Possibly the perfect end to that special Valentine’s Day dinner, this easy-to-make tart combines a double hit of chocolate with the tang of orange marmalade. Continue reading
Chocolate and Orange Tart
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Category Archives: Desserts, cakes and biscuits
Christmas Brownies
The tree is up and decorated, the turkey and goose are nearly ready to be collected and there’s just time to squeeze in one last recipe before the family arrives for Christmas.
Make these chocolatey, fudgy, gently spiced brownies as an alternative to a traditional fruit cake, for a dessert or just for a sweet treat with a cup of coffee or tea … they’re versatile enough to fit in pretty much anywhere. Continue reading
Damson Gin Truffles
Every time I make a fruit gin (which is often) I look at the boozy fruit left over and wonder what to do with it. This is the perfect solution, especially as gins of this sort are usually ready to be strained and bottled close to Christmas, and these truffles make such great presents. Continue reading
Medlar Tart
“Take medlars that are rotten, strain them, and set them on a chaffing dish of coals, season them with sugar, cinamon, and ginger, put some yolks of eggs to them, let it boil a little, and lay it in a cut tart. Being baked, scrape on sugar.” The Accomplisht Cook, Robert May, 1660/1665. Continue reading
Grilled Pineapple with Mint Sugar
I know, this is rather a summery dessert for this time of the year, but at least it’s served warm and it’s lovely after a spicy main course.
I needed to cut back my Moroccan mint before winter and didn’t want to waste the pepperminty leaves, so I made some mint sugar then had to decide what it would go best with. If you’re anything like as lazy as me, you’ll love this, an impressive-looking pud with minimum effort. Continue reading
Baked Quince with Mead
Quince have been used in British kitchens since (probably) the 13th century and mead’s history goes back even further, so I’ve gone a bit medieval on you today. The flavours complement each perfectly, the sweetness of the fermented honey drink cutting the astringency of the quince. Continue reading
Quince, Maple and Pecan Verrine
A verrine is simply a layered dessert, or sometimes an appetiser, served in a small, usually straight-sided glass. There are no hard-and-fast rules, but for puds something fruity, something crunchy and something creamy usually works. Continue reading
Cherry and Almond Tartlets
This is a cheat’s version of cherry and almond tarts, knocked up almost entirely from ready-made ingredients. They are so good though … make them before the stoned fruit season is over. Continue reading
Grilled Figs with Boozy Fruits
A ridiculously easy but mouth-watering pud, this is elegant enough to serve at a supper with friends but it’s just as good devoured with your loved one, head down, wings out, at the kitchen table. Continue reading
Redcurrant and Almond Cake
T
he squirrels got the cherries, the blackbirds scoffed the white currants, but we had a good haul of redcurrants from the garden this year. They usually end up made into jelly and the occasional summer pudding, but I thought it was time for a change. Continue reading
