Chocolate and Pedro Ximenez Soaked Date Tart

Recipe Biscuit base 200g chocolate oaty biscuits, crushed 65g melted butter Mix together and press into a pie tin up the sides a bit and chill.100g chopped dates 50ml PX sherry Mix, cover and leave overnight.150g chopped dark chocolate 150g chopped milk chocolate 150ml double cream 25ml banoffee toffee 25g butter Place the chocolates in a heat proof bowl. Heat the cream, butter and toffee in a pan until bubbling, pour over the chocolate and stir until melted. Add the dates and mix well. Pour into the biscuit base and smooth off. Chill for a few hours to set but take out of fridge at least an hour before serving. 250ml double cream whipped 25g dark chocolate Pipe the cream over the top and finely grate the chocolate all over.

RecipeCoconut Rice Pudding 100g pudding rice 450ml coconut milk – 1 tin 150ml whipping cream 25g honey 25g castor sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Rinse the rice pudding for a minute in a sieve under cold running water. Place the pudding rice in a pan with the coconut milk, cream, honey, sugar and vanilla and gently simmer for about half an hour or until rice is cooked through. Poached and caramelized pineapple 1 pineapple 350ml pineapple juice 25g brown sugar Peel the pineapple and remove the “eyes”. Quarter, remove the core and cut the pineapple into 3cm slices. Place in the pineapple juice and gently simmer until the pineapple is just done. Remove pineapple and add the sugar to the liquid. Boil until thick and syrupy and return the pineapple to the liquid and mix well. Candied puffed rice 50g castor sugar 2 teaspoons water 30g rice crispies 10g desiccated coconut Heat the sugar and water over high heat in a pan until the sugar turns to a golden caramel liquid – don’t stir. Remove from heat and mix in the crispies and coconut. Turn onto a sheet of parchment and cool.Spoon the rice pudding into bowls, top with some pineapple ( any leftover will keep in the fridge for a week) and scatter over some of the candied puffed rice.

Recipe Lemon Crunch Pie with blueberriesBase 200g oaty or digestive biscuits 75g butter Crush the biscuits to a fine crumb either in a food processor or place in a bag and bash with a rolling pin. Melt the butter and mix with the crumbs. Line a 20cm springform cake tin or 6 individual tins, with parchment paper. Press the biscuit mixture into the tin and press down. Chill in the fridge.Filling Zest and juice 2 lemons 150ml condensed milk 300 ml double cream, whipped Fold the condensed milk, lime zest and juice into the cream. Spoon onto the base and allow to chill in the fridge for a few hours.Blueberry compote 250g frozen blueberries 35g honey Mix in a pan and cook for 5 minutes. Cool.250ml whipped cream ( optional) Remove the tin from the pudding and spoon the blueberries on top. Pipe the cream on top and serve.

Shepherd Pie Jackets with fennel and feta salad Shepherd Pie Jackets 4 large baker potatoes, scrubbed 250g lamb mince 1 tablespoon oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic 1 stick celery, finely chopped 1 small tin chopped tomatoes 1 tablespoon tomato puree 250ml beef stock 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 50ml milk 125g finely grated cheddar Bake the potatoes in a 180oc oven for about 45 minutes or until cooked through. Heat a pan until smoking hot and add the lamb mince. Cook until sealed off well. Drain off the fat and add the onion, garlic and celery to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the tomato puree, tomatoes, stock and Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 20 minutes. Check seasoning. Cut the potatoes in half while warm and scoop out the flesh. Mash the flesh with the milk and season to taste. Place the shells in a baking tray and spoon the mince. Spoon or pipe the potato on top and then sprinkle with the cheese. Bake in a 180oc oven for about 20 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Fennel and feta salad 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard 75ml olive oil 1 teaspoon honey Salt and pepper to taste 1 bulb fennel 1 little gem lettuce 75g crumbled feta Whisk the vinegar, mustard and oil together with the honey and season to taste. Cut the fennel in half and remove the core. Slice as thinly as you can and toss into the dressing. Toss in the feta. Shred the lettuce and mix in.

