Category Archives: Fruit

Banana Bread/Cake

Cakes, Desserts, Fruit

Serves 8-10 people

Ingredients

  • 140g softened butter (a little extra for the tin)
  • 140g caster sugar
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 140g self raising flour
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 2 or 3 very ripe/overripe bananas, mashed
  • Optional for topping – honey and demerara sugar

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to 180C / 160 Fan / Gas 4
  • Butter a 2lb loaf tin OR 20cm square dish and line with baking paper
  • Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
  • Slowly add the beaten eggs with a little of the flour
  • Fold in the remaining flour, baking powder and bananas
  • Pour the mix into the tin and sprinkle all over with demarara sugar.
  • Cook for about 50mins or until cooked through. Check at 5 minute intervals from 35mins onwards by testing with a skewer (it should be able to be inserted and removed cleanly)
  • Cool in the tin for 10mins then transfer to a wire rack
  • Sprinkle with demarara sugar and drizzle with honey for an extra sweet finish

Apple, Honey and Walnut cake

Cakes, Desserts, Fruit

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 75g light soft brown sugar
  • 125ml vegetable/sunflower oil
  • 225g runny honey
  • 300g plain flour
  • 90g ground walnuts
  • 3tsp baking powder
  • 1tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2tsp ground ginger
  • 1 bramley apple, peeled, cored and grated
  • 2 red/braeburn apples
  • 1tbsp lemon juice

Method

  • Line a 24cm springform tin with baking paper and grease the sides with butter
  • Preheat the oven to 180c/160 fan/gas mark 4
  • Beat the eggs and sugars with a hand held electric mixer for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy
  • Then beat in the oil and 200g of the honey
  • Mix together the flour, walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger, then fold it into the wet mixture. Be careful not to overwork the batter
  • Add the grated apple and stir carefully until it’s evenly distributed
  • Add the batter to the cake tin and smooth the top
  • Quarter and core the red apples, and cut each quarter into 2-3mm thick slices
  • Toss the slices in the lemon juice to stop them going brown
  • Fan the slices over the top of the cake, making sure they overlap. There will be enough for an outer and inner ring.
  • Bake for 50mins-1hr until golden and risen
  • Cover with foil and cook for another 15-20mins until a skewer comes out clean
  • Once the cake is done, heat the remaining 25g honey in a small saucepan on a low heat until very runny, and brush it over the warm cake.
  • Optional: sprinkle some crushed walnuts on top
  • Let it cool completely before serving

Overnight oats

Fruit, Sweets and Biscuits

Ingredients

  • 80g rolled oats
  • 100g Greek yoghurt
  • 200ml almond milk (or any milk of your choice)
  • 2tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

  • Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl
  • Transfer to jars or a dish with a lid and soak in the fridge for at least 8 hours
  • Add your choice of toppings such as fruit, nuts and chocolate

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Cakes, Desserts, Fruit

Serves 4. Great with fresh cream or custard.

Ingredients

For the puddings

  • 125g pitted dates
  • 100ml boiling water
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 80g light or dark muscovado sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 100g self raising flour
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • 60ml whole or semi-skimmed milk

For the toffee sauce

  • 40g unsalted butter
  • 80g light or dark muscovado sugar
  • 60ml single or double cream

Method

  • Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan
  • Grease 4 ramekins
  • Soak the dates in the boiled water for a few minutes, then drain and whizz into a paste.
  • Beat the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until smooth and creamy.
  • Add the egg a bit at a time, making sure to beat it in well.
  • Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon in a bowl, then add a third to the mixture and fold it in.
  • Add half of the milk and mix it well.
  • Continue with the next third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and the final third of the dry.
  • Mix in the date paste.
  • Split the mixture between the four ramekins and bake for 20-25mins.
  • The sauce only takes 10 minutes so you can start as the puddings are almost done or let the puddings cool and use them later on.
  • Add the butter, sugar and 40ml of the cream to a pan and melt over a low heat.
  • Stir consistently for 7-10mins until all of the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is a dark toffee colour.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 20ml of cream.
  • Turn the puddings out onto a plate/bowl and spoon the toffee sauce on top.

Apple and Blackberry crumble

Fruit

Serves 4-6 people

Chef’s Tip: Try my custard recipe which goes perfectly with this crumble!

Ingredients

For the filling:

  • 3-4 cooking apples
  • 100-120g blackberries
  • 30g unsalted butter
  • 30g demerera sugar (or golden caster sugar)
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

For the crumble:

  • 50g golden caster sugar 
  • 100g plain flour
  • 80g butter
  • Optional: 1tbsp soft brown sugar
  • Optional: 2tbsp ground almonds

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6
  • Peel and chop the apples into small cubes.
  • Put the butter and sugar in a medium/large saucepan and melt together over a medium heat until it turns into a light caramel (around 3mins).
  • Stir in the apples and cook for 3-5mins.
  • Add the blackberries and cinnamon and cook for another 3mins.
  • Cover with a lid and remove from the heat to sit for another few minutes while you make the topping.
  • Add the sugar, flour and butter to a mixing bowl. 
  • At this point you can also add the optional ingredients which I highly recommend!
  • Use your hands to combine the ingredients until they are crumbly. 
  • Sprinkle the topping over your filling and bake for 10mins or until golden and crunchy on top.

