Chocolate and Berry Summer Pudding
Serves 4

Ingredients
• 3 eggs
• 75g/3oz caster sugar
• 50g/2oz self-raising flour, sieved
• 25g/1oz cocoa powder, sieved
• 300ml double or whipping cream, whipped
• tablespoon of jam of your choice
• berries of your choice
• icing sugar for dusting

Method
You’ll need a roasting tin or traybake tin measuring approx. 30 x 23cm (12 x 9”). Cut a rectangle of baking parchment paper just larger than the base and sides of the tin and cut each corner to the depth of the tin. Grease the tin with butter and then line the with the baking parchment.

Measure the eggs and sugar into a bowl and whisk together with a hand held electric mixer or freestanding mixer until the mixture is light and frothy and has increased in volume. Whisk for long enough so that the trail left behind when the whisk is lifted leaves an impression for about 3 seconds. Sift in the flour and cocoa, carefully folding in at the same time using a metal spoon. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin, spreading it gently into the corners.

Conventional oven: Bake in a preheated oven 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas 6 for about 10 minutes, until shrinking away from the sides of the tin.

AGA USERS: Slide on to the grid shelf on the floor of the roasting oven. Bake for 8 minutes.

Leave to cool. Once cold, trim all the edges to neaten and then cut the cake in half lengthways. Arrange one half on a serving plate. Spread your chosen jam over the cake on the plate. Mix the whipped cream with the vanilla extract. Spread half over the cake on the plate. If you’re using strawberries then cut them in half and place on top of the cream. You can use other berries such as raspberries and blueberries too. Just try and make sure the fruit is quite level. Sit the other half on top. Spread the remaining cream over the top of the cake and arrange more berries on top in even rows.

Dust with icing sugar and to serve cut either side of the rows of fruit to give a neat slice.
Enjoy!

Chocolate chip cookies
These are delicious, easy and you get your chocolate fix!

To make 16 cookies you’ll need:
• 200g plain flour
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp sea salt, crumbled
• 150g golden caster sugar
• 125g 70% dark chocolate
• 85ml sunflower oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Method
Put the flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Break the chocolate into little chunks, add these to the bowl and mix again.

In a small bowl, briskly whisk the oil, vanilla extract and four tablespoons of water, until emulsified. Pour the liquids into the dry

ingredients, stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together into a batter, then pop the bowl in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 190˚C/Fan180˚C/)/390˚F/gas 6 and line two large oven trays with baking paper. Using a small scoop – for example a tablespoon measuring spoon – spoon the cookie dough on to the sheet, spacing the rounds 10cm apart, because they’ll spread. (If you don’t have a suitable scoop, gently roll the dough with your hands into balls the size of ping-pong balls and weighing about 40g each.)

Bake for 12 minutes, or until the cookies have a crisp, golden edge and are not wobbly to the touch in the centre. Leave to cool completely on the trays before eating.

If you can’t wait until they are completely cool then the chocolate wil be deliciously gooey. If you wait until they are completely cooled they’ll be lovely and crunchy. I had one both ways! Why not?!

Chocolate & Orange Rye Muffins
This is Terry’s Chocolate Orange in a healthier muffin version that you can happily eat for breakfast.

With no refined sugar, no dairy and just a bit of spelt flour. The pic is of my efforts and the recipe is from A Modern Way to Cook by Anna Jones.

Ingredients for 12 muffins
• 150ml olive oil or coconut oil
• 150g good white spelt flour
• 50g wholegrain rye flour
• 5 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 free-range organic eggs
• 250ml milk of your choice
• 150ml pure maple syrup
• 2 unwaxed blood oranges or normal oranges
• 100g dark chocolate (70%)


Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7.
Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Get all your ingredients together. If you are using coconut oil, melt it and let it cool.

Sift together all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Crack the eggs in a separate bowl and whisk together, then add the milk, maple syrup and oil while constantly stirring. Grate in the zest of one of the oranges.

Use a knife to cut the peel from both oranges and remove any pithy bits, then chop the oranges into small pieces, taking care to cut out any bits of white pith from the centre.

Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Roughly chop the dark chocolate and add half of it to the batter, along with half the orange pieces. Use a spatula to carefully fold everything together until combined.

Divide the batter between the muffin tins and top with the rest of the dark chocolate and orange pieces.

Bake for 16-18 mins. Best warm from the oven.

