Brownie Crinkle Cookies

First off let me apologise for the sheer amount of teasing I did with this recipe, over on Instagram I have been telling you this recipe was on its way, far too many times. The simple reason being that whilst it fudgy, rich and delicious after the first test I wanted to make sure the texture was spot on each and every time it was baked. I wanted to get the texture perfect, the right amount of spread, the fudgy inside and the shiny glossy top. Turns out this cookie, being made of a small handful of ingredients and very limited flour, is very susceptiple to changes depending on the temperature of the batter. Let the chocolate and butter cool down too much and the cookies spread way too much, use it while too hot and the cookies loose that beatiful glossy finish and dont spread enough. After many, many tests, every single one a terrible chocolate filled chore, I finally nailed the recipe. I really wanted to make a intensely chocolate flavoured cookie that had a texture that reminded you of that perfect fudge brownie. What I was trying to avoid however was a recipe that needed a prolonged chilling stage, in fact I wanted to avoid chilling completely if possible, I need my cookie fix way quicker than that! And that isnt to say a cookie like this that is chilled cant be fabulous, this recipe itself is based off my rye chocolate cookies from Olive Magazine which are chilled for 4 hours before baking and they are fabulous. After a lot of tinkering I am finally happy with the cookie and I cannot wait to see you guys making it, and with Easter weekend coming up fast this would be the perfect thing to make.

Note
Just a quick note on ingredients before I get to the recipe. For this cookie, with so few ingredients, it is really important to use good quality products. For the chocolate stick to something that a) you love the taste of and b) is around the 70% cocoa content mark. This isn't about the notion that 70% cocoa is an indicator of quality, it really isn't, it's more so that it tells you more about what the chocolate is made up of. If you use a 45% chocolate, for example, that's a lot more sugar and will change the texture of the cookies, and trust me these cookies, whilst incredibly simple to make, don't like being messed around with that much. The second important ingredient to choose carefully is the cocoa powder. I used the dutched cocoa rouge from Guittard because it has a deep rich flavour and colour. If you use a natural cocoa instead it wont lend the same colour or intensity of flavour. Now I know a lot of you are know saying, 'what on earth is dutched cocoa' and simply put, it is cocoa powder that has been treated with an alkali that darkens the colour and makes for a richer cocoa. If you are in the UK, or really anywhere in Europe thankfully this is generally what is available, but if you are in the US look for a cooca that mentions that mentions an alkali or calls itself dutched cocoa. Just avoid anything labeled natural, it wont be as good in this recipe. If the cocoa really doesnt give any indicator of wheter it is dutched or not look at the colour, generally speaking dutched cocoa has a deeper darker brown colour, less bright and red than natural cocoa. If you want more info about this, check out this great piece on Serious Eats

Brownie Crinkle Cookies
Makes 10

200g dark chocolate (around 65-70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
125g unsalted butter, diced
150g caster sugar
100g light brown sugar
2 large eggs
130g plain flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder (dutch processed)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt (plus flaked sea salt for sprinkling)

Temperature and timing is very important with this recipe so before you start get all the ingredients weighed out, two baking trays lined with parchment paper and the oven preheated to 180C (160C fan) 350F.

Place the butter and chocolate into a heatproof bowl and set over a pan and gently simmering water. Allow to melt, stirring occasionally until fully melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside for the moment. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using an electric hand mixer, whisk together the eggs and sugars for exactly 5 minutes. Once the eggs have been mixing for exactly 5 minutes pour in the chocolate mixture and mix for a minute or so to combine. Meanwhile mix together the dry ingredients, sieving the cocoa powder if it has lots of lumps. Add the dry ingredients and mix very briefly just until combined. Use your spatula to give one last mix, scraping the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is evenly combined. Use a ice cream scoop to form the cookies. The batter will be a little on the wet side, so invert the cookie scoop just above the baking tray to avoid spills. Make sure to leave plenty of space between each cookie as they will spread. Sprinkle each cookie with a little flaked sea salt before placing into the oven and baking for 12 minutes. The cookies will come out of the oven with that wonderful crinkled look and slightly domed. They will collapse a little as they cool but this helps form that perfect fudgy centre. The cookies will be very soft so allow them to cool on the baking trays for at least 20-30 minutes before removing from the tray to cool completley. 

These cookies will keep for 4-5 days but will be best within the first 3 days. 

Passion Fruit and Chocolate Bundt Cake

Considering how many times I have made this cake recently you could easily expect me to be completely sick of it. This recipe, a twist on a classic pound cake, infused with passion fruit and glazed with dark chocolate, was originally made for my British Issue of the wonderful Bake From Scratch Magazine. One of the features I helped organise was the Bakers Potluck; we got some of the UK's best and brightest bakers together in a kitchen to bake, share and basically just enjoy each others company, it was an amazing day and a lot of fun. My recipe for the potluck had nothing really to do with British baking more my personal favourite styles and flavours. I am a big fan of Bundt cakes (I have way too many Bundt tins for my tiny kitchen) and the combination of chocolate and passionfruit which I go back to time and time again. The resulting cake was incredibly easy to make, a slight tweak on the all in one method and a cake that happily lasts for up to 5 days. When we set out on the Bake Like A Brit Tour with the magazine this was the recipe we decided to demo at each stop of the tour. We were also sponsored by the fabulous Guittard Chocolate of San Francisco and the brilliant bakeware company, and the inventor of the Bundt Pan, Nordicware from Minneapolis, so the recipe was the perfect fit. 

Note: This version of the cake is slightly different from the version that appears in the magazine, that is because it was originally developed for a larger Bundt pan, so it has been reduced to fit the Crown Bundt pan that I used for this post (if you watch the video for this recipe you will see why I reduced the recipe slightly).

Chocolate and Passion Fruit Bundt Cake

6 large eggs
375g caster sugar
zest of 2 lemons
200ml light flavoured olive oil
135g full fat yoghurt
35ml passion fruit puree
165g self rising flour
75g ground almonds
75g fine semolina
1/2 tsp baking powder

Blood Orange Syrup
100ml passion fruit puree
100g caster sugar 

Dark Chocolate Glaze
150g dark chocolate (I used Guittards 66% dark chocolate discs)
200ml double cream

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) and lightly grease a 10-cup capacity bundt cake pan. Lightly dust the inside of the pan with a little extra flour and tap out any excess leaving a thin coating. These steps will help ensure the cake comes out clean. I personally prefer to use a spray oil for this and it ensures a thin coating then gets into every nook of the pan.

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, caster sugar and lemon zest using a electric mixer, on high speed, for about 5 minutes or until the mixture is pale and light. Meanwhile, in a jug whisk together the oil, yoghurt and passion fruit puree. Add the oil mixture to the egg mixture and whisk briefly to combine. In a separate bowl mix together all the dry goods, then add to the liquid goods and mix briefly just until evenly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and set onto a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for about 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean. 

When it comes to turning out a Bundt without damaging the cake I find the best thing you can do is place the cake onto a wire rack for exactly ten minutes before attempting to turn it out. If you try and remove the cake any earlier it will not have had enough time to fully set so is more likely to break apart. If you wait much longer the cake can become a little sticky and wedge itself inside the pan, so 10 minutes is that perfect sweet spot.

Once the cake has been removed from the pan and is cooling on a wire rack make the syrup. In a small saucepan bring the passion fruit and sugar to a simmer, cooking just until the sugar has been dissolved. Whilst the cake is still warm brush the syrup all over, allowing it soak into the cake. Set the cake aside until fully cool.

