Strawberry mascarpone tart

Ingredients

For the crumb case

• 75g/3oz butter
• 250g/9oz almond, orange or sweet oat biscuits

For the filling

• 1 large free-range egg, separated
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 250g/9oz mascarpone cheese
• 2 drops vanilla essence
• 250g/9oz fresh strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced

Preparation method

1. For the crumb case, melt the butter in a small saucepan.
2. Place the biscuits in a food processor and process to fine crumbs (alternatively, place in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin, taking care not to split the bag).
3. Mix the crumbs thoroughly with the melted butter and spoon into a 25cm/10in diameter loose-bottomed flan tin. Press the crumbs firmly over the base and up the sides of the tin to cover completely. Transfer to the fridge to chill until firm.
4. For the filling, place the egg yolk into a bowl with the caster sugar and whisk together.
5. Add the mascarpone and beat until thoroughly combined. Stir in the vanilla essence.
6. In a separate bowl, beat the egg white with a clean whisk until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed from the bowl. Gently fold the egg white into the mascarpone mixture.
   
   
   Watch technique0:59 mins
7. Remove the biscuit case from the fridge. Spoon the mascarpone mixture into the biscuit case and gently smooth the top with a spatula. Arrange the sliced strawberries on top of the mascarpone.
8. Transfer to the fridge and chill. Remove the tart from the fridge 20 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin, chilli and coconut soup

A warming winter soup; the kick of ginger and chilli is set off by soothing coconut milk. If you can't get hold of pumpkin, try butternut squash.

Ingredients

• 1 medium pumpkin, or butternut squash
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 2.5cm/1in piece of root ginger, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ Scotch bonnet chilli, seeds removed, chopped
• 4–5 sprigs thyme
• 400ml/14fl oz coconut milk
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• breadfruit or sweet potato chunks, to taste (optional)

Preparation method

1. Cut the pumpkin in half, then into wedges. Peel and deseed each wedge and cut the pumpkin flesh into 2.5cm/1in cubes.
2. Put the pumpkin in a large pan with the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli. Strip the leaves from the thyme and add to the pan.
3. Pour in about 400ml/14fl oz of water, bring to the boil and cook until the pumpkin has turned to a pulp.
4. Add the coconut milk and season to taste with salt, then reduce the heat and leave the soup to simmer for another 5–10 minutes.
5. If you like, add chunks of breadfruit or sweet potato towards the end of the cooking. Serve hot in bowls.

Waffles with hot chocolate sauce, fried bananas and ice cream

Someone very special deserves these waffles, loaded with fried bananas, chocolate sauce and ice cream. It's probably you.

Equipment: You will need a waffle maker.

Ingredients

For the waffles

• 260g/9½oz plain flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 3 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
• 425ml/15fl oz full-fat milk
• 110g/4oz unsalted butter, melted

For the chocolate sauce

• 175g/6¼oz plain chocolate, broken into pieces
• 50g/1¾oz caster sugar

For the fried bananas

• 4 bananas, peeled and halved lengthways
• 50g/2oz butter
• 50g/2oz caster sugar
• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream, to serve

Preparation method

1. For the waffles, preheat a waffle maker to a medium setting and preheat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1. Place a large wire rack onto a baking tray and keep it warm.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the eggs, milk and butter until well combined.
3. Ladle some of the batter into each well of the waffle maker, close the lid and cook for five minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp. Repeat the process until the batter is used up. Keep the waffles warm on the baking tray in the oven.
4. For the hot chocolate sauce, melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water (ensure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water).
   
   Watch technique1:07 mins
5. In another pan, heat the sugar and 100ml/3½oz water, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil.
6. Stir the sugar syrup into the chocolate until smooth and shiny.
7. For the fried bananas, heat a frying pan until hot, then melt together the butter and sugar.
8. Add the bananas and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown all over.
9. Place the waffles on a plate and top with chocolate sauce and serve the bananas and ice cream on the side.

Hollywood’s temptation

This recipe is based on a Swedish gratin-style dish called Janssen’s temptation, which pairs potatoes with sprats or anchovies. I like to use hot-smoked Scottish salmon instead, combining it with thinly sliced potatoes, sweet onions and cream then encasing the whole lot in crisp filo pastry to give a contrasting texture.

