Nearly everyone loves cakes and desserts and creating them is almost as much fun as eating them. Here are a few that can be prepared in ‘one pot fashion’ or baked in the slow cooker. Some are healthier than others, but all of them are delicious. You will find many more cake and dessert recipes in my book Eat Well, Spend Less.
Baked Lemon Cheesecake
Flan dish (ideally one with a removable bottom or spring
½ packet of digestive biscuits
50g butter
4 eggs
500g cream cheese
150g fine sugar
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
150ml double cream
A sprinkling of nutmeg
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
- Place the biscuits in your food processor and whizz until they are reduced to crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, place them in a bag and crush gently with a wooden rolling pin until you have crumbs.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the biscuit crumbs ensuring they are evenly coated in butter.
- Spread over the base of your flan or pie dish.
- Separate the eggs. Place the whites in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy.
- In another bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, lemon and vanilla essence. When they are combined, add the egg yolks and cream and mix again.
- Carefully fold in the egg whites using a metal spoon until they are well combined. Pour over the biscuit base. Sprinkle generously with nutmeg.
- Bake in the oven for 40 minutes until firm. Remove from the oven and leave to cool before turning out of the tin and placing in the fridge to settle before serving.
Chocolate and Raspberry Pavlova
Mixer and baking tray
For the base
6 egg whites
300g sugar
50g cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon white vinegar
50g dark chocolate (85% cocoa), grated
For the topping
400ml double cream
250g raspberries
25g dark chocolate (85% cocoa), grated
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
- Whip the egg whites in a mixer until fluffy, and then gradually add the sugar until you form a firm meringue.
- Sprinkle the cocoa, vinegar and chocolate on top of the meringue and fold in.
- Spread over a lined baking tray to form a circle about 4–5cm (1½–2in) thick or more. Smooth over with a spatula.
- Turn down the oven to 150°C/gas mark 2 and bake for 1–1½ hours. The meringue should be firm and dry around the edges and top but slightly squidgy in the centre.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile whip the cream for the topping. (For extra decadence, add a tablespoon of liqueur to the whipped cream.)
- When the meringue is cool, spoon the cream on top and cover with raspberries. Enjoy!
Chocolate Mousse Cake
This is a really yummy dessert that will impress your family and friends, but be warned – it is very rich. A little goes a long way, so stick to modest-sized portions!
Saucepan and pie dish (ideally one with a removable bottom or spring)
For the base
½ packet of digestive biscuits
50g butter
For the topping
50g butter
50g mini marshmallows
75g plain chocolate
50ml orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250ml double cream
- Place the biscuits in your food processor and whizz until they are reduced to crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, place them in a bag and crush gently with a wooden rolling pin until you have crumbs.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the biscuit crumbs ensuring they are evenly coated in the butter. Spread over the base of your flan or pie dish.
- Chill the biscuit base in the fridge while you make the topping.
- In a saucepan, gently melt the butter, marshmallows, chocolate and orange juice. When they are melted, add the vanilla extract.
- Meanwhile whip the double cream to soft – not hard – whip.
- Leave the marshmallow and chocolate mixture to cool and then add to the whipped cream. Fold in carefully. If the mixture curdles, don’t worry, keep mixing and it will correct itself.
- Pour this onto the biscuit base and leave to set.
- You can decorate the cake with more whipped cream or simply cover it with a dusting of cocoa or icing sugar. At Christmas you could make a star or Christmas tree template to place over the flan before sprinkling with icing sugar.
Lemon Meringue Pie
This was my brother’s favourite when we were growing up – oh, the memories come flooding back (especially as I often wanted to aim one at his head)!
Saucepan and pie dish
For the lemon filling
200g caster sugar
50g cornflour
350ml water
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
25g butter
4 egg yolks
For the meringue topping
4 egg whites
75g caster sugar
- Preheat the oven 180°C/gas mark 4.
- You should have your pastry case, cooked and cooled, ready for use.
- In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornflour, water, lemon juice and zest. Heat slowly and gently, taking care not to let the mixture burn. When it is just below simmering, add the butter.
- Separate the eggs into two bowls. Beat the yolks and add a couple of spoonfuls of the cornflour mixture, then pour this back into the cornflour mix.
- Cook slowly until the mixture starts to thicken, then remove from the heat. You can now pour this into the pastry case.
- While the filling is cooling, prepare the meringue. Beat the egg whites until foaming and light. Add the sugar and continue to whip until the mixture forms peaks – you should be able to turn the bowl upside down and the meringue remains inside.
- Spread the meringue over the filling, making sure you cover the edges well to help seal the flan.
- Bake for 10–15 minutes, until the meringue is golden.
- Serve hot or cold.
Steamed Raisin and Apple Pudding
Slow cooker or steamer
75g butter
75g brown sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
150g self-raising flour
100g raisins
2 cooking apples, diced
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
A generous grating of nutmeg
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs, beat well and follow with the sifted flour and lemon zest.
- Add the raisins, apples, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir well.
- Spoon the mixture into a greased 1 litre pudding basin.
- Cover with greaseproof paper, followed by two layers of tinfoil. Tie firmly with string to secure.
- Steam in a steamer for 1½ hours. Alternatively, place in a slow cooker. Fill the cooker with enough warm water to reach halfway up the sides of the pudding basin. Turn the cooker to high and cook for 2–3 hours.
- Serve with home-made custard or a dollop of crème fraiche.
Key Lime Pie
You can make this by simply mixing two cans of condensed milk with your limes, but I have opted for a slightly lower fat option, but with all the great taste. If you don’t like limes, you can use lemons for a great zesty dessert.