Once ready to glaze place the chocolate discs into a bowl and the cream into a small saucepan. Bring the cream to a simmer and pour over the chocolate, setting aside for a couple minutes before stirring together to form a silky ganache. Set the glaze in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes or until the glaze has thickened up but it still pourable. Set the cake, still on a wire rack, over a piece of parchment paper and pour the ganache all over the cake (the paper will catch any drips that fall from the cake). 

Kept in a sealed container this cake will keep for up to 5 days. 

Thai Baked Cod

This weeks recipe is the last in my healthy baking series with Weightwatchers, and this week its a simple thai inspired baked cod. Its a super healthy dish packed full of flavour and I love the taste of this dish, its bright and fresh and the fennel adds a great texture, lots of crunch. If you haven't seen the other recipes head to my youtube channel to watch the other three episodes. 

To make this dish I make a paste full of herbs, gingers and a little bit of heat from red chilli, this is spread over cod fillets and baked, then served with fennel that is grilled with chilli, lime and soy sauce. Its a simple side but I love it, the fennel still retains a little crunch but is infused with great flavour, even if you dont serve this with the cod it is a great side. 

Baked Cod

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
2 stalks lemongrass, roughly chopped
2 green chillies, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
small handful of coriander stalks (keep the leaves for garnish)
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 fillets of cod

Grilled Fennel
2 heads of fennel, sliced lengthways into 1cm thick pieces
1 red chilli, finely diced
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp soy sauce 

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Blitz the ginger, lemongrass, green chillies, garlic, shallots, lime and fish sauce with and hand blender or a mini chopper until a rough mixture is formed. Place the fillets of cod onto the prepared baking tray and spread the paste over the top.

Mix together the red chilli, lime juice, olive oil and soy sauce and pour over the fennel, tossing to coat. Heat a griddle pan over medium/high heat and once hot, cook the fennel for about 4-5 minutes per side, cooking until dark grill marks appear.

Once cooked, surround the fish with the fennel and bake in the oven for about 22-25 minutes until the fish is cooked through.

Chocolate Mousse with Orange Baked Rhubarb

It might be a dessert straight from the 80's but I still love chocolate mousse. Take me to a french bistro, give me that large bowl of chocolate mousse and let me dig in. I don't need many adornments but a little lightly baked rhubarb, to go with the dark chocolate, works wonders. This is another recipe that is part of my healthy eating series where I have paired with WeightWatchers for their new Flex Programme, and I know what your thinking, how is chocolate mousse healthy. When it comes to this recipe I have reduced the sugar and fat to make this a bare bones mousse, just chocolate, a little tough of sugar and eggs, no butter and no cream, but absolutely delicious.

75 g dark chocolate
2 tablespoons caster sugar
3 large eggs, seperated
2 tablespoons, level freshly squeezed orange juice
1 portion(s), medium rhubarb
1 tablespoon honey
1 inch slice root ginger

Preheat the oven to 190°C, 170°C fan.

To make the chocolate mousse place a small bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Add the chocolate and heat, stirring occasionally, until fully melted. Remove the bowl and set aside for the moment.

Place the egg whites into a large bowl and whisk with a hand mixer until foamy. Add the caster sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking for a minute before adding the second. Continue whisking on high speed until the meringue holds medium peaks.

Working quickly, add the yolks to a large bowl and mix in the orange juice. Pour in the melted chocolate, mixing until fully combined. Add a large spoonful of the egg whites and mix in. Fold in the rest of the meringue one third at a time. Once fully combined, divide the mousse between 4 glasses and refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.

Place the rhubarb into a small roasting tin with the honey, orange juice and the ginger, tossing together to coat. Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until softened but still holding its shape. Top the mousse with the rhubarb and any syrup that is in the pan. Top with a few toasted flaked almonds.

Post sponsored by WeightWatchers

Blood Orange Pound Cake

Happy Valentines Day! I might not be a fan of the more obvious, throw some hearts on, Valentines Day baking this vibrant blood orange cake just happens to be bright pink so might be the perfect cake if you are looking for something edible this Valentines Day. Made with my winter obsession this pound cake is infused with blood orange flavour. Firstly the zest is beaten with butter and sugar, releasing the strong oils and adding bags full of flavour. To layer in more orange flavour the cake, still fresh from the oven, is brushed liberally with a simple syrup made with blood orange juice and sugar, which soaks down into the cake adding more flavour plus moistness to boot. To finish the cake has yet more orange flavour added in the form of a classic icing sugar glaze and finished with segments of blood oranges and toasted flaked almonds. It is a simple cake with a surprising amount of elegance; its texture is velvety, the benefit of being made with a mix of butter and cream, its moist and keeps for days, and it has a delightful flavour. 

Whilst I have you here I also have a quick update. In the morning I am flying out to the states to start the #BakeLikeABrit tour with Bake From Scratch magazine. I cannot wait to get to San Francisco, our first stop on the tour and I am so excited to get our first event started. Make sure you follow along on Instagram where I will be posting lots of behind the scenes content. Whilst we have a lot planned on the trip we also have a few events you can get involved with.

Facebook Live at the Williams Sonoma HQ
Don't miss the FB LIVE from the Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen Amy Guittard from Guittard Chocolate and myself. We will be making Passion Fruit Bundt Cake in the Nordic Ware Crown Bundt Pan, glazing in a chocolate sauce made with Guittard Chocolate
There will be a GIVEAWAY during the broadcast, with prizes including cake pans, cookbooks and chocolate.
Join this event to get a reminder when the LIVE begins Friday, February 16th at 9:30am PST 5.30pm GMT.

In Store Events
Whilst on the tour we will be doing two instore events at Williams Sonoma stores, the Edina store in Minneapolis and the Columbus Circle store in NYC. Tickets are $15 and include a copy of the magazine so a total steal, I cant wait to see you guys there.

Minneapolis
19th Feb 6.30-8.00pm Williams Sonoma Edina
Book Tickets Here

NYC
22nd Feb 6.30-8.00pm Williams Sonoma Columbus Circle
Book Tickets Here

Blood Orange Pound Cake
300g caster sugar
3 blood oranges, prefereably Moro variety
150g unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
300g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
200ml double cream

Blood Orange Syrup
100ml blood orange juice
100g caster sugar

To Decorate
2 blood oranges
Icing sugar
Handful of flaked almonds, lightly toasted

Heat the oven to 180C (fan 160C) and lightly grease a large loaf tin, lining with a strip of parchment paper. Put the sugar, butter and orange zest into a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and beat for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, a little a time, waiting until fully combined before adding more. Fold in the flour, salt and the baking powder and mix until smooth. Pour in the cream and gently mix to combine. Spoon into the loaf tin and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

While the cake bakes, put the orange juice and sugar into a small pan and bring to a gentle simmer, cooking until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat.

Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack set over a piece of baking paper. Using a skewer, poke holes all over the top, sides and base of the cake. Brush the syrup all over the cake, coating the entire surface. Allow to cool. 

To make the glaze, slowly mix in icing sugar to the orange juice, adding just enough to make a glaze that is thick and pourable. Add a small pinch of salt and mix to combine, this helps temper the sweetness a little. Pour the glaze all over the cake, allowing to drip downs the sides of the cake. Allow the glaze to set for 20-30 minutes before topping with segments of blood orange and flaked almonds. This cake will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container.

Chicken Lentil Curry

It is a Friday in February so that must mean it is time for another episode of #WWFoodieFriday and another fabulous healthy recipe that fits perfectly into the WeightWatchers Flex Programme. This one in particular has become a firm favourite in my house, in fact when I make it I actually portion and freeze a bunch so that I always have a dinner at the ready. Everyone loves a curry and this simple dish, ready in just over 30 minutes, might not be authentic or traditional but its a fabulous dish. It is actually based on a dish my boyfriend makes regularly and I always say it is that recipe I would want when I am ill, it is wonderfully comforting. 

