Rosemary Pannacotta with Rhubarb

Posted on 03/02/2016 by Anna

No secret that I love a pannacotta – all that silky wobbliness makes them irresistible to me. They are also on of the easiest puds to whip up and the fact they need to be made ahead of time only adds to their appeal. I love knowing that pudding is already made and sitting patiently in the fridge, a tick on the to do list.

So far I’ve given you Vanilla Pannacotta with Blackcurrants (July 2014), a Summer regular for sure and possibly my children’s favourite incarnation. Some good vanilla along with the slight tang of the yogurt is heaven and amazing with heady blackcurrants. You can of course use which ever soft fruits are at the best or indeed the rhubarb that follows with this recipe. The Cinnamon Pannacotta with Maple Syrup Apples (June 2015) makes me think of Autumn, crunchy leaves, mulled cider and bonfires.

Time for a new kid on the block and this is it. For ages I have been tinkering with the idea of a rosemary scented pudding. I couldn’t help but feel that the woody, herbaceous note would work well with a creamy base and in fact a rosemary ice cream is definitely on the agenda come the Summer. More than that though, whilst I use piles of herbs in savoury dishes I thought I might be overlooking them in a sweet context.

Here we are then. The rosemary adds a delicate flavour, one of those you can’t immediately place, and works a proper treat with the rhubarb. I love rhubarb, am always looking for different ways to use it and this is my current favourite. Heady with orange (actually tangerine) zest and juice it brings a wallop of flavour to the gently, soft pannacotta.

Rosemary Pannacotta with Rhubarb

200ml whole milk

100ml single cream

100ml Greek yogurt

60g caster sugar

A sprig of rosemary around the same size as the one in the photograph above

2 gelatine leaves

250g rhubarb, chopped into pieces

25-35g caster sugar

Zest and juice of an orange (or tangerine)

Put the gelatine in a bowl of cold water to soften. Heat the milk, cream, sugar and rosemary until it just reaches boiling point. Remove from the heat and add the squeezed out gelatine, whisk well and leave to cool and infuse, stirring occasionally. Whisk in the yogurt and divide between 4 ramekins or small metal moulds. Put into the fridge for at least 4 hours to set. Meanwhile cook the rhubarb with the zest, juice and 25g sugar either in a pan or if the oven is on put it in there. It doesn’t take very long but I wouldn’t put the oven on just for this. When soft and juicy have a taste, you might need some or all of the extra 10g of sugar, then leave to cool. To serve, dip each ramekin briefly into hot water before turning out onto a plate and serving with a spoonful of the rhubarb. Serves 4.

Oaty Mincemeat Squares

Posted on 06/12/2015 by Anna

I often make something we imaginatively call Jammy Oaty Slice – can you guess what is in it? Of course you can and I highly recommend it as a delicious tea time offering. The other day I was looking at a tray of it cooling ready for scoffing and it reminded me of the mincemeat slice that used to adorn the bakers’ shelf at Christmas in Yorkshire. Heavily dredged with icing sugar, it was completely white from the top and the layers were crisp and even (really!) in the way only a practised hand can accomplish.

So of course I had to have a go at making it myself. Whilst I love mince pies, my immediate family (i.e. the ones I actually live with) don’t like anything with cooked raisins or dried fruit. This means that if I make mince pies then I am the only one who will eat them unless we have friends over and when it comes to a Christmas cake…. Well, suffice it to say I ate all of the the last one which graced a tin in our house. All of it and I made another in January because I had enjoyed it so much…..

These little squares are much safer then. Rather than a huge cake winking at me from the corner I can safely eat one of these treasures with a cup of tea on a daily basis without having to book into the gym afterwards. Like two layers of shortbread with mincemeat in between, somehow better than a traditional mince pie if that is not too shocking a statement? The oats add an extra element which is just right and of course go a good way towards balancing out the sugar and butter. Heading for health food is what I say….

Oaty Mincemeat Squares

If you want to go for the original Jammy Oaty Slice then just replace the mincemeant with jam, I favour raspberry. However, please do give them a go this Christmas, they are a million times easier than mince pies if you need to make a batch for a sale and are just delicious.

