Sticky Toffee Pudding

TIER 1

Sticky Toffee Pudding

This is a true British classic, with a bit of a Matt Adlard twist. A soft date sponge, swimming in a butterscotch sauce but elevated with an oat crumble for texture and a tangy crème fraiche chantilly to cut through the sweetness. The secret is a little bit of soy sauce in the butterscotch sauce, which sounds crazy, but it brings an amazing salty, umami which tones down the sweetness and really helps to balance the whole dish. And if you’re really speedy you’ll be done in under an hour!

4
INDIVIDUAL PUDDINGS

Ingredients

Makes 4 individual puddings

Date Sponge
130g Dates, Chopped
105g Water
55g Unsalted Butter, Soft
80g Dark Muscovado Sugar
70g Whole Egg
15g Black Treacle
105g Self-Raising Flour
4g Bicarbonate of Soda
Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt

Butterscotch Sauce
150g Light Brown Sugar
40g Unsalted Butter
200g Double Cream, Divided
30g Black Treacle
2-4 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
Pinch Flaked Sea Salt

Soft Oat Crumble
70g Rolled Oats
50g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
45g Dark Brown Sugar
15g Malt Powder (Ovaltine)
Pinch of Cinnamon
Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt
60g Unsalted Butter, Melted

Crème Fraîche Chantilly
250g Double/Heavy Cream
50g Creme Fraiche
½ Fresh Vanilla Pod (Optional)

Special equipment

4 pudding molds
Stand mixer

Method

Date Sponge

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/390F non-fan assisted (185C/365F fan-assisted). Lightly grease the pudding molds with soft butter and then tip in a tablespoon of flour. Shake it around the edges to coat and then tip out the excess. 

2. Into a small saucepan, add the chopped dates and water. Cook them down over a medium low heat until they have softened. Remove it from the heat to cool for 10 minutes. There should still be a tiny bit of liquid in the pan. As it cools, this will continue to thicken, forming a nice date paste. 

    • 130g Dates, Chopped
    • 105g Water

3. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the soft butter and sugar. Beat this for 1-2 minutes on a medium speed, until smooth and slightly paler. You can also do this with a rubber spatula if you don’t have a mixer.

    • 55g Unsalted Butter, Soft
    • 80g Dark Muscovado Sugar

4. Add in the egg, and black treacle and beat again. It won’t mix very well but that’s fine.

    • 70g Whole Egg
    • 15g Black Treacle

5. Sift together the flour and bicarbonate of soda, and then add this into the bowl. Mix again until the flour has just been incorporated.

    • 105g Self-Raising Flour
    • 4g Bicarbonate of Soda
    • Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt

6. Remove the bowl from the mixer and finally stir in the cooled date paste.

7. Scoop 100g of mixture into each greased mold.

8. Place the cakes in the centre of the oven for 20-25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. While this is baking, prepare the soft oat crumble.

9. Once baked, remove them from the oven and flip them onto a wire cooling rack. The pudding can be served warm straight away, or cooled, wrapped in clingfilm and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. If it doesn’t flip right out, run a knife gently around the edge of the mold to release it. 

10. To reheat, place the pudding on a baking tray and warm in a 140C oven for 5 minutes, or until heated through.

Soft Oat Crumble

1. Into a medium bowl, add all of the dry ingredients and stir to combine. 

    • 70g Rolled Oats
    • 50g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
    • 45g Dark Brown Sugar
    • 15g Malt Powder (Ovaltine)
    • Pinch of Cinnamon
    • Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt

2. Pour in the melted butter and stir to combine. Tip the mixture onto a lined baking tray.

    • 60g Unsalted Butter, Melted

3. Bake in the oven on the bottom shelf for the final 8 minutes of the date sponges baking time. Remove the tray from the oven and allow it to cool. 

Butterscotch Sauce

1. Into a medium saucepan, add the sugar, butter and half of the cream. Cook it over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar has completely melted.

    • 150g Light Brown Sugar
    • 40g Unsalted Butter
    • 100g Double Cream

2. Add in the treacle and continue to cook until it has thickened enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 1-2 minutes. 

    • 30g Black Treacle

3. Remove it from the heat and add a big pinch of flaked salt, and the remaining cold cream. Stir to combine.

    • Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt
    • 100g Double/Heavy Cream

4. Finally add in the soy sauce. Start with about 1 tbsp and taste. If you find the sauce is too sweet, add more soy sauce, ½ tbsp at a time until you get your preferred balance of sweetness. 

    • 2-4 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

5. Add the warm sauce into a serving jug.

Assembly

1. Into a medium bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the chantilly into a bowl. Whisk it to a medium stiff peak. A slightly thicker texture is ideal as this will make it easier to rocher with  a warm spoon. Note – this cream has no sugar added as the rest of the dessert is sweet, but you can add a small amount if you prefer. 

    • 250g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 50g Creme Fraiche
    • ½ Fresh Vanilla Pod (Optional)

2. Lift the warmed sponges onto a tray and dip a pastry brush into the butterscotch sauce. Paint the sauce over the sponge and then use a palette knife to lift it onto your serving plate.

3. Add a tablespoon of the crumble on to the top of the sponge.

4. Then use a rocher spoon to add a big spoonful of chantilly on top of the crumble. 

5. Finally, serve by pouring warm butterscotch sauce all over the dessert. 

Shop the Equipment

by Matt Adlard

Date & Malted Vanilla Tart

TIER 2

Date & Malted Vanilla Tart

Inspired by the amazing Tarts Anon bakery in Australia, this has a sweet pastry case, date sponge, butterscotch sauce and is topped with a malted vanilla cream. Really all the elements of a sticky toffee pudding, but in a tart! The piping is really elegant, giving the tart a professional finish, and the texture of the crispy pastry with the soft, butterscotch soaked sponge is a great combination.

1
9-INCH TART

Ingredients

Makes 1 9-inch tart

Malted Vanilla Cream
7g Powdered Gelatin, 250 Bloom
42g Cold Water
35g Malt Powder (Ovaltine)
1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
15g Caster/White Sugar
600g Double/Heavy Cream, Divided
Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt

Pâte Sucrée
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
70g Icing/Powdered Sugar
50g Egg Yolks
200g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt

Egg Wash
20g Egg Yolk
5g Double/Heavy Cream

Date Sponge
130g Dates, Chopped
105g Water
55g Unsalted Butter, Soft
80g Dark Muscovado Sugar
70g Whole Egg
15g Black Treacle
105g Self-Raising Flour
4g Bicarbonate of Soda
Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt

Butterscotch Sauce
75g Light Brown Sugar
20g Unsalted Butter
100g Double Cream, Divided
15g Black Treacle
1-2 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
Pinch Flaked Sea Salt

Special equipment

Hand blender
Stand mixer
9-inch fluted tart ring
Baking beans
Piping bag
Large round tip nozzle

Method

Malted Vanilla Cream

1. Add the powdered gelatin into a small dish along with the cold water. Stir to combine and then set to one side to bloom for 10 minutes. If using leaf gelatin, simply soak the sheets in a bowl of ice water. 

    • 7g Powdered Gelatin 250 Bloom (or 2.5 sheets of any grade of gelatin leaf) 
    • 42g Cold Water

2. Into a small saucepan, add 300g of the cream, the malt powder, beans scraped from a fresh vanilla pod and the sugar. Place this onto a medium low heat, whisking to combine until the mixture is steaming. If the malt powder goes a bit lumpy that’s fine as we will blend it. 

    • 420g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 35g Malt Powder (Ovaltine)
    • 1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
    • 15g Caster/White Sugar

3. Remove the mixture from the heat and scoop in the bloomed gelatin powder. Stir this until it has completely dissolved.

4. Pour the mixture into a tall jug and add the remaining cold cream and blend with a hand blender until smooth. Stir in a pinch of flaked sea salt.

    • 180g Double/Heavy Cream
    • Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt

5. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and cover the surface with clingfilm. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours or ideally overnight. If you want to chill it faster, pour the mixture onto a large baking tray and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. 

Pâte Sucrée

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter & icing sugar. With a paddle attachment, beat on a medium low speed until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. 

    • 100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
    • 70g Icing/Powdered Sugar

2. Add in the egg yolks and beat again until smooth. Scrape down the sides a few times to ensure the egg yolks are completely incorporated. 

    • 50g Egg Yolks

3. Sift in the flour and fine sea salt. Scrape the bottom of a bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure nothing is stuck, then mix on a low speed until it pulls together into a rough dough. 

    • 200g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
    • Pinch of Fine Sea Salt

4. Lift the dough onto your work surface and shape it into a rough disc. Wrap it tightly in clingfilm and refrigerate it for an hour (or overnight is good too).

5. Remove the pastry from the fridge and leave it at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly so it is malleable.

6. Flour it generously and then use a rolling pin to roll it into an even disc, roughly 3-5mm thick. Lift the dough carefully into a 22.5cm fluted tart ring. 

If you find this is quite challenging or the pastry is cracking, roll it back up into a ball and place the dough between two silicon mats or pieces of parchment paper, then roll it into a disc. This is a safer technique to roll the dough without it splitting. You just need to chill the sheet of dough in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes, and then leave it at room temperature for 1-2 minutes until it is pliable, and then lift it into your tart shell. 

6. Lightly flour your fingertips and press the dough firmly into the base and sides of the tin. Leave a small amount of pastry extending above the top edge of the tin. Fold this excess pastry back over itself and gently press it together to create a slightly thicker rim around the top. This extra thickness helps support the pastry and prevents the sides shrinking down during baking. Place the tart shell back into the freezer to chill for 15 minutes. 

7. Preheat the oven to 175C/345F non-fan assisted (160C/320F fan-assisted). 

8. Scrunch up a piece of baking paper and press this into the chilled tart shell. Fill the tart shell with baking beans or rice and then place it on a tray and straight into the oven to bake.

9. Bake the tart for 30 minutes, then remove the baking beans, and continue to bake for a further 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is an even golden brown colour.

10. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes, and then brush on the egg wash. Place it back into the oven, lowering the temperature to 145C/295F non-fan assisted. Bake until the tart shell is a deep golden brown colour, about another 10-12 minutes. 

11. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes. 

Date Sponge

1. Increase the oven to 175C/345F non-fan assisted (160C/320F fan-assisted).

2. Into a small saucepan, add the chopped dates and water. Cook them down over a medium low heat until they have softened. Remove it from the heat to cool for 10 minutes. There should still be a tiny bit of liquid in the pan. As it cools, this will continue to thicken, forming a nice date paste. 

    • 130g Dates, Chopped
    • 105g Water

3. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the soft butter and sugar. Beat this for 1-2 minutes on a medium speed, until smooth and slightly paler. You can also do this with a rubber spatula if you don’t have a mixer.

    • 55g Unsalted Butter, Soft
    • 80g Dark Muscovado Sugar

4. Add in the egg, and black treacle and beat again. It won’t mix very well but that’s fine.

    • 70g Whole Egg
    • 15g Black Treacle

5. Sift together the flour and bicarbonate of soda, and then add this into the bowl. Mix again until the flour has just been incorporated.

    • 105g Self-Raising Flour
    • 4g Bicarbonate of Soda
    • Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt

6. Remove the bowl from the mixer and finally stir in the cooled date paste.

7. Pour the entire mixture into the cooled tart shell, and use a palette knife to smooth it out very evenly. The batter doesn’t ‘settle’ in the oven so it needs to be flat at this point.

8. Place the tart into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. The sponge should feel springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.

Butterscotch Sauce

1. As it is baking, prepare the sauce. Into a medium saucepan, add the sugar, butter and half of the cream. Cook it over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar has completely melted.

    • 75g Light Brown Sugar
    • 20g Unsalted Butter
    • 50g Double/Heavy Cream

2. Add in the treacle and continue to cook until it has thickened enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 1-2 minutes. 

    • 15g Black Treacle

3. Remove it from the heat and add a big pinch of flaked salt, and the remaining cold cream. Stir to combine.

    • Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt
    • 50g Double/Heavy Cream

4. Finally add in the soy sauce. Start with about 1 tbsp and taste. If you find the sauce is too sweet, add more soy sauce, ½ tbsp at a time until you get your preferred balance of sweetness. 

    • 1-2 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

5. Once the tart has baked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool slightly for 5 minutes. Then use a skewer to poke holes all over the top.

6. Pour about ½ of the butterscotch sauce all over the tart and spread it out with the back of a spoon so it soaks into the entire sponge. Add a little more sauce if needed.

7. Allow the tart to cool completely. To speed this up, you can place it into the fridge for 30 minutes.

Assembly

1. Remove the malted vanilla cream from the fridge and add it into a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or a large bowl if you’re using an electric hand whisk). Add a large round tip nozzle to a piping bag.

2. Whisk the cream until it reaches a medium stiff peak.

3. Add the cream into the piping bag and snip off the end.

4. Take the cooled tart and place it on a rotating cake stand if you have one.

5. Pipe a small bulb of cream onto the outer edge of the tart. Move the nozzle slightly forwards, then release the pressure on the back (not piping any more cream) and gently drag it down and away to create a tapered/tail finish. Repeat this all the way around the edge of the tart.

6. For the next row, pipe each bulb into the gap between the piped shapes in the row below, repeating the same drag-and-flick motion. Continue working in rows towards the centre of the tart until the surface is covered.

7. The tart can be served immediately but you will get cleaner slices if you pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes to set the cream slightly. Once you have sliced it, let it come to room temperature slightly before eating. 

Shop the Equipment

by Matt Adlard

Hazelnut & ‘Nutella’ Gelato

TIER 1

Hazelnut & ‘Nutella’ Gelato

For Tier 1 we focus on the two base ingredients that gear us up for Tier 2 – a rich hazelnut gelato and a homemade Nutella-style spread, also known as pâte à tartiner. The gelato gets its deep, roasted hazelnut flavour from 100% pure hazelnut paste. Once churned, we layer it with swirls of pâte à tartiner which sets into delicious little chocolate-hazelnut chunks that melt in your mouth with every bite. The recipe makes far more pâte à tartiner than you’ll need for the gelato, but keep the leftovers in the cupboard and spread it on toast. Once you’ve tried it, it won’t last long!

1kg
GELATO (approx)

Ingredients

Makes 1 tub gelato (approx 1kg)

Hazelnut Gelato
260g Whole Milk
320g Water
65g Skimmed Milk Powder
85g Liquid Glucose
20g Invert Sugar (Trimoline)
75g Dextrose
20g Egg Yolk
2.2g Ice Cream Stabiliser
45g Caster/White Sugar
105g 100% Pure Hazelnut Paste

Pâte à Tartiner
475g Roasted Hazelnuts
200g Icing/Powdered Sugar
100g Full Fat Milk Powder
50g Cocoa Powder
120g Milk Chocolate (33% Cocoa Solids)
55g Pure 100% Hazelnut Paste
Pinch of Flakey Sea Salt

Special equipment

Digital thermometer
Hand blender
Food processor
Ice cream maker
Piping bag (optional)

Method

Hazelnut Gelato

1. Into a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and ice cream stabiliser. This is important to prevent it from creating lumps when it is added to the mixture. For the ice cream stabiliser you can use a pre-made blend readily available online or another option such as Locust Bean Gum. 

  • 2.2g Ice Cream Stabiliser
  • 45g Caster/White Sugar

2. Into a medium saucepan, add the milk, water, skimmed milk powder, dextrose, liquid glucose, trimoline and skimmed milk powder. 

  • 260g Whole Milk
  • 320g Water
  • 65g Skimmed Milk Powder
  • 85g Liquid Glucose
  • 20g Invert Sugar (Trimoline)
  • 75g Dextrose

*If you do not have access to trimoline, just adjust the sugars to the following ratios:

  • 53g Caster/ White Sugar (mixed with the stabiliser)
  • 95g Liquid Glucose
  • 85g Dextrose

3. Heat the mixture, whisking, until it reaches 45C/113F. Then, add in the sugar/stabiliser mixture and the egg yolk.

  • 20g Egg Yolk

4. Continue whisking until the mixture reaches 85C/185F on a digital thermometer.

5. Remove it from the heat and pour it into a tall jug, and add the pure hazelnut paste.

  • 105g 100% Pure Hazelnut Paste

6. Blend the mixture for 1 minute with a hand blender.

7. Pour the mixture into a bowl and then place this into a larger bowl of ice water. We want to cool this mixture as quickly as possible. Stir it occasionally for about 20 minutes then cover the surface with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight. 

Pâte à Tartiner

Note – this will make enough for about 3 jars!

1. Into a food processor, add the roasted hazelnuts, icing/powdered sugar, cocoa powder and milk powder. Blend the mixture for around a minute, scraping down if needed, until it forms a thick, peanut butter-like consistency. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes.

  • 475g Roasted Hazelnuts
  • 200g Icing/Powdered Sugar
  • 100g Full Fat Milk Powder
  • 50g Cocoa Powder 

2. Melt the milk chocolate and pure hazelnut paste and pour this into the food processor. Blend again for 30 seconds – 1 minute, until you are happy with the texture. Finally, stir through a pinch of flakey sea salt. 

  • 120g Milk Chocolate (33% Cocoa Solids)
  • 55g Pure 100% Hazelnut Paste
  • Pinch of Flakey Salt

3. Transfer the mixture to airtight jars. This can be stored at room temperature for 2-4 weeks or in the fridge for 1-2 months. 

Assembly

1. Once the gelato base has matured, blend it one more time with a hand blender for 30 seconds, and pour it into your pre-chilled ice cream/gelato maker. Follow the machine’s instructions but it should take around 30 minutes for it to churn depending on the model. More expensive models with built in chillers will churn it in about 15-20 minutes. Mine is usually ready at a ‘draw’ temperature (the temperature you take it out of the machine) at about -11C/12.2F if you want to check it.

2. Once it has churned, work quickly to scoop it out of the machine and layer it into an ice cream tub, swirling through some of the pâte à tartiner as you go. I find adding it into a piping bag is a good way to drizzle it in. You just need to make sure the pâte à tartiner isn’t too liquid, ideally it is a soft, pipeable texture.

3. Place the container into the freezer for 3-4 hours and then serve. This is ideally kept at around -18C/-0.4F for a texture that is scoopable directly from the freezer so check the temperature of your freezer. If it is slightly colder it might just need a few minutes to warm up before scooping it. It is best eaten on the same day as the texture deteriorates slightly the longer you leave it. 

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by Matt Adlard

Hazelnut Sundae Cone

TIER 2

Hazelnut Sundae Cone

If you’ve ever had a Cornetto, you’ll instantly recognise the inspiration behind this dessert! My goal was to recreate the famous European ice cream, and I surprised myself with just how well it turned out. For Tier 2 we fill a (shop bought) cone with pâte à tartiner and hazelnut gelato, then top it with white chocolate cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. The recipe itself is quite straightforward, it’s just the assembly that requires a little extra focus!

6-8
CONES

Ingredients

Makes 6-8 cones

Hazelnut Gelato
260g Whole Milk
320g Water
65g Skimmed Milk Powder
85g Liquid Glucose
20g Invert Sugar (Trimoline)
75g Dextrose
20g Egg Yolk
2.2g Ice Cream Stabiliser
45g Caster/White Sugar
105g 100% Pure Hazelnut Paste

Pâte à Tartiner
475g Roasted Hazelnuts
200g Icing/Powdered Sugar
100g Full Fat Milk Powder
50g Cocoa Powder
120g Milk Chocolate (33% Cocoa Solids)
55g Pure 100% Hazelnut Paste
Pinch of Flakey Sea Salt

White Chocolate Cream
3g Powdered Gelatin (250 Bloom) + 18g Cold Water (or 1 Gelatin Leaf, Soaked)
300g Double Heavy Cream
65g White Chocolate, Chopped

Chocolate Sauce
50g Cocoa Powder
10g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
95g Caster/White Sugar
Pinch of Flakey Salt
300g Whole Milk
25g Unsalted Butter 

8 Ice Cream Cones
Chopped Roasted Hazelnuts To Decorate

Special equipment

Digital thermometer
Hand blender
Food processor
Ice cream machine
Acetate/parchment paper
Stand mixer
1B piping nozzle
Piping bag
Syringe (optional)

Method

Hazelnut Gelato

1. Into a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and ice cream stabiliser. This is important to prevent it from creating lumps when it is added to the mixture. For the ice cream stabiliser you can use a pre-made blend readily available online or another option such as Locust Bean Gum. 

  • 2.2g Ice Cream Stabiliser
  • 45g Caster/White Sugar

2. Into a medium saucepan, add the milk, water, skimmed milk powder, dextrose, liquid glucose, trimoline and skimmed milk powder. 

  • 260g Whole Milk
  • 320g Water
  • 65g Skimmed Milk Powder
  • 85g Liquid Glucose
  • 20g Invert Sugar (Trimoline)
  • 75g Dextrose

*If you do not have access to trimoline, just adjust the sugars to the following ratios:

  • 53g Caster/ White Sugar (mixed with the stabiliser)
  • 95g Liquid Glucose
  • 85g Dextrose

3. Heat the mixture, whisking, until it reaches 45C/113F. Then, add in the sugar/stabiliser mixture and the egg yolk.

  • 20g Egg Yolk

4. Continue whisking until the mixture reaches 85C/185F on a digital thermometer.

5. Remove it from the heat and pour it into a tall jug, and add the pure hazelnut paste.

  • 105g 100% Pure Hazelnut Paste

6. Blend the mixture for 1 minute with a hand blender.

7. Pour the mixture into a bowl and then place this into a larger bowl of ice water. We want to cool this mixture as quickly as possible. Stir it occasionally for about 20 minutes then cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate overnight. 

Pâte à Tartiner

Note – this will make enough for about 3 jars!

1. Into a food processor, add the roasted hazelnuts, icing/powdered sugar, cocoa powder and milk powder. Blend the mixture for around a minute, scraping down if needed, until it forms a thick, peanut butter-like consistency. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes.

  • 475g Roasted Hazelnuts
  • 200g Icing/Powdered Sugar
  • 100g Full Fat Milk Powder
  • 50g Cocoa Powder 

2. Melt the milk chocolate and pure hazelnut paste and pour this into the food processor. Blend again for 30 seconds – 1 minute, until you are happy with the texture. Finally, stir through a pinch of flakey sea salt. 

  • 120g Milk Chocolate (33% Cocoa Solids)
  • 55g Pure 100% Hazelnut Paste
  • Pinch of Flakey Salt

3. Transfer the mixture to airtight jars. This can be stored at room temperature for 2-4 weeks or in the fridge for 1-2 months. 

White Chocolate Cream

1. Into a small bowl, add the powdered gelatin and cold water. Stir to combine, then set aside for 10 minutes to bloom. If you are using sheet gelatin, just soak it in a bowl of cold water. 

  • 3g Powdered Gelatin (250 Bloom) + 18g Cold Water (or 1 Gelatin Leaf, Soaked)

2. Into a tall jug, add the chopped white chocolate and set aside. 

  • 65g White Chocolate, Chopped

3. Pour the cream into a small saucepan, and place it onto a medium heat. Stir occasionally until it is steaming. 

  • 300g Double/Heavy Cream

4. Remove it from the heat, and pour it over the white chocolate. Scoop the bloomed gelatin on top and let it sit for 2 minutes. Then blend until smooth with a hand blender.

5. Cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate overnight. Alternatively, pour it into a baking tray and chill for 3-4 hours. 

Chocolate Sauce

This will make more than you need, but I like to portion it up, store it in sandwich bags and keep it in the freezer!

1. Into a small bowl, add the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. 

  • 50g Cocoa Powder
  • 10g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
  • 95g Caster/White Sugar
  • Pinch of Flakey Salt

2. Add the milk and butter into a saucepan and place it over a medium heat. 

  • 300g Whole Milk
  • 25g Unsalted Butter

3. Once it is steaming and the butter has melted, tip in the dry ingredients and whisk constantly for around 4-5 minutes, until it is a thick consistency that coats the back of a spoon.

4. Remove it from the heat and pass it through a sieve into a clean bowl.

5. Cover the surface with cling film and leave at room temperature or refrigerate until needed. 

Assembly

1. Wrap the outside of each ice cream cone tightly with a strip of acetate or parchment paper, extending above the rim to create a collar. Secure it firmly with tape, then stand the cone upright in a tray of rice or an ice cream cone holder to keep it stable.

2. Use a teaspoon to add a small amount of pâte à tartiner into the base of each cone.

3. Once the gelato base has matured, blend it one more time with a hand blender for 30 seconds, and pour it into your pre-chilled ice cream/gelato maker. Follow the machine’s instructions but it should take around 30 minutes for it to churn depending on the model. More expensive models with built in chillers will churn it in about 15-20 minutes. Mine is usually ready at a ‘draw’ temperature (the temperature you take it out of the machine) at about -11C/12.2F if you want to check it.

4. Working quickly, scoop the gelato straight into the ice cream cone, filling it, so that is level with the rim of the cone. Place it straight into the freezer for 1 hour. Try to set your freezer as cold as possible (around -24C/–11F). We need the gelato to set quite firm so that we can peel off the acetate cleanly. It is important that your gelato isn’t too soft/”melty” as it goes into the cone otherwise it will drip around the edges of the acetate and soak your cone. So if it feels too soft, scoop it into a container first and then freeze it for an hour and then scoop it into your cones.

5. Remove the chilled white chocolate cream from the fridge and add it into a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on a medium speed until it holds a medium soft peak. Try not to over whip it, as you want the cream to be nice and soft so it ruffles nicely on top of the cone. 

6. Add it into a piping bag fitted with a 1B nozzle. 

7. Remove the cones from the freezer and holding the piping bag vertically just above the gelato, squeeze firmly, slowly pulling the back up, to create a ripple effect.

8. Take some of the chocolate sauce and pipe it into the gaps in between each ruffle. I find a little syringe is great for this. Sprinkle on some chopped roasted hazelnuts.

