Sweet Dessert Pies

My son-in-law and I have a comparable sweet tooth and I so enjoy making sweet dessert pies for him to enjoy because it means I get to have some as well.... My son-in-law 's preference for dessert is something chocolate, especially chocolate cake of some kind... mine is cheesecake, but today I have a selection of pies for you to choose from saved from my other foodie blogging friends. Bon Appetit and enjoy!

Berry Cheesecake Pie

Pink Lemonade Pie

Amish Oatmeal Pie

Candy Bar Pie

Banoffee Pie

No Melt Turtle Sundae Pie

French Coconut Pie

Tropical Coconut Pie

Copycat Furr's Buffet Millionaire Pie

Chocolate Pie

Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie

Caramel Cream Pie

Strawberries and Cream Pie

Grapefruit Pie

Lemonade Pie with Gingersnap Crust

Cheesecake Apple Pie

Granadilla Pudding

Ingredients:
8 Granadillas (passion fruit)
15ml white sugar
1(14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
500ml cream
1 granadilla to garnish

Method:
Cut the granadillas fruits in half, and scoop the contents into a bowl with a teaspoon. Mix with hands to soften pulp. Strain through a sieve or cheesecloth. Stir in sugar and sweetened condensed milk.

In a chilled bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the cream into the passion fruit mixture, then quickly fold in remaining cream until no streaks remain. 

Refrigerate for 1 hour. Top with granadilla pulp to garnish.

Lemon Tiramisu

Ingredients:

300ml sugar

180ml lemon juice

125ml water

6 egg yolks

65ml flour

500ml milk

60g cubed butter

30g white chocolate chips

15ml lemon zest

325ml whipping cream

250ml mascarpone cheese

24x4inch ladyfinger biscuits

Method:

In a small saucepan, stir together 125ml each of sugar, lemon juice and water over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until dissolved. Set this syrup aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, flour and remaining sugar and set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, heat the milk over a medium heat just until bubbles appear around the edge. Whisk half of the milk into the egg yolk mixture. Whisk this back into the pan of milk. Cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes until the custard boils and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Add butter and white chocolate and stir until both have melted. Strain this custard through a fine sieve into a bowl. Add lemon zest and remaining lemon juice and stir till smooth and well blended.

Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard and put in the fridge for 2 hours to cool.

In a bowl, whip the cream. Put mascarpone in a large bowl and whisk in the cooled custard. Fold in the whipped cream.

Arrange half of the ladyfinger biscuits on the bottom of a 13x9 inch glass baking dish. Brush generously with half of the prepared syrup mixture. Spread half of the mascarpone custard mixture over the biscuits. Repeat with a second layer of biscuits brushed with the rest of the syrup and covered with mascarpone custard. Cover and store in the fridge for 4 hours before serving.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients:

For the Crust:
24-25 Ginger biscuits
65ml sugar
80ml melted butter

For the Lemon Curd Filling:
3 egg yolks
1 tin Sweetened Condensed Milk
125ml lemon juice

For the Meringue:
3 egg whites
1.25ml cream of tartar
200ml white sugar

Method:

Place ginger biscuits in food processor and blend to crumbs. Empty crumbs into bowl, add melted butter and sugar. Mix until crumbs are moistened. Press into bottom of a 9″ pie plate. Bake shell in 180˚C oven for 8 minutes. Cool.

Preheat oven to170˚C. In bowl, beat egg yolks. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice. Whisk ingredients well.

Pour into prepared crust, and bake for 30 minutes. Cool.
In large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture forms stiff peaks. Cover prepared lemon pie with meringue and bake at 180˚C for 15 minutes or until nicely browned.