250g plain flour

125g oats

135g caster sugar

200g cold butter

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

450g mincemeat

Icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 180. Line a tin of approximately 23cmx32cm with baking parchment. Whizz together the flour, oats, butter, sugar, baking powder and salt briefly in a food processor (you want it combined but not forming a ball of dough as it needs to be quite crumbly for the top layer). Tip half of the mixture into the baking tin and press it to cover the base in an even layer. Spread the mincemeat over this and then sprinkle the remainder of the mix evenly over the mincemeat and press it down gently. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden on top. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely before dusting with icing sugar and cutting into squares.

Apple and Raspberry Crumble

Posted on 30/10/2015 by Anna

I can’t tell you how much I love a crumble. Plum crumble, rhubarb crumble, apple and blackberry crumble, all of them have a place on my table. Childhood weekend lunches often finished with a fabulous, fruity and crunchy crumble whilst apricot crumble at school was a thing to celebrate, the best pudding of all and something that made other school food worth living through.

All that said however, I hadn’t thought of giving you a crumble recipe here. Not out of meanness you understand, rather I thought everyone had a good, reliable crumble recipe up their sleeve to be whipped out when required. It was only after being asked for this particular recipe six time in a couple of months that I began to wonder and so I present it to you now. Soft tangy fruit under a blanket of oaty, sweet and buttery crumble, let me tell you the sum here far, far exceeds the total of its humble parts.

This particular incarnation is my absolutely favourite, the bee’s knees and the vicar’s you know whats. Although a straightforward apple crumble is still something to sing about, the addition of raspberries lifts it, their fruity tang and fragrance make this wholly lip smacking and satisfying which surely is what a pud is all about. Can I rave little more? It is and easy and cheap to make, a perfect way to use up any apples looking a little tired and frozen raspberries are perfect here so regardless of the season this can be on your plate in around an hour, start to finish.

Apple and Raspberry Crumble

Ideally use a combination of cookers and eaters, the bramleys are the ones that cook down to a velvety apple puree whilst the eaters retain a little bite. I say 7 tablespoons of sugar and water as this is usually about right but depending on the tartness of your apples you may need more sugar and add more water if you think it is required. You can cook the apples and make the crumble ahead of time but don’t put the crumble onto the fruit until you are ready to cook it as it will get soggy, ideally keep it in the fridge.

1 kg apples (see introduction), peeled, cored and roughly chopped

7 tablespoons golden caster sugar

7 tablespoons water

200g plain flour

100g cold butter, cubed

1/4 teaspoon salt

80g golden caster sugar

40g oats

150g frozen raspberries

Preheat the oven to 190. Put the apples, the 7 tablespoons of sugar and water in a pan and cook gently until the apples are soft and broken down, about 20-30 minutes. You may need a little more water once cooked and taste in case you need a little more sugar. Do keep the apples tart though as the crumble bring sweetness to the party. Meanwhile either whizz the butter and flour in a processor until it resembles breadcrumbs or do this by hand then add the salt, sugar and oats. Tip the cooked apples into a suitable oven proof dish, I tend to use an enamel one which is 29x23cm and add the raspberries to this, mixing so they are evenly distributed in the apples, no need to defrost. Tumble over the crumble and smooth it gently but don’t pack it down. Cook for around 30 minutes or until bubbling at the edges and just browning on top. This serves 6 or better still 4 with lots of seconds, I like it with cold cream or custard whilst my children prefer vanilla ice cream.

Blackberry Crumble Cake and the child who swallowed a fly….

Posted on 29/09/2015 by Anna

Once, when blackberry picking as a child, I swallowed a fly. This moment has stayed with me and returns, annually. Every year as I reach for that plump, glistening purple berry I remember the slightly panicked feeling that my eight year old self felt on the realisation that that fly had gone into my mouth and was not coming out. The song about the old lady who swallowed a fly came rushing to mind and I wondered if I would have to follow her lead. What actually happened was that I was encouraged to eat several more blackberries to help the fly down (remember no one walked around with small handy bottles of water in the early 70’s) and then get on with picking.