9. Place the cones back in the freezer until the gelato and cream feel firm and the acetate can be cleanly peeled away.

10. Remove them from the freezer and allow them to warm up for a few minutes at room temperature and then serve. 

Shop the Equipment

by Matt Adlard

Vanilla Parfait

TIER 1

Vanilla Parfait

In Tier 1 we tackle the perfect base recipe that you can really take in any direction. I walk you through how to elevate it with toasted milk powder puffed rice to bring some crunch, and a bright raspberry consommé (sounds fancier than it is!).

6
INDIVIDUAL PARFAITS

Ingredients

Makes 6 individual parfaits

Vanilla Parfait
80g Egg Yolks
85g Caster Sugar
25g Water
15g Honey
300g Double/Heavy Cream
1 Vanilla Pod
Pinch of Flaked Salt

Raspberry Consomme
300g Frozen Raspberries
30g Caster/White Sugar

Raspberry Gel
Raspberry Consomme (Above)
1% Agar Agar Powder

Toasted Milk Powder Puffed Rice
25g Rice Krispies
10g Skimmed Milk Powder (to make 5g toasted milk powder)
35g White Chocolate
10g Unsalted Butter
Pinch of Flakey Salt

Raspberry Powder To Dust

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Digital thermometer
Silicon disc mold
Small blender
Piping bag

Method

Vanilla Parfait

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg yolks and whisk on a medium speed.

    • 80g Egg Yolks

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, add the water, honey and sugar. Place this onto a medium heat.

    • 85g Caster Sugar
    • 25g Water
    • 15g Honey 

3. Continue to cook the sugar mixture until it reaches 118C/244F. Remove it from the heat and immediately slowly pour it over the whisking egg yolk mixture. Be careful not to pour the mixture directly onto the whisk or it will splatter. Whisk for 5 minutes on a medium high speed or until the mixture is thick, pale and holds a ribbon. Remove the bowl from the mixer and set it aside.

4. Add the cream, a pinch of flaked salt and beans scraped from a fresh vanilla pod (or 1 tsp of vanilla bean paste) to a medium bowl and whisk by hand until it forms a medium soft peak.

    • 300g Double Cream
    • 1 Vanilla Pod
    • Pinch of Flaked Salt

5. Whisk the cream into the egg yolk base in two parts (it is actually slightly easier to whisk than fold with a spatula like I said in the video!). You should end up with a nice smooth mixture.

6. Pour the mixture evenly across a silicon disc mold and freeze for 4 hours or overnight. 

Raspberry Consomme 

1. Into a medium bowl, add the raspberries and sugar. Stir them together then cover the bowl tightly with clingfilm.

    • 300g Frozen Raspberries
    • 30g Caster/White Sugar

2. Place the bowl over a pan of very gently simmering water and allow it to cook for 45 minutes. By this point it should have released a deep red syrup.

3. Pass the mixture through a sieve. Split it in half, reserving one half for the gel. Keep the remainder in a jug in the fridge. 

Raspberry Gel

1. Weigh half of the raspberry consomme, it will be roughly 70g. Take that weight and weigh 1% of agar agar powder (0.7g).

2. Add the consomme and agar agar powder to a small saucepan and bring it to the boil for 1 minute. 

3. Remove it from the heat and transfer it to a container and refrigerate until needed. *Note you will need a very small blender to blend this mixture as it is such a small quantity. If not, you can simply replace this with some raspberry jam! 

Toasted Milk Powder Puffed Rice 

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F.

2. Onto a baking tray, add the rice krispies to one side and bake for 4 minutes.

    • 25g Rice Krispies

3. Remove the tray from the oven and add the skimmed milk powder to the other side.

    • 10g Skimmed Milk Powder

4. Bake for a further 6-7 minutes, stirring the milk powder occasionally until it is a golden brown colour. Be careful not to burn it.

5. Remove the tray from the heat and allow them to cool for 15 minutes.

6. Into a medium bowl, add the white chocolate and butter. Melt it over a pan of gently simmering water.

    • 35g White Chocolate
    • 10g Unsalted Butter

7. Remove it from the heat and add in the rice krispies, then sift in 5g of the toasted milk powder.

8. Stir it together and tip it onto a tray lined with baking paper. Add a good pinch of flaked sea salt over the top – very important!

9. The mixture should be ‘sticky’ enough that the krispies are clumping together. 

10. Place it into the fridge for 15-30 minutes to set, then break it into clusters and keep it in the fridge until ready to use. 

Assembly

1. Remove the raspberry gel from the fridge and add it into a small blender – it is a very small amount so you need a small blender like a spice grinder. Blend the mixture until it is a smooth pipeable texture. Add it into a piping bag and snip a small hole off the end.

2. Decorate the outside of each plate with a dusting of raspberry powder. I like to place a lid on the plate, then dust around that before lifting it up to create a nice stencil.

3. Remove the parfait from the freezer and place it in the centre.

4. Pipe the raspberry gel over the top of the parfait and finish with a few clusters of the puffed rice.

5. These are best after sitting at room temperature for about 5 minutes to soften slightly but just be aware they will melt around the edges just slightly.

6. To serve, pour the raspberry consomme over the top. 

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by Matt Adlard

Coffee Parfait

TIER 2

Coffee Parfait

Taking the same recipe as Tier 1, we just replace water for espresso in the sugar syrup. The coffee brings a slightly more bitter flavour which complements the sweeter profile of the parfait really well. The star of the show is the dehydrated chocolate mousse. Think crunchy meringue shards, but made with a rich chocolate mousse. Finally it’s served with an almond cocoa crumble and a cold chocolate sauce.

6
INDIVIDUAL PARFAITS

Ingredients

Makes 6 individuals parfaits

Coffee Parfait
300g Double Cream
80g Egg Yolks
85g Caster Sugar
35g Espresso
15g Honey
Pinch of Flaked Salt

Chocolate Almond Crumble
55g Ground Almonds
40g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
40g Light Brown Sugar
50g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
25g Cocoa Powder
Pinch of Flaked Salt

Dehydrated Chocolate Meringue
190g Double/Heavy Cream
200g Dark Chocolate, 70% Cocoa Solids, Finely Chopped
135g Egg Whites
55g Caster/White Sugar
Pinch of Flaked Salt

Chocolate Sauce
50g Whole Milk
30g Espresso
50g Double/Heavy Cream
10g Caster/White Sugar
40g Dark Chocolate, 70% Cocoa Solids
Pinch of Flaked Salt

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Digital thermometer
Silicon cylinder mold
Silicon mat
Raplette (optional)

Method

Coffee Parfait

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg yolks and whisk on a medium speed.

    • 80g Egg Yolks

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, add the espresso, honey and sugar. Place this onto a medium heat.

    • 85g Caster Sugar
    • 35g Espresso
    • 15g Honey 

3. Continue to cook the sugar mixture until it reaches 118C/244F. It can be a little bit tough as the coffee will cause the mixture to bubble up quite a lot. So if you get to around 114-116C on your digital thermometer that will be totally fine! Remove it from the heat and immediately slowly pour it over the whisking egg yolk mixture. Be careful not to pour the mixture directly onto the whisk or it will splatter. Whisk for 5 minutes on a medium high speed or until the mixture is thick, pale and holds a ribbon. Remove the bowl from the mixer and set it aside.

4. Add the cream, a pinch of flaked salt to a medium bowl and whisk by hand until it forms a medium soft peak.

    • 300g Double Cream
    • Pinch of Flaked Salt

5. Whisk the cream into the egg yolk base in two parts. You should end up with a nice smooth mixture.

6. Pour the mixture evenly across a silicon cube mold and freeze for 4 hours or overnight. 

Chocolate Almond Crumble

1. Preheat the oven to 175C/345F non-fan assisted.

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add all of the ingredients and mix on a medium low speed with a paddle attachment until it forms a crumble-like consistency.

    • 55g Ground Almonds
    • 40g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
    • 40g Light Brown Sugar
    • 50g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
    • 25g Cocoa Powder
    • Pinch of Flaked Salt

3. Squeeze the mixture between your hands to clump it together slightly. Pour the mixture onto a lined baking tray and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Dehydrated Chocolate Mousse

1. Preheat the oven to 100C/215F non-fan assisted.

2. Add the chopped chocolate to a tall measuring jug and set it aside.

    • 200g Dark Chocolate, 70% Cocoa Solids, Finely Chopped

3. Pour the cream into a small saucepan and place it over a medium heat. Once it is hot, but not boiling, pour it over the chocolate. Allow it to sit for 2 minutes, then use a hand blender to blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.

    • 190g Double/Heavy Cream

4. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and whisk on a medium speed until frothy. 

    • 135g Egg Whites

5. Slowly add the sugar a tablespoon at a time. Then once you have added all the sugar, keep whisking until you have a medium stiff peak. 

    • 55g Caster/White Sugar

6. Take ⅓ of the meringue and whisk it through the chocolate base to even out the textures.

7. Fold the remaining meringue through in two parts along with a pinch of flaked sea salt.

8. Take a silicon baking mat and spread a thin layer of the mousse evenly across it. A raplette is a great tool to get an even thickness but using a palette knife is fine too. You will have excess mousse so pour it into jars and chill in the fridge to have as a dessert!

9. Slide the silicon mat onto a baking tray and bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes. The mousse should feel firm to the touch and if you break a piece off it should snap like a meringue shard. 

10. Remove it from the oven and set aside. This is best made on the same day otherwise it will begin to soften. If it does, just pop it back in the oven t §00C for 20-30 minutes until it is firm again.

Chocolate Sauce

1. Add the espresso, cream, milk and sugar to a small saucepan. Place this on a medium heat.

    • 50g Whole Milk
    • 30g Espresso
    • 50g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 10g Caster/White Sugar

2. Meanwhile add the chocolate to a tall jug. 

    • 40g Dark Chocolate, 70% Cocoa Solids

3. Once the cream is hot, pour it over the chocolate and blend until smooth. Add a pinch of salt and then transfer it into a pouring jug, covered, and refrigerate for an hour.

Assembly

1. Remove the frozen coffee parfaits from the freezer and place them onto your serving plates.

2. Add a few tablespoons of the crumble around the base.

3. Snap off a large shard of the dehydrated chocolate mousse and rest this against the side of the parfait.

4. When ready to serve, pour the cold chocolate sauce over the top.

5. These are best after sitting at room temperature for about 5 minutes to soften slightly but just be aware they will melt around the edges just slightly (the crumble will hide this!)

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by Matt Adlard

No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

TIER 1

No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Everyone needs a foolproof, no-bake strawberry cheesecake recipe, and this one is quick to make with a smooth and creamy texture. It’s a simple biscuit base teamed with a brightly coloured strawberry cheesecake filling, which holds its texture really well. We make it in a ring mold for a more professional finish, and pipe mascarpone cream on top for a final touch of elegance.

1
7-INCH CAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 7-inch cake

Gelatin Mass
10g Powdered Gelatin (Platinum/Knox Bloom)
60g Cold Water

Biscuit Base
180g Digestives/Graham Crackers
70g Unsalted Butter, Melted
Pinch of Flakey Sea Salt
Zest ¼ Lemon

Strawberry Cheesecake
50g Gelatin Mass (or 2.5 gelatin leaves, any grade)
230g Strawberry Puree
125g Caster/White Sugar
500g Full Fat Cream Cheese
325g Double/Heavy Cream

Mascarpone Cream
300g Double/Heavy Cream, Divided
20g Gelatin Mass (or 1 gelatin leaf, any grade)
50g Mascarpone
30g White Chocolate

Special equipment

Hand blender
Food processor (optional)
18x6cm ring mold
Silicon mat
Digital thermometer
Stand mixer or Electric hand whisk
Blow torch or Heat gun
Piping bag
Star tip nozzle

Method

Gelatin Mass

1. Add the powdered gelatin and water to a small bowl and stir together to combine. Set this aside in the fridge to bloom for 15 minutes. 

  • 10g Powdered Gelatin (Platinum/Knox Bloom)
  • 60g Cold Water

Mascarpone Cream

1. Into a tall measuring jug, add gelatin mass, white chocolate and mascarpone. Set this aside.

  • 20g Gelatin Mass
  • 30g White Chocolate
  • 50g Mascarpone

2. Add 200g of the cream into a small saucepan and place it over a medium heat. Stir until the mixture is steaming then remove it from the heat and pour it into the measuring jug. 

  • 200g Double/Heavy Cream

3. Allow it to sit for 2 minutes before blending until smooth. Add in the remaining 100g of cream and blend again.

  • 100g Double/Heavy Cream

4. Pour the mixture onto a baking tray and cover the surface with clingfilm. Refrigerate it for a minimum of 3 hours. 

Biscuit Base

1. Into a blender, add the biscuits, and blend to a fine crumb. Pour these into a medium bowl. 

  • 180g Digestives/Graham Crackers

2. Add the butter into a small saucepan and stir until melted. 

  • 70g Unsalted Butter

3. Add the salt and lemon to the bowl, then stir in the melted butter, starting with about half and stirring just until the mixture is sticking together. You don’t want it to be too soggy. 

  • Pinch of Flakey Sea Salt
  • Zest ¼ Lemon

4. Line a baking sheet with a silicon mat and place a 18x6cm ring mold in the centre.

5. Line the tart ring with the biscuits, starting with the sides so they go up about halfway up the side of the ring, then fill in the base. Ensure it is quite thin and smooth. We don’t want an overly thick base/sides so if there is any left over you can eat it!

6. Set this in the freezer while you make the cheesecake filling. 

Strawberry Cheesecake

1. Into a small saucepan, add the strawberry puree and gelatin mass. Stir this over a low heat until the gelatin mass has melted. It should be around 50/60C (122-140F). If it doesn’t get warm enough the gelatin won’t melt and you will get chunks! If you are using gelatin leaves, just soak them in cold water until soft, then add them to the pan along with the puree and heat until melted as above. Set the pan aside to cool, it needs to be around 40C/104F when we use it, or just above body temp.  

  • 50g Gelatin Mass (or 2.5 gelatin leaves, any grade)
  • 230g Strawberry Puree

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl if using an electric hand mixer, add the cream cheese and sugar and beat for a minute until smooth.

  • 125g Caster/White Sugar
  • 500g Full Fat Cream Cheese

3. Add in the cooled strawberry mixture and beat again until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. 

4. Add the cream into the  bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl if using an electric hand whisk, and whisk to medium/soft peaks.

  • 325g Double/Heavy Cream

5. Working quickly as the cheesecake mixture will be beginning to thicken as the gelatin activates, fold the cream in, in two parts. 

6. Remove the chilled base from the freezer and pour the cheesecake mixture in, right to the top. Use a palette knife to smooth it, so it is flush with the top of the ring mold. Refrigerate the cheesecake for 3 hours.

Assembly

1. Once chilled remove it from the fridge and lift it onto your serving plate. Use a blow torch or heat gun to gently warm the sides of the ring mold and carefully lift it off.

2. Remove the chilled mascarpone cream from the fridge and add it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or a large bowl if using an electric hand whisk). Whisk it until it reaches a medium peak, then add it into a piping bag fitted with an open star tip nozzle.

3. Pipe 6 swirls around the outside of the cheesecake and then serve. 

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by Matt Adlard

Elevated Strawberry Cheesecake

TIER 2

Elevated Strawberry Cheesecake

Taking inspiration from a modern Fraisier cake, this cheesecake has a fun, but slightly tricky design, made by “wrapping” a smooth cream around the outside using acetate. The cheesecake is frozen for a short time, so we also look at how to adjust the ingredients in the cheesecake mixture to help ensure a smooth, and ice-free texture! Excuse my slightly unique way to create the shape – I’m open to any alternative suggestions!

1
7-INCH CAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 7-inch cheesecake

Gelatin Mass
10g Powdered Gelatin (Platinum/Knox Bloom)
60g Cold Water

Mascarpone Cream
300g Double/Heavy Cream, Divided
20g Gelatin Mass (or 1 gelatin leaf, any grade)
50g Mascarpone
30g White Chocolate

Genoise Sponge
220g Whole Eggs
130g Caster/White Sugar
30g Unsalted Butter, Melted
Zest ¼ Lemon
125g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
Pinch of Salt

Strawberry Cheesecake
50g Gelatin Mass (or 2.5 gelatin leaves, any grade)
230g Strawberry Puree
125g Caster/White Sugar
35g Invert Sugar/Trimoline
550g Full Fat Cream Cheese
325g Double/Heavy Cream
Pinch of Salt

2 Tbsp Strawberry Jam To Fill
Fresh Strawberries To Decorate

Special equipment

Hand blender
39x27cm baking tray
Silicon mat
Electric hand whisk
Stand mixer (optional)
Digital thermometer
18x6cm ring mold
Acetate
Blow torch or Heat gun
Pastry rods (optional)

Method

Gelatin Mass

1. Add the powdered gelatin and water to a small bowl and stir together to combine. Set this aside in the fridge to bloom for 15 minutes. 

  • 10g Powdered Gelatin (Platinum/Knox Bloom)
  • 60g Cold Water

Mascarpone Cream

1. Into a tall measuring jug, add gelatin mass, white chocolate and mascarpone. Set this aside.

  • 20g Gelatin Mass
  • 30g White Chocolate
  • 50g Mascarpone

2. Add 200g of the cream into a small saucepan and place it over a medium heat. Stir until the mixture is steaming then remove it from the heat and pour it into the measuring jug. 

  • 200g Double/Heavy Cream

3. Allow it to sit for 2 minutes before blending until smooth. Add in the remaining 100g of cream and blend again.

  • 100g Double/Heavy Cream

4. Pour the mixture onto a baking tray and cover the surface with clingfilm. Refrigerate it for a minimum of 3 hours. 

Genoise Sponge

1. Preheat the oven to 175C non-fan assisted (160C/320F fan assisted). Take a 39x27cm  baking tray, lightly grease it with butter and line it neatly with parchment paper.

2. For the sponge, add the eggs, sugar & lemon zest into a medium bowl and place it over a pan of gently simmering water. 

  • 220g Whole Eggs
  • 130g Caster/White Sugar
  • Zest ¼ Lemon 

3. Using a hand whisk, whisk them together until they reach 40C/104F on a digital thermometer. 

4. Remove it from the heat and add the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment (or a medium bowl if using an electric hand whisk)

5. Whisk on a medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and holds a ribbon when you drizzle it from the whisk.

6. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and sift over the flour and salt.. Fold this together, being as gentle as possible until there are no more lumps of flour. 

  • 125g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
  • Pinch of Salt

7. Take a small portion of the batter and add it into a bowl. Pour in the melted butter and fold this mixture together so there are no streaks of butter. 

  • 30g Unsalted Butter, Melted

8. Add this back into the main bowl and fold it through to incorporate.

9. Pour the mixture onto the lined baking tray and spread it out evenly with an offset spatula.

10. Bake it in the oven for 15 minutes, then remove it and allow it to cool completely. 

Strawberry Cheesecake

1. Into a small saucepan, add the strawberry puree. Place the entire pan onto a tared scale and note the weight. 

  • 230g Strawberry Puree

2. Place it over a medium low heat and stir it occasionally, until the puree has reduced by 85g (from 230g to 145g). You can do this by placing the pan back on the tared scale as you are cooking it to see how much the weight has reduced by. 

3. Remove it from the heat and stir in the gelatin mass until it has completely melted. Set the pan aside to cool, it needs to be around 40C/104F when we use it, or just above body temp.  

  • 50g Gelatin Mass (or 2.5 gelatin leaves, any grade)

4. Into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl if using an electric hand mixer, add the cream cheese, invert sugar and caster/white sugar and beat for a minute until smooth.

  • 125g Caster/White Sugar
  • 550g Full Fat Cream Cheese
  • 35g Invert Sugar/Trimoline

5. Add in the cooled strawberry mixture and beat again until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. 

6. Add the cream into the  bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl if using an electric hand whisk, and whisk to medium/soft peaks.

  • 325g Double/Heavy Cream

7. Working quickly as the cheesecake mixture will be beginning to thicken as the gelatin activates, whisk in the first half of cream, then fold the remaining cream in with a spatula until smooth. Right at the end fold through a pinch of salt.

  • Pinch of Salt

Assembly

1. Take a 18x6cm ring mold and cut a disc of the genoise sponge and lift it onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat. 

2. Spread the strawberry jam across the sponge and place the rind mold around the outside.

  • 1-2 Tbsp Strawberry Jam

3. Scoop the cheesecake mixture into the ring mold, pressing it in firmly with a spatula to remove any air pockets. Fill the ring mold right to the top then flatten it with a warm spatula so that it is flush with the ring mold. 

4. Place it into the freezer for 2 hours.

5. Just before it is chilled, cut a piece of acetate so that it is long enough to wrap around the outside of the cheesecake and about ½” taller.

6. Remove the chilled mascarpone cream from the fridge and add into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or a medium bowl if using an electric hand whisk). Whisk to a medium soft peak.

7. Lay the acetate flat on your work surface (it can help to oil the surface slightly so it sticks in place) and use a palette knife to spread the cream evenly across the acetate.

8. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer and gently heat the ring mold with a blow torch to remove it.

9. Carefully lift the acetate from the work surface and wrap the cream around the outside of the cheesecake. Once it is stuck on there you can’t really move it (!) so try and do this as carefully as possible the first time around.

10. This is where you have to get a little creative to create the ‘dents’ in the cream. I used a few skewers, rested against small cups to weigh down the outside edge of the acetate in different places, to create the indent. But feel free to use whatever you think might work! Your acetate might even be flexible enough that you can just press it into shape with your fingers.

11. Place it carefully back into the freezer for 30-60 minutes, just until the mascarpone cream has frozen and you can peel away the acetate cleanly without it ripping the cream.

12. Once it is ready, peel off the acetate and lift the cheesecake onto your serving plate.

13. Slice some strawberries and place them in the centre of the cheesecake. For evenly sized strawberries, first trim off the tops. Then place each strawberry between two pastry rods set to around 10–12mm high and carefully slice off the base. This creates strawberries with a flat top and bottom, all at a consistent height, so they sit neatly and evenly inside the cheesecake.

14. To make the strawberries glossy, you can brush them with a little bit of nappage or melted marmalade jam (with a splash of water).

15. Allow the cheesecake to defrost for around 30 minutes at room temperature before serving (you can check it has thawed by inserting a skewer into the centre and checking there is no resistance).

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by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Fondant Cake

TIER 1

Chocolate Fondant Cake

I love this dessert for how simple yet decadent it is, but my favourite part is how well it works as a make ahead option. During testing, I baked it, left it in the fridge overnight, then reheated it the next day and it still had an incredible gooey centre. Serve it simply with softly whipped vanilla cream.

8-10
SERVINGS

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 servings

300g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Chopped
100g Milk Chocolate, Chopped
200g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
190g Caster/White Sugar
60g Light Brown Sugar
335g Whole Eggs
20g Egg Yolks
3g Flakey Sea Salt
90g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
15g Cocoa Powder

Special equipment

20cm/8” cake ring mold
Stand mixer or electric hand whisk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 145C/295F non-fan assisted (130C/365 Fan). Take a 20cm/8” cake ring mold and lightly grease it with butter then dust the inside with cocoa powder. Tap out any excess.

2. Place this onto a piece of parchment paper, slightly scrunched around the edge of it so it hugs the cake ring slightly. Lift this onto a baking tray lined with a silicon baking mat.

3. Add the chopped chocolate to a medium bowl and place this over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir this occasionally until it is completely melted, then set this to one side to cool slightly.

  • 300g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Chopped
  • 100g Milk Chocolate, Chopped

4. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, (or a large bowl if using an electric hand mixer), add the room temperature butter and sugars. Beat this on a medium speed with the paddle attachment for 3-4 minutes, or until thicker and paler in consistency. Scrape down the sides.

  • 200g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
  • 190g Caster/White Sugar
  • 60g Light Brown Sugar

5. Slowly drizzle in the eggs (previously whisked together in a bowl) and scrape down the bowl a few times as you add the eggs to ensure the butter is fully incorporated. Don’t worry if once you add the eggs the mixture looks slightly split.

  • 335g Whole Eggs
  • 20g Egg Yolks

6. Pour in the slightly cooled chocolate mixture and mix just until it forms a smooth, chocolate batter.

7. Finally, sift in the flour and cocoa powder, and sprinkle over the salt. Stir this together with a spatula until there are no more dry ingredients.

  • 3g Flakey Sea Salt
  • 90g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
  • 15g Cocoa Powder

8. Pour the batter into the prepared cake ring and spread it flat with a spatula.

9. Place it into the centre of the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

10. Once baked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes (this will give a very gooey consistency) or even longer. You can even refrigerate it, then place it back into a hot oven (200C/390F  for 5 minutes) and then serve it. This will make the centre soft again (although not quite as soft as when you serve it the same day). This is best served with some freshly whipped cream.

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by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Fondant with Strawberry Sorbet

TIER 2

Chocolate Fondant with Strawberry Sorbet

This is a more refined take on the Tier 1 recipe. The fondants are baked in individual ring moulds and plated with chocolate soil and raspberry sorbet. The soil adds crunch and a subtle saltiness, while the sorbet brings brightness and balance to the plate. All the elements can be prepared in advance, then the fondants are baked just before serving.

