Pears In Gaillac Doux

Give pears a boozy French treatment with this wine-friendly pudding recipe

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 30 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Serves 6

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  217

• Protein

  1g

• Carbs

  48g

• Fat

  0g

• Saturates

  0g

• Fibre

  3g

• Sugar

  31g

• Salt

  0g

Ingredients

• 6 pears, Williams are best, ripe or nearly ripe
• 300ml sweet white wine
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 1 vanilla pod, split in half

Directions

1. Peel and halve the pears. Spoon out and discard the core (try to keep the stems intact). Put the wine in a pan with the sugar and vanilla, and bring to the boil. Slide in the pears and top up with water just to cover. Simmer for 10-15 mins until tender. Test with a skewer, then carry on until they are fully tender-they can be rubbery if under-ripe and undercooked. Leave to cool in the pan, covered in the wine syrup.
2. An hour or so before serving, slice the pears and fan out or put the halves in a serving dish with the vanilla pod. Reduce the syrup to about 300ml, then pour over the pears and leave to cool, or cool the syrup and then drizzle over the pears.

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Lemon Syllabub

A quick dessert than can be as indulgent or as healthy as you want, experiment with your favourites

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  329

• Protein

  2g

• Carbs

  15g

• Fat

  29g

• Saturates

  18g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  15g

• Salt

  0.05g

Ingredients

• 284 tub whipping cream
• 50g caster sugar
• 50ml white wine
• zest and juice from ½ lemon
• almond thins or berries, to serve

Directions

1. Whip the cream and sugar together until soft peaks form. Stir in the wine, most of the lemon zest and the juice. Spoon into glasses or bowls, sprinkle with the remaining zest and serve with almond thins or berries.

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Lemon Curd & Yogurt Fool

Treat yourself to a delightfully easy family dessert - ready in just five minutes

• Cooking Time Prep 5 mins
  
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  299

• Protein

  16g

• Carbs

  42g

• Fat

  9g

• Saturates

  5g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  41g

• Salt

  0.66g

Ingredients

• 300g jar lemon curd (we used Duchy Originals Traditional Lemon Curd)
• 500g tub 0% Greek yogurt
• 200g punnet raspberries
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• shortbread, to serve

Directions

1. Put the lemon curd and yogurt into a bowl. Fold together for a rippled effect. Divide the mixture between four glasses and chill.
2. Mix raspberries and icing sugar together and gently crush, then spoon with their juices over the chilled mix and serve.

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Passion Fruit Teacup Puddings

Cook these steamed sponge puddings in small, sturdy ramekins and serve in little china cups when entertaining

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins
  Cook 50 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 6

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  439

• Protein

  8g

• Carbs

  52g

• Fat

  22g

• Saturates

  13g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  34g

• Salt

  0.5g

Ingredients

• 250g passion fruit or lemon curd
• 4 ripe passion fruits, seeds and pulp removed
• 3 large eggs
• 100g golden caster sugar
• 85g butter, melted
• 100ml milk
• 140g plain flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• icing sugar, to dust
• clotted cream, to serve (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line a large, deep roasting tin with a tea towel, set aside, and boil the kettle. Put 100g of the curd in a bowl, mix the remaining curd with the passion fruit seeds and pulp, and divide between 6 teacups or ramekins (mine were around 200ml).
2. Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy-this will take about 5 mins. Add the reserved curd, butter, milk, flour and baking powder. Fold the mixture together with a spatula until there are no visible lumps of flour, then divide between the teacups.
3. Put the teacups in the roasting tin. Carefully fill the tin with hot water from the kettle to come about halfway up the sides of the teacups, being careful not to get any water in the cups. Bake for 50 mins until risen and golden. Once cooked, you can cool the puddings and chill for up to a day, or wrap in cling film and freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, bring to room temperature, put back in a hot water bath in the oven and bake for 15 mins at 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Before serving, dust each pudding with a little icing sugar and put a spoonful of clotted cream on top, if you like.