Caramel Milk Tart

Ingredients:
250 g Tennis biscuits, finely crushed
200 g butter, melted
1,5 litres milk
200 g sugar
3 eggs
100 g flour
100 g cornflour
10 ml (2 t) vanilla essence
50 g butter
extra 250 ml (1 c) milk
1 box (90 g) caramel instant pudding
250 ml (1 c) cream
1 can (360 g) caramel condensed milk
1 slab (90 g) milk chocolate

Method:

Mix the biscuits with the melted butter and press onto the bottom of a deep 30 cm square dish. Chill until needed.
In a large microwave-proof bowl heat 1 litre (4 c) of the milk with the sugar for 10 min.
In a separate bowl beat the eggs, remaining 500 ml (2 c) milk, flour, cornflour and vanilla essence until smooth.
Mix the flour mixture with the hot milk and microwave for 12 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes until the mixture is thick. Beat in the butter and leave to cool.
Whisk the extra milk and instant pudding together. In a separate bowl whisk the cream until soft peaks form and fold into the instant pudding.
When the custard is cooled, start the layering. Pour the custard over the chilled biscuit layer, smooth the caramel condensed milk over the custard, then add the instant pudding mixture. Grate the chocolate over and refrigerate overnight.

Banana Split Pie

Ingredients:

3 cups digestive biscuit crumbs
1 stick butter, melted
8-oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
16-oz sour cream
3 bananas, sliced
20-oz can crushed pineapple
Maraschino cherries, with or without stems, for garnish
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
Whipped cream or cool whip
Grated chocolate, optional

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 170 C.

In a 13x9 baking dish, melt butter in microwave, then add digestive biscuit crumbs and mix well, pressing the mixture onto the bottom; set aside.

Combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in another mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until completely blended.

Spread this mixture evenly over the crust and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven, spread the sour cream over the cream cheese mixture, and bake for 15 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

While base is cooling, drain crushed pineapple and slice bananas into 1/4" slices; gently toss pineapple and bananas together.

When cool, layer the pineapple and banana mixture over the sour cream and then spread the whipped cream evenly over the top.

Dust with grated chocolate, if desired, then sprinkle with the chopped pecans and the cherries.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving

Whipped Cream:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form - texture should be billowy.
Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla.
Use immediately.

Beef and Onion Suet Pudding

This slow-cooked pie with a suet pastry crust is comfort food heaven. Suet pastry is an old family favourite and the first pastry I learned to make. It’s as easy as pie! This pastry is typically English and can be used for savoury and sweet dishes; for the latter you might want to add about 60-100g caster sugar to use for puddings.

Ingredients:
For the filling:
750g stewing beef , diced
50ml plain flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
60ml olive oil
150g whole baby onions, peeled
1 onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
150ml beer
300ml beef stock

For the suet pastry:
500g self-raising flour
250g beef suet
325ml water
Pinch salt

For the cabbage:
50g butter
1 conical cabbage, core removed, shredded
50ml chopped fresh flatleaf parsley

Method:
For the filling, preheat the oven to 150C.

Mix the beef, flour and seasoning together in a bowl.

Heat some of the olive oil in a large flameproof casserole until hot. Shake the excess flour from the beef and fry, in batches, for 4-5 minutes, or until browned all over. Remove the beef and set aside.

Add the remaining olive oil and onions to the pan and fry for 3-5 minutes, or until softened and just coloured.

Return the beef to the casserole and add the garlic and beer. Continue to cook until the volume of the liquid has reduced by half then add the beef stock and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 2 hours.

Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside to cool completely.

For the suet pastry, mix the self-raising flour, suet, water and salt in a bowl to form a soft dough. Do not overwork the pastry.

Roll out three-quarters of the pastry to a 1cm/½in thickness and use it to line a 1.2 litre pudding basin. Fill with the cold cooked beef filling and moisten the pastry around the rim of the basin with water.

Roll the remaining dough to a 1cm thickness and place over the top of the basin. Pinch the edges firmly together and trim off any excess.

Cover with a double layer of greaseproof paper and a single sheet of aluminium foil. Tie around the top edge with string.

Steam the pudding for 1½ hours in a steamer, or on an upturned plate in a covered saucepan half-filled with water.

For the cabbage, heat a frying pan until hot, add the butter, cabbage and 50ml water and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just tender. Stir in the parsley, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serve the pudding in slices with the cabbage alongside.

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry shortcake is one of America's favourite desserts. the name derives from being made 'short', a word dating back to the 15th century, which means 'crisp form the use of fat'. In England it is synonymous with Scottish shortbread, a crisp butter-rich biscuit like pastry, but in America it is a rich pastry enclosing fruit, which became popular in the mid 1800s. The traditional shortcake is usually made with a sweetened biscuit pastry, plenty of sliced strawberries and a generous dollop of whipped cream.