4
FONDANTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 Fondants

Strawberry Sorbet
90g Water
160g Caster/White Sugar
35g Liquid Glucose or any invert sugar
2g Locust Bean Gum or NH Pectin
450g Strawberry Puree
Citric Acid To Taste (1-2g)
Fine Sea Salt To Taste

Chocolate Crumble
50g Caster/White Sugar
50g Ground Almonds
30g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
20g Cocoa Powder
3g Flakey Salt
35g Unsalted Butter, Melted 

Chocolate Fondant
200g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Chopped
200g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
200g Icing/Powdered Sugar
220g Whole Eggs
75g Egg Yolks
55g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
45g Cocoa Powder
Pinch of Flakey Sea Salt

Special equipment

Digital thermometer
Hand blender
Ice cream machine
4 7×3.5cm (2.7×1.3”) metal ring molds
Stand mixer or electric hand whisk
Piping bags (optional)

Method

Strawberry Sorbet

1. Place a medium bowl inside a large bowl that is filled with ice water. Set this to one side. 

2. Into a medium saucepan, add the water, sugar, glucose and locust bean gum. 

  • 90g Water
  • 160g Caster/White Sugar
  • 35g Liquid Glucose or any invert sugar
  • 2g Locust Bean Gum or NH Pectin

3. Whisk the mixture over a medium heat until it reaches 85C/185F on a digital thermometer.

4. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into the medium bowl you set aside, over the ice. Stir this occasionally until it reaches around 10C/50F on a digital thermometer. 

5. Transfer the cooled mixture to a tall measuring jug, then pour the strawberry puree on top. Blend till smooth with a hand blender.

  • 450g Strawberry Puree

6. Add in the citric acid (or lemon juice) and blend. Taste the mixture and add more if needed to suit your taste. 

  • 1-2g Citric Acid

7. The mixture can be churned immediately in your ice cream machine, or left in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

8. When you are ready to churn it, add a pinch of salt and stir this through. Then pour it into your machine, churning according to the machine instructions. It usually takes around 15-30 minutes until it is a thick, scoopable texture.

9. Once it is done, it will still be slightly soft, so transfer it to a tupperware and place it back in the freezer for 2-3 hours. Then it will be the perfect scooping texture. 

Chocolate Soil

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted (145C/295F fan-assisted) 

2. Place all the dry ingredients into a bowl and stir together with a spatula.

  • 50g Caster/White Sugar
  • 50g Ground Almonds
  • 30g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
  • 20g Cocoa Powder
  • 3g Flakey Salt

3. Pour in the melted butter and stir together to form a crumbly chocolate mix.

  • 35g Unsalted Butter, Melted

4. Tip the crumble onto a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool completely. If you would like the soil to be a finer consistency you can blend it briefly in a food processor but it’s optional! Store the mixture and set to one side. 

Chocolate Fondant

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375C non-fan assisted (175C/345F fan-assisted).

2. Lightly grease four 7×3.5cm (2.7×1.3”) metal ring molds with soft butter and then coat with cocoa powder, tapping out the excess. Place these onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat or baking paper. 

3. Place the chocolate into a bowl and place this over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally until it has melted. Remove it from the heat to cool for 5 minutes.

  • 200g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Chopped

4. Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on a medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until it is very thick and pale.

  • 200g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
  • 200g Icing/Powdered Sugar

5. Lower the speed, and drizzle in the eggs slowly, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. 

  • 220g Whole Eggs
  • 75g Egg Yolks

6. Pour in the cooled chocolate and mix to combine, scraping down the bowl as needed.

7. Finally, sift in the flour and cocoa powder, along with a good pinch of the salt. Stir this through with a spatula until you have a smooth, thick batter.

  • 55g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
  • 45g Cocoa Powder
  • Pinch of Flakey Sea Salt

8. Add the mixture to a piping bag and pipe it into the greased ring molds, filling them about ¾ of the way up.

9. Place the tray into the centre of the oven and bake for 14 minutes. They should feel slightly firm/bouncy when you touch the edge and then the centre should look slightly molten.

Assembly

1. While they are baking, prepare the plates. Take the chocolate soil and pour 1-2 tbsp on the side.

2. Remove the sorbet from the freezer and let it warm up for a few minutes before using a warm spoon to scoop some on top of the soil. Do this, just before the fondant comes out of the oven. 

3. Once the fondants are baked, place a palette knife underneath each one and carefully lift it onto the serving plate. 

4. Carefully remove the ring mold and peel away the baking paper. Serve immediately. 

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by Matt Adlard

île Flottante

TIER 1

île Flottante

For Tier 1 I decided to try a twist on the classic Île Flottante, inspired by working in the kitchen with Tom Aiken. Typically made by poaching a meringue and serving it in a warm bowl crème anglaise, this version is much more refined, with a Swiss meringue that is cut into a perfect disc. We fill the centre with crème anglaise and then top it with a thin caramel disc and clear caramel sauce.

4
INDIVIDUAL DESSERTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 île Flottantes

Crème Anglaise
125g Double Cream
250g Whole Milk
75g Caster/White Sugar
75g Egg Yolks
1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
Pinch of Flaky Sea Salt

Caramel Sauce
200g Caster/White Sugar
60g Water
100g Water

Caramel Discs
70g Caster/White Sugar
70g Liquid Glucose

Swiss Meringue
300g Egg Whites
205g Caster/White Sugar
5g White Vinegar

Roasted & Chopped Almonds or Hazelnuts To Serve

Special equipment

Digital thermometer
13″ x 9″ x 2” baking dish
Stand mixer
Blender
9cm/3.5” cookie cutter
Piping bag

Method

Crème Anglaise

1. Into a medium saucepan, add the milk, cream and beans scraped from a fresh vanilla pod (keep the leftover vanilla pod as we will use this in the caramel sauce). Place this onto a medium low heat, stirring occasionally. 

2. Meanwhile, add the egg yolks and sugar to a medium bowl and whisk for 30 seconds to combine. 

3. Once the cream is hot, slowly pour it over the egg yolk mixture, whisking to combine.

4. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and whisk until it reaches between 82-85C (180-185F) on a digital thermometer.

5. Immediately remove it from the heat and pass it through a sieve into a clean bowl. Whisk through a pinch of salt.

6. Place a sheet of clingfilm on the surface and refrigerate the mixture for at least an hour. Alternatively, place it over a bowl of ice water and that will thicken it quickly.

Caramel Sauce

1. Into a small saucepan, add 100g of water, along with the leftover vanilla pod from above. Place this over a low heat so that it becomes steamy. 

2. Meanwhile, add the remaining 60g of water and sugar into a medium saucepan. Place it on a medium heat, and cook it to 180C/355F on a digital thermometer. This will be a light golden colour.

3. Whisk in the hot vanilla water and cook for a further 30 seconds. Pour it through a sieve, into a clean bowl. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and refrigerate it for at least an hour.  Alternatively, place it over a bowl of ice water and that will thicken it quickly.

Caramel Discs

1. Into a medium saucepan, add the glucose and sugar.

2. Place it over a medium heat and allow the mixture to bubble up and start to caramelise.

3. Once it begins to go a light golden colour you can stir it. 

4. Stir it occasionally until it turns a deep golden colour, then immediately remove it from the heat and pour it onto a silicon mat.

5. Allow it to set at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

Swiss Meringue

1. Take a 13x9x2” baking dish (something deep), and very lightly grease the bottom with butter and place a sheet of parchment along the base. Pre-heat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted. 

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites, sugar and vinegar.

3. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water and whisk constantly until it reaches around 60-65C (140-149F) on a digital thermometer.

4. Immediately remove it from the heat and place it onto the stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk for 5 minutes on a medium high speed, until it is thick and glossy and holds a medium stiff peak. Be very careful not to over whisk this as it is a slightly lower amount of sugar, so we don’t want to make the meringue go grainy by mixing it for too long. 

5. Tip the meringue into the lined baking tray and use a palette knife to smooth it so it is flat. 

6. Place it into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until it is a light golden brown colour on top. Remove it from the oven but leave the oven on. 

Assembly

1. While the meringue is cooling, blend the caramel to a fine powder. Take a sieve, and sieve the powder in an even layer onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat. You may not need all of the caramel powder.

2. Use a 9cm/3.5” cookie cutter to create indents in the powder, gently shimmying it around to create a circular outline. 

3. Place the tray into the oven and bake for 2-4 minutes, or until the caramel powder has just melted and it is a glass like consistency. Remove the tray from the oven and allow it to cool.

4. Pour the chilled creme anglaise into a small saucepan and just gently stir it over a low heat until it is steaming, then transfer it into a serving jug. 

5. Scoop the thickened  caramel sauce into a piping bag and set this to one side.

6. The meringue should have cooled for around 10-15 minutes now.

7. Use the 9cm/3.5” cookie cutter which is slightly warm, to cut 4 discs.

8. The easiest way to remove them is to pull away the excess meringue around the disc, then carefully slide a palette knife underneath the disc, and lift it onto your serving plate. 

9. Use a teaspoon to dig a hole out of the centre of each meringue disc, but do not cut all the way through to the bottom.

10. Pour the warm creme anglaise into the hole, then with a palette knife, slide it underneath a caramel disc and place this on top. 

11. Cut a small hole in the end of the piping bag, and drizzle  this across the caramel disc. 

12. Finally finish with a sprinkle of roasted nuts for texture and serve immediately. 

by Matt Adlard

Chocolate & Black Sesame Meringue

TIER 2

Chocolate & Black Sesame Meringue

Sticking with the theme of Swiss meringue, we use the same technique as the Île Flottante to make a Swiss-French cocoa meringue and then use a very delicate piping technique to create the perfect cylinder shape. It’s filled with a chocolate brown, black sesame meringue and softly whipped cream. The meringue can be tricky to pipe (I failed more than a few times!), but there is enough mixture in the recipe to have a few practice attempts too.

6
INDIVIDUAL DESSERTS

Ingredients

Makes 6 individual desserts

Chocolate Meringue
100g Egg Whites
100g Caster/White Sugar
Pinch of Cream of Tartar
75g Icing/Powdered Sugar
10g Cocoa Powder
Black Sesame Seeds

Chocolate Brownie
170g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids)
85g Unsalted Butter
160g Whole Egg
85g Caster/White Sugar
40g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
Pinch of Flaky Sea Salt

Black Sesame Praline
220g Black Sesame Seeds
90g Caster/White Sugar
15g Water
10-20g Neutral Oil (Groundnut)
Pinch of Flaky Sea Salt

Mascarpone Cream
100g Mascarpone
15g Icing/Powdered Sugar
250g Double/Heavy Cream
½ Fresh Vanilla Pod

Cocoa Powder To Decorate

Special equipment

Silikomart sf098 silicon mold (or similar)
Digital thermometer
Stand mixer
Piping bags
Small leaf tip nozzle
Rotating cake stand/children’s pottery wheel (!)
13×9” baking tray
Silicon mat
High powered food processor
Cookie cutter

Method

Chocolate Meringue 

1. Preheat the oven to 80C/175F non-fan assisted. 

2. For this design, I used the Silikomart sf098 silicon mold. I use scissors to carefully cut out each cylinder individually, then use a pastry brush and lightly grease them with a neutral oil. Alternatively, you can use a ring mold, that is lightly greased, and then cover it neatly with a sheet of parchment/baking paper. 

3. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar.

4. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water and whisk constantly until it reaches around 50C (122F) on a digital thermometer.

5. Immediately remove it from the heat and place it onto the stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk for 3-5 minutes on a medium high speed, until it is thick, glossy and holds a stiff peak. 

6. Into a medium bowl, sift together the icing/powdered sugar and cocoa powder so that they are evenly combined.

7. Tip this mixture on top of the meringue and incorporate it with a whisk, then gently finish it, by folding it with a spatula until there are no more streaks. 

8. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a small leaf tip nozzle.

9. Place the lightly greased cylinder onto a rotating cake stand (you will need help to spin this!) or an electric spinning wheel (I use a child’s clay pottery wheel). Starting at the bottom and applying even pressure, pipe tight lines, slowly moving the nozzle up until the meringue covers the entire cylinder. 

10. Place a palette knife carefully underneath the mold and then lift it onto a lined baking tray. Repeat this with the remaining molds – you should have enough meringue to make 6.

11. Pinch a few black sesame seeds in between your finger tips, and flick them onto the meringue so they stick to the outside. We just want a light coating. 

12. Place them into the oven and bake for 3 hours. Once the time is up, turn the oven off and open the door and leave them in there to cool for 1-2 hours before attempting to remove them. They need to cool completely and then they will lift off easily. These can also be made a few days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container. 

Chocolate Brownie

1. Lightly grease a 13×9” baking tray and line the base and sides with parchment paper. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted. 

2. Into a medium bowl, add the chocolate and butter. Melt this over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally, and then remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool for 5 minutes.

3. Into a medium bowl, add the egg, sugar and salt and whisk for 30 seconds to combine.

4. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. 

5. Add in the flour and whisk just until there are no more streaks of dry ingredients.

6. Pour the batter into the lined tin, spreading it to the edges with a palette knife. Place the tray into the centre of the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes or until the mixture has just set. 

7. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for a minimum of 2-3 hours. 

Black Sesame Praline

1. Preheat the oven to 175C/345F. 

2. Pour the black sesame seeds onto a baking tray, and roast these for 10 minutes in the pre-heated oven. 

3. Remove the tray from the oven and allow them to cool. 

4. Into a medium saucepan, add the water followed by the sugar.

5. Place this on a medium heat and cook it until it reaches a deep golden brown colour. If you need to stir it, do this once it has turned a light golden colour. 

6. Once a deep golden brown colour, tip in the toasted sesame seeds and stir to combine. 

7. Work quickly and immediately tip the mixture onto a silicon baking mat.

8. Add a pinch of flaky salt on top and allow it to set for 30-60 minutes at room temperature or until it has set firm.

9. Break the mixture into a high powdered food processor and blend for 30-60 seconds. Scrape down the sides while still blending, slowly trickle in the neutral oil, just enough until it is a slightly looser texture. You don’t want to add too much oil as this can overpower the taste so use as little as possible. If you have a really high powered food processor you may not need any oil at all, but it will need to be blended for quite some time to get it to a looser consistency. 

10. Transfer the smooth mixture to a bowl and set aside. 

Assembly & Mascarpone Cream

1. Carefully lift the cooled meringue off of the molds and set them to one side.

2. Remove the brownie from the fridge, and using a cookie cutter, cut discs, about the same size as the hole in your meringue cylinder. I like to stack two discs of meringue together. 

3. Carefully press the brownie disc into the bottom of the meringue, then lift it onto your serving plate. 

4. Add the black sesame praline to a piping bag, and pipe a small spiral of it on top of the brownie. 

5. Finally, add the mascarpone, icing/powdered sugar, cream and beans scraped from a fresh vanilla pod, to the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on a medium speed until it forms medium-soft peaks. Be very careful not to overwhisk this, it needs to be quite a soft texture. 

6. Add that mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip nozzle.

7. Pipe the cream into the meringue shell, filling it all the way to the top.

8. Finish with a light dusting of cocoa powder, and then serve immediately. 

by Matt Adlard

Lemon Meringue Tart

TIER 1

Lemon Meringue Tart

Lemon meringue tart is something I’ve been a bit hesitant to make before – I always thought there was way too much meringue, and it was overly sweet, so it was my mission to be proved wrong! The lemon filling is slightly richer than my Dad’s recipe, with more egg yolks which means it sets slightly firmer. We make a Swiss meringue for the topping, but with less sugar, which we press flat against the filling to create a more modern design.

1
9-INCH TART

Ingredients

Makes 1 9-inch tart

Lemon Sweet Pastry
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
70g Icing/Powdered Sugar, Sifted
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
Zest ½ Lemon
50g Egg Yolk
200g Plain, All Purpose Flour 

Egg Wash
40g Egg Yolk
10g Double/Heavy Cream

Lemon Filling
160g Whole Eggs
120g Egg Yolks
230g Caster/ White Sugar
200g Double/Heavy Cream
6g Lemon Zest
150g Lemon Juice

Swiss Meringue
100g Egg Whites
100g Caster/White Sugar

Special equipment

Stand mixer
9-inch fluted tart ring
Hand blender
Baking beans
Blow torch
Digital thermometer

Method

Lemon Sweet Pastry

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, icing sugar, salt and lemon zest. With the paddle attachment, beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes, scraping it down a few times in between, until you have a smooth paste.

2. Add in the egg yolks, and beat again, until the mixture is evenly combined, you will need to scrape down the bowl a few times again.

3. Tip in the flour, and use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure the butter doesn’t get stuck. Scrape the sides, and then mix on a low speed until it pulls together to form a dough.

4. Scoop the dough out onto your work surface, and give it a quick knead just to bring it together. Shape it into a disc and warp it in clingfilm, before refrigerating for an hour or longer.

5. Once it’s chilled, remove it from the fridge and let it soften slightly at room temperature. The dough needs to be cold but flexible. If it is too cold when you roll it, it will crack.

6. Flour the dough and your rolling pin and applying even pressure, roll the dough out into a large, rough circle shape, around 3-5mm thick.

7. Working quickly, carefully lift this into a 23cm fluted tart ring on a baking tray. Use your fingers to press the dough into the side of the tin, then with the excess dough, fold it to create a thick rim around the outside of the tin. We will remove this excess later, but it will help to prevent the dough from shrinking as it bakes. 

8. Dock the bottom of the pastry with a fork, and then freeze it for 30 minutes.

9. Preheat the oven to 175C Non-fan assisted (345F or 160C fan-assisted).

Lemon Filling

1. Into a large measuring jug, add the cream, sugar, eggs and egg yolks and blend until smooth.

2. Add in the lemon juice and zest, and blend again to combine, avoiding adding too many air bubbles. 

3. Place a sheet of clingfilm on the surface, and refrigerate until needed. 

Pastry Continued

1. Once the pastry has chilled, scrunch a large circle of parchment/baking paper up, then press it firmly into the tart. Fill it to the top with baking beans or rice.

2. Place it into the centre of the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and beans, then bake for a further 5-10 minutes until it is a pale golden brown. 

3. Whisk together the egg wash ingredients, then brush these all over the tart. Bake for a further 8-15 minutes, or until it is a deep golden colour.

4. As soon as it is out of the oven, use a serrated knife, holding it against the edge of the tin, and carefully trim off the excess pastry. Brush out any crumbs. Lower the oven temperature to 110C Non-fan assisted (230F or 95C fan-assisted).

5. Remove the lemon filling from the fridge and peel off the clingfilm. Scoop off any remaining bubbles with a spoon, then pour the mixture into a medium saucepan.

6. Place the pan onto a medium low heat and stir constantly until it reaches 40C/104F on a digital thermometer. 

7. Immediately remove it from the heat and gently pour it through a sieve, back into a tall measuring jug.

8. Place the tart shell, on a tray, into the centre of the oven and pour the lemon filling in. Use a blow torch to pop any remaining bubbles.

9. Bake for around 55 minutes, or until the filling has just set when you gently wobble the tray.

10. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature, before refrigerating for 1-2 hours.

Swiss Meringue

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a medium bowl if using an electric hand whisk), add the egg whites and sugar. 

2. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water, whisking constantly until it reaches 65C/149F on a digital thermometer.

3. Immediately remove it from the heat, and place it onto a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk for 5-7 minutes, until you have a medium stiff peak. 

4. Remove the lemon tart from the fridge and with it still in the tin, spread the meringue over the top. Then using a large offset spatula, starting at one edge, press it firmly against the rim of the tin and drag it firmly across the tin, to smooth the top. You can do this a few times if needs be.

5. Use a blow torch to caramelise the meringue to an even golden brown colour. Alternatively place it under a hot grill, keeping a very very close eye on it.

6. Remove the tart from the tin and slice it with a hot knife to serve.

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by Matt Adlard

Lemon & White Chocolate Tarts

TIER 2

Lemon & White Chocolate Tart

For Tier 2, we use the same lemon filling as Tier 1, but instead of baking it we cook it like a curd. It sits on top of an almond mirliton, with a secret layer of zingy lemon confit, topped with a stunning white chocolate namelaka which is piped using a basket weave nozzle. Because we cook the lemon filling like a curd, it has a slightly softer texture, more like a cremeux which contrasts all the textures in the tart really well.

4
INDIVIDUAL TARTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 individual tarts

White Chocolate Namelaka
3g Powdered Gelatin (250 Bloom) + 18g Cold Water OR 1 Sheet of Leaf Gelatin
100g Whole Milk
10g Glucose or Honey
185g White Chocolate, Melted
200g Double/Heavy Cream, Cold

Lemon Confit
8g Lemon Zest
130g Lemon Juice
65g Caster/White Sugar

Lemon Sweet Pastry
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
70g Icing/Powdered Sugar, Sifted
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
Zest ½ Lemon
50g Egg Yolk
200g Plain, All Purpose Flour 

Egg Wash
40g Egg Yolk
10g Double/Heavy Cream

Lemon Filling
80g Whole Eggs
60g Egg Yolks
115g Caster/ White Sugar
100g Double/Heavy Cream
3g Lemon Zest
75g Lemon Juice
20g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed (Optional)

Roasted Almond Mirliton
105g Unsalted Butter
85g Roasted Almond Powder
85g Icing/Powdered Sugar
110g Egg Whites
½ Fresh Vanilla Pod
Zest ½ Lemon

Special equipment

Hand blender
Stand mixer
2 silicon mats (optional)
4 4-inch perforated tart rings
Multi-wheel pastry cutter (optional)
Digital thermometer
Piping bags
Basket weave nozzle
Rotating cake stand (optional)

Method

White Chocolate Namelaka

1. Into a small dish, add the powdered gelatin and cold water. Stir them together and allow it to bloom for 10 minutes at room temperature. If using leaf gelatin, soak this in a bowl of cold water.

2. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, and then set this to one side.

3. Meanwhile, add the milk and glucose/honey to a small saucepan. Stir it occasionally over a medium heat, until it is steaming and the glucose has dissolved.

4. Scoop in the bloom gelatin (or squeeze the excess water from the leaf gelatin and drop this in). Stir it together until the gelatin has completely dissolved.

5. Pour the hot milk mixture over the melted white chocolate in three parts, stirring in tight circles in the centre with a rubber spatula, to emulsify the mixture. Initially it will look slightly split but it will pull together.

6. Finally, pour in the cold cream and blend it with a hand blender, until smooth. Cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate overnight or a minimum of 6 hours. 

Lemon Confit

1. Add the lemon zest into a small saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring the mixture to the boil, then immediately pass it through a sieve. Repeat this two more times, to remove the bitterness from the zest.

2. Add the blanched zest, lemon juice and sugar into a saucepan, and note the total weight of the ingredients in the pan, on a digital scale. 

3. Place the pan on a medium low heat, and simmer until the total weight of the pan has reduced by around 100g. 

4. Pour the mixture into a small dish, covered with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight. 

Lemon Sweet Pastry

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, icing sugar, salt and lemon zest. With the paddle attachment, beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes, scraping it down a few times in between, until you have a smooth paste.

2. Add in the egg yolks, and beat again, until the mixture is evenly combined, you will need to scrape down the bowl a few times again.

3. Tip in the flour, and use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure the butter doesn’t get stuck. Scrape the sides, and then mix on a low speed until it pulls together to form a dough.

4. Scoop the dough out onto your work surface, and give it a quick knead just to bring it together. 

5. Place the dough onto a large silicon mat. Place a second silicon mat on top and roll the mixture into a rough circle, getting it as thin as possible (around 3-5mm). If you don’t have silicon mats you can roll the dough between parchment paper but it will be very difficult as it will slip and slide all over the place!

6. Once you have a rough circle of dough, place it into the freezer for 30m.

7. Once chilled, remove it from the freezer and working quickly, peel the silicon mat off of the dough. Take 2 of the 4” perforated ring molds (very lightly greased with soft butter) and press these into the dough. 

8. Lift them up and place them onto a perforated tray lined with a perforated baking mat.

9. Using a multi-wheel pastry cutter (or a ruler and a sharp knife) cut 2 long strips of dough, ensuring the width is slightly more than the height of your tart shells. Take the strip of dough and place it inside the tart ring, using your fingers to carefully press the walls against the base of the pastry. If at any point you feel the pastry is getting too warm, place it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes then carry on. Place the tarts into the freezer for 30 minutes. 

10. Take the spare dough and form it back into a dough ball. Repeat steps 5-8 to make two more tart shells.

11. Preheat the oven to 175C/345F Non-fan assisted (160C fan-assisted).

12. Use a knife to trim the excess pastry from the tart rings so it is flush, then place the tarts into the centre of the oven for around 20 minutes, or until they are a light golden brown colour. 

13. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing the tart rings. 

14. Mix the egg wash ingredients together and use a pastry brush to paint this over the entire surface of the tart shells. Place them back into the oven and bake for a further 5-10 minutes, until the tarts are a deep golden brown colour. Set aside to cool. 

Lemon Filling

1. Into a medium saucepan, add all of the ingredients for the lemon filling, excluding the butter. 

2. Whisk it constantly over a medium heat, until it reaches a temperature of 82-84C (179-183F) on a digital thermometer. 

3. Immediately remove it from the heat and pass it through a sieve, into a tall measuring jug.

4. Add in the cold butter and blend until smooth with a hand blender. 

5. Pour the mixture onto a baking tray and cover the surface with clingfilm. Refrigerate it for 1-2 hours (or longer) until it is a thicker, more pipeable consistency. 

Almond Mirliton

1. Into a small saucepan, add the butter and over a medium heat, until it has melted. Remove it from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

2. Add the remaining ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk to combine, before pouring in the melted butter and whisking to combine.

3. Cover the surface of the mixture with cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour. Meanwhile, set the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted (145C fan-assisted).

4. Once it has cooled, pipe the mixture into the tart shells, filling them up just above ¾ full. If you want you can also sprinkle some toasted flaked almonds on.

5. Place the tarts into the centre of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until it is a golden colour on top. Allow to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Assembly

1. Remove the lemon confit from the fridge which should now be a thicker, marmalade like consistency. 

2. Pipe a few dollops onto the top of the cooled tart, and spread this to the edges with the back of a spoon. It is quite sharp so you don’t need to overload the tart. 

