To make the syrup, mix together the sugar, honey, orange blossom water and juice. Add the crushed cardamom pods and let them infuse for a couple of minutes, then remove. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Once the baklava is out of the oven, pour the syrup all over and leave to cool completely.
I like to decorate these with edible golden stars. They are best eaten with a smothering of clotted cream.
CHOCOLATE AND ORANGE BLOSSOM BAKLAVA
BURNT BUTTERSCOTCH BANANAS WITH ICE CREAM AND RICE PUDDING
SERVES: 4 TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES
Sometimes when I want a quick dessert I want to make some elements of it and buy the others – that makes me feel less like I’ve done nothing and better because I’ve done a little something, no matter how insignificant. I love hot and cold and texture, so this is my recipe for hot burnt butterscotch over room-temp rice pudding out of a tin, with freezing cold ice cream. There is enough sauce here to either freeze for another time, or make frappés (see below).
300g unsalted butter
500g light brown sugar
600ml double cream
a pinch of salt
3 bananas, sliced
2 x 400g tins of rice pudding
vanilla ice cream
Put the butter into a medium non-stick pan and melt over a medium heat. Keep the butter on the heat until it is foamy and golden brown – about 4–5 minutes.
Stir in the sugar and the cream, then reduce the heat and cook gently for 7–10 minutes, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens. Add the salt.
Take off the heat and let it cool for a bit. Don’t forget this is boiling sugar, so be careful. Place half in a freezer-safe Tupperware container and set aside. Add the sliced bananas to the rest of the sauce and mix through.
To serve, divide the rice pudding between your bowls, then pour on the burnt banana butterscotch and add a dollop of ice cream.
BURNT BUTTERSCOTCH FRAPPÉ
For the leftover butterscotch, frappé is all I’m saying. To make 2 drinks take 2 large handfuls of ice cubes, 4 tablespoons butterscotch sauce, 100ml strong black coffee and 300ml whole milk.
Blend the lot in a blender and pour into glasses. Add some whipped cream straight out of a can and drizzle with a little more butterscotch sauce.
BURNT BUTTERSCOTCH BANANAS WITH ICE CREAM AND RICE PUDDING
CEREAL MILK ICE CREAM
MAKES: 1.5 LITRES ACTIVE TIME: 30 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 3 HOURS
So this is an actual thing, and I saw it when I was scrolling through social media. That last bit of milk at the bottom of the cereal bowl is the best bit – it has all the sugar and all the flavour – so it feels only right to turn it into an ice cream.
1.2 litres double cream
150g Frosties cereal, plus extra for sprinkling
200ml condensed milk
5 tablespoons golden syrup
Pour the cream into a large bowl, and add the cereal, condensed milk and golden syrup. Stir well, making sure the cereal is submerged, then leave to sit for an hour or more in the fridge, to make sure the cream is cold enough to whip.
Drain the cereal out of the milk and pop it into another bowl. Don’t forget to have a bowl underneath the sieve, or you’ll lose that precious cream.
Whip the cream mixture to soft peaks.
Using the back of a fork, mash up the cereal just a little bit. Fold it into the cream mixture, using the fork to help separate the flakes of soggy cereal.
Pour into a freezer-safe, airtight container and sprinkle over some extra cereal to cover the top completely. Put the lid on, then pop into a large ziplock bag – this will ensure that you always have a soft scoop as it will prevent the ice cream from hardening – and freeze for a minimum of 2 hours.
CHOCOLATE ROSE PANNACOTTA TART
SERVES: 8 ACTIVE TIME: 30 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 3 HOURS
This biscuit base is beautiful, with its dark black cocoa colour contrasting with the pink pannacotta. Whenever I have pannacotta I feel like it needs something crunchy to go with it, and this is exactly that in a tart. Another great dessert for making ahead, as you can just pop it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it chilled.
For the tart shell
24 black and white sandwich cookies
85g butter, melted
For the ganache layer
100g milk chocolate
100ml boiling water
For the rose pannacotta
3½ leaves of gelatine
200ml whole milk
300ml double cream
25g caster sugar
1 teaspoon rose extract
a few drops of pink gel food colouring
Have a 25cm fluted loose-bottomed round tart tin ready. Put the cookies into a food processor and blitz to fine crumbs. Mix in the butter, then transfer to the tart shell and spread all over the base and sides. Pop into the freezer for 15 minutes.
To make the ganache, put the chocolate into a bowl and microwave in bursts of 10 seconds, until you have just a few pieces of unmelted chocolate remaining. Now stir the chocolate – the heat from the bowl will help melt it until smooth. Pour the hot water a little at a time into the chocolate. Don’t be alarmed. At first the chocolate will thicken as you stir. Add another bit of water and stir. Repeat this, stirring until you have a glossy mixture. Leave to cool.
Now get started on the pannacotta by soaking the gelatine leaves in cold water. Put the milk, cream and sugar into a pan and bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat – the sugar will have melted. Drain the gelatine, squeeze out any excess liquid, then stir into the milk and cream mix. Add the rose extract and pink colouring, and leave to cool for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, pour the ganache into the tart tin and pop back into the freezer to set.
