Orange & Golden Syrup Steamed Pudding
Adding orange zest to a steamed pudding gives a little acidity to cut through the richness and also the most incredible aroma when it’s served at the dining table.
SERVES 4
110g golden syrup, plus an extra 30g for serving
190g butter, softened, plus an extra 10g for greasing
130g soft brown sugar
zest of 2 oranges
3 eggs, beaten
180g self-raising flour, sifted
20ml whole milk
Equipment
1.2-litre (2 pint) pudding basin
Grease a 1.2-litre (2-pint) pudding basin with butter and place a small circle of parchment paper in the bottom. Firmly press the paper down into the base, avoiding making any creases. Pour half the golden syrup into the basin.
In a bowl, whisk the remaining syrup together with the butter, sugar and orange zest until creamy and forming soft peaks. Whisk in half the beaten eggs and then fold in half the flour. Repeat until all the eggs and flour are combined. Whisk in the milk and continue whisking for 1 minute until the batter is thick and creamy. Pour the batter into the basin, then level and smooth the surface with a spatula.
Cut two circles of parchment paper and a circle of aluminium foil twice the diameter of the top of the basin. Place the foil on top of both layers of parchment paper and make one 2cm wide pleat directly across the middle of the circle. Lay them across the top of the pudding basin. Using a length of string, secure the paper and foil firmly around the neck of the basin, then make one tie of string across the top to act as a handle. Make sure the string is tightly tied and secure as you don’t want it to break while lifting.
Take a pan with a lid that is large enough to hold the pudding basin with a little space around the sides. Fill the pan with enough water to reach three-quarters of the way only up the side of the basin. Bring the water up to a boil and then carefully lower in the pudding basin, making sure that the water does not touch the paper and foil lid and put the lid on the pan. Lower the heat to a simmer and gently steam the pudding for 1½ hours. Do not remove the lid from the pan during the first 30 minutes of cooking as the drop in temperature may cause the pudding to collapse. After at least 30 minutes, check the water level in the pan at regular intervals and, if necessary, top up with boiling water from the kettle, taking care not to pour water onto the foil and paper lid. To check if the pudding is cooked, insert a skewer into the centre through the lid. If the skewer comes out clean, the pudding is ready. If the skewer has some batter on it, return the pudding to the pan and steam further until ready.
Allow the pudding to rest for 5 minutes and then remove the foil and paper lid. Using a thin knife, carefully work around the top edge of the basin to loosen the pudding so that it will come away from the basin easily. Invert a plate on top of the basin and, using a clean dish towel to protect your hands, quickly flip the whole thing over and lift off the pudding basin. Pour the extra 30g of golden syrup over the top of the pudding. Serve with a jug of custard.
Orange & Golden Syrup Steamed Pudding
Panettone & Gianduja Pudding
This started as a very naughty Christmas indulgence, fuelled by gifts from the Italian chefs in my team. I would make toasted panettone and, while still warm, smother it with soft gianduja spread – a hazelnut and chocolate paste. While that is perfect for feeding the family on Boxing Day evening, snuggled up in front of a film, turning it into a bread and butter pudding is an easy next step, and now it’s one of the most comforting dishes I know. While panettone is generally easy to find, I sometimes struggle to find soft gianduja. You can replace it with another chocolate and hazelnut spread that is more widely available, but use the original whenever you can – the real hazelnuts make a big difference in flavour.
SERVES 4
350g panettone (about half a medium panettone)
60g butter
100g gianduja (or other chocolate and hazelnut spread)
2 eggs, beaten
150ml double cream
200ml whole milk
20g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod
10g icing sugar, to decorate
Equipment
850ml (1½-pint) ovenproof dish
Preheat the oven to 170°C fan/190°C/gas mark 5.
Using a serrated knife, and leaving the crust on, cut the panettone into medium thickness slices and then again into wedges. Lay the panettone wedges over an oven tray. Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake the panettone for 10 minutes or until starting to harden.
Butter one side of the panettone wedges with 50g of the butter and then spread the gianduja across the same sides.
Grease an 850ml (1½-pint) ovenproof dish with the remaining 10g of butter and then arrange the panettone wedges, butter and gianduja side up, neatly inside.
Combine the egg, cream, milk and sugar in a bowl. Split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape the seeds into the bowl. Stir together until the sugar has dissolved and then pour the mixture over the panettone, enusre you coat everything evenly.