I can’t say I was harmed by this event as apart from my yearly recollection I adore blackberries and certainly wasn’t put off them by the experience. Blackberrying is all part and parcel of autumn and I relish these moments during the year. I’m an enormous fan of seasonal pursuits such as making marmalade when the Seville oranges are in season, elderflower cordial when those lacy white flowers are abundant and of course sloes to make fabulous heady sole gin with and then stash in a dark cupboard, saving for it for Christmas.

This cake will be ready to enjoy much sooner than sloe gin and is perfect to make with any blackberries you might pick at the weekend. It won’t matter if any of them are squashed by little hands or in my case, by Tom putting his paw on the bag as we drove home.

Blackberry Crumble Cake

I made this in the summer with blackcurrants and raspberries and it was great, their tangy sharpness a perfect foil to the sweet crumble. Now though I am using blackberries or plums, you could try apples and pears as well. This would also work very well as a pudding with custard or cream (ideally followed by another slice for tea).

100g soft butter

100g golden caster sugar

2 eggs

175g self-raising flour

1 level teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons milk

Pinch of salt

200g blackberries (around 200g it doesn’t really matter if you have a few more or few less)

For the crumble –

25g butter

75g plain flour

40g demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 170 and butter and baseline a 20cm tin. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time with a little flour each time then sift in the remaining flour and baking powder, add the vanilla, salt and milk and combine. Put the mixture into the tin, smooth the surface and scatter over the blackberries. Melt the butter for the crumble in a small pan mix it with the flour and sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle this over the blackberries and bake for 50-60 minutes but check after 40 and if the top is browning too much cover with foil. Once it is done, leave in the tin for 20 minutes and then remove from the tin and tuck in if you are serving it warm as a pudding or leave to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar if you want.

You may recognise this recipe from last year, I am posting it again partly because it is perfect for this time of year but also because following our house move we still haven’t got any Internet. Back soon with lots of new recipes!

Cinnamon Pannacotta with Maple Syrup Apples

Posted on 15/06/2015 by Anna

To me this has a faintly Autumnal air about it and I had been saving it until the end of the Summer but then someone asked me for the recipe. In truth it is good any day of year and as apples are around all the time a good one to have up your sleeve.

I adore Pannacotta, there is something about the creamy wobbliness that is irresistible. Usually I make a vanilla version which I can then serve with any fruit that happens to be in season, pureed gooseberries, rhubarb and blackcurrants all being favourites. Should the fruit bowl be bare however, then a good chocolate sauce (one without cream) makes them a pudding of dreams. You can find my Vanilla Pannacotta here (July 2014).

This one came about because I’d made a note ages ago to combine cinnamon with apples and maple syrup and eventually got around to having a go. A favourite North American combination I suspect and a possible Jelly Bean one too if that is your thing. I tried pie and crumble and whilst a good combo the individual flavours got a little muddled. An ice cream was a nice idea but try getting apples to make themselves heard against cinnamon in an ice cream. This pannacotta really works though. Gently bosky sweetness from the cinnamon goes so well with the creaminess of the pannacotta which is kept the right side of too rich with the addition of yogurt. The apples and maple syrup compliment each other politely, allowing both to show themselves off.

Cinnamon Pannacotta with Maple Syrup Apples

On another occasion just make a panful of these sweet, soft apples and serve over vanilla ice cream.

200ml whole milk

100ml single cream

100ml Greek yogurt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

60g caster sugar

2 gelatine leaves

2 eating apples such as Braeburn, peeled, cored and finely sliced

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Put the gelatine in a bowl of cold water to soften. Heat the milk, cream, cinnamon and sugar until it just reaches boiling point. Remove from the heat and add the squeezed out gelatine, whisk well and leave to cool, stirring occasionally. Whisk in the yogurt and divide between 4 ramekins or small metal moulds. Put into the fridge for at least 4 hours to set. About 20 minutes before serving prepare the apples, melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the apples gently in this for about 10 minutes until turning golden brown and becoming floppy. At this point add the maple syrup and cook for a further 5 minutes until the apples are well coated and the syrup reduced. To serve, dip each ramekin briefly into hot water before turning out onto a plate and serve with the apples. Serves 4.