When the pannacotta is only warm to touch, pour it into the tart tin and leave to chill for at least 2 hours before eating.
PRINCESS TORTE CAKE
SERVES: 8 ACTIVE TIME: 1 HOUR TOTAL TIME: 2 HOURS 30 MINUTES
One day I want to go to Sweden and eat one of these, right on its own soil. I have made many of them, but this is a simplified one, using as many elements as possible from the cake without having to make the tricky marzipan dome. Same delicious taste, with a new look.
For the custard
600ml milk
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
3 egg yolks
125g caster sugar
50g cornflour, plus extra for dusting
For the cake
250g caster sugar
8 medium eggs
250g plain flour, sifted
To finish
2 limes, zest only
a few drops of green gel food colouring
250g white marzipan
250g raspberry jam
Start by making the custard so it has plenty of time to chill. Heat the milk and vanilla in a pan until it comes up to a simmer, then take the pan off the heat.
Put the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour into a bowl and whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy. This takes about 5 minutes. Slowly add the warm milk, whisking all the time, until all the milk has gone in. Pour the mixture back into the pan and mix slowly over a low to medium heat until the custard becomes really thick. Take off the heat and transfer to a bowl. Give it a few minutes to cool, then cover and chill in the fridge.
Start the sponge now. Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan 140°C, and grease and line two 23cm round cake tins. When you cut out the two rounds of paper for the base, cut out a third to use as a template for the marzipan.
Whisk the sugar and eggs in a mixer for 10 minutes on high speed, until the mixture has tripled in size. Fold the flour in gently with a large metal spoon, being careful not to knock out all that air.
Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for 25–30 minutes.
While the cakes are baking, add the zest and the green colouring to the marzipan and knead it until you get an even colour. Roll out and make a 23c
m circle, using your extra circle of baking paper. Dust the surface with a little bit of cornflour to prevent the marzipan sticking, and pop it into the freezer to firm up a little.
Take the cakes out of the oven and cool on a wire rack. Slice each cake in half horizontally, and sandwich them back together with raspberry jam.
Place one cake on your serving dish. Pop the custard into a piping bag and pipe kisses on top. Brush the top of the next cake with a tiny bit of jam to act as glue and lay the marzipan on top. Then place this cake on top of the custard.
When this cake isn’t being eaten, it needs to be kept in the fridge. To serve, add a fresh rose on top.
CHOCO MOMO WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE
MAKES: 20 ACTIVE TIME: 1 HOUR TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES
After my travels in Nepal last year, I became enamoured with food in little parcels. I already love samosas, so it’s no wonder I love these little parcels with sweet and savoury fillings. I have made various versions of these, and this is one of my favourites. These are made with a chocolate pastry and filled with chocolate and nuts, with a quick raspberry dip to go with them.
For the pastry
220g plain flour
30g cocoa powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
a pinch of salt
boiling water
For the filling
100g chocolate hazelnut spread
100g mixed nuts, finely chopped
For the sauce
150g raspberries, fresh or frozen
3 tablespoons icing sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Start by making the pastry. Put the flour into a bowl with the cocoa powder and mix well. Mix in the oil and salt, then make a well in the centre and add boiling water a little at a time until the dough starts to come together. It will still be too floury at this point, and that’s okay.
As soon as the dough is cool enough to handle, get your hands in and bring it together. If it’s still too floury, add a little water, a tablespoon at a time, until all the dough is in one piece and there is no flour left. It should not be wet or tacky. Knead the dough for a few minutes on a work surface until it is smooth and shiny.
To make the filling, mix the chocolate hazelnut spread and nuts together and set aside. You can also make the sauce now, by blitzing the raspberries, icing sugar and lemon juice together to make a smooth sauce. I like to make it extra smooth by passing it through a sieve.
To make the momos, roll the dough out into a long sausage about 40cm long on a very lightly floured surface. Cut it into 20 equal pieces, then roll each piece into a disc about 10cm in diameter. While you’ll rolling, cover the rest of the dough with a damp tea towel to stop it drying out.
Add a small teaspoon of filling to the centre of each disc. There are various ways of sealing a momo, and there are tutorials online. But for a basic shape, just use your finger to brush a small amount of water around the edges, then simply bring the dough to the centre and pinch to seal it tightly.
To cook these, they need steaming. You can freeze them at this point if you want. I have a steamer that sits on top of a pan of boiling water, but you can use an electric steamer, a bamboo steamer or even a colander placed on top of a pan of boiling water with a lid that fits tightly.
Cut a small piece of greaseproof paper for each momo to sit on. Place the momos inside the steamer in batches and steam for 12–15 minutes. The pastry should puff out and become glossy. Once steamed, they are ready to eat.