Chicken Lentil Curry

Serves 4

Curry Paste
2 cloves garlic
1 inch piece garlic
1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 red chilli
handful of coriander

Curry
2 onions, diced
400g red lentils
500ml vegetable stock
400g tinned tomatoes
150g spinach
4 chicken breasts, diced
200ml light coconut milk
Fat free natural yoghurt (optional)

To make the curry we first need to make the curry paste, add all of the ingredients into a small food processor and pulse until a paste is formed (make sure to add the whole coriander, stalks and all, these add lots of flavour). You can also make this by very finely chopping the garlic, ginger and coriander and mixing together with the remaining paste ingredients.

To a large saucepan add a little bit of oil and over a medium/low heat cook the onions for 5-10 minutes or until translucent. Add the curry paste and cook for a few minutes to take the raw edge off the spices. Add the lentils and stir to coat in the paste. Add the stock and the tinned tomatoes, increasing the heat slightly to bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes before adding the chicken and cooking for 5-10 minutes or until the lentils and chicken are cooked through. Add the spinach and coconut milk stirring to combine.

Serve in bowls topped with a dollop of natural yoghurt, and a little extra coriander.

This post is sponsored by WeightWatchers

Rhubarb Crumble

In celebration of the fact that Bake From Scratch is finally available in stores here in the UK todays recipe is one of mine that appears in the current 'British Issue' that I guest edited. The recipe in the magazine is for a more classic rhubarb and ginger crumble but todays version is infused with two of my favourite flavours fennel and cardamom both of which go beautifully with rhubarb. I grew up in Bradford which is on the border of the Rhubarb Triangle, the area in Yorkshire famous for its forced rhubarb, it really is still where the beat rhubarb comes from. 

This is just a quick post today as I am manically trying to get all of my work out of the way before I head off to the US next week to start the Bake From Scratch tour where we will be visiting San Francisco, Minneapolis and NYC. I am so excited for the tour and cant wait to see you guys out there, so any last minute tips of what I should check out whilst there let me know in the comments. 

Rhubarb Crumble

Cardamom Crumble
150g plain flour
100g caster sugar
80g jumbo rolled oats
130g unsalted butter, diced and chilled
1 tsp ground cardamom

Rhubarb Mixture
600g cups rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces
85g-125g caster sugar (depending on how sharp you like your rhubarb)
2 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp ground fennel seeds
2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Custard
600ml whole milk
6 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 heaped tbsp cornflour
50g caster sugar

To make the crumble mixture place the flour, sugar and cardamom into a bowl and mix together to combine. Add the butter and toss to coat in flour. Use your hands or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir through the oats and set aside for the moment. At this point you can put the crumble into a ziplock bag and freeze for a couple months. It can be used straight from the freezer making it incredibly quick and simple to get dessert on the table. 

For the rhubarb mixture toss the ingredients together in a large bowl and tip into a 9x9 roasting tin or cake tin. The exact size doesn't matter, depending on what you have available you can have a crumble with thicker or thinner layers (I often divide this into two large pie plates and freeze one of the crumbles assembled, ready to bake). 

Bake in the preheated oven for about 45-60 minutes or until the crumble is golden and the filling is bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

Whilst the crumble is baking quickly make the custard. Whisk everything except the milk together in a large bowl, until smooth and fully combined. Add the milk to a medium sized saucepan and bring to a simmer. Once at temperature pour the milk over the egg yolk mixture whisking constantly to prevent it from curdling. Pour the custard back into the pan and whisking contantly cook until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened enough that it can coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and pour into a jug. Serve whislt still warm.

Shakshuka

Todays recipe is the first in a four part series in which I have paired up with WeightWatchers to bring four new healthy recipes. There will be a couple dinner ideas, a brunch dish and a fabulous dessert, perfect for a valentines day treat. The first recipe is something I make all the time, especially when I want something quick and easy but full of flavour. I generally serve this Shaksuka as a breakfast dish along with a little sourdough break to dunk into the runny egg yolks and of course a big coffee to get the started off right. 

All the recipes in this new series are designed to fit into the new WeightWatchers Flex programme, and if you are following the programme you will be happy to know these dishes are fairly low in points per portion so super easy to fit into the programme. Along with the written recipe we also filmed them all so make sure you are subscribed to my channel for lots of new recipes each and every week. 

Shakshuka 

1 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 red pepper, cut into slices
1 red chilli, sliced (seeds optional)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp tomato puree
400g chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish
1-2 tsp red wine vinegar
4 large eggs
40g light feta cheese, crumbled

Spray a non-stick frying pan with a little cooking spray and set over a medium heat, cook the onion and peppers for about 10 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the red chilli and garlic and cook for a few minutes more.

Add the spices and cook for a minute before adding the chopped tomatoes and puree. Fill the can with water and add this to the pan too. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture has reduced to a thick saucy consistency, then reduce the heat to low.

Add the parsley and red wine vinegar, to taste, brightening the sauce a little. Make four wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each one. Place a lid on the pan and cook the eggs for about 6-7 minutes or until the whites have just set.  Remove and serve immediately, sprinkling with a little extra parsley and feta.

This post is sponsored by WeightWatchers

French Lemon Tarts

What does it take for a brit to get his hands on some meyer lemons? Turns out it’s a simple matter of one transatlantic flight, a garden in Alabama, and an editor willing to carry some in his hand luggage on another flight across America! Simple really. On a trip to NYC, at the end of last year, I was determined to get my hands on some meyer lemons, the less sour, sweeter and more perfumed cousin to the classic lemon we all know and love. Maybe its because living in the cold winter tundra of London the idea of those lemons, grown in warmer environs, warms my heart or maybe its simply I like the idea of using something I cant normally get my hands on, either way I was excited to see what all the fuss is about. Enter my editors at Bake From Scratch, Brian and Brooke, who conspired to get a bag of lemons to me, grown in a garden in Alabama and hand delivered to me in NYC, if thats not friendship I'm not sure what is. Edit: I should say Brian didn't fly to NYC just to deliver me some lemons, that would be crazy, he was already coming to town!

I was determined to use them in something where the lemon flavour would shine and not be beaten into submission by sugar, or overpowered by countless other ingredients. A lemon tart seemed the perfect test subject. Now, while there is absolutely nothing wrong with a classic baked lemon tart my preference is the french lemon cream tart (me make a french dish, how unsurprising!). The texture of the cream is a silky, buttery dream but starts off in the same way as any traditional lemon curd. You cook the lemon together with sugar and eggs until thickened, then off the heat add the butter. So far so familiar, but it’s the exact method that makes this all so special. Firstly the amount of butter is increased, isn't everything better when there is more butter, and secondly it’s the way it is incorporated into the curd that makes the world of difference. With a traditional curd you either cook the butter and lemon mixture together, which in my mind is the worst method, or it is added immediately after the egg mixture is cooked. Both of these methods melt the butter fully, giving a greasier fattier end product. By waiting for the egg mixture to cool slightly and then slowly emulsifying the butter in a bit by bit you end up with something that is somewhere between a traditional curd and a french buttercream made with egg yolks, beautifully silky and the perfect tart filling. 

I cannot say with any accuracy or confidence who invented this style of cream but the first place I encountered it was in the pages of one of the Pierre Herme books written by the wonderful Dorie Greenspan, and it is her basic method I have used ever since (although the ratio of ingredients in my version is different to suit my tastes). Over the years this style has become incredibly popular and if you visit the patisseries of Paris these days your lemon tart is more likely to be made with this method than the traditional baked method. If you want a different version you can use any citrus to make the cream, adjusting the sugar to fit the sharpness of the fruit. As I was using meyer lemons I knocked the sugar down just a tad, but the recipe below is for regular lemons.