Weekend Food

Posted on 06/05/2015 by Anna

We had a houseful over the weekend with extras for lunch on Sunday and whilst I wanted everyone to be well fed of course, the last thing on the menu was for me to be stuck in the kitchen (hissing) all weekend. With ages ranging from 18 months to grandparents and childrens’ teas to add to the mix I had much to do. Nothing for it but a bit of organisation, a good list and setting Friday morning aside to get ahead. I thought I’d let you know what we ate and what I was able to prepare beforehand in case any of these tips help.

Saturday lunch was a picnic with Cannellini Bean, Parsley and Lemon Dip (April 2015) with grissini (recipe coming soon) and Wild Garlic Focaccia (May 2014) alongside a big plate of salami, a bowl of tomatoes and a good chunk of cheddar. For pudding we had meringues with vanilla bean cream and chocolate sauce (recipe coming soon). I made the grissini, focaccia, meringues and dip on Friday so putting lunch together on Saturday only took a few minutes. Incidentally the dough for the focaccia will happily sit in the fridge overnight so it can be baked just before lunch.

At tea the children had orzo with bacon and tomato sauce (June 2015). Pudding, and for us to tuck into with a cup of tea, was a Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Cake (October 2013) which I made on Friday. For supper we had Chicken with Harissa (October 2012) with Little Rosemary Roasties (March 2015) and my favourite Green Salad (January 2014) – couldn’t have been easier.

On Sunday we had Lamb which had been marinading in garlic, lemon and rosemary. With this Fresh Herb Sauce (July 2013) but I used half mint and half parsley which made a funky full of flavour modern take on old fashioned mint sauce. It went down an absolute treat.

We didn’t need much for supper so I roasted several bunches of fabulous in season asparagus (June 2014) followed by Vanilla Pannacotta (July 2014) with poached rhubarb, both of which I made on Friday.

At each sitting I was delighted that the children scoffed everything except one who found the colour of the fresh herb sauce too alarmingly green. Admittedly I gave myself quite I lot to do on Friday but I have to tell you it was worth it and it helped to know anything left to prepare was easy and also that so much was already in the fridge or cake tin.

Finally please don’t think there is even one iota of smuggery here, I am rarely this organised but have proved to myself this weekend the virtue of planning and preparing ahead. You may always be this organised but if not, I hope some of these tips and recipes might help you breeze through it next time you have a houseful.

One more thing, I finished off the leftover poached rhubarb and vanilla bean cream with a last meringue and it was fabulous. It reminded me of a rhubarb pavlova that I made a couple of times last year and I will post that recipe soon.

Raspberry Larder Pudding

Posted on 17/03/2015 by Anna

Remember I said I couldn’t imagine Sunday lunch without a pudding? This one is another contender for the ‘had to be rustled up from an empty larder’ prize. Our plans changed one weekend and we found ourselves at home, a main course had been found but a pudding was, of course, required.

I always have frozen raspberries tucked away and am never without a jar of raspberry jam for breakfast or just in case it is a day for scones. In this instance I used the final jar of the Loganberry jam I made last summer and there couldn’t have been a more fitting or appreciative last hoorah for it. I would get panicky if I didn’t have the wherewithal to make a cake in the house and so it was that all these ingredients made themselves available.

This is essentially a light vanilla sponge atop a juicy, fragrant, sweet and sharp raspberry sauce – but it is so much more than merely that! With cold double cream (for me) or further heady vanilla in the shape of ice cream (my husband and children) this is dream worthy. Somehow a pudding of distant memory or perhaps just nostalgia as I don’t recall ever being given this as a child.

No matter, make this next time you need to rustle up afters a bit pronto and find yourself caught short in the shopping department.

Raspberry Larder Pudding

100g soft butter

100g golden caster sugar

2 eggs

125g self raising flour

2 tablespoons milk

150g frozen raspberries

1/2 jar raspberry jam

Icing sugar to dust

Preheat the oven to 180. Place the raspberries in an ovenproof 1 litre dish and dot over the jam along with 2 tablespoons water, give it all a mix and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar well and then add the eggs one at a time with spoonful of flour. Finally gently mix in the reminder of the flour along with the milk and a pinch of salt. Pour this batter over the raspberries, smooth to cover and bake for 35-40 minutes until just firm on top, you can put in a toothpick to double check, if it comes out clean it is done. Dust with icing sugar if you like, serves 4. This is easily doubled in which case you will need to cook it for about 1 hour.

