Summer screams out for you to pluck these little dark berries and what better way to take advantage than with a luscious dessert dedicated in their name? Soft, airy, light and fluffy, this blackberry mousse is healthy and delicious, making the most of the season’s freshest fruit while succumbing to your sweet tooth at the same time. What new kitchen sorcery is this? Blissful…
Banana bread is something no home should be without. If you have kids around, expect it to disappear in a day or two. Unlike its savoury brown and white bread cousins, this loaf is really half-cake. It’s moist, sweet and keeps you pretty full for a long time, so it works just as well for breakfast on its own, as a dessert with custard, or anytime snack plain or toasted. Almost everyone grew…
Clotted cream is a silky, rich, yellow cream with a distinctive crust on the surface and a sweetish taste. While some cream may be poured or spooned on, clotted cream can only ever be spread or dolloped in blobs and globs that leave sticky trails everywhere. If it’s not thick enough to see your teeth marks after tucking into it, it’s just not proper clotted cream. There’s…
The ultimate cookie-brownie upgrade, whoopie pies are like little mini cake sandwiches that you can hold – and gobble down – with just one hand. Soft, sweet and sumptuous, it’s not difficult to figure out how they earned the name they so richly deserve! They’re so easy to make and incredibly delicious, jammed together with a delectable filling. This recipe fuses chewy cocoa…
Lemon tart is one of the original greats – a timeless dessert that cleanses the palate with a blast of citrus, while soothing a sweet tooth at the same time. Tart, zingy and refreshing, it’s the perfect end to a meal, whether served on its own or with a dollop of fresh cream to soften the edges. When life gives you lemons, make lemon tart! Just about every bakery in Paris…
Pasteis de nata are little Portuguese custard tarts that – when baked to absolute perfection – harbour a well of creamy vanilla egg custard in a crispy puff pastry shell, lightly burnt on top, melting in the mouth after just a few chews. Many have tried to make these to the traditional recipe but getting the combination of flavour and texture just right takes time, patience and…
You’ll always know if you’re eating Bundt cake from its distinctive circular shape, doughnut hole in the middle and ornate, oblong ridges and plumes around the outside. The original Bundt shape was inspired by the Gugelhupf, a traditional yeast baked cake enjoyed across Europe. Have you ever seen the beautifully designed Bundt pans up close? They’re these…
Remember that childhood rhyme “Run, run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the Gingerbread Man”? This cheeky chap with a broad smile embodies the spirit of the festive season for me, especially the night before Christmas, when kids are running around with cheer and excitement for the surprises to come. It’s a time when families spend quality time together and…
This plum pudding is easy to make and even quicker to eat. Slightly sweet, a little tart, and altogether very moreish, the mix of the nutty almond flour and the sour plums is a perfect match. Heavenly even, if you add a dollop or two of double thick cream. But the hardest part – and absolutely essential if you want to enjoy this pudding at the right texture – is to let it cool for a…
Madeleines are small, dainty, delicate, fluffy and delicious little butter cakes shaped like little seashells. They are so easy to eat and will disappear like magic once you serve them. They are best served just out of the oven and will only stay crisp on the outside for a day or two, if they last that long. Madeleines can be made in many different flavours, like Earl Grey tea, blueberry, orange…