the mould, or allowing it to hang over the edge – which is quite rough but I like it.
7. Once you’ve finished lining your tart mould you must again allow it to rest for at least 1 hour, preferably in a freezer (I always store my pastry in the freezer because it keeps so well).
8. I always line two tart moulds and freeze one for another day (or you could make more if you want, just double the recipe, as it takes no extra time).
9. It’s so easy to grab a tart out of the freezer, bake it in minutes and fill it with something simple or elaborate, and if guests turn up or you just want to make a nice dessert, it makes pudding a piece of cake!
10. To start with, I always bake tart shells for around 15 minutes at 180°C/350°F/gas 4, which will cook the tart all the way through, colouring it slightly.
11. Once completely cooled it can be filled with any of the uncooked fillings, such as Fruit-filled Mascarpone Tart and Simple chocolate tart, which will hopefully provide a basis for you to make up and vary your own.
12. With baked fillings such as Almond Tart or Lemon & Lime Cream Tart you’ll have to bake the tart blind first, which means cooking the shell at 180°C/350°F/gas 4 but only for about 12 minutes, so that it’s only lightly coloured but just cooked through.
13. Another way, commonly used, is to fill the tart shell with clingfilm or greaseproof paper and fill it with beans (you can use rice, lentils, peas, whatever), the idea being that you pack the beans in so tightly that they will stop the sides of the pastry from dropping.
14. Cook for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the beans and cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes. Yes, this is a bit of a performance and I only ever do it when I’m having bad luck, quite honestly if you take your tart shell straight out of the freezer and place it in a preheated oven you shouldn’t have any problems.
15. After baking blind, you add your filling and bake further until the filling is cooked (see recipes for cooking times).

Tangerine dream cake

 

“A pleasure to make, this cake is joyous served with a cup of tea – make sure you pack your flask. Any leftovers crumbled over ice cream will also be a treat. I like to make the whole thing on the day, but you can absolutely make the sponge ahead and simply store it in an airtight container overnight. ”

Ingredients

• 250 g soft unsalted butter
• 250 g runny honey
• 250 g self-raising flour
• 200 g ground almonds
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
• 6 large free-range eggs
• 4 tangerines
• 100 g icing sugar
• natural yoghurt , to serve (optional)
• 
  

Method

ON THE DAY Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and generously grease a 2-litre non-stick bundt tin with butter. Place the remaining butter in a food processor with the honey, flour, almonds, vanilla paste and a pinch of sea salt. Crack in the eggs, finely grate in the tangerine zest (reserving some for garnish) and blitz until smooth. Pour the mixture into the bundt tin, scraping it out of the processor with a spatula, then jiggle the tin to level it out. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave for a few minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, then squeeze and stir in enough tangerine juice to make a thick drizzle. Pour or spoon over the cool cake, easing some drips down the sides in an arty way, then sprinkle over the reserved zest. Peel the remaining tangerines and slice into rounds, to serve on the side. A spoonful of yoghurt also pairs with it very nicely, if you like.

Cherry chocolate mousse

 

Ingredients

• 200 g quality dark chocolate , (70%)
• 1 x 400 g tin of black pitted cherries in syrup
• 200 ml double cream
• 4 large free-range eggs
• 2 tablespoons golden caster sugar

Method

1. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, then remove to cool for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, simmer the cherries and their syrup in a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat until thick, then remove.
3. Whip the cream to very soft peaks.
4. Separate the eggs, add the yolks to the cream with the sugar, and whisk to combine.
5. Add a pinch of sea salt to the whites and, with a clean whisk, beat until super-stiff.
6. Fold the cooled chocolate into the cream, then very gently fold that through the egg whites with a spatula.
7. Divvy up the mousse between six glasses or bowls, interspersing the cherries and syrup throughout, and finishing with a few nice cherries on top.

Chocolate rye cookies

Ingredients

• 100 g quality dark chocolate , (70%)
• 100 g unsalted butter
• 100 g rye bread
• 2 large eggs
• 50 g golden caster sugar.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Line two trays with greaseproof paper and rub with olive oil.
2. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, then remove and stir in the butter so it melts.
3. Tear the bread into a food processor and blitz into fine crumbs, then add the eggs and sugar, and blitz again well. With the processor still running, pour in the chocolate mixture and let it blitz until combined.
4. Spoon the cookie mix into a large sandwich bag, snip off the corner and pipe 3-4cm blobs to make 24 cookies on the lined trays.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until spread and set. Sprinkle with sea salt, leave to cool a little, and tuck in.

Buddy's flapjack biscuits

 

“Embracing store-cupboard ingredients, these tasty little morsels are sure to go down a treat for grown-ups, big kids and little ones alike. The method is super-easy, the food processor does all the hard work, and the measurements are straightforward, too. Get your kids to help with the weighing – they’ll love it. ”

Ingredients

• 100 g unsalted butter , (at room temperature)
• 100 g mixed dried fruit & nuts
• 100 g porridge oats
• 100 g self-raising flour
• 100 g golden syrup
• 
  

• Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
  2. Line a deep 20cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper and rub with olive oil.
  3. Pulse the butter, dried fruit and nuts, oats and flour in a food processor until the mix comes together and away from the sides, then pulse in the syrup until fully combined.
  4. Transfer to the lined tin, flattening to the edges. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden.
  5. Remove from the oven, slice into 16 squares ready to cut, and leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes.
  6. Use the paper to lift out on to a wire rack, and leave to cool completely. Simple, easy, delicious – spread the word!