Crunchy Apple Pudding

Posted on 30/01/2015 by Anna

I couldn’t countenance Sunday lunch without a pudding. I fully admit there have been times when a quickly whisked together chocolate or butterscotch sauce to pour over good ice cream has been all I could muster but puddings they were nonetheless. I love all manner of rib sticking, warming treats – after all Sunday lunch only comes around once a week and I will easily go days or the whole week without any other sweet, sticky number for afters. Golden syrup sponge, lemon (or chocolate) surprise pudding, a fruit crumble, pie or galette – anything that will be delicious and only improved by cold cream or warm custard.

Last Sunday though I had rather gone to town with a main course of braised silverside and many, many vegetables. So, although I had bought bramleys and had apple crumble with cream firmly, and fondly, in mind a bit of rejigging was in order.

Several years ago I was offered a pudding called Danish Peasant Girl in a Veil. Seriously, that was the name – I am sure because I had to ask at least four times. Caroline, who made it, assured me that just because I hadn’t heard of it didn’t mean it wasn’t a real dessert… It was layers of apple puree, crispy breadcrumbs, whipped cream and grated chocolate and extremely good it was too. It has sat filed in my memory until now.

I decided to combine the spirit of the Danish girl with an old nursery pudding of dark muscavado ‘melted’ on top of Greek yogurt which in turn covers some fruit. So here we have it. A lighter take or a (rather early) summer version of apple crumble with cream. My husband and children loved it although I think I am the biggest fan. Next time I am going to make more so I can also have it for breakfast.

Crunchy Apple Pudding

I have given measurements but these are flexible, if your apples weigh 1kg then great, you will have a little more puree just adjust the sugar accordingly. Likewise use more yogurt if you like, these are just guidelines.

750g bramley apples, cored, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons water

50g breadcrumbs

25g butter

1 heaped tablespoon demerara sugar

Good pinch of salt

1 heaped tablespoon dark muscavado

250g Greek yogurt

Put the apples, sugar and water in a pan and cook slowly until completely broken down. Taste, you may need a touch more sugar depending on the sharpness of your apples. Leave to cool. Meanwhile melt the butter in a frying pan and add the breadcrumbs, sugar and a good pinch of salt. Mad though it might seem you need the salt to give flavour so the crumbs don’t just taste sweet. Fry these gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden and crunchy then leave to cool. Once you have all the components you can assemble your puddings. Divide the apple between the glasses and top with the yogurt, sprinkle the muscavado between the four glasses and leave it for a few minutes to ‘melt’ then cover with breadcrumbs. You can do more layers if you like, I am not dextrous enough to do many, neatly and I only want breadcrumbs on the top so they are really crunchy. This makes enough for 4 glasses but is easily doubled.

A Buche de Noel….

Posted on 19/12/2014 by Anna

Buche de Noel sounds rather more charming than Christmas Log doesn’t it although neither name really conveys the pleasure of eating this. Never mind, the answer is to press on and try it for yourself to see how very, very delicious it is.

This came about because none of my family are very keen on mincemeat based puds which puts Christmas pudding, mince pies et al fairly firmly out of the window. Indeed it came down to me to be solely responsible for the consumption of our Christmas cake last year (and the second one I made in January because I was so bereft when the first was finished, but that is another story).

So I set about finding something that is both festive and celebratory but avoided raisins or mincemeat. Some sort of Buche de Noel came to mind and I liked the idea of Marsala as I find is heady warmth particularly suited to this time of year. Tiramisu in its usual form is popular chez May so I decided this was the way to go.

This is both light and rich if that is not an oxymoron. What I mean is that you feel as if you have had a proper treat, boozy and creamy and yet don’t immediately need to lie down in a cool room because you are so stuffed. If that weren’t enough I think it is an absolute stunner – it brings to mind Biba mocha velvet with a cappuccino colour, floppy satin pussy cat bow…. Happy Christmas!