Lemon Cream Tarts
Makes 6

Lemon Cream
150ml lemon juice
zest of 3 lemons
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
150g caster sugar
225g unsalted butter, diced and at room temperature

Pate Sucree
recipe here

Start with the lemon cream as it needs ample chilling time before it is ready to use. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, egg yolks and caster sugar into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and cook, stirring regularly until the mixture reaches 80c on an instant read thermometer. The temperature is key because it needs to be fully cooked like a custard so the finished cream holds the correct texture. I have said here to do this stage in a bain marie but half of the time I just place the ingredients directly into a saucepan and do this over a low heat stirring constantly. It is quicker than the bain marie method but it is also more prone to catching and overcooking so if you decide to do it this way be very careful and keep the heat down low. 

Once the custard is cooked pour it into a large jug, through a fine sieve to remove any cooked egg bits, allowing to cool for 15 minutes, when it should be about 60c. Using some form of blender (traditional jug style or stick blender both work great) blend in the butter a couple piece at a time. If using a stick blender do this in the jug you cooled the curd, the depth of the jug means you wont end up incorporating too much air which you're trying to avoid (the same reason it is best not to use a food processor). Once all of the butter has been incorporated pour the cream into a container, press a sheet of clingfilm onto the surface of the custard and refrigerate for at least fours hours, until the mixture thickens up. 

Remove the chilled pastry from the fridge and cut into six equal sized pieces and working with one at a time roll out, on a lightly floured worksurface, until 2-3mm thick. Use to line either six 10cm loose bottomed tart tins or as I do use tart rings, which give a more modern style. Trim off the excess and set onto a parchment lined baking tray. Line each tart with a piece of crumpled parchment paper and fill with rice (I prefer rice to baking beans as they are lighter and smaller so less likely to damage the delicate pastry but mainly they are smaller so fit into the corners of the pastry better so you get a better finish, plus rice is much cheaper). 

Blind bake the tart shells at 190c for about 15/20 minutes before removing the rice and parchment  and baking for a further 10 minutes or until the inside is nice and golden. Once baked set aside to cool. Once ready to serve remove the cream from the fridge and fill the tart shells. Set back in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving to firm up again. For this version I have topped with a little bit of swiss meringue, blowtorching to give a lemon meringue tart vibe. 

The cream can be made a few days in advance but once the tart shells are filled with the cream they are best eaten the same day.

Triple Ginger Bundt Cake

GIngerbread is a big deal in my family, a really big deal. My grandmother, Nanna, had a version that was made once a week, a firm family favourite, it is one of those recipes that I will cherish and bake forever. Even though she passed away when I was little I have her handwritten recipe and make it often. It helps that it is incredibly easy to make, a simple wet into dry, muffin style method, and I do love a recipe that massively exceeds in taste the effort required to make it. Whilst I have a lot of loyalty to that recipe for this gingerbread I wanted a slightly different tone, something darker, more intense, something similar to my other favourite gingerbread recipe; the legendary ginger stout cake from Claudia Fleming, a recipe she developed whilst the pastry chef at The Gramercy Tavern. The recipe appears in her out of print of book The Last Course, a copy of which I am lucky to own (it is currently being sold on amazon for £138!). Similarly to Flemings recipe mine is oil based and uses a stout to give extra depth, instead of the usual go-to guinness I went with a chocolate stout. To give a darker, richer flavour I switched my recipe from golden syrup to black treacle and upped the spicing, using a trifecta of ginger in the form of ground, fresh and candied, I wanted this to be a properly fiery gingerbread. 

Triple Ginger Bundt Cake
Serves 12-16

340g plain flour
2 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
175g vegetable oil
150g light brown sugar
2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
4 tbsp roughly chopped candied ginger
340g black treacle (or molasses)
200ml stout (I used chocolate stout but any stout will work) 
2 large eggs

Making this cake really couldn't be easier, simply preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) and take a a 10-cup bundt pan, I used Nordicware's Kougelhopf pan, and lightly grease, making sure to cover the entire pan right into all of the crevices of the pan. Lightly dust the inside of the pan with a little flour, tapping out any excess.  

In a large bowl mix together all of the dry goods. Add the remaining ingredients, except the eggs, into a saucepan and heat over medium heat cooking until the sugar has melted and everything is evenly combined. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before whisking in the eggs. Pour the liquid goods over the flour mixture and whisk briefly until smoothly combined. Pour into the prepared bundt pan and place onto a baking tray, baking in the preheated oven for about 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. If you fancy you can glaze or frost the cake but personally I think a simple dusting of icing sugar works perfectly. 

As with all gingerbread recipes this actually improves after a couple days, the flavour gets better and the cake gets stickier. 

Cranberry Meringue Roulade with Orange Mascarpone

During the Christmas festivities we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to make elaborate meals with fancy desserts that take time and effort to make. Nothing wrong with that but per se but sometimes that effort and time means less time spent with family and friends, to enjoy the holiday. This dessert is perfect for those of us that want something delicious but also something that is quick and simple to prepare. If you've never made a meringue roulade before don't fret, they are fairly forgiving and as they are prone to the occasional crack, embrace them and forget about perfection, rustic is the name of the game with this recipe.

Cranberry Compote

200g cranberries, fresh or frozen

75g caster sugar

juice of 1 lemon

Roulade

4 large eggs

225g caster sugar

a few drops of lemon juice

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp cornflour

4 tbsp flaked almonds

Orange Mascarpone Cream

250ml double cream

225g mascarpone

zest of 1 large orange

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan).

To make the compote place the cranberries into medium sized saucepan along with the sugar and lemon juice. Cook over a medium/high heat until the cranberries have released a lot of juice and it has reduced to a syrupy consistency, roughly 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat, pour into a small container, cover, and refrigerate until needed. This compote is sharp from the cranberries and lemon juice but don't be tempted to add more sugar, the sweetness of the meringue and the creaminess of the mascarpone balance this out beautifully.

To make the roulade, lightly grease a 37x26cm rimmed baking tray (the exact size is not crucial but if you you go much smaller the meringue will be very thick and hard to roll and much bigger the meringue will be thin and will crack more than expected) and line with a piece of parchment paper allowing a little excess to go up the sides of the tray, the meringue will rise a little as it bakes and you don’t want to end up with the roulade glued to the rim of the tray. To make the roulade, place the egg whites into a large bowl and mix with an electric whisk on high speed until the egg white is foamy. Slowly add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, whisking until the meringue holds stiff peaks. Add the almond extract and cornflour and whisk briefly to combine. Spread the meringue evenly over the prepared baking tray and sprinkle with the flaked almonds. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the meringue is lightly browned and feels firm to the touch, don't worry the meringue will be soft and pillowy underneath meaning it will be easy to roll.

Remove the roulade from the oven and immediately turn it out onto another sheet of parchment paper, peeling off what was the original lining. Allow the meringue to cool.

For the mascarpone filling, add the mascarpone and orange zest to a large bowl and beat together until the mascarpone is soft. In a separate bowl whisk the cream until it barely holds it shape. Fold the cream into the mascarpone in two or three additions, as you add the cream and mix it together the mixture should become a little stiffer, you want a soft cloud like mixture, that perfect light whipped cream consistency.

To assemble the roulade spread the cream evenly over the meringue and top with dollops of the compote, lightly swirling to combine. Gently roll the roulade into a tight spiral, using the parchment to help tease the meringue into shape. Don’t worry that the outside will crack a little, its part of the charm of a meringue roulade and perfection is overrated anyway.

To finish dust with a little icing sugar or top with a few extra cranberries. Serve on the day made, refrigerating until needed if not serving straight away.