Pastry 225g plain flour 100g chopped cold butter Pinch salt 1 egg Rub the flour and butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Mix in the salt. Mix in the egg to dough, wrap in cling and chill.Filling 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs Oil for brushing 25g butter 1 large leek, split, washed and chopped 25g plain flour 150ml chicken stock 1 tablespoon cream 1 teaspoon Dijon mustardBrush the chicken with oil and cook on a hot grill pan for about 4 minutes each side or until cooked through. Allow to rest. Heat the butter in a pan and add the leeks. Cook until wilted down and mix in the flour well. Add the stock and mix to a stiff smooth sauce. Add the cream and mustard and check seasoning. Add any resting juices from the chicken and then cool and chill. Chop the chicken and mix into the sauce.To assemble 1 egg yolk. Divide the pastry in half and roll to fit a buttered pie dish. Trim off the edges and keep in cling. Line with foil and fill with baking beans. Chill for an hour then bake in a 180oc oven for 12 minutes. Remove beans and foil and bake for another 5 minutes. Fill with the chicken mixture. Roll out the remaining pastry and cover the chicken mixture. Crimp the edges and brush with egg yolk. Roll out the ends of pastry and make leaves. Place on pie and cover with more egg yolk. Bake in a 180oc oven for 30 minutes.Broccoli with pickled shallot 2 shallots, peeled and finely sliced 25ml white wine or cider vinegar 25ml water 1 teaspoon sugar ¼ teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon mustard seeds Salt to taste 350g tenderstem broccoli 1 tablespoon oilPlace the vinegar, water, sugar, turmeric and mustard seeds in a pan and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Check seasoning and pour over the shallots. Leave for an hour to pickle. Blanch the broccoli in salted boiling water for a minute and then drain, place on kitchen paper and top with kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a frying pan until smoking add the broccoli. Cook for a couple of minutes then add the shallots ( not the liquid) and warm through.

Buttermilk breadrolls 450g bread flour 7g dried yeast 190ml buttermilk 60ml local rapeseed oil 1 heaped tablespoon castor sugar 1/4 teaspoon baking powder Egg yolk for brushing Stir yeast and 35ml of lukewarm water in a large bowl and leave for 10 minutes. Warm the buttermilk to blood temperature gently and add to the yeast mixture with the oil and sugar. Mix in the flour and baking powder to a soft dough and transfer to a floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes and place in a clean bowl rubbed with oil. Cover with cling or a damp tea towel and leave at room temperature for an hour. Knock back and divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll into balls and place on baking trays lined with baking paper - don’t have them too close together as they’ll rise. Leave for 30 minutes. Set oven to 200°c. Brush rolls with egg yolk and then bake for about 20 minutes or until the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Cook on a wire rack. 500g rump steak 1 tablespoon oil for rubbing Seasalt Freshly ground black pepper 150g mayonnaise 2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard 1 tablespoon finely chopped gherkin 200g raclette slices or thin slices of cheddarRub the oil all over the rump and season with salt. Heat a pan until smoking and seal on both sides for two minutes. Lower the heat and cook to desired temperature. Season with pepper and rest for 5 minutes and slice thinly. Mix the mayonnaise with the mustard and gherkins Split the rolls and spread the mayo on to the surface.Arrange the beef over the top and then cheese. Bake in a 180oc oven until cheese has melted – about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Caramel pecan pancakes3 large eggs1 dessertspoon golden syrup200ml buttermilk300g plain flour1 teaspoon baking soda50ml bannoffee toffee75g chopped pecansOil for cookingWhisk the eggs, syrup and buttermilk in a bowl.Sift in the flour and baking soda. Whisk to a thick batter.Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Wipe a medium hot pan with oil and add a tablespoon of batter – don’t over crowd the pan. Drizzle some of the bannoffee toffee and add a sprinkle of pecan nuts on the surface. Spread over some more pancake batter to enclose the nuts and sauce. When bubbles appear, flip over and cook on the other side for a couple of minutes to cook through. Repeat with the remaining batter.Rum candied bananas50g butter50g soft brown sugar50ml rumPinch cinnamon4 bananas, peeled and choppedHeat the butter and sugar in a large pan and spread to fill the surface. Add the rum and toss for a minute. Flame carefully with the rum, add the cinnamon and serve with the pancakes.