A Buche de Noel

This an easy pudding and you can make the components ahead of time. The chocolate outer you see in the photographs was made a day before and kept rolled in a cool place before being filled – as you see it looks a picture and I must tell you, tasted divine.

5 teaspoons coffee (made with 1/2 a teaspoon of instant coffee and 6 of boiling water)

6 eggs

130g caster sugar

50g cocoa, plus extra for dusting

250g tub marscarpone

6 teaspoons Marsala

2 tablespoons icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 170 and line a swiss roll tin (approx 34x24cm) with baking parchment. Put the egg yolks and sugar in one bowl and whisk until pale and doubled in volume; put the whites into another bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Sieve the cocoa into the egg yolks along with 2 teaspoons of the coffee and combine. Add a third of the egg whites into the yolks and mix well to slacken the chocolate mixture then add the remaining whites in two lots, combining very gently. Pour the whole lot into the prepared tin and cook for 15 minutes until just firm on top. Whilst it is in the oven dust another sheet of parchment with cocoa. When the chocolate mix is cooked, carefully tip it out onto the cocoa dusted parchment, cautiously peel away the “cooked” parchment and starting from the short end, firmly (but gently!) roll up, using the paper to help you and leave it to cool.

Meanwhile mix the mascarpone, marsala, icing sugar and 3 teaspoons of the coffee together and taste, you might decide you want a little more sugar or marsala…! Carefully unroll the chocolate outer and spread the marscarpone mixture over it, then roll it up again. It may crack but usually stays together pretty well and anyway, it really doesn’t matter. If you want you can dust with more cocoa, a snow fall of icing sugar or a grating of chocolate – up to you. Serves 6-8 depending on how generous your slices are and how much you want left over…..

Chocolate Peppermint Tart

Posted on 03/12/2014 by Anna

The easiest pudding in the world I think, bar offering a bowl of apples. Crunchy biscuit base, no need for faffing with pastry on this occasion. Creamy, truffley chocolate filling with a hint of mint (hint of mint?). A cross between a great big After Eight and a Viscount biscuit (remember those?). You can have all the ingredients in the cupboard and fridge and then conjure this up when you have a few minutes to spare. You will be greeted by oohs and ash when you bring out this little number and no one, but no one will believe you didn’t slave to produce your masterpiece. Some crushed up candy canes makes this pure Christmas for me but if that is a step too far for you, please dispense with this final flourish.

This might look like a slightly small tart for eight but it is very rich. A small slice would probably cover pudding and after dinner mint in one go. Alternatively just make a bigger one.

If you want to go to the Chocolate Orange route then substitute Cointreau or Grand Marnier for the peppermint but bear in mind your tart will now contain a drop or two of alcohol. This version would look stunning topped with some chocolate covered candied orange peel.

I usually make a chocolatey pudding around Christmas or New Year and if you want another to try, make my Chocolate Pudding Cake (December 2012) which is simplicity itself and better still, you can make it now and freeze until you need it.

Chocolate Peppermint Tart

I use the all chocolate Neos from Lidl which work a treat but you could use Oreos. Choose the all chocolate ones rather than those with a white filling to keep the dark beauty of the base if you can but both taste delicious.

225g Neos or Oreos

50g butter plus a tiny bit extra for brushing the tin, all melted

Pinch of salt

150g chocolate, I use half milk and half plain

20g butter

150ml cream

1-2 teaspoons peppermint extract

Brush a 20cm tart tin with a removable base with a little melted butter. Whizz the biscuits in a processor or bash them in a plastic bag until you have fine crumbs. Mix with the remaining melted butter, a pinch of salt and then press firmly into the tin including the sides. Chill this in the fridge whilst you get on with the filling. Melt the chocolate, butter and cream gently in a pan. Once this is all amalgamated add a teaspoon of peppermint, mix well and then taste, you might want a little more but don’t overdo it, you want gentle peppermint not mouthwash. Pour this mixture into the biscuit shell and chill until set, a couple of hours. Now, how easy was that?

Anna May, everyday…

Category Archives: Puddings