Category Archives: Desserts

Fluffy American Pancakes

This makes roughly 8-10 small pancakes

Ingredients

  • 225g plain flour
  • 1tbsp baking powder
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 eggs (beaten)
  • 30g butter (melted and cooled slightly)
  • 300ml milk
  • Butter for frying

Method

  • Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl and make a well in the middle.
  • Add the eggs, butter and milk into the well.
  • Mix with a fork or a whisk until smooth
  • Heat some butter in a frying pan
  • Use a ladle to spoon small amounts into the pan one at a time
  • All you need to do is wait for the top of the pancake to blister and bubble and then flip it for around 1-2mins on the other side.

Chef’s tip: Delicious with berries, honey and yoghurt. Or for a savoury approach, butter and smoked bacon.

Honey Cake

Serves 8 with a small slice each

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 170g/6oz clear honey
  • 140g/5oz butter
  • 85g/3oz light muscovado sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 200g/7oz self raising flour
  • Water

For the icing:

  • 55g/2oz icing sugar
  • 1tbsp clear honey
  • Hot water

Method

  • Preheat your oven to 180C/350F/Gas 3, and butter/line an 18cm (7inch) cake tin.
  • Measure the honey, butter and sugar into a large saucepan with a tablespoon of water. Heat gently until melted.
  • Remove from the heat and mix in the eggs and flour.
  • Pour into the cake tin and bake for 40-45mins (can be quicker than this depending on your oven).
  • Cool for a few minutes on a rack.
  • While the cake is still warm, make the icing by mixing the sugar and honey together with 2-3 teaspoons of hot water.
  • Trickle the icing over the cake in whatever pattern you like 🙂

 

Victoria Sandwich

You will need two cake tins (approx 20cm)

Ingredients for the Cake

  • 4 eggs
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 225g softened butter
  • 225g self-raising flour
  • 2tsp baking powder

Ingredients for buttercream filling (double the recipe if you want to cover the cake as well)

  • 75g unsalted butter at room temperature – it should be soft 
  • 170g icing sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • Drop of vanilla extract (optional)
  • Strawberry jam

Ingredients for fresh strawberries and cream filling

  • 300ml double cream
  • 3 tsp caster sugar
  • Fresh strawberries

Method

Cake

  • Heat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas Mark 5
  • Grease the base and sides of your tins with butter and then line the base with baking paper.
  • Crack the eggs into a large bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and use an electric hand mixer to mix until smooth. You can also use a wooden spoon for this.
  • Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for about 25mins or until the cakes are golden – check them after 20mins.

Buttercream

  • First, beat the butter in a bowl for about 5 minutes until it’s really smooth and lighter in colour.
  • Add half of the icing sugar and beat again, then add the rest and keep beating until it’s all mixed.
  • Add the milk (and vanilla if using) and beat some more until it’s a smooth almost white paste.

Cream

  • Pour the cream and sugar into a mixing bowl and use a whisk or electric mixer to beat them until it thickens into a paste.
  • Slice the strawberries.

Cake assembly

  • Once the cakes have cooled down, use a bread knife or cake wire to level them out.
  • Use a piping bag or icing gun to cover the top of one cake with buttercream or cream mixture. Top that with a layer of jam or make a nice pattern with the strawberries.
  • Place the second cake on top and dust with icing sugar.

Mince Pies

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

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 brĂ»lĂ©e, then caramelise with a chefs’ blowtorch.

Baked Italian Cheesecake

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

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.

“Melt in the Middle” Chocolate Puddings

Chef’s Tip: I like to put the mixture in the fridge for at least an hour before cooking. This helps keep the middle molten when cooking, although you might have to add 1-2mins on.

Ingredients

  • 100g dark or plain chocolate
  • 100g butter
  • 150g soft brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 50g plain flour

Method

  • Put a saucepan on the hob on a medium heat with a bit of water in the bottom.
  • Place a bowl on top of the saucepan with the chocolate and butter in it. Melt the chocolate and butter until smooth.
  • Leave for 15mins to cool down.
  • Stir in the sugar.
  • Mix in each egg one by one.
  • Add the vanilla and finally the flour.
  • Divide the mixture into 4-6 ramekins.
  • At this point you can put them in the fridge for later, or cook them for 10-12 minutes on 200C.

 

Lemon Drizzle Cake

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.

 

Raspberry Ripple Cake

Chef’s Tip: Mix the leftover raspberry juice with icing sugar to make a drizzle that you can pour on top or use to decorate with squiggly lines.

Ingredients

  • 300g frozen raspberries
  • 250g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 125g unsalted butter, softened
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 250g sour cream (a regular 300ml pot will get you this, just make sure you pour 250g into a bowl)

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180C (160 Fan/350F/Gas Mark 4)
  • Grease and line a 23cm tin.
  • Put the raspberries into a bowl and lightly crush them with a masher – try to release as much juice as possible so it’s worth getting them out early.
  • Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, cream the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy, then add the eggs and whisk.
  • Mix in 2 spoons of the dry ingredients.
  • Mix in 2 spoons of the sour cream
  • Alternate dry and sour cream until it’s all in and mixed up.
  • Spoon approximately a third of the batter into the bottom of your tin, then spoon over half the raspberries.
  • Repeat with another third of the batter, then the remaining raspberries, and top with the rest of the batter.
  • Don’t worry if the batter and raspberries mix a bit when you’re spreading it all out.
  • Bake for 45-50mins (check how it’s going after 30mins) or until a skewer comes out clean.