Black Charcoal Doughnuts

If you have been following me on social media (basically lots of cake pictures. You know, the good stuff!) then you know Kitchenaid challenged me to come up with a recipe inspired by their limited edition Black Tie Standmixer, which you can find out about here. Well, this is that recipe. A doughnut turned ink black, using charcoal powder, filled with a delicious chocolate pastry cream, perfect for halloween next week!

Black Charcoal Doughnuts
500g strong white bread flour
50g light brown sugar
1 tsp fine salt
7g dried fast action yeast
25g black bamboo charcoal powder
4 large eggs
150ml whole milk
250g unsalted butter, diced and at room temperature

Dark Chocolate Custard
500ml whole milk
2 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
200g caster sugar
30g cocoa powder
30g cornflour
75g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

To make the chocolate custard place the milk into a large saucepan and heat over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Meanwhile whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, light brown sugar, cocoa and cornflour until smooth. Pour over the hot milk and whisk to combine. Scrape the custard back into the pan and cook, whisking constantly until the custard has thickened. Scrape the custard into a bowl and add the chocolate, mixing together until melted and combined. Press a sheet of clingfilm onto the surface of the custard and refrigerate until needed. 

To make the doughnut dough place the flour, light brown sugar, salt, yeast and charcoal powder into the bowl of a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer, fitted with the dough hook and mix together to combine. Pour in the milk and the eggs and with the mixer turned to low mix together to form a shaggy dough. Knead on low/medium speed for about 10-15 minutes or until the dough is elastic and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Start to add the butter a couple pieces at a time, until fully combined. Once the butter has been combined continue to knead until the dough is elastic again and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. This will take about 10-15 minutes. 

At this stage place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, covering with clingfilm, allow to rise until doubled in size. You can either do this at room temperature which will take around an hour or you can refrigerate the dough for about 8-10 hours. 

Tip out the risen dough and divide into 16 equal sized pieces and form into rounds. Set each ball of dough onto a square of parchment paper and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Lightly cover with clingfilm and allow to rise until almost doubled in size. To test if the doughnuts are ready for frying press one with your finger. It should spring back slowly, if it springs back quickly it needs to rise longer. 

Fill a large saucepan about 1/2 full with a neutral oil and heat over medium heat to 180C. Once the oil is at temperature turn the heat down to low so that the heat stays at 180C. Add the doughnuts 2 or 3 at a time frying for 5 minutes, flipping half way through cooking. As the doughnuts are black it is hard to tell if they are fully cooked so it is best sticking to the temperature and timings quite closely. Set the doughnuts onto a plate lined with kitchen roll to drain any excess oil. Whilst still a little warm toss in caster sugar. Set aside and allow to cool fully.

To finish use a small knife to cut a slit in the side of each doughnut. Place the custard into a piping bag fitted with a bismarck tip (a long thin piping tip used for filling doughnuts) and fill generously. These doughnuts are best served on the day they are made. 

Matcha Oreos

Makes 20-25

Oreo Cookies
275g plain flour
40g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
200g unsalted butter
125g caster sugar
125g light brown sugar

Matcha White Chocolate Ganache
300g white chocolate
200ml double cream
2 tsp matcha powder

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) and line two baking trays with parchment paper. 

To make the cookies place the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl and mix together to combine. Add the butter and sugars into a large bowl and using an electric mixer beat together for a couple minutes until everything is combined. Add the flour mixture and on low speed mix until the flour has just been incorporated into the butter, stopping when the dough is still very crumbly but only once you can no longer see any flour. Tip the crumbly dough out on the work surface and carefully bring together into a dough. Divide into two equal pieces and working with one piece at a time roll out between two pieces of parchment paper until about 4-5mm thick. Place the dough onto a baking tray and refrigerate for am hour until firm. 

When chilled use a 5cm round cookie cutter to cut out as many cookies as possible, placing on the prepared baking trays, a couple cm's apart. You can gather the scraps together and re-roll as above once but any more and the cookies will become tough. 

Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-11 minutes. As they are chocolate it is hard to tell when they are done but they will be set around the outside and a little soft. When they bake they also puff up a little so as soon as they are removed from the oven press with the back of a glass so they are nice and flat. 

Whilst the cookies are cooling make the ganache. Place the chocolate into a large bowl and set aside. Add the cream and matcha to a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring vigorously to dissolve the tea. Once the cream is at temperature pour over the chocolate and leave alone for a couple of minutes before stirring together to form a vibrant green ganache. Press a sheet of clingfilm onto the surface of the ganache and refrigerate for an hour or so until a pipeable consistency. Place the ganache into a piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip and use to sandwich the cookies together.

Kept in a sealed container these cookies will keep for up to three days. 

Montbeilard, Comte, and Caramelised Onion Quiche

It is hardly a surprise that I love France, I literally wrote the book on French baking (well one of them). I have been in love with the country across the channel since I was little and we would spend our holidays camping in Northern France. I have distinct memories of walking to the bakery in brittany was I was 10 to get the pastries for breakfast, trying to order canelé in St Emilion when i was 9 but only succeeding with a large amount of pointing. That love grew deeper when I was 18 and I visited Paris for the first time, spending my student loan on a eurostar ticker and a hotel seemingly miles from the centre of the city. On that trip I discovered macarons and started a life long love affair with the city of lights and its fabulous food. So when I was asked to come to Paris to delve deeper into the wonderful range of ingredients that France produces I, of course, jumped at the chance. To be honest I don't really need an excuse to visit Paris, I basically have to be stopped from jumping on the eurostar on a weekly basis. If you subscribe to my YouTube channel then you've already seen the adventure we had eating and cooking our way around the city and after coming back full of inspiration and ideas, and a suitcase full of ingredients, that was all turned into my recipe for that french classic, quiche. My version, in an attempt to modernise it in the way that french chefs are trying to modernise and lighten classic french fare, uses creme fraiche and single cream to give the quiche a little more tang and lightness plus it is jam packed full of flavour coming from montbeilard sausage (a slightly smoked sausage from the Franche-Comté region that was new to me), rich and sweet caramelised onions, Paris Brown Mushrooms that are grown in caves just outside the city, lots of nutty aged comte and of course a little dijon mustard to round it all out. It all came together to make a fabulous quiche and hopefully a nice representation of beautiful french ingredients. 

Now after that wonderful trip I wanted to give you guys the opportunity to visit Paris and enjoy all the food that city has to offer, so I am thrilled to be running a competition where the prize is a trip for two to Paris, including a meal in a michelin starred restaurant, 2 nights in a 3 star hotel plus a wine and cheese tasting in 17th century wine cellar. If you win can you take me with you? The competition is only open to the UK residents (apologies) and you have until October the 6th to enter. The way you enter is very simple, all you have to do is cook a dish using quality french ingredients and post a picture to Instagram, Twitter or Facebook using the hashtag #bonappetituk and list the french ingredients you used. You can find the full terms and conditions here http://bit.ly/2wPXulA

Montbeilard Sausage, Comte and Caramelised Onion Quiche

Shortcrust Pastry
225g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp caster sugar
120g unsalted butter, diced and chilled
2-3 tbsp ice cold water

Filling
4 small onions
4 tbsp olive oil
175ml creme fraiche
175ml single cream
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
6 large eggs
75g aged comte cheese, grated
200g montbeilard sausage, diced

Topping
100g Paris brown mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp chopped parsley

To make the pastry place the flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl and toss together to combine. Add the diced butter and toss in the flour to coat, then using either your fingertips or a pastry blender cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Drizzle in the water and couple tablespoons at a time, mixing together with a knife. Add enough water until the dough mixture starts to form clumps then get your hands in the bowl and briefly mix together to form a uniform dough. Press into a disc and wrap in clingfilm refrigerating for at least an hour before using. 

