RICOTTA TART

Unlike most pastries where you rub the butter into the flour, the pastry for this tart is made by beating the butter, sugar and water together then adding the flour – which is a little easier. Once the pastry has rested all you have to do is combine the filling ingredients and your tart is done. Except that is for arranging the strips in a lattice pattern over the top, perhaps the fiddliest bit, but well worth it for how terrific it looks when cooked.

CHOCOLATE CHIFFON PIE

Wow – this recipe takes me back to 70s dinner parties when Brandy Alexander Pies, Grasshopper Pies and these Chocolate Chiffon Pies were all really popular. None of them were particularly hard to make and could be made in advance, so except for plating up there was nothing to do out in the kitchen while the guests were at the table. The work was done and you could enjoy yourself……

DOUBLE CRUST APPLE AND HONEY PECAN PIE

This recipe comes from the back of a pack of Puff Pastry sheets. Of course you can make your own pastry, but really who has time for that, especially when the bought product is so good. Which leaves the biggest job to be the peeling, coring and slicing of the apples. Definitely worth the effort if you end up with a great pie like the one in the picture.

CHRISTMAS TOASTED NUT CASSATA

I’ve been searching through the recipes this year looking for an interesting alternative to a plum pudding for Christmas Day. I’ve discovered that there’s lots and lots of alternatives including this Toasted Nut Cassata, which has fruits, nuts and brandy – all the good ingredients of a Christmas pudding. Haven’t decided yet if I’ll go with it, but it’s definitely a contender.

LEMON TART WITH CUSTARD COCONUT TOPPING

Yes, this is a lemon tart, but it’s a lemon tart with a difference. The difference being the custard and coconut topping. It’s easy enough to make as per the recipe, but if you want to make it even easier you can use lemon curd from a jar and cut out one of the steps. As the recipe says, enjoy!

RUM ‘N’ RAISIN MOUSSE – Gluten Free

I often make chocolate mousse using Toblerone chocolate, so I really like the idea of using a block of rum and raisin chocolate to make this recipe. Unlike the Toblerone version this one has a little melted butter in it, but otherwise it’s pretty much the same and as long as you check the chocolate, it’s gluten free.