Putting this chapter together has certainly been a trip back in time. I don’t tend to make desserts every day, but when I was a child we always had a pudding with every evening meal. My parents had an allotment and we had lots of seasonal fruit, which Mum also used to freeze. We used to pick the windfalls from the orchard of my uncle’s farm, too, and then spend a good few hours peeling, chopping and bagging them ready for the freezer. With our cold, wet hands, we hated it at the time, but we certainly loved the puddings and cakes Mum created for us all year round. Dad still doesn’t think the meal is complete until he has had his pudding!
Many of these recipes can be prepared in advance. Some can be frozen. So, remember to follow the golden rule – double up the recipe and freeze one to always be one step ahead and create your very own ready-meals, or if you have the oven on for another recipe, fill it up with either a dessert, cakes, biscuits or treats for the week ahead.
I use tinned pears, but if you prefer fresh, poach them gently for 20 minutes before adding to the recipe.
Serves 4–6
420g tin of pears, sliced, including the natural fruit juice
125g breadcrumbs (page 12)
50g oats
50g chopped hazelnuts
75g dark chocolate chunks
2 tsp ground cinnamon
100g butter
3 tbsp golden syrup
1 Preheat the oven to 190˚C (gas mark 5).
2 Place the pear slices, with their juice, in an ovenproof dish.
3 Combine the breadcrumbs, oats, chopped hazelnuts, chocolate chunks and cinnamon. Arrange the mixture over the top of the pears.
4 Place the butter and syrup in a small saucepan and melt over a low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon to avoid burning. Once melted, pour over the breadcrumb mixture.
5 Bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes until golden.
6 Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche or vanilla ice-cream.
This wonderfully satisfying dessert is a great variation to the standard fruit crumble. You can use frozen gooseberries if you prefer.
Serves 4–6
750g gooseberries
1–2 tbsp sugar
1–2 tbsp water
125g breadcrumbs (page 12)
50g oats
2 tsp ground cinnamon
100g butter
3 tbsp golden syrup
1 Preheat the oven to 190˚C (gas mark 5).
2 Place the gooseberries in a saucepan with the sugar and water then cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes to help them soften. Stir and press the gooseberries slightly to encouraage them to burst a little. Tip them into an ovenproof dish when they are ready.
3 While the gooseberries are cooking, combine the breadcrumbs, oats and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread this mixture over the top of the fruit.
4 Place the butter and syrup in a saucepan and melt very gently, stirring with a wooden spoon to avoid burning. Once melted, pour over the breadcrumb mixture. You can freeze at this point for use later.
5 Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the top is golden.
6 Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche or vanilla ice-cream.
Top Tip
May be frozen cooked or uncooked. If heating from frozen, add 10 minutes to the cooking time. The food is ready when it is piping hot throughout.
This is a delicious dessert that takes minutes to prepare. My dad loves making this as it gives him an excuse to get out his kitchen blowtorch and makes him feel like a celebrity chef!
Serves 4–6
200g frozen raspberries (or fresh ones if they are in season)
350–400g fat-free Greek yoghurt
3 tbsp low-fat crème fraîche
1 tsp vanilla paste
3–4 tbsp brown sugar
1 If you are using frozen raspberries, place them in a heatproof serving dish and allow them to defrost for 20 minutes. You could use individual serving dishes, as long as they are heatproof.
2 Meanwhile, mix the yoghurt and crème fraîche together in a bowl. Once combined, add the vanilla paste and stir well.
3 Spoon the yoghurt mixture over the raspberries, then sprinkle with brown sugar – enough to form a generous layer to make the crème brûlée effect.
4 You can use a kitchen blowtorch to caramelise the top or place the dish under a hot grill. Be sure to watch this stage carefully, as the sugar can caramelise really quickly and could burn if you are not paying attention. Serve immediately.
This is a deceptively light pudding that is really quite addictive. My mum used to make it for us when we were children and it is now a favourite with my boys. The soufflé-like sponge sits on top of a zingy lemon sauce. You can use fewer lemons if you prefer a less intense citrus hit.
Serves 4–6
50g butter, plus extra for greasing
150g sugar
Zest and juice of 2 large or 3 medium lemons
4 medium eggs (or 3 large), separated
1 tsp vanilla essence or paste
50g plain flour
300ml milk
1 Preheat the oven to 180ºC (gas mark 4) and butter a baking dish or individual ramekins, if you prefer.
2 In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy, then add the lemon zest.
3 Add the egg yolks, vanilla and lemon juice. Beat well, then add the flour and milk to form a batter. Mix well, scraping down the edges of the bowl.
4 In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold into the batter, taking care to avoid over-stirring, as you want to keep the air in the egg whites.
5 Pour the mixture into the baking dish. You can keep it in the fridge at this stage if you want to bake it later.
6 Boil a kettle of water. Place the baking dish in a roasting tray and place this in the oven. Pour the boiling water into the tray to create a bain marie. but don’t splash any water onto the pudding! I find it far easier and safer to do this while the dish is in the oven as it avoids carrying and spilling the hot water.
7 Bake for 30 minutes (20 minutes for individual ramekin portions). The pudding will have a golden sponge topping which is firm to the touch and a gooey lemon sauce beneath it.
8 Serve with crème fraîche or Greek yoghurt.
Wow, what a combination! Bananas and dark chocolate with crème fraîche.
Serves 4
4 bananas
100–150g dark chocolate
4 heaped dessertspoons crème fraîche
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4).
2 Place the bananas in an ovenproof dish in their skins and bake for 10 minutes, or until the skin goes completely black. When the bananas are cooked, remove from their skins.
3 Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate in a heat-resistant bowl set over a pan of just-simmering water.
4 Pour the chocolate over the bananas when you are ready to serve and finish with a generous dollop of crème fraîche.
The sauce is poured over the top of the cake, but during cooking the sauce miraculously goes to the bottom. Magic!
Serves 4–6
115g sugar, plus 2 tbsp
115g butter, plus extra for greasing
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp vanilla essence or paste
100g self-raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa
300ml boiling water
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cocoa
1 Preheat the oven to 180˚C (gas mark 4).
2 Beat the sugar and butter together in a bowl until creamy and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix well before adding the flour and cocoa.
3 Pour into a greased ovenproof dish (or ramekin dishes) and smooth over with a palette knife to flatten.
4 In a bowl or jug, combine the boiling water, 2 tablespoons sugar and cocoa. Stir well until there are no lumps. Pour this over the sponge mixture.
5 Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the sponge is firm to the touch.
6 Serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt, crème fraîche or Homemade Custard (page 199).
Cooking Tip
Use ramekins to make individual puddings for a party. Simply bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
These were my dad’s favourite when I was growing up. They don’t last long in our home!
Makes 6–8 cakes, depending on size
Flour for rolling out
250g pack of puff pastry
4 tbsp mincemeat
1 egg, beaten
Sprinkling of brown sugar
1 Preheat the oven to 200ºC (gas mark 6).
2 On a floured surface, roll the pastry out to about 4–5mm thick and cut into squares, approximately 15–20cm square.
3 Place 2–3 teaspoons of mincemeat in the centre of each pastry square.
4 Using a pastry brush, brush beaten egg around the edges of each square. Then fold the corners into the centre to form an envelope and gather in the remaining folds to make a bundle. Or simply fold over and secure to form a rectangle or a triangle.
5 On a floured surface, turn the cakes over so that the seams are on the bottom. Use a rolling pin or your hands to gently flatten the cakes slightly, being careful not to split the pastry.
6 Using a sharp knife, score 2–3 slits in the top of each cake. Place on a baking tray and brush with beaten egg and a sprinkling of brown sugar before placing in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes until golden.
Top Tip
May be frozen cooked or uncooked. If heating from frozen, add 10 minutes to the cooking time. The food is ready when it is piping hot throughout. Check and if it is not ready, pop back into the oven for another five minutes, then check again.
This versatile dessert is equally delicious as a pudding at a dinner party, or used the next day as a topping on your breakfast porridge. The recipe can be adapted to use up whatever fruits you have left over in your fridge: oranges, pears, peaches are particularly good!
Serves 4
400g mixed berries (such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, redcurrants)
1 large apple, peeled, cored and chopped roughly
2 large plums, skinned and chopped roughly
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of water
25g sugar (optional)
1 cinnamon stick (for a slightly spicy flavour)
1 Mix the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer over a low heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the mixture from sticking.
2 Take off the heat, remove the cinnamon stick, and spoon the mixture into 4 heat-proof dessert bowls or brandy glasses. Add a dollop of crème fraîche and serve immediately with a biscuit like Viennese Whirls (page 232).
Storage Tip
Seal in a container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Alternatively, freeze individual portions and defrost before re-heating for a few minutes. Will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can adjust the amount of cinnamon here to suit your own taste.
Serves 4–6
3–4 Bramley cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1–2 tbsp brown sugar (depending on desired sweetness)
1–2 tsp ground cinnamon
Juice of half a lemon
50g raisins
150g self-raising flour, plus extra for rolling out
½ tsp baking powder
25g sugar
50g butter
100ml natural yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla essence
Milk, for glazing
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C (gas mark 5).
2 Place the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon and raisins in a saucepan and add the water. Cook on a medium heat until the apples start to soften.
3 To make the scones, sift the flour into a bowl and add the baking powder and sugar. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
4 Add the yoghurt and vanilla essence and mix to form a dough. Then turn out the dough onto a floured surface, roll into a thick sausage then cut into 4–5cm rounds.
5 Tip the apple mixture into an ovenproof dish and arrange the scones around the edge and over the top. Brush with milk and add a sprinkling of brown sugar. If freezing, do it at this point. Otherwise bake for 15–18 minutes, until golden.
6 Serve with Homemade Custard (page 199).
May be frozen cooked or uncooked. If heating from frozen, add 10 minutes to the cooking time. The food is ready when it is piping hot throughout. Check and if it is not ready, pop back into the oven for another five minutes, then check again.
Although it takes a little more care than powdered custard, the result of making your own from scratch is spectacular.
Serves 4
600ml full fat milk
4 egg yolks
4 tbsp cornflour
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 Heat the milk to just below boiling point. Meanwhile, mix the egg yolks, cornflour and sugar together. Keep an eye on the milk to avoid it boiling over. Add the vanilla essence.
2 Remove the milk from the heat and add the egg mixture. Use a hand whisk and stir well.
3 Place the custard back on the heat and continue to stir until it starts to thicken – be careful not to have the heat too high or it will burn.
4 Once the custard has thickened, serve immediately.
Leftover Tip
If you have any custard left over, you could pour this into lolly moulds and freeze – these make delicious ice-lollies!
Comforting puddings like this are enjoying a well-deserved revival and are so much nicer than shop-bought, processed puddings.
Serves 4–6
90g white bread, cubed
45g sugar
420ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
45g butter, plus extra for greasing
2 eggs, separated
3 tbsp jam (I use raspberry but feel free to use whatever you prefer)
60g caster sugar
1 Preheat the oven to 180˚C (gas mark 4) butter an ovenproof dish.
2 Place the cubed bread in a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar.
3 Heat the milk, vanilla extract or paste and butter in a saucepan until it almost reaches boiling point and then pour over the bread and sugar mixture. When this is cool, add the egg yolks and whisk until smooth.
4 Pour the mixture into your greased, ovenproof dish and bake for 20–25 minutes, until set.
5 While this is cooking, in a bowl beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks, gradually adding half the caster sugar.
6 Melt the jam over a low heat so that it does not burn, then spread it over the set bread pudding mixture.
7 Top with the whisked egg whites, sprinkle with the remaining caster sugar and return the pudding to the oven for another 8–10 minutes, until golden.
8 Serve with Homemade Custard (page 199)
A traditional autumnal treat that is simple to prepare. No mincemeat? Then fill the apples with dried fruit and honey.
Serves 4
4 Bramley apples
2 tsp runny honey
2–3 tsp ground cinnamon
4 tbsp mincemeat
Sprinkling of brown sugar
1 Preheat the oven to 200˚C (gas mark 6).
2 Wash and core your apples, leaving the skins intact. Mix the honey with 2 teaspoons of boiling water and the cinnamon. Stir until dissolved.
3 Place the apples on a baking tray and add 2 tablespoons of water to the dish. Brush the apples with the honey mixture.
4 Fill the cores of the apples with mincemeat, then finish off with a sprinkling of brown sugar.
5 Bake in the oven for 20–30 minutes until soft and serve with low-fat crème fraîche, natural yoghurt, or Homemade Custard (page 199).
A twist on a traditional favourite. I can normally create this just from what I have in my store cupboard.
Serves 4–6
4–6 slices of white bread (stale is ideal)
30g butter, plus extra for greasing
40g chopped dates
1 cooking apple, peeled and chopped
50g sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra for sprinkling (optional)
2 eggs, beaten
300ml milk
75ml cream (optional – increase the quantity of milk to 375ml if you prefer)
1 Preheat the oven to 190˚C (gas mark 5). Butter an ovenproof dish.
2 Butter the bread and use to line the dish, sprinkling chopped dates, chopped apple, sugar and cinnamon between the slices.
3 In a jug, whisk together the eggs, milk and cream (if used). Pour over the bread mixture, pushing the bread down into the liquid where necessary. Let it sit for 10 minutes to absorb the milk.
4 Sprinkle the pudding with more cinnamon (optional) and place the dish in the oven, or you can freeze at this point, if you prefer.
5 Bake for 30 minutes, until golden and the base is almost set.
6 Serve with Homemade Custard (page 199).
Cooking Tip
No dates in your kitchen cupboard? Then just use sultanas, instead.
You can use a plain granola and mix in your own dark chocolate chips, or look out for a chocolate granola mix in the shops.
Serves 4
8–12 tbsp granola (you can use muesli)
75g dark chocolate chips (if you are not using dark chocolate granola)
2 tbsp chopped hazelnuts
400g tinned pears in natural juice, sliced
1 Preheat the oven to 180˚C (gas mark 4.)
2 Mix the granola, chocolate chips and hazelnuts together in a bowl.
3 Spoon half the pears and their juice into an ovenproof dish. Cover with a layer of granola mix, then repeat with another layer of pears and granola. You can freeze at this point for use later.
4 Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
5 Serve hot or cold with either ice cream, freshly whipped cream, or Homemade Custard (page 199).
A traditional family favourite that can be a pudding or a cake, as it may be served hot or cold. This recipe also works well with apricots.
Serves 4–6
150g butter, plus extra for greasing
150g sugar
3 eggs, beaten
150g self-raising flour, sifted
1 tsp vanilla essence
50g butter
50g brown sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 tin pineapple rings
3 glacé cherries, halved
1 Preheat the oven to 180˚C (gas mark 4).
2 In a bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until golden and creamy. Gradually add the eggs and combine well.
3 Fold in the sifted flour and once combined, add the vanilla essence.
4 Place the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup in a heat-resistant bowl and set this over a pan of gently simmering water to melt the butter. Stir gently with a wooden spoon to avoid burning. You can do this in a microwave on low power, but keep a close eye on it.
5 Grease or line an ovenproof dish or cake tin. Place a small amount of the buttery syrup mixture into the dish then lay the pineapple rings in the bottom with a cherry in the middle of the each one. Pour over the remaining melted buttery, syrup mixture.
6 Carefully spoon over the sponge mix to cover the pineapple rings and smooth the surface with a spatula or palette knife.
7 Place in the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the sponge is risen, golden and springs back into shape when pressed.
8 Remove from the oven and leave to rest for a few minutes. Place a plate or serving dish over the top of the dish and flip it over so the cake sits on the plate, upside down, with the pineapple facing upwards.
9 Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche or Homemade Custard (page 199)
Leftover Tip
Freeze this cake after baking. Defrost it at room temperature and reheat in the oven on a low temperature (160ºC/gas mark 3) for 10 minutes before serving.
Such a simple dish, using some store-cupboard staples. Thrown together in minutes, it is perfect for a quick and easy dessert.
Serves 4–6
700g bramley apples, cored, peeled and diced
2 tbsp water
50g brown sugar, plus 1 tbsp for sprinkling
50g sultanas
1 tsp cinnamon
Butter for greasing
1 small ginger cake, crumbled
Zest and juice of one orange
1 tbsp desiccated coconut
1 Place the chopped apple in a saucepan with the water and brown sugar. Cook until it starts to soften, but still has a bite. Add the sultanas and cinnamon and combine well.
2 Preheat the oven to 180˚C (gas mark 4) and meanwhile, grease an ovenproof dish.
3 Crumble a layer of ginger cake in the bottom of the ovenproof dish. Over this, add a layer of apple. Repeat, finishing with a ginger cake top.
4 Add the orange zest and juice. Sprinkle with coconut and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
5 Serve with Homemade Custard (page199) or Butterscotch Sauce (page 207).
Cook up a batch of stewed apple and keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, store stewed apple or raw sliced apple in the freezer ready to be heated to use in pies, crumbles or puddings.
Leftover Tip
If you have some ginger cake left, you can serve this with tinned mandarin oranges and custard for a very easy extra dessert.
This is a very sweet treat to drizzle over ice-cream or other puddings – you only nteed a small amount to make a delicious difference.
Serves 4
60g butter
120g brown sugar
6 tbsp golden syrup
6 tbsp double cream
1 Place the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan and melt gently over a low heat, so that it does not burn. Stir well to combine.
2 Fold in the double cream (single cream may curdle or separate).
3 Serve hot or cold with baked desserts or over ice-cream.
This dish uses a sweet pastry but you will not lose anything if you opt for a traditional pastry. You can, of course, use readymade pastry.
Serves 6–8
250g plain flour, plus extra for rolling out
75g caster sugar or icing sugar
Zest and juice of 1 orange
125g butter
1kg cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
Ground cinnamon
50g sultanas
75g sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 egg, beaten, for glazing
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C (gas mark 5).
2 To make the pastry, it is easiest to use a food processor. Add the flour, caster or icing sugar, orange zest and butter to the bowl. Whizz for a couple of seconds. Slowly add the orange juice until a dough forms. Place the dough in the fridge to rest for 5 minutes.
3 Roll the pastry out onto a floured board to the desired size and thickness for your 25cm pie dish. You will need to line the pie dish and have enough pastry for a lid.
4 Press the pastry firmly around the bottom of the dish and the sides, then use a knife to trim away any excess.
5 Cover the pastry base with baking parchment and baking beans. Bake blind for 10 minutes, then remove the beans and parchment and return to the oven for another 8–10 minutes, until golden.
6 Arrange the apple slices in the pie dish, layering with cinnamon and sultanas. Sprinkle over the sugar. Brush some beaten egg over the edges of the pastry base to help secure the lid, then place the pastry top over the pie base and crimp the edges to seal them. You can freeze at this point for use later.
7 Brush the top with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar before placing in the oven for 30–40 minutes, until golden.
8 Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche or low-fat yoghurt.
Extra Recipes
Double up the recipe but instead of adding a pastry top, sprinkle some Oaty Crumble Mix (page 216) over the top of the apples. A fantastic variation to this recipe with very little effort!
A classic, delicious autumnal pie that makes the most of freshly picked blackberries and seasonal apples.
Serves 6–8
250g plain flour
75g caster sugar or icing sugar
125g butter
1 egg, beaten
1kg cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
200g blackberries
75g sugar
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C (gas mark 5).
2 To make the pastry, it is easiest to use a food processor. Add the flour, caster or icing sugar and butter to the bowl. Whizz for a couple of seconds. Slowly add the egg until a dough forms. You may use only half the egg, set aside whatever remains to glaze the pie. Place the dough in the fridge to rest for 5 minutes.
3 Roll the pastry out onto a floured board to the desired size and thickness for your 25cm pie dish. You need enough to line and cover the dish.
4 Press the pastry firmly around the bottom of the dish and the sides, then use a knife to trim away any excess.
5 Cover the pastry base with baking parchment and baking beans and bake blind for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and baking parchment and return to the oven for another 8–10 minutes, until golden.
6 Place the apple and blackberries in the pie dish and sprinkle over the sugar. Brush some egg over the edges of the pastry base to help secure the lid, then top the pie with pastry and crimp the edges to seal.
7 Brush the pie with the remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with extra sugar before placing in the oven for 30–40 minutes until golden.
8 Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche, low fat yoghurt or Homemade Custard (page 199).
Top Tip
May be frozen cooked or uncooked. If heating from frozen, add 10 minutes to the cooking time. The food is ready when it is piping hot throughout. Check and if it is not ready, pop back into the oven for another five minutes, then check again.
Cooking Tip
I prefer my apples in a pie to have a slight bite to them rather than be a soggy mush, so I tend to put the apples and blackberries straight into the pie. If you prefer, place the apples and blackberries in a pan with a very small amount of water and cook for 10 minutes on a medium heat until soft – then add to the pie.
Most people cook rice pudding in the oven, but I find making it in a saucepan so much easier. For added creaminess, you can use full-fat milk, or stir in some double cream prior to serving.
110g pudding rice or arborio risotto rice
750ml full fat milk
150ml double cream
2–3 tsp cinnamon
1–2 tsp pure vanilla extract
25g sugar
A little grated nutmeg to serve
1 Place all the ingredients apart from the double cream and nutmeg in a heavy based saucepan. Make sure this pan is at least a third larger than the contents.
2 On a low heat, cook the rice mixture until it is soft, stirring often to avoid it sticking to the base of your pan. The rice will thicken and soften in about 20 minutes and you may have to add more milk, if necessary, depending on how thick you like your pudding. Remember the pudding does absorb milk after cooking so if reheating, you will need to add more milk.
3 Just before serving, you can stir in some double cream if you like a creamy taste. Transfer to bowls and serve sprinkled with nutmeg or Fruit Compôte (page 196–7), or allow to cool before freezing.
Extra Recipes
Raspberry Rice Pudding Brûlée Place some frozen raspberries in an ovenproof dish (or mini ramekin dishes). Add rice pudding and finish with a sprinkling of brown sugar. Then use a cook’s blowtorch to caramelise the top (you can get a similar effect by placing under the grill but it does take longer). Try this with other left-over fruit, too.
Rhubarb and Ginger Rice Pudding Brûlée Using the same technique as above, place rhubarb chunks in the base of a ramekin or ovenproof dish. Grate a sprinkling of fresh ginger over the rhubarb – be careful as it can give quite a kick! Cover with rice pudding and sprinkle with brown sugar before caramelising as above.
You can use fresh fruits or frozen berries for this desert if you want to make it out of season. It’s my mum’s favourite pudding – serve with some clotted cream if you are feeling naughty – and a great way to use up stale bread.
Serves 4
500g mixed berries (such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries or blackberries – you can use frozen mixed fruit)
75g golden caster sugar
6 slices white bread
1 Place the fruit and sugar in a saucepan and heat very gently for 2–3 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Don’t overcook – you want the fruit to retain its shape.
2 Remove from the heat, drain off some of the fruit juice and leave to one side.
3 Meanwhile, line a 1.2-litre pudding basin with the bread slices, ensuring there are no gaps and that the edges overlap. Trim as necessary.
4 Spoon the fruit mixture into the basin. Cover with a layer of bread to help seal the top.
5 Place a saucer over the basin, ideally one that fits inside the basin rim, and press down gently. Place a weight on top of the saucer to keep the shape and chill overnight.
6 When you are ready to serve, turn the pudding out onto a serving plate and drizzle with the remaining fruit juice.
7 Serve with crème fraîche or Homemade Custard (page 199).
There is nothing nicer than the taste of blackberries and apples to tell you autumn is on its way!
Serves 4–6
4 cooking apples, ideally Bramley, peeled, cored and cubed
One or two handfuls of blackberries (fresh or frozen)
25g sugar
For the crumble topping
250g plain flour
200g butter
150g brown sugar
50g oats or muesli
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4).
2 Place the apples in a saucepan with 1–2 tablespoons of water. Cook over a medium heat for 5–8 minutes until they start to soften slightly.
3 Mix in the blackberries and sugar and stir well.
4 In a mixing bowl, add the flour and butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the brown sugar and oats or muesli; combine well.
5 Transfer the fruit to an ovenproof dish, then sprinkle on the crumble topping, starting at the outside edge and working inwards. At this point you can freeze for later use. Alternatively, bake in the oven for 15 minutes until the crumble is golden and bubbling.
6 Serve with créme fraîche, freshly whipped cream, or Homemade Custard (page 199).
If you have no brown sugar for the topping, granulated white sugar will do, but brown sugar gives a better flavour and consistency.
Storage Tip
A batch of crumble mix will keep for up to one month in an airtight container in the fridge.
Extra Recipes
There are endless combinations for a good fruit crumble. Go with the seasons and try to use up any spare fruit in your fruit bowl. Here are some more ideas:
Spiced Apple Crumble After stewing your apple, stir in some nutmeg, cinnamon and mixed spice with a handful of dried fruit.
Apple and Blackcurrant Crumble Blackcurrants add a wonderful flavour and vibrant colour. Place the blackcurrants in the saucepan with the apple to stew together.
Apple and Blueberry Crumble Blueberries are marketed as a superfood, but really most berries are good for you. Mix fresh or frozen blueberries into the stewed apple; cover with your crumble mix and bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes.
Gooseberry and Elderflower Crumble This is one of my favourites. Place prepared gooseberries in a saucepan and add 2 tablespoons of elderflower cordial and 25g sugar. Simmer gently until the gooseberries just start to burst under pressure. Place in an ovenproof dish and cover with your crumble topping.
Summer Fruit Crumble This is a lovely ‘cheat’ crumble. All you need is a pack of frozen summer fruits and a pack of own-brand muesli or crumble ingredients. Place the summer fruits in the bottom of an ovenproof dish, add 2 tablespoons of water and a sprinkling of sugar if you have a sweet tooth. Cover with your crumble mix and bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes.
Rhubarb Crumble Cook some fresh or frozen rhubarb in a pan with a little water or mix in some fresh strawberries or raspberries for sweetness. Another great combination is Rhubarb and Orange Crumble. Add some orange segments alongside the rhubarb. Or, if you like things a bit hot, why not try Rhubarb and Ginger Crumble?
This versatile topping has a delicious texture that complements most cooked fruit fillings.
Serves 4
100g plain flour
30g brown sugar
50g butter, slightly softened
30g oats
little brown sugar, for sprinkling
1 Sift the plain flour into a bowl, and add the softened butter.
2 Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3 Add the brown sugar and oats, and mix well.
4 Use the mixture to top a crumble filling and bake (for oven times, etc, see individual dessert recipes). If you wish, you may freeze the crumble mix for later use, or store it in a sealable container in the fridge, where it will keep for a month.
In the summer months, you can swap the apple for some delicious crushed berries. Measurements vary depending on the size of glass, so simply layer the ingredients up appropriately.
Serves 4
2–3 cooking apples, cored, peeled and diced
2 tbsp water
50g brown sugar
Granola
Crème fraîche (or cream, if you prefer)
Dark chocolate, melted, to decorate
1 Place the chopped apple in a saucepan with the water and brown sugar. Heat until the mixture starts to soften, but still has bite. After you have cooked the apples, allow them to cool.
2 In your chosen serving glasses, place a layer of apple, followed by granola, and then the crème fraîche.
3 Repeat this process, finishing with the crème fraîche.
4 Decorate with swirls of melted dark chocolate.
5 Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.
If you don’t like the ginger base, swap the ginger biscuits for digestives. I usually top it off with fresh raspberries.
Serves 4
150g ginger biscuits, crushed
50g butter
1 tub of low-fat soft cheese
Zest and juice of two small lemons
150g Greek yoghurt
150g crème fraîche
50g plain chocolate
1 Place the crushed biscuits in a saucepan with the butter. Stir well over a gentle heat, until the butter has melted and the biscuit crumbs are thoroughly coated.
2 Transfer the biscuit base to a greased 25 cm cheesecake tin with a removeable bottom. Press down the on biscuit crumbs with your fingertips to form a solid base, then place in the fridge to chill.
3 To make the filling, put the soft cheese in a large bowl and beat with a wooden spoon to soften it. Add the zest of both lemons and the juice of one lemon. Add the yoghurt and crème fraîche. Stir well.
4 Taste to check that the filling is lemony enough. If not, add more lemon juice. When you are happy with the mixture, pour it over the biscuit base, spreading it out evenly and smoothly. Then place the cheesecake in the fridge until set.
5 Melt the chocolate in a heat-resistant bowl over a pan of just-simmering water until the chocolate is smooth and runny enough to decorate the top of the cheesecake. Using a spoon, drizzle the chocolate over the cheesecake to form a pattern.
6 Return the cheesecake to the fridge until you are ready to serve.