Pavlova wreath

This is a great pudding at any time of year (we had it once for Sam’s birthday in May), but ideal at Christmas because it’s eye-catching, wreath-shaped, feeds large numbers and can be made well ahead. Most fruits work well with it, so just use whatever’s in season. I first saw Mary Berry making itContinue reading “Pavlova wreath”

Meringue roulade

We’re approaching the end of the two-year publishing period earmarked for this blog back in January 2020. Reviewing the collection, I find relatively few pudding recipes, so here’s a trusted favourite to redress the balance. The source is Darina Allen’s excellent Ballymaloe Cookery Course book, a present from Grandma in 2007 which has proved toContinue reading “Meringue roulade”

Raspberry coulis

This is so simple that it hardly warrants a whole post. Whizz one up if you want to add zing and a pop of colour to all sorts of puddings: chocolate roulade, meringues with fruit and cream, even a lemon tart. Ingredients400g raspberries1 tbsp lemon juice3 tbsp icing sugar Method Put all the ingredients inContinue reading “Raspberry coulis”

Pears in Marsala

Here’s another trusty old recipe from Delia Smith’s Winter Collection (see blinis, colcannon potatoes, mushroom risotto, hot citrus pudding, pumpkin soup). It’s a 70s classic that has stood the test of time, perhaps because as a fruit-based dish it offers a lighter alternative to the heavy sweetness of other traditional puddings. The original is madeContinue reading “Pears in Marsala”

Vegan apple pudding cake

Stretching the blog’s rules again, I’m recording this brilliant recipe because it’s hard to believe it is completely vegan. It comes from Meera Sodha’s column in the Guardian’s Saturday food supplement Feast, and I’ve made it three times this year – every time to astonished acclaim from family, friends and colleagues. It has enough appleContinue reading “Vegan apple pudding cake”

Eton mess

This is a pudding redolent of summer and incredibly easy to make. You can buy your meringues ready-made or whip up your own with any spare egg whites hanging around (from making hollandaise sauce or mayonnaise or custard, say). There are all sorts of meringue recipes out there and I’m not claiming my version belowContinue reading “Eton mess”

Mango fool

After a slight hiatus on the pudding front, here is a recipe for a straightforward but richly aromatic fruit fool. It comes from Sophie Grigson’s Food for Friends (see Aubergine Parmigiana and Chickpea & tomato soup) and makes a great end to an Indian-themed meal, thanks to the cardamom and the orange-flower water, which transportContinue reading “Mango fool”

Hot citrus pudding

The television series that accompanied the publication of Delia Smith’s Winter Cookbook in the 90s made a big splash and inspired a number of family meals that have stood the test of time (Colcannon potatoes and Mushroom risotto being two examples). This excellent hot pudding quickly became a favourite for Sunday lunch. Full of freshContinue reading “Hot citrus pudding”

Frangipane

This is a really useful recipe to have up your sleeve. The basic almond filling is simple to make and all kinds of fruits combine well with it. Depending on the fruit you use you can play around with complementary flavours (orange zest would go well with figs, for example) and the alcoholic spirit –Continue reading “Frangipane”

Blackberry & apple crumble ice cream

Even without an ice cream maker, you can (quite literally) whip up an ice cream in a few hours. All it takes is a freezer, some elbow grease and the patience to cool your custard base. This is beautiful to look at and tastes of early autumn. The recipe comes originally from an old issueContinue reading “Blackberry & apple crumble ice cream”