4 bananas 1 x 380g tin of caramel treat 4 x 250ml Rice Krispies
Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cups. Add 3 bananas to a mixing bowl and mash until smooth. Add 190ml of the caramel and mix through. Now add the Rice Krispies and mix thoroughly. Divide the mixture evenly amongst the paper cups, pressing in the cup with the bottom of a shot glass to create a hollow centre. Now add a teaspoon caramel to each Rice Krispie cup. Slice the last banana into 12 slices and place a slice on top of each Rice Krispie cup. Refrigerate the cups for 1 hour.
1 x 200g packet of coconut biscuits (Tennis biscuits) 80g butter, melted 800g cream cheese 250g crème fraîche 180g caster sugar 40g flour 4 eggs grated rind of 3 lemons 100ml lemon juice 10ml vanilla Meringue: 4 egg whites 70g sugar a pinch of salt
Preheat your oven to 140℃ and spray a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with cooking spray. Break the biscuits into the bowl of a food processor and blitz to crumbs. Drizzle in the melted butter with the engine running. The mixture should resemble wet sand. Spoon the biscuit mixture into the prepared cake tin, spread it out evenly and press it down on the bottom with the back of a spoon. Set aside. Add the cream cheese, crème fraîche, caster sugar, flour, eggs, lemon rind, lemon juice and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until you have a very smooth mixture. Set aside. Wrap the outside of the prepared cake tin with aluminium foil, place the tin in a roasting tin and pour 2-3cm water into the roasting tin. Place in the oven and bake for 1,5-2 hours, until set like wobbly jelly. Turn off the oven, open the door and allow the cake to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the cheesecake in the baking tin for 3-4 hours.
Meringue: Add the egg whites, sugar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (without the bottom touching the water). Whisk the mixture by hand until the sugar has dissolved and it burns your finger when you touch it. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and whisk at the highest speed until firm, glossy peaks form. Spoon or pipe the meringue onto the cheesecake and flame with a blowtorch before serving.
100g pistacchio nuts, roughly chopped about 16 medium figs 50ml honey
For the pastry: Add the butter and sifted icing sugar to the bowl of a food processor. Run the machine until the mixture is well combined and pasty. Add the flour and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. Scrape down. Drizzle a few drops of the egg into the bowl with the engine running. Add a few more drops at a time until the mixture comes together. (You may have egg left and that is okay – the less you need the crispier the pastry!) Shape the pastry into a disc, wrap it with cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 190℃. You will use a 22cm loose-bottom flan tin but do not spray or butter the tin! Roll the pastry to a 3mm thickness and line the bottom and sides of the tin. Dock the pastry with a fork and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove the baking paper and weights/beans and set aside to cool.
For the Crème Pâtissière: Add the corn flour to a mixing bowl. Pour a small amount of the milk into the owl and stir to make a slurry with the corn flour. Add the egg yolks and half the sugar. Whisk by hand until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside. Pour the rest of the milk and the rest of the sugar into a small saucepan. Set over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Take the milk from the heat as soon as tiny bubbles start to appear around the edge of the saucepan. Drizzle the warm mixture onto the egg mixture in a very thin stream while whisking continuously. Now pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place on a medium-low heat. Stir until the mixture is thick and smooth. Allow to cook for about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl, place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface and allow to cool completely.
Whisk the mixture by hand once it is at room temperature, until it is smooth. Spoon it into a piping bag and pipe into the prepared pastry shell. Scatter the chopped pistachio evenly over the surface. Cut a cross into the top third of each fig and place the figs side-by-side on the pistachio. Drizzle the honey over the figs before serving.
This recipe makes 12 small desserts or 6 substantial portions, served in glasses or ramekins.
1 x 200g packet of coconut biscuits (Tennis biscuits) 80ml desiccated coconut 1 x 385g can of condensed milk 80ml lemon juice 250g smooth cream cheese, room temperature 250ml fresh cream 2 x large mango, cubed
Break the biscuits into large pieces and place in a plastic bag. Crush them lightly with a rolling pin but keep some texture/not too fine. Add the coconut, mix through and divide amongst 12 serving glasses. Set aside. Pour the condensed milk and lemon juice into a mixing bowl and beat together with an electric whisk until incorporated. Add the cream cheese and mix again on high speed until the mixture is completely smooth. Set aside. Pour the cream into a mixing bowl and beat until it forms medium-stiff peaks. Add the cream to the condensed milk mixture and fold through until it is thoroughly blended. Spoon the cheesecake mixture into the glasses and gently tap the glass so that the mixture settles into the crumb. Refrigerate for a minimum of one hour. Peel the mango and cut into cubes. Spoon the fruit on top of each cheesecake, sprinkle some coconut shavings on top and serve.