Place the ovenproof dish in a roasting tray and fill the tray with boiling water from the kettle to halfway up the sides of the dish. Cook for 40 minutes. The top of the pudding should be golden and crusty at the end of cooking; if not cook until achieved then dust with the icing sugar to serve.
I prefer to eat this just by itself, while still warm, so let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Panettone & Gianduja Pudding
Apricot & Lemon Thyme Cobblers
This dish combines two of my favourite desserts: fruit crumble and fruit tart. It brings back memories of working at a restaurant in Alberta, Canada just after I’d left school, where we served this dish. Some cobbler tops look a little dumpling-like, while others are more of an open crumble – this falls firmly in the latter camp. The British in me implores you to serve this dessert with custard, but it works just as well when a ball of vanilla ice cream is left to melt on top of the hot cobbler. This recipes makes enough for 12 individual cobblers, so you can either serve two cobblers per person or freeze any that you aren’t going to use.
SERVES 6
500g sweet shortcrust pastry (see here)
15 apricots, halved and stone removed
60g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod
20g lemon thyme, leaves picked
For the crumble
100g plain flour
80g cold salted butter, diced
80g caster sugar
80g ground almonds
10g flaked almonds
Equipment
6-hole, non-stick muffin tray
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C/gas mark 4 and line two baking trays with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a thickness of 1.5cm. Cut out six pastry circles large enough to line the cups of the muffin tray. To line the cups, carefully place the pastry circles in the cups, leaving no air bubbles and pushing down any creases. Place the muffin tray in the freezer and chill the pastry cases for 30 minutes or until hard.
While the pastry cases are chilling, put all the ingredients for the crumble mixture in a mixing bowl and gently rub together until just combined. Spread the crumble mixture over the first lined baking tray. Lay the apricot halves on the second lined baking tray, flat side down.
Remove the muffin tray from the freezer. Line each pastry case with a circle of parchment paper and then fill with ceramic baking beans or dried pulses or rice.
Place the muffin tray and both baking trays in the preheated oven to blind bake the pastry cases and roast the crumble mixture and the apricots for 20 minutes. After the first 10 minutes, carefully turn over each apricot half and gently move around the crumble mixture with a spoon so everything cooks evenly. After the full 20 minutes remove both baking trays from the oven and set aside to cool a little. Remove the muffin tray from the oven. Lift out the parchment paper from the pastry cases to remove the baking beans. Increase the oven temperature to 180°C fan/200°C/gas mark 6, return the muffin tray to the oven and cook the pastry cases for a further 5 minutes or until an even golden colour. Remove the muffin tray from the oven and set aside.
Transfer the apricots to a mixing bowl and, while still warm, sprinkle over the caster sugar and scrape in the vanilla seeds from the pod. Stir everything together, gently breaking up the apricots while stirring. Spoon the apricot mixture into the tart cases. Loosely scatter the crumble mix over the top of each filled tart case and then finally add the picked lemon thyme leaves to decorate the cobblers. Serve immediately while warm with either custard or ice cream.
Apricot & Lemon Thyme Cobblers
Glazed Apple Tart
The slightly more elegant sibling of the classic apple pie, this tart is a stunning dessert. It has similar flavours to a tarte tatin as the sugar caramelises as it cooks. You could serve this tart with clotted cream to balance the sweetness of the apples.
SERVES 6
300g classic puff pastry (or shop-bought)
200g Frangipane
80g caster sugar
80g unsalted butter, softened
6–8 Pink Lady or Granny Smith apples
20g icing sugar
clotted cream, to serve
Line a baking tray with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry into a large circle about 5mm thick. Slide the rolled-out pastry onto the lined baking tray and rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or in the freezer for 10 minutes. Remove the tray from the refrigerator or freezer. Trim the edges of the pastry into a neat circle that measures 24cm in diameter and return to the refrigerator or freezer.
Once chilled, remove the pastry from the refrigerator or freezer, and preheat the oven to 185°C fan/200°C/gas mark 6. With the pastry still on the lined baking tray, and leaving a border of 2cm around the edge, spread the frangipane evenly across the pastry.
Using a pastry brush, mix the caster sugar and softened butter together to make a paste.
Peel and core the apples. Using a mandoline, slice the apples to 2mm thick. Take just over one-quarter of the slices and fan them out in a circle around the outer edge, keeping in line with the edge of the frangipane. Roughly brush the apples with some of the butter mixture. Repeat with the remaining apple slices and butter mixture to create concentric circles until the pastry is covered. Make sure the top layer of apple slices is evenly coated with the butter mixture.
Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake the tart for 30 minutes or until the apples are starting to caramelise and the pastry is beginning to crisp up.
Remove the tray from the oven. Using a sieve, dust the tart with the icing sugar and then lay another sheet of parchment paper over the top of the apples. Take a second baking tray and lay it on top of that parchment paper. Using a dish towel or oven gloves to protect your hands, quickly flip the tart over so the apples are now facing downwards on the new tray. Lightly press down the top tray and then remove it and the original parchment paper. Return the tart to the oven for a further 20 minutes.
Remove the tart from the oven. This time place a serving plate or platter on top of the pastry, and then flip the tart again. Check the apples are evenly glazed and caramelised. If it needs a little longer, flip the tart back again and return it to the oven for a further 10 minutes. Serve warm with spoonfuls of clotted cream.
Glazed Apple Tart
Rhubarb & Custard Tart
This tart is best made when forced Yorkshire rhubarb is at its peak, around mid-January to March. In season, forced rhubarb is a stunning, bright pink fruit. Out of season, rhubarb is still a delight and if you really want that lurid pink colour you can always add a touch of grenadine to the poaching liquid when you cook the fruit. An absolute rule at the restaurant is that, be it chocolate, custard or lemon, we never serve a tart that has been in a refrigerator as it completely changes its texture and fragrance. Anything left over at the end of a service is finished up by the team, so what is served the next day to diners is always fresh from the oven. I apply the same principle at home, explaining to my wife that we ‘have’ to finish the tart because rules are rules.
SERVES 4
10g butter, for greasing
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon of water, for glazing
2 lemon thyme sprigs (optional), leaves picked, for decorating
For the custard
150ml whole milk
150ml double cream
70g golden caster sugar
1 vanilla pod
2 eggs, beaten
For the rhubarb
500g rhubarb
zest and juice of 1 orange
30g caster sugar
Equipment
35cm x 12cm rectangular tart tin with a removable base
Roll out the pastry to 5mm thick and to fit the tart tin with a small overlap of 2cm. Grease the tin with the butter and line with the pastry, making sure it goes well into the edges. Place the pastry-lined tin in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/gas mark 6.
Remove the tin from the refrigerator, make sure the pastry is still neatly tucked into the edges and prick the base all over. Lay a sheet of parchment paper inside the pastry case and then fill with baking beans. Bake for 12 minutes then remove the baking beans and cook for a further 5 minutes. The pastry should be golden brown but not dark; if not bake a further few minutes until golden then remove from the oven. Lightly brush the surface of the pastry all over with the egg wash, covering well any hairline cracks, and return to the oven for 2 minutes. Remove the tart case from the oven and set aside.
Lower the oven temperature to 150°C fan/170°C/gas mark 3.
Meanwhile, make the custard. Combine the milk, cream and golden caster sugar in a pan. Split open the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the pan and bring everything to a simmer over a medium heat. Put the beaten eggs into a mixing bowl and, whisking continuously and vigorously, gradually pour in the hot milk and cream mixture until well combined. Transfer the custard to a jug.
Place the pastry case on an oven tray inside the oven. Carefully pour the custard from the jug into the pastry case to three-quarters of the way up the sides. Bake the tart for 25 minutes. To check the tart is cooked, wiggle the tray. If it looks fairly set but still has a tiny wobble in the middle, it’s perfect. If not, continue to cook further in 5-minute intervals, checking each time to see if it needs a little longer. Remove the tart from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin.
While the tart is cooling, prepare the rhubarb. Peel the rhubarb stalks and place the peelings in a medium pan with the orange zest and juice, caster sugar and 30ml water, and then gently warm until the sugar has dissolved. Strain the syrup through a sieve into a bowl, squeezing any liquid from the pulp left behind, and return the syrup to the pan.
Cut the rhubarb stalks into 6cm long batons and divide into two batches. Bring the syrup up to a simmer and drop in the first batch of rhubarb and cook just for 1 minute until softened. Carefully remove the rhubarb from the pan with a spatula or slotted spoon and leave to dry on paper towels. Repeat with the second batch of rhubarb. Increase the heat under the syrup and reduce to the consistency of a glaze.
Arrange the rhubarb batons across the top of the custard in two vertical columns to fill the tart case, then lightly brush the fruit with the sticky syrup to glaze.
When the tart has fully cooled (45 minutes to 1 hour after being removed from the oven), carefully unmould the tart from the tin. To finish, garnish the tart with picked lemon thyme leaves, if using.
Rhubarb & Custard Tart
Pecan & Frangipane Tart
The addition of pecans, gently caramelised in a little honey, turns a simple, classic tart into something almost impossible to stop eating. I’ve always found frangipane to be light, so it can take the additional richness without ruining what becomes a decadent dish. Serve slices of this tart with a little fruit and something creamy to bind everything together; here I’ve suggested fresh raspberries and clotted cream.
SERVES 6–8
5g butter, softened
For the pecan frangipane
200g pecans
1 tablespoon runny honey
110g butter, softened
110g caster sugar
3 medium eggs, beaten
110g ground almonds
25g flaked almonds
To serve
icing sugar, to dust
raspberries
clotted cream
Equipment
24cm diameter loose-bottomed fluted tart tin
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry dough into a large disc 1cm thick, then place on a parchment-lined tray to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Grease the inside of the tart tin with 5g of the butter and then line it with the chilled disc of pastry. To do this, roll the pastry around the rolling pin and lay it carefully over the tin. Press the pastry firmly against the sides of the tin and into the corners. Using a fork, prick the base of the pastry case all over. Put it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190°C fan/210°C/gas mark 6½. Once rested, trim away any excess pastry from the top edge of the tin. Line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill with ceramic baking beans. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, line a baking tray with baking parchment. Mix the pecans with the honey and spread them across the lined baking tray. Remove the baking beans and parchment from the pastry case and return to the oven along with the tray of pecans for a further 10 minutes. Take the tart case and the nuts out of the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 180°C fan/200°C/Gas Mark 6.
While the pastry and nuts are cooling, whisk together the butter and sugar until pale (about 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes with an electric mixer). Gradually add the eggs, slowly whisking them in, and then stir in the ground almonds.
Pour the frangipane mixture into the pastry case. Evenly spread the pecans over the top, pushing them down into the filling, and then scatter the flaked almonds all over. Place the tin in the hot oven and bake the tart for 35 minutes or until the frangipane has risen and is golden in colour.
Carefully remove the tart from the tin by setting it over a bowl smaller than the hole in the base and allowing the sides of the tin to drop away. Lightly dust the tart with icing sugar. Serve while still warm with a handful of raspberries and some clotted cream on the side.
Pecan & Frangipane Tart
Fig, Honey & Pistachio Clafoutis
When figs are at their best, plump and ripe, teaming them up with pistachio nuts and honey makes for a beautiful pudding. The first key step to a great clafoutis is to reduce the water content of the fruit before adding it to the batter, so it doesn’t seep into the pudding as it cooks, resulting in a better structure. My second tip is to brown the butter, which adds a nuttiness to the whole dish.
SERVES 4
8 ripe figs
60g caster sugar
30g butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 vanilla pod
20g plain flour, sifted
4 tablespoons whole milk
4 tablespoons double cream
25g shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons runny honey
10g icing sugar, to decorate
clotted cream, to serve
Equipment
20cm oval ovenproof dish
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/gas mark 7 and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
Using a sharp knife, slice the figs in half lengthways. Lay the figs on the lined baking tray, cut side up, and dust with 10g of the caster sugar. Place the tray in the preheated oven and roast for 12 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and set aside to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C fan/200°C/gas mark 6.
Meanwhile, melt 20g of the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat until it just starts to brown – remove the pan from the heat as soon as you see the colour change and do not allow the butter to blacken. Pour the browned butter into a small bowl to stop the cooking process and leave to cool slightly.
Put the beaten eggs into a mixing bowl. Split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape the seeds into the eggs. Add the remaining caster sugar to the eggs and whisk for at least 5 minutes until the eggs have taken in plenty of air and have increased in volume.
Using a silicone spatula, fold the flour into the egg mixture until fully incorporated, but avoid knocking out all the air. Finally, fold the browned butter, milk and cream into the mixture to make the clafoutis batter.
Butter a 20cm ovenproof dish with the remaining 10g of butter. Pour the clafoutis batter into the dish and nestle the roasted figs in the batter. Place the ovenproof dish in the hot oven and bake the clafoutis for 25 minutes.
Remove the dish from the oven and scatter the chopped pistachios over the top of the clafoutis. Turn the dish around before putting it back in the oven for a further 15 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, the centre of the clafoutis should be risen. If it is still dipped, cook the clafoutis for a further 5 minutes or until it rises. Leave the pudding to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
When ready to serve, drizzle the clafoutis all over with the runny honey and dust with the icing sugar. A small bowl of clotted cream served on the side to accompany the clafoutis is perfect.
Fig, Honey & Pistachio Clafoutis