3. Remove the white chocolate namelaka from the fridge and add into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on a medium speed until the mixture holds a medium stiff peak.

4. Add it into a piping bag fitted with a basket weave nozzle.

5. Place the tart into the centre of a rotating cake stand and holding the piping bag at about a 60 degree angle, apply even pressure, then push the nozzle slightly forward to create an initial ruffle of buttercream, before pulling it back to fold the buttercream over itself. Continue this motion in one direction without stopping so the folds connect smoothly, creating an even, continuous ruffle/weave. Because of the type of nozzle it is a little difficult to join the lines up seamlessly, so you just have to neatly pull the piping bag away to create a tail. 

6. Remove the lemon filling from the fridge and add this into a piping bag, pipe it into the centre of the tart, filling it just below the rim of the cream.

7. They are now ready to serve.

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by Matt Adlard

Swedish Semlor Buns

TIER 1

Swedish Semlor Buns

I will admit I’m a bit early to be sharing a semla recipe with you – typically this Swedish treat starts popping up just after Christmas in bakeries. But after a trip to Sweden a few years ago and a bakery tour of eating different Semla, it felt like the perfect month to share my version! It is a soft bun, with an almond filling and topped with a simple mascarpone cream. The bun is spiced with cardamom and vanilla which gives makes it a really fragrant bake. So if you’re a purist, save this one until December, but I won’t tell anyone if you make it early!

12-14
BUNS

Ingredients

Makes 12-14 buns

Tangzhong
80g Whole Milk
20g White Bread Flour

Dough
500g White Bread Flour
9g Fine Sea Salt
12g Fresh Yeast/6g Instant Dry Yeast
255g Whole Milk
50g Double/Heavy Cream
55g Sweetened Condensed Milk
50g Whole Egg
75g Unsalted Butter
7 cardamom pods
½ Fresh Vanilla Pod

Egg Wash
1 Whole Egg
Splash of cream

Almond Filling
400g Almond Paste
40g Ground Almonds
40g Flaked Almonds
3g Ground Cardamom
15g Caster/White Sugar
70g Icing/Powdered Sugar
125g Whole Milk

Mascarpone Cream
600g Double/Heavy Cream
200g Mascarpone
20g Icing/Powdered Sugar

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Digital thermometer
Oil spray (optional)
Piping bags
Star tip nozzle

Method

Tangzhong

1. Into a small saucepan, add the whole milk and bread flour and cook it over a medium heat, whisking until it reaches a thick paste like consistency.

2. Scoop the mixture into a pan and set it aside to cool for 15 minutes.

Dough

1. Take the fresh cardamom pods and crack them open. Pour the seeds into a pestle and mortar and crush them to a fine powder.

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cardamom, bread flour, salt and yeast. Split half a vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape the beans into the dry mixture.

3. Add the cooled tangzhong paste and crumble this through with your fingertips. Set the bowl to one side.

4. Add the milk, cream, egg and sweetened condensed milk to a small saucepan. Over a low heat, stir it until it reaches 46-48C/114F-188F and then immediately take it off the heat and pour it over the dry ingredients.

5. Stir the mixture together with a spatula and a plastic dough scraper, until there are no more dry ingredients at the bottom. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.

6. Add in the cold cubed butter and with the dough hook, knead for 5-7 minutes, scraping down the sides if needed, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

7. Remove it from the bowl and shape it into a tight ball on the work surface, before lifting it into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film and proof for 1 hour.

8. Remove the proofed dough from the bowl and lift it onto your work surface – no need to flour it.

9. Cut the dough into 75g portions, you should get 12-14.

10. Cup your hand around the dough in a ‘C’ shape and rotate it underneath your fingers and palm, to create a smooth, round ball.

11. Lift each ball onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. You will fit 6 balls per tray. If you have it, spray the balls with an oil spray and cover them with cling film. If not, cover them loosely with a clingfilm. Proof them for 45 minutes – 1 hour or until doubled in size.

12. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 175C/345F non-fan assisted (160C fan assisted).

13. Whisk together the egg wash ingredients and use a pastry brush, to cover the whole bun. Place them into the centre oven (you will likely need to swap the trays halfway through baking). Bake them for around 25 minutes or until golden brown all over.

14. Remove them from the oven and lift them off the tray, straight onto a wire cooling rack. Cool for at least 30 minutes. 

Almond Filling  

1. Add all of the ingredients except the milk into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on a medium-low speed for 1-2 minutes, until slightly smoother (there will be some chunks of flaked almond).

2. Slowly add the milk until you have a smooth mixture. Add it into a piping bag and set it to one side.

Mascarpone Cream

Note: You’ll want to split this into two batches as the cream isn’t stabilised so if you try and pipe it all in one go, it will go quite grainy by the last few buns.

1. Add all of the ingredients into a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk until you have a medium peak, being very careful not to over whip it.

2. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star tip nozzle. 

Assembly

1. Using a knife, cut a triangle out of the top of each bun and set the lids to one side.

2. Pipe the almond cream into the gap, filling it to the top.

3. Pipe the cream in an anti-clockwise spiral motion on top of 6 of the buns.

4. Place the lid on top, pressing down slightly to press the cream outwards.

5. Finish with a dusting of icing/powdered sugar and serve. Whisk the remaining cream ingredients and repeat the process for the final 6 buns. 

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by Matt Adlard

Strawberry Custard Buns

TIER 2

Strawberry Custard Buns

A true showstopper, we take the same bun as tier 1 but this time just use vanilla as the flavouring. It’s filled with a strawberry cremeux, vanilla pastry cream and finished with a strawberry gel. The decoration is elegant and refined, definitely worthy of a fancy pastry shop! To finish it, I added some simple white chocolate sticks – if you want to learn about tempering just head to the archives and there is a whole class about it!

12-14
BUNS

Ingredients

Makes 12-14 Buns

Soft Buns

Tangzhong
80g Whole Milk
20g White Bread Flour

Dough
500g White Bread Flour
9g Fine Sea Salt
12g Fresh Yeast/6g Instant Dry Yeast
255g Whole Milk
50g Double/Heavy Cream
55g Sweetened Condensed Milk
50g Whole Egg
75g Unsalted Butter
½ Fresh Vanilla Pod

Strawberry Cremeux
200g Egg Yolks
130g Whole Eggs
100g Sugar
300g Strawberry Puree
200g Unsalted Butter, Soft
5g Powdered Gelatin (250 Bloom) + 30g Water (or 2 sheets of leaf gelatin)
A touch of red food colour (optional)
Pinch of Flakey Salt

Crème Pâtissière
350g Whole Milk
1 Fresh vanilla bean pod
50g Caster/White Sugar
85g Egg Yolks
28g Cornstarch/Cornflour
Pinch of Flakey Sea Salt
30g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed

Strawberry Coulis
5g Powdered Gelatin (250 Bloom) + 30g Cold Water
100g Strawberry Puree
100g Fresh Strawberries
5g Pectin NH
30g Caster/White Sugar
Juice of 1/4 Lemon

Special equipment

Digital thermometer
Hand blender
Stand mixer
Oil spray (optional)
Piping bags
Round tip nozzle

Method

Strawberry Cremeux

1. Into a small dish, add the powdered gelatin and cold water and set it aside to bloom for 10 minutes. If using gelatin leaves, use two sheets (any strength) and soften this in a bowl of cold water.

2. Add the puree, eggs, yolks and sugar into a medium saucepan. Add a touch of red food colour if you wish. Place it over a medium heat and whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened to a custard-like texture. It will be just above 75C on a digital thermometer, but be careful not to scramble it. It has gelatin in it to stabilise it, which will help.

3. Immediately remove it from the heat and pass the mixture through a sieve into a tall measuring jug.

4. Add in the bloomed gelatin (squeeze out the excess water if using a gelatin sheet) and blend this with a hand blender until smooth.

5. Allow the mixture to cool to 35-45C and then add in the soft butter and blend again until smooth. Finally, stir through a pinch of salt.

Soft Buns

Tangzhong

1. Into a small saucepan, add the whole milk and bread flour and cook it over a medium heat, whisking until it reaches a thick paste like consistency.

2. Scoop the mixture into a pan and set it aside to cool for 15 minutes.

Dough

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the bread flour, salt and yeast. Split half a vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape the beans into the dry mixture.

2. Add the cooled tangzhong paste and crumble this through with your fingertips. Set the bowl to one side.

3. Add the milk, cream, egg and sweetened condensed milk to a small saucepan. Over a low heat, stir it until it reaches 46-48C/114F-188F and then immediately take it off the heat and pour it over the dry ingredients.

4. Stir the mixture together with a spatula and a plastic dough scraper, until there are no more dry ingredients at the bottom. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.

5. Add in the cold cubed butter and with the dough hook, knead for 5-7 minutes, scraping down the sides if needed, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

6. Remove it from the bowl and shape it into a tight ball on the work surface, before lifting it into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film and proof for 1 hour.

7. Remove the proofed dough from the bowl and lift it onto your work surface – no need to flour it.

8. Cut the dough into 75g portions, you should get 12-14.

9. Cup your hand around the dough in a ‘C’ shape and rotate it underneath your fingers and palm, to create a smooth, round ball.

10. Lift each ball onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. You will fit 6 balls per tray. If you have it, spray the balls with an oil spray and cover them with cling film. If not, cover them loosely with a clingfilm. Proof them for 45 minutes – 1 hour or until doubled in size.

11. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 175C/345F non-fan assisted (160C fan assisted).

12. Whisk together the egg wash ingredients and use a pastry brush, to cover the whole bun. Place them into the centre oven (you will likely need to swap the trays halfway through baking). Bake them for around 25 minutes or until golden brown all over.

13. Remove them from the oven and lift them off the tray, straight onto a wire cooling rack. Cool for at least 30 minutes.

Crème Pâtissière

1. Heat milk and vanilla in a saucepan over a medium heat. Whilst this is heating up, in a separate bowl whisk together the egg yolk, sugar, cornstarch and salt. 

2. Once the milk has come to a gentle simmer, slowly pour it over the top of the egg mixture, whisking constantly.

3. Pour the combined mixture back into the saucepan and continue whisking until the mixture starts to thicken. It will take about two minutes to come to a boil. Once it reaches this point, heat and whisk for a further minute to cook out all the cornstarch. You should be left with a thick, pudding-like consistency.

4. Pass the mixture through a sieve into a tall measuring jug. Add in the cold butter and blend with a hand blender until smooth. Pour it into a bowl and set it in the fridge to chill for 2 hours. 

Strawberry Gel

1. Into a small bowl, add cold water and the powdered gelatin. Let it soak for 5-10 minutes.

2. Stir together the pectin and sugar in a small bowl and set this to one side.

3. Add the fresh strawberries and strawberry puree to a small saucepan and stir them together over a medium heat until they warm slightly (about 40C/105F). Whisk in the pectin sugar mixture and continue to whisk until it reaches a boil.

4. Remove it from the heat and scoop in the bloomed gelatin before whisking it through, along with the fresh lemon juice.

5. Pour the mixture into a tall jug, cover the surface with clingfilm, and let it set in the fridge for 1-2 hours or overnight. 

Assembly

1. Add the chilled strawberry cremeux to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on a medium speed until it holds a medium stiff peak.

2. Split the mixture between two piping bags, one with a large round tip nozzle.

3. Add the cooled strawberry gel into a small blend (or a tall just if using a hand blender) and blend it into a smooth gel. Add this into a piping bag.

4. Remove the crème pâtissière and with a hand whisk, whisk for 1-2 minutes, until it is smooth and there are no lumps. Add this to a piping bag. 

5. Take the cooled buns and use an apple corer or a knife to take a portion of dough out of the underside, keeping the base intact so you can put this back on! You need a decent-sized hole in order to fit the filling in so you may need to pull some of the dough out. 

6. Take the buns and fill them with the strawberry cremeux, and then the crème pâtissière. Place the base of the bun back on, to seal it. 

7. Take the strawberry cremeux with the piping nozzle, and pipe a small dollop on top of each bun. Then, using the back of a warm ¼ tsp measure, scoop a small hole out of the centre, and pipe the strawberry gel inside.

8. Finish with a dusting of icing sugar and some white chocolate decorations if you fancy making them.

9. These are best served and eaten within a few hours. 

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by Matt Adlard

Coffee & Peanut Financier

TIER 1

Coffee & Peanut Financier

I’m a huge fan of “finger” style desserts and the great thing about this recipe is that it builds all the fundamental elements you’ll need to take on tier 2. The financier is almost like a brownie texture with a smooth coffee cremeux and a simple chocolate glaze. Peanut and coffee is a delicious combination but feel free to swap the peanuts with any other nut. The financier also stores really well so you can bake it, wrap it tightly and store it in the fridge for a few days until you need it.

12-14
FINANCIERS

Ingredients

Makes 12-14 Financiers

Coffee Cremeux
5g Powdered Gelatin + 30g Water
400g Double Cream
115g Egg Yolks
60g Sugar
1 Vanilla Pod
75g Espresso
1g Freshly Ground Coffee
Small Pinch of Flaky Salt

Chocolate Peanut Financier
200g Unsalted Butter
560g Dark Chocolate (70%)
160g Plain Flour
200g Icing Sugar
16g Baking Powder
2g Fine Sea Salt
520g Double Cream
400g Egg Whites
160g Ground Peanuts or Almonds
Chopped Peanuts To Garnish

Chocolate Peanut Glaze
300g Dark Chocolate, 70% cocoa solids
30g Neutral Oil
30g Chopped Peanuts

Special equipment

Digital thermometer
Hand blender
13×9” cake tin
Stand mixer
Piping bag
Large round tip nozzle

Method

1. Into a small bowl, add the gelatin and water to a small saucepan and let it bloom for 10 minutes.

2. Into a medium saucepan, add the cream, espresso, coffee grounds and beans from the fresh vanilla pod. Place it over a medium heat until steaming. 

3. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until combined. 

4. Pour the hot cream over the egg mixture, whisking to combine, then add it back into the saucepan. Place it over a medium heat. 

5. Cook to 80-82C on a digital thermometer, then immediately pass it through a sieve, on top of a tall measuring jug. 

6. Scoop in the bloomed gelatin and blend till smooth with a hand blender. Sprinkle in a pinch of flaky sea salt and stir it through with a spatula. Pour the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours. 

7. For the financier, preheat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted (145C for fan assisted). Lightly grease a 13×9” cake tin with soft butter. Cut a strip of parchment paper long enough to cover the base of the tin and extend up and over two opposite sides, creating “handles.” Press it into the tin so it sticks to the base and sides. Then cover the other sides with two strips of parchment. 

8. Add the chocolate and butter to a medium bowl and melt this over a pan of gently simmering water. Once melted, set it to one side to cool slightly. 

9. Meanwhile, sift together the flour, icing sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the ground peanuts on top and whisk to combine.

10. Pour the cream and egg whites on top and whisk by hand just until combined and there are no streaks of dry ingredients.

11. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and whisk again to combine.

12. Pour the smooth batter into the lined tray and bake in the oven for 70-75 minutes.

13. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes before refrigerating for 1 hour. 

14. When the financiers have cooled, use the parchment handles to lift it out of the tin and onto a chopping board. Cut it into 12-14 rectangles, or as small/large as you would like to make them. 

15. Remove the coffee cremeux from the fridge and add the mixture into a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on a medium speed until it has thickened to a medium stiff peak. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip nozzle. 

16. Pipe long lines of the cremeux along the top of the financier, and then use a slightly warm knife to trim off the ends so they are flush with the edge of the financier.

17. Place some chopped peanuts into the top of the cremeux, then place the financiers into the freezer for 3-6 hours or until they are solid.

18. When they are frozen, prepare the glaze. Add the chocolate and oil into a bowl and place it over a pan of simmering water, stirring until it is melted.

19. Remove it from the heat and stir through the chopped peanuts. The glaze needs to be around 45C/113F when you use it. Pour the mixture into a tall but thin rectangular container. Take the temperature and heat it up if needed or allow it to cool further.

20. Remove the financiers from the freezer and place a knife into the bottom. Dip the financier into the glaze until it is completely covered, then lift it up, allowing the excess to drip off before quickly flipping it over and placing it onto a tray.

21. Repeat this with the remaining financiers.

22. The financiers can be left at room temperature for 30 minutes then served, or stored in the fridge until needed. 

by Matt Adlard

Coffee Bean Petit Gateaux

TIER 2

Coffee Bean Petit Gateaux

The showstopper! This style of dessert was made famous by pastry chef Cedric Grolet but no one ever seems to show you how to actually make them! The recipe has quite a few elements to prepare with a coffee cremeux, chocolate financier, recomposed streusel and a chocolate glaze. I’m a coffee snob, so I would always recommend using the freshest coffee you can get for the best flavour. If you don’t have the fancy coffee bean silicon mold, then feel free to freeze it in any small silicon mold you’ve got.

8-10
COFFEE BEANS

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 Coffee Beans

Coffee Cremeux
5g Powdered Gelatin + 30g Water
400g Double Cream
115g Egg Yolks
60g Sugar
1 Vanilla Pod
75g Espresso
1g Freshly Ground Coffee
Small Pinch of Flaky Salt

Chocolate Financier
130g Double Cream
100g Egg Whites
50g Icing Sugar
40g Ground Almonds
40g Plain Flour
4g Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
50g Unsalted Butter
140g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids)

Coffee Hazelnut Praline
220g Roasted Hazelnuts, Skinned
80g Pecans
12g Whole Coffee Beans
200g Sugar
50g Water
1 Vanilla Pod
Flakey Salt

Streusel
110g Light Brown Sugar
110g Ground Hazelnuts or Almonds
95g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
2g Bicarbonate of Soda
1g Fine Sea Salt
110g Cold Unsalted Butter, Cubed

Recomposed Streusel
215g Streusel
50g Dark Chocolate (70%)
25g Unsalted Butter
70g Coffee Hazelnut Praline

Chocolate Glaze
350g 55% Chocolate
300g Cocoa Butter
30g Neutral Oil  

Cocoa Powder to Finish

Special equipment

Digital thermometer
35x25cm baking tray
Food processor
Stand mixer
Piping bag
Coffee bean silicon mold

Method

1. Into a small bowl, add the gelatin and water to a small saucepan and let it bloom for 10 minutes. 

2. Into a medium saucepan, add the cream, espresso, coffee grounds and beans from the fresh vanilla pod. Place it over a medium heat until steaming. 

3. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until combined. 

4. Pour the hot cream over the egg mixture, whisking to combine, then add it back into the saucepan. Place it over a medium heat. 

5. Cook to 80-82C on a digital thermometer, then immediately pass it through a sieve, on top of a tall measuring jug. 

6. Scoop in the bloomed gelatin and blend till smooth with a hand blender. Sprinkle in a pinch of flaky sea salt and stir it through with a spatula. Pour the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours. 

7. For the financier, preheat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted (145C for fan assisted). Lightly grease a 35x25cm baking tray with soft butter and line it with parchment paper – alternatively use a silicon sponge roll mat. Add the chocolate and butter to a medium bowl and melt this over a pan of gently simmering water. Once melted, set it to one side to cool slightly. 

8. Meanwhile, sift together the flour, icing sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the ground almonds on top and whisk to combine.

9. Pour the cream and egg whites on top and whisk by hand just until combined and there are no streaks of dry ingredients.

10. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and whisk again to combine.

11. Pour the smooth batter into the lined tray and bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes.

12. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes before refrigerating for at least 1 hour. You can also freeze this.

13. For the coffee hazelnut praline, into a medium saucepan, add the sugar and water. Place it on a medium heat, and cook the mixture until it reaches 116C/240F on a digital thermometer. 

14. Once at temperature, pour in the hazelnuts, pecans, coffee beans and the beans from a fresh vanilla pod. Stir constantly with a spatula. The mixture will initially look quite clumpy, then the sugar will crystallise, but eventually, as you keep stirring, the sugars will caramelise and you should have a deep golden caramel surrounding the nuts. It will take around 3-5 minutes. 

15. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, and tip the caramelised nuts onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat. Sprinkle some sea salt flakes on top and let it set completely at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

16. The praline should then be completely cool and solid to the touch. Break it into pieces and add it into a high-powered food processor. Blend for 3-4 minutes, scraping it down every so often, until you have a smooth, nutty paste. Store in an airtight container. 

17. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, add all of the ingredients for the streusel. 

18. Mix on a low speed until the butter has broken down and the mixture is sandy in texture. 

19. Transfer this to a baking tray, lined with a silicon mat and spread it out. Place it into the freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 175C/345F non-fan assisted.

20. Place the chilled mixture into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After around 15 minutes it should be slightly golden around the edges. Remove it from the oven and stir it all together with a spatula then place it back in the oven to bake until it is an even golden colour. 

21. Once baked, allow it to cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. 

22. For the recomposed streusel, add the chocolate, butter and praline into a bowl and place this over a pan of simmering water. Stir it together until the chocolate and butter have completely melted. Remove it from the heat. 

23. Tip in the cooled streusel and stir to combine. Ensure if there are any large pieces of streusel, that you crush them slightly so they are smaller, before adding them in. 

24. Pour the mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper and place a second sheet on top. Use a rolling pin to roll it relatively thin, then place it into the freezer for 30 minutes. 

25. To assemble the dessert, remove the coffee cremeux from the fridge and whisk it to a medium peak in a stand mixer – avoid whipping it too stiff. Add the mixture into a piping bag. 

26. If your coffee bean silicon mold has a cutter, use this to cut the out inserts from the recomposed streusel and financier. Sandwich them together with a little bit of cremeux. If you don’t have a cutter, then you can use a sharp knife to cut the required shapes that will fit your coffee bean mold. You can also freeze this dessert in any silicon mold you have!

27. Take the coffee bean silicon mold (or any silicon mold) and pipe the cremeux into the mold, filling it up about ¾ of the way. Use a spatula to press the cremeux to the edges, then place the financier/streusel insert into the cremeux. Top up the mold if needed with cremeux and then smooth the top with a palette knife. Repeat this for all of the molds you have. Place the molds onto a tray and freeze them for at least 12 hours.  

28. Once frozen, remove them from the molds then place the desserts back in the freezer on a tray lined with a silicon mat for a further hour.

29. For the glaze, add the chocolate, cocoa butter and oil into a medium bowl. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water and stir it until it is completely melted. 

30. The glaze needs to be at 45C/113F when you dip the desserts. Pour the mixture into a small, deep container that is just slightly larger than your dessert.

31. Remove one dessert at a time, and place a knife into the base. Dip the dessert into the so that it is covered right to the edge, then lift it up and hold it at a 45 degree angle until the dripping slows. Then lift it upright until it has set.

32. Dip a pastry brush back into the glaze and quickly brush this all around the bean to ‘rough’ it up slightly.

33. Finally, dust a thin layer of cocoa powder on top of the coffee bean then very quickly and carefully blow torch it to darken the cocoa powder slightly. Lift it onto a small serving dish.

34. Repeat this for all the remaining desserts, and then leave them in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight before serving.

by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Orange Marmalade Trifle

TIER 1

Chocolate Orange Marmalade Trifle

Now this isn’t any ordinary trifle. This has layers of soft chocolate sponge, orange marmalade, vanilla and chocolate custard, then finished with whipped cream. It’s not really traditional, but the texture when you get a spoonful of all the layers is amazing. This can be scaled up to a large trifle, you will just need to increase the quantities.

4
MINI TRIFLES

Ingredients

Makes 4 Mini Trifles

Chocolate Sponge
80g Egg Yolks
75g Caster/White Sugar, Divided
150g Egg Whites
45g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
25g Cocoa Powder
50g Vegetable Oil
35g Whole Milk

Custard Base
350g Double/Heavy Cream
175g Milk
1 Vanilla Pod
160g Egg Yolks
55g Caster/White Sugar
Pinch Flakey Sea Salt 

Chocolate Custard
260-285g Custard Base
65g Chocolate, 70% Cocoa Solids 

Vanilla Custard
260-285g Custard Base
40g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed

Unsweetened Whipped Cream
200g Double/Heavy Cream

Orange Marmalade To Fill
Cocoa Powder To Decorate

Special equipment

39x27cm baking tray
Electric hand whisk or stand mixer
Digital thermometer
Hand blender
Cookie cutter
Piping bag (optional)

Method

Chocolate Sponge

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/355°F Non-Fan Assisted.

2. Lightly grease a 39x27cm baking tray. Cut a rectangle of parchment paper so that it fits neatly inside the tray, and press it in. 

3. Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks, and 20g of caster sugar. Whisk the mixture with an electric hand mixer (or in a stand mixer) until it is thicker in volume and pale in colour. About 1-2 minutes. Set this to one side. 

4. Into a medium bowl, add the egg whites and using an electric hand whisk  (or stand mixer) whisk on a medium-low speed. Once the mixture is frothy, increase the speed to medium and slowly add the remaining 55g of caster sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisk until you have a medium-stiff peak to the meringue.

5. Gently fold the first third of meringue into the egg yolk mixture. Once incorporated, add the second third, fold it through and then the final third.

6. Next, sift in the plain flour & cocoa powder, and fold the mixture carefully until there are no more streaks of dry ingredients. 

7. Finally, pour in the vegetable oil and whole milk. Use a spatula to fold this in, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.

8. Pour the batter onto the lined tray, and then using a spatula, spread the batter out evenly.

9. Bake the sponge for 12 minutes then allow it to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature. 

Custard Base

1. Into a medium saucepan add the cream, milk, egg yolks, sugar and beans scraped from a fresh vanilla pod. 

2. Place this over a medium-low heat and whisk constantly until it reaches a temperature of 82C/180F on a digital thermometer. 

3. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it through a sieve into a tall measuring jug. 