Chocolate Pecan Cookies
To make about 24 you’ll need:
• 100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
• 125g ground almonds
• 125g pecans, chopped roughly, plus 50g pecans sliced crossways for the topping
• 150g dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2 egg whites
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°fan/gas 4. Line a large baking tray or two small baking trays with parchment paper.in a heatproof bowl, melt the chocolate over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally as it melts. (Don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the water.) Leave to cool slightly.Put the nuts, sugar and cocoa into a food processor and blitz until fine. Add the melted chocolate, the egg whites and the vanilla and mix well.Using an ice-cream scoop or two dessertspoons, scop individual portions of cookie dough on to the lined baking tray, leaving enough space between each one to allow them to spread. Flatten them slightly with the underside of a glass or measuring cup, then top each cookie with a slice of pecan.Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the biscuits have set and puffed up but are still chewy on the inside. These keep well for up to 1 week in an airtight container.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CLOUD CAKE

Another great recipe from Anna Jones.
We demolished this in record time!

Ingredients for the cake
• coconut oil 125g
• maple syrup 150ml
• vanilla extract 2 tsp
• white spelt flour 100g (or plain white flour)
• good unsweetened cocoa powder 50g
• ground almonds 150g
• good unsweetened cocoa powder 100g
• baking powder 2 tsp
• salt a good pinch
• milk (I use almond milk or ready-to-drink coconut milk) 200ml
• ripe banana 1

For the icing
• full-fat coconut milk 1 × 400ml tin
• set honey 3 tbsp
• cocoa powder 3 tbsp
• vanilla essence 1 tbsp

For the chocolate glaze
• almond or ready-to-drink coconut milk 60ml
• good-quality dark chocolate 100g,
chopped into small pieces

To decorate
• a couple of handfuls of berries

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4.
Grease a 23cm springform cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Put your tin of coconut milk into the fridge to chill.
Put the coconut oil into a small pan and let it melt over a low heat. Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract and mix well.
Put the flour, ground almonds, cocoa, baking powder and salt into a bowl and mix well. Mash the banana and add it to the milk. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and slowly pour in the melted coconut oil mixture and the banana and milk. Mix well.

Pour the mixture into the lined tin and level the top using the back of a spoon. Bake in the oven for 35–40 minutes, until it feels firm to the touch and a skewer comes out clean. Don't worry if the cake has cracked on the top, as this will get covered by chocolate glaze.

Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in its tin for 10 minutes.

Transfer to cooling rack, leave to cool completely.
Once it has had an hour in the fridge, open the tin of coconut milk and scoop the thick, creamy white top layer into a bowl, leaving behind the watery stuff (you can keep this to use in smoothies). Add the honey, cocoa powder and vanilla essence, then use an electric hand whisk or a normal whisk and a bit of elbow grease to quickly whisk together, breaking down the coconut cream and whisking it into a smooth fluff. Put it straight into the fridge, leave to chill.
For the chocolate glaze, pour the milk into a small pan, bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Put the chopped chocolate into a medium bowl and pour over the hot milk, stirring until melted and glossy.
Once the cake has cooled, use a bread knife to slice it horizontally into two layers. Remove the top layer and place to one side. Spread the chocolate coconut icing over the bottom layer and put the top on. Now put the cake back on the cooling rack and place a plate underneath.
Pour the glaze all over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides (the plate underneath should catch all the drips). Pile the fruit on top and pop into the fridge to chill for 10 minutes, allowing the chocolate on top to set.

GRANOLA
This is perfect sprinkled over yoghurt, porridge or straight from the jar!

To fill a small Kilner jar you’ll need:
• 80g mixed nuts (almonds/walnuts)
• 40g dessicated coconut
• 80g sunflower seeds
• 40g pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 35ml maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• a pinch of sea salt
• a pinch of ground Cinnamon
• additions of your choice, see last paragraph

Method
Put the mixed nuts, dessicated coconut, sunflower, pumpkin and chia seeds into a food processor and pulse until all ingredients are roughly chopped but still have some texture remaining.

Put the coconut oil and maple syrup into a large wide-bottomed pan on a high heat until the coconut oil is melted. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Add the nut and seed mixture to the pan, along with the vanilla extract, salt and cinnamon, and mix everything thoroughly. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the nut mixture starts to colour and brown, making sure you stir continuously.

Remove from the heat and leave to cool down.

Once cool add whatever you fancy! You could add all or some of the following: goji berries, raisins, sliced mango, dates, cacao nibs.

