Category: Puddings

Vanilla Ice Cream

Make sure the ice cream bowl has been in the freezer for at least 24h before starting.

300ml milk (full fat)
280ml of double cream
90g golden caster sugar
1 heaped tsp of vanilla bean paste or 1 fresh pod, split in two seeds scraped out
3 large egg yolks

Put the cream and milk in a large non stick pan on 2 with the vanilla and warm for 15 mins to infuse.

Meanwhile put the yolks and sugar in a bowl and using a whisk or the beater take them to a thick consistency until you can see ribbons on the surface.

Being the milk and cream mix to just below boiling point (before bubbles burst) keeping an eye on the bottom (don’t let it overheat and burn) then take 3 tbs out and mix into the eggs and sugar to slacken it off. Then add the rest of the cream into the bowl and stir.

Transfer everything back to the pan, put on 6 and continue stirring for at least 10 mins until thickened. It might need to be taken up to 7 briefly. do not stop stirring, needs to be the consistency of custard.

Once thickened remove from the heat, put a lid on and allow to cool completely (outside or in fridge).

Set up the mixer and add the cold mixer, churn on the slowest speed. Will take 10-15 mins.

Put into an Tupperware and freeze until needed, take out 10 mins before serving.

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Ginger & Blueberry Cheesecake

Would also work well with roast rhubarb.

Try and make day ahead, if not early morning for dinner.

300g ginger biscuits (see recipe here Easy Ginger Biscuits)

140g butter

150g blueberries

1 tsp cornflour

25g sugar

600g cream cheese

125g thick yoghurt (Greek style)

Zest of 1 lemon

2 tsp ground ginger

2 eggs

2.5 tbs plain flour 

Preheat oven to 200C (180C fan)

Line a 23-25cm spring form tin, allow the paper to come up the sides a bit if you can. Melt the butter and blitz the biscuits in the food processor until crumbs, add the butter and blitz to combine. Tip into the lined tin and spread around as evenly as possible. Take a flat bottomed straight tumbler and use it to push the mix down as firmly as possible until even all over. Wrap a piece of foil around the outside of the tin so it comes at least half way up the tin, this is to catch all the melted butter which will piss out! Bake for 10 mins and then allow to cool. 

Mix the cornflour with 1 tbs cold water and put it, the blueberries and sugar into a small pan and stir. Warm in medium heat, increase heat once warmed though and boil for a minute and then stir well and remove from heat.

When the base is cool, mix together the cream cheese, yoghurt and eggs until smooth then add the lemon zest, ginger and flour and mix until well combined. 

Add half the mix to the base, followed by dotting half of the blueberry mix over the top. Then add the remaining mix and dot the rest of the blueberry mix on top and swirl with a knife to make ripples. 

Bake for 10 mins (keep that foil on the outside) and then reduce the temperature to to 110C (95C fan) and bake for 45-50 mins. Check to see if done, it should be fairly solid on the outer 3-4cm with a wobble still on the inside. Turn the heat off and keep the door closed with the cheesecake inside for an hour, then wedge the door open with a wooden spoon and allow to fully cool. Then finally chill overnight if possible, if not min 3h before serving.

Warm a metal pallet knife in hot water and loosen the sides of the cake from the tin. You should be able to then lift the cake form the base and peel the paper off.

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Sticky Toffee Pudding

Taken from Nigella…

Serves 6 greedy Jamie’s or 8 normal people

FOR THE CAKE

100 grams dark brown muscovado sugar

175 grams self-raising flour

125 millilitres full fat milk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

50 grams unsalted butter (melted)

200 grams chopped dates

FOR THE SAUCE

200 grams dark brown muscovado sugar

approx. 25 grams unsalted butter (cut into little blobs)

500 millilitres boiling water

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C fan and butter a 1½ litre capacity pudding dish.
  2. Combine the dark muscovado sugar with the flour in a large mixing bowl. Pour the milk into a measuring jug, beat in the egg, vanilla and melted butter and then pour this mixture over the sugar and flour, stirring – just with a wooden spoon – to combine. Fold in the dates then scrape into the prepared pudding dish and smooth down to level. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look very full: it will do by the time it cooks.
  3. Sprinkle over the top of the mix the 200g of dark muscovado sugar and dot with the butter. Pour over the boiling water (yes really!) and transfer to the oven. Set the timer for 45 minutes, though you might find the pudding needs 5 or 10 minutes more. The top of the pudding should be springy and spongy when it’s cooked; underneath, the butter, dark muscovado sugar and boiling water will have turned into a rich, sticky sauce. Serve with vanilla ice cream, creme fraiche, double or single cream as you wish.

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