Ingredients – serves 8 100g butter 100g coconut sugar 10-12 fresh apricots halved and stones removed 400g block frozen flaky puff pastry, thawed Method Melt the butter and coconut sugar in a 23cm tarte tatin pan over a low heat. (A small paella pan works well). Remove from the heat. Place the apricots […]
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Desserts
Mendiants
I often buy one or two mendiants from artisanal chocolate shops in Paris. They’re great with coffee. I hadn’t thought about making them till recently – they are so easy and make a great gift. You can you your imagination with the toppings. Traditionally made at Christmas in France, these round disks of dark chocolate […]
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Mango Trifle
For Christmas dinner this year Emma and Frances have asked if we can have trifle as part of our desserts. I think I’ve made a trifle once before. Consequently I asked Di, our new member of staff in our Kitchen Shop, if she had any ideas. She gave me the basis of the following recipe […]
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Spiced Carrot, Pistachio and Almond Cake (gluten free)
You’ll know from my lack of cake and biscuit recipes that they’re not really my thing. However this recipe from ‘Persiana’ by Sabrina Ghayour looked easy and, most importantly, Frances was here to help. She and Emma are both much better at baking than I am. It’s best made the day before you want to […]
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Sour Cream Plum Cake
Once again I’ve called on Louise for another of her favourite cakes as the last one was a hit with many of you. With summer fruits starting soon this cake is perfect. Louise has agreed to bake this and her Swedish Saffron cake for us on Thursday 15 December. She’s going to do them in […]
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Swedish Saffron Cake
During the last three weekends I’ve been working in our new Kitchen Shop where we have a good selection of items needed for baking. You may have noticed that it’s rare for me to include baking in our weekly recipes. This is because I’ve never been very good at it. However working amongst the baking […]
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Roasted Summer Stone Fruit
While it’s the season for summer stone fruit I like to use them as much as possible. The basis of this week’s recipe was given to me by an old friend Jane. Her cousins Rob and Nicki, the owners of Rockburn Orchards, had raved about the way Jane roasted their Moorpark apricots for dessert. I […]
Read morePineapple Tart Tatin
Last week in our bistro chef Lou decided to make mini pineapple tart tatins for dessert. I really enjoyed the combination of the sweetness of the caramel with the tartness of the fresh pineapple. This definitely wouldn’t work using canned pineapple. Ingredients (for 8 mini tarts): 1 fresh pineapple – peeled, eyes removed, cut into […]
Read moreOrange Cake
On Sunday night we had a family dinner to celebrate both my father’s and Mike’s birthdays which I had missed last week while in Paris. In a jetlagged state I made the main course and Mum baked the birthday cake for dessert. When she asked what Mike liked I remembered her orange cake that she […]
Read moreMadeleines
I’m not sure what happened last week but suddenly I had the urge to bake something. As I’ve mentioned before I’ve never been a baker. Emma and Frances had to be taught by my mother. Anyway I thought I’d have a try at madeleines because I like their seashell shape and they’re a perfect size […]
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