Recipes

CHILLED ORANGE MOUSSE WITH FRESH ORANGE GLAZE

A light, creamy and refreshing dessert that can be prepared a day in advance. Serve with crisp butter biscuits or shortbread fingers.

Serves 8

Ready in 1 hour, plus cooling and chilling

3 gelatine leaves

150ml fresh orange juice

250g ricotta cheese

250g full fat soft cheese

100g caster sugar

2 tsp orange zest

300ml double cream

2 egg whites

FOR THE ORANGE GLAZE

1 gelatine leaf

150ml fresh orange juice

2 oranges, peeled, segmented and flesh chopped

Fresh mint sprigs, to decorate

 

1 Soak the gelatine leaves in a shallow bowl of cold water for 5 minutes until soft. Heat the orange juice in a small pan until almost boiling then remove from the heat. Squeeze the excess liquid from the gelatine leaves and stir into the hot juice until dissolved. Cool for 15 minutes.

2 Beat the ricotta and cream cheese together in a large bowl until smooth, then beat in the caster sugar and orange zest. Fold in the cooled gelatine.

3 Whip the cream in a bowl until softly peaking and in a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold the cream into the orange mixture followed by the egg whites.

4 Spoon the mixture into a 20cm square baking dish that is at least 5cm deep. Gently level the surface and chill in the fridge for 3 hours, or until set.

5 To make the orange glaze, soften the gelatine in cold water as in step one. Heat the orange juice in a small pan until almost boiling then remove from the heat. Squeeze the excess liquid from the gelatine leaf and stir into the hot juice until dissolved. Cool for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally until beginning to thicken. Pour over the chilled mousse then top with the diced orange flesh. Chill in the fridge for 2 hours, or until the glaze has set. Serve cut into squares decorated with fresh mint sprigs.

TIP

Stir a spoonful of warmed fine-shred marmalade into the orange glaze before it cools for an extra tangy flavour.

 

 

CHOCOLATE AND ORANGE PUDDINGS

Chocolate and orange are perfect flavour partners and these lovely individual puddings taste delicious served warm with custard or cream.

Makes 6

Ready in 1 hour 30 minutes

3 small clementines or satsumas, thinly sliced

175g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

175g caster sugar

3 large eggs, beaten

125g self-raising flour

50g cocoa powder, sifted

1 tbsp fresh orange juice

2 tsp orange zest

Custard or cream, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas mark 4. Butter and line the bases of 6 x 175ml metal pudding basins with circles of baking parchment. Place a slice of clementine or satsuma in the base of each basin and press 2-3 slices around the sides.

2 Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs then sift over the flour and cocoa powder and fold into the creamed mixture with the orange juice and zest.

3 Divide the mixture between the pudding basins and cover each with a square of pleated, buttered foil, scrunching it tightly around the sides of each basin. Transfer to a roasting tin and pour in enough boiling water from a kettle to reach halfway up the sides of the basins.

4 Bake for 1 hour, until the puddings have risen and are firm to the touch, and a skewer inserted through the foil of one of the puddings comes out clean. Turn out and serve with custard or cream.

TIP

You can cook the puddings a few hours before serving then simply re-heat in the microwave. Turn out onto a microwave plate and reheat three at a time on High for 30-45 seconds.

 

 

PEACH CROSTATA

A crostata is an Italian lattice-topped pie which can be sweet or savoury.

This one has a fruity fresh peach filling. Serve with crème fraîche or ice cream.

Serves 6

Ready in 1 hour 15 minutes (plus chilling)

FOR THE PASTRY
350g plain flour
175g butter, chilled and diced
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 large egg, beaten with 2tbsp cold water

FOR THE FILLING
6 peaches, halved, stones removed and thickly sliced
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tsp cornflour
Milk to glaze
Icing sugar, to dust

1 To make the pastry, sift the flour into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, add the egg and water, then stir with a knife until the mixture begins to stick together.
2 Gather the dough with one hand, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few seconds until smooth. Flatten into a round, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
3 Preheat the oven to 200C, fan 180C, gas 6. Place a baking sheet in the oven to heat up.
4 Roll out about two-thirds of the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a one pound coin and use to line a 23cm round pie dish.
5 Toss the peaches in a bowl with the sugar and cornflour then pile into the pastry case. Roll out the rest of the pastry to a 20cm circle and use a lattice pastry roller to cut slashes in the pastry (see tip).
6 Brush around the edge of the pastry case with a little water then drape the pastry circle over the filling, pulling it gently to create the lattice effect. Press the pastry edges together to seal and trim off any excess pastry.
7 Glaze the pastry with milk, then place on the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden. Serve warm or cold, dusted with icing sugar.
TIP
If you don’t have a pastry lattice roller, cut the rolled out pastry into thin strips and drape over the filling.

COCONUT RICE PUDDING WITH CARAMELISED APPLES

A classic with a twist, this creamy rice pudding has added coconut milk for extra flavour and is served with spiced apples in a caramel sauce.

Serves 4

Ready in 2 hours 30 minutes

50g unsalted butter, softened

100g pudding rice

400ml full-fat milk

200ml coconut milk

40g caster sugar

1 tbsp runny honey

2 red apples, skinned, cored and cut into wedges

75g demerara sugar

1-2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp apple juice

1 Preheat the oven to 150°C, fan 130°C, gas 2. Use a little of the softened butter to thoroughly grease a 1.2-litre shallow ovenproof dish.

2 Tip the pudding rice into the buttered dish and stir in the milk and coconut milk. Add the caster sugar and stir again. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Carefully remove the dish and give the pudding a good stir, then stir in the honey and dot with a little more of the butter. Return to the oven for a further 1 hour 30 minutes or until a golden skin has formed and most of the milk has been absorbed by the rice.

3 About 10 minutes before the rice pudding is ready, melt the rest of the butter in a heavy–based frying pan over a medium heat. Add the apple slices and fry for 1-2 minutes, turning once. Sprinkle over the demerara sugar and cook gently, without stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the cinnamon and apple juice and simmer for a further few minutes until syrupy.

4 Stir the rice pudding (remove the skin first, if preferred) and spoon into bowls. Top with the apples and syrup and serve.

Tip

You can use other fruit slices instead of the apples – try peaches or pears or halved apricots.