Ingredients:
For the Shortcake:
500ml flour
60ml sugar
20ml baking powder
2ml salt
a small grating of nutmeg
1 egg, well beaten
90ml cold water
80-85ml milk

For the strawberries:
1 litre fresh strawberries
200ml brown sugar

To Assemble and Serve:
500ml single cream, whipped to soft peaks

Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C.

To prepare the strawberries, wash and hull the fruit. Slice most of the berries, leaving 8-12 whole for garnishing. Place the sliced berries in a bowl and cover with the sugar. Allow the berries to macerate for at least an hour at room temperature.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg and sift into a mixing bowl. Work in the butter with the fingertips, then add the milk and egg. Mix just until the dry ingredients are all Incorporated and the dough is moist. Turn the dough into a buttered and floured 8-9 inch round cake pan and pat into a flat disc. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. To test if it is done, insert a toothpick in the centre; if it comes out with dough attached, lower the heat to 180C and bake for another 5 minutes or so.

Remove from the pan and split horizontally with a serrated knife. Butter the cut side of both layers. Place a layer of half the prepared strawberries on one layer and drizzle over some of the fruit juices. Cover this layer with a layer of cream and add another layer of the rest of the prepared strawberries and the rest of the strawberry juices. Place the second layer of shortcake on top. Garnish with several whole berries and serve with the remaining whipped cream.

Angels and Demons Strawberry Love Pie

This is a recipe that came to me through my mother-in-law. The angels refer to the meringue with its crisp crust and gooey centre; the demons are represented by the wickedly alcoholic chocolate sauce laced through it. It's a wonderful representation of human nature; we all wish to be good like angels, but even angels can fall. There is a little wickedness in all of us, no matter how good we think we are, but love is what matters; represented by the strawberry, love conquers all.

Ingredients:
For the Meringue:
6 egg whites
a pinch of salt
500ml caster sugar
10ml vanilla extract
10ml lemon juice

For the strawberry filling:
150g strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
30ml caster sugar
a pinch of salt

For the Cream Filling:
250ml double cream
2ml vanilla extract
15ml caster sugar

For the Chocolate Sauce:
300g dark chocolate, at least 70-75% cocoa solids, broken into small pieces
150ml double cream
30ml Bramley and Gage Strawberry Liqueur or other strawberry liqueur you may have available

Method:
Preheat the oven to 120C. Grease a 10 inch pie plate.
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff, but not dry. Very gradually add 250ml of sugar, beating well after each addition. Now add the vanilla and lemon juice and finish beating in the rest of the sugar until all the sugar is dissolved and the meringue is very stiff.
Place the meringue in the pie plate, making it higher in the middle in a dome shape. Bake for 90 minutes in the prepared slow oven, then increase the oven heat to 150C for 30 minutes. The meringue will puff up, then when taken out of the oven it will crack as it cools and the centre will sink. Cool thoroughly.

Meanwhile macerate the strawberries in the sugar and a pinch of salt until required.

When the meringue is completely cooled, whip the cream with vanilla and sugar until the stiff peak stage.

To make the chocolate sauce, place the chocolate, cream and liqueur in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the bowl is not in contact with the water. Stir continuously until all the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy.

To assemble the pie, put a layer of a third of the cream into the meringue shell, then a layer of half the strawberries, drizzle over the chocolate sauce, then repeat the layer - cream, strawberries, chocolate sauce - and finish with the remaining cream.

Serve the pie with any remaining chocolate sauce - over each serving dribble it, pour it, drench it, depending on how wicked you like it!

Red Berry Meringue Pie

This pie has no pastry, so cuts down on calorie intake in that respect, making it quite a healthy pudding. It still contains some sugar, but the sweetness of the meringue is overshadowed by the sharp taste of the fruit. It has virtually no fat as the only fat, a healthy monounsaturated fat that tends to improve the 'good' cholesterol levels in the body, comes from the almonds, which add extra crunch and texture to this delicious dessert.

