Apple and cinnamon dessert cake
Think of a traditional sponge with fruit that your granny may have made – this is similar. Complete comfort food.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
225g self-raising flour
1 level tsp baking powder
175g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp ground cinnamon
150g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
350g cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
25g flaked almonds
Cream or crème fraîche, to serve
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 140C (160C non-fan) and lightly grease and line the base of a deep 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin.
2. Measure the flour, baking powder, caster sugar, eggs, ground cinnamon and butter into a bowl. Whisk using an electric whisk until well blended.
3. Spoon half the mixture into the base of the tin and level the surface. Arrange the apples on top, piling them mostly towards the centre. Using two dessertspoons, spoon the remaining mixture on top and spread out to cover the surface. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds.
4. Bake in the oven for 1¼-1½ hours, or until well risen, lightly golden and coming away from the sides of the tin. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes.
5. Run a palette knife around the edge and remove from the tin to cool completely.
6. Serve with cream or crème fraîche.
MARY’S TIPS
• Keep the piled apple slices in the centre, not around the edge, otherwise they will stick.
• Can be made up to 2 days ahead and reheated.
• Freezes well once cooked.
Poached pears with apple and cinnamon
I love puds that can be made ahead for when friends are coming round. Serve this as a fresh alternative to another creamy indulgent pudding.
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 litre apple juice
150g caster sugar
Finely grated zest and juice of half a lemon
2 cinnamon sticks
6 ripe but firm pears
Crème fraîche, to serve
Method
1. Measure the apple juice, half the sugar, the lemon zest and juice and the cinnamon sticks into a deep saucepan. Bring up to the boil, stirring so the sugar dissolves.
2. Peel and halve the pears lengthways through the stem. Carefully scoop out the core using a teaspoon or small knife. Add the pears to the poaching liquid, cover with a lid and simmer gently for about 15 minutes, or until tender.
3. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly in the poaching liquid for 15 minutes.
4. Spoon the pears into a serving bowl. Add the remaining 75g sugar to the liquid in the pan and bring to the boil. Let the liquid reduce over a high heat until it has a slightly syrupy consistency and has reduced to about 500ml. Pour over the pears and leave to cool completely.
5. Serve at room temperature with crème fraîche.
MARY’S TIP
• Can be made up to 6 hours ahead.
White chocolate and Biscoff mousse
Biscoff biscuits are crispy caramel biscuits, now sold worldwide and easy to buy. They are a perfect marriage with white chocolate and my husband loves them with his coffee too. The mousse is fairly rich, so serve it in small glasses or pots.
Serves 8
Ingredients
100g white chocolate, broken into pieces
300ml double cream
1 egg white
25g caster sugar
75g full-fat cream cheese
75g Biscoff biscuits
Method
1. Place the white chocolate pieces in a small heatproof bowl and pour in a third of the double cream. Sit the bowl over a pan of just simmering water, taking care not to let the water touch the base of the bowl, and heat gently, stirring until the chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool and thicken slightly in a cold place.
2. Meanwhile, lightly whisk the remaining 200ml cream until just before it forms stiff peaks.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white until stiff. Add the sugar 1 tsp at a time, whisking after each addition until shiny and glossy.
4. Measure the cream cheese into another mixing bowl and beat until smooth (use an electric whisk if needed). Fold in the whipped cream, the white chocolate mixture and finally the egg white. Fold lightly until incorporated, but be careful not to lose any air.
5. Place the biscuits in a bag and crush to fairly fine crumbs with a rolling pin.
6. Divide half the mousse between 8 small glasses. Sprinkle half the biscuit crumbs on top, then repeat the layers with the remaining mousse and crumbs. You should end up with a layer of biscuit through the middle of the mousse and a layer of biscuit on top.
7. Place in the fridge to chill for 1 hour before serving.
MARY’S TIPS
• Do not overheat the chocolate or it will split the mousse.
• Can be made up to 6 hours ahead.
Boozy fruits with port
Serves 6
Ingredients
25g butter
2 dessert apples, peeled, cored and thickly sliced
50g caster sugar
100ml port
2 just-ripe pears, peeled, cored and thickly sliced
6 plums, stoned and each cut into 8 pieces
2 figs, each cut into quarters
150g blackberries
Low-fat crème fraîche
Method
1. Place the butter in a wide-based pan over a medium heat until melted. Add the apples and stir over the heat for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the sugar and pour in the port. Bring to the boil, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Add the pears, plums and figs and simmer with the lid on for about 5 minutes, or until the figs are tender. Remove from the heat and add the blackberries. Leave to cool.
3. Serve chilled with low-fat crème fraîche.
MARY’S TIPS
• Can be made up to 8 hours ahead.
• Freezes well.
Lemon and lime meringue tranche pie
The added lime gives this dessert an extra zing. We have made this in a tranche tin but it would also fit in a deep 23cm round loose-bottomed flan tin.
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
For the sweet shortcrust pastry
150g plain flour
90g butter, cubed
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 egg
For the filling
30g cornflour
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 large lime
50g caster sugar
3 egg yolks
For the meringue topping
3 egg whites
175g caster sugar
To serve
Single cream
Method
1. To make the pastry, measure the flour, butter and sugar into a food processor. Whizz until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and whizz again until the dough comes together to form a ball.
2. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll thinly. Use to carefully line a 12 x 36 x 2.5cm rectangular loose-bottomed fluted tin or tranche tin and press the pastry into the sides. Prick the base with a fork and place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 180C (200C non-fan) and place a baking tray in the oven to get very hot.
4. Line the pastry case with nonstick baking paper, add baking beans, place on the hot baking tray and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and bake for another 5 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and lightly golden. Leave to cool.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 130C (150C non-fan).
6. To make the filling, measure the cornflour and 200ml water into a pan and whisk to combine. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and lime and place over a medium heat. Continue to whisk until the mixture has boiled and thickened. Remove from the heat, add the sugar and egg yolks and whisk again. Pour into the pastry case and chill in the fridge.
7. Meanwhile, make the meringue topping. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk using an electric whisk until stiff. Add the sugar a little at a time, whisking on full speed, until you have a shiny, glossy meringue. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a plain 1½cm nozzle and pipe even blobs over the surface of the chilled custard in a neat pattern. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use two dessertspoons.
8. Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until pale golden on top and firm to touch. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before removing from the tin.
MARY’S TIPS
• Can be made up to 8 hours ahead and reheated gently to serve.
• Do not serve the pie hot, as the filling may be a bit soft and will spill out of the pastry case.
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Extracted from Love to Cook by Mary Berry, published by BBC Books (£26)
