My variation – home-made …

… sauces

As I've said the fast option is to use a jar of salted caramel sauce (260g) – easily available at most large supermarkets – fold into the mixture to give a marbled effect.

However if you'd like to make your own salted caramel sauce here's my recipe :

Salted Caramel Sauce

110g/4oz unsalted butter

225g/8oz soft dark brown sugar

275ml/10 fl oz double cream (or whipping cream)

1½ tsp salt

Heat together the butter and sugar. When dissolved add the salt and whisk in the cream.

Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring.

One batch of the recipe produces approximately 539g of the sauce and you can portion and freeze for convenience. Yippee – more for another time!

Alternatively if you don't like salt in your caramel sauce, then here's the alternative :

Sticky Toffee Sauce

4oz unsalted butter

8oz soft brown sugar

2oz chopped stem ginger (optional)

10 fl oz double cream (or whipping cream)

Heat together the butter, sugar and ginger. When dissolved add the cream.

Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring.

The stem ginger in this recipe is optional but it makes a good addition when serving the sauce as an accompaniment to nursery puddings and ice cream.

One batch of either recipe produces approximately 539g of the sauce, or, over two portions to fold through ice cream. It can be frozen for convenience. A shop bought sauce is usually 260g per jar. I think you'll find that making your own sauce it is less sweet and really enhances the flavour of the vanilla ice cream.

Double yum!

Now for some festive savoury stuff ...

Now for the photos!

Here they are :

the cake in the tin

and out of the tin

a portion with the clotted cream

The bonus – you get a cake or a pudding, hot or cold!

This cake recipe does exactly what it says on the cake tin and then some - it has a delicious richness with a hint of cinnamon, just right. Sticky, treacly from the muscovado sugar, not as heavy as traditional Christmas Cake - I think it would be the perfect alternative!

The cooking apples don't taste like cooking apples, they are soft and taste like plump pieces of squidgy toffee apples.

More pluses :

this cake is good warm or cold – serve with cream,

custard, brandy butter, ice cream or clotted cream -

the choice is yours, whatever takes your fancy!

it keeps well. I made it on a Friday, wrapped in foil – twice.

By Tuesday it was as good as Friday – just that there were

only two portions left!

Scrumptious … well I think so!

Here's an absolute cracker …

... pardon the pun - Dorset Apple Cake! Dark, rich, slightly gooey but the glory is that you can see pieces of apple in the cake – you really have to eat this cake with a fork unless of course you enjoy licking your fingers!

This is another example of there not being an authentic recipe because everyone has their own. Add this, that and the other – who is to say which version is the right one?

I looked at lots of photos of the Dorset Apple Cake, some looked very pale, some looked dry, some looked overcooked on the top and pale on the bottom. I really wanted a cross between a cake and a pudding, if that makes sense?

Here's my offering, tweaked as usual :

Dorset Apple Cake

225g cooking apples, peeled and chopped

slice an extra apple to decorate the top

juice of half a lemon – 1 tbsp

225g plain flour

1½ tsps baking powder

115g unsalted butter, diced

165g dark muscovado sugar – gives a dark

Chrismassy style cake or use light for a lighter

version – golden demerara too – use 50g of this

for the topping

1 egg beaten

2-3 tbsp of milk

½ tsp ground cinnamon

25g ground almonds

Preheat oven to 160fan/180c/Gas 4.

Grease and line a 7” round cake tin.

Toss the apple with the lemon juice and set aside. Sift the flour and baking powder together then rub in the butter until you get breadcrumbs then add the ground almonds.

Stir in 115g of the sugar, the apple and the egg, mix well, adding a drop of the milk at a time to make a soft doughy mix.

Transfer to your tin.

Finally, mix the reserved 50g of soft brown sugar, sliced apple and cinnamon and arrange on top of the cake mix.

Bake for 45-50 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

Now for the photos …

If you want proof …

Pizookie photos

and options too ...

Straight from the oven

and can be straight to the table

not forgetting the ice cream of course

You don't have to serve it “as is” -

you can let it go cold and then cut a

slice – it actually looks like the slice

is made of pastry – pastry it is not!

20 seconds later it looks like this!

Then there's cake ...

If you're feeling adventurous …

... or want something different

Design your own Rocky Road

Traditionally Rocky Road is made using Brazil nuts,

glacé cherries and marshmallow.

Rules are meant to be broken - take a look at the

list below and if you'd like to design your own

Rocky Road swap any or all of the three

ingredients in the original recipe for the

same weight

(or may be four if you want to stay true

to Rocky Road and include the mini marshmallows)

Cashew

Peanut

Pistachio

Pecan

Hazelnut

Glacé cherry

Dried sour cherries

Cranberry

Apricot

Banana chips

Dried Pineapple chips

Sultanas

Nougat

Turkish Delight

Fudge

Toblerone

Praline

Salted Caramel

Mini Marshmallow

Popping Candy

My latest suggestions are :

Pecans with dark cherries and vanilla fudge

Pistachios, apricots and Turkish Delight

Spoilt for choice!

Next up … chocolate fudge

Perfect for warm weather …

… the photo-guide

the Lemon Pot

the Amaretti crumb - there's no set recipe, it's

so useful for desserts - I grab a couple of handfuls

pop into a strong ziploc bag, bash with a rolling

pin and then roll to a fine crumb

the strawberries

check these beauties out – they are

at their best at the moment

All these elements can be prepared ahead, the pots need two hours minimum to set – I made them in the morning, to be served later the same day.

As an optional extra you could add a layer of strawberry compote to the Lemon Pot, then add the crumb and the strawberries to decorate. If you don't have the time to make the compote no matter – leave it for another day.

Now for some Beautiful Breads!

Strawberry and Lemon!

A perfect dessert for the warm weather – and the bonus – it's easy.

Lemon Pots

600ml (1 pint) double cream

150g (5oz) caster sugar

finely grated zest and juice of 3 lemons**

To serve

fresh strawberries

strawberry compote - optional

Amaretti crumb

small ramekins or shot glasses

Heat the cream, sugar and lemon zest in a wide-based pan over a low heat until at simmering point. Stir continuously for about 3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly until lukewarm.

Mix the lemon juice with the cooled cream in the pan and stir.

Pour the lemon cream into the pots and transfer to the fridge to set for a minimum of 2 hours.

**If you don't have fresh lemons you can use juice and omit the zest – 4 tbsp of juice is equivalent to one and a half lemons.

Photo-guide up next!

A perfect compote …

… strawberry!

You have a choice here – to blitz or not to blitz this is the question – simply, if you are going to blitz and pass the strawberries then you needn't hull them. If you intend leaving the compote as is then I would hull them at the beginning of the recipe.

Strawberry compote

500g ripe strawberries, hulled

4 tbsp caster sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

Cut the strawberries in half – or quarters if large – place in a large saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and then simmer. Cover and cook for 3/5 minutes until dark in colour and syrupy. Compote can be store in fridge for up to 2 weeks. Again you can split the batch into two and freeze one for a rainy day.

If you prefer a smooth compote blitz and pass through a sieve.

Perfect with the ice cream – or – as an additional layer to the following recipe for Lemon Pots ...

The Tarts!

This recipe is so old I can't remember when – probably as far back as 1986 ish. There's a reason I've kept it – it's easy but best of all – delicious!

Strawberry Tarts

Rich shortcrust pastry

as per the recipe given

Filling

250g mascarpone cheese

165g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp lemon juice

Strawberries, hulled and sliced finely

Glaze

2 tbsp apricot jam, sieved

1 tbsp water

On a lightly floured board, roll out pastry thinly and cut into circles with a fluted 7cm cutter. Line two 12 tartlet trays – or place sweet shortcrust tart cases on a baking tray and prick bases. Bake at 160fan/180c/Gas 4 for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Beat together the mascarpone cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice. Place a tablespoon of cheese mixture in each tart.

Arrange the strawberries decoratively over the top.

Heat the jam and water in a small saucepan over moderate heat until smooth. Brush over tarts and allow to set before serving.

The recipe for the filling will give you sufficient for 24 tarts – perfect for a summer party dessert. Halve the filling recipe for the 12 tart cases or double the pastry recipe if you're going for 24!

These tarts are small, which is great, the size of a jam tart, so perfectly poppable into the mouth.

Use whatever fruit takes your fancy or mix it up – my fancy was strawberries, it's worth the effort of hulling – the finished article looks like this :

Now for the pastry!

The “Tiramisu Tweaks”!

I don't know whether you've come across this product but you can buy orange curd. It's delicious and an excellent addition to your store cupboard.

Here it is :

I added the orange curd – 2 tablespoons - to my Mascarpone mixture, folding it through to give a rippled effect and extra zing!

In addition to the sprinkled chocolate I added 4 Amaretti biscuits, crushed to a crumb. Set aside the crumb and sprinkle with the chocolate just before serving.

I've discovered a new version of Cointreau liqueur – Blood Orange – one for the Christmas List I think! Don't forget to omit the alcohol, substituting with orange juice when catering for the kiddies.

For an optional additional flourish, add an orange syrup – balances the richness of the cream.

Orange Drizzle

200g icing sugar

250ml orange juice – no bits

Put the sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan and heat gently so that the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes.

Hey presto, a syrupy drizzle to dress your tiramisu.

Enjoy!

Now for my Party Food ...

Tiramisu for the kiddies …

… or may be the adults too if they don't like coffee in a dessert!

Orange Tiramisu

Grated rind and juice of 2 oranges

20fl oz whipping cream/1 pint/570ml (heavy)

4tbls Cointreau (optional)

20 sponge fingers or Madeira cake

4tbls caster sugar

225g/8oz Mascarpone or curd cheese (Philadelphia)

50g/2oz plain chocolate (grated)*

Mix the orange rind and juice with the Cointreau. For an alcohol free version for the kiddies then omit the Cointreau and add an additional 4 tbsp of orange juice.

Mix the cream carefully with the sugar and mascarpone. A small tip – place the mascarpone cheese in a mixing bowl and add the sugar. Once combined add the cream gradually.

Cut up the cake in shapes that suit the bowl you are using and dip into the orange mixture.

Layer the mascarpone mixture with the sponge.

Grate the chocolate and set aside. Sprinkle over the tiramisu when you are about to serve.

*You can use two chocolate flakes – bashed in their wrappers – instead of the plain chocolate – I'm thinking the kiddies might prefer the flakes!

Next ... The “Tiramisu Tweaks” …

Bits and pieces & hints and tips

If you're using Sundae pots you want a size of 150ml approximately.

You might think it'll be fiddly filling them – I have a plan!

The neatest and least messy way of decanting the ice cream is to use a disposable piping bag – don't snip the end until it's full. Fold the edge of the bag back over your hand and spoon in the ice cream, when it's full then you can snip the end – it needs to be wide enough to allow the mixture to pass through the opening and then pipe into the Sundae pots!

Alternatively spoon into suitably sized containers with lids of say 4-6 scoops.

Here's a few photos that will help:

If you're interested, the origin of Rocky Road ice cream is said to have been created in March 1929 by William Dreyer … and his partner Joseph Edy with many variations along the way. After the Wall Street Crash of 1929 Dreyer and Edy gave the flavour its current name “to give folks something to smile about in the midst of the Great Depression”. Alternatively Fentons Creamery claims that William Dreyer based his recipe on a Rocky Road-style ice cream flavour invented by his friend, Fentons' George Farren.

Food for thought – there's a certain symmetry me thinks!

Rocky Road ice cream

Here's another idea for a no-churn recipe!

Vanilla ice cream

100g salted, toasted pecans, finely chopped

50g cocoa powder, sieved

50g mini marshmallows

1 x 397g tin sweetened condensed milk

1 x 600ml double cream

2tsp vanilla bean paste

8 x Sundae pots with lids

or suitably sized containers to split

the ice cream into say 4 – 6 scoops

It's a good idea to salt and toast the pecans the day before – they need to cool!

Heat a small knob of butter, gently, in a pan and when foaming tip in the pecans with a pinch of sea salt flakes. Stir over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until toasted – the delicious aroma will tell you when they are ready – don't leave them! Tip the nuts into a bowl and leave to cool.

On the day – empty the condensed milk into a large mixing bowl and gradually sieve in the cocoa – I use a tiny sieve, tapping the side with a spoon – you have more control - use a manual whisk to combine.

Then add the cream and vanilla bean paste and use an electric hand whisk until you get stiff peaks – i.e. stand on their own when lifting the mixing blades from the mixture.

Combine the pecans thoroughly.

Fold in the mini marshmallows gently so that they are covered in the ice cream.

Bits and pieces and hints and tips coming up!

Store cupboard sweet – a photo and hints and tips

Here is the result :

You have options – you can choose to make one or all of the elements or you can opt for shop-bought!

Taking the recipe in order :

You have chapter and verse on meringue kisses – posted on 29^th July

You have the vanilla ice cream recipe posted on 22^nd July

You have both versions of the Sticky Toffee Sauce – the original posted with the ice cream on 22^nd July and the plant recipe “Plant your strawberries” posted on 5^th August.

The choice is yours!

Next … a variation on the theme

A store cupboard sweet

… and “store cupboard” includes your freezer too!

A Hodgepodge ...

… aka a mess. I just love to be able to pull ingredients for a speedy sweet straight from the store cupboard/pantry and freezer and serve a dessert worthy of the extra calories! I like to be prepared - what follows is a series of recipe ideas and variations - the components of which can either be made ahead and frozen or can be part of your store cupboard/pantry.

Hazelnut Hodgepodge

Serves 1

3 meringue kisses, crushed

1 scoop of vanilla ice cream

A sprinkle of toasted, chopped hazelnuts – 25g approx

30g frozen raspberries – defrosted – do not sweeten and keep the juices

1 tbsp sticky toffee sauce – loosen in microwave for

15 secs on medium

Assembly

A glass bowl or sundae dish makes this

dessert stand out, layer as follows :

crushed kisses

scoop of ice cream

sprinkle of hazelnuts

raspberries but reserve the juices

drizzle of sticky toffee sauce

drizzle of raspberry juices

Add a final sprinkle of hazelnuts

Coming up – a photo and hints and tips …

Honeycomb!

The third chocolate recipe is another quick and easy one to make. It's perfect in that you can make a batch and freeze half. It's a hit with fresh fruit and ice cream. It's a sweet treat on its own – kept in the fridge you might want a secret stash but be careful it's addictive!

You have to be a certain age to remember cinder toffee – it's downside was that it almost always stuck to your teeth – not a good look! The recipe that follows gives you a honeycomb hit but because it's with toasted salted pecans, chocolate and bashed crunchie bars it's dangerously moorish!

Hokey-Pokey

75g unsalted butter

100g pecan halves, roughly chopped

sea salt flakes

300g dark chocolate

2 tbsp golden syrup

3 x 40g Crunchie bars

Heat a small knob of butter in a pan and when foaming, tip in the pecans with a pinch of sea salt flakes. Stir over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until toasted – you will smell them when they are ready. Tip the nuts into a bowl and leave to cool.

Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt, in a medium pan, with the rest of the butter and the syrup, stirring. Once the chocolate mixture is smooth, take the pan off the heat. Bash the Crunchie bars (in the wrappers – less messy!). Add the Crunchie pieces, along with the toasted pecans, to the chocolate mixture. Gently mix together before transferring to an 18cm round or square foil tray 23x23cms/9x9” (or cake tin if you prefer to wash-up!)

Leave to set in the fridge.

Remove the slab from the foil tray and cut in half – have the long side in front of you. Cut into similar size strips – cut those strips in half and keep going until you have small squares measuring 1.5cms/½”. As a guide if you follow the above you'll get 84 pieces per half, so 168 in total. If you want larger squares you'll obviously get less. I find a Chef's knife is the best kit to cut the squares.

Without doubt what lifts this treat to another level is the salted toasted pecans – make ahead and box when cooled until you're ready.

If you haven't made this before then be prepared … to get repeat orders, you'll be a very popular person.

Next up … a store cupboard sweet

Pizookie photos

 Here's the proof – and options :

Straight from the oven

and can be straight to the table

not forgetting the ice cream of course

You don't have to serve it “as is” -

you can let it go cold and then cut a

slice – it actually looks like the slice

is made of pastry – pastry it is not!

20 seconds later it looks like this!

Chocolate recipe number three ...

Pizookie!

This is a fun recipe and very popular with everyone who likes chocolate and the hot and cold combination – I've known those who purport not to like chocolate or ice cream can't resist!

Pizookie

Serves 10-12

125g unsalted butter, room temperature

150g light soft brown sugar

100g golden caster sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

200g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp bicarb

½ tsp salt

250g plain chocolate, broken into chunks

Pre-heat oven 160fan/180c/Gas 4.

Put butter and sugars in a bowl and beat – hand mixer – for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla bean paste.

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients – the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt. Tip it into the butter mixture, beat until combined, then stir through the chocolate. Tip into a 20cm ovenproof frying pan or a shallow cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. 25 minutes will give you a molten centre, 30 minutes a more set version.

Cool for 5 minutes, then add scoops of vanilla ice cream in the middle – dig in!

The ultimate sharing indulgence – perfect for a supper party or a Saturday night treat for the family.

If you want proof here are the photos ...

Bits & pieces, hints & tips

Here they are :

Once the cake has cooled use a round bladed knife and ease around the edge to loosen – take your time – if you don't you'll tear the edges of the cake – that would be a shame since you've achieved a brownie type crusty edge. If the cake won't budge then repeat the edging with the knife. Have a large sheet of foil ready to receive your cake, turn it - with care, then wrap and fridge.

The cake serves 8 – you may think the portion size isn't very generous – take my word for it – it's a rich cake.

Now for the choices – this cake is dense and intense. You can serve the cake cold with ice cream and/or cream or even clotted cream.

If you prefer soft, warm and squidgy then microwave for 20 seconds – take it from one who isn't bothered about chocolate, this is very good indeed.

It freezes well … don't forget to portion and wrap in cling film, then bag together.

This really is the “cat's whiskers” of cakes – the word “cake” sounds ordinary and boring – I promise you it isn't – it's decadent and delicious.

You won't be sorry!

Chocolate recipe number two coming up ...

There are photos too ...

Take a look :

Here's the tin, greased and dusted

The filling in the tin, ready for the oven

Out of the oven, leave to cool

A slice of cake, with raspberries -

or strawberries!

A perfect summer treat!

Next up bits & pieces and hints & tips …