MADELEINES
To make 24 madeleines you’ll need:
• 3 free-range eggs
• 130g/4½oz sugar
• 200g/7oz plain flour
• 10g/¼oz baking powder
• 1 unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest only
• 20g/¾oz honey
• 4 tbsp milk
• 200g/7oz butter, melted and cooled
• punnet of raspberries
• icing sugar, for dusting
• lemon curd

Method
Beat the eggs with the sugar until pale and frothy. Put the flour and baking powder into a separate bowl and add the lemon zest.

Mix the honey and milk with the cooled butter, then add to the eggs. In two batches, fold in the flour. Cover and leave to rest in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Butter and flour a 12-shell madeleine tin. Put the lemon curd into a piping bag fitted with a small, pointed nozzle and place in the fridge.

Put a heaped tablespoon of batter into each madeleine shell, press a raspberry into the
batter.

Bake for 5 mins, turn the oven off for 1 min (so they get their signature peaks), then turn oven on to 160°C/325°F/Gas 3, bake for a 5 minutes.

Transfer madeleines to a wire rack and leave for a few minutes until cool enough to handle.

Wash and dry the tin, then repeat the baking as for the first batch. While the second batch is baking, pop the piping nozzle into the mound in each baked madeleine and squirt in a
teaspoon’s worth of lemon curd. Repeat with the second batch, then dust with icing sugar and serve straightaway.

MANGO & PASSIONFRUIT ETON MESS

To feed 4 you’ll need:
• 300ml double cream
• 180g meringue
• 2 small very ripe mangoes
• 6 ripe passion fruits


Method
Whip the double cream till it stands in soft folds.
Crumble the meringues into it, roughly, so you get both large and small pieces, but do not stir.

Peel the mangoes, slice the flesh from the stones and chop it into small pieces. Add to the cream and meringues. Halve the passion fruits, then squeeze out the juice through a small sieve into a bowl. Gently, fold the juice, mango and meringues into the whipped cream. It will need only 2 or 3 stirs. You can chill for an hour or so, if you wish.

MUSHROOMS & STILTON ON TOAST
This recipe is perfect for a light lunch on top of some delicious bread that’s been lightly toasted. The juices from the dish can be soaked up by the bread, lovely. It also makes a perfect starter, just lose the bread and add salad leaves. The ingredients below make enough for 2 people for lunch or 4 people for a starter.

Ingredients
• A slice of butter
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme
• 4 large mushrooms
• 100g Stilton (or whatever you have left!)
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• salt and black pepper
• bread (optional)
• rocket/salad leaves (also optional)

Method
Warm the butter in a large, shallow pan.

Add a little water, salt and black pepper, and the sprigs of thyme.

Place the mushrooms into the pan, bottom-side up, and cover with a lid.

Leave to cook over a moderate heat for 10 minutes, or until they have softened. Turn over and cook the other side.

When the mushrooms are tender, crumble some of the Stilton onto each mushroom followed by a few walnuts. Cover the pan with the lid.

As the cheese begins to melt, serve.

Serve on toast or simply with some fresh rocket or salad leaves.

Raspberry & Pistachio Brownies
This is a favourite of my Mum’s. She loves chocolate and raspberries. I’ll be making her these for Mother’s Day.
Vegan and non-vegan alternatives are given below.

To make 12 brownies you’ll need:
• 3 tbsp chia seeds
(or 3 organic or free range eggs, beaten)
• 200g dark chocolate (70%), roughly chopped
• 100g coconut oil (or unsalted butter)
• 200g coconut sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g ground almonds
• 1½ tsp baking powder, if you are using chia seeds
• 50g cocoa powder
• 125g raspberries
• 50g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

Method
Preheat your oven to 180˚C/Fan 160˚C/Gas 4.

Grease a small brownie tin with coconut oil or butter and line it with baking paper (mine is 20cm x 20cm but anything around that size will do).

If you are using chia seeds rather than eggs, put the seeds in a little bowl and add 9 tbsp of cold water. Leave to form a gel-like paste.

Place a large, heatproof bowl (big enough to fit all your ingredients) over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Put 150g of the chocolate into the bowl along with the coconut oil (or butter), sugar and vanilla extract. Let them melt, stirring from time to time until the sugar is dissolved.

Once melted, take the bowl off the heat and stir in the chia seed mixture (or beaten eggs), then the ground almonds, baking powder (if using), cocoa powder, half the raspberries and pistachios and remaining chocolate. Fold everything together until well mixed.

Pour the brownie mix into the lined tin and scatter over the rest of the raspberries and pistachios. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes until just cooked but still a little soft in the middle.

Leave to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting. These will keep for 3-4 days but I challenge you to make them last that long!