Mixing bowl and flan dish
For the base
150g digestive biscuits
60g butter
For the filling
Zest and juice of 3 limes
400ml can of light condensed milk
125ml Greek yoghurt (I use Total 0%)
150ml extra thick double cream (or you can use thick low fat crème fraiche)
- Place the biscuits in your food processor and whizz until they are reduced to crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, place them in a bag and crush gently with a wooden rolling pin until you have crumbs.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the biscuit crumbs ensuring they are evenly coated in the butter.
- Spread over the base of a 17.5cm (7in) flan or pie dish and press down firmly. Leave in the fridge to cool while you make the filling.
- Remove the zest from the limes before juicing. Mix the lime zest, juice and condensed milk together thoroughly. Add the yoghurt and cream or crème fraiche and stir well.
- Pour this mixture over the biscuit base. Return to the fridge to set.
- Before serving you can decorate with swirls of grated dark chocolate.
Egg Custard
When I was a child I wouldn’t drink milk so my mum used to make me milky puddings. To this day egg custard remains a favourite of mine, especially if I am feeling under the weather or need a metaphorical hug!
Ovenproof dish or slow cooker
4 eggs
1 teaspoon cornflour
500ml milk
30g sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Freshly grated nutmeg
To make the custard
- Beat the eggs. Mix the cornflour with a little of the milk to form a smooth paste. Pour this onto the eggs with the remainder of the milk and beat the mixture – but take care not to over beat. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and combine well.
- Pour into the ovenproof dish. Grate a little fresh nutmeg over the top of the pudding.
To cook in the oven
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3.
- Place the ovenproof dish in a roasting tray. Fill the roasting tray with water to create a bain-marie.
- Cook in the oven for 35–45 minutes, until the custard is firm to the touch, but may still have a slight wobble (but is not runny).
To cook in a slow cooker
- Preheat your slow cooker if necessary according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Make sure your ovenproof dish fits in your slow cooker.
- Cover the dish with tinfoil and ensure it is well sealed.
- Place the dish in the slow cooker. Fill the cooker with enough warm water to come halfway up the sides of the ovenproof dish.
- Turn the cooker to high and cook for 2–3 hours, until the custard is firm.
Note: You can cook these in mini ramekin dishes and make individual puddings. Decorate with raspberries for some added colour and zing.
Individual Slow Cook Blackberry and Apple Upside-down Cake
Slow cooker
For the cake mixture
100g butter
100g sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100g self-raising flour, sieved
For the blackberry and apple mixture
50g butter
50g brown sugar
1–2 Bramley apples, chopped
30–50g blackberries
- Place the butter and sugar in a mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla extract. Fold in the sieved flour.
- Grease 4–6 ramekin dishes or similar-sized non-stick pots. I normally coat them with butter then sprinkle over flour to form a seal.
- To make the blackberry and apple mixture, gently melt the butter and brown sugar over a low heat. Place some apple and blackberries in the base of each dish. Pour over the butter/brown sugar syrup – a little in each dish.
- Top with the cake mixture. You can add more apple or blackberries to the cake mixture if you like, or just add a few pieces to the top of the cakes. Sprinkle with a touch of brown sugar.
- Place in a slow cooker and cook for 2 hours, or until the sponge is firm to the touch. Carefully remove the cakes from the slow cooker, taking care not to burn yourself as the dishes will be very hot.
- To serve, carefully loosen the sides of the cakes. Place a plate over the top of the dishes (top side of the plate meeting the top of the dishes as you are turning these out onto the plate). Hold the plate firmly onto the dish and flip over. The cake should come away easily and sit on the plate, apple and blackberry side up. Finish with a dollop of cream, crème fraiche or ice-cream. Delicious.
Note: If using a crockery slow cooker, place on trivet and fill halfway up the sides of the dish with water.
Banana and Home-made Custard
This was a huge favourite when we were kids. This recipe is for home-made custard, but if you want to cheat you can buy ready-made. I use full fat milk as it gives a creamier taste and avoids having to use cream but, if you prefer, you can used semi-skimmed.
Saucepan
600ml full fat milk
4 egg yolks
4 tablespoons cornflour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2–3 bananas
- Heat the milk until just below boiling point. While it is heating up, mix the egg yolks, cornflour, sugar and vanilla essence together. Be careful to keep an eye on the milk to make sure it doesn’t boil over.
- Remove the milk from the heat and add the egg mixture. Use a hand whisk and stir well.
- Return to the heat and continue to stir until the custard starts to thicken – take care not to have the heat too high or the mixture will burn.
- Once it has reached your desired thickness remove from the heat. Chop your bananas and add to the custard. Serve immediately.
Note: If you have any custard left over, pour it into lolly moulds and freeze – it makes delicious ice lollies!
Apple and Walnut Loaf
Apple cakes of any description are a great favourite of mine. The flavour of apple combined with cinnamon is delicious. Thankfully, my husband agrees, so does not mind me cooking apple cakes on a regular basis – shame about my waistline though!
Oven bake or slow cooker
100g butter
150g sugar
2 eggs, beaten
200g self-raising flour, sifted
2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
2 cooking apples, chopped
50g chopped walnuts
To cook in the oven
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
- Mix the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs a little at a time, continuing to mix well.
- Add the sifted flour and cinnamon powder and combine until thoroughly mixed.
- Add the chopped apple and walnuts. When thoroughly combined, spoon the mixture into a lined or greased 1kg (2lb) loaf tin.
- Bake in the oven for 50–60 minutes, until a skewer or knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool on a cooling rack before storing in an airtight container.