To make the filling place the oil into a wide pan and heat over a medium low heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have caramelised and have turned a rich golden brown colour. After a few minutes of cooking sprinkle with some salt, this helps the onions to release moisture which prevents them from catching and helps along the caramelisation process. As the onions cook if you find they are sticking a little to the bottom of the pan add a splash or two of water, this will deglaze the pan and release any stuck on bit of onion. Once the onions are almost finished add in the diced sausage, so the flavours can meld together. Once fully cooked tip the onion mixture into bowl and set aside until needed. 

Take the dough from the fridge and on a floured work surface roll out until the pastry is a couple mm thick and is wide enough to line the base and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Gently drape the pastry into the pan allowing any excess to hang over the sides of the pastry. Line the inside of the pastry with a crumpled sheet of parchment paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Refrigerate or freeze until the pastry is firm. Bake the pastry in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes before removing the parchment and baking beans and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the inside of the pastry is just starting to brown. Remove the pastry from the oven and brush the inside with egg yolk to form a water tight seal, which prevents the pastry from becoming soggy. Place back in the oven for a minute or two to set. Reduce the oven temperature to 150C an set the pastry aside for the moment. 

To finish the filling whisk together the creme fraiche, cream, mustard, parsley and eggs. Once combined stir in the comte, sausage and onion mixture. Pour into the blind baked pastry and bake in the oven for about 40-45 minutes or until the filling has just started to brown and the custard filling has just set. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Once fully cooled use a serrated knife to trim away the excess pastry. Serve at room temperature in big wedges.

This post was sponsored by the French Ministry Of Agriculture

Salted Caramel Cocoa Brownies with Burnt Meringue Topping

A couple weeks ago, I set up stall on Columbia Road Market to take part in Bake For Syria, a massive charity bakesale raising money for UNESCO, and to say I was a little overwhelmed by the response is most definitely an understatement. Not only did we raise over £10,000.00 (I havent heard the final figure yet) but most of the bakeries had sold hours earlier than expected and hours earlier than we had planned for; those of you who came down later, sorry we couldn't sell you cake! It was the first time I had sold my baking to the public since my short lived bakery Eddibles Bakery (its a pun, get it?) on Maltby Street Market a few years back. I baked liked a maniac for a couple days before the big day, using just one oven and one mixer. I cranked as much sweet stuff as I could manage and then promptly sold out in just few hours! Maybe stupidly I made a variety of things when big batches of one or two things would have been more sensible. On the day it became clear that one thing was, by far, ridiculously popular. The cocoa brownie laced with copious amounts of salted caramel and then topped with swathes of burnt swiss meringue sold out in record time, I think it took barely 30 mins! Every day since you guys have been asking for the recipe, so here it is! I also quickly want to say that the brownie recipe is my spin on the cocoa brownies from Alice Medrich, from her brilliant book Bittersweet. I have adapted the ingredient amounts to suit my tastes and I've changed the method but the idea and base of the recipe come from Medrich.

Rather than simply popping the recipe up here, I wanted to film it so I headed over to Cupcake Jemmas kitchen and we filmed the recipe for YouTube. So once you have fallen into a sugar coma from watching my video jump over to Jemma's channel and watch the video we made together, where Jemma tries to convince me to like cupcakes.

Salted Caramel Cocoa Brownie with Burnt Swiss Meringue

Salted Caramel
150g caster
25g unsalted butter
Large pinch flaked sea salt
125ml double cream

Cocoa Brownies
300g unsalted butter, diced
225g caster sugar
225g light brown sugar
175g cocoa powder (I used Guittard)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
4 large eggs
140g plain flour

Swiss Meringue
3 large egg white
240g caster sugar
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cream of tartar 

For the caramel filling place the sugar into a medium saucepan and melt over medium heat until turned a dark rusty brown colour, stopping just before it starts to smoke. Remove from the heat and carefully pour in the salt and half the cream. The mixture will bubble violently so be careful and go slowly. Once the mixture has settled add the remaining cream followed by the butter. Place the pan back on the heat and cook another two minutes to thicken the caramel a little and ensure it is smooth. Pour into a jar and refrigerate until cooled and firm (this is best done at least a few hours in advance as the caramel will take a fairly long time to cool).

In a medium sized saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, cocoa, salt and vanilla together. Once smooth remove from the heat and set aside for the moment. In a large bowl use an electric mixer to whisk together the sugars and eggs until slightly thickened and pale. Pour in the cocoa mixture and mix until smooth. Sieve over the four and fold together until combined.

Pour into a parchment lined 9x13 brownie pan and level out. Top with random dollops of caramel, about a teaspoon in size, using up the whole amount. This will look like a lot of caramel and it is, no one said this was a healthy recipe!

Bake at 180C (160C fan) for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the brownie comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. When it comes to a brownies nobody wants a dry brownie so it is best err on the side of caution, better to underbake a brownie then overbake it. Allow to cool for an hour or so before transferring to a fridge for a few hours, this helps set the brownies and makes them easier to cut. 

For the burnt meringue topping place all of the ingredients into a heatproof bowl and whisk gently over a pan of simmering water until the sugar has dissolved. Take from the heat and whisk on high speed until the meringue hold stiff glossy peaks. Spread over the brownies and brown with a blowtorch.  

Before the meringue is added the brownies can be kept in a sealed container for up to four days but once the meringue has been added these are best within a day so these are best made for a event where there will be lots of willing recipients.

The Perfect Pavlova

This is one of those recipes that is great to have in your back pocket. Once you know the technique you can make dessert with a bare minimum of ingredients and such little effort. 

Pavlova supposedly gets its name from the ballerina Anna Pavlova, maybe she was a fan of meringue or maybe the restaurant owner was a little smitten and wanted to charm her with dessert. Whatever the origin the country of origin is a little controversial, some claim it can be credited to Australia, others New Zealand, some people even say it has it roots in the US. Wherever the dessert hails from it spread worldwide to become one of the most popular desserts. 

I generally tend to think of it as a summer dessert, pairing beautifully with summer berries, but there is nothing stopping this from being a great year round dessert, topping the meringue with whatever ingredients you have on hand. 

For some reason Pavlova has a reputation of being tricky and I think that is a little unwarranted. It is a very quick process with just a few ingredients. There are a few things to bare in mind though that will help make your pavlova a success every time. 

Use older egg whites. Very fresh egg whites dont whip as easily or to the same volume as older eggs, so dont pavlova with eggs straight from the supermarket. In a similar vein, dont use cold egg whites, they take longer to whisk up. 

Whisk slowly. When you are whisking the meringue with the sugar, if you whisk on high speed, you're likely get to stiff peaks before the sugar has had a chance to dissolve, which can lead to sugar leaking out of the baked pavlova. A more sedate medium speed allows the sugar to fully dissolve before getting to the perfect texture. 

Add an acid and cornflour. The perfect pavlova has a crisp exterior and a soft pillowy, almost marshmallow like inside. The acid (my preference is lemon juice, I dont really like a meringue that tastes of vinegar) helps to stabilise the meringue and the cornflour helps the pavlova retain moisture, creating the characteristic soft inside. 

Bake low and slow. To get that perfect pavlova texture you bake the meringue mixture initially at a relatively higher temperature to help set the outside of the pavlova and give a nice crisp crust. The temperature is then turned down low and baked slowly. This prevents the pavlova turning crunchy and also keeps it bright and white. 

Pavlova Recipe
6 large egg whites
350g caster sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp cornflour
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping
600ml Double cream
lots and lots of berries

To make the pavlova preheat the oven to 130C and line a baking tray with parchment paper, drawing an 8-inch circle on the back as a template.

