It is very rich and tasty and can be used as petits fours or as a biscuit to go with ice-cream. Remember that when melting butter or chocolate, don’t let it heat above room temperature.

Ingredients

• 300 g (10 oz) caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 225 g (8 oz) unsalted butter
• 75 g (3 oz) cocoa
• 75 g (3 oz) plain flour
• 225 g (8 oz) good quality plain chocolate
• 100 g (4 oz) hazel or pecan nuts, chopped
• 100 g (4 oz) white chocolate, cut into 1 cm (½ in) chunks

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180–200°C/350-400°F/gas 4–6 and lightly grease a 20 cm (8 in) tin.

Beat together the sugar and eggs, making sure the sugar has completely dissolved.

Melt the butter and whisk into the eggs.

Sieve together the cocoa and flour and add to the butter and egg mix.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of warm water, then stir in.

Add the chopped nuts and white chocolate.

Turn the mix into the prepared tin and bake in the pre-heated oven for 30–40 minutes. Leave to cool, then cut into wedges or squares.

This is posted in honour and as a tribute to the late great Gary Rhodes.
Thank you for your inspired cooking.

Ingredients

• 12 medium slices white bread
• 50 g (2 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 8 egg yolks
• 175 g (6 oz) caster sugar
• 1 vanilla pod or a few drops of vanilla essence
• 300 ml (10 fl oz) milk
• 300 ml (10 fl oz) double cream
• 25 g (1 oz) sultanas
• 25 g (1 oz) raisins

To finish

• caster sugar

Method

Grease a 1.75 litre (3 pint) pudding basin with butter.

Firstly, remove the crusts and butter the bread. Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar together in a bowl. Split the vanilla pod and place in a pan with the milk and cream. Bring the milk and cream to the simmer, then sieve on to the egg yolks, stirring all the time. You now have the custard.

Arrange the bread in layers in the prepared basin, sprinkling the sultanas and raisins in between layers. Finish with a final layer of bread without any fruit on top as this tends to burn. The warm egg mixture may now be poured over the bread and cooked straightaway, but I prefer to pour the custard over the pudding then leave it to soak into the bread for 20 minutes before cooking. This allows the bread to take on a new texture and have the flavours all the way through.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.

Once the bread has been soaked, place the dish in a roasting tray three-quarters filled with warm water and place in the pre-heated oven. Cook for about 20–30 minutes in the pre-heated oven until the pudding begins to set. Because we are using only egg yolks, the mixture cooks like a fresh custard and only thickens; it should not become too firm.

When ready, remove from the water bath, sprinkle liberally with caster sugar to cover, and glaze under the grill on medium heat. The sugar should dissolve and caramelize and you may find that the corners of the bread start to burn a little. This helps the flavours, though, giving a bittersweet taste, and certainly looks good. The bread and butter pudding is now ready to serve and when you take that first spoonful and place it into a bowl you will see the custard just seeping from the dish – it’s delicious!

Ingredients

[table]

qty,ingredients

50g,butter

100g,caster sugar

1, zest of orange

2,eggs separated

75g,sr flour

3tbl,marmalde thick ( can use thin ) cut

2, juice of orange – boiled and reduced by 2 thirds and cooled

600ml,milk

2tbl,marmalade to use for a glaze

[/table]

Method

1. Cream butter, sugar and orange zest

2.Stir in egg yolks then the flour

3. Add the marmalade , OJ and milk

4. Whisk egg whites to soft peaks.

5. Fold the whites into the mixture.

6.Spoon into a cooking bowl.

7. Place in a roasting tin and pour about 1cm deep boiling water

8.Bake at 190C for about 50 -55 mins

9.To glaze mix marmalade  with 3-4 tasp of warm water and brush over.

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 4oz/100g wholewheat flour
• 4oz/100g medium oatmeal
• 2oz/50g soft brown or caster sugar
• 1teaspoon baking powder or ½ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
• pinch of salt
• 4oz/100g butter or margarine
• 1-2 tablespoons milk

You will also need a lightly greased baking sheet and some cling film.

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4/350F/180C.
• Mix together all of the dry ingredients and rub in the butter to a breadcrumb texture. Now add enough milk to create a moist pastry consistency. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm the mix.
• This creates a reasonably delicate dough so it’s important to roll between the sheets of cling film with great care. When 3mm thick cut into 6-7cm discs re-rolling any trimmings.
• Place the discs on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake in the pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned and firm to the touch.
• Remove from the oven and leave to rest for five minutes before transferring onto a wire rack.

The digestives are now best kept in an airtight container and eaten within 2-3 days. However, once you have made them, it is very rare they last that long!