Ingredients:
100g unblanched almonds
175g strawberries, washed, drained and hulled
175g raspberries, washed and drained
175g red currants, washed and drained
3 egg whites
175g caster sugar

Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C.

Divide the almonds between 4 ramekins, placing them on the bottom of each. Mix the berries together and put on top of the almonds, filling the ramekins to only half way up.

With an electric whisk, whisk the egg whites in a clean glass bowl until they form stiff peaks. Add half the sugar and whisk again until the mixture is glossy. Fold in the remaining sugar and divide the meringue between the four ramekins.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving.

Summer Fruit Charlotte

Chill out this summer with this cool light dessert;

it needs time to set but is definitely worth the wait.

Ingredients:
100g caster sugar
250g strawberries, sliced
175g raspberries
1 pack sponge fingers
2 sheets gelatine
500g Greek yoghurt
2ml vanilla extract
a few extra berries for garnish

Method:
Place 75g of sugar in a small pan with 100ml water. Heat gently, stirring until dissolved. Add the strawberries and raspberries to the pan. Take off the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Strain into a shallow dish, reserving the fruit.

Dip the sponge fingers one by one into the syrup and use to line the base and sides of a 1 litre pudding basin, cutting the sponges to fit. In another pan, soak the gelatine in about 50ml cold water for about 5 minutes until soft, then warm gently until melted.

Place the yoghurt in a bowl with the vanilla extract and the remaining sugar, then beat in the melted gelatine. Place half this mixture in the basin, add the reserved fruit, cover with the rest of the yoghurt mixture and top with any left over sponge fingers. Drizzle any remaining syrup around the edges and chill for 4 hours.

To serve, invert onto a plate, remove the basin and top with some extra berries.

Indian Rice Pudding

Rice pudding is an old favourite of so many peoples and nations, and there are as many recipes for is as there a nationalities that make it, and more. My variation of it takes inspiration from both my grandmothers, the one English and the other Dutch (Afrikaans), as well as from the Indian influences I was exposed to in Natal, South Africa. Although this recipe is made from dry rice, I often make it with left over cooked rice, reducing the amount of milk used., or just using cream, as the will takes me on the day, but this is my standard recipe for this delicious family favourite.

There is a little story, which I recall from my childhood about rice pudding. My Ouma Nelly, my Afrikaans grandmother, told us that rice pudding was a meal you ate in heaven from a silver bowl with a golden spoon. My other English gran, Granny Alice, insisted there had to be something mighty wrong with you if you didn't like rice pudding!

Ingredients:
100g pudding rice, short grain rice or risotto rice
1 litre milk
300ml double cream
4-5 green cardamom pods (use white if you can get them, they are sweeter)
50-60ml sugar
15ml rose water
125ml sultanas
30ml sherry
2-5ml cinnamon
30g toasted slivered almonds

Method:

Place the rice in a bowl, cover with boiling water and set aside to soak for 10 minutes, after which it can be drained ready to go in the pan. Meanwhile, soak the sultanas in the sherry, warming them in the microwave for about 20 seconds just to plump them up.

Heat a heavy-based saucepan, add the drained rice, milk and double cream to which the cardamom pods and sugar have been added. Stir to bring to the boil over medium heat. Check for sweetness and add more sugar if you like. Reduce the heat and simmer for a further 20 minutes.

Add the rosewater and soaked sultanas, with their liquor, and simmer for a few minutes before serving hot, sprinkled with cinnamon and toasted slivered almond.

Butterscotch Sauce

Butterscotch sauce makes a great accompaniment for steamed puddings, cheesecake and many other desserts.

Ingredients:
30ml water
100g caster sugar
100g brown sugar
250g butter
200ml double cream

Method:
combine the water, caster sugar and brown sugar in a saucepan. Heat gently until the sugar has completely dissolved and formed a golden brown caramel.
Add the butter and let it melt with the caramel until completely absorbed.
Stir through the double cream.

Monmouth Pudding

Pwdin Mynwy – a traditional Welsh dessert, which is similar to ‘Queen of Puddings’. From the name of this dessert you can surmise that it originated in Monmouthshire – and you would be absolutely right!