Rub a cut lemon around the inside of your bowl, this adds a little acid to help stabilise the meringue but also remove any residual fat on the sides of the bowl. Add the egg whites to the bowl and using an electric mixer whisk on medium speed. When whisking the bubbles will start off large and the mixture will still look rather wet. When the bubbles have increased in amount but become smaller in size, slowly start adding the sugar a tablespoon at a time. Continue whisking at medium speed until the meringue is stiff and glossy. You should also be able to rub the meringue between your fingers and not feel any sugar grains. 

Add the cornflour, lemon juice and vanilla and whisk for a couple minutes to combine evenly. Scrape the meringue onto the parchment paper, pilling high in the middle of the circle. To create a decorative pattern carefully spread the meringue to the edges of the circle and like you’re a smoothing the buttercream on the sides of a cake, smooth out the sides of meringue so it is high and smooth. Use the back of your spatula to draw lines onto the sides of pavlova, at an angle, repeating around the whole side of the pavlova. Make these marks quite deep as they will lose some definition in the oven. 

Place the pavlova into the oven and bake for 10 minutes before reducing the temperature to 90C and baking for a total of about 90 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow the pavlova to cool fully in the oven. This slow cooling down helps prevent the pavlova from cracking too much. 

To serve top the pavlova with lightly whipped cream and lots and lots of fresh berries. Once topped with cream and fruit serve immediately. 

Strawberry Galette

I seem to be going through something of a pie phase at the moment. I am working on a feature that includes a few pies and it has become an obsession to make the perfect pie dough and fillings. To illustrate my obsession, as I write this I have five separate batches of pie dough in the fridge, shortly to be turned into a whole variety of pies, in fact I probably actually host a four course pie dinner at the rate I am going. Suffice to say I love making pies, but there is many an occasion that a full pie, with a lattice crust, multiple stages and a long prep time is just not what I need. This quick strawberry galette, with its quick prep time and minimal ingredients is therefore my perfect summer dessert. The pastry is quick and simple and the filling couldn't be more straight forward. Even better than the simplistic nature of this recipe is the fact that this is a simple rustic affair and perfection isn't actually desirable. No more worrying about trying to make a fancy recipe live up to the picture, there is actually something beautiful in the simplicity of this recipe, plus it will be devoured in minutes so no one is going to care what it looks like.

For this recipe I have hopped over onto @QKatie's YouTube channel to show her how to make the galette so head over there and give it a watch. On my channel this week, Katie shows me how to make something a little unusual; black sesame cupcakes with avocado frosting, go and check it out!

Strawberry Galette
Cornmeal Crust
175g plain flour
75g coarse cornmeal
2-3tbsp caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt
125g unsalted butter, diced
4tbsp ice cold water

Filling
500g sliced strawberries
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
100g ground almonds

Preheat the oven to 190C (170C fan).

To make the pastry place all the dry goods into a large bowl and mix together to combine. Add the butter and toss in the flour to coat. Using a flat edged knife or a pastry blender cut in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Drizzle in the water a bit at a time, using the knife to stir it into the flour mixture. Once all of the water has been added the mixture should be starting to form clumps. At this stage tip out the dough onto the worksurface and use your hands to bring together into a ball. Flatten into a disc and wrap in clingfilm, refrigerate for about an hour before using. 

When ready to bake make the filling by simply tossing together the strawberries, caster sugar and cornflour, setting aside until needed. On a lightly floured worksurface roll out the pastry into a large circle, about 3mm thick. Sprinkle over the ground almonds leaving a thick border around the outside clean. Spread the strawberries over the almonds and fold the excess pastry over the strawberry filling. Brush the pastry with a little beaten egg and sprinkle with demerara sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Allow the tart to cool before serving. 

No Churn Chai Ice Cream

Let me start with a caveat, when I developed this recipe we were in the middle of a heatwave, the allusive 30C was hit and Londoners abandoned trousers in favour of shorts in droves, you'd think we’d never experienced heat before! But as seems to be the case every year, we got our two weeks of sun so naturally its now back to rain and weather that seemingly changes by the hour. But the good thing is that I can happily eat ice cream whatever the weather, sometimes there is nothing better than a cosy night inside whilst it pours down outside, crashed on the sofa with a bowl of ice cream.

Now this recipe, the simplest ice cream you’ll ever make, came as a result of a challenge from Typhoo Tea. They wanted to challenge me to find out which Typhoo Tea is my favourite and how I could incorporate it into a recipe. Now if you know me you know I absolutely love tea, its the first thing I have in the morning and often the last thing at night too. I occasionally flirt with fancier blends of tea like earl grey but I always come back to the good ol’ british cuppa, strong black tea with milk; its warm and comforting and there is nothing better after a long day. But getting tea into baking? How do we do that? Infusion seems the obvious way to go as it gives lots of flavour but doesn't leave behind grainy pieces of tea. Strong black tea infused said one thing to me and thats a glorious mug of chai and as it’s the height of summer a chai ice cream was begging to be made

Now a quick note about the YouTube video that accompanies this recipe. I am well aware that for no apparent reason I keep referring to this recipe as chai tea ice cream which literally means tea tea ice cream. Now I love tea but tea tea ice cream! Stupidly this is actually one of my linguistical bugbears, its redundant and really I should have been calling this recipe Masala Chai Ice Cream which indicates it is spiced tea, not just tea on its own. Regardless of my butchering of the wording, this ice cream is still blooming delicious!

Because I wanted the tea flavour to stand up to the spices and not be overwhelmed I didn't want a light tea but something a little more robust so the classic Typhoo works beautifully, but you could also be using Typhoo extra strong if you really want to give the tea flavour extra oomph. The recipe below uses my favourite blend of spices for masala chai but everyones preference varies and there is no definitive recipe so use whatever spice blend you prefer. 

No Churn Masala Chai Ice Cream
600ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, roughly chopped
1 cinnamon stick
5 cardamom pods
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
3 cloves
1/4 tsp black peppercorns
1/4 tsp pink peppercorns
4 Typhoo tea bags
1x395g tin of condensed milk

To make the ice cream you need first to infuse the spices and tea into the cream. Pour the cream into a medium sized saucepan and add the vanilla, ginger and cinnamon, breaking the cinnamon in half to help it infuse properly. Place the remaining spices into a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and briefly pulse/bash until broken up but not yet a fine powder. Add the spices to the cream along with the tea bags and over medium/high heat bring the cream to a boil. Turn off the heat, place a lid on the pan and set aside for about an hour. Pour into a heat proof container and chill until cold (I tend to do this in the evening and allow it fully cool overnight). 

When ready to make the ice cream pour the condensed milk into a large bowl and set aside for the moment. Pour the cream mixture into a large bowl through a fine sieve to remove the spices and tea bags. The important part here is to press firmly on the tea bags as they hold a lot of cream and therefore a lot of flavour. Using a balloon whisk, whisk the cream until it holds soft peaks (if you whisk to stiff peaks it wont combine with the condensed milk very easily and you will lose a lot of volume). Working in thirds fold the whipped cream into the condensed milk until no white streaks remain. Pour the ice cream into a freezer safe container, cover and freeze for a few hours before serving. Because this is a cheat ice cream it doesn't keep very long, a week at the most. 

This post is sponsored by Typhoo Tea but opinions are mine

Peach Pie Cocktail

It is cocktail time! After last week’s recipe showing you how to use a jam in a bake, I thought I would show you something a little more grown up, a peach pie cocktail using homemade peach jam. 