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH TAHINI SAUCE
This is perfect served with a selections of small dishes.

To feed 4 you’ll need:
• 1 large cauliflower with all leaves intact (1.3kg)
• 45g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
• flaked sea salt
• pomegranate seeds

For the tahini sauce you’ll need:
• 2tbsp light tahini
• 2 tbsp yoghurt
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• juice of ½ lemon (more to taste)
• handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped
• handful of mint, finely chopped
• salt & black pepper


Method
Using a pair of scissors, lightly trim the leaves at the top of the cauliflower, so that about 5cm of the actual cauliflower head is exposed.

Fill a pan (large enough to put the cauliflower in) three quarters full of salted water. Bring to the boil, then carefully lower in the cauliflower, exposed head down: don’t worry of the base sticks out a little. Return to the boil for 6 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the cauliflower to the colander, exposed head down. Set aside for 10 minutes, to drain and cool.

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Mix together the butter and oil. Place the cauliflower in a medium baking tray, exposed head now facing upwards, and spread the
butter-oil mix all over the flower, followed by 1¼ teaspoons of flaked salt. Place in the oven and roast for 1½-2 hours basting the cauliflower with the oil five or six times during cooking, until the cauliflower is really tender and dark golden-brown and the leaves are crisp and charred.

Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges (or pull it apart with your hands!) and serve with the lemon wedges and a little sprinkle of salt, or the tahini sauce. Add Pomegranate seeds to top off the dish perfectly.

To make the dressing, stir the tahini with the yoghurt until you have a smooth paste. Whisk in the garlic, olive oil and lemon juice and add water, a little at a time, until the dressing has the consistency of pouring cream. Stir in the chopped herbs. Season to taste with salt, pepper and more lemon juice.

Stan’s got his eye on the cauliflower!

Rhubarb & Berry Summer Bars

These are delicious, you can swap rhubarb for raspberries or strawberries. I used a mixture of raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and rhubarb.

To make 20 bars you’ll need:
• 150g coconut oil* plus extra for greasing
• 150g rolled oats
• 150g spelt flour
• 150g coconut sugar or unrefined light brown sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
• 250g rhubarb (about 2 medium stalks)
• 300g strawberries, hulled or berries of your choice
• the juice of 1 lemon

Method

Preheat the oven to 210°C/190°C fan/gas 7 and get all your ingredients and equipment together. Line a roughly 30cm × 20cm baking tray with greaseproof paper and rub with a little coconut oil.

Put the coconut oil or butter into a large saucepan over a medium heat and leave to melt, then take off the heat. Add the oats, flour, 150g sugar and a pinch of salt and give it a good mix. Take out 6 tablespoons of the mixture and put to one side to make the topping. Press the rest of the mixture into the bottom of the baking tray. Press down with the back of a spoon until it evenly coats the tray.

Chop the rhubarb and the strawberries quite finely and put into a bowl; squeeze over the lemon juice, add 1 tablespoon of sugar and toss to coat. Scatter the fruit over the crumb base then sprinkle with the reserved topping. Bake for 40 minutes, until the fruit is bubbly and the crumbs are golden.

Let the bars cool in the tray (you can do this in the fridge to speed things up), then cut into roughly 30 pieces. Store in the fridge – they will keep for 4–5 days.

SQUASH, KALE AND STILTON PIE
This recipe is from Riverford. It’s really tasty, it works just with a simple salad or add potatoes and greens. It’s a great way of eating a lot of good for you kale!

To serve 4 you’ll need:
For the cake
• 1 small (750g-800g) butternut squash, peeled & chopped into 1-2cm dice (Or use frozen)
• 1 large red onion, finely diced
• 2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary leaves
• 200g curly kale, washed, leaves stripped from their stalks
• 4 tbsp double cream
• 200g blue cheese, crumbled
• 2 ready-rolled puff pastry sheets
• 1 egg, lightly beaten



Method

Preheat your oven to 220˚C/gas 6.

Toss the squash in just enough oil to coat and season. Roast in a baking dish for approx 30 mins, or until just tender.

Fry the onion and rosemary in 3 tbsp oil on a low heat for 10 mins, stirring now and then, until softened. If it looks like catching at any point, add a splash of water.

Cook the kale in the pan of boiling water for 4 mins, until softened. Drain, refresh in cold water, then drain again and squeeze out any excess
moisture. Finely chop.

Mix the squash, onion, kale and double cream. Season and cool for 15 mins. Mix in the blue cheese.

