75g (3oz) margarine or butter
200ml (7fl oz) cold water
100g (4oz) plain flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
300ml (10fl oz) double cream
*Note: Small piping bag or similar required

For the sauce:
50g (2oz) caster sugar
175g (6oz) plain chocolate
200ml (7fl oz) cold water
1 teaspoon butter

1. Firstly preheat oven to 200C / 400C / gas 6.

2. Place the margarine or butter into a saucepan with the 200ml of cold water and bring to the boil.

3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and tip in all of the plain flour immediately, beat thoroughly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is nice and smooth. Gradually beat in the eggs.

4. Cover 3 baking trays with parchment paper.

5. Using a medium nozzle, pipe walnut-sized balls on to the trays until all the mixture is used up.

6. Bake in the oven on the middle shelf for 25-30 minutes until crisp. Make a  slit in the side of each profiterole to release the steam. Then leave to cool on a wire rack.

7. To make the chocolate sauce, put the sugar, chocolate and water into a saucepan, heat gently stirring until all ingredients are dissolved. Bring to the boil then simmer for around 10 – 15 minutes until a thick pouring consistency. Stir in the butter, remove from heat and leave to cool.

8. Whip the double cream until stiff and fill profiteroles either with a piping bag or a small spoon. Arrange the profiteroles on a serving dish and drizzle over half of the sauce. Serve the remaining sauce separately for those who wish to have more.

225g / 8oz self-raising flour, plus a little extra for dusting
55g / 2oz cold butter, cut into small cubes
Pinch of salt
25g / 1oz caster sugar
150ml / 5fl oz milk
500g / 1lb fresh clotted cream
1 jar of strawberry or raspberry jam (whichever you prefer)

1. Preheat your oven to 220C / 425F / Gas 7.

2. Line a medium sized baking tray with greaseproof paper (if you do not have any greaseproof paper just rub a thin layer of soft butter onto the tray ensuring it is well coated.

3. In a large bowl sift the salt and self-raising flour. Using your fingertips rub the cubes of butter into the flower until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

4. Add the sugar and milk to the bowl and lightly mix in until all ingredients are combined.

5. Lightly flour the work surface and place the scone mixture on to it. Flatten out the dough with your hand until it is about 1 inch thick. Using a 2 inch cookie cutter or fluted cutter, cut out 10-12 scones.

6. Place the scones on the baking tray and bake in the oven for around 12-15 minutes or until the scones are well risen and a nice golden brown colour. Remove from the oven and place onto a rack until cool.

7. Slice the scones in half when cooled then spoon some clotted cream on each scone, followed by a spoonful of jam. Or if you prefer serve the scones with the clotted cream and jam separately so people can add as much or as little jam and cream as they wish.

*If you like sultana scones just add one very good handful into the scone mixture just after stage 3 above.

250g/9oz ready-made sweet shortcrust pastry
jam of your choice
little butter for greasing

1. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F.

2. Grease a 12-16 hole tart mould with butter.

3. Roll out the shortcrust pastry onto a lightly floured work surface to a ¼in thickness. Using a cookie cutter, or an upturned cup, cut the rounds from the pastry so that are slightly bigger than the holes in the prepared tart tray, then press one round into each of the holes.

4. Spoon equal amounts of your preferred choice of jam into the centre of each pastry case. Then transfer the tarts to the oven and bake on the middle shelf for around 10-12 minutes, or until the pastry cases are a lovely golden-brown colour.

5. Remove the tarts from the oven and set aside on a wire rack to cool.

125g/4oz butter
55g/2oz caster sugar
180g/6oz plain flour
icing sugar (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375F / 190C.

2. In a large bowl beat the sugar and butter together until nice and smooth.

3. Stir in the plain flour until you get a smooth paste, then turn it out onto the work surface and gently roll out until the paste is around 1 cm thick.

4. You can either cut the shortbread into fingers or if you have any cookie cutters cut various shapes out. Place the shortbread onto a baking tray. Sprinkle lightly on top with icing sugar (optional), then chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.

5. Place the baking tray in the oven on the middle shelf for around 15-20 minutes or until the shortbread biscuits are pale golden brown in colour. Cool on a wire rack.

3 mashed bananas
115g butter
100g brown sugar
115ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 free-range eggs
175g wholemeal flour
100g wheat bran
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and grease a muffin tin or line with muffin cases.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until nice and soft. Add the bananas, milk, vanilla and eggs and mix well.

3. Combine the flour, bran, baking powder, baking soda and salt and blend into the banana mixture. Pour the mixture into the muffin tray or cases.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until firm and golden. Place on a wire rack to cool completely. Serve and enjoy.

175g (6oz) self-raising flour
5ml (1 level teaspoon) baking powder
175g (6oz) soft margarine
175g (6oz) caster sugar
3 medium sized eggs
5 level tablespoons of your chosen jam
caster sugar to dredge

1. Preheat the oven to 190C / 375F / Gas 5.

2. Grease and line two 7 inch base measurement sandwich tins.

3. Sift the baking powder and flour into a large bowl.

4. Add the margarine, eggs and sugar and beat well with a wooden spoon or electric whisk until nice and smooth.

5. Divide the cake mixture evenly between the two tins. Place in the oven on the middle shelf and bake for around 20 minutes until cakes are well risen, firm to the touch and lightly golden.

6. Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When cool, spread the jam onto one of the undersides of the cakes then sandwich them both together.

7. Dredge / sift a little caster sugar over the top of the cake.

*For an additional filling try adding some cream on top of the jam.

200g self raising flour
50g soft butter
50g soft margarine
4 large sweet eating apples
pinch of salt
10g caster sugar
1-2 tablespoons ice cold water
1 tablespoon of warmed marmalade (optional)
sliced almonds (optional)
*you will also need a mince pie baking tray (12 moulds)

1. To make the pastry sieve the flour, salt and sugar into a mixing bowl, add the butter and margarine. Using a round knife, ‘chop’ the butter and margarine into the flour, sugar, salt. When the fat is broken up, use the tips of your fingers to gently, rub the fat into the flour mix until it is a consistency of large breadcrumbs. Slowly, sprinkle the ice cold water into the mix and combine. Keep adding sprinkles of the water until you have a dough-like consistency and the mix moves round the bowl without sticking too much. Put the pastry into a plastic bag and put it in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat over to 150F.

3. Peel, core and chop the apples into sugar-cube size pieces and add to a small frying pan. Add about 1 tablespoon of water (add 1 ½ tablespoons of caster sugar if you are using cooking apples). Heat the pieces gently on a low heat for about 5 minutes and then turn off the heat and leave in the pan to cool.

4. Remove the ‘rested’ pastry from the fridge, remove from the bag and leave it on the side for 5 minutes so that it reaches room temperature. Take some margarine and lightly grease each of the moulds in the mince pie tin.

5. Take some flour and sprinkle on a flat work surface. Lightly sprinkle some granulated sugar over the flour for extra sweetness. Roll out the pastry taking care to flip it over after each rolling and while adding more flour to prevent sticking. Roll out the pastry to a thickness of about 3-4mm.

6. Using a cup that is about 1inch greater all round than the diameter of the mince pie tin moulds, cut out 12 circles. Place these in each mould, carefully pressing the sides down so that the edge of the pastry stands proud of each mould. Take a slightly smaller cup and cut another 12 circles.

7. Spoon a tablespoon of the apple mix into the individual moulds. Take the remaining 12 pastry circles and place over each of the moulds, squeezing the edges together with the edges of the filled moulds. Use a pastry brush and brush on some warm marmalade on the top of each pie and make two small holes in each pie to allow for any steam escaping while cooking. Sprinkle some sliced almonds on top (optional).

8. Place in the middle of the oven and cook for around 30 minutes, 150 F.

9. When the pies are a light golden brown colour, remove from the oven and place on a wire cooling tray or serve immediately with crème fresh /crème.

Note: You can also freeze the pies for about 2 months when cold or keep in an airtight container for about 3 days.

1 large ripe banana
200 ml milk
100 ml heavy cream
50 gm caster sugar
Note: Ice cream maker required for this recipe

1. Mash the banana in a food processor until smooth.

2. Mix in the milk, heavy cream and sugar.

3. Pour the mixture into ice-cream maker and freeze it according to the manufacturer’s instructions, about 20 minutes.

4. Once the ice cream has been formed in the ice cream maker, it would be quite soft in texture. Transfer to an air-tight plastic container and place in the freezer for several hours until the ice-cream is frozen. Or you might like to have it after freezing for an hour or so.

300g plain flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
200g soft brown sugar
4 eggs
250ml extra virgin olive oil
1 orange, zested
1 lemon, zested
200g carrots – finely grated
150g chopped walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting
125g unsalted butter
50g icing sugar
250g cream cheese
*The frosting quantities above will make the frosting around 2cm in thickness. If you prefer less just half the quantity.

1. Preheat your oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2.

2. Line a 20cm, 8″ deep cake tin with greaseproof paper.

3. Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together and stir in the sugar.

4. Mix the eggs well with the oil and citrus zests. Stir in the carrots and fold everything into the flour mixture. Stir in the chopped walnuts.

5. Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for around 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool.

6. For the frosting beat the butter and icing sugar together until nice and soft and then mix in the cream cheese. Chill the mixture until it’s reasonably thick. Spread a thick layer on top of the cake and decorate with additional walnuts should you wish.

568ml pot double cream
250g tub mascarpone
75ml Marsala
5 tbsp golden caster sugar
300ml strong coffee, made with 2 tbsp coffee granules and 300ml boiling water
175g pack sponge fingers
25g chunk dark chocolate
2 tsp cocoa powder

1. Place the cream, mascarpone, Marsala and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk until the cream and mascarpone have completely combined and have the consistency of thickly whipped cream.

2. Put the coffee into a shallow dish and dip in a few sponge fingers at a time, turning for a few seconds until they are nicely soaked, but not soggy. Layer these into your dish until you have used half the biscuits, then spread over half of the creamy mixture.

3. Using the coarse side of the grater, grate over most of the chocolate. Then repeat the layers (you should use up all the coffee), finishing with the creamy layer.

4. Cover and chill for a few hours. This can now be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days. To serve, dust with cocoa powder and grate over the remainder of the chocolate.