It is such a simple but slightly unusual way of using jam but it actually is playing two roles. Firstly, the jam acts as a sweetener so you need less sugar syrup and then the more important part, it adds flavour. It is a great way of using those last little bits of jam you have at the back of the fridge and there would be so many different cocktails you could using jam in, use blackberry in a bramble, or maybe strawberry jam in a daiquiri? 

The jam itself in this recipe is super simple, just like the others I have shown you over the last few weeks. What I hope you've learnt is that jam making is a lot easier than you thought and that you will all give it a go, especially now when so much wonderful fruit is in season. 

Don’t forget that the Tate and Lyle Great British Jam Awards are still open until the 6th July so there is still plenty of time to enter and try your hands at winning! As a quick reminder, there are three categories you can enter ‘traditional jam with a twist’ ‘jam bake’ and ‘jam on the rocks’. You can find the full details for the competition and of course the important prize details at facebook.com/welovebaking 

Peach Jam
Makes 2x380g jars

500g peaches, stoned and diced (skin on or off)
500g Tate & Lyle Jam Sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 vanilla bean

First things first it is time for a basic but incredibly important step, sterilising the jars. Wash the jars and lids with hot soapy water then place onto a roasting tray and place into an oven heated to 180C for about 15 mins. This is a boring step, I know, but it just means the jams you are lovingly making will last 6 months without needing to refrigerate the unopened jars. Just before you start making the jam pop a couple plates into the freezer.

Place the pan with all of the ingredients onto the hob, set over medium/low heat and cook, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat to medium/high and bring the jam to a rolling boil and cook for about 10 minutes. 

To test if the jam is fully cooked there are a few simple ways you can check. The first is the flake test. Lift the wooden spoon above the pan and allow the jam to drip back into the pan, if some drips,  cling to the spoon rather than running off back into the pan you're good. My preferred way of testing the jam is to take one of the plates out of the freezer and spoon on a little of the jam. Pop the plate aside for a minute or so before pushing the jam with your finger and if it wrinkles it will set, if it is still liquid, cook it for a little longer. 

Once the jam has finished cooking turn off the heat and leave for a minute or so then transfer carefully to a jug, to ease pouring it into jars. If there is any foam on top carefully skim that off and discard (there is nothing wrong with the foam, you could happily stir it back into the jam if you are feeling lazy, but technically the foam is full of air and can make the jam spoil a little quicker, also it just looks ugly so skim away). Remove the jars from the oven and carefully divide the jam between the jars, sealing tightly. Kept in a cool place they should keep for up to 6 months. 

Peach Pie Cocktail
Makes 1

1 tbsp peach jam
1/2 tsp cinnamon
50ml vodka
1 tsp sugar syrup
juice 1/2 lemon

To make the cocktail place all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds. 

Pour the cocktail into a glass filled with ice and garnish with a couple slices of peach. Serve immediately. 

Post sponsored by Tate & Lyle but recipe content/words/opinions are my own.

Pear and Raspberry Bakewell Brioche Buns

It's jam time again, and this week I have two recipes for you! Firstly, the simplest, easiest jam recipe going and secondly a fabulous brunch bake to use that in

When I was little the one jam we had in the house at all times was raspberry jam, mainly because my family absolutely love a classic sherry trifle and there was no way we were making it with jelly! I watched my mum make that jam so many times that it's basically imprinted onto my mind. Apart from being one of the UK’s most popular jams (after strawberry I would imagine) it also happens to be the best jam to start with. Why? Because raspberries are high in pectin so it sets very easily, and using Tate & Lyle Jam Sugar it is basically foolproof.

Once you have made the raspberry jam you could happily just eat it on your morning toast, but why not make these bakewell brioche buns for brunch this weekend, it’s a much more fun use of the jam. Make the dough on Saturday night and in the morning, you only have a little bit of work before serving your family or friends these ridiculously good buns!

Whilst I have given you a basic raspberry jam recipe below, I also wanted to share my favourite way to give this recipe a simple twist, turning a basic bake into something a little more interesting and sophisticated. 

Near the end of the process add a little rose extract and, if you fancy, some dried rose petals (food grade only, no flowers from the florist please). It is up to you how strong you go but for me, rose and raspberry is a phenomenal combination. I don't really do subtle, but if you just want a hint of rose you can happily adjust as you prefer. 

If you haven’t done so already, make sure you check out The Tate & Lyle Great British Jam Awards here (hyperlink to WLB Facebook) – I’m looking forward to seeing your entries!

Easy Raspberry Jam
Makes 2x380g Jars

500g Raspberries
500g Tate & Lyle Jam Sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

The first step as always is sterilising the jars. Wash the jars and lids with hot soapy water then place onto a roasting tray and place into an oven heated to 180C for about 15 mins. Just before you start making the jam pop a plate into the freezer.

Place all of the ingredients into a large saucepan and set onto the hob set over medium/low heat and cook, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat to medium/high and bring the jam to a rolling boil and cook for about 10 minutes. 

To test if the jam is fully cooked there are a few simple ways you can check. The first is the flake test. Lift the wooden spoon above the pan and allow the jam to drip back into the pan, if some drips cling to the spoon rather than running off back into the pan you're good. My preferred way of testing the jam though is to take the plate out of the freezer and spoon on a little of the jam. Pop the plate aside for a minute or so before pushing the jam with your finger, if it wrinkles it will set, if it is still liquid cook it for a little longer. 

Once the jam has finished cooking turn off the heat and leave for a minute or so to let it settle. If there is any foam on top carefully skim that off and discard (there is nothing wrong with the foam, you could happily stir it back into the jam if you are feeling lazy, but technically the foam is full of air and can make the jam spoil a little quicker, also it just looks ugly so skim away). Remove the jars from the oven and carefully divide the jam between the jars sealing immediately.

Bakewell Brioche Buns
Makes 8

Brioche
180g plain flour
180g strong bread flour
20g Tate & Lyle Golden Caster Sugar
1 tsp salt
7g dried fast action yeast
3 large eggs, plus extra for egg wash
85ml whole milk
225g diced unsalted butter, at room temperature

Frangipane
60g unsalted butter, room temperature
60g Tate & Lyle Golden Caster Sugar
60g ground almonds
1 tbsp plain flour
1 large egg
raspberry jam (see above)
8 tinned pear halves (you can poach your own but for simplicity I am using tinned this time
50g flaked almonds

For the brioche, place the flour, sugar, salt and yeast into a large bowl and mix together. Add the eggs and milk and mix to form a rough shaggy dough. Using an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook knead this mixture on medium/low speed for about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. With the mixer still running add in the butter a little at a time. 

Once all of the butter has been incorporated, knead for a further 10-15 minutes or until the dough is elastic and no longer sticking to the side of the bowl. Scrape the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with clingfilm, then pop the bowl in the fridge overnight. 

In the morning, pull the dough from the fridge and divide into 8 equal pieces and form into balls. Roll into flat discs, about 10-12cm wide and place onto parchment lined baking trays and lightly cover with clingfilm, setting aside for about 45 minutes or until risen and puffy. Preheat the oven to 190C (170C fan).

Whilst the dough is rising make the frangipane by beating together the butter, sugar and almonds until light and smooth. Add the egg and flour and stir to combine. 

When ready to assemble the buns, use your fingers to gently form a depression in the middle of each round of dough, leaving a rough 2cm border. Fill the depression with a couple teaspoons of your delicious jam and top with the frangipane, carefully spreading to the edge. 

Slice each pear half into thin slices and place gently on top of the frangipane, pressing in just a little bit. Brush the brioche border with a beaten egg and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Bake the buns in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. 

Remove from the oven and serve whilst still a little warm. These are best on the day they are made but can be gently rewarmed in the oven the day after baking if you don't eat them all in the first sitting. 

This post is sponsored by Tate and Lyle but the content, words and opinions are mine.