Blackberry and Plum Crumble

I make this blackberry and plum crumble for my family who love crumble and have wanted

this combination of fruit since we tried a version at a restaurant. A hint of cinnamon gives it a real warming flavour.

It’s such a delightful winter dessert and so quick and simple to make.

Ingredients

150g blackberries

4 plums

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping

225g plain flour

100g butter

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons oats

Method

Pre heat oven to 190C / 170C fan

Wash your fruit and chop the plums into quarters and then cut the quarters in half again.

Spread in your baking dish and sprinkle over 1 tablespoons of brown sugar. Set aside and make your crumble topping.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together your diced butter, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and flour. Rub together to form the crumbly topping. Sprinkle all over the fruit and lastly scatter over the oats and another tablespoon of brown sugar.

Bake in the middle shelf of the oven for approximately 20 minutes. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes until the fruit stops bubbling and serve with the best vanilla ice cream you can.

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Coconut and White Chocolate Cheesecake

This white chocolate and coconut cheesecake is a little slice of heaven.

Creamy white chocolate and coconut topping with a crunchy biscuit base. Serve with berries to cut through the

sweetness and a dollop of thick fresh cream. It’s no bake so setting time aside it’s so quick and simple.

Ingredients

300g digestives

100g butter

350g cream cheese

5 tablespoons desiccated coconut

1 teaspoon maple syrup

Extra white chocolate and desiccated coconut to decorate.

Method

Start by greasing and lining an 8″ loose bottomed cake tin.

Wrap your biscuits in wax wrap and bash into pieces with a rolling pin, You can do this by blitzing in a food processor if you prefer.

Melt your butter in a large saucepan over a low heat and stir in your biscuit crumbs. Mix to ensure they all get coated in the butter.

Transfer them to your cake tin and press down to make a firm base.

Pop in the fridge while you mix up your cheesecake topping.

Snap up your white chocolate and melt it in a bowl in short bursts in a microwave or in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water. Stir until smooth.

In a large bowl beat together your cream cheese, maple syrup, and desiccated coconut along with the melted white chocolate. Whisk to fully combine and spread over your cheesecake base.

Allow to set in the fridge for a few hours or overnight if time permits.

Slide out your cheesecake from the tin and set on your desired plate. Scatter over the desiccated coconut reserved for decoration.

Finally drag a sharp knife along your white chocolate to create shavings and sprinkle these on top of your cheesecake.

White Chocolate Biscoff Mousses

There’s enough to do at Christmas without spending hours cooking each course. I love a quick and easy recipe that’s also delicious and that is what I aim to offer.

White chocolate mousse made with cream and marscapone which I think always makes creamy desserts that bit more luxurious. Sprinkled with Biscoff. It’s so elegant and pretty and tastes like Christmas in a glass. I make them the night before.

Makes 4

Ingredients

20g caster sugar

250g single cream

100g marscapone

125g white chocolate

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 Biscoff biscuits

Method

Mix all of your ingredients together except the white chocolate and Biscoff. I do this with an electric whisk to to make it as smooth as possible.

Melt your white chocolate in short bursts in the microwave or in a bowl over a pan of hot water.

Stir the chocolate and whisk into your mixture.

Crumble a little Biscoff into the bottom of the glass and spoon in your mixture so it’s 3/4 full.

Crumble a little more Biscoff on top.

Chill in the fridge for a few hours preferably overnight.

Chocolate and Cherry Brownies

Chocolate and cherry are two of my absolute favourite flavours. In these delicious brownies they are a match made in heaven. Squidgy, fudgy and bursting with an explosion of cherry flavour. Use whatever cherries you can get hold of. If you can find some kirsch soaked ones, then all the better.

Makes 12

Ingredients

300g milk chocolate

50g dark chocolate

250g butter

3 eggs

250g light brown sugar

110g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

150g cherries – glacé, fresh or kirsch soaked all the better

30g white chocolate (to drizzle over the mixture)

Method

Pre heat oven to 170c / 150c fan

Line and grease a 28x19cm tin. I used one that is perfect for a tray bake.

Snap up the milk and dark chocolate and place in a large pan with the butter.

Heat gently to melt together. Stirring all the while. Set aside to cool a little.

In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and sugar until thick and frothy.

Now pour in the melted chocolate.

Gently fold in the flour, then half of the cherries.

Now pour into your lined baking tin.

Place your white chocolate in a small pan and melt, stirring all the while.

Dot the rest of the cherries on top and drizzle over the white chocolate.

Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for approximately 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes or so.

Remove from tin, lifting out with the lining paper and cut into equal squares.

Pumpkin Spiced Apple and Pear Crumble

For me crumbles are the ultimate comfort food. This pumpkin spiced apple and pear crumble has all the autumnal feels.

Ingredients

2 pears

2 large bramley apples

1 teaspoon pumpkin spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon butter

Topping

225g plain flour

100g butter – diced

2 tablespoons brown sugar

To scatter over

1 tablespoon oats

1 tablespoon soft brown sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 190c / 170c fan

Peel, core and slice your apples and pears.

Add to a large pan with your tablespoon of butter and spices. Squeeze over your lemon.

Simmer gently over a low heat for 5 minutes or so to soften, stirring all the while.

Transfer to your baking dish.

In a separate large mixing bowl, mix together your flour, diced butter and brown sugar. Rub together to form a crumbly mixture. When it’s suitably crumbly scatter it all over your fruit.

