Desserts

Mary’s Cheesecake January, 2012

This recipe is not at all like an American Cheesecake. In fact ‘cheesecake‘ is a misnomer, but in the 50s we did not know what a real American cheesecake tasted like so this was our version, and jolly good it is too. It contains 50s classics like Bird‘s Custard Powder and Philadelphia Cream Cheese. I have usually been too embarrassed by the list of ingredients to hand out the recipe to friends.

Chocolate & Cranberry Cake December, 2011

This Chocolate & Cranberry Cake has a wonderful Christmassy feel to it. Perfect for tea time any day of the week. Use fair trade organic chocolate 70% chocolate solids, such as Green & Black‘s. This is a very moist cake – almost impossible to cut a nice clean slice - but simply delicious.

Apple, Apricot and Pecan Loaf Cake December, 2011

Here is an excellent pudding that uses Bramley apples. Shameless, moist and sticky this apple, apricot and pecan loaf recipe can be easily made using your mixer for an indulgent teatime treat or served with apple jelly and cream as a dessert.

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese & Mascarpone Icing October, 2011

You can use any of the squash family in this moist, nutty cake - zucchini, butternut squash or pumpkin.

Raspberry and Hazelnut Meringue Vacherin August, 2011

I am part of that post-war generation that inherited their mothers‘ fondness for Elizabeth David. I still use her copies of classic cookbooks such as Jane Grigson, Claudia Roden and Simon Hopkinson. Probably all of them have a variation on this recipe for meringue, filled with cream and fruit – but this, I think, is the best.

Iced Berries with Hot White Chocolate Sauce July, 2011

This is the simplest and most moreish pudding you will ever make and could become a dinner party classic. For this recipe I use any combination of fresh berries – raspberries, red currants, blueberries, blackberries – but I avoid strawberries because they don’t freeze well.

English Fruit Salad June, 2011

Any mixture and quantity of fresh berries will do nicely. This is just a suggestion. Add peeled, thinly sliced peaches for colour contrast if you have a ripe one handy. Make it about an hour before you want it so that the flavours have time to amalgamate but before anything goes too soft. Serve in a glass bowl with pouring cream in a jug. If you haven‘t got any elderflower cordial use white wine with a little sugar dissolved in it.

Amy Caffarel’s Key Lime Mousse May, 2011

If you love Key Lime Pie, try Amy's variation on this tropical dessert. The mousse can be served in dessert cups or shot glasses - the taste will transport you to The Meridian Club in the Turks and Caicos where Amy is the pastry chef. Don't forget your sunscreen and best bikini.

Amy Caffarel’s Key Lime Pie May, 2011

Amy is the pastry chef at The Meridian Club in the Turks and Caicos and her key lime pie is as tangy, as sweet, and as tart as it probably is in heaven. There really is no other key lime pie after you’ve tasted Amy’s.

*Amy’s tip: Don’t overbake!

Oeufs a la Neige April, 2011

In Mrs Beeton’s recipe ‘No 1482 for Snow Eggs or Oeufs a la Neige’ on page 747 of her famous book of Household Management, published in 1861, her ingredients are the same as mine, but the method she uses for the meringue is different. She poaches spoonfuls of the whisked egg whites in milk for 2 minutes and scoops them up, placing them onto the custard. This is absolutely correct, but it is very difficult to maintain their shape, and instead I bake mine for about 35 minutes in the oven. They are so much easier to handle this way.

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Desserts