To cook in a slow cooker
- To make the cake, follow steps 2–5 for the oven method, above. Make sure you use a solid cake tin, not one with a loose bottom. Cover the tin with foil, making sure it is secure.
- To cook the cake, you have two options. You can place the tin in the slow cooker on a trivet or upturned saucer, pour in boiling water around the sides of the tin, ensuring the water reaches no higher than halfway up the tin, and cook for 4–6 hours on low. Alternatively, you can place the tin directly in the slow cooker, add the water as above and cook on high for 2–3 hours, or until the cake is firm in the centre. I have tried both methods and prefer to place the tin directly in the slow cooker. I have had no problems except that on one occasion the greaseproof paper at the bottom of the tin was a bit burnt. Other than that, everything was fine.
- Cool on a cooling rack before storing in an airtight container.
Rhubarb and Orange Layer
I found this recipe in an old family notebook, where it was called an orange and rhubarb raver. I’m not sure what the raver bit is, but I tried the recipe and my husband loved it. So, here goes – I hope you like it too.
Ovenproof dish
600g rhubarb, cut into chunks
2 oranges, finely sliced (peeled or unpeeled)
2 level teaspoons redcurrant jelly
50g butter
50g brown sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup
50g porridge oats
50g granola
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
- Wash and slice the rhubarb into chunks. Thinly slice the oranges, and then cut each slice in half.
- Place the rhubarb and orange slices in an ovenproof dish, making sure they are evenly distributed. Carefully spread or dollop the redcurrant jelly over the rhubarb.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter, followed by the sugar and golden syrup. Once they are melted, add the oats and granola and cook for 2–3 minutes.
- Spread the oat mixture on top of the rhubarb and oranges. Once they are covered, press down gently.
- Bake in the oven for 35–45 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
- Serve with a generous dollop of crème fraiche or ice cream.
Semolina Pudding
Makes you think about school dinners, doesn’t it? Don’t let that put you off, though; cooked well, this can be a really comforting pudding. If all else fails, keep the dried semolina in your store cupboard to sprinkle onto your roast potatoes!
Saucepan and ovenproof dish
600ml milk
50g semolina
50g sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
Zest of 1 orange
50ml single cream
A sprinkling of grated nutmeg
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
- Heat the milk in a saucepan until it is almost boiling. Add the semolina and sugar and stir until the mixture starts to thicken.
- Once it has thickened, remove from the heat and stir in all the remaining ingredients.
- Pour into a greased ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with grated nutmeg and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Carrot Cake
This has been successfully cooked in the slow cooker as well as in the oven, so experiment to see which texture you prefer.
Oven or slow cooker
400g self-raising flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
150g brown sugar
80ml light vegetable oil
60ml water
2 eggs, beaten
200g carrots, grated
60g sultanas
30g desiccated coconut
To cook in the oven
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
- Place the dry ingredients (except the coconut) in your mixer. In a separate bowl or jug, mix the oil, water and eggs together. They only need to be roughly mixed, so don’t worry if they stay separated!
- Pour into the dry mixture and whizz to form a batter. Add the grated carrots, sultanas and coconut.
- Mix well. Pour into a greased cake tin.
- Bake in the oven for 45–55 minutes until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
To cook in a slow cooker
- To make the cake, follow steps 2–4 for the oven method, above.
- To cook the cake, you have two options. You can place the tin in the slow cooker on a trivet or upturned saucer, pour in boiling water around the sides of the tin, ensuring the water reaches no higher than halfway up the tin, and cook for 4–6 hours on low. Alternatively, you can place the tin directly in the slow cooker, add the water as above and cook on high for 2–3 hours, or until the cake is firm in the centre. I have tried both methods and prefer to place the tin directly in the slow cooker. I have had no problems except that on one occasion the greaseproof paper at the bottom of the tin was a bit burnt. Other than that, everything was fine.
- Cool on cooling rack before storing in airtight container.
Blackberry Layer Sponge Pudding
Steamer or slow cooker
100g butter
100g sugar
2 eggs
150g self-raising flour, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200g blackberries
- Beat the butter and the sugar together until golden. Gradually add the eggs – if the mixture starts to curdle, add a touch of the flour.
- Add the flour and continue to beat well.
- Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Grease a 1 litre (2 pint) pudding basin. Place a couple of spoonfuls of the sponge mix into the basin. Sprinkle in a few blackberries, add more sponge mix and continue layering until you reach the top of the bowl. Finish with a layer of sponge mix.
- Cover with baking parchment and two layers of tinfoil. Tie securely with string.
To cook in a steamer
- Cook in the steamer for 1½ hours. Make sure you check the water level regularly and top it up if necessary.
- Serve with home-made custard or crème fraiche.
To cook in a slow cooker
- Place the basin in the slow cooker. Add enough warm water to come halfway up the outside of the basin.
- Turn the cooker to high and cook for 3–4 hours, or until the pudding is firm to the touch.
- Serve with home-made custard or crème fraiche.
Winter Fruit Compote
This makes a wonderful dessert, or a warm breakfast, either on its own or as an accompaniment to home-made porridge.
Saucepan or slow cooker
100g prunes
100g figs
50g currants
50g raisins
350ml water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
4–6 whole cloves
2 oranges, peeled and sliced
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1 banana, sliced
- Place the dried fruit in a saucepan with the water, sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Bring to the boil.
- Add the sliced oranges, orange zest and juice. Cover and cook on a low/medium heat for 15–20 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves.
- Add the sliced banana just prior to serving.