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Eton Mess Stacks

We love individual puddings, they add a certain 'Je ne sais quoi' to an occasion. And these fab little meringues are definitely an occasion pudding

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 6 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  550

• Protein

  2g

• Carbs

  96g

• Fat

  20g

• Saturates

  11g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  94g

• Salt

  0.1g

Ingredients

• 1 egg white
• 350g icing sugar
• 1 tsp crushed cardamom seeds
• a little oil for greasing
• 142ml pot double cream
• juice 1?2 lemon
• 250g punnet raspberries

Directions

1. Lightly whisk the egg white, then stir in the icing sugar and cardamom to make a firm fondant icing. Roll the icing into 8 golfballsize balls (you probably won't need all of it). Two at a time, place the balls at opposite ends of a greased piece of baking paper, then microwave for 30-40 secs on High until quadrupled in size. Leave to cool for a few mins, then lift off the paper and repeat until all the balls are cooked.
2. Whip the cream with half the lemon juice. Crush half the raspberries, then fold through the cream. To serve, place a little splodge of raspberry cream onto each plate. Stack a meringue with some more cream, then place another meringue on top. Spoon over more cream, then top with a few whole raspberries. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

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Real Vanilla Ice Cream

Make super-creamy vanilla ice cream and eat it as it is, or add different flavours to suit all tastes

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 20 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Makes 1 litre

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  159

• Protein

  2g

• Carbs

  9g

• Fat

  13g

• Saturates

  7g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  9g

• Salt

  0.04g

Ingredients

• 500ml full-fat milk
• 300ml pot double cream
• 1 vanilla pod
• 5 large egg yolks (freeze the whites for next time you want to make meringue)
• 140g golden caster sugar

Directions

1. Put the milk and cream in a saucepan. Slit the vanilla pod down its length with a small, sharp knife and scoop out as many of the tiny black seeds as you can into the milk mixture. Add the pod to the pan, too. Heat the whole lot over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until it almost boils-you'll see a few bubbles at the edge. Take off the heat and set aside for 30 mins so that the vanilla can infuse.
2. Mix the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Gradually pour the milk over the egg mixture, whisking continuously until combined. Pour everything back into the cleaned pan, return to a low heat and cook for 8-10 mins, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Make sure it doesn't boil or you will end up with scrambled eggs.
3. Pour the custard through a fine sieve into a bowl, then sit it in a bigger bowl, one-third full of ice and water, to cool it down-keep stirring every now and then to stop a skin forming. Chill to make sure it is completely cold, putting cling film directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming.
4. Pour the custard into an ice-cream machine. Churn following manufacturers' instructions until frozen, then spoon into a metal or plastic freezer-proof container. Cover and freeze until solid. If you don't have an ice-cream machine, pour the custard into the container and freeze. Every 2-3 hrs, take the mixture out of the freezer and give it a stir. Once it is softly set, beat it well with electric beaters, then freeze solid. It will keep in the freezer for 3 months. Remove from the freezer 15 mins before serving to allow it to get soft enough to scoop.

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Baked Nectarines With Almonds & Marsala

Create a delicious Italian-style topping for peaches and nectarines for a simple summer dessert

• Cooking Time Prep 12 mins
  Cook 50 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 6 - 8

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  447

• Protein

  7g

• Carbs

  45g

• Fat

  25g

• Saturates

  10g

• Fibre

  3g

• Sugar

  36g

• Salt

  0.43g

Ingredients

• 6 nectarines, halved, stones removed
• 100g amaretti biscuits
• 100g butter, softened
• 85g ground almonds
• 85g golden caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-2 tbsp toasted, flaked almonds
• 250ml marsala
• Greek yogurt or crème fraîche, to serve

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Sit the nectarine halves snugly in a baking dish, cut-side up. Put the amaretti biscuits into a large bowl and use the end of a rolling pin to bash into crumbs. Add the softened butter, ground almonds, caster sugar and egg, and stir together.
2. Push spoonfuls of the mixture into the cavities of the nectarines, piling more on top until the mixture is evenly divided among them. Scatter with almonds, then carefully pour the Marsala into the dish through a gap between the fruit so the topping doesn't get soggy. Bake for 40-50 mins until golden and crisp, and the fruit is soft. Eat warm with the juices spooned over, and a dollop of Greek yogurt or crème fraîche alongside.