Ingredients:

For the pudding:
90g fresh breadcrumbs
30ml soft light brown sugar
450ml whole milk
1 lemon, zest only
30ml caster sugar
25g salted butter
3 large egg yolks

For the topping:
175g raspberry jam
150g fresh raspberries
75g caster sugar
3 large egg whites, whisked until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed

Method:

For the pudding, preheat the grill to a medium setting.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and brown sugar into a roasting tray. Shake the tray to mix the two together, then grill until the breadcrumbs are lightly toasted and the sugar has started to melt. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 150C.

Heat the milk, lemon zest, sugar and butter in a pan over a medium heat. Cook, stirring regularly, until the butter has melted and the mixture is well combined, then stir the toasted breadcrumbs and sugar into the milk mixture and set aside, off the heat, for 30 minutes.

Once the milk and breadcrumbs mixture has stood for 30 minutes, whisk the egg yolks in a bowl until pale and fluffy, then add them to the milk and breadcrumb mixture and whisk gently until well combined.

Pour the pudding mixture into a 8inch ovenproof serving dish and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the pudding has risen and is just set. (The pudding has set when a skewer inserted into a middle of the pudding comes out clean.)

Remove the pudding from the oven and increase the temperate to 180C.

For the topping, spread the raspberry jam in an even layer over the pudding. Sprinkle over the raspberries.

In a bowl, add the sugar to the whisked egg whites and continue whisking until the mixture is glossy and stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed.

Spoon the meringue over the pudding and return to the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the meringue is golden-brown.

Serve immediately.

Syllabub

The story told regarding the origin of this ancient dessert tells that it was created by milking a cow directly into a bowl of cider, or wine. Early recipes can be traced back to Tudor times, where thickened cream was served floating on sweet wine. Making syllabub involves dissolving sugar in lemon juice and sweet wine or brandy, adding a long curl of orange peel then leaving it to infuse overnight. The following day, double cream is introduced and beaten until thick. Infusing the sugar and alcohol with the citrus probably seems a bit mystical, but don’t leave out this bit: the flavour is smoother if you let the mixture steep overnight. The essential ingredients is not something you add to the mixture, but something you do to it; whether this dessert stands or falls, is all in the whipping of the mixture. Beat slowly with a large balloon whisk or electric mixer right to the bottom of the mixture. Watch the texture vigilantly, stopping as soon as you sense a heaviness on the whisk and the mixture sits in soft folds the mixture starts to feel heavy on the whisk, when it will creases in soft folds, like a warm fluffy blanket. The mixture will split if whipped too much.

Ingredients:
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1-2 curls of orange peel, cut with a vegetable peeler without going into the white pith
50ml caster sugar
60ml sweet wine
15ml brandy
300ml double cream

Method:

Dissolve the sugar in the lemon zest and juice, sweet wine and brandy. Add one or two curls of orange peel cut with a vegetable peeler without going into the white pith and leave the mixture to steep overnight.

In the morning, add the double cream and whip until the desired thickness is achieved.

Good as it is, the odd embellishment is no bad thing with this recipe. A drop of Eau de vie, perhaps Framboise or Kirsch adds a welcome kick, as does some crushed ginger in syrup, or even a spoon of ginger marmalade. I have had it with a hint of nutmeg, a little rhubarb and flavoured with lime juice and zest. For a particularly fragrant twist use Cointreau, orange flower water and rose water, to give it a Turkish feel.

Here’s a version based on the concept of syllabub with a British-South East Asian fusion twist. Without all the rigmarole of steeping over night, this syllabub can be made in a hurry.

Elderflower Lemon and Ginger Syllabub

Ingredients:
15ml bottle green ginger and lemon grass cordial
15ml bottle green elderflower cordial
30ml sweet sherry or sweet white wine
50ml sparkling water
4 lady finger biscuits
250ml double cream
60ml icing sugar
125ml lemon curd
30 ml chopped crystallised ginger
Sprigs of mint to garnish

Method:

Mix together the cordials, sherry and sparkling water.

Break up the biscuits in the base of each of 4 sundae glasses. Drizzle over 15ml of the cordial-sherry mixture into each glass.

Pour the cream into a bowl and add the icing sugar. Whisk the cream until soft peaks form.