Note: If you want to make this in a slow cooker, set it to low and cook for 4–6 hours. Add the banana half an hour before serving; if you add it earlier it will just turn to a brown mush.
Orange and Grand Marnier Syllabub
Mixing bowl and serving dishes
Zest and juice of 2 oranges
4 tablespoons Grand Marnier
50g caster sugar
450ml double cream
- Mix the zest and juice of the oranges together. Add the Grand Marnier, caster sugar and cream and whip together.
- Place a small amount in shot glasses or small serving dishes. You can decorate with fruit or a biscuit.
Crock-Pot Christmas Pudding
This recipe was kindly given to me by Crock-Pot. It is the perfect Christmas pudding recipe to make in your slow cooker.
Mixing bowl and slow cooker
75g plain flour
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon mixed spice
75g suet
150g dark brown sugar
150g currants
125g raisins
125g sultanas
25g almonds, roughly chopped
100g fresh white breadcrumbs
50g mixed peel
1 small cooking apple, grated
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons brandy
Baking paper, foil and string
- Grease a 1.2 litre (2 pint) pudding basin.
- Sift together the flour, nutmeg and mixed spice into a bowl.
- Add the suet, brown sugar, dried fruit, almonds, breadcrumbs and peel. Mix well.
- Add the apple, lemon zest and juice, eggs and brandy. Stir well until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Pour into the pudding basin and cover with a greased round of baking parchment.
- Take a square of foil, larger than the top of the basin; make a pleat in the centre to allow for any expansion during cooking.
- Place over the basin and seal well with string, making sure it is tight. It is advisable to make a handle with the string to enable you to remove the basin from the hot pan in the slow cooker.
- Place the pudding in the stoneware and pour enough boiling water to come three-quarters of the way up the basin. Cook for 8–10 hours on low; the longer the cooking time, the darker the pudding will be.
- To reheat the pudding, place in the stoneware with boiling water and reheat on high for 3 hours.
Note: The pudding may be made a few months before Christmas, stored in a cool, dark place and occasionally fed with brandy.
Fresh Fruit Salad
This is a very quick and easy option for a healthy but sumptuous dessert. There are no hard and fast rules – raid your fruit bowl and fridge to put together a zesty dessert to suit you and your family.
Serving bowl
Apples
Oranges
Pears
Raspberries
Strawberries
Banana
Melon
Grapes
Pineapple
Nectarine
Peach
Orange juice
- Chop your chosen fruit into bite-size pieces. Pour orange juice (or any juice of your choice) over the fruit.
- Leave to settle for 10–20 minutes before serving.
Apple and Cinnamon Cobbler
Ovenproof dish
4–6 Bramley cooking apples, sliced
1–2 tablespoons brown sugar (depending on desired sweetness)
Juice of ½ lemon
1–2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
50g raisins
150g self-raising flour, sifted
½ teaspoon baking powder
25g sugar
50g butter
100ml natural yoghurt
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.
- Place the apples, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and raisins in a saucepan. Add 30ml of water. Cook on a medium heat until the apples start to soften, but still retain some firmness.
- Meanwhile, place the flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the yoghurt and vanilla essence and mix thoroughly to form a dough.
- Place the dough on a floured surface and roll into a thick sausage. Cut into 2.5–5cm (1–2in) pieces to make scones.
- Pour the apple mixture into an ovenproof dish. Place the scones around the edges and over the top of the apple mixture and coat with a little milk and a sprinkling of brown sugar. Bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes.
Creamy Raspberry Bread-and-butter Pudding
Ovenproof dish or slow cooker
Butter
6–8 slices of bread (stale is perfect for this pudding)
300ml milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Brown sugar
150g raspberries
To cook in the oven
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
- Grease the ovenproof dish with butter to prevent the pudding from sticking.
- Butter the bread slices (it’s entirely up to you whether or not you remove the crusts). Mix the milk, eggs and vanilla essence together.
- Put a layer of bread in the dish, butter side up, followed by a layer of raspberries and sprinkle over some sugar. Continue with alternate layers of bread, fruit and sugar. Finally, pour over the milk mixture.
- Bake in the oven for 20–30 minutes, until golden.
- Serve with a generous dollop of crème fraiche.
To cook in a slow cooker
- To make the pudding, follow steps 2–4 for the oven method, above.
- Check that your ovenproof dish fits in the slow cooker. Cover the bread-and-butter pudding with foil, making sure it is secure. Pour hot water into the slow cooker, so that it comes no higher than halfway up the sides of the pudding dish. Turn the cooker to high and cook for 4–6 hours.
- Serve with a generous dollop of crème fraiche.
Baked Honeyed Figs
This is a wonderful dish to make when fresh figs are in season. Serve with some crème fraiche or ice cream – delicious.
Ovenproof dish
6–8 figs
Honey
Brown sugar
Sliced almonds
- Preheat the oven to 150°C/gas mark 2 (or you can put these in a hot oven that has just been turned off – they will cook gently while you eat your main meal).
- Place the figs on a greased ovenproof dish. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with brown sugar. Sprinkle over some sliced almonds.
- Place in a low oven for 10–15 minutes. The oven temperature needs to be low so that the sugar doesn’t burn.
- Serve with a generous dollop of crème fraiche or ice cream. Yummy!
Ginger and Lemon Twist
This is a really simple dessert that looks fabulous when served in glasses. It takes minutes to make and tastes divine!
Mixing bowl and serving glasses
12–15 ginger biscuits, crushed
250g Greek yoghurt
100g low fat cream cheese
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
½ jar of lemon curd
- Crush the ginger biscuits and place a small amount in the bottom of each serving glass.