Press down slightly and scatter over your oats and tablespoon of brown sugar.

Bake in the centre of the oven for approximately 25 minutes.

Serve exactly how you desire.

Molten Chocolate Puddings with Raspberries

I’m not going to apologise. I have an insatiable sweet tooth. These however, seem to hit the spot. They are irresistible with a deep, hidden molten chocolate centre. They are unbelievably delicious. If I had a trumpet I would blow it.

Be careful though one might not be enough!

Ingredients

150g plain chocolate

115g butter

2 eggs

100g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

25g plain flour

Fresh raspberries to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 190c / 170c fan and grease 4 tin ramekins.

Place your broken up chocolate and butter in a large mixing bowl and melt by blasting for 30 seconds at a time until melted or in a bowl over a large saucepan of boiling water. Stir in between blasts to combine.

In a separate large bowl whisk together your eggs, sugar and vanilla extract with an electric whisk until thick and frothy.

Gently fold in the chocolate mixture and sift in the flour stirring to mix.

Divide between your ramekins. Place them on a baking sheet in the middle of the oven and bake for 12 minutes.

Remove from oven, sift over a little icing sugar and adorn with a fresh raspberry each. Devour!

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Probably the best recipe I have ever made. It’s genuinely amazing and like nothing I have had before. If you are a sticky toffee pudding lover or love one just make it and thank me later.

Ingredients

For the pudding

100g chopped dates

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

450ml water

60g butter – softened

170g soft light brown sugar

1 egg – beaten

225g self raising flour

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Sauce

100ml double cream

30g butter

60g light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger – grated

1/2 teaspoon mixed spice

Method

Pre heat oven to 180c / 160c

Line and grease a 26cm x 24cm oven proof dish

In the dish add your vanilla, bicarbonate of soda, water and chopped dates and stir to combine. Set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, beat together your butter, light brown sugar and gradually add in your beaten egg. Sift in your flour and stir gently into the mixture to combine.

Now add your mixed spice and cinnamon to the mixing bowl ensuring it is fully combined.

Add all of this mixture to the date mixture in the dish stirring together.

Place on the middle shelf of the oven for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile make up your sauce.

In a small saucepan over a low heat whisk together your double cream, butter, light brown sugar, ginger and mixed spice. Whisk for a couple of minutes until the sauce starts to thicken, then remove from the heat.

Once the pudding has reached it’s cooking time, remove from the oven and pour over the sauce. Serve with hot custard.

Caramelised Pineapple, Passion Fruit Malibu Sauce with Lime and Rhubarb Ice Cream

I love pimping up fruit. It makes it a bit more desirable to eat. This is such a lovely light dessert idea that couldn’t be simpler.

I paired it with rhubarb ice cream but vanilla or coconut would work.

Ingredients

1 pineapple

Zest and juice of a lime

2 teaspoons butter

2 tablespoons honey

35ml passion fruit Malibu

Ice cream to serve

Method

Chop up your pineapple into long slices and set aside.

Heat together your honey and butter in a frying pan over a low heat. Now add your pineapple slices turning every now and then for around 6 minutes or so.

While this is gently bubbling away mix up your lime zest and juice along with the Malibu in a separate bowl. Pour this over the pineapple and let bubble away for a couple of minutes until it caramelises.

Serve immediately with ice cream and lime garnish. Spoon over a little of the juice from the pan to make it a bit more saucy because everyone loves a bit of sauce!

Peach Crumble

Sometimes home is the only place you want to be especially in Autumn when it’s all cosy inside. I don’t make desserts every night but I always do on a Sunday. Sunday is my favourite day and my favourite thing to do is just to be at home cooking, not having to be in any particular place for a change.

Crumbles are definitely Sunday food. I make so many variations depending on what’s in season but this peach one is absolutely delightful and so quick and simple. I usually serve crumbles with custard in the colder months but it’s dull to be predictable so this one is lovely served with the best vanilla ice cream I can find.

Ingredients

2 tins of peaches

225 plain flour

1 tablespoon light brown soft sugar

Topping

225g plain flour

75g butter – diced

100g light brown soft sugar

1/2 cup oats

Method

Pre heat oven to 190C / 170C fan

Drain the peaches and pour into your oven proof dish.

Spread in your baking dish and sprinkle over 1 tablespoons of brown sugar. Set aside and make your crumble topping.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together your diced butter, sugar and flour. Rub together to form the crumbly topping. Sprinkle all over the peaches and lastly scatter over the oats.

Bake in the middle shelf of the oven for approximately 20 minutes. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes until the fruit stops bubbling and serve in your desired way.

Banana Split

This old school dessert is so quick and easy to make for the kids while they are off school. Even better get them making it themselves if you can stand the mess. I used Bounty chocolate sauce to drizzle over and it was divine. Sprinkles optional.

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 banana sliced length ways down the middle

2 scoops of ice cream

3 dollops of squirty cream

3 strawberries – cut in half

Teaspoon sprinkles

Drizzle of chocolate sauce

Method

Start by cutting your banana lengthways down the middle and place face up on the plate.

Scoop out 2 balls of ice cream or 3 if you are being traditional and place on top of the banana.

Now squirt on 3 dollops of squirty cream.

Sprinkle over your sprinkles and strategically dot on your strawberries.

Drizzle over your chocolate sauce and devour!