4. Split the mixture into half in between two measuring jugs, you should get around 260-285g per jug.

5. Add the chopped chocolate into one, butter into another, and then blend each until smooth with a hand blender. Add a pinch of flakey sea salt to each and stir it through with a spoon. Alternatively, if you want the vanilla version to be thicker, try using white chocolate instead of butter. 

6. Pour the vanilla custard onto a shallow baking tray and cover the surface directly with cling film. Cover the surface of the chocolate jug with cling film and refrigerate – this will thicken faster than the vanilla version. 

Assembly

1. Take the cooled chocolate sponge and flip it out of the tray onto a large silicon mat or piece of parchment paper. 

2. Take a few tablespoons of orange marmalade and spread this evenly across the sponge with an offset spatula.

3. Take a cookie cutter that is just slightly bigger than the width of your individual trifle dishes.

4. Place a disc of sponge into the base of each trifle dish.

5. Remove the chilled chocolate custard from the fridge (it needs 15-30 minutes to thicken and cool slightly).

6. Add it into a piping bag if you want, otherwise, pour an even layer across each dish.

7. Place it into the freezer or fridge just until a skin has formed on top and when you poke it with your finger, you feel there is enough of a ‘barrier’ to support the weight of the next layer.

8. Add a second disc of sponge, then remove the chilled vanilla custard from the fridge – this will be a looser consistency.  

9. Pour this on top of the sponge, leaving enough room at the top for cream.

10. Place the trifles into the fridge or freezer just until the vanilla mixture has set to create a slight barrier and support the weight of the cream. This can take slightly longer as the mixture is softer. 

11. For the whipped cream, simply add the cream to a bowl and whisk with an electric hand whisk until you have a medium stiff peak.

12. Spoon the cream on top of the set vanilla custard, and then level it completely with a slightly warm palette knife. 

13. The trifles can now be refrigerated until needed or served immediately. Dust with a light coating of cocoa powder when ready to serve. 

Shop the Equipment

by Matt Adlard

Black Forest Swiss Roll

TIER 2

Black Forest Swiss Roll

Black Forest gâteau is one of my all-time favourites, and the mix of cream, fruit, and chocolate is exactly what a good Swiss roll should be about too! This version layers the chocolate sponge from Tier 1 with cherry jam, mascarpone cream, and finishes with a stunning chocolate glaze. Watch the video to help you master the perfect roll, and you’ll catch the little accident I had along the way 😅.

1
SWISS ROLL CAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 Swiss Roll Cake

Mascarpone Vanilla Cream
4g Powdered Gelatin, 250 bloom
24g Cold water
400g Double/Heavy Cream, Divided
1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
130g Mascarpone
20g Icing/Powdered Sugar

Chocolate Sponge
80g Egg Yolks
75g Caster/White Sugar, Divided
150g Egg Whites
45g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
25g Cocoa Powder
50g Vegetable Oil
35g Whole Milk

Chocolate Glaze
160g Dark Chocolate, 70% Cocoa Solids, Chopped
370g Double/Heavy Cream
10g Unsalted Butter
10g Glucose or Honey

Cherry Jam To Fill

Special equipment

Hand blender
39x27cm baking tray.
Electric hand whisk
Stand mixer
Piping bag
St Honore nozzle

Method

Mascarpone Vanilla Cream

1. Into a small bowl, add the powdered gelatin and cold water. Stir them together and set to one side for 5 minutes to bloom.

2. Into a tall jug, add the mascarpone and set this to one side.

3. Pour 330g of cream into a small saucepan, along with the sugar and the beans scraped from a fresh vanilla pod. 

4. Place this over a medium heat, stirring until the mixture is steaming.

5. Remove it from the heat and pour it over the mascarpone. Scoop in the bloomed gelatin, and blend with a hand blender until smooth.

6. Finally, pour in the remaining 70g of cold cream and blend again. Pour the mixture onto a deep baking tray and cover the surface directly with clingfilm. 

7. Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours. 

Chocolate Sponge

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/355°F Non-Fan Assisted.

2. Lightly grease a 39x27cm baking tray. Cut a rectangle of parchment paper so that it fits neatly inside the tray, and press it in. 

3. Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks, and 20g of caster sugar. Whisk the mixture with an electric hand mixer (or in a stand mixer) until it is thicker in volume and pale in colour. About 1-2 minutes. Set this to one side. 

4. Into a medium bowl, add the egg whites and using an electric hand whisk  (or stand mixer) whisk on a medium-low speed. Once the mixture is frothy, increase the speed to medium and slowly add the remaining 55g of caster sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisk until you have a medium-stiff peak to the meringue.

5. Gently fold the first third of meringue into the egg yolk mixture. Once incorporated, add the second third, fold it through and then the final third.

6. Next, sift in the plain flour & cocoa powder, and fold the mixture carefully until there are no more streaks of dry ingredients. 

7. Finally, pour in the vegetable oil and whole milk. Use a spatula to fold this in, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.

8. Pour the batter onto the lined tray, and then using a spatula, spread the batter out evenly.

9. Bake the sponge for 12 minutes then allow it to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature. 

Assembly 

1. Once the sponge has cooled, flip it out of the tray and gently peel off the parchment paper. Then carefully flip the sponge over onto a large, clean sheet of parchment paper, so that the smooth top side (the side that wasn’t touching the tray during baking) is facing down.

2. Position the sponge with the long edge facing you. Choose one of the short ends—either the left or right edge—and slice off a thin piece at a 45-degree angle using a serrated knife. This angled cut makes it easier to start the roll neatly and helps it tuck in smoothly. Then, at the opposite end, score three lines, about 1cm/0.4”  apart, being very careful not to cut through the sponge.

3. Take a few tablespoons of cherry jam and spread this evenly across the sponge using a palette knife.

4. Then, remove the mascarpone cream from the fridge, and scoop half of it into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Place the remaining half back in the fridge to use later. 

5. Whisk the cream on a medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until you have a medium stiff peak. 

6. Use an offset spatula to spread the cream in a very even layer across the sponge, right to the edges. 

7. Starting from the short edge that you didn’t cut, begin to roll the sponge tightly using the parchment paper underneath to guide and lift the sponge as you go. Use firm but gentle pressure to keep the roll even and tight. Once fully rolled, wrap the parchment paper around the log. Then, place a flat tool like a bench scraper against the roll, and with your other hand, gently pull the loose end of the parchment paper. This will tighten the log and help create a more defined cylinder shape. Place the Swiss roll onto a tray and refrigerate for 1 hour, then into the freezer for 15 minutes. 

Chocolate Glaze 

1. Just before you remove the Swiss roll from the freezer, prepare the glaze, as we will use this immediately.

2. Into a tall jug, add the chopped chocolate and set this to one side. 

3. Add the cream and glucose (or honey) to a small saucepan. Note – if you are using a cream with a lower fat percentage (35% for example), you will need less cream, around 260g. 

4. Place this over a medium-low heat and stir until the mixture is steaming.

5. Immediately remove it from the heat, and pour it over the chocolate, and add the butter on top.

6. Let it sit for 2 minutes, then use a hand blender to blend until smooth. Avoid adding any air bubbles as you blend it.

7. Remove the Swiss roll from the freezer and place a wire rack over a tray to catch any excess glaze. To elevate the Swiss roll and allow the glaze to drip cleanly down the sides, set a few small ring molds under the roll so it sits slightly above the wire rack. This will keep the bottom from sticking and ensure an even coating all around.

8. Take the glaze and slowly pour it evenly all over the Swiss roll. 

9. Let the excess drip off and the glaze set for a few minutes before taking a small knife and wiping away any drips that have set on the underside of the cake. 

10. Use a large offset spatula to carefully lift the Swiss roll onto your serving plate, then with a sharp knife that has been heated, cut both ends of the Swiss roll to reveal the swirl. Clean up the plate to ensure a nice presentation. Leave this at room temperature for 30 minutes.

11. Take the remaining mascarpone cream and whisk it to a medium stiff peak. Add this into a piping bag fitted with a St Honore nozzle.

12. Pipe a zigzag of cream down the centre and serve.

Shop the Equipment

by Matt Adlard

Apple Crumble

TIER 1

Apple Crumble

I like to call this my ‘restaurant crumble’ – not quite your simple butter, flour, sugar mixture as this crumble topping has oats, nuts and muscovado sugar. It’s a bit fancy but I love all the textures. The base of an apple crumble is a great apple filling and this is the fundamental thing we are learning here which we take through to Tier 2. It’s rich with spices and has a lovely soft, almost caramel like sauce wrapping around the apples. Serve with custard (and ice cream!).

4
INDIVIDUAL CRUMBLES

Ingredients

Makes 4 Individual Crumbles

Crumble
125g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
85g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
15g Oats
30g Whole Hazelnuts, Skinned
60g Ground Almonds
40g Muscovado Sugar
Pinch of Flakey Salt

Apple Filling
35g Unsalted Butter
600g Braeburn Apples (About 12 Apples)
55g Dark Muscovado Sugar
10g Caster/White Sugar
14g Cornstarch/Corn flour
½ Tsp Ground Cinnamon
¼ Tsp Ground Ginger
½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
Freshly Grated Nutmeg
75-100g water (adjust based on desired consistency)
Lemon Juice
Flakey Sea Salt

Special equipment

Food processor
Ramekins

Method

Apple Filling

1. Peel and core the apples, then cut them into cubes – 1x1cm as a guide. 

2. Toss them in a bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice once chopped, to prevent them from browning. 

3. Into a medium saucepan, add the butter and place it over a medium heat.

4. Stir it until the butter begins to brown slightly and smells nutty.

5. Add in the apples, and stir, cooking over a medium heat for 2 minutes.

6. Add in the sugars, and continue to cook for 5 minutes, to release some of the moisture from the apples. 

7. Reduce the heat to medium low, and add in the spices, cook for 30 seconds, then add in the cornflour and cook for a minute.

8. Stir in the water, starting with about half, until you have a sauce that is thick and glossy – the consistency of a runny caramel. If you prefer a crumble with a saucier consistency, then you can add more water. 

9. Finally, stir through a pinch of flaky sea salt. 

10. Pour the mixture onto a baking tray, and cover the surface with clingfilm. Refrigerate for 1 hour. 

Crumble

1. Into a food processor, add all of the ingredients for the crumble.

2. Pulse the mixture until the butter has broken down into pea size pieces.

3. Tip it out onto a large tray and use your hands to squeeze it together until it clumps up.

4. Then rub it between your hands to form a crumble-like mixture. Spread it evenly across your baking tray. 

5. Place the tray in the freezer for 30 minutes. 

6. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 175C/345F non-fan assisted. 

7. Once the crumble has chilled, bake it in the oven for 12 minutes. No need to stir it, just remove it from the oven and let it cool for about 15 minutes. Leave the oven on. 

Assembly

1. Remove the chilled apple filling from the fridge. 

2. Take 4 ramekins or individual saucepans (I used small copper pots) and fill them up about ¾ of the way with the apple filling.

3. Take the cooled crumble and scoop it on top, filling it to the top of the ramekin.

4. Place the ramekins on a baking tray and bake for around 25-30 minutes, or until the crumble is a deep golden brown colour. 

5. Remove them from the oven and serve immediately with ice cream or custard! 

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by Matt Adlard

Apple Pie

TIER 2

Apple Pie

A pastry chef once recommended adding cream cheese to a pie dough for extra tenderness and I have to say, I really love this dough! It is slightly technical as we are ‘laminating’ the pie dough to get it extra flakey, but it’s nothing like laminating a croissant so don’t panic! We use the same apple filling as Tier 1 and use it for a classic double crust apple pie. Serve with custard (and ice cream!).

1
9 inch pie

Ingredients

Makes 1 9-inch Pie

Pie Dough
500g Plain/all-Purpose Flour
6g Fine Sea Salt
25g Caster/White Sugar
325g Unsalted Butter, Cold
80g Full-Fat Cream Cheese, Cold
100–150g Ice-cold water

Apple Filling
75g Unsalted Butter
1200g Pink Lady Apples (About 12 Apples)
110g Dark Muscovado Sugar
20g Caster/White Sugar
27g Cornstarch/Corn flour
¾ Tsp Ground Cinnamon
½ Tsp Ground Ginger
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
Freshly Grated Nutmeg
150–225g water (adjust based on desired consistency)
Lemon Juice
Flakey Sea Salt

To Finish
1 Egg, Whisked
Demerara Sugar

Special equipment

9-inch pie dish
Rolling pin

Method

Pie Dough

1. Add the flour, sugar & salt into a large bowl.

2. Add in the butter (cut into small cubes), and toss it in the flour to coat the pieces.

3. Using your hands, work the butter into the flour, squeezing each piece between your fingers to flatten them. 

4. Add in the cream cheese, and stir it through with your hands again to dissolve it into the flour mixture. 

5. Now, mix in the ice-cold water, starting with about half, and swirl your hands to mix the water into the dry ingredients. Keep adding water just until there are no more dry ingredients in the bowl. The amount of water you need will depend on the type of flour you use.

6. Lift the dough onto your work surface and pull it together with your hands into a rough square shape.

7. Flour your work surface and the top of the dough, and using a rolling pin, roll it into a long rectangle. The dough might want to stick, so use a bench scraper to get underneath the dough to loosen it. 

8. Fold one-third of the dough up, then fold the other third of the dough over the top of this. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

9. Repeat this laminating process two more times, rolling the dough into a rectangle and folding it on itself. Once you have performed the final fold, cut the dough in half, then wrap and chill the dough for at least 1.5 hours, or leave it overnight. 

Apple Filling

1. Peel and core the apples, then cut them into cubes – 2x2cm as a guide. 

2. Toss them in a bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice once chopped, to prevent them from browning. 

3. Into a large saucepan, add the butter and place it over a medium heat.

4. Stir it until the butter begins to brown slightly and smells nutty.

5. Add in the apples, and stir, cooking over a medium heat for 2 minutes.

6. Add in the sugars, and continue to cook for 5 minutes, to release some of the moisture from the apples. 

7. Reduce the heat to medium low, and add in the spices, cook for 30 seconds, then add in the cornflour and cook for a minute.

8. Stir in the water, starting with about half, until you have a sauce that is thick and glossy – the consistency of a runny caramel. If you prefer a pie with a saucier consistency, then you can add more water. 

9. Finally, stir through a pinch of flaky sea salt. 

10. Pour the mixture onto a baking tray, and cover the surface with clingfilm. Refrigerate for 1 hour. 

Assembly

1. Remove one half of the pie dough from the fridge, and on a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a rough circle, around 3-5mm thick.

2. Lift it into a 9” pie dish – you should have a 1” overhang of dough over the edge of the tin.

3. Scoop the cooled apple filling into the dough, pressing it down with a spatula to remove any air pockets.

4. Place the pie in the fridge.

5. Remove the second piece of dough from the fridge, and on a lightly floured surface, roll it into a rough circle.

6. Remove the pie from the fridge and apply a light egg wash around the edge. 

7. Lift the second piece of dough on top, and using your fingers, firmly crimp the edges to seal the two pieces of dough together.

8. Using scissors, cut the excess dough away, leaving about a ¼” of dough around the edge.

9. Fold this excess dough underneath itself to create a thick rim.

10. Use your thumb and index finger on one hand to gently pinch the edge of the dough. With the index finger of your other hand, press into the pinched section to push the dough outward, creating a fluted edge. Continue this motion, crimping the entire crust of the pie. 

11. Place the pie into the fridge for 30 minutes. 

12. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 225C/435F non-fan assisted, and place a baking tray on the lower third rack of the oven. 

13. Once the pie is chilled, remove it from the fridge and brush an egg wash over the dough. 

14. Sprinkle a light dusting of demerara sugar on top, and then use a knife to cut 3 air vents in the centre of the pie.

15. Place it onto the pre-heated tray, and bake for 25 minutes.

16. Then, move the pie up to the middle shelf of the oven and lower the temperature to 180C/355F. Bake for a further 60-70 minutes. 

17. The pie will darken quite quickly, so you will most likely need to cover the top of the pie with a sheet of foil for the final 30-45 minutes to prevent it from burning. 

18. Once baked, the pie should be a deep golden colour, and the filling should be bubbling up slightly.

19. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool. Let the pie cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. It will still be warm, with a soft, and runny center. But for cleaner slices, allow it to cool completely or even chill it in the fridge—then reheat individual slices as needed.

Shop the Equipment

by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Orange Tiramisu

TIER 1

Chocolate Orange Tiramisu

I couldn’t make ladyfingers and not use them in a tiramisu! In Tier 1 we keep the technique of a tiramisu very classic – no cream! But I’ve mixed things up with a chocolate orange flavour. You soak your homemade ladyfingers biscuits in espresso, and layer them between orange mascarpone cream and chocolate shavings. This is a great dessert you can make ahead of time.

8-10
SERVINGS

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 Servings

Savoiardi Biscuits
115g Egg Yolks
25g Whole Eggs
40g Caster/White Sugar (A)
100g Plain/All-Purpose Flour (A)
260g Egg Whites
100g Caster/White Sugar (B)
1.5g Fine Salt
35g Plain/All-Purpose Flour (B)
Icing Sugar To Finish

Orange Mascarpone Cream
600g Mascarpone
65g Egg Yolks
50g Caster/White Sugar (A)
Zest 2 Oranges
145g Egg Whites
50g Caster/White Sugar (B)

Coffee Soaking Syrup
150g Freshly Brewed Coffee
15g Kahlua

Dark Chocolate, Grated

Special equipment

10mm round tip nozzle
Piping bag
Stand mixer

Method

Savoiardi Biscuits 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted. 

2. Take 2 large sheets of baking paper and draw two sets of train track lines on the baking sheets, 90mm/3.5” tall. Flip these upside down (so the ink doesn’t touch the pastry) and place them on a baking sheet. 

3. Take a small round tip nozzle (10mm) and add it into a piping bag. The piping nozzle needs to be smaller than you think, as the batter will spread slightly as it is piped. 

4. Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks, whole eggs, and sugar (A). Whisk this to combine, then add the flour (B) and whisk to form a thick paste. Set this to one side.

5. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites (room temperature) along with the salt. 

6. With the whisk attachment, whisk on a medium-low speed until it becomes frothy, with small bubbles on top (this will take a few minutes).

7. Slowly add in the sugar (B), about a tablespoon at a time. Once you have added all the sugar, whisk until you have a stiff peak. 

8. Take about ⅕ of the meringue mixture and whisk it through the egg yolk mixture. This will be quite stiff, so it needs to be whisked firmly to smooth it out. 

9. Add the remaining meringue in 2-3 parts, gently folding it through to ensure you don’t beat out too much air.

10. Once smooth, sift over the remaining flour (B) and fold through until there are no more lumps. 

11. Add the mixture into your piping bag and let it rest for a few minutes; this will just make it slightly easier to pipe. 

12. Using the guides on your baking tray, pipe individual lines, ensuring they’re not too close together, as they will spread slightly.

13. Once piped, add a good dusting of icing sugar over the top, wait 1-2 minutes, and then repeat.

14. Place them directly into the oven and bake until a deep golden brown colour – be sure not to underbake them. It should take around 30 minutes, but it can depend on how big you’ve piped them and your oven. 

15. Remove them from the oven and then allow them to cool at room temperature. If you want to make these ahead of time, you can place them in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 2 months. 

Orange Mascarpone Cream

1. Into a medium bowl, add the sugar (A) and zest of 1 orange, then massage this zest into the sugar. 

2. Add the egg yolks and whisk by hand for a minute until thickened slightly. 

3. Add the mascarpone and remaining orange zest, and whisk again until completely smooth. Set this to one side.

4. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and whisk on a medium-low speed until frothy.

5. Slowly add the sugar about a tablespoon at a time. Once you’ve added all the sugar keep whisking until it reaches a stiff peak. 

6. Take the meringue, and fold it through the egg yolk mixture in three parts until smooth and evenly combined. 

Coffee Soaking Syrup

1. Combine the two ingredients in a shallow dish.

Assembly

1. Take the cooled lady fingers and check to see how they fit into your chosen dish. If you need to cut them down to size, use a knife or a microplane to shave them down so that they fit snugly in the dish. 

2. Take the lady fingers and soak them one by one, then, lay them into the base of your tiramisu dish.

3. Once the bottom of the dish is covered, take a few large spoonfuls of the mascarpone cream mixture and spread this evenly across the lady fingers with an offset spatula. 

4. Using a microplane, grate a fine layer of dark chocolate over the cream (or cocoa powder)

5. Repeat this two more times, finishing with a layer of the mascarpone cream. Use an offset spatula to completely smooth the top so that it is flush with the rim of the dish.

6. Place the tiramisu into the fridge to chill – ideally 4-6 hours, but overnight is absolutely fine too. 

7. When ready to serve, remove it from the fridge and grate over one final layer of dark chocolate (or cocoa powder) and serve. 

Shop the Equipment

by Matt Adlard

Berry Charlotte Cake

TIER 2

Berry Charlotte Cake

In Tier 2 we take the precision of the ladyfingers to another level, using them to decorate the outside of this berry charlotte cake. When piping them, we want to get them as neat and as even as possible so making the Tier 1 tiramisu is a great place to build your confidence. The charlotte cake has a light berry mousse, with two layers of the lady fingers covered in raspberry jam, and it’s finished with a smooth mascarpone cream. This is frozen overnight and takes a little while to defrost, so keep those timings in mind!

8-10
SERVINGS

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 Servings

Savoiardi Biscuits
115g Egg Yolks
25g Whole Eggs
40g Caster/White Sugar (A)
100g Plain/All-Purpose Flour (A)
260g Egg Whites
100g Caster/White Sugar (B)
1.5g Fine Salt
35g Plain/All-Purpose Flour (B)
Caster/White Sugar To Coat

Berry Bavarois Mousse
6g Gelatin Powder (220-250 Bloom) + 36g Cold Water (or 2 Sheets of Gelatin, soaked)
75g Egg Yolks
30g Caster/White Sugar
50g Whole Milk
300g Double/Heavy Cream (A)
250g Fruit Puree (Raspberry or Strawberry)
400g Double/Heavy Cream (B)

Mascarpone Cream
3g Powdered Gelatin + 18g Cold Water (or 1 Gelatin Sheet, Soaked)
250g Double/Heavy Cream (A)
100g Mascarpone
15g Icing/Powdered Sugar
50g Double/Heavy Cream (B), Cold

To Assemble
Crushed Pistachios
Raspberry/Strawberry Jam
Fresh Strawberries/Raspberries, Sliced

Special equipment

10mm round tip nozzle
Piping bag
Stand mixer
Digital thermometer
Hand blender
7” ring mold
1M star tip nozzle

Method

Savoiardi Biscuits

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted. 

2. Take 2 large sheets of baking paper and draw two sets of train track lines on the baking paper, each 90mm/3.5” tall. Flip these upside down (so the ink doesn’t touch the pastry) and place them on a baking sheet. 

3. Take another baking sheet and draw two 7” circles on baking paper. Flip this upside down.

4. Take a small round tip nozzle (10mm) and put it into a piping bag. The piping nozzle needs to be smaller than you think, as the batter will spread slightly as it is piped. 

5. Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks, whole eggs, and sugar (A). Whisk this to combine, then add the flour (B) and whisk to form a thick paste. Set this to one side.

6. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites (room temperature) along with the salt. 

7. With the whisk attachment, whisk on a medium-low speed until it becomes frothy, with small bubbles on top (this will take a few minutes).

8. Slowly add in the sugar (B), about a tablespoon at a time. Once you have added all the sugar, whisk until you have a stiff peak. 

9. Take about ⅕ of the meringue mixture and whisk it through the egg yolk mixture. This will be quite stiff, so it needs to be whisked firmly to smooth it out. 

10. Add the remaining meringue in 2-3 parts, gently folding it through to ensure you don’t beat out too much air.

11. Once smooth, sift over the remaining flour (B) and fold through until there are no more lumps. 

12. Add the mixture into your piping bag and let it rest for a few minutes; this will just make it slightly easier to pipe. 

13. Using the guides on your baking tray, pipe two large 7” circles and then individual lines for the lady fingers. You will need 25-30 lady fingers, depending on the size of the ring mold you are using for the mousse. The more you can make, the better! But remember, they need to be baked immediately or the meringue will begin to collapse. 

14. Once piped, sprinkle a thin coating of caster/white sugar over the top. 

15. Place them directly into the oven and bake until a deep golden brown colour.

Note – as we are baking multiple trays of ladyfingers and sponge discs for the charlotte cake, the placement in the oven affects browning. The top tray will turn golden first because it’s directly exposed to the heat from the top of the oven, while the lower trays are shielded, preventing them from browning properly. We don’t care about the 7” disc brownings, but we need both sets of lady fingers to be golden, so rotate the trays halfway through baking, bringing the lower trays to the top and vice versa. Just do it very very quickly, so we don’t deflate the lady fingers. 

16. Bake everything for around 30 minutes, being sure not to underbake the lady fingers especially. They need to be firm to the touch. What I like to do is pop the 7” circles back in the oven just to get them slightly more golden. 

17. Remove them from the oven and then allow them to cool at room temperature. Leave the 7” discs out at room temperature but freeze the remaining lady fingers in a sealed tupperware as we won’t need these until the next day. 

18. If you want to make these ahead of time, you can place them in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 2 months. 

Berry Bavarois Mousse

1. Add the powdered gelatin into a small bowl and pour the cold water over the top. Let it bloom for 5-10 minutes. If using a gelatin sheet, soak this in ice-cold water. 

2. Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks and sugar and whisk briefly to combine.

3. Meanwhile, add the cream and milk to a medium saucepan and heat just until it is steaming.

4. Slowly pour the hot cream over the egg yolk mixture and whisk to combine.

5. Pour it back into the pan and whisk constantly, cooking until it reaches 82C/180F on a digital thermometer, then immediately remove it from the heat. You need to do this quickly or it will begin to scramble. 