- Mix the yoghurt and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the zest and juice of the lemon. Mix thoroughly.
- Carefully fold in the lemon curd, creating a twisted ripple. Spoon into the glasses and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Hot Chocolate Brownie Pudding
This is one of our family’s favourites. You can serve it hot, which is really divine, or cold with a nice cup of tea. Whatever you choose, one thing is for certain – it won’t be around for long!
Food mixer and baking tray
225g self-raising flour
200g brown sugar
100g plain cocoa powder
350ml water (or orange juice if you like chocolate orange flavour)
200ml light vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
50g plain chocolate chips
25g white chocolate chips (optional)
15g grated cacao chocolate (optional – gives extra dark chocolate zing)
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
- In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients.
- Add the water, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Whisk until thoroughly mixed.
- Add the chocolate chips and the cacao, if you are using it. Pour into a lined or greased baking tray.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes. Leave in the tray for 10 minutes before turning onto a cooling rack and cutting into squares.
- Serve warm with a dollop of crème fraiche or rich chocolate sauce for a naughty but very nice dessert!
Bread-and-butter Pudding
I have not included weights in this recipe, purely as it would be too fussy to weigh out ingredients when all you need to do is add a sprinkle and layer accordingly. If you want to add variety, you could use other dried fruit such as apricots or even cranberries.
Ovenproof dish or slow cooker
6–8 slices of bread (you can use slightly stale bread)
Butter
Desiccated coconut
Raisins
Brown sugar
2 teaspoons cornflour
500–650ml milk
Vanilla essence
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
To cook in the oven
- Preheat the oven 180°C/gas mark 4.
- Grease the ovenproof dish with butter to prevent the pudding from sticking.
- Butter the bread slices and place one layer in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with coconut, raisins and brown sugar. Continue layering until the dish is complete.
- Mix the cornflour, milk, vanilla essence, nutmeg and cinnamon together. Pour over the bread mixture and leave to settle for 15 minutes before placing in the oven.
- Bake for 30–40 minutes, until golden. Serve with crème fraiche.
To cook in a slow cooker
- To make the pudding, follow steps 2–4 for the oven method, above.
- Check that your ovenproof dish fits in the slow cooker. Cover the bread-and-butter pudding with foil, making sure it is secure. Pour hot water into the slow cooker, so that it comes no higher than halfway up the sides of the pudding dish. Turn the cooker to medium/high and cook for 4–6 hours. Serve with crème fraiche.
No Messing Rice Pudding
Most people cook rice pudding in the oven, but I find making it in a saucepan so much easier. I have also prepared it in a slow cooker – though don’t do this in a crockery slow cooker as you may find the flavour of garlic from your savoury dishes will taint your pudding – yuck!
I make this with soya milk as I prefer not to have too much dairy produce, but you can use any milk you like. Full fat adds creaminess, or stir in some double cream prior to serving. If you want to use soya milk, try stirring in some Alpro soya alternative to cream – surprisingly, it gives the same result as cream.
Saucepan or slow cooker
75g pudding rice or Arborio risotto rice
1 litre of milk (see above)
2–3 teaspoons cinnamon
1–2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
25g sugar
- Place all the ingredients into a heavy-based pan or slow cooker – make sure this pan is at least a third larger in volume than the contents.
- Cook the rice on a low heat until soft, stirring occasionally to avoid the rice sticking to the base of your pan. The rice will thicken and you may have to add more liquid. This should take 20–30 minutes on a hob, or 4–6 hours on low setting if you are using a slow cooker.
- Prior to serving, you can stir in some cream (see above) if you like a creamy taste. Spoon the pudding into bowls and sprinkle with nutmeg.
Note: My family love a Raspberry Rice Pudding Brûlée. I place some frozen raspberries in the base of an ovenproof dish (or mini ramekin dishes), add rice pudding and finish with a sprinkle of brown sugar. I then use my cook’s blow torch to caramelise the top (you can get a similar effect by placing under the grill but it does take longer). This also works with other leftover fruit. Another favourite is Rhubarb and Ginger Rice Pudding Brûlée. Using the same technique as above, place rhubarb chunks in the base of the ramekins or ovenproof dish. Add a sprinkle of fresh grated ginger to the rhubarb – be careful as it can give quite a kick! Cover with rice pudding and sprinkle with brown sugar before caramelising as above. Delicious!
Simple Baked Apples
This is a deliciously simple autumnal pudding that always leaves people satisfied. You can stuff the apples with whatever you fancy, but I tend to cheat and add a generous dollop of mincemeat or, if there is none in the store cupboard, I will fill them with a mixture of dried fruit and a sprinkle of brown sugar.
Ovenproof dish
4 Bramley apples, cored but not peeled
Mincemeat, or mixed dried fruit
Brown sugar
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
- Wash and core your apples, leaving the skins intact.
- Place the apples on a baking tray or ovenproof dish.
- Fill the empty cores with mincemeat or dried fruit. Finish with a sprinkling of brown sugar.
- Bake in the oven for 30–40 minutes until soft.
- Serve with low fat crème fraiche or natural yoghurt.
Note: In early September, try to make use of the plump ripe blackberries in the hedgerows, and fill the apple cores with these delicious bulging berries to make Baked Blackberry Apples. Place these in an ovenproof dish as you will get plenty of sticky juice oozing out from the apples.