Fold in the remaining cordial-sherry mixture.

Add the lemon curd and lightly fold through, leaving a marbled effect.

Spoon the cream mixture into each of the glasses. Top with the chopped crystallised ginger and a sprig of mint.

Serve chilled.

Manchester Tart

The Manchester tart is a traditional English baked tart, which consists of a shortcrust pastry shell, spread with raspberry jam, covered with a custard filling and topped with flakes of coconut. The original Manchester Tart is a simple modern version of an earlier recipe, the Manchester Pudding, which was first recorded by the Victorian cookery writer, Mrs Beeton.

Ingredients:

butter, for greasing
500g ready-made shortcrust pastry
Plain flour, for dusting
200g raspberry jam
15ml desiccated coconut
300g fresh raspberries
500ml full-fat milk
1 vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped out with a knife
5 egg yolks
125g caster sugar
30ml cornflour
10ml icing sugar, for dusting
400ml double cream, whipped until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed
50ml desiccated coconut, toasted in a dry frying pan until golden-brown, to serve

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C. Grease a 10in tart pan with butter.

Roll out the shortcrust pastry onto a lightly floured work surface to a ¼in thickness. Line the prepared tart pan with the pastry. Prick the pastry several times with a fork, then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

When the pastry case has rested, place a sheet of baking parchment into it and half-fill with baking beans. Transfer the pastry case to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.

Remove the baking parchment and baking beans and return the pastry case to the oven for a further 4-5 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.

Spread the raspberry jam onto the pastry base in an even layer. Sprinkle over the three tablespoons of non-toasted desiccated coconut and half of the fresh raspberries. Set the pastry base aside.

Bring the milk, vanilla pod and vanilla seeds to the boil in a pan, then reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod (put it in a jar of sugar to give ‘vanilla sugar’).

In a bowl, beat together the egg yolks and sugar until well combined.

Pour the hot milk and vanilla mixture over the egg and sugar mixture, whisking continuously, until the mixture is smooth and well combined.

Return the mixture to the pan over a medium heat. Whisk in the cornflour, a tablespoon at a time, until well combined. Heat, stirring continuously until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

Transfer the custard mixture to a clean bowl and dust with the icing sugar (this prevents a skin from forming on the surface of the custard). Set aside to cool, then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes when cool enough to go in the fridge.

Whisk the whipped double cream into the chilled custard mixture until well combined.

Spoon the custard and cream mixture into the pastry case in an even layer. Sprinkle over the remaining fresh raspberries.

To serve, sprinkle over the three tablespoons of toasted desiccated coconut and serve immediately.

Oxford New College Pudding

This is a very traditional pudding, which originated at New College, Oxford, one of the oldest colleges in the city. I must say, it’s a very tempting pudding, especially when there isn’t time to make a proper steamed pudding or a fruit pie and pudding is necessary.

Up to the point of cooking, it’s like a steamed pudding. The batter, or dough, is mixed well and then left covered for 15-20 minutes to rest, then dollops of the mixture are deep fried in butter for a few minutes until the outsides are lovely and golden brown. When cooked through, the puddings are dredged with sugar.

With all the butter and sugar, enjoy in moderation, if that’s possible with this addictive dessert.

Ingredients:

150g dried breadcrumbs

25g currants

100g suet, finely shredded

1ml ground nutmeg

25g candied peel

1 egg, beaten

30ml sherry

30ml sugar

A pinch of salt

Milk to loosen the dough

500g unsalted butter, for deep frying

Method:

Mix the breadcrumbs, currants, suet, nutmeg and candied peel together.

In another bowl, mix the eggs, sherry, sugar and pinch of salt together.

Gradually stir the egg mixture into the breadcrumb mixture to make a stiff dough. Add enough milk to just loosen the dough to not quite a dropping constituency. Leave the dough to rest in a cool place for about 15 minutes.

Melt the butter in a large deep frying pan. Spoon the dough into shapes about the size of a large egg, like you would for making quenelles, between two dessert spoons. Drop the puddings into the butter and fry until golden brown, turning regularly. Remove and dredge with caster sugar.