6. Pour it straight through a sieve into a tall measuring jug.

7. Scoop in the bloomed gelatin powder (or squeeze the water out of the gelatin sheet), and then use a hand blender to blend until smooth. 

8. Pour in the fruit puree and blend to combine. 

9. Pour this mixture into a tray and cover the surface with cling film. We need this to cool to around 30C/86F on a digital thermometer, so refrigerating it can be the quickest way to chill it. 

10. Once at temperature, add the remaining cream to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on a medium speed until you have a medium stiff peak. 

11. Pour the chilled fruit mixture into a bowl, and then whisk in the whipped cream in 3 parts until you have a smooth mousse. 

Assembly Part 1

1. Take the cooled 7” savaordi biscuit discs and, using your 7” ring mold, trim them down to size. 

2. Line the inside of the 7” cake ring mold with acetate and place this onto a tray lined with a baking mat.

3. Take a few tablespoons of jam and spread this evenly across each disc, then place one into the base of the ring mold.

4. Take the berry bavarois mousse and fill the ring mold up halfway.

5. Add the second savoiardi disc.

6. Pour the remaining mousse in, filling it to the top of the rind mold. It should settle evenly, but if it needs it, flatten it with a palette knife.

7. Place this into the freezer, ideally overnight, but a minimum of 6 hours. 

Mascarpone Cream

1. Add the powdered gelatin into a small bowl and pour the cold water over the top. Let it bloom for 5-10 minutes. If using a gelatin sheet, soak this in ice cold water. 

2. Into a medium saucepan, add the cream and heat until it is steaming.

3. Remove it from the heat, and add the bloomed gelatin into a tall measuring jug and pour over the hot cream.

4. Blend to combine, then add the sugar and mascarpone and blend again. 

5. Finally, add the remaining cold cream and blend one more time.

6. Cover the surface with clingfilm and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

Note – there is no vanilla in this, but you can absolutely add it, if you want that flavour! Add it to the cream when you are heating it.

Assembly Part 2

1. Remove the frozen berry bavarois from the freezer, and lift it onto your serving dish. Peel off the acetate.

2. Leave it at room temperature for about 30 minutes – 1 hour to soften, this will make it easier to stick the lady fingers on. Alternatively, you can use a heat gun/blow torch to warm the sides and press the lady fingers on.

3. Once the edges have softened slightly, remove the lady fingers from the freezer, and then trim them down slightly so they are all of identical height. You can also use a microplane to lightly shave the edges to get them nice and straight. 

4. Press them into the side of the cake – just note that the longer you leave them on the cake, the softer they will become. So if you want them to be a bit more crunchy, then it is best to place them on the cake just as you are serving. But note the cake needs quite some time to defrost! 

5. Remove the mascarpone cream from the fridge and add it to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.

6. Whisk on a medium speed until it holds a medium peak, being careful not to over whip it.

7. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1M star tip nozzle.

8. Pipe a spiral border around the edge of the cake. 

9. Finish the cake by decorating it with some crushed pistachios and freshly sliced fruit. 

10. The cake needs around 3-4 hours in total once removed from the freezer to defrost so just take those timings into consideration before serving. 

Shop the Equipment

by Matt Adlard

Boston Cream Pie

TIER 1

Boston Cream Pie

A childhood favourite of mine, a Boston cream pie often comes as a donut, but it’s also fantastic in cake form. It starts with two layers of vanilla sponge, which are filled with a thick layer of smooth vanilla crème pâtissière. The cake is then finished with a thin chocolate glaze.The beauty in the cake lies in how it is layered in the tin, and using acetate really helps to get a smooth, clean finish.

7"
CAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 7-inch Cake

Vanilla Sponge
245g Caster Sugar
245g All Purpose/Plain or Cake Flour
15g Baking Powder
2g Fine Sea Salt
245g Whole Eggs
100g Vegetable Oil
85g Whole Milk
145g Unsalted Butter
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Crème Pâtissiére
500g Whole Milk
1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
75g Caster/White Sugar
120g Egg Yolks
40g Cornstarch
1g Fine Sea Salt
45g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed

Chocolate Glaze
100g Chocolate (55% Cocoa Solids)
50g Unsalted Butter
80g Double/Heavy Cream, Slightly Warm

Special equipment

2 x 7″ springform/removable base cake tins
Acetate
Hand blender (optional)
Stand mixer (optional)

Method

Vanilla Sponge 

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C/355F non-fan assisted.

2. Lightly grease the bottom of two 7” cake tins, and place a circle of parchment on the base. Lightly grease the sides and coat them with flour, tipping out any excess.

3. Place the butter & vanilla into a saucepan and melt it over a low heat. Once it has just melted, set it to one side to cool slightly.

4. In a large bowl, sieve together the dry ingredients – sugar, flour, salt & baking powder. Whisk until they are evenly combined.

5. In a separate jug, whisk together the eggs, oil & milk. 

6. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry bowl, whisking to combine until you have a smooth batter with no more streaks of flour.

7. Finally, pour in the melted butter and mix the batter slowly until everything is evenly combined and you have a smooth batter. 

8. Pour 500g of batter into each cake tin.

9. Place the cakes in the oven and bake for around 30-35 minutes, at which time the cake should be golden and a skewer should come out clean. 

10. Once baked, remove them from the oven and run a knife around the outer edge of the cake tin to ensure it releases. Then carefully flip it onto a wire rack.

11. Let the sponges cool for a few minutes, then flip them onto a sheet of cling film and wrap them, before refrigerating. 3-4 hours will be enough but overnight works great too! 

Crème Pâtissiére 

1. In a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, add the milk and the scraped vanilla pod just until it is steaming. 

2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and thickened.

3. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture over the sugar and eggs mixture, whisking constantly.

4. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium heat until it begins to bubble, then cook for 1 minute.

5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pass the mixture through a sieve placed over a large bowl.

6. Blend (or whisk) in the butter until the mixture is smooth. Cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Assembly

1. Once the cakes have chilled, use a serrated knife (or cake leveller) just to trim the top of the cakes off – don’t cut off too much!

2. Take a 7” cake tin with a removable bottom/springform tin/cake ring and line the inside with acetate. Place this onto a tray. 

3. Take one of the sponges, and lift it into the tin/ring mold. Ensure the acetate is tight around the cake – if you need to, adjust the acetate and re-tape it so that there are no gaps between the acetate and the cake.

4. Remove the créme pâtissiére from the fridge and add it into a stand mixer (or whisk by hand) and whisk for around 2 minutes until the mixture becomes much smoother in  texture. It might initially look slightly lumpy/gelatinous but as you whisk it will smooth itself out.

5. Scoop the créme pâtissiére on top of the sponge and use a spoon to spread it to the edges, creating an even layer.  

6. Next, take the second layer of cake and flip it upside down so that the side you cut is now facing down. Lift this on top of the créme pâtissiére and carefully press it in with your hands.

7. To make the chocolate ganache, add the chocolate and butter to a bowl and place this over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir it until it has completely melted.

8. Take some slightly warm cream and pour this in, and then stir with a spatula until smooth. 

9. Working quickly, immediately pour the ganache on top of the sponge, and then tilt the tin/ring mold so that it spreads evenly to the edges. 

10. Place the entire cake in the fridge for 2-3 hours to set (or overnight) then remove it from the fridge. 

11. Lift it out of the tin/ring mold and peel off the acetate. If any of the créme pâtissiére has stuck, simply smooth the edge of the cake with an offset spatula so that it is neat. 

12. It is best served, left at room temperature for 30m-1 hours so that the chocolate can soften slightly. 

13. To give it a nice finish as you serve it, gently blow torch the chocolate to give it a quick shine! 

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by Matt Adlard

Raspberry Sachertorte

TIER 2

Raspberry Sacher Torte

This is a new and improved version of my original Sachertorte. It has 2 layers of chocolate financier (which is delicious baked on its own too!), with a layer of raspberry compote in the centre. We then sandwich that in a chocolate mousse which uses a pâte à bombe base. The whole thing is frozen and finished with a shiny chocolate ganache glaze. I’d recommend a good quality hand blender for this glaze, to avoid adding too many air bubbles.

7"
CAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 7-inch Cake

Chocolate Financier
210g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids)
75g Unsalted Butter
75g Icing Sugar
60g Ground Almonds
60g Plain Flour
6g Baking Powder
1g Fine Sea Salt
150g Egg Whites (Room Temperature)
195g Double/Heavy Cream

Raspberry Compote
180g Raspberry Puree
40g Caster/White Sugar
3g Pectin Nh
15g Lemon Juice

Chocolate Mousse
90g Egg Yolks
45g Whole Eggs
70g Caster/White Sugar
200g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids)
(a) 150g Cream (35-48% Fat)
(b) 275g Cream (35-48% Fat)

Chocolate Glaze
200g Dark Chocolate (55% Cocoa Solids), Chopped
240g Cream (35-40% Fat) – Ideally we want a cream that is lower in fat here as it will make the glaze more fluid. I used 39% fat.
40g Soft, Unsalted Butter
20g Raspberry Liqueur (Optional) 

Special equipment

9×13” baking tray
6.3”x1.7” (16×4.5cm) ring mold
Stand mixer
Digital thermometer
Hand blender
7″ ring mold

Method

Chocolate Financier

1. Take a 9×13” baking tray, and lightly grease the bottom, lining it with a sheet of parchment paper. Pre-heat the oven to 175C/345F Non-fan assisted. 

2. Into a small bowl, add the chocolate and butter and place this over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir until it has completely melted and then set it to one side to cool slightly.

3. Into a medium bowl, add the icing sugar, ground almonds, salt, flour, and baking powder. Whisk these together until they are combined.

4. Pour in the egg whites and whisk again until smooth.

5. Pour in the cream and whisk until smooth.

6. Finally, slowly pour in the chocolate mixture while whisking, until you have a thick chocolate batter. 

7. Pour the batter into the lined tray and use an offset spatula to spread it out evenly.

8. Bake for 20 minutes in the oven and then remove and allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, before refrigerating for 2-3 hours – chilling it will make it easier to cut without falling apart! 

Raspberry Compote

1. If you don’t have raspberry puree, you can simply blend 180g of fresh raspberries and use that.

2. Pour the raspberry puree into a medium saucepan and place it on a medium low heat.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the sugar and pectin. 

4. Once the puree is steaming, whisk in the pectin sugar mixture and keep cooking until it reaches a boil. 

5. Remove it from the heat, and whisk in the lemon juice.

6. Pour the mixture into a bowl and cover the surface directly with clingfilm. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. 

Assembly Part 1

1. Once the financier has chilled, use a 6.3”x1.7” (16×4.5cm) ring mold to cut two discs. If you don’t have enough space to cut two full discs, you can cut a second disc, and then cut some scraps and press the cake together slightly. Don’t worry too much if you don’t have a ring mold this exact size, you just want something smaller than the ‘main’ 7” ring mold that we are using later. This is the insert layer that gets sandwiched in between the chocolate mousse.

Note – we will need the spare financier scraps later to decorate the cake so set them to one side. When you have a moment, very briefly blend them to a crumb, then get them onto a tray and into the freezer to use later. 

2. Lift one of the discs into the bottom of the 6.3” ring mold, which is on a tray lined with a silicon baking mat. 

3, Remove the raspberry puree from the fridge and stir it to loosen it.

4. Pour this into the ring mold and spread it to the edges so that you have an even layer.

5. Place the second chocolate sponge on top and gently sandwich it together. 

6. Place the ring into the freezer for 2-3 hours or until frozen.

Chocolate Mousse

1. The key to this mousse is ensuring that the temperatures are correct otherwise, it could split or go grainy. 

2. Into a medium bowl, add the chocolate and place this over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir this until melted, then turn off the heat, but keep it on the water so it stays warm & fluid.

3. Then, add the whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. 

4. Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and whisk by hand until it reaches around 60C/140F on a digital thermometer. 

5. Immediately remove the bowl from the heat, place it onto a stand mixer and whisk on a medium speed.

6. Meanwhile, add the cream (a) into a small saucepan and place it over a medium heat, stirring until it is steaming. 

7. Remove the cream from the heat and pour it over your melted chocolate, then use a hand blender to emulsify them together. 

8. At this point we need to check the temperatures of both ingredients. The chocolate/cream needs to be between 40-50C (104-122F) and the egg yolk mixture needs to be between 20-25C (68-77F) when we combine them. This will ensure they combine properly.

9. If you find one is colder than the other, just gently stir it over a pan of very gently simmering water.

10. Once both components are at temperature, gently fold the egg yolk mixture (which will have thickened) into the chocolate in three parts until smooth. Set this bowl to one side.

11. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the remaining cream (b). Whisk this until it forms medium soft peaks, do not overwhip it.

12. Take the soft cream and fold it into the chocolate base in three parts until you have a smooth mousse.

13. Take a 7” ring mold and tightly wrap the bottom with clingfilm (you can line it with acetate if you want – this will just make it slightly easier to demold). Place it onto a tray lined with a baking mat.

14. Scoop a small portion of the chocolate mousse into the ring mold, then remove the raspberry/chocolate insert from the freezer. Pop it out of the ring mold and press it into the chocolate mousse.

15. Top up the rest of the ring mold with the chocolate mousse, using a palette knife to completely smooth the top. You may have a little extra chocolate mousse – get this into some ramekins and chill it to have a nice dessert later!

16. Place the entire dessert into the freezer for a minimum of 6 hours, until frozen solid.

Chocolate Glaze

1. Once the glaze is ready we are going to pour it immediately over the cake so be prepared with the frozen cake nearby and a rack ready to pour it on. It can help to demold the mousse from the ring mold, then place it back in the freezer so when you are ready to glaze you don’t need to faff around getting it out of the mold. 

2. Into a tall jug, add the chopped chocolate.

3. Add the cream into a small saucepan, and gently stir it until it is steaming. 

4. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it over the chopped chocolate.

5. Let it sit for a minute, then use a hand blender to blend it until smooth. Really try to avoid adding any air bubbles here.

6. Add in the soft butter and raspberry liqueur (optional) and blend again until smooth.

7. Remove the frozen mousse from the freezer and place it onto a glass, with a tray and wire rack underneath.

8. Pour the glaze evenly over the entire cake.

9. The glaze will set quickly, so once it has stopped dripping, use a knife to just trim away the drips.

10. Remove the blended-up crumbs from the freezer and press these into the bottom of the cake.

11. Then carefully lift it onto your serving plate. You might damage it slightly lifting it up/moving it, so just patch up any bits with more blended crumb!

12. Let it defrost for 2 hours at room temperature, then serve. 

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by Matt Adlard

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

TIER 1

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

Unlike a traditional dense cheesecake, this one has a light, mousse-like texture (Triple Chocolate… Choussecake?!). The process is simple as we start by making a ganache with cream cheese, then fold in whipped cream to create that incredible texture. Each layer is easy to replicate since the measurements are nearly identical, with just a few small tweaks. The only tricky part is waiting for each layer to set! But once it’s ready to serve, you’re left with a beautiful ombré effect.

1
8" CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 8-inch Cheesecake

Chocolate Cookie Base
120g Oreos
20g-40g Unsalted Butter

Milk Mixture
275g Whole Milk
30g Honey

White Chocolate Layer
75g Milk Mixture (Above)
60g White Chocolate, Chopped
75g Double/Heavy cream
90g Cream Cheese, Full Fat
60g Double/Heavy cream

Milk Chocolate Layer
75g Milk Mixture (Above)
60g Milk Chocolate, Chopped
6g Cocoa Powder
75g Double/Heavy cream
90g Cream Cheese, Full Fat
60g Double/Heavy cream

Dark Chocolate Layer
75g Milk Mixture (Above)
65g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Chopped
75g Double/Heavy cream
90g Cream Cheese, Full Fat
60g Double/Heavy cream

Special equipment

Food processor
8×2.75” ring mold
Acetate (optional)
Hand blender
Stand mixer

Method

Chocolate Cookie Base

1. Add the Oreos into a food processor and blend to a fine crumb. If you want, you can remove the white filling and just use 120g of Oreo biscuits. 

2. Pour these into a medium bowl and set it to one side.

3. Add the butter into a small saucepan and place it on a low heat until melted.

4. Slowly pour about half of the butter mixture into the Oreos and stir to combine. Keep adding butter until the mixture resembles slightly wet sand. Oreos don’t require as much butter to pull together unlike a traditional biscuit base so add it slowly to avoid a very wet biscuit mixture. 

5. Take an 8×2.75” ring mold and place a piece of acetate along the inside. Acetate isn’t completely necessary as we are freezing the mousse. If you don’t have acetate you can simply heat the outside of the ring mold with a hair dryer/heat gun when you need to demold it. Acetate just makes this process much easier and you end up with a slightly cleaner finish. Place the ring onto a baking tray.

6. Pour the Oreo mixture into the base of the ring and use the back of a measuring cup or something flat, to smooth the base out so that it is even. Place the tray into the freezer. 

Milk Mixture

1. Add the milk and honey into a small saucepan, and place it over a medium-low heat until it is steaming – stirring occasionally. We are going to split this mixture between all three cheesecake bases. 

The process for making the layers is identical, so it is easiest to set up three measuring jugs at once, each with the chopped chocolate in, then pour in the weighed milk mixture. 

White Chocolate Layer

1. Into a tall jug, add the chopped chocolate, and pour over 75g of the hot milk mixture. The mixture needs to be hot so that the chocolate melts. Let it sit for 2 minutes before blending until smooth.

2. Add in the cream cheese, and the 75g of double/heavy cream. Blend again until smooth and there are no lumps of cream cheese. Cover the surface with clingfilm and refrigerate for 3 hours (or longer if needed).

Milk Chocolate Layer

1. Into a tall jug, add the chopped chocolate, and cocoa powder, and pour over 75g of the hot milk mixture. The mixture needs to be hot so that the chocolate melts. Let it sit for 2 minutes before blending until smooth.

2. Add in the cream cheese, and the 75g of double/heavy cream. Blend again until smooth and there are no lumps of cream cheese. Cover the surface with clingfilm and refrigerate for 3 hours (or longer if needed).

Dark Chocolate Layer

1. Into a tall jug, add the chopped chocolate, and pour over 75g of the hot milk mixture. The mixture needs to be hot so that the chocolate melts. Let it sit for 2 minutes before blending until smooth.

2. Add in the cream cheese, and the 75g of double/heavy cream. Blend again until smooth and there are no lumps of cream cheese. Cover the surface with clingfilm and refrigerate for 3 hours (or longer if needed).

Assembly

The assembly process is slightly tedious, as you have to wait for each layer to set before you can add the next one!

1. Remove the white chocolate layer from the fridge and place it into a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on a medium speed, until the mixture thickens and holds a medium peak. Set this to one side.

2. Into a bowl, add the remaining 60g of double/heavy cream and whisk until it holds a medium peak. Note – 60g can actually be quite tough to whisk if you are using an electric stand mixer so it is worth mixing 100g so that the whisk attachment can actually catch it, then just weigh the required 60g of cream.

3. Take the 60g of whipped cream, and fold this through the white chocolate layer, until smooth and combined. The final texture of the mixture should be thick, but still soft and slightly runny. We want a texture where we can pour the mousse into the tin and it will almost settle itself without too much assistance!

4. Remove the chilled chocolate base from the freezer and pour the white chocolate layer in. It should spread to the edges and settle, but if not just use a palette knife or a spoon to gently spread it, so that it is even. You can even give the tray a bit of a tap on the work surface to help it settle. Place the tray into the freezer for 30-60 minutes, or until the white chocolate layer feels firm enough to the touch to support another layer of mousse.

5. Repeat this exact same process with the milk chocolate and dark chocolate layers, freezing the mousse in between the milk and dark chocolate each layer. Note that because these layers have more cocoa solids, they will become thicker more quickly as you whisk them, so be careful not to over-whisk them and let them become too thick. 

6. Once you have added the dark chocolate layer, place the entire cheesecake into the freezer. If you need to serve this quickly, 2-3 hours in the freezer will be absolutely fine, but you can also freeze it overnight too.

7. When you are ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the freezer, and lift it onto your serving dish. Carefully pull off the ring mold and then peel away the acetate, to reveal a smooth cheesecake. The cheesecake now needs 2 hours to defrost before you can eat it (maybe slightly less if you only freeze it for 2-3 hours). Or, you can defrost it for 2 hours then get it straight into the fridge.

8. Just a note that the longer you leave it at room temperature, you will begin to see the base ‘weep’. This is just because the sugar draws moisture from the cheesecake mixture. Nothing has gone wrong, it’s just a natural scientific occurrence of the ingredients of the hygroscopic properties of sugar! 

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by Matt Adlard

Espresso Burnt Basque Cheesecake

TIER 2

Espresso Burnt Basque Cheesecake

We don’t use coffee often in Bake It Better, but it’s a flavour I absolutely love! A classic burnt Basque cheesecake is usually made without a biscuit base, but here, we’re taking it up a notch with our own homemade chocolate biscuit base. I’ve also included some great techniques to give the cheesecake a more refined finish—less rustic than most recipes! If coffee isn’t your thing, feel free to skip the espresso and coffee beans and swap in fresh vanilla instead!

1
9" CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 9-inch Cheesecake

Chocolate Cookie Base
70g Unsalted Butter, Cubed & Cold
55g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
12g Cocoa Powder
45g Ground Almonds
35g Caster/White Sugar
1g Baking Powder
Pinch of Sea Salt Flakes

Coffee Cheesecake
450g Double/Heavy Cream + extra
45g Coffee Beans, Whole
880g Cream Cheese
265g Caster Sugar
38g Plain Flour
290g Whole Eggs, Whisked Together
25g Freshly Brewed Espresso

Special equipment

9” springform/loose bottom cake tin
Stand mixer
Hand blender
Food processor

Method

Chocolate Cookie Base

1. Take a 9” springform/loose bottom cake tin, and lightly grease the base and sides. Place a circle of parchment along the bottom and a strip around the side.

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer (or you can do this with your hands), add all of the ingredients. 

3. With the paddle attachment, mix on a low speed until it resembles a crumble-like texture and the butter has broken down. If doing this by hand, just rub the mixture between your fingers.

4. Remove the mixture from the bowl and tip it into the base of the cake tin. Use your hands to press it flat into the tin – it will be quite dry/dusty initially, but pressing it down will help form it into a dough. Then use the back of a flat glass to press it firmly down.

5. Place the tin into the freezer, while you pre-heat the oven to 175C/345F Non-fan assisted. 

6. Put the tin into the oven and bake the base for 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes. 

7. Once it has cooled, lay a few large sheets of foil underneath the pan – we will need these later!

Coffee Cheesecake

1. Into a medium saucepan, add the cream and whole coffee beans. Place the lid on the pan and place it on a medium heat. Once it comes to a simmer, turn the heat off and allow it to steep for 30 minutes.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 210C/410F fan-assisted. 

3. Remove the lid and pour the mixture into a tall jug, then use a hand blender to blend for about 30 seconds.

4. Pour the mixture through a sieve and into a bowl on a scale. You will have lost some weight due to evaporation, so you need to top up the mixture with more fresh double/heavy cream, until it weighs 365g. 

5. Into a food processor or blender, add the cream cheese, flour, and sugar. Blend on a low speed for about 2 minutes until the mixture is smooth. We’re trying to avoid adding in too much air so it is important to do this on a low speed. Scrape down the mixture a few times to ensure it incorporates properly.

6. Pour in the eggs and blend until combined on a low speed. Scrape down the food processor when/if needed.

7. Finally, pour in the coffee cream and freshly brewed coffee and blend on low until combined. Scrape down the food processor and blend again. 

8. Give the bowl a very firm tap on the work surface to get rid of any excess bubbles, then pour the mixture, through a sieve, straight over the biscuit base. 

9. Take two tea towels, and soak them in water. Fold them into a neat rectangle shape and then wrap them around the outside of the tin. Then, take the foil that you laid down, and wrap this up and around the tea towels (to stop them from burning!)

10. Place the tray into the centre of the oven and bake for around 35-40 minutes. The cheesecake should be dark on top, with a very significant wobble when you gently shake the tray. About ¾ of the cheesecake should wobble. If you think the cheesecake is done, but maybe you want it a little darker on top, you can put it under a hot grill just for a minute or two to add some colour. For me, I found 36 minutes was perfect.

11. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature for 1 hour, before refrigerating overnight. It’s important to let it chill overnight to really set the cheesecake. 

12. The next day, remove it from the tin, and then use a hot knife to cut slices.

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by Matt Adlard

Gâteaux Basque

TIER 2

Gâteaux Basque

Using the same idea of working with a high fat, high butter dough, in Tier 2 we work with a pastry that is very similar to a Sablé Breton. The dough is rolled, almost like a deep dish cookie pie, and filled with cherry jam and pastry cream. It’s traditionally finished by decorating it with the stripes of a fork and baked until golden. Most recipes say to cool it completely, but I really prefer it slightly warm as I think it has a much better texture!

1

TART (SERVES 8-10)

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 Servings

For the Pastry
125g Egg Yolks
250g Caster/White Sugar
1g Salt
375g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
2.5g Baking Powder
20g Ground Almonds/Almond Flour
2g Lemon Zest
250g Unsalted Butter, Very Soft & Cubed

Egg Wash
1 Egg Yolk

For the Pastry Cream
500g Whole Milk
1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
70g Caster/White Sugar
120g Egg Yolks
40g Cornstarch/Cornflour
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
45g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed

Black Cherry Jam To Fill (or your favourite jam)

Special equipment

20 x 3.2 cm Tart Ring
Stand Mixer
Silicon Baking Mat
Rolling Pin

Method

Pastry

1. Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set this to one side.