CHOCO MOMO WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE
RAS MALAI CAKE
SERVES: 8 ACTIVE TIME: 1 HOUR TOTAL TIME: 2 HOURS
Ras malai is Bengali for ’juice creams’. They are these little bits of cake that bob around in gently spiced milk, like a floating cheesecake thing. This is my version without the floating. Same delicious flavours – rich, creamy and lightly spiced and fragrant.
For the cake
10 strands of saffron, dropped into 4 tablespoons of warm milk
250g unsalted butter
250g caster sugar
5 medium eggs, beaten
250g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
For the milk drizzle
100g milk powder
150ml boiling water
cardamom seeds, removed from the pods and ground
For the buttercream
2 cardamom pods, crushed
3 tablespoons whole milk
300g unsalted butter, softened
600g icing sugar, sifted
To decorate
edible rose petals, mixed with 100g roughly chopped pistachios
Preheat the oven to 170°C/fan 150°C. Grease and line two 20cm sandwich tins.
Make the saffron milk. Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and whisk until light and fluffy and almost white. Add the eggs a little at a time, making sure to keep whisking. Then add the flour, baking powder and saffron milk, and fold the mixture until you have a smooth, shiny batter.
Divide the mixture between the two tins and level the tops. Bake for 20–25 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the milk drizzle by mixing the milk powder with the boiling water in a bowl. Add the ground cardamom seeds and mix. As soon as the cakes are out of the oven, drizzle some of the milk all over the top of both cakes and leave in the tin for at least 10 minutes before turning them out and removing them to cool on a rack.
To make the buttercream, put the crushed cardamom pods in a small bowl of the milk and leave to infuse.
Meanwhile, put the butter into a mixing bowl and whisk until very soft and light in colour. Add the icing sugar a little at a time, whisking after each addition, until all combined. Then pour the cardamom milk through a sieve into the buttercream and whisk until really light and fluffy.
Once the cakes are totally cool, place one cake on your serving dish and spread an even layer of buttercream over it. Put the other cake on top. Flip the cake over so the milk drizzle top becomes the bottom and sandwiches the buttercream. Spread some buttercream evenly across the top and the sides and use a ruler to level off the edges.
If you have any cream left over you can pipe little kisses on top. Then gently take the rose petals and pistachios and press them into the bottom edge of the cake.
RAS MALAI CAKE
Recipe List
DRY SPICE
BENGALI SPICE MIX (PANCH PHORAN)
THAI GREEN CURRY PASTE
TANDOORI SPICE MIX
MY FAVOURITE CURRY PASTE
PANCAKE BATTER
GARLIC BREAD
PITTA
WHITE BAPS
HOME-MADE BUTTER
PEANUT BUTTER
GRANOLA
DRY SPICE
MAKES: A 110g JAR TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES
This incredibly versatile, flavourful spice mix is perfect for marinades or to use as a rub on meats and vegetables. I often use this to make my super-quick version of instant noodles – cook 40g noodles per person, and stir a teaspoon of this through it. Add a teaspoon of the spice paste from p. 78 too, if you like.
12 kaffir lime leaves
2 nori sheets
10g ground ginger
20g garlic granules
30g onion granules
20g celery salt
1 teaspoon table salt
10g chilli flakes
10g white sesame seeds
10g black sesame seeds (if you can’t find these, you can just use the same amount of white)
2 teaspoons dried coriander
Grind the lime leaves and nori sheets to a fine powder. Add to a medium sized jar along with all the other ingredients. Put the lid on and shake to mix through to make sure it is all well incorporated.
DRY SPICE
BENGALI SPICE MIX (PANCH PHORAN)
MAKES: A 100g JAR TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES
You’ll find this in my Corned Beef Bombay Pie (p. 118) and Watercress Quinoa Kedgeree (p. 119) but it’s a great one to have in your cupboard all the time. It goe
s brilliantly with meat, fish, vegetables and lentils. All you need is equal amounts of the five spices listed, so if you don’t want to make a whole jar, simply reduce the quantities. It works well ground into pastries for added flavour, or simply cook it in some oil at the start of any stew or curry to add something a little bit special.
20g nigella seeds
20g mustard seeds
20g fennel seeds
20g cumin seeds
20g fenugreek seeds
Grind all the ingredients together until fine, then transfer to a clean dry jar to store.
THAI GREEN CURRY PASTE
MAKES: APPROX. 900g TOTAL TIME: 25 MINUTES
Yes, you can buy this in a shop, but the flavours are so much more powerful when you make your own.
150ml oil
3 bulbs of garlic, peeled
250g ginger, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
90g lemongrass (6 sticks), fibrous outer layer removed
3g pack of kaffir lime leaves
3 limes, zest and juice
10 small green finger chillies
25g coriander, stalks and all
75ml fish sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons salt
Place all the ingredients into a blender and whiz till you have a smooth paste. This is enough for two decent sized curries. The paste will differ in consistency depending on how juicy the limes are and how fresh the ginger is.
To make a curry, all it needs is either 400g of cooked king prawns, or 500g of diced chicken breast if you prefer, with some green beans or veg of your choice and a 400ml tin of coconut milk.
Time to Eat Page 16