Mississippi Mud Pie

This decadent, rich pie has a thick filling and a crumbly biscuit base, similar to a cheese cake. It is said to resemble the muddy banks of the Mississippi river and remains a popular dessert in the southern states of USA. There are many variations, most of which have just one layer of chocolate filling, but I like to vary it with having a paler coffee filling on top of a dark chocolate filling.

Ingredients:

For the biscuit base:

200g digestive biscuits

60g butter, diced

60 dark chocolate, chopped

For the Chocolate Filling:

90g dark chocolate, chopped

90g butter, diced

2 eggs, lightly beaten

90g dark muscovado sugar

100ml double cream

For the Coffee Filling:

90g white chocolate, chopped

90g butter, diced

2 eggs, lightly beaten

90g white sugar

100ml double cream

10ml instant coffee powder, dissolved in 30ml hot water and cooled

For the topping:

100ml double cream, well chilled

50ml icing sugar

1 Chocolate Flaky to scatter on top.

Method:

To make the base, put the digestive biscuits into a re-sealable bag and lightly bash them with a rolling pin until evenly crushed. Tip into a large bowl. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir until smooth, then take off the heat, pour onto the crushed biscuits and mix until evenly combined. Tip the crumb mixture into a 23cm cake tin with removable base. Using the back of the spoon, press the mixture onto the base and up the sides of the tin to cover evenly. Chill to allow the base to firm up.

Preheat the oven to 180°C

To make the chocolate filling, melt the dark chocolate and butter together in a bowl over simmering water and leave to cool slightly. In another large bowl, beat the eggs and muscovado sugar together, using an electric mixer, until thick and doubled in volume. Whisk in the cream, then fold through the melted chocolate and butter.

To make the coffee filling, melt the white chocolate and butter together in a bowl over simmering water (as above) and leave to cool slightly. In another large bowl, beat the eggs and white sugar together, using an electric mixer, until thick and doubled in volume. Whisk in the cream and the dissolved coffee, then fold through the melted chocolate and butter.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the biscuit base and carefully top that with the coffee mixture. Try not to get them mixed together. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes until just firm. Allow to cool completely before removing from the tin.

For the topping, whip the cream with icing sugar until it holds soft peaks. Spread this over the top of the cooled pie and finish with a scattering of broken up flaky. Cut into slices to serve.

Cheddar Apple Sponge Pudding

Cheese might seem a strange ingredient for a pudding, but it seems to work so well with sweet apples.

.

Ingredients:

110g sugar

110g butter

2 eggs, beaten

140g flour

5ml baking powder

30g grated cheddar cheese

8 walnuts, chopped

½ an apple, peeled, cored and grated

clotted cream or custard to serve.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C

Cream the sugar and butter together with an electric beater.

Slowly add the 2 beaten eggs, then fold in the flour and baking powder.

Fold in the grated cheddar, chopped walnuts and apple.

Spoon the mixture into individual fluted tart tins or buttered ramekin dishes and bake for about 15 minutes.

Serve with clotted cream or custard.

Honey and Rhubarb Cake

This cake is something to write home about!

It is so buttery, tender and moist with the tart flavour

of rhubarb permeating through it.

It's best eaten fresh baked, still warm from the oven,

with a hot cup of coffee,

or even as a pudding, spiced up with a sweet ginger

flavoured custard or whipped cream.

It also keeps well, staying moist;

however it will firm up over a day or two,

but it never lasts that long in our house.

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Ingredients:
280g self-raising flour
5ml baking powder
2ml salt
110g caster sugar
110g demerara sugar,
plus a little for sprinkling on top of the cake
110g butter, melted
2 eggs
300ml rhubarb and honey compote (see previous recipe)
5ml vanilla extract

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Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C

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Line the base of a 9inch round cake tin with baking paper and butter the sides

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Mix the flour with the baking powder, salt and sugars. Make a well in the centre and add the butter, eggs, rhubarb and vanilla. Beat all together well and pour into the tin. Smooth the top lightly and sprinkle about 30ml demerara sugar evenly over the top.

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Bake for about 45 minutes until firm to the touch. Test by pricking with a skewer - if it comes out clean the cake is done. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes before turning out onto a serving plate.