Unroll the pastry sheets and cut into quarters. Lay 4 pieces on a lightly greased baking tray, score a 2cm border inside the edge of each and pile the veg within it. Dampen the pastry border with some water. Lay the other 4 pastry pieces over the top. Gently stretch to cover, pressing the edges down well to seal. Pull the edges up and over slightly to confirm the seal. Brush the top with beaten egg and bake for 25-30 mins, until crisp, puffed and golden.

Strawberry Santas

This is a great, fun and festive thing to do.
It doesn’t take very long and they are delicious!
My 7 year old nephew Alfie’s efforts are pictured!

You’ll need:
• Whipping cream
• Strawberries
• Chocolate chips
• Blueberries

Method
Slice the flat end of each strawberry so they can stand up on a plate. Slice the tip off each strawberry to make the hat; set aside.
Whip the cream in a bowl until soft peaks form.
Pipe some cream on the main part of each
strawberry then put hat on.
Next, pipe on a couple of buttons, a bobble on top of the hat and pop on some chocolate drops for eyes. To finish, cut a blueberry in half and position as Santa’s boots!

*or butter

Sweet Potato Dahl with coconut chutney

This is super delicious and feels so good for you. Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients, lots of them are herbs! If you don’t want to make the chutney then a mango chutney from a jar will work too.

Serves 4

Ingredients for the sweet potatoes
• 2 sweet potatoes, skins on, washed and roughly chopped into 1.5cm cubes
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• olive oil

Ingredients for the dahl
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• thumb-size piece of ginger, peeled & chopped
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 200g red lentils
• 1 × 400ml tin of coconut milk
• 400ml vegetable stock
• 2 large handfuls of spinach
• a bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• juice of 1 lemon

Ingredients for the coconut chutney
• 50g unsweetened desiccated coconut
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 10 curry leaves
• a little vegetable or coconut oil
• a 20g piece of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped


Method
Preheat your oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 7. Pour 150ml of boiling water over the coconut and leave to soak. Put your sweet potatoes on a roasting tray and add a good pinch of salt and pepper, the cumin and fennel seeds and a drizzle of olive oil. Roast in the oven for 20–25 minutes, until soft and sweet in the middle and crispy brown on the outside. In a large saucepan, sizzle the garlic, ginger, chilli and red onion in a little oil for about 10 minutes, until soft and sweet. Grind the cumin and coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar, then add to the pan with the other spices and cook for a couple of minutes to toast and release the oils. Add the lentils, coconut milk and stock to the pan and bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down and bubble away for 25–30 minutes.

While that is cooking make your chutney. Drain the coconut and put it into a bowl. Fry the mustard seeds and curry leaves in a little oil until they begin to crackle, then pour the mixture over the coconut. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the ginger and chilli and give it a good mix. To finish your dhal, take it off the heat, then stir in the spinach and allow it to wilt a little, stirring in half the chopped coriander and the lemon juice too. Pile into bowls and top with the crispy sweet potatoes, spoonfuls of the coconut chutney and the remaining coriander. I served this with a naan bread. If you are super hungry you could serve with basmati rice too.

Tomato and Coconut Cassoulet
This delicious recipe by the wonderful Anna Jones brings together sticky roasted tomatoes, soothing creamy coconut milk and sweet little white beans, topped with sourdough bread.


Ingredients for 2 servings
• 1 leek, washed, trimmed and roughly sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, deseeded & finely chopped (if you don’t like things too hot then use half a chilli)
• a 1cm thick piece of fresh ginger, the size of a 50p piece, peeled and roughly chopped
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 × 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons coconut milk
• 1 × 400g jar/tin haricot beans, drained
• 250g vine or cherry tomatoes, halved
• a bunch of fresh basil
• 2 slices of sourdough bread


Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6.

First heat an ovenproof pan on a medium heat and add a slosh of olive oil. Throw in the leeks, garlic, chilli and ginger and a pinch of salt and some pepper, then turn the heat down and cook for 10 minutes, until the leeks are soft and sweet. Next, add the tinned tomatoes, coconut milk and beans and simmer for a couple of minutes, then take off the heat. Check the seasoning, and add a little more salt and pepper if needed.

Scatter over the fresh tomatoes, followed by the basil, then tear the slices of bread into chunks and push them into the gaps between the tomatoes. You are looking for a covering of tomatoes and chunks of bread.

Drizzle the lot with olive oil and pop it into the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the tomatoes have shrunk and sweetened and the bread is crisp and golden. Allow to sit for a few minutes before piling on to plates with lemony green salad.