Blackberry and Apple Cobbler
Ovenproof dish or slow cooker
For the blackberry and apple mixture
4 cooking apples (ideally, Bramley), sliced
1 or 2 handfuls of blackberries (fresh or frozen)
25g brown sugar
For the cobbler topping
150g self-raising flour
25g sugar
50g butter
100ml natural yoghurt
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
To cook in the oven
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
- Place the apples in a saucepan or ovenproof dish with 1–2 tablespoons of water. Cook on medium heat for 5–8 minutes until the apples start to soften but most remain firm.
- Mix in the blackberries and brown sugar. Stir well.
- Pour into an ovenproof dish.
- To make the scone mix, place the flour and sugar in a bowl and rub in the butter. Add the yoghurt and vanilla essence and mix to form a dough. If this is too dry, add a touch of milk. Place on a floured board and roll out to about 2–4cm (1–1½in) thick. Cut into scone shapes. Place on the top of the blackberry and apple mixture and brush with milk.
- Bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes.
To cook in a slow cooker
- To make the cobbler, follow steps 2–5 for the oven method, above. Check that your ovenproof dish fits in the slow cooker. Cover the cobbler with foil, making sure it is secure. Pour hot water in the slow cooker, so that it comes no higher than halfway up the sides of the cobbler dish.
- Turn the cooker to medium/high and cook for 3–4 hours until the scones are light and fluffy.
Variations
There are endless combinations for a good fruit cobbler. Go with the seasons and try to use up any spare fruit in your fruit bowl. Here are some more ideas:
Spiced Apple Cobbler – after stewing the apple, stir in some nutmeg, cinnamon and mixed spice with a handful of dried fruit.
Apple and Blackcurrant Cobbler – just like blackberries, blackcurrants add a wonderful flavour and vibrant colour to your cobbler. Place the blackcurrants in the saucepan with the apple to stew together before pouring the fruit into the ovenproof dish and adding your topping.
Apple and Blueberry Cobbler – blueberries are marketed as a superfood, but really all berries are good for you. Mix fresh or frozen blueberries into the stewed apple before placing in an ovenproof dish and covering in your topping.
Simple Gooseberry Fool
Gooseberry fools are lovely, but they can be high in fat, especially when made with full fat cream. I use Total Greek Yoghurt as it is low fat and holds its thickness. I suppose really this is gooseberry yoghurt. For those who would like a creamy fool, you can supplement cream for half the yoghurt. Buy your gooseberries in season or grow your own.
Saucepan and serving glasses
400g gooseberries
50g sugar
250g Total Greek Yoghurt
- Place the gooseberries in a pan with the sugar and gently cook until the gooseberries pop when pushed with a spoon.
- Leave the gooseberries to cool and then fold in the yoghurt.
- Place in serving dishes to set.
- This is delicious served with ginger biscuit crumbs sprinkled on the top.
Note: You can make Rhubarb Fools by following the same process. If you have a very sweet tooth you may want to add more sugar.
Chocolate Fondue
Fondues are a quick and easy dessert to make for dinner parties and guarantee good conversation. They are also a great way to get some fresh fruit into your children. OK, we are coating the fruit in chocolate, but if you use dark organic chocolate you will avoid unnecessary sugar hits and hopefully educate your children in the delights of great dark chocolate instead of the inferior sugary, milky confectionery.
200g dark chocolate
A selection of fresh fruit, chopped
- If you have a fondue set, this is easy – simply melt the chocolate in your bain- marie (otherwise known as a double boiler, where you place water in the bottom pan and the chocolate in the top pan. The heat of the water boiling melts the chocolate.)
- Transfer the chocolate to your fondue set. If you don’t have a fondue set, keep the chocolate over the bain-marie as it will stay warm for approximately 10 minutes.
- While the chocolate is melting, place the fruit on a platter ready for dipping.
- Simply dip your chosen fruit into the chocolate and enjoy!
Note: Why not offer some sweet dips alongside the chocolate? Try fruit yoghurt; crème fraiche mixed with crushed strawberries; cream cheese mixed with lemon zest, juice and a spoonful of cream; or try a sweet dressing made from fruit juice, sweetened with honey.
Baked Peach and Almond Delights
Just like baked apples, this is a very simple dish but tastes wonderful. You can add a touch of luxury by drizzling a dash of Cointreau, or whichever is your favourite liqueur, over the peaches just before adding the yoghurt mixture. Remember, as with most fruit and vegetables, it is cheaper, and better environmentally, to buy them when they are in season.
Ovenproof dish
4 ripe peaches, halved and stoned
4 teaspoons honey
18–24 raspberries (you can use frozen or, if you have no raspberries, raspberry jam – but omit the honey!)
75g flaked almonds
For the topping
100ml natural yoghurt
100ml quark
1 teaspoon honey
Zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
- Place the halved and stoned peaches in an ovenproof tray, flesh facing upwards.
- In the centre of each peach half, where the stone was, add ½ teaspoon of honey and top with 2–3 raspberries.
- Sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top of the peaches, retaining a few almonds for later.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix the yoghurt, quark, honey, orange zest and vanilla essence together.
- When the peaches are ready, place them in serving bowls with a dollop of the yoghurt mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining almonds before serving.
Crème Brûlée
I shamelessly pinched this recipe from a blog – it’s really great, so I had to include it here. It is such a simple dish to make in the slow cooker, requiring very little effort on your part. I hope you enjoy it!
Slow cooker
450ml double cream
5 egg yolks
110g fine sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
55g brown sugar (for topping only)
- Select an ovenproof dish that fits comfortably within your slow cooker. Turn your slow cooker to hot.
- Pour hot water around the dish so that it comes halfway up the outside – acting as a bain-marie.