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and salt. Whisk on a medium speed for 2 minutes until the mixture is thick and light in colour.

3. Add in the sifted dry ingredients, along with the soft butter (in small cubes). Mix with a paddle attachment just until it pulls together into a smooth dough. This won’t take long.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it briefly until smooth, then shape it into 2 equal discs and wrap it in clingfilm. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. 

Vanilla Pastry Cream

1. In a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, add the milk and the scraped vanilla pod just until it is steaming. 

2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and thickened.

3. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture over the sugar and eggs mixture, whisking constantly.

4. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium heat until it begins to bubble, then cook for 1 minute.

5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pass the mixture through a sieve placed over a large bowl.

6. Whisk in the butter until the mixture is smooth.  Pour the mixture onto a baking tray, spread it out and cover the surface directly with clingfilm. Spreading it thin will help it to chill faster. 

Assembly

1. Line a baking tray with a silicon mat, and lightly butter the inside of your tart ring. Place this into the centre. 

2. Once the pastry discs have chilled, remove one from the fridge. Briefly massage the dough in your hand to soften it slightly. Place it onto a lightly floured work surface. 

3. Roll the dough out into a rough circle, until it is around 5mm/0.19” thick. Cut a disc around 23cm/9” and quickly but carefully lift the disc into your tart ring.

4. Lightly flour your fingers and gently press the dough into all edges of the tart ring. There should be a slight overhang of dough over the edge of the tart ring. Use a sharp knife to trim off the excess so that the dough is now flush with the edge of the ring. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

5. Once the dough is chilled, remove it from the fridge and spread 3-4 tbsp of your desired jam over the bottom of the pastry so that you have a thin, even layer.

6. Remove the pastry cream from the fridge and add it into a bowl. Whisk it by hand until it is smooth and homogenous

7. Pour the pastry cream directly into the tart shell and use the back of a spoon to spread this out evenly across the tart. Place this back in the fridge briefly.

8. Remove the second disc of pastry from the fridge and again use your hands to lightly massage it so that it softens slightly.

9. Place this onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a rough disc, until it is around 5mm/0.19” thick.

10. Remove the tart ring from the fridge and lift the circle of dough directly on top. Then use a rolling pin to roll over the top of the pastry, pressing it against the edges of the tin, to very neatly trim off the excess pastry. Refrigerate it for 1-2 hours.

11. Just before it is chilled. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F fan assisted, or 175C/345F non-fan assisted.

12. Whisk an egg yolk, then brush this evenly over the top of the pastry using a pastry brush.

13. Using a fork, trace 4 sets of parallel lines with a fork, then turn the mould 1/4 turn and trace 4 more sets of parallel lines perpendicular to the first sets of lines. This will result in a diamond-shaped crosshatch pattern. Prick a few small holes in the pastry too, to help any steam escape as it bakes.

14. Place the tart directly into the oven, and bake for 40 minutes, then lower the heat to 150C/300F Fan assisted (165/330F Non-fan assisted) and bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until a deep golden colour.

15. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. I prefer to eat it slightly warm, so I allow it to cool for around 75-90 minutes but it can also be eaten once it has completely cooled to room temperature too.

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by Matt Adlard

Sablé Viennois

TIER 1

Sablé Viennois

In Tier 1 we tackle a simple Sablé biscuit, and learn the foundations of a Sablé dough. A spin on the recipe I share in my book, the biscuits are elevated by piping the dough into a zigzag pattern! Although the piping can be a little bit tricky, it’s worth the effort as it holds its shape really well, resulting in a stunning biscuit. To finish, I’ve dipped mine in a little dark chocolate, but you can get creative here with the toppings.

12-14

COOKIES

Ingredients

Makes 12-14 Biscuits

140g Unsalted Butter, Soft
80g Icing/Powdered Sugar
2g Fine Sea Salt
20g Egg White
120g Plain Flour
40g White Bread Flour
20g Cornflour (Cornstarch)

Chocolate Variation:
140g Unsalted Butter, Soft
80g Icing/Powdered Sugar
2g Fine Sea Salt
20g Egg White
115g Plain Flour
30g Bread Flour
20g Cornflour (Cornstarch)
15g Cocoa Powder

To decorate:
200g Dark Chocolate (50-60% Cocoa Solids), Melted

Special equipment

Basket Weave Piping Nozzle
Stand Mixer
Piping Bags
Silicon Baking Mat

Method

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl), add the soft butter, sugar and salt.

2. Beat this on a medium-low speed for 2 minutes until lighter and fluffier in consistency. If doing this by hand, simply use a rubber spatula to beat the ingredients together. 

3. Add in the egg white and beat again to combine. The egg white, won’t fully incorporate so don’t worry if the butter is slightly lumpy/separated. 

4. Finally, sift in the flours & cornflour. Mix this until the dough is soft and slightly sticky. We need the dough to be quite soft otherwise it will be very difficult to pipe. Add this mixture into a piping bag fitted with a basket weave piping nozzle (or any other nozzle you prefer!). Massage the dough in the bag to soften it further. 

Note: If you want to make chocolate cookies, simply follow the same steps, but add the cocoa powder in with the flours. 

5. If you want to be accurate, draw a stencil on some parchment paper, with pairs of lines, about an inch apart, and place this under your silicone mat. 

6. With firm pressure, pipe tight zig zags, roughly 3-4” long. Then, use a bench scraper or sharp knife, neaten the top and bottoms of the biscuits by trimming off the shaggy ends.

7. Place the tray of cookies into the freezer, while you preheat your oven to 175C/350F Non-Fan Assisted. 

8. After the cookies have chilled for 20 minutes, place the tray into the middle shelf of the oven and bake the cookies for 15 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. 

9. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the tray for 5 minutes. 

10. To decorate, melt some dark chocolate, and dip the edges of the biscuits before placing them carefully on a silicon mat. Let the chocolate set before serving.

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by Matt Adlard

Raspberry Jam Frangipane Tart

TIER 2

Raspberry Jam Frangipane Tart

In this recipe we take our homemade raspberry jam from tier 1 and spread it on a Páte Brisée pastry case. Then we fill it with an almond frangipane and delicately decorate it with a pattern of flaked almonds. I usually fill my desserts with almond cream instead of frangipane, but the addition of pastry cream really improves the texture and adds even more flavour to the dessert.

 

1
9-INCH TART

Ingredients

Makes 1 9-inch Tart

Pâte Brisée
200g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
50g Cold Water
3g Sea Salt

Pastry Cream
250g Whole Milk
½ Fresh Vanilla Bean Pod
35g Caster/White sugar
60g Egg Yolks
20g Cornstarch/Cornflour
2g Fine Sea Salt
20g Cold Unsalted Butter

Frangipane
165g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
165g Caster/White Sugar
Zest ½ Lemon
130g Whole Egg, Lightly Whisked Together
165g Ground Almonds/Almond Flour
2g Sea Salt
85g Pastry Cream, Cooled

To Fill & Finish
Raspberry Jam (Tier 1)
Flaked Almonds
Fresh Raspberries
Icing/Powdered Sugar

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Silicon mats
9-inch fluted tart ring
Baking beans
Piping bag

Method

Pâte Brisée

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, flour and salt. Mix on a low speed until the butter has completely broken down into fine crumbs and there are no large chunks of butter. 

2. Slowly drizzle in the cold water and mix for a few seconds until it pulls together into a dough. 

3. Gently knead the dough into a disc on your work surface and wrap it in clingfilm, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. After 30 minutes, place it in between two silicon mats (or two sheets of parchment paper), and roll the dough into a rough disc that is around 3-5mm thick. 

5. Refrigerate the pastry again for 1 hour and preheat the oven to 180C/355F Non-fan Assisted. This is a good point to prepare your pastry cream. 

6. Peel the silicon mats/parchment paper off the pastry and ensure the dough is cold but flexible. If it is too cold it will break so just leave it for a few minutes to soften slightly if needed.

7. Lift the pastry into a 22.5cm fluted tart ring and use your hands to gently press it into the edges. Work quickly, being careful not to tear the pastry. 

8. Use a knife to trim the excess pastry off and place the tart shell back into the fridge to chill for 15 minutes. 

9. Scrunch up a piece of baking paper and press this into the chilled tart shell. Fill the tart shell with baking beans or rice and then place it on a tray and straight into the oven to bake.

10. Bake the tart for 30 minutes, then remove the baking beans, and continue to bake for a further 10-15 minutes, or until the pastry is an even golden brown colour. 

11. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes. 

Pastry Cream

1. In a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, add the milk and the scraped vanilla pod just until it is steaming. 

2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and thickened.

3. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture over the sugar and eggs mixture, whisking constantly.

4. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium heat until it begins to bubble, then cook for 1 minute.

5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pass the mixture through a sieve placed over a large bowl.

6. Whisk in the butter until the mixture is smooth. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate it for an hour. 

Frangipane

1. Into a stand mixer, add the soft butter, salt, lemon zest and sugar. Beat for 2-3 minutes on a medium-low speed until slightly thicker and paler in texture.

2. Slowly drizzle in the eggs and beat for a further minute.

3. Finally, add in the ground almonds/almond flour and scoop in the required amount of cooled pastry cream. Beat until smooth. 

4. Add the mixture into a piping bag.

Assembly & Baking

1. Lower the oven temperature to 175C/345F Non-Fan Assisted.

2. Take the raspberry jam and spread a few tablespoons across the bottom of the cooled pastry. Make sure it is nice and even.

3. Next, pipe the frangipane evenly into the tart shell. Use a palette knife if needed to smooth it out.

4. Slice your fresh raspberries in half and press them gently into the frangipane.

5. Next, take your time, and evenly place the flaked almonds around the entire tart in a nice circular pattern. This is optional, you can simply sprinkle them on!

6. Place it into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until it is an even golden colour all over.

7. Remove it from the oven, and at this point this filling will still be slightly soft, so let it cool for an hour at room temperature before serving. 

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by Matt Adlard

Raspberry Soufflé Tartlets

TIER 2

Raspberry Soufflé Tartlets

In Tier 2 we make a Bake It Better first – raspberry pastry! I tested this a few times and am really happy with the result. We fill this with a raspberry soufflé and garnish with fresh raspberries. It’s actually the pastry element of this recipe that makes this the Tier 2 recipe – the beauty of adding soufflé to a tart is there’s no pressure on the rise! So once you’ve mastered the pastry, it’s plain sailing!

4
INDIVIDUAL TARTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 Individual Tartlets

Raspberry Pastry
75g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed (small cubes)
50g Icing Sugar
4g Powdered Raspberry Powder
38g Egg Yolks
150g Plain/AP Flour
Red Food Colouring Powder/Gel

Egg Wash
20g Egg Yolk
5g Double/Heavy Cream
Red Food Colouring Powder/Gel

Raspberry Soufflé

 – Raspberry Base
120g Raspberry Puree
10g Cornstarch
Pinch of Sugar

 – Meringue Base
75g Raspberry Base
80g Egg Whites
50g Caster Sugar

Fresh Raspberries To Fill + Garnish

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Silicone mats
4x 7.5cm x 2cm perforated tart rings
Multi-wheel pastry cutter OR a ruler
Digital thermometer
Piping bags

Method

Raspberry Pastry

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cold cubed butter and then sift over the raspberry powder, icing sugar and red food powder. With the paddle attachment, beat on a medium low speed for 2 minutes or until the butter is smooth. As the butter is cold you will need to scrape down the bowl a few times to ensure it is completely incorporated. 

2. Add in the egg yolks and beat again for around 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl again to ensure it’s all incorporated.

3. Finally, sift in the flour, scrape the bottom of the bowl just to loosen the butter stuck on the bottom, and then mix again on a low speed until it pulls together to form a dough, about 20-30 seconds.

4. Scoop the dough out and place it onto a large silicone mat and place a second silicone mat on top. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin until it is around 3-5mm thick, don’t worry too much about the shape.

5. Place the entire sheet of pastry into the freezer for 30 minutes.

6. While the dough is chilling, take the perforated tart ring and very lightly grease the inside with soft butter. This helps to prevent the dough from sticking to the ring.

7. Remove the chilled dough from the freezer and, working quickly, peel the top silicone mat off of the dough. Press the 4 tart rings firmly into the dough, lift them up, and transfer them to a perforated tray lined with a perforated baking mat. The dough should be cold enough that it attaches to the ring as you lift it up. Place the tray in the fridge while you cut the walls.

8. With the remaining dough, use a ruler and a sharp knife to cut 4 strips of dough each measuring 9.6 x 0.9 inches (24.4 x 2.3cm). These measurements seem quite precise, but this will ensure the dough fits perfectly into the tart rings with no excess overlapping. If they feel too warm to lift up, place them back in the freezer for 5 minutes just so they can cool back down slightly. 

9. Remove the baking tray with the tart bases from the fridge and remove one strip of dough for the walls.

10. Working quickly, take the strip of dough and place it inside the tart ring. Use your fingers to gently press together this strip of dough, against the base of the tart. The idea is to slightly push down the wall of dough so that it meets the dough on the base of the tart shell and there are no gaps. If at any point you feel the dough is too warm or is tearing, place everything back in the freezer for 10 minutes then carry on.

11. Repeat this with the remaining tarts, again, chilling the dough if needed. At this point, squeeze together the remaining scraps of dough, and repeat the process, rolling the dough and chilling it, so that you can create the final 2 tart shells. 

12. Once you have lined all the tart shells, avoid trying to move them in case the dough tears. Chill the entire tray in the freezer for 15 minutes and pre-heat your oven to 175C/350F.

13. Remove the shells from the freezer and holding a knife perpendicular to the tart shell, trim off the excess pastry hanging over the tart ring so that the pastry is flush. 

14. Place the tart shells in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. While they bake, add the egg wash ingredients to a small ramekin and blend it to combine – I prefer to use a hand blender as it fully emulsifies the colouring into the egg mixture. 

15. Remove the tarts from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. At this point, the pastry should have retracted slightly from the ring mould, and you should be able to lift it off easily. 

16. Lift the shells up and using a pastry brush, apply an even egg wash all over the tart. Lower the oven temperature to 140C/285F and place them back on the tray and into the oven for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool. 

Raspberry Soufflé

 – Raspberry Base

1. Into a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch.

2. Add the puree into a medium saucepan and heat it until it reaches around 40C. Once hot, sift in the cornstarch mixture and whisk together. Continue to cook until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble. Once bubbling, cook for a further minute.

3. Immediately pass the mixture through a sieve into a bowl and cover the surface with cling film. Chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.

 – Meringue Base

1. Fill a pan with a shallow amount of water and place it over a medium heat. Meanwhile, add the egg whites and sugar into a medium bowl and place this over the water once it is simmering.

2. Whisk constantly until it reaches 60-65C (140-150F) on a digital thermometer.

3. Immediately remove it from the heat and place it on a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.

4. Whisk on a medium speed  for 6-7 minutes until you have a stiff meringue.

5. While it is whisking, remove the raspberry base from the fridge, whisk it, then weigh 75g and add this into a medium bowl.

6. When the meringue is done, fold it in thirds into the raspberry base until you have a homogenous mixture. 

Assembly

1. Add the raspberry soufflé mixture into a piping bag and snip the end off.

2. Take the cooled tart shells, and place a few torn up raspberries into the base.

3. Pipe the soufflé mixture into the tart shells, filling them right to the top, and then use a palette knife to level them so they are completely flush with the top of the tart.

4. Place the tarts back onto your baking tray, and place the perforated tart rings around the pastry again. This will just help to provide a little structure and prevent the pastry from cracking as the soufflé expands.

5. Place the tarts into the oven and bake them for 7 minutes. They should rise just slightly.

6. Once they are baked, these can be served warm or alternatively served chilled (place the tarts into the fridge for 1 hour)

7. To garnish, add some freshly sliced raspberries.

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by Matt Adlard

Chocolate and Raspberry Soufflé

TIER 1

Chocolate and Raspberry Soufflé

I’ve cheated a bit in Tier 1 and used the chocolate soufflé recipe from my book, because you honestly can’t beat it! But I tried adding a frozen raspberry insert in the middle, which oozes out once baked, and it really takes the dessert to the next level from both a flavour and a wow factor perspective. Make sure you use good quality chocolate with 50-60% cocoa solids to ensure the right consistency.

4-5
SOUFFLÉS

Ingredients

Makes 4-5 Souffles

Raspberry Insert
50g Raspberry Jam
50g Fresh Raspberries
Splash of Water

Chocolate Soufflé

 – Beurre Manie
50g Unsalted Butter, Softened
50g Plain Flour
Pinch of sea salt

 – Chocolate Base
270g Whole Milk
50g Granulated/Caster Sugar
200g Chopped Dark Chocolate, 50-60% Cocoa Solids
110g Egg Yolks

French Meringue
180g Egg Whites
70g Granulated/Caster Sugar

Special equipment

3.8cm x 1.9cm silicone half-sphere mould (15 hole) OR a small silicone ice cube tray
Stand mixer
Piping bags
Ramekins

Method

Raspberry Insert

1. Into a medium saucepan, add the fresh raspberries, raspberry jam and just a little splash of water (3 tsp roughly).

2. Place it over a medium low heat, and stir it together until the raspberries have broken down, and it is bubbling and has thickened just slightly. 

3. Into a silicone half sphere mould, or a silicone ice cube tray, pour the raspberry mixture in, spread it out so it is even, and then freeze for 3 hours or until it is solid.

Chocolate Soufflé

 – Beurre Manie

1. Into a small bowl, add the butter, flour and salt and use a spatula to form it into a paste. Sometimes it is actually easier just to use your hands and mix it together as the quantities are so small. 

2. Set this bowl to one side.

 – Chocolate Base

1. Into a medium saucepan, add the milk and sugar. Place it over a medium heat and stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is steaming.

2. Remove it from the heat and add in the beurre manie from above. Whisk this through until it has dissolved, then place the pan back on the heat and whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened and holds a slightly more elastic consistency.

3. Remove it from the heat and whisk in the chocolate until the chocolate has completely dissolved. Don’t worry if it looks slightly greasy or split here. Scoop this mixture into a medium bowl.

4. Add the egg yolks on top and immediately whisk this (to make sure the eggs don’t cook from the heat), until you have a smooth, glossy mixture.

5. Cover the surface with cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes. 

French Meringue & Assembly

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F Fan Assisted. 

2. Lightly grease the ramekins with soft butter, using an upwards stroking motion.

3. Tip in a few tablespoons of sugar and swirl this around, tipping out the excess. Place these on a tray and set to one side.

4. Meanwhile, add the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk on a medium low speed until the mixture is frothy and thick bubbles have formed.

5. With the speed on medium, slowly add in the sugar a tablespoon at a time, waiting about 15 seconds in between each addition.

6. Once you’ve added all the sugar, keep whisking until you have a stiff meringue.

7. Fold the meringue in thirds, into the chocolate base, until you have a homogenous mixture with no streaks of meringue. 

8. Remove your frozen raspberry inserts from the freezer.

9. Add the soufflé mixture into a piping bag, and pipe the mixture into the ramekins, filling them about 3⁄4 of the way. Then press your raspberry into the middle and cover it up, filling the ramekin to the top with the remaining soufflé mixture.

10. Use a palette knife to smooth the top and create a flush edge, then quickly run your thumb around the outside of the soufflé to create a rim.

11. Place them into the oven immediately and bake for 18 minutes.

12. Remove them from the oven and serve immediately. They should be well risen!

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by Matt Adlard

Lemon Meringue 'Longboys'

TIER 2

Lemon Meringue ‘Longboys’

In TIer 2 we make the same dough as Tier 1, we just add a touch of lemon zest to give them a bit of extra flavour. Then, inspired by Longboys Doughnuts in the UK, we use an oblong mould to create a different shape, coat them in lemon sugar, then top them with a lemon crème pâtissière, Italian meringue and candied lemon peel. Don’t fancy lemon? Try the chocolate crème pâtissière and crumble from my eclair recipe!

8
'LONGBOYS'

Ingredients

Makes 8-9 ‘Longboys’

Donut Dough
550g Strong White Bread Flour
125g Whole Milk
7g Instant Yeast
200g Whole Eggs
12g Fine Sea Salt
125g Unsalted Butter, Cold + Small Cubes
75g Caster/Granulated Sugar
20g Powdered Milk (Full Fat)
10g Vanilla Extract
Zest 1 Lemon

Lemon Crème Pâtissière
300g Double/Heavy Cream
200g Whole Milk
1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
85g Caster sugar
100g Egg Yolks
40g Cornstarch/Cornflour
Zest of 2 Lemons

Candied Lemon Peel
Zest of 1 Unwaxed Lemon
50g Caster Sugar
50g Water

Lemon Sugar
150g Caster/Granulated Sugar
Zest 1 Lemon

Italian Meringue
110g Egg Whites
70g Water
300g Caster Sugar

3 Litres of Vegetable Oil For Frying

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Oil spray (optional)
Oblong cookie cutter (I used a 14.5cm x 3.5cm cutter)
Deep fat fryer
Digital thermometer
Piping bags
St Honore nozzle

Method

Donut Dough

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the wet ingredients, followed by the dry. Attach the dough hook and mix it on a medium speed for 10 minutes, scraping down the bowl every 3-4 minutes.

2. After 10 minutes, turn the mixer off and let the dough rest for 5 minutes. This will relax the gluten and make the next part of the mixing easier!

3. Turn the mixer back on, and knead for a further 10-12 minutes. The dough should start to come away from the sides of the bowl but there will still be a few bits stuck to the side. 

4. Remove it from the mixer and lift the dough onto your work surface. Give it a quick knead and shape it into a nice tight ball. The dough should feel smooth and pass the windowpane test when you stretch a small piece of the dough.

5. Lift it into a lightly oiled bowl, then lightly spray the top of the dough with an oil spray and cover the surface directly with cling film. Cover the bowl with a sheet of cling film too and refrigerate the dough overnight (12-18 hours). This will make it much easier to work with.

6. Before you are ready to work with the dough, prep a baking tray by cutting 8 rectangles of parchment paper and lightly oiling them before placing them on the tray. This will make it easier to transfer the donuts to the fryer. 

7. The next day remove the chilled dough from the fridge. Very lightly flour your work surface and lift the dough on. Lightly flour the top of the dough and a rolling pin, and roll the dough out, the shape doesn’t matter, but you want it to be around 12-15mm thick (0.5”). Ensure there is a little flour underneath the dough once you’ve finished rolling otherwise when you go to remove the cut donuts they will stick to the table. 

8. Take the oblong cookie cutter and dip it in a bowl of flour to make sure it doesn’t stick to the dough. Press the cookie cutter into the dough to cut the shapes, and lift them onto the sheets of parchment you cut earlier.

9. Very lightly oil the top of the donuts with an oil spray, and then cover the entire tray with a sheet of cling film and allow the donuts to rise for 2-3 hours at room temperature. In warmer weather, 2 hours should be fine, but when it is colder it will be closer to 3 hours. The donuts should look puffier and will have increased in volume when they are done. 

Lemon Crème Pâtissière

1. It is best to make this ahead of rolling out your donuts so that it has enough time to chill. 

2. Add the sugar into a bowl along with the lemon zest and briefly rub them together to release some of those citrus oils.

3. Add the egg yolks and cornflour and whisk the mixture together until it is thick, then set it to one side.

4. In the meantime, scrape the beans from the fresh vanilla pod and add these into a medium saucepan along with the milk & cream.

5. Place the pan over a medium heat and stir occasionally until the mixture is steaming.

6. Once hot, slowly pour the mixture over the egg yolks, and whisk until they are combined. It is important to do this slowly to avoid scrambling the eggs.

7. Add the entire mixture back into the pan and place it on a medium heat. 

8. Whisk continuously until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Once it bubbles, cook for a further minute, then remove it from the heat and pass it through a sieve into another bowl. At this point it’s likely your mixture will have split a little, so just add a splash of water (2 tsp) and blend with a hand blender and it will pull it back together.

9. Place a sheet of cling film directly on the surface and refrigerate until ready to use (3-4 hours).

Candied Lemon Peel

1. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the lemon into strips.

2. With a sharp knife, cut the peel lengthways to create thin strips. 

3. Into a small saucepan, add the lemon strips, sugar and water. Place it over a medium low heat and gently simmer for around 10 minutes. The strips of lemon should appear slightly translucent and the liquid should thicken. 

4. Use some tongs to remove them from the pan and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment and allow to dry completely. About half an hour.

Lemon Sugar

1. Add the sugar into a bowl along with the lemon zest and briefly rub them together to release some of those citrus oils.

2. Set the bowl to one side.

Frying

1. When the donuts are close to being proofed, add the oil to your deep fat fryer (or a large pan) and heat it to 170C/340F. A deep-fat fryer is ideal here as it is able to regulate the temperature at a much more consistent level vs frying in a pan.

2. When the donuts are ready, drop 1 into the oil, and slowly peel off the sheet of parchment paper.

3. Fry for 90 seconds, flip, fry for 60 seconds, flip, fry for 15 seconds, flip, fry for 15 seconds. Nb. Due to the shape of these donuts they’re likely to flip over by themselves in the oil, so I’d recommend holding them in place lightly with some tongs so you can ensure an even bake on each side. I’ve also increased the fry time just slightly from the video as I found slightly longer was better! 

4. Remove your donut and place it on a wire rack, allowing any excess oil to drip off. After a minute, and while the donuts are still warm, toss the donut in the bowl of lemon sugar then place back on your wire rack.

5. Repeat with the remaining donuts. 

Italian Meringue

1. Into a small saucepan, add the water, then pour the sugar on top. Place it over a medium heat

2. Meanwhile, add the egg whites into a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk it on a medium low speed.

3. Once the water and sugar mixture has started to boil, cook it until it reaches a temperature of 118C/244F on a digital thermometer. By this point, the egg whites should be bubbly and frothy.