Ingredients

• 75g/2½oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• salt and black pepper
• 800g/1lb 12oz waxy potatoes (such as Maris Peer), peeled and thinly sliced
• 500ml/18fl oz whole milk (enough to cover the potatoes for cooking)
• 4 large sheets filo pastry (about 25x40cm/10x16in each)
• 400g/14oz flaked, deboned hot-smoked salmon
• 100ml/3½fl oz double cream

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and put a lipped baking tray (as the pie may leak a little butter) on the middle shelf to heat up. Use a little butter to grease a 20cm/8in springform cake tin (about 7cm/2¾in deep).
2. Heat 25g/1oz of the butter in a large frying pan. Add the onion and gently fry over a low heat for around 20 minutes, stirring often, until very soft and golden-brown. Season with a little salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Put the sliced potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with the milk. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for about five minutes, or until the potatoes are just tender but not cooked through.
4. Drain the potatoes, reserving 100ml/3½fl oz of the milk.
5. Melt the remaining butter. Put one sheet of filo pastry in the cake tin, leaving the excess hanging over the side. Brush lightly with the melted butter then turn the tin slightly and repeat with the rest of the sheets.
   
   Watch technique0:54 mins
6. Put one-third of the potatoes into the pastry-lined tin and season with a little salt and pepper. Follow with half the onions and then half the flaked fish. Repeat these layers, then finish off with the final third of potato.
7. Mix the reserved milk with the cream and pour over the filling.
8. Fold the overhanging pastry back over the filling to enclose it, and brush the top of the pie with melted butter. Place the pie on the hot baking tray in the oven and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the filo is crisp and golden-brown.
9. Leave the pie to stand for 30 minutes or so – it’s best eaten warm or at room temperature – then transfer to a deep plate before slicing.

Rhubarb panna cotta with roasted rhubarb

Tangy roasted rhubarb is a perfect match for this light, creamy Italian dessert. Make it a day ahead for a fuss-free pudding to round off a special meal.

Ingredients

For the roasted rhubarb

• 500g/1lb 2oz rhubarb, cut into 3cm/1¼in pieces
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 4 tbsp apple juice

For the panna cotta

• 75g/2½oz caster sugar
• 150ml/5fl oz double cream
• 2 leaves gelatins, soaked in a bowl of water until soft, squeezed dry
• 300ml/11fl oz buttermilk

Preparation method

1. For the roasted rhubarb, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. Place the rhubarb onto a roasting tray, sprinkle over the sugar then drizzle over the apple juice.
3. Roast in the oven for 8-12 minutes, or until just tender.
4. Blend 125g/5oz of the roasted rhubarb to a purée in a food processor. Reserve the remaining roasted rhubarb.
5. For the panna cotta, bring the sugar and cream to a simmer in a pan, stirring continuously until all of the sugar has dissolved.
6. Add the softened gelatine leaves and continue to simmer until dissolved.
7. Add the rhubarb purée and stir until well combined, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
8. Add the buttermilk and stir until well combined.
9. Place four dariole moulds or ramekins onto a baking tray. Place a piece of the reserved roasted rhubarb into the bottom of each of the dariole moulds and pour the panna cotta mixture on top. Chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours, or until set.
10. To serve, remove the panna cotta from the fridge. Briefly dip the base of each into a bowl of boiled water. Gently slide a knife around the edge of each of the four panna cotta and turn each out into the centre of a serving plate. Spoon the remaining reserved rhubarb, and the juices, around the edge of each of the four serving plates. (Reheat the roasted rhubarb if desired.)

Canary Mary

Pep up a bloody Mary recipe with a burst of fresh ginger.

Ingredients

• 25ml/1fl oz vodka
• 100ml/3½fl oz juiced yellow tomatoes
• pinch celery salt
• pinch ground white pepper
• pinch sea salt
• ½ tsp fresh grated ginger
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 2 dashes green Tabasco

To serve

• celery stick
• yellow cherry tomato

Preparation method

1. Place all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and gently roll the shaker to mix the ingredients together until well combined.
2. Strain the cocktail into tumbler filled with ice and garnish with a celery stick and a yellow cherry tomato.

Mulligatawny soup

A richly flavoured soup, spiced with curry powder. Perfect for a cold day, serve with a dollop of tangy sour cream.

Ingredients

• 25g/1oz butter
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, cut into 1.5cm/ ⅝in cubes
• 2 celery sticks, thinly sliced
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1.5cm/⅝in cubes
• 1 eating apple, peeled, quartered, cut into 1.5cm/⅝in cubes
• 1 tbsp medium curry powder
• 1 vegetable or chicken stock cube
• 1litre/1¾ pints boiling water
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp mango chutney
• 100g/3½oz easy-cook long-grain rice
• 100g/3½oz natural yoghurt or soured cream, to serve
• fresh coriander or flat-leaf parsley, to garnish (optional)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method

1. Melt the butter with the oil in a large saucepan and stir in the onion, garlic, carrots, celery and sweet potato. Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring regularly until the vegetables are beginning to soften and brown lightly. Stir in the apple pieces and sprinkle over the curry powder. Cook for a further 2 minutes more, stirring as it cooks.
2. Crumble the stock cube into a measuring jug, and pour over the boiling water. Mix to combine. Pour into the pan, and stir in the tomato purée and mango chutney. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat slightly and leave to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally . Cook until the vegetables are tender.
3. While the soup is simmering, half-fill a medium pan with water and bring to the boil. Add the rice and return to the boil. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Drain the rice in a sieve and rinse under running water until cold.
4. When the soup is ready, cool the soup for a few minutes and blend with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth before stirring in the cooled rice. If you want a more rustic texture to the soup, do not blend.
5. Add enough water to give a good consistency, (about 150-200ml/5½-7fl oz). Heat the soup for 3–4 minutes until piping hot and check the seasoning, add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
6. Ladle the soup into deep bowls and top each with a spoonful of natural yoghurt or soured cream. Garnish with sprigs of coriander or flat-leaf parsley if you like.

Plum and marzipan tarte tatin

This is a cheat’s variation of the classic French tart and makes an impressive pudding to serve in the autumn with lots of cream or ice cream.

Equipment and preparation: you will need a 20cm/8in round fixed base deep sponge tin at least 5cm/2in deep.

Ingredients

• about 75g/3oz light muscovado sugar
• about 9 ripe large plums, halved and stones removed
• 100g/3½oz marzipan
• 1 x 320g/11½oz pack all-butter puff pastry
• ice cream, cream or crème fraîche, to serve (optional)

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7 (200C fan).
2. Sprinkle the sugar over the base of the cake tin in an even layer.
3. Arrange the plums on top of the sugar, cut-side down.
4. Roll out the marzipan thinly to a round slightly smaller than the tin and place on top of the plums.
5. Roll out the pastry just a little bit bigger so that it is the width of the cake tin. Cut around the tin to make a circle, lay the pastry over the plums and tuck the edges of the pastry down around the fruit. Make a small cross in the top of the pastry to let the steam out.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden-brown and the plums are tender.
7. Loosen the edges of the tart, then turn out onto a plate and serve with ice cream, cream or crème fraîche.

Custrad tart

Custard tart

An English classic, the custard tart is perfect for a little smackerel of something at elevenses.

Ingredients

• 22cm/9in shortcrust pastry case
• 300ml/10 fl oz full-fat milk
• 200ml/7 fl oz double cream
• 2 large free-range eggs
• 2 free-range egg yolks
• 80g/3oz caster sugar
• pinch ground nutmeg

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375/Gas 5.
2. Bake the pastry case for 15 minutes until firm and browned slightly.
3. Remove the case and turn the oven down to 160C/325F/Gas 3.
4. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk and cream nearly to the boil.
5. Beat the eggs, yolks and sugar together in a bowl.
6. Pour the hot milk over them and beat gently. Pour the mixture into the pastry case and grate a little nutmeg on top.
7. Bake for 40 minutes until just set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool before serving.

Chocolate and orange scones

Chocolate and orange scones

Freshly baked scones are easily on the podium of teatime treats, but this twist with chocolate and orange is pure gold.

 Ingredients

       700g/1lb 9oz self-raising flour

       150g/5½oz butter

       150g/5½oz caster sugar

       2 large oranges, finely grate zest of both and juice of one orange

       150g/5½oz chocolate drops

       200ml/7fl oz. whole milk, plus extra for brushing

To serve

            Clotted cream

            2 satsumas

Preparation method

1.    Preheat the oven to 210C/400F/Gas 6. Lightly butter two baking trays.

2.    Sift the flour into a bowl. Rub in the butter using your hands until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, chocolate drops and orange zest.


3.    In a measuring jug, mix the milk with the juice of one orange. Add to the flour mixture gradually until the dough just comes together. You may not need all the liquid. Be careful not to overwork the scone dough.

4.    Roll out the dough to approximately 2cm/1in thickness and cut out scones using a 5-6cm/2-2½in cutter.

5.    Transfer the scones to the buttered baking trays, brush the tops with milk and bake in the center of the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until risen and golden-brown.

6.     Remove from the oven and cool on wire rack. Serve with clotted cream and satsumas.