- In a mixing bowl, whip all the ingredients together, apart from the brown sugar, which is used for the topping. Pour this mixture into the ovenproof dish. Cover with buttered tin foil and cook on high for 2–4 hours. The custard should start to set in the centre but may be slightly loose around the edges.
- Remove the crème brûlée carefully – it will be hot!
- Leave to cool completely before placing in the fridge for 2–3 hours.
- Prior to serving, sprinkle with brown sugar and use a kitchen blow torch to brown/caramelise the sugar. You can use a grill for this but it is not so easy. Leave to chill for 5–10 minutes before serving.
Steamed Lemon Pudding
Slow cooker
125g butter
125g sugar
2 eggs
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
125g self-raising flour
50g sugar
- Preheat your slow cooker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Beat the butter and 125g sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the eggs and beat until smooth.
- Grate the lemon zest into the batter mix. Add the vanilla extract. Stir in the flour and combine until smooth.
- Juice the lemons and mix this with the remaining 50g sugar.
- Thoroughly grease a 1 litre (2 pint) pudding basin. Pour the lemon and sugar mixture into the bottom of the basin.
- Top with the sponge mix. Cover with a layer of baking parchment followed by two layers of tinfoil. Tie securely with string.
- Place the basin in the slow cooker. Pour warm water into the slow cooker until it comes halfway up the sides of the pudding basin. Turn the cooker to high and cook for 3 hours, or until firm.
- Turn out the pudding onto a plate, allowing the lemon juice to seep over the sponge. Serve with home-made custard or crème fraiche.
Hot Chocolate Orange Brownie Mugs
A friend of mine made these and they were a big hit with everyone. They really are a hug in a mug.
Slow cooker
110g self-raising flour
100g brown sugar
75g cocoa
100ml oil
150ml orange juice
1 teaspoon orange essence (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
25g dark chocolate chips
A spray of olive oil
4–6 ovenproof mugs
- Preheat the slow cooker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- To prepare the brownie mix, put all the dry ingredients into your food mixer. Measure the oil and orange juice and mix together with the orange and vanilla essences (or you can use the zest of 1 orange instead of orange essence).
- Pour this into the dried mix and beat well until thoroughly mixed.
- Stir in by hand the chocolate chips, ensuring they are evenly distributed.
- Carefully spray the insides of the mugs with oil (or you can rub them with butter, and then sprinkle on flour to form a non-stick base).
- Fill the mugs half-full with the mixture.
- Turn the slow cooker to high. Carefully place the mugs in the slow cooker on a trivet. These should be fine in your stoneware pot as long as the mugs are dishwasher and microwave proof. Normally the chunkier mugs are suitable – not fine bone china! Pour in boiling water around the sides of the mugs, ensuring the water reaches no higher than halfway up the mugs. Alternatively, you can place the mugs directly in the slow cooker and add the water as above
- Cook for 2 hours or until the brownies have risen and are firm to the touch.
- Very carefully remove the mugs from the slow cooker – use oven gloves for this. Hold the mugs at the top and run the handles under cold water. This will cool them enough for you to be able to hold them.
- If you like you can decorate the brownies with cream or crème fraiche before serving.
Eton Mess
This can be made in minutes and is always a wonderful dessert. You can make your own meringues but in this recipe I am using shop bought. I like to have these ingredients in my store cupboard, ready for when we have a sweet craving!
4–6 meringue nests, broken into pieces
350g raspberries
½ bottle of raspberry sauce/coulis
300ml double cream
- Gather together your ingredients. If you are using frozen raspberries (which are ideal for this as it doesn’t matter if they are not perfectly formed), make sure they are defrosted. I use raspberry sauce (available from supermarkets) as this enhances the flavour, but this is optional.
- Whip the double cream until it is light and fluffy but not too thick.
- In individual dishes, or one large serving dish, layer the meringue, raspberry sauce, raspberries and double cream, in any order.
- Serve and enjoy!
Banoffee Pie
Saucepan and flan tin
Cooked pastry case or flan base
150g butter
30g brown sugar
400g tin of sweet condensed milk
2–3 bananas, sliced
200ml double cream
A little plain chocolate, grated, to garnish
- If you have not already done this, you will need to blind bake your pastry in a flan dish, or you can cheat and buy ready-cooked pastry cases.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter, sugar and condensed milk on a medium heat (not too fierce or it will burn). Keep stirring until it is melted, then continue to cook until it becomes thick and a bit like fudge or toffee.
- Line the pastry case with the sliced bananas. Cover with the toffee base and allow to cool.
- Whip the cream and pour it over the cooled pie. Grate some plain chocolate over the top of the cream to garnish.
- Keep the pie in the fridge until you are ready to serve it.
Raspberry Trifle
Saucepan and serving bowl
6–8 trifle sponges (or break up some almost stale cake or muffins)
200g raspberries (you can use frozen)
600ml full fat milk
4 egg yolks
4 tablespoons cornflour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
200ml double or whipping cream
Raspberries to garnish
Toasted sliced almonds
- Arrange the sponges in the base of your trifle dish. If you like a boozy trifle, you can pour over some sherry or liqueur and let it soak into the sponge.
- Add the raspberries, ensuring they are pressed down around the sponge. It doesn’t matter if you squelch the raspberries; it is nice to get some juice leaking into the sponge.
- Heat the milk until just below boiling point. While it is heating, mix the egg yolks, cornflour, sugar and vanilla essence together. Watch the milk to make sure it doesn’t boil over.
- Remove the milk from the heat and add the egg mixture. Use a hand whisk and stir well.
- Return the mixture to the heat and continue to stir until the custard starts to thicken. Don’t have the heat too high or it will burn.