4. Immediately remove the sugar syrup from the heat, increase the stand mixer speed to medium high, and slowly drizzle the sugar syrup in, aiming to pour it in between the whisk and the bowl. Just make sure not to pour it on the whisk or it will splatter everywhere.

5. Continue to whisk for 6-7 minutes, or until the bowl is cool to the touch and stiff peaks form on the meringue.

6. Add the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a St. Honore nozzle.

Assembly

1. Remove your lemon crème pâtissière from the fridge and whisk it for 15-20 seconds to loosen it a little. Add it to a piping bag.

2. Take a donut and cut it lengthways down the middle. Pipe in some lemon creme patissiere until it reaches the top of the donut, then smooth it with a palette knife. Repeat with the rest of the donuts.

3. Next, take your meringue and in a zig zag motion, pipe it down the middle of your donut. Then, using a blow torch, lightly torch the top of your meringue until it’s slightly brown. Repeat with the rest of the donuts. 

4. Garnish with your candied lemon peel.

Shop the Equipment

by Matt Adlard

Vanilla Glazed Donuts

TIER 1

Vanilla Glazed Donuts

In Tier 1 we start with a classic glazed donut. I walk you through my (new) favourite donut dough, how to create the iconic donut shape, and how to fry your donuts to perfection. Then we smother them in an insane vanilla glaze for that classic Krispy Kreme finish. The end result is the lightest, fluffiest donuts – it’s a struggle just to eat one!

6-7
DONUTS

Ingredients

Makes 6-7 Donuts

Donut Dough
550g Strong White Bread Flour
125g Whole Milk
7g Instant Dry Yeast
200g Whole Eggs
12g Fine Sea Salt
125g Unsalted Butter, Cold + Small Cubes
75g Caster/Granulated Sugar
20g Powdered Milk (Full Fat)
10g Vanilla Extract

Vanilla Glaze
500g Icing/Powdered Sugar
20g Glucose (or Golden Syrup)
80g Whole Milk
25g Water
15g Double/Heavy Cream
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or 1 Fresh Vanilla Pods
Zest ¼ Lemon
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt

3 Litres of Vegetable Oil For Frying

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Oil spray (optional)
80mm cookie cutter
30mm cookie cutter
Piping bag
Deep fat fryer (optional but recommended)

Method

Donut Dough

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the wet ingredients, followed by the dry. Attach the dough hook and mix it on a medium speed for 10 minutes, scraping down the bowl every 3-4 minutes.

2. After 10 minutes, turn the mixer off and let the dough rest for 5 minutes. This will relax the gluten and make the next part of the mixing easier!

3. Turn the mixer back on, and knead for a further 10-12 minutes. The dough should start to come away from the sides of the bowl, but there will still be a little bit stuck to the edges. 

4. Remove it from the mixer and lift the dough onto your work surface. Give it a quick knead and shape it into a nice tight ball. The dough should feel smooth and pass the windowpane test when you stretch a small piece of the dough.

5. Lift it into a lightly oiled bowl, then lightly spray the top of the dough with an oil spray and cover the surface directly with cling film. Cover the bowl with a sheet of cling film too and refrigerate the dough overnight (12-18 hours). This will make it much easier to work with.

6. Before you are ready to work with the dough, prep a baking tray by cutting 6-7 squares of parchment paper and lightly oiling them before placing them on the tray. This will make it easier to transfer the donuts to the fryer. 

7. The next day remove the chilled dough from the fridge. Very lightly flour your work surface and lift the dough on. Lightly flour the top of the dough and a rolling pin, and roll the dough out, the shape doesn’t matter, but you want it to be around 12-15mm thick (0.5”).

8. Take an 80mm cookie cutter and dip it in a bowl of flour to make sure it doesn’t stick to the dough. Press the cookie cutter into the dough. Then take your 30mm cookie cutter, dip it into the bowl of flour and press this into the centre of your donut to create a hole. Lift your donut onto a sheet of parchment paper, then repeat with the remaining dough.

9. Very lightly oil the top of the donuts with an oil spray, and then cover the entire tray with a sheet of cling film and allow the donuts to rise for 2-3 hours at room temperature. In warmer weather, 2 hours should be fine, but when it is colder it will be closer to 3 hours. The donuts should look puffier and will have increased in volume when they are done. 

Vanilla Glaze

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, sift in the icing sugar then add the remaining ingredients, starting with 80g of milk.

2. Beat the ingredients together with the paddle attachment. You want the consistency to resemble a runny glue, so add more milk if needed. Once you have the desired consistency, beat for a further 30 seconds on a medium-low speed, ensuring all the ingredients are combined. 

3. Pour this into a piping bag, tie the end (so that the glaze doesn’t dry out) and set this to one side while you fry the donuts. 

Frying

1. When the donuts are close to being proofed, add the oil to your deep fat fryer (or a large pan) and heat it to 170C/340F. A deep-fat fryer is ideal here as it is able to regulate the temperature at a much more consistent level vs frying in a pan.

2. When the donuts are ready, drop 1 at a time into the oil, and slowly peel off the sheet of parchment paper.

3. Fry for 90 seconds, flip, fry for 60 seconds, flip, fry for 15 seconds, flip, fry for 15 seconds.

4. Remove your donut and place it on a wire rack, allowing any excess oil to drip off. After a minute, coat the donut in your vanilla glaze. Repeat with the remaining donuts. 

5. Best served the same day (I can’t not eat mine immediately!) 

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by Matt Adlard

Advanced Raspberry Sorbet

TIER 2

Advanced Raspberry Sorbet

In Tier 2 we get our maths head on! We walk through the formula I learnt to make any fruit sorbet, and we put it into practice in this stunning raspberry sorbet. It’s the perfect balance of flavours (thanks to the formula!), and the addition of the stabiliser makes it super smooth. I’ve included a detailed Google Sheets document for you to use to create any fruit sorbet in future, so be sure to check it out.

1
TUB (APPROX. 300G)

Ingredients

Makes 1 Tub (approx. 300g)

202g Caster Sugar
36g Dextrose
3g Stabiliser
299g Water
10g Fresh Lemon Juice
450g Fresh Raspberries

Special equipment

Digital thermometer
Hand blender
Ice-cream machine

Method

For the ‘science’ behind this recipe and the option to create your own flavoured sorbet, follow the guidelines in this document.

1. Pour the cold water into a saucepan and heat over a medium heat to 40C. In a bowl, stir together the sugar, dextrose and stabiliser and then pour into the water once it’s reached temperature. Whisk together until the mixture reaches 85C, then take off the heat and leave to cool to approximately 40C.

2. Once cooled, add the mixture to a bowl and pour in the lemon juice and raspberries. Blend briefly with a hand blender to combine (don’t blend for too long as you will start to blend the raspberry seeds, which will dull the colour of your sorbet). Pass the mixture through a sieve into a bowl, then cover the surface with cling film and put it in the fridge for 12 hours/overnight.

3. The next day, pour the mixture into your ice cream machine and churn for 20-30 minutes until it’s a thick, sorbet-like consistency. 

4. Transfer the sorbet into a container and freeze for 1-2 hours before serving.

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by Matt Adlard

Basic Lemon Sorbet

TIER 1

Basic Lemon Sorbet

In Tier 1 we walk through the fundamentals of a sorbet, and make a basic sorbet without getting too technical! This is the perfect palate cleanser – quite a tart lemon flavour that’s so refreshing. As we don’t add any stabiliser in this recipe, this sorbet is best served within 24 hours to prevent the sugar from recrystallising. It’s a simple and delicious recipe to get you warmed up for Tier 2!

1
TUB (APPROX. 300G)

Ingredients

Makes 1 Tub (approx. 300g)

145g Caster Sugar
55g Dextrose
435g Water
345g Fresh Lemon Juice

Special equipment

Hand blender
Ice-cream machine

Method

1. Pour the cold water into a saucepan and add the sugar and dextrose. Place over a medium heat and bring it to the boil whilst whisking. Boil for a minute then take the sugar syrup off the heat and leave to cool for approximately 15 minutes (until cool to the touch).

2. Add the mixture to a bowl and pour in the lemon juice (it’s a good idea to sieve this to avoid adding any pips/pulp). Blend with a hand blender to combine. Cover the surface with cling film then put the mixture in the fridge for 4 hours. You can leave this in the fridge for longer, but 4 hours is the ideal maturation time.

3. After 4 hours, pour the mixture into your ice cream machine and churn for 20-30 minutes until it’s a thick, sorbet-like consistency (yours may take longer depending on your machine).

4. Transfer the sorbet into a container and freeze for 1-2 hours before serving.

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by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Praline Mousse Cakes

TIER 2

Chocolate Praline Mousse Cakes

In Tier 2 we add two extra elements to really level up the cake – a hazelnut praline filling and a cocoa gavotte decoration. I’ve turned these into individual plated desserts by using smaller ring moulds, but you can make one large mousse cake if you’d prefer. I’ve adjusted the mousse recipe slightly here and only used 70% cocoa solids, but if you prefer a sweeter flavour then follow the same 50/50 split as Tier 1.

5
7CM MOUSSE CAKES

Ingredients

Makes 5 7cm Mousse Cakes

Hazelnut Praline

165g Caster Sugar
50g Water
250g Whole Roasted Hazelnuts, Without Skins
Pinch of Flaked Sea Salt

Chocolate Sponge

40g Egg Yolks
10g Caster Sugar (A)
30g Caster Sugar (B)
75g Egg Whites
20g Plain Flour
12g Cocoa Powder
25g Vegetable Oil
15g Whole Milk

Chocolate Mousse

130g Whole Milk
10g Honey
175g Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), Finely Chopped
220g Double/Heavy Cream
Pinch Sea Salt Flakes

Cocoa Gavotte

150g Water
15g Unsalted Butter
1g Salt
11g Plain Flour
30g Icing/Powdered Sugar
3g Cornstarch/Cornflour
35g Egg Whites
4g Cocoa Powder

Special equipment

Digital thermometer
Hand blender
Silicon mat
Food processor
Electric whisk
Small baking tray (16cm x 26cm)
5 7cm mousse rings (3.5cm high)
Heat gun/Blow torch

Method

Hazelnut Praline

1. Into a medium saucepan, add the sugar & water. Place it on a medium heat, and cook the mixture until it reaches 110C/230F on a digital thermometer. 

2. Once at 110C/230F, pour in the hazelnuts. Stir constantly with a spatula. The mixture will initially look quite clumpy, then the sugar will crystallise, but eventually, as you keep stirring, the sugars will caramelise and you should have a deep golden caramel surrounding the nuts. It will take 3-5 minutes. 

3. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, and tip the caramelised nuts onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat. Sprinkle some sea salt flakes on top and let it set completely at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

4. The praline should then be completely cool and solid to the touch. Break it into pieces and add it into a high-powered food processor. Blend for 3-4 minutes, scraping it down every so often, until you have a smooth, nutty paste. Store in an airtight container. 

Chocolate Sponge

1. Preheat the oven to 180C Non-Fan Assisted (160C Fan Assisted) and then lightly grease a small baking tray (this recipe uses a cm x cm baking tray). Cut a rectangle of parchment paper so that it fits neatly inside the tray, and press it in firmly with your hands. 

2. Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks, and sugar (A). Whisk the mixture with an electric hand mixer until it is thicker in volume and pale in colour. About 1-2 minutes. Set this to one side. 

3. Into a medium bowl, add the egg whites and using an electric hand whisk, whisk on a medium-low speed. Once the mixture is frothy, increase the speed to medium and slowly add the sugar (B), about 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisk until you have a medium-stiff peak to the meringue.

4. Pour the egg yolk mixture on top of the meringue and gently fold it through using a spatula until well combined.

5. Next, sift in the plain flour & cocoa powder, and fold it in carefully until it is fully incorporated. 

6. Finally, pour in the vegetable oil and whole milk. Use a spatula to fold this in, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.

7. Pour the batter onto the lined tray, and then using a spatula, spread the batter out evenly. Try to ensure the batter is relatively even.

8. Bake the sponge for 10-12 minutes, until dry to the touch, then allow it to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Chocolate Mousse

1. Into a small saucepan, add the milk and honey and place it onto a medium low heat, stirring occasionally. 

2. Meanwhile, add the chopped chocolate into a medium bowl. 

3. Once the milk is simmering and the honey has dissolved, pour it over the chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes.

4. Then, use a hand blender to blend until smooth and set it to one side.

5. Into a medium bowl, add the cream and use an electric hand whisk to whisk it to a medium-soft peak.

6. Then, whisk the cream through the chocolate mixture in three parts until smooth. It’s important to whisk it through, as if you try to fold it, the cream will not incorporate properly and remain lumpy.

7. Lastly, fold in the salt.

Assembly

1. Take your cooled sponge and tip it out onto a silicon mat/piece of parchment paper.

2. Use one of your mousse rings to cut 5 circles out of the chocolate sponge and place them inside of your mousse rings. Gently push the sponge to the sides of the mousse rings to make sure there are no gaps.

3. Next, add a dollop of hazelnut praline to the centre of each sponge (I like to use a piping bag). You want it to cover about ⅔ of the sponge, not go all the way to the sides. 

4. Then, add the chocolate mousse until it reaches the top of the mousse ring (again, I like to use a piping bag).

5. If your mousse is slightly thicker then use a palette knife to press the mousse to the edges and ensure there are no gaps. Then, heat your palette knife in some hot water, dry it with a tea towel and smooth the top of your mousse rings to ensure a nice even finish.

6. Place the cakes in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours until set and ready to serve. 

Cocoa Gavotte

1. Into a medium saucepan, add the water, salt & butter. Place it over a medium heat.

2. Meanwhile, into a medium bowl, add all of the remaining ingredients and whisk them together till smooth.

3. Once the water is boiling, slowly pour it over the bowl of ingredients, whisking constantly to ensure that the mixture is tempered.

4. Once you’ve added all the water, pour the mixture back into the pan, and whisk constantly over a medium heat until it thickens to a custard-like consistency.

5. Place a sheet of cling film over a small baking tray and pour your gavotte mixture on top. Place another sheet of cling film over the top and refrigerate it for 30 minutes – 1 hour.

6. Preheat the oven to 175C/345F.

7. Onto a tray lined with a silicon mat, take a dollop of the gavotte mixture and create a line of it at the top of your tray. Do the same about half way down your tray. Then, using a palette knife, spread it nice and thin. It needs to be thin (almost opaque) otherwise the texture won’t be correct.

8. Place it into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until crispy (the top might be slightly cracked).

9. Repeat this with a second tray of mixture. 

10. Once baked, allow them to cool for 5 minutes, then snap them into shards ready to decorate. It is best to make these fresh as they will soften the longer they are left. If you make them ahead of time, you can place them back into the oven for 2-3 minutes, to crisp up again. 

11. When ready to serve, remove your mousse cakes from the fridge and use a heat gun/blow torch to gently warm the sides of your mousses and lift off the cake rings.

12. Place your chocolate gavotte shards on top/around the sides of your mousses in whatever design you would like!

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by Matt Adlard

Tropical Pavlova

TIER 2

Tropical Pavlova

In Tier 2 we really elevate the design of the pavlova and use a funky mold to create this more professional looking plated dessert. We use the same meringue recipe and chantilly cream as Tier 1, and pair it with a frozen passion fruit cremeux, a mango and passion fruit salsa. If you don’t fancy giving the design a go, it would taste equally as good all mashed together as an Eton Mess!

8
INDIVIDUAL PAVLOVAS

Ingredients

Makes 8 Individual Pavlovas

French-Swiss Meringue

100g Egg Whites
100g Caster Sugar
75g Icing Sugar
Desiccated coconut for decoration (optional)

Passionfruit Cremeux

50g Egg Yolks
35g Whole Eggs
25g Sugar
75g Passion Fruit Purée
60g Unsalted Butter, Soft
1g Powdered Gelatin (200 Bloom) + 6g Water

Whipped Vanilla Chantilly Cream

600g Double/Heavy Cream
125g White Chocolate
5.5g Powdered Gelatin (200 Bloom) + 33g Water
1.5 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste / 1 Vanilla Pod

Tropical Fruit Salad

Whole Mango, chopped into small cubes
Seeds of 4 Passion Fruits
¼ Lime, Zested
3 Tsp Passion Fruit Purée

Assembly

100g White Chocolate, Melted
Lime, Zested

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Hand blender
Digital thermometer
3.8cm x 1.9cm half-sphere mould (15 hole)
Piping bags
Large round tip nozzle OR small cookie cutter

Method

Passion fruit Crémeux

1. In a small bowl, add the water to the powdered gelatin and let it sit for 5 minutes

2. In a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, add the sugar, eggs, egg yolks and passion fruit purée. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and reaches 83C.

3. Once the mixture reaches temperature, pass it through a sieve into a bowl. Then, add the bloomed gelatin and butter on top and blend with a hand blender until smooth.

4. Add the passion fruit crémeux to your half sphere mould and use a palette knife to smooth the top of the mould to make sure they’re even. Freeze overnight/6 hours.

Whipped Vanilla Chantilly Cream

1. In a small bowl, add the water to the powdered gelatin and let it sit for 5 minutes

2. Add the white chocolate to a tall jug and add the bloomed gelatin on top

3. To a saucepan over a medium heat add 185g of the cream and the vanilla bean paste/vanilla beans and heat until it’s steaming. 

4. Once steaming, pour it over your chocolate and gelatin mixture and leave for 2 minutes. You want to make sure the cream covers the top of the chocolate. After two minutes, blend the mixture together with a hand blender. 

5. Once blended, add the remaining cream (415g) and blend again.

6. Pour the cream mixture into a bowl and cover the surface with cling film. Leave to chill in the fridge overnight/12 hours.

French-Swiss Meringue

1. Preheat the oven to 80C/175F Non-Fan Assisted

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and sugar.

3. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water, and whisk constantly until it reaches a temperature of 55C/130F on a digital thermometer.

4. Once at temperature, remove it from the heat and place it onto a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk for 6-7 minutes on a medium speed, until the bowl feels cool to the touch and the meringue is thick. 

5. Remove it from the stand mixer and place a sieve over the top. Sieve in the icing/powdered sugar, and use a whisk to gently fold this in. We use a whisk because we want the icing sugar to incorporate easily, but we also want to knock some of the stiffness out of the meringue, just slightly, so that we get a softer texture for the design of the pavlova.

6. Add your meringue mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip nozzle. Flatten the mixture gently to remove any air bubbles.

7. Lightly grease the back of a half sphere mould (the same one you used for the passion fruit cremeux). I like to use an oil spray, but you can lightly brush a neutral oil over the mould.

8. Holding the piping bag vertically over one of the moulds, push down until the meringue covers the half sphere, then quickly do a ‘whip’ motion at the top to release the piping bag. Repeat with the other half spheres, spacing them out so the meringues don’t touch (they will expand slightly as they bake).

9. Lastly, sprinkly desiccated coconut over the meringue, making sure to hit the sides of the meringue. Then put the meringue in the oven for 3 hours. 

Tropical Fruit Salad

1. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir together

Assembly

1. Once the meringues are baked, leave them to cool for an hour then gently release them from the mould. 

2. Once cooled, gently grate the bottom of the meringues to create a flat surface for them to sit.

3. Melt the white chocolate over a pan of simmering water. Once melted, add a spoonful of white chocolate into a meringue cup. Tip the meringue to the sides to coat the inside of the cup, then tip out the excess chocolate. Put them in the fridge for 5 minutes until the chocolate has set.

4. Fill the meringue cups with tropical fruit salad so that it’s flush with the top of the cup. Then remove the frozen passion fruit cremeux half spheres from the freezer and add them on top.

5. Add the chilled whipped vanilla chantilly to a stand mixer and whisk until it forms a medium peak – about 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to over whisk it. Add it to a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle. Then, holding it vertically over the top one of your meringues, push down so the cream covers all of the sphere.

6. Zest a light dusting of lime over the top of the meringues. Serve roughly 30 minutes after removing the passion fruit cremeux from the freezer (to allow it time to defrost, but not to melt).

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by Matt Adlard

Rhubarb Pavlova

TIER 1

Rhubarb Pavlova

We start by mastering the meringue. This is a French-Swiss meringue, which involves whisking egg whites and sugar over a bain-marie (the Swiss element), then folding through icing sugar once cooled (the French element). This makes a gorgeous soft meringue that doesn’t start to weep. We fill it with tart poached rhubarb and a sweet vanilla chantilly cream – I love this flavour combination!

4
INDIVIDUAL PAVLOVAS

Ingredients

Makes 4 Individual Pavlovas

French-Swiss Meringue

200g Egg Whites
200g Caster Sugar
150g Icing Sugar / Powdered Sugar

Poached Rhubarb

2 Rhubarb Stalks, Washed + Woody Stalks Removed
Peel & Juice of ½ Orange
½ Vanilla Bean, Cut in half and scraped
135g Water
15g Grenadine
135g Sugar

Vanilla Chantilly Cream

300g Double/Heavy Cream
5g Icing/Powdered Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

To Decorate
Icing Sugar/Powdered Sugar
Raspberry Powder (optional)

Special equipment

Stand mixer
Digital thermometer
Flexible dough scraper/large metal serving spoon
Silicon mat

Method

French-Swiss Meringue

1. Preheat the oven to 80C/175F Non-Fan Assisted

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and sugar. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water, and whisk constantly until it reaches a temperature of 55C/130F on a digital thermometer.

3. Once at temperature, remove it from the heat and place it onto a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk for 6-7 minutes on a medium speed, until the bowl feels cool to the touch and the meringue is thick. 

4. Remove it from the stand mixer and place a sieve over the top. Sieve in the icing/powdered sugar, and use a whisk to gently fold this in. We use a whisk because we want the icing sugar to incorporate easily, but we also want to knock some of the stiffness out of the meringue, just slightly, so that we get a softer texture for the design of the pavlova.

5. Using a flexible dough scraper or a large metal serving spoon, scoop up the meringue, then wipe it on the edge of the bowl. Scoop that bit of meringue up again, and wipe it on the edge of the bowl one more time, before scooping it up for a final time. This scooping/scraping action will help to smooth the meringue.

6. Wipe off any excess meringue on the dough scraper/spoon with your finger and then swiftly but gently, dollop the meringue onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat/parchment paper. As you are pulling up, and dolloping the final bit of meringue, do it slowly to create a slight ‘flick’ to the pavlova. This is all best seen in the video! 

7. Repeat this to create 4 pavlovas in total.

8. Place these in the centre of the oven and bake them for 3 hours without opening the door. Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. These can then be used straight away, or stored in an airtight container to use the next day. 

Poached Rhubarb

1. Remove the woody ends from the rhubarb, then chop it into small pieces, really whatever size you prefer. Place these into a shallow dish.

2. Into a saucepan, add all the remaining ingredients. Bring it to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Remove it from the heat to let it sit for a minute before pouring it over the rhubarb.

3. Place a lid on top of the dish or a large tray and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, or until the rhubarb is tender but still has a slight bite. Drain the rhubarb from the liquid and set it to one side.

4. You can keep the sugar syrup to drizzle over the top of your finished pavlovas. If you want a slightly thicker syrup, place it back on the heat and boil until it has reduced and thickened. Then leave to one side.

Vanilla Chantilly Cream

1. Place the ingredients into a medium bowl and using a hand whisk/electric whisk/stand mixer, whisk it to a medium peak.

Assembly

1. Take a meringue and tip it upside down in your hands so the bottom is facing upwards. Holding it very gently to prevent it cracking, use a knife to carefully score a hole in the bottom of the meringue. You want quite a large hole, the same shape as the meringue, but don’t go too close to the edges. Keep going over the score lines until the meringue breaks free, then carve out the centre of the meringue with a spoon. If you want, you can keep the bottom of the meringue to add back once you have filled the meringue.

2. Scoop a little bit of chantilly cream into the shell, then add a few pieces of the poached rhubarb then top it up with more cream so that it is filled just to the top of the hole you created. 

3. Lift it up, place a plate on the meringue, and quickly and carefully flip it over so the meringue is now on the plate. Repeat with all four meringues.

4. Dust the meringues with icing sugar & raspberry powder (and add some of the rhubarb liquid drizzled over the top if desired).

5. This needs to be served immediately once filled.

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by Matt Adlard

Tarte Tropézienne

TIER 2

Tarte Tropézienne

This recipe uses the same style of enriched dough as Tier 1, but we add a few more elements to level it up. We make a crème diplomate for the centre of the cake, and top it with a streusel. Traditional Tarte Tropézienne also has pearl sugar on top which gives it a lovely crunch! If you want to level this up even more, try adding some of the raspberry gel from the Maritozzi Marchigiani!

2
TARTE TROPÉZIENNE

Ingredients

Makes 2 Tarte Tropeziennes

For the dough

150g Whole Milk
90g Double/Heavy Cream
180g Whole Eggs
120g Caster Sugar
12g Salt
120g Plain Flour
495g French Strong Patisserie Flour (you are looking for white patisserie flour with a protein content of around 11-12%. Alternatively you could use white bread flour)
12g Instant Dry Yeast
Zest 1 Medium Orange
120g Unsalted Butter, Cold + Cubed

For the crème pâtissière

500g Whole Milk
1 fresh vanilla bean pod/1.5 tsp vanilla bean paste
75g Caster Sugar
120g Egg Yolks
40g Cornstarch
Pinch of Sea Salt Flakes

For the crème diplomat

Crème pâtissière (Above)
Weight of crème pâtissière in Double/Heavy Cream

For the egg wash

60g Whole Egg
5g Double/Heavy Cream

For the streusel

25g Demerara Sugar (or light brown sugar)
25g Unsalted Butter, Cold
25g Plain/All Purpose Flour
25g Ground Almonds

For the sugar syrup

50g Water
50g Sugar

To bake

Pearