Category Sweet Treats

Pumpkin Butter (Jam)

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I’ve been seasonally experimenting with pumpkins recently. They’re versatility and texture mean they are great in sweet recipes and desserts. This recipe is titled ‘butter’ but it doesn’t actually contain any……its more of a sweet, spicy, rich, deep jam that is great with pancakes, my pumpkin muffins, smeared on a toasted bagel or in a compote with yoghurt and granola for breakfast.

  • 1 can pumpkin puree [or you can roast and use the flesh from a pumpkin but this recipe called for the packed canned type….]
  • Approx 90ml apple juice
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • ½ tbsp cinnamon
  • Grating of nutmeg
  • 140g dark brown sugar
  1. Combine all the ingredients in a heavy based pan and heat. You may need to add a little more apple juice to make it thinner in order to heat it. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 30 minutes until thick.
  2. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until needed.

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For the breakfast pots, I layered some pumpkin puree on the bottom, some Greek yoghurt mixed with a splash of vanilla extract and topped with blueberries and my granola!

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I saw the recipe called for pumpkin puree in a can and have always wanted to try this…..I slightly felt like I was cheating but it was good!

Mango Fruit Leather

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I’ve never made fruit leather before but it is a fantastic way to use up overripe fruit and transform it into a energy laden, tasty snack for when your batteries are running low…….

  • 1 ripe mango
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • Lemon juice from ½ small lemon
  1. Preheat the oven to about 50-60°C or its lowest setting.
  2. Line a small shallow baking tray with parchment (very approximately 23cm x 13cm or anything around that size)
  3. Place the chopped flesh of the mango into a food processor with the sugar and the lemon juice. Process to form a fruit puree (in theory this can be done with any other fruits, adjusting the sweetness to taste)
  4. Transfer the mixture to the lined tray so that it is about 3mm thick and evenly spread.
  5. Place in the oven for about 6-10 hours until dry and leathery. I turned my oven off after about 6 hours and left it in the oven overnight and got it out the next day. This made sure it was dry but  gave it a lovely slightly chewy texture.
  6. To store, I sliced mine into thin strips and rolled into wheels, with a piece of baking parchment between to stop it sticking. Alternatively, just chop into pieces of whatever size you like!

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Pumpkin Seed Anti Anxiety Butter

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As a perpetual worrier and a passionate nutrition enthusiast, I love pumpkin seeds for their fabulous anti-anxiety properties. This bountiful jar of bottle-green ‘butter’ is like my own personal and bespoke prescription without the price tag. However, also unlike your prescription (unless you’re 10 years old and drinking the dreamy sugary Calpol) this one has a vanilla-like, sweet and indescribable aroma and taste.

After my endless and compulsory regurgitation of the principle amino acids for my university biochemistry modules,  I know that they are vital and guess what? Pumpkin seeds are a good source! They have a heap of both tryptophan and glutamate, two important amino acids in the body. While tryptophan is converted to serotonin to help sleep, glutamate is converted to GABA neurotransmitter in the brain that can allow us to deal with stress and anxiety. Therefore, my nights of endless worried sleep are over. If anxiety kicks in….take a large dreamy spoonful and be on your merry way. In addition, these pictures would without doubt be much more appreciated on my revision wall than the chemical structures currently residing….

  • 200g pumpkin seeds
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp thick set honey
  • 1 tsp sunflower oil
  1. Begin by heating a dry frying pan until hot and toast the seeds until they begin to pop and crackle (you will hear it) and the skins start to split. This helps release flavour and smell. The popping happens quickly so just get them going and then remove from the heat to prevent burning.
  2. Add to the bowl of a food processor and blitz. Keep the motor running continuously, stopping now and again to scrape the build up from around the sides. The whole process (I carelessly forgot to time it…) takes about 10 minutes so don’t worry if it doesn’t look very ‘buttery’ to start, just continue to process for about 10minutes until the mixture begins to release though lovely oils and it becomes like thick paste.imageimage
  3. As this happens, add the rest of the ingredients and continue until you have a texture you like. I like it thick so it can be spread on toast or oat cakes nice and smoothly.
  4. Jar and keep in the fridge, ready for those moments of anxiety, or for a wholesome boost!

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Bramble Mousse

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Lovely and light, this mousse is the most quintessentially seasonal finish to a rich wintery Sunday roast beef. With the seasons blackberry harvest stashed protectively in our bloated freezer, I permitted myself a rationed supply for this little beauty…..

(Makes about 10 small glasses)

  • 500g cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
  • 250g blackberries (save a few whole ones for decoration)
  • 50g soft brown sugar
  • 280ml double cream, whipped to soft peaks
  • A few mint leaves for decoration
  • 125g ginger biscuits
  • 50g unsalted butter, melted
  1. If you are want to serve your mousse on a biscuit base, begin by bashing the biscuits in a bag with a spoon until you have fine crumbs and combine with the melted butter. Spoon into serving glasses and chill in the fridge.
  2. Combine the apples, sugar and blackberries in a heavy based saucepan and heat gently to release the juices. Cook for about 15-30 minutes until the mixture breakdown and becomes mushy and simmer for a couple of minutes.
  3. Place into a food processor and puree until completely broken down to a smooth paste.image
  4. Use a fine sieve and a metal spoon to remove the pips. This takes some elbow grease……you need to get all the pulp through the sieve into a clean bowl so you are left with a pure fruity nectar and now teeth tainting seeds!
  5. Now fold the fruit puree into the whipped cream until well combined.image
  6. Spoon over the top of the biscuit base or into plain clean serving glasses and top with a few whole blackberries and a mint leaf!

Blackberry, Lime and Coconut Slice

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Someone has to stop me. What started as an innocent plucking of the first seasons tempting vulnerable blackberry, has turned into an obsession. On my daily dog walks, the multiple jungle of tangled branches gloat and boast their juicy fruit in my face, saying, ‘pick me!’. Consequently, everywhere I look I seem to see just one more handful that cannot be left untouched. My pocket now permanently contains a bag just in case.

Not helped by my father who – I quote- said – ‘its not enough! We need to fill the freezer!’- I have managed to gather around 6 bags of blackberries. I have chosen to freeze them to lock in their seasonal freshness, make them last longer and most importantly, prevent their disappearance before they have the honour of finding their way to an admirable recipe. My poor father, who is a simple foodie man, loves nothing more than a easygoing, undemanding and straightforward blackberry and apple pie. Don’t get me wrong, a straight crumble is on the top of my pudding list, however, this year……….this year, I have picked more than enough to govern experimental licence….

So if your usual garden birds are looking a little anorexic this year then I’m sorry- I take full blame for having stolen their winter pickings….a juicy, nutty crumble, an almond and blackberry bar, blackberry crumble ice cream, bramble moose, jam, summer pudding, coulis, or with a port sauce served over duck……image

PS. If you do freeze them, the best way is to was them and leave to drain and dry in a colander. Then spread out in a single layer on a baking tray and freeze like this. Then bag them up, this way you prevent getting a huge frozen mass of solid berries.

Base

  • 125g chilled butter, cubed
  • 175g plain flour
  • 50g caster sugar

Topping

  • 35g dessicated coconut, lightly toasted in a dry pan
  • 150g blackberries, and a extra handful to top
  • 2 eggs
  • 140g granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup lime juice, zest from 1 lime
  • 40g flour
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 and line a 9×9 inch tin or larger for a thinner base, with parchment
  2. Begin by making the base. Combine the caster sugar, flour and butter in a food processor. Blend until the mixture form breadcrumbs and then continue until the mixture forms a crumbly dough. Add the coconut and pulse to combine.
  3. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and use the back of a metal spoon to compress and smooth the dough into a single layer
  4. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.
  5. Now make the topping. Puree the blackberries in the processor until they become liquid. Strain this mixture through a fine sieve to remove the seeds.image
  6. Whisk together the eggs, lime juice, zest and sugar in a large bowl. Add 3 large heaped tablespoons of your sieve blackberry puree and whisk again.
  7. Add the flour and stir to combine. [Keep the remaining berry puree for serving but it may need sweetening. Heat and add a little caster sugar to dissolve]image
  8. When the base in cooked, leave to cool for a few minutes, then pour the egg mixture over the top. Scatter with the handful of reserved berries and bake for 20-25 minutes until set.
  9. Once cool, dust with icing sugar and cut into the desired slices.

Goose egg- Mint Ice Cream

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This sounds weird but really I just had some boisterous goose eggs knocking around the kitchen. This recipe, courteous of Skye Gyngell, calls for 6 egg yolks, so I replaced 4 of them with 2 large goose yolks. This ice cream has a refreshing and cleansing flavour which is not too sweet. Laced with ribbons of our garden mint which was in desperate need of a a ‘hair’ cut, this is a perfect summery ice cream alone of with something fruity….

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Custard Base

  • 600ml whole milk
  • 1 vanilla pod, split ans seeds scarped out
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 100g caster sugar

Mint flavour

  • 220g caster sugar
  • 500ml water
  • bunch mint
  1. For the base, pour the milk into a pan and add the vanilla seeds from the pod. Warm gently and bring to the a simmer and then remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for 20 minutes.
  2. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale and thick. Reheat the infused milk and then slowly pour over the yolks, whisking continuously to prevent it scrambling. Return the smooth mixture to the pan, and over a very low heat, stir with a wooden spoon. Stir all the time until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and leave a mark when you run your finger over it. Keep the heat low or the mixture will curdle.
  3. When thickened, remove from the heat, sieve and leave to cool.
  4. For the mint flavour, put the sugar and water in a pan and dissolve on a medium heat. Add half the mint and bring to the boil. Then simmer on a lower heat for 15 minutes to infuse, then leave to cool. When cool, remove the mint.
  5. Add ¼ of this mint syrup to the cooled custard base. The rest can be used as a cordial or in other recipes.
  6. Pour the custard into an ice-cream maker and churn until thick and silky, about 30 minutes for most. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, transfer the mixture to the freezer for a few hours. Then, put it into a food processor and pulse a few times or manually whisk to prevent ice crystals forming in the custard. Return to the freezer again. Repeat this process a couple of times to prevent the ice forming before allowing to completely solidify.
  7. Chop the rest of the mint finely, and add to the ice cream before placing into a container and freezing until solid!

Cinnamon and Malted Brioche

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Brioche is one of those moreish, bouncy, sweet and obligingly toastable breads that is welcome at breakfast, lunch or dinner. This recipe needs tweaking so I am refraining from sharing it just yet as it was a little doughy and heavy….! However, if you have a trusty brioche recipe anyway, try chucking in some cinnamon and malt extract? This is simply to tempt your empty breakfast tummies until- time permitting- I can create a better one! In the meantime, I must devour the remaining loaf to get it out the way….

Peach and Amaretto Mini Meringue Pie

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A simple beautiful dessert!  This I actually made the other day with some leftovers- a mini tart case, a lonely peach and an abandoned egg white…….I stewed the peach with some sugar and amaretto and popped it in the tart case before suffocating it in a glossy, sweet and airy meringue mix. Quick blast in the oven and it was ready to devour!

Breakfast Granola

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There is ALWAYS a jar of this in our cupboard, except this morning when we ran out…… a small tantrum was thrown before butter, oats and honey were scavenged from the pantry and a batch was in and baking before you could say ‘granola!’. This sweet jar of toasty crumbs is perfect for topping yoghurt, fruit salad, compote or just simply with milk. Its delicious and is free for adaptation depending on what your shelves depict and what your taste buds request…

  • 250g oats
  • 50g sunflower seeds
  • 50g pumpkin seeds
  • 50g flaked almonds
  • Handful of mixed nuts (I use chopped walnuts/hazelnuts)
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • Handful of dried fruit i.e.cranberries, blueberries, raisins, apricots etc
  • 5 tbsp runny honey
  • 50g unsalted butter
  1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl except the dried fruit, butter and honey
  2. Melt the butter and honey in a saucepan until liquid
  3. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix
  4. Place on a lined baking tray and spread out thinly
  5. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 180°C turning every 5 minutes to get an even bake
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Don’t worry, once it cools, it will crisp up.
  7. Once cool, mix in the dried fruit and store in an air-tight container where it will keep for weeks!

Lime and Coconut Pannacotta with Lime Melts

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Next weekend I’m helping cater a sit down Birthday lunch and this is the dessert……so……..naturally I had to greedily sample the recipe for myself before inflicting the sweet, creamy and fresh mouth watering dessert on the poor awaiting guests. The sampling was hard. I may have to do it again tomorrow too.

If you’re fed up with the rainy English weather, this will help you melt away into the tropical Caribbean…

  • 250ml double cream
  • 250ml coconut cream/milk
  • 2 ½ gelatine leaves
  • 55g caster sugar
  • 1 lime, zest and juice of ½
  1. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water
  2. On a low heat, warm the double cream, sugar and lime zest and juice in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves, and the mixture is thin and smooth and bring up to near boiling point
  3. Just before the boil, remove from the heat and stir in the coconut milk/cream. Squeeze the excess water from the gelatine and whisk into the hot cream until dissolved.
  4. I served mine in ramekins to remove the hassle of having to turn them out but if you want to do this then fill into a greased mould (makes about 4 large or 5 small ones)
  5. Once the mixture has cooled, chill in the fridge to set for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight!

Lime Melts

  • 6 oz unsalted butter
  • 110g Icing sugar
  • Grated zest of 3 limes
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 200g flour
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • ¼ tsp salt
(I have converted this from American cups to grams so hopefully it works out, although use your instinct to get the right consistency of the dough which should be like shortbread)
  1. In a food processor, cream the butter and 40g of the icing sugar until fluffy. Add the lime zest, juice and vanilla and cream again
  2. Sieve the flour, cornflour and salt into the bowl and process until combined
  3. Split the dough in half and roll into logs of the size biscuit you want and wrap in parchment
  4. Chill for 1 hour
  5. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line two baking trays with parchment. Slice the dough into rounds and place on the baking tray
  6. Bake for about 12minutes until barely golden and then leave to cool for a couple of minutes.
  7. While still warm, sieve the remaining icing sugar into a sealable bag and place the cookies inside. Toss in the sugar-filled bag until coated.
(The logs also freeze well!)