Ginger coconut custard

2 egg yolks

Tbsp rice malt syrup (or sugar)

165ml tin coconut milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Grating of fresh ginger

Oven at 160C. Custards in greased ramekins, in water bath. About 45mins.

Slow cooked quinces

2 large quinces, quartered & cored

2/3 cup caster sugar (could reduce quantity)

1/4 cup water

Slow cooker on high, 5 hours.

Mocha tofu pie

For a 7inch tin, crust:

100g nuts (hazelnuts)

8 fresh dates

30ml cacao

15ml coconut oil

2 tsp finely ground coffee

Pinch salt

Filling:

300g medium tofu

200g melted dark choc

15ml caster sugar

20ml milk (eg coconut) or liqueur

1 tsp cacao

1 tsp vanilla

Pinch salt

Rhubarb & Apple compote

2 Granny Smith apples

Bunch rhubarb

1 cinnamon quill

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sugar (used raw)

1 pinch cloves

Stew 45 mins or so.

Jaffa pudding

2 greedy people:

Grated rind of an orange

65g plain flour

15g Cocoa powder

65g caster sugar

75g butter, softened

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 or 3 big Tbsp marmalade, optional

Oven to 200C. Blitz ingredients together, bake in pyrex dish 20 minutes. Rest 5 minutes.

Godsmark's choc truffle cookies

 

25 cookies:
170g dark chocolate
125g unsalted butter
2 eggs
55g brown sugar
100g castor sugar
¼ tsp vanilla essence
45g plain flour
30g cocoa
6g baking powder
pinch of salt
120g toasted hazelnuts, chopped
115g dark chocolate, chopped
115g milk chocolate, chopped
115g white chocolate, chopped

1. Boil a small amount of water in a pot. Meanwhile chop the dark chocolate into large pieces. Place in a bowl with the butter and fit the bowl in the pot. Turn the heat off and stir the chocolate until all the butter has melted. Remove the bowl from the pot.

2. Beat the eggs on a medium to high speed until fluffy. Add the sugars and vanilla. Continue beating until very light and creamy. Now add half of the melted chocolate and mix slowly to incorporate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then mix in the other half of melted chocolate.

3. Blend in the sifted dry ingredients and mix for one minute. Now add the chopped nuts and chocolates gently until combined.

4. Spoon cookies on to a nonstick mat (heaped Tbsps) keeping them compact as they will spread a lot. It is better to have a thick cookie so they become crisp on the outside and remain soft in the middle.

5. Bake at 150C for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

Amaretti

Makes approx 22:

200g raw almonds

1 cup caster sugar

2 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup plain flour

Oven at 180C.

Blitz almonds & sugar. Add remaining ingredients & blitz again. Roll 1 Tbsp balls onto baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes or until slightly brown.

Beetroot brownie

enough for 6:
150g unsalted butter
150g dark chocolate 70%, chopped (OR 100g dark, 50g white)
150g  cooked beets
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, optional
150g (5oz) brown sugar
150g (5oz) almond or hazelnut meal

2 pinches salt

 

1. Preheat your oven to 180C and line a loaf pan with baking paper.

2. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add chocolate. Stand.

3. Meanwhile, whizz beets in a food processor until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, sugar and nut meal and whizz again until mixed.

4. Add melted butter and chocolate and again whizz until combined.

5. Spread mixture over the base of your pan and bake for 30 minutes or until firm on the top but still squidgy in the middle.

6. Cool in the tin and serve sliced with vanilla ice cream or double cream.

Banana & salted caramel ice cream

For the salted caramel sauce:

100g caster sugar

125ml pure cream

15g butter

1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

For the ice cream:

2 super ripe bananas (really ripe - important!)

250ml pure cream

195g sweetened condensed milk (half a 395g tin)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

To make the caramel, in a heavy-based pan over low heat, add the sugar in an even layer then leave to melt into an amber-coloured caramel. Meanwhile, heat up the cream gently in a separate pan and keep warm.

Cook sugar until it’s a darkish brown golden colour.

When it’s ready, take it off the heat and add the warmed cream. It’ll bubble up furiously so be careful. When that settles, stir through the butter.

The caramel may seize and harden so just stick it back over the low heat and stir gently until everything has melted into a sauce. Stir through the salt to taste then allow to cool completely.

For the ice cream, mash up the bananas until smooth. Beat the cream & vanilla until soft peaks then gently fold through the condensed milk until mostly combined. Fold through the banana mash.

Scrape half the batter into a loaf tin (or any container you wish). Dollop in some cooled caramel then swirl through the ice cream mixture. Add the remaining ice cream over the top then swirl through more caramel to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 4 or 5 hours or overnight.

Next time, try adding some chopped roasted peanuts.

Roast vanilla strawberries

1 punnet strawberries

1/2 tsp vanilla

15ml castor sugar

Oven at 190 C

Mix ingredients together & spread in a baking tin. Roast 20 minutes. Serve with ice cream or yogurt or shortbread or chantilly cream.

Easter bread & butter pudding

• 4 hot cross buns
• 60g (ish) butter
• 1/2 cup marmalade
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup cream
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

1. Slice buns into 3 & spread a side with butter & marmalade. Layer into 1.5L ovenproof dish.
2. Whisk remaining ingredients in a jug. Poor over the buns & sit for 20-30 mins.
3. Heat oven to 180.
4. Bake 35-40 mins, stand for 5 minutes & serve with vanilla icecream.

Rhubarb gingerbread pudding

500g rhubarb

125g castor sugar

1/3 cup golden syrup (or black treacle)

185g plain flour

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

grating of fresh nutmeg

pinch salt

125g butter

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Preheat oven to 180C.
Cut the rhubarb into 3cm pieces and put in the bottom of a well-buttered 1-litre ovenproof dish, with the castor sugar.

Measure the golden syrup or treacle and stand measuring cup in hot water so that the syrup will run freely.

Sift the flour, spices, bicarb and salt together.

Cream the butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in the syrup. Beat in the egg & milk. Fold in the spiced flour.

Spoon the batter over the rhubarb and bake for about 45 minutes until pudding is well-browned and tests cooked with a fine skewer.

Serve with thick cream or ice cream.

Mum's Pav

Oven at 120C

4 egg whites beaten until stiff,
add 1 cup of castor sugar slowly,
add 1 teasp of vinegar and 1/2 of vanilla.

Pile on a baking tray in a 8" or 20cm circle dragging knife up the sides sot form a pattern. Bake for 1 to 1.5 hours till crisp on the outside.  Top  with whipped cream, strawberries and passionfruit pulp.