tiramisu

serves 12+ 

20cm X 30cm shallow dish

4 free-range eggs; separated: 3 egg whites and 4 yolks

75g caster sugar

500g mascarpone

4 tbsp sweet marsala wine

450ml good, strong coffee with 2 tsp of sugar

30 savoiardi or boudoir biscuits

Valor cocoa powder to dust or dark chocolate to make chocolate shavings

1. Whisk the 3 egg whites in a bowl until you have stiff peaks.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the 4 egg yolks and caster sugar until pale and voluminous.

3. Then, a little at a time, whisk in the mascarpone.

4. With a large metal spoon, fold in the egg whites taking to knock out as little air as pos.

5. Combine the marsala with the coffee and pour it into a large bowl.

6. Dip the biscuits in the coffee mixture until moist before laying them out in your serving dish.

7. Spoon the mascapone mix (about a third) over the layer of biscuits; then. sprinkle over some cacoa.

8. Repeat steps 6 and 7.

9. Cover with a final layer of mascapone mix and sprinkle of cocoa.

10. Cover with film and refrigerate for 5 hours before serving. Re-sprinkle before serving.

tarte tartin

We give thanks to Stéphanie Tatin for this dish: traditionally made with apples from Lamotte-Beuvro (Hotel Tatin's location); it is now made with any fruit that will hold its shape in the cooking process.

serves 5

5 small pears: I used Ercolina pears

200g white granulated sugar

50ml water

50g butter

A good pinch of Maldon sea salt

150g hojaldre: shortcrust pastry

1. Halve, peel and core the pears. Leave, uncovered, in the fridge for 24 hours-

N.B. This will help to dry out the fruit before cooking; or you will end up with a puddle.

2. In a 20cm oven-proof pan; add the water to the sugar and leave to absorb for a couple of minutes.

3. Heat over a moderate heat until you have a good caramel colour. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter with a pinch of salt.

4. Carefully place the cut halves of pear into the fudge mix: whichever way up you like; cut side up is prettier, cut side down more caramelised fruit surface.

5.  Return to the hob and cook over a moderate heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.

6. Preheat the oven to 200ºC.

7. Roll out the cold pastry to a thickness of 5mm and a slightly larger diameter than the pan.

8. Place the pastry circle on top of the pears and tuck the edge down.

9. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

10. Using oven gloves and the serving plate: flip over the tarte.

11. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving with a quinelle of crème fraîche.

Helado de Albaricoques / Apricot Ice Cream

serves 6-8

570ml whipping cream 35.1%

1 vanilla pod

150g caster sugar

6 free-range egg yolks

300g puréed apricot

1. Split the vanilla pod and remove the seeds. 

2. Pour the cream into a saucepan and add the vanilla seeds and pod. Over a medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer and immediately remove from the heat; and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream the egg yolks and sugar till pale and thick.

4. Remove the vanilla pod and whisk the cream into the egg yolk mixture. 

5. Return to the saucepan and, over a medium heat, stir continuously and cook until the custard thickens: coating the back of a spoon.

6. Pour back into the bowl add the puréed fruit and leave to cool. Then cool further in the fridge.

7. After about an hour transfer the mixture to a deep, metal oven dish and transfer to the freezer.

8. After 45 minutes, remove the mixture and stir vigorously. The important thing is to break up the forming ice crystal into smaller pieces: the smaller, the better.

9. Return to the freezer for a further 30 minutes. Remove, stir vigorously and return to the freezer.

10. Repeat step 9 for 2-3 hours.

N.B. You can use a hand whisk or hand blender, if you like. 

Biscotti

Biscotti are great with coffee, tea, breakfast or dessert; you can even dip them in Mistela. The name comes from the fact they are cooked twice: bis cotti. The same as our biscuit (from the French) and the Spanish bizcocho.

makes ~24

250g plain flour

250g caster sugar

11/2 tsp baking powder

3 free-range eggs ~50g each

100g dried apricots ( ecological ones are delicious).

80g de-stoned dried dates

100g shelled pistachios

80g roasted hazelnuts

Zest of 1 large lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Chop the dried apricots and dates.

3. Add all the ingredients (except the eggs) to a large bowl.

4. Now the messy / important bit: break the 3 eggs into the mixture and combine using the fingers on one hand in a circular motion.

5. With clean well floured hands and work surface, divide the mixture in 2 and roll into thick sausages.

6. Transfer to a lined baking tray and bake for 20 minutes on until lightly golden brown.

7. Remove and leave to cool and harden for 10 minutes before cutting into 5-10mm diagonal slices.

8. Lay them out on the lined baking tray and return to the oven for 8 minutes.

9. Turn them over and bake for a further 10 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

N.B. You can store biscotti in an air-tight container for months.

Raspberry Tart / Hojaldre de Frambuesas

makes 2 x 12cm 

125g fresh raspberries

100g puff pastry

1 free-range egg, lightly beaten

for the crème pâtissière

3 free-range egg yolks

37g caster sugar

13g plain flour

10g cornflour

250ml milk (I used semi-skimmed lactose free!)

2 tbsp apricot jam

2 tbsp water

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC

2. Grease (with butter) and flour 2 X 12cm loose-bottomed tins.

3. Roll out the pastry, drop into the tin. Place in a sheet of baking parchment and pour in the dried beans.

4. Blind-bake for 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans. Egg-wash the pastry and return to the oven for another 5 minutes or until light, golden brown.

5. Leave to cool for about 15 minutes.

for the créme pâtissiëre

6. Warm the milk with the vanilla pods and seeds.

7. Cream the sugar, flour and egg yolks together until the mix becomes lighter in colour.

8. Remove the vanilla pods and slowly whisk the milk into the creamed mix.

9. Return to a moderate heat and whisk continually. Once the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat and transfer to a clean bowl. Sprinkle the surface with caster sugar to prevent a skin forming.

10. Leave to cool.

11. Remove the pastry from its tin. Cover the bottom with a layer of créme pat. Press the raspberries down into the créme pat.

12. Heat the jam and water together until you have a loose, runny liquid. Paint this over the fruit and pastry. Chill.

Hojaldre de albaricoques / apricot tart

serves 7

230g puff pastry

for the créme pâtissière

250ml full fat milk

2 vanilla pods, seeds removed and pods retained

3 free-range eggs, yolks only

60g caster sugar

25g plain flour

1 egg, beaten.

250g apricots

2 tbsp apricot jam

3 tbsp water

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC

2. Grease (with butter) and flour a 23cm / 9" loose-bottomed tin

3. Roll out the pastry, drop into the tin. Place in a sheet of baking parchment and pour in the dried beans.

4. Blind-bake for 17 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans. Egg-wash the pastry and return to the oven for another 7 minutes or until light, golden brown.

5. Leave to cool for about 15 minutes.

for the créme pâtissiëre

6. Warm the milk with the vanilla pods and seeds.

7. Cream the sugar, flour and egg yolks together until the mix becomes lighter in colour.

8. Remove the vanilla pods and slowly whisk the milk into the creamed mix.

9. Return to a moderate heat and whisk continually. Once the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat and transfer to a clean bowl. Place a circle of parchment on the surface to prevent a skin forming.

10. Leave to cool.

11. Remove the pastry from its tin. Cover the bottom with a layer of créme pat. Press the fruit cut-side down into the créme pat.

12. Heat the jam and water together until you have a loose, runny liquid. Paint this over the fruit and pastry. Chill

Lovely chocolate mous'e

for the mousse
225g dark chocolate, bashed up
70g unsalted butter
350ml whipping cream
2 large eggs
1 tbsp Baileys
2 tbsp runny honey

for the sunflower seed toffee snaps
200g caster sugar
15g sunflower seeds 

serves 2 x 3

for the mousse
Slowly melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water; (making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl) then remove from the heat.

In a separate bowl whisk the cream until you have soft peaks. In a third bowl whisk the eggs and honey until lght and fluffy; then gently (so you don't lose too much air) fold in the Baileys, melted chocolate mixture and cream. Pour into glasses or cups and chill for about an hour.

for the sunflower seed toffee snaps
Put the sugar and 3 tablespoons of water in a pan over a medium heat. It will become a syrup. When it starts to colour slowly stir in the sunflower seeds. When your syrup reaches a deep golden colour pour onto a sheet of greaseproof paper and spread out using a pallet or large knife. As it cools you can use cutters to achieve the shapes you want - be careful it's hot!

¡de rechupete!