 

Mince Pies

Christmas, Desserts, Fruit

Ingredients

  • 140g/5oz cold butter, diced
  • 225g/8oz plain flour
  • 50g/2oz ground almonds
  • 50g/2oz golden caster sugar
  • 1 orange, zest only
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1-2 tsp cold water
  • 280g/10oz good quality mincemeat
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • icing sugar for dusting

Method

  • Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
  • Rub the butter into the flour and add the almonds, caster sugar, orange rind and salt until the mixture is a bit crumbly.
  • Combine mixture with the egg yolk and 1-2 teaspoons of water until it forms soft dough, then put it into a plastic bag and chill for 20 – 30 minutes.
  • Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 2-3mm(0.1in) and cut out about 18 rounds measuring 7.5cm(3in) with a pastry cutter.
  • Place in lightly greased patty tins and spoon the mincemeat evenly into the pies.
  • Re-roll the leftover pastry and cut out round lids, stars or other festive shapes to fit on top of the mincemeat.
  • Lightly brush the pastry tops with the beaten egg and bake in the oven for 12 – 15 minutes until golden.
  • Remove from oven and leave for a few minutes before removing from tins and cooling on a wire rack.
  • Dust with icing sugar.

Mango Creme Brulee

Desserts, Fruit

Ingredients

  • 1 large mango, pureed in a blender
  • 500ml/18fl oz double cream
  • 1 vanilla pod/1-2tsp vanilla extract
  • 75g/4oz caster sugar (plus extra for the topping)
  • 6 free-range egg yolks

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 150C/140C Fan/Gas 2.
  • Pour the cream into a saucepan.
  • Bring the cream to boiling point, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for five minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, beat the sugar, vanilla and egg yolks together in a large heatproof bowl until fluffy.
  • Bring the cream back to boiling point, then pour it over the egg mixture, whisking continuously until thickened.
  • Fill the six ramekins with a layer of pureed mango on the bottom, then fill them to about two-thirds full with the mixture.
  • Place the ramekins into a large roasting tray and fill with enough hot water to come halfway up their outsides (a bain-marie).
  • Place the bain-marie onto the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the custards are just set but still a bit wobbly in the middle.
  • Remove the ramekins from the water and set aside to cool to room temperature.
  • When ready to serve, sprinkle one level teaspoon of caster sugar evenly over the surface of each crème brûlée, then caramelise with a chefs’ blowtorch.

Baked Italian Cheesecake

Cakes, Desserts, Fruit

Ingredients

  • 300g digestive biscuits
  • 100g butter
  • 250g creme fraiche
  • 250g ricotta
  • 250g Greek yoghurt
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • Make Jam for the topping (or use a jar if you’re being lazy), or use fresh strawberries.

Method

  • Crush the biscuits.
  • Add the butter to the biscuits and mix with your hands.
  • Press the biscuit mixture into the bottom of your dish
  • Separate the eggs and keep the whites to one side
  • Add the sugar to the egg yolks and beat well. Add the creme fraiche, ricotta and yoghurt.
  • Whip the eggs to stiff peaks (you should be able to turn the bowl upside down without them falling out).
  • Mix in the cheese mixture
  • Spread the mixture on top of the biscuit base
  • Bake for 30-40mins on 180.
  • When the cake is cool, add the jam or strawberries (or whatever topping you like) to the top.

Strawberry Jam

Desserts, Fruit, Sides

Ingredients

  • 500g strawberries
  • 500g jam sugar (this is way too much in my opinion, I would use 300- 400g)
  • Knob of butter
  • Dash of lemon juice

Method

  • Take the tops off and middles out of the strawberries and place the good bits in a saucepan.
  • Put these on a low heat and when they soften a bit, add the sugar
  • Stir until the sugar dissolves and then add the butter
  • Turn the heat up and make it boil fast. You should not be able to control the bubbles by stirring.
  • When it gets to this point, time it for 4 minutes and then remove from the heat.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Cakes, Desserts, Fruit

Chef’s tip: To add something special, mix some icing sugar with lemon juice, grate in a small amount of lemon zest and decorate the top of the cake with lines/squiggles.

Ingredients for the cake

  • 225g unsalted butter
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 225g self-raising flour

Ingredients for the drizzle

  • Juice of 1.5 lemons
  • 85g caster sugar

Method

  • Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan, gas mark 4)
  • Beat the butter and sugar together
  • Mix in the eggs one at a time
  • Mix in the flour and then the lemon zest
  • Bake for 45-50mins
  • Mix together the drizzle, poke some holes in the top of the cake and drizzle the drizzle in a drizzly way to cover the whole cake. It will go nice and sugary/crunchy on top.