500g self-raising flour 10ml cream of tartar 10ml bicarbonate of soda 10ml ground ginger 2ml salt 170g butter, cubed 170g golden syrup 350g brown sugar 2 eggs 12 chocolate balls, halved 250ml cream, whipped
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 24-hole mini-muffin pan with cooking spray. Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and salt. Add the cubed butter and rub in with your fingers. Set aside. Add the syrup and sugar to a saucepan set of medium-low heat and stir until the sugar has almost completely dissolved. The mixture should be very runny. Cool for 5 minutes. Whisk the eggs together in a bowl and add it to the syrup mixture while whisking. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly – there should be no dry flour left. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into balls and place in the muffin pans. Flatten the balls with your fingers and then make an indent with a small shot glass/the back of a lemon juicer. See video below. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately press the indents like you did before baking. Place half a chocolate ball in each hollow and set aside to cool. Top each ginger cup with whipped cream to serve.
250g dark chocolate, chopped 250g biscuits, something like ginger biscuits, finger biscuits, Marie biscuits or digestives 100g soft butter 150g caster sugar 3 eggs 30ml vanilla 30ml cocoa powder 75g almond nuts, chopped 75g pecan nuts, chopped 50g pistachio nuts, chopped 30ml icing sugar, sifted, to decorate twine, to decorate
Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over simmering water and allow to melt until completely smooth. Set aside to cool. Bash the biscuits in a plastic bag but keep it chunky. Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together. Gradually, and one by one, add the eggs – do not worry if it looks as though it has curdled at this stage. Add the vanilla and mix until blended. Sift the cocoa powder into the cooled chocolate and mix through. Now add the chocolate to the egg mixture and mix through on low speed. Take the bowl from the mixer and add the crushed biscuits and all of the nuts. Mix well. Refrigerate the mixture (in the bowl is fine) for about 30 minutes. Cover your working surface with plastic wrap. Roll the mixture into a log shape with your hands until it resembles a fat salami, about 30cm long. Cover the log with the plastic wrap and roll it, as if it were a rolling pin, to create a smooth cylinder. Twist the ends and make a knot. Refrigerate the log for at least 6 hours. Take the salami out of the fridge and lay it on baking paper. Rub some icing sugar over and tie with string to give it an authentic look. Slice into discs to serve.
Preheat your oven to 150℃. Draw a 22cm diameter circle on a piece of baking paper and place on a baking sheet. Add the egg whites to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until soft peak stage. Add the sugar a spoonful at a time while whisking continuously. Add the vinegar, cornflour and vanilla and fold through. Spoon the mixture onto the circle (on the prepared tray) and shape it into a round dome. Place the pavlova in the oven and turn the temperature down to 120℃. Bake the pavlova for 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn off the oven but do not open the oven door. Allow the pavlova to cool in the oven for 2 hours. Whip the fresh cream and spoon onto the fully cooled pavlova. Top with the cherries and strawberries and drizzle over some passionfruit.
170ml condensed milk 30ml matcha powder 360g white chocolate, chopped 2,5ml salt 2,5ml vanilla
Prepare a 20cm x 20cm baking tin by lining it with baking paper. Pour the condensed milk into a small saucepan and sift the matcha powder over it. Place the saucepan on a low heat and stir until the mixture is hot. Add the white chocolate, salt and vanilla. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and stir continuously until the chocolate has melted completely. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and leave to cool completely. Refrigerate the fudge for 3 hours or longer. Slice the fudge and sift over some matcha powder.
90ml Biscoff spread 300ml cream, cold (60ml Biscoff spread, if you want a sauce to drizzle over the mousse)
Measure the Biscoff spread into a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Give it a good stir and wait for the melted spread to cool down and come to room temperature. (when you can not feel a temperature difference when dipping your finger into it!!!) Pour the cream into a mixing bowl and whisk until you have stiff but not dry peaks. Pour the room temperature spread onto the whipped cream and very gently but thoroughly fold it through until no streaks are visible. Refrigerate the mousse for an hour. Pipe/scoop into glasses and serve.
Drizzle sauce: Microwave about 60ml of the spread for 30 seconds, until melted. Stir the mixture and stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Drizzle over the mousse before serving.
This is a cheat’s shortcut to cinnamon buns but in this case, made with puff pastry.
1 packet puff pastry 125ml cinnamon sugar egg-wash: 1 egg yolk + 30ml water whisked together 250ml icing sugar
Preheat your oven to 190℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Lay the puff pastry flat on a working surface and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over. Cut the pastry into strips that are more or less 1,5cm X 12cm. Roll each strip in its length and place each roll on the prepared baking sheet with the cut side up. (showing the spiral) Brush the rolls with the egg wash and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove the rolls and cool completely. Mix the glaze by sifting the icing sugar and adding a few drops of hot water at a time. Be careful not to add too much water at a time as you are looking for a very thick consistency. Now drizzle the glaze over the cooled pastries and set aside for about 30 minutes. Keep the pastries in a sealed container.
My Whisk and I 