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Cranachan

Sweet summer raspberries folded into cream flavoured with honey, whisky and toasted oatmeal - what could be more delicious?

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 5 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  529

• Protein

  3g

• Carbs

  18g

• Fat

  48g

• Saturates

  27g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  13g

• Salt

  0.06g

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp medium oatmeal
• 300g fresh British raspberries
• a little caster sugar
• 350ml double cream (we used Jersey double cream)
• 2 tbsp heather honey
• 2-3 tbsp whisky, to taste

Directions

1. To toast the oatmeal, spread it out on a baking sheet and grill until it smells rich and nutty. It will not darken quickly, so use your sense of smell to tell you when it is nutty enough. Cool the oatmeal.
2. Make a raspberry purée by crushing half the fruit and sieving. Sweeten this to taste with a little caster sugar. Whisk the double cream until just set, and stir in the honey and whisky, trying not to over-whip the cream. Taste the mix and add more of either if you feel the need.
3. Stir in the oatmeal and whisk lightly until the mixture is just firm. Alternate layers of the cream with the remaining whole raspberries and purée in 4 serving dishes. Allow to chill slightly before eating.

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Honey Yogurt Cheesecake

Bring a touch of Mediterranean magic to your table with this no-fuss bake that can be made ahead

• Cooking Time Prep 30 mins
  Cook 1 hr, 25 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 8

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  789

• Protein

  12g

• Carbs

  40g

• Fat

  65g

• Saturates

  36g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  34g

• Salt

  0.67g

Ingredients

• 100g amaretti biscuits (or ginger or digestive biscuits)
• 85g toasted, flaked almonds
• 85g butter, melted
• 250ml Greek yogurt
• 750g mascarpone
• 2 eggs
• zest 1 lemon
• zest 1 orange
• 250ml honey (orange blossom is particularly good)
• fresh fruit, to serve

Directions

1. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Crush the biscuits and most of the almonds inside a plastic food bag using a rolling pin. Mix with the butter, then press into the bottom of a deep, oval, 23cm dish (or something similar in size-a roasting tin, baking dish or cake tin will work). Bake for 10 mins until crisp.
2. Stir or mash together the yogurt and mascarpone, then whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the lemon and orange zests, then stir in most of the honey, reserving about 3 tbsp. Spread over the biscuit base, cover loosely with foil and cook for 1 hr. Remove the foil and cook for 15 mins more until lightly golden and the top is firm with just the slightest wobble in the middle. Leave to cool. Can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days.
3. To serve, scatter with almonds, drizzle over the remaining honey, and hand around fresh fruit to go with it.

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Blueberry & Coconut Cake

This dairy-free dessert is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and is even freezer-friendly

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins
  Cook 1 hr - 1 hr, 15 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 12

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  387

• Protein

  5g

• Carbs

  47g

• Fat

  24g

• Saturates

  7g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  22g

• Salt

  0.3g

Ingredients

• 250ml rice bran oil, plus extra for the tin
• 3 eggs
• 225g caster sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 300g self-raising flour
• 50g desiccated coconut
• 175ml soya milk
• 140g fresh or frozen blueberries, plus extra to serve
• icing sugar, to dust

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and grease a 22cm Bundt or ring tin. Whisk the oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Combine the flour and coconut. Alternately, fold the flour mix and soya milk into the wet ingredients, starting and ending with the flour.
2. Spoon a quarter into the tin. Fold the blueberries into the remaining batter, then spoon into the tin. Bake for 1-1¼ hrs, or until a skewer comes out clean. Cover the cake with foil if it browns too quickly.
3. Cool in tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Fill centre of the cake with extra blueberries and dust with icing sugar to serve.

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