- Once it has reached your desired thickness remove from the heat and leave to cool before pouring over the sponge and raspberries.
- Leave to cool. Whip the cream to a soft consistency and pour over the custard. Decorate the trifle with raspberries and toasted sliced almonds.
Summer Fruit Crumble
This is a great ‘cheat’ crumble. All you need is a pack of frozen summer fruits and some own-brand muesli or combo ingredients.
Ovenproof dish
400g frozen summer fruits
1–2 tablespoons sugar
75ml water
250–300g muesli
Brown sugar
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
- Place the summer fruits in the bottom of an ovenproof dish (no need to pre-cook if you don’t want to!). Add 2 tablespoons water and a sprinkle of sugar if you have a sweet tooth.
- Cover with your crumble mix, finishing with a sprinkle of brown sugar. Bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes.
Variations
Here are some more ideas for great crumbles:
Rhubarb Crumble – I love rhubarb. You can make rhubarb crumble by cooking some fresh or frozen rhubarb in a pan with a little water. Or try mixing in some fresh strawberries to create a delicious Strawberries and Rhubarb Crumble, or some fresh or frozen raspberries to make a mouth-watering Raspberry and Rhubarb Crumble. Another great combo is Rhubarb and Orange Crumble. Add some orange segments alongside the rhubarb for a great citrus/rhubarb hit. If you like a bit of spice, try Rhubarb and Ginger Crumble.
Gooseberry and Elderflower Crumble – this is one of my favourites. Place prepared gooseberries in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of elderflower cordial and 25g of sugar. Cook gently until the gooseberries just start to burst under pressure. Place in an ovenproof dish and cover with your crumble topping.
Pink Pears
This is a really simple dish and perfect to use up any stray pears in your fruit bowl.
Saucepan or slow cooker
4 pears, skinned
400ml apple juice
300ml red grape juice or red or mulled wine
200g raspberries, sieved
Juice and zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
50g sugar (optional, but needed if you have a sweet tooth)
1 cinnamon stick
To cook on the hob
- Peel the pears, retaining their stalks if you can. Lightly steam the whole skinned pears for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile gently heat the apple and grape juice. Sieve the raspberries to remove the seeds and add the fruit to the apple and grape juice. Add the juice and zest of the orange, vanilla essence, sugar and cinnamon stick.
- Place the pears in the liquid and leave to heat gently for 30 minutes. Turn the pears occasionally to ensure they are fully covered in juice.
- Remove the cinnamon stick, arrange the pears in a dish and pour over the sauce. Serve with a dollop of low fat crème fraiche.
To cook in a slow cooker
- Preheat the slow cooker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Prepare the fruit as for the hob method, above, and add all the ingredients to the slow cooker. Turn the cooker to low and cook gently for 4–6 hours.
- Remove the cinnamon stick, arrange the pears in a dish and pour over the sauce. Serve with a dollop of low fat crème fraiche.
Note: This can be made in advance, allowing the flavours more time to be absorbed by the pears. Reheat gently prior to serving.
Steamed Chocolate Pudding
Pudding basin, slow cooker or steamer
150g butter
160g sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
250g self-raising flour
50g cocoa
150ml milk
40g dark chocolate chips
- Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla essence.
- Sift the flour and cocoa together. Alternately add milk and sifted flour and cocoa to the egg and butter mixture until they are all well mixed together. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Grease a 1.2 litre (2 pint) basin. Pour in the mixture. Cover with baking parchment and foil. Tie with string. Steam for 1½–2 hours.
- To cook in a slow cooker, place the pudding basin in the cooker and pour warm water into the cooker until it comes three-quarters of the way up the sides of the pudding basin. Turn the slow cooker to high and cook for 2–4 hours.
- Turn out the pudding onto a serving dish, and enjoy with a dollop of cream, ice cream or chocolate sauce.
Boozy Peach and Granola Pudding
This is a real grown-up dessert. You can create the same dish using any other fruits, so experiment.
Pudding basin and slow cooker
6–8 fresh peaches, sliced
125g brown sugar
75ml brandy
25g butter
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4–6 tablespoons granola
50g raisins
25g desiccated coconut
- Place the peach slices, sugar, brandy, butter, cinnamon and vanilla extract in an ovenproof dish (I use Pyrex) and mix well. Cover securely with foil.
- Turn your slow cooker to high. Place the dish in the slow cooker, and pour warm water into the cooker until it reaches halfway up the sides of the dish. Cook for 1–2 hours.
- Meanwhile combine the granola, raisins and coconut.
- Carefully remove the foil from the top of the dish. Sprinkle the granola mixture over the peach mixture. Do not re-cover, but make sure the water level around the dish is adequate.
- Continue to cook for another 30–50 minutes.
- Remove the dish and serve with a dollop of crème fraiche, yoghurt or ice cream.
Apple and Fruit Bread Pudding
This is a really easy dish to make, and avoids the need for the eggy custard the traditional puddings have. It is a bit of a cheat dish but very tasty – especially soothing on a cold winter’s evening! As with all my puddings, serve with a dollop of low fat yoghurt or crème fraiche.
Saucepan and ovenproof dish
75g dried mixed fruit
1–2 teaspoons cinnamon
2–3 cooking apples, diced
150ml apple juice
125g stale/leftover bread, cut into small chunks
150ml milk
1–2 tablespoons brown sugar
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
- Put the dried fruit, cinnamon, apples and apple juice into a pan and bring to the boil for 5 minutes then remove from the heat.
- Stir in the bread and milk.
- Pour into a greased oven dish. Sprinkle over the brown sugar and bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes.