Classic English macaroons: chewy, intensely almondy and with natural cracks and holes along the surface. Rustic but sublime!
Continue reading “English macaroons”
Category: Back to basics
My favourite peanut dipping sauce
This is my take on a lightly spiced peanut dipping sauce: ideal for satays. Continue reading “My favourite peanut dipping sauce”
Blackberry & apple frangipane tarts
A seasonal treat using freshly picked blackberries and apples, but these are also great swapping the apples for pears or using different berries. Continue reading “Blackberry & apple frangipane tarts”
Mocha éclairs
Those classic, reliable and delicious flavours of coffee and chocolate in these mini éclairs. Continue reading “Mocha éclairs”
Pheasant with apples in a cider & cream sauce
Pheasants cooked with apples and fresh herbs in a silky, creamy sauce. Deliciously comforting! Continue reading “Pheasant with apples in a cider & cream sauce”
Mocha meringue mushrooms
Small edible meringue mushroom decorations, with a hint of coffee and chocolate.
Punchy anchovy aioli
This very speedy dip, with Caesar salad dressing vibes, packs a lot of flavour. Continue reading “Punchy anchovy aioli”
Baked coconut and lime cheesecake
There are a few piña colada vibes going on with this delicious baked cheesecake!
Chicken curry pasties
Delicate, spiced pastry packed with curried chicken thighs and vegetables. Continue reading “Chicken curry pasties”
Lemongrass & Makrut lime custard tarts
This is a British classic with a twist: sweet, buttery almond and lime pastry with a delicately set flavoured custard filling.
Baked caramel lemon custard
This dessert is a cross between a crème caramel and a baked cheesecake, with a slightly denser texture than a crème caramel while retaining the divine, slightly bitter liquid caramel element. Continue reading “Baked caramel lemon custard”
Apple & cinnamon upside-down cake
This is a real return to comfort food classics and is always a treat to tuck into. Continue reading “Apple & cinnamon upside-down cake”
Seeded onion bread
Simple, delicious bread that is just begging to be toasted and spread liberally – very liberally! – with butter. Continue reading “Seeded onion bread”
Yorkshire curd tarts with a twist
My take on this great British classic is certainly not fully authentic – but in my opinion no recipe should be so precious that it can’t cope with being tinkered with! Continue reading “Yorkshire curd tarts with a twist”
Bacon & caramelised onion tarts
There’s very much a Quiche Lorraine vibe going on with these tarts. And this Lorraine has no soggy bottom!
Roasted broccoli with crispy garlic
This is a very simple, delicious vegetable dish and is a regular visitor to my table when I make a roast dinner or a casserole. Continue reading “Roasted broccoli with crispy garlic”
Parmesan & roasted onion sourdough focaccia
A gutsy focaccia that really hits the spot, using chunks of Parmesan and the delicous sweetness that comes from roasted onions. Continue reading “Parmesan & roasted onion sourdough focaccia”
“Break the rules” chocolate biscuits
Shamelessly rustic chocolate biscuits made in moments! What more can I say? Continue reading ““Break the rules” chocolate biscuits”
Mini blackberry sponge cakes
These seasonal cakes are so delicious and really make use of blackberries, both in the buttercream, the fondant icing and to decorate. Continue reading “Mini blackberry sponge cakes”
Coffee & walnut Swiss Roll
Ah, the many joys of a Swiss Roll: one of those classic cakes that is just perfect sliced (thickly!) and served with a cup of tea or a mug of coffee. Continue reading “Coffee & walnut Swiss Roll”
The best sticky BBQ wings with blue cheese dip
Sticky chicken wings and a punchy blue cheese dip: two very compatible bed-fellows that always guarantee foodie happiness. Not to mention very messy fingers! Continue reading “The best sticky BBQ wings with blue cheese dip”
Strawberry and orange mini Bakewell tarts
One egg (yes, just one egg) goes a long way: it actually makes 10 of these Bakewell Tarts to be precise! Continue reading “Strawberry and orange mini Bakewell tarts”
My favourite seeded walnut rye bread
Rye bread is something of an acquired taste; some people avoid it, but others, like me, love its dense, slightly chewy qualities with its pronounced flavour. Continue reading “My favourite seeded walnut rye bread”
Fabulous fishcakes: my ultimate store-cupboard standby!
This is what I think is a real store-cupboard winner: they are delicious, take minutes to prepare and taste like you have spent ages making them!
Continue reading “Fabulous fishcakes: my ultimate store-cupboard standby!”
Butternut squash and crab soup
Put simply, this is a delicious, low-fat warming soup that will have you diving back into the pan for more. Continue reading “Butternut squash and crab soup”
Boule (tangzhong method)
A deliciously simple bread using the tangzhong method which requires cooking some of the flour and liquid from the recipe, resulting in a very soft-textured interior.
Indian carrot chutney
I adore dips, chutneys and relishes that come with food, so when I first tried the spiced carrot chutney at the superb Benares restaurant years ago, I knew I had to try to make it at home. Continue reading “Indian carrot chutney”
Speedy Caesar salad: a celebration of left-overs!
A very quick and tasty salad with a Caesar dressing that is, I think, to die for! Continue reading “Speedy Caesar salad: a celebration of left-overs!”
The best Cranachan!
Cream, whisky and honey: three tremendous ingredient in their own right that combine to give the most delicious concoction: perfect as a filling for cakes, but wonderful mixed with toasted oats for a dessert such as Cranachan. Continue reading “The best Cranachan!”
My ultimate stuffing
This is the stuffing I make more than any other: laden with many goodies, it enhances any roast dinner. Continue reading “My ultimate stuffing”
The perfect gravy for a roast dinner
A delicious gravy brings together all the accompanying dishes in the most harmonious way to really make a roast shine. This recipe is my go-to gravy for all manner of roasts. A selection of some of my favourite roast accompaniments (including fool-proof Yorkshire Puddings and the best roast potatoes) is at the bottom of the page. Continue reading “The perfect gravy for a roast dinner”
Honey-glazed pigs in blankets with cranberry & apricot
For me, a roast is just as much about all the vegetables and other sides than the centrepiece itself: perhaps more so! And it’s little treats such as pigs in blankets that add even more bursts of pleasure when tucking into a roast.
Continue reading “Honey-glazed pigs in blankets with cranberry & apricot”
The perfect Brussels sprouts!
This is my ultimate Brussels sprouts dish: little goodies such as smoked bacon, slightly caramelised red onions and chestnuts adding exciting additional flavours and textures that complement the sprouts. Continue reading “The perfect Brussels sprouts!”
My ultimate carrots to accompany a roast
A simple, delicious and slightly extravagant carrot side dish that can be prepared in advance and then heated up just before serving
Chocolate and cinnamon mini pavlovas
These mini pavlovas are not only a favourite dessert in my kitchen in the summer, when freshly picked fruit from the allotment gets put to good use, but it is a dessert I make over the winter months, often using fruit I had frozen months earlier. Continue reading “Chocolate and cinnamon mini pavlovas”
Coffee and walnut choux buns
Something of a sweet treat to welcome in the Autumn. As if I needed an excuse! Continue reading “Coffee and walnut choux buns”
Smoked cheese & chive scones
A return to fabulous basics with these simple scones that are packed with flavour, thanks to the smoked cheese and the allium bursts of the chives in there. Continue reading “Smoked cheese & chive scones”
My ultimate coffee and walnut drip cake
A coffee and walnut cake is a classic for a reason: the flavours work so well together, it is always a crowd-pleaser (even in socially-distanced “crowds”!) and it tastes great.
Fresh tomato & basil tartlets (gluten-free, dairy-free)
My bruschetta-inspired tartlets, using wonderful, simple ingredients that are being picked right now in the garden, give a real taste of summer. Continue reading “Fresh tomato & basil tartlets (gluten-free, dairy-free)”
My “secret ingredient” mocha cupcakes!
A rich cake, with a batter that is made up in seconds. Oh, and a secret ingredient…… Continue reading “My “secret ingredient” mocha cupcakes!”
Perfect roast potatoes
Shatteringly crisp potatoes with a very soft, fluffy and nicely seasoned interior are a must with any roast dinner. To be honest, though, I could eat them just on their own! Continue reading “Perfect roast potatoes”
Simple meatballs in tomato sauce
Proper comfort food using thrifty ingredients, these easy meatballs are a far cry from the tinned meatballs or those ones that come vac-packed in the supermarket! Continue reading “Simple meatballs in tomato sauce”
Sourdough English muffins
A toasted English muffin is a delight to eat. They are also quite easy to make either as a sourdough version or with commercial yeast. Continue reading “Sourdough English muffins”
Carrots with cumin and caramelised onions
A great dish using a few very modest ingredients, this works well as a side dish to accompany all manner of curries.
Continue reading “Carrots with cumin and caramelised onions”
Quick chocolate and orange mousse pots
Food always makes me happy, especially in the most uncertain of times, and indulgent treats using what is probably already in the kitchen never fail to do their bit to create pockets of joy. Continue reading “Quick chocolate and orange mousse pots”
Store-cupboard fishcakes
A deliciously simple dish using basic store-cupboard ingredients, these fishcakes are quick and, I think, very tasty. Continue reading “Store-cupboard fishcakes”
Baba ghanoush
Rich, smoky, oily and pungently garlicky, baba ghanoush is a joy of a dish and for me it makes the best use of aubergines. Continue reading “Baba ghanoush”
Spiced apricot & almond shortbread
An easy fruity shortbread with a hint of spiced citrus and a gentle kick of almond. Continue reading “Spiced apricot & almond shortbread “
Star anise sugar
A great ingredient for the kitchen, this well flavoured sugar is excellent used when making cakes and biscuits, imparting a subtle aniseed flavour to the finished bake. Continue reading “Star anise sugar”
Almond & pistachio shortbreads
These are biscuits to come back to again and again: tasty, easy shortbreads and really rather special, these shortbreads are sure to be a hit whether smothered in chocolate or not. Continue reading “Almond & pistachio shortbreads”