Rhubarb compote 100g castor sugar 250g rhubarb, chopped into 1cm pieces Zest and juice of 1 orange Splash of gin ( optional)Cook the sugar and orange zest and juice until the sugar has dissolved over medium heat. Add the rhubarb, cover with parchment and simmer gently until just cooked – really only a couple of minutes.Turn off and cool.Pastry 225g plain flour 100g butter 60g icing sugar 1 egg 1 egg yolkRub the flour, butter and sugar together until the mixture resembles fine crumbs ( do this in a food processor if you wish). Mix the egg and the yolk and add to make a dough. Wrap in cling and chill for an hour.Strawberry jam Lightly butter 2 tartlet tins and set oven to 180oc. Roll the pastry out until thin and cut out rounds to fit in the hole. Chop half the rhubarb and mix with an equal amount of jam. Spoon into the pastry and bake for 15 minutes. Cool and remove from tins. Serve with a dollop of the cream. Coconut custard cream 225 ml milk 2 egg yolks 75 g caster sugar 10 g plain flour, sieved 10g cornflour Simmer the milk. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornflour and flour and then pour over milk. Whisk well and return to pan over low heat. Stir constantly until custard is thick. Pour into a bowl and cover surface with cling, cool and chill. 25g desiccated coconut 250ml double cream Spread the coconut onto a baking tray lined with parchment and cook in a 180oc oven for about 5 minutes or until golden. Cool. Whip the cream, fold in the cold custard and coconut.

Recipe Pickled mustard seeds 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds 2 tablespoons cider vinegar Place the seeds in a small bowl and cover with vinegar. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for 2 days before using4 x 175g boneless shoulder chops 1 tablespoon oil ½ teaspoon smoked seasalt ( or regular seasalt) 2 teaspoons maple syrup 1 tablespoon cider vinegar 15g butter 1 shallot, finely chopped 200ml chicken stock 2 teaspoons pickled mustard seeds 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon chopped chivesMix the oil with the salt, maple syrup and vinegar and rub all over the chops. Cover and chill overnight. Heat a large pan until smoking hot and add the chops. Cook for 2 minutes each side then lower the heat and cook through gently. Remove from pan and set aside, covered in foil. Add the butter and shallots to the pan and cook until golden. Add the stock and reduce by half. Whisk in the mustard and then add the pickled mustard seeds. Add resting juices from pork and the chives and warm through. Check the seasoning. Slice the pork and spoon over the sauce. Cider Cabbage 1 sweetheart cabbage 1 tablespoon oil Salt and pepper 20g butter 150ml dry local cider Cut the cabbage in quarters through the root. Heat the oil in a large pan until smoking hot. Add the cabbage wedges. Cook until golden brown on both sides and add the butter. Turn to coat in the butter. Season with salt and pepper and add the cider. Cover with a lid, lower the heat slightly and cook for about 8 minutes or until cooked through. Boil to reduce any excess liquid. Serve with the pork and some mash.

Recipe Flapjacks 175g golden syrup 135g butter 175g porridge oats Line an 8inch square tin with parchment paper and set oven to 180oc. Melt the syrup and butter in a pan and then mix in the oats. Press into the tin and bake for 25 minutes. Cool for a couple of minutes and cut into squares. Cool in the tin and then remove. Honeycomb 150g castor sugar 2 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon liquid glucose 2 teaspoons baking soda Place the sugar, water, honey and glucose in a pan and cook to an amber liquid. Avoid stirring too much as it can cause the mixture to crystallise. Add the baking soda and mix briefly. It will foam up so be careful. Pour onto a sheet of parchment paper. Allow to cool. Whiskey and honeycomb cream 250ml double cream 50ml whiskey 4 tablespoons honeycomb crumbledWhip the cream to stiff peaks and fold in the whiskey and honeycomb.250g raspberries Top the flapjacks with the honeycomb cream and dot over 2 or 3 raspberries. Top with more crumbled honeycomb.