Treacle tart
The sheer heft of the golden syrup required here is a good indication that this is one serious sweet. Sometimes you just have to go all out. Be aware that you’ll need to chill the pastry overnight.
Serves 12
1.1kg golden syrup (and another 300g up your sleeve)
Juice and grated zest of 2 lemons
2 tsp ground ginger
400g white breadcrumbs
For the pastry
315g soft unsalted butter
225g caster sugar
1 large egg
5 large egg yolks
560g strong white flour
1 First make the pastry. Cream the butter and sugar together until white and fluffy. Lightly beat together the egg and the yolks, then add them to the mixture a little at a time, to prevent curdling. Sift in the flour and mix until just incorporated. The pastry will be very soft, so wrap it in clingfilm and leave in the fridge overnight.
2 Take the pastry out of the fridge and let it soften at room temperature for about 1‑2 hours. Then cut it in half and roll out one piece on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thick (you won’t need the other piece but it will keep well in the freezer). Use it to line a 30cm loose-bottomed tart tin then chill it for 1-2 hours. Then cover with clingfilm, fill with baking beans and bake in an oven preheated to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for about 10 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. Remove the clingfilm and beans and return the pastry case to the oven until it is a good golden colour all over. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
3 For the filling, put the golden syrup, lemon juice and zest and ground ginger in a pan and leave over a medium heat until hot. Stir in the breadcrumbs, remove from the heat and leave for about 10 minutes, until the golden syrup has been absorbed by the crumbs. Then add the extra golden syrup little by little until it starts to bleed out of the breadcrumbs: you might not need to add it all.
4 Pour the filling into the tart case and bake at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 30-45 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with extra-thick Jersey cream.
Fergus Henderson and Justin Piers Gellatly, The Complete Nose to Tail (Bloomsbury)
Sticky banoffee cake with salted caramel
A real mash-up pudding. For extra oomph, drizzle with melted dark chocolate.
Serves 9-12
150g pitted dates, chopped
125ml boiling water
80ml vegetable oil
150g light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp yoghurt
2 overripe bananas, peeled
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
260g wholemeal flour
For the sauce
3½ tbsp granulated sugar
4 tbsp water
1 tbsp salted butter
4 tbsp whipping cream
Flaky salt or fleur de sel, for sprinkling
1 Soak the dates in the boiling water for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 and liberally grease a deep 20cm-diameter cake tin with butter or sunflower oil.
2 Put the dates and their soaking water in a food processor and blitz until as smooth as possible. Add the oil, sugar, eggs, yoghurt and bananas, blending until well combined. Whizz in the bicarbonate of soda, salt and flour until just mixed together.
3 Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 40–50 minutes until well risen and a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before turning the cake out on to a wire rack, with a piece of baking parchment underneath the rack.
4 To make the caramel, heat the sugar with the water in a deep saucepan, stirring until the sugar just dissolves. Continue to heat the mixture, swirling the pan often, but not stirring. Let it caramelise so that the mixture is mostly golden with a few darker areas around the edges of the pan. Add the butter and cream (be careful: it may spit and bubble), reduce the heat and stir until smooth.
5 Cook the caramel for a further 5 minutes to help it thicken, then immediately pour it all over the cake. Sprinkle with the salt and leave to cool and set.
Izy Hosack, Top with Cinnamon (Hardie Grant)
Viennetta parfait
As fancy as a prom dress and dreamily delicious to boot – a stratified concoction of ice‑cream, butterscotch and chocolate crunch.
Serves 12
200g dark chocolate (70%), broken into small pieces
For the butterscotch
250g caster sugar
70g unsalted butter
375ml double cream
Salt
For the ice-cream parfait
150g caster sugar
3 tbsp water
6 large egg yolks
500ml double cream
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
1 Start by tempering the chocolate. Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Put the chocolate into the bowl and stir until it has fully melted; it should be glossy and very smooth. Meanwhile, line a terrine tin with clingfilm.
2 Pour the chocolate on to a cold marble slab or a large tray lined with clingfilm. Spread the melted chocolate out to a very thin layer with a palette knife and set aside to cool. Once the chocolate has set, cut it into random shards.
3 To make the butterscotch, put the caster sugar in a dry, heavy-based saucepan and dissolve over a low heat – jiggle the pan rather than stirring to prevent lumps from forming. Once the sugar has dissolved and become pale golden in colour, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and cream. Season with salt to taste. Set aside to cool, then chill in the fridge until needed.
4 To make the ice-cream, put the sugar and water in a small saucepan and dissolve over a moderate heat. Do not stir. Using a sugar thermometer, bring the temperature up to 120C/250F. Meanwhile, put the egg yolks in a food mixer and whisk until thick and fluffy. Once the sugar syrup reaches temperature, slowly pour it over the beaten egg yolks, whisking all the time until pale and mousse-like.
5 Whip the double cream and vanilla seeds together in a separate bowl until they form soft peaks. Carefully fold the cream into the frothy egg mixture, then chill it in the fridge.
6 Make sure the cream and butterscotch are completely cold before you assemble the parfait, otherwise the chocolate shards will melt. Pour one-third of the chilled cream into the prepared tin, cover with one-third of the chocolate pieces and top with one-third of the butterscotch sauce. Repeat the layering process two more times until you have filled the terrine. Cover with clingfilm then transfer it to the freezer to set for at least 8 hours.
8 To serve, turn the parfait out of the mould and cut it into 8 thick slices using a hot, thin knife. Serve with absolutely nothing at all.
Richard, Oliver and Gregory Gladwin, The Shed: The Cookbook (Kyle)
Pink blancmange
Break out your favourite childhood jelly mould for this special retro set cream, pretty as a picture all in raspberry pink.
Serves 4-6
400g frozen raspberries, defrosted
4 gelatine leaves
3 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp caster sugar
500ml milk
1 x 197g can condensed milk
1 Push the raspberries through a metal sieve, collecting the thick juices and discarding the seeds. Set aside. Soak the gelatine in cold water to soften. Mix the cornflour and sugar with a little milk to form a smooth paste.
2 Put the remaining milk into a pan and heat until just boiling, then reduce the heat, add the cornflour mix and stir until the milk is smooth and thickened, which takes about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3 Squeeze the liquid out of the gelatine sheets, then add them to the hot milk mix, and stir until dissolved. Pour in the condensed milk and raspberry puree, then mix well.
4 Brush the inside of the mould with water, tip out any excess then fill with the blancmange mix. Transfer to a baking tray, then chill for at least 4 hours, or until completely set.
5 To demould, dip in warm water for a few seconds, cover the open side with a plate then flip the whole thing over, shaking slightly if need be. Enjoy with cream and tinned peaches.
Rosie Reynolds, rosiereynolds.co.uk
Chocolate-orange mousse
These small pots of zesty chocolate goodness are perfect as they are, although 75ml brandy in place of the orange juice wouldn’t go amiss.
Serves 12
400g dark chocolate
2 egg whites
60g soft brown sugar
60g icing sugar
2x 284ml tubs whipping cream
Zest of 1 whole medium orange
Juice of ½ orange
Chocolate shavings or orange zest, to garnish
1 Scrub the orange and remove the zest and juice, placing in a small mixing bowl or jug.
2 Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of just simmering water until just melted. Take off the heat.
3 Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl. When they start to form peaks, add the brown sugar. Keep whipping until it’s glossy and thick. Add the orange juice and zest, then rewhip.
4 Whip the cream substitute or cream in a separate bowl until soft peaks are formed.
5 Carefully fold the two mixtures together. Take 1 tbsp of the creamy meringue mixture and add it to the melted chocolate to soften the mix. Now pour the remaining chocolate into the meringue/cream bowl and fold the two mixtures, taking care not to over-work. A few streaks are OK. Drop this luscious mixture into individual serving glasses and garnish with chocolate shavings or orange zest to serve.
Ruth Joseph, Warm Bagels and Apple Strudel (Kyle)
Tapioca
A traditional pud with a bad rep is a triumph waiting to happen: just one pearlescent spoonful of this will banish memories of grisly school dinners forever. Soak the tapioca overnight.
Serves 4
130g small pearl tapioca
750ml whole milk
1 vanilla pod
75g caster sugar
A pinch of soft light-brown sugar
A pinch of sea salt
2 egg yolks, beaten
Jam and extra-thick cream, to serve
1 Put the tapioca and milk into a bowl and leave overnight in the fridge to soak.
2 Slit the vanilla pod in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Put the seeds and pod into a medium, heavy-based saucepan with the milk and tapioca, then add the sugars and salt. Whisk in the beaten egg yolks, then bring slowly to a gentle simmer over a medium heat. Cook for 8–9 minutes until thick and creamy, stirring constantly so that it doesn’t burn or stick. The tapioca is ready when it swells up and becomes almost translucent. Remove from the heat and allow to stand for 2 minutes before serving warm, with a good dollop of jam and extra-thick cream.
Justin Gellatly, Bread, Cake, Doughnut, Pudding (Fig Tree)
Baked Alaska
It’s the pudding that shouldn’t work, what with the baking of the ice-cream, but it always does – and always pleases, too.
Serves 4
500g softened butter
500g sugar
4 eggs
2 drops of vanilla essence
500g self-raising flour
For the meringue
4 egg whites
225g sugar
4 tbsp cherry jam
4 scoops of vanilla ice cream
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar and then add the eggs. Beat until light and fluffy. Then sift the flour and fold in along with the vanilla essence. Pour into a tin at least 20cm square and bake for about 30 minutes. Take out and leave to cool.
2 Meanwhile, make the meringue by beating the egg whites with an electric whisk. Gradually add the sugar until you have a stiff peak and it has a marshmallowy consistency.
3 Once the sponge is completely cool, cut into four 10cm-wide circles. Place on a tray and spread the cherry jam over each circle. Then top each with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Pipe the meringue around and over the ice cream so it completely seals the cakes.
4 To cook, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6 and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden-brown all over.
Robert Mitchell, the Fable, thefablebar.co.uk
Double lemon pudding
Rich, creamy, sharp, sugary, light and fresh – it’s everything you want in a pud.
Serves 6
200g soft unsalted butter, plus a little for greasing
350g caster sugar
Grated zest of 3 lemons
1 tsp vanilla essence
8 eggs, separated
100g plain flour, sifted
250ml milk
250ml lemon juice
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Cream together the butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla in a bowl until white and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Fold in the flour with a metal spoon, alternating with shots of the milk and lemon juice.
2 Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until lightly stiff and fold into the mixture.
3 Generously grease a 22x30cm ovenproof dish and pour in the mixture. Put the dish in a high-sided roasting tin and add boiling water to the tin so that it comes a third of the way up the outside of the dish.
4 Carefully transfer to the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 40 minutes, until golden brown on top and looking set in the middle.
5 Serve warm, with double cream or chilled.
Margot Henderson, You’re All Invited (Fig Tree)
Blackberry, pear and pinenut crumble
It doesn’t get more comfortingly old‑school than a crumble – and this is a fine, seasonal specimen. The pinenuts add an intriguing twist.
Serves 6
8 medium ripe English pears, cored, peeled and sliced lengthways into 1.5cm thick slices
100g light brown sugar
275g blackberries
60g pine nuts
For the crumble
110g unsalted butter, cubed and refrigerated
110g oats
110g plain flour
110g dark brown sugar
A pinch of sea salt
1 First make the crumble: preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Put all the ingredients into a bowl and rub together with your fingers to form breadcrumbs. Spread the mixture on the lined baking tray and put into the freezer for 10 minutes. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10–15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely before crushing up with your hands or a rolling pin.
2 Reduce the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Put the sliced pears and the sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan and cook gently over a medium heat until the fruit begins to soften and starts releasing its juice – approximately 7 minutes, depending on the ripeness. Add the blackberries and bring to the boil. Spoon into a pie dish. Allow the fruit to cool just slightly, then toss the pine nuts into your crumble and sprinkle it evenly over the top of the fruit. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pine nuts are starting to turn a light golden brown. Serve hot with ice-cream, double cream, custard or yoghurt.
Lily Jones, Lily Vanilli’s Sweet Tooth (Canongate)
Baked stuffed apples
Simple to make, wholesome flavours and natural sweetness.
Serves 6
6 apples, washed
150g blackberries, washed
30g butter
2 tsp brown sugar
30g ground almonds
40g raisins
1 Core the apples completely through. Use a knife to score around the equator of the apple, just piercing the skin.
2 Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2. Using your hands, mix together the butter, brown sugar, ground almonds and raisins in a bowl.
3 Fill each apple to halfway with the almond mixture, then add a couple of blackberries to the centre as well.
4 Bake the stuffed apples in the oven until soft – about 20-30 minutes. Serve warm with the remaining blackberries.
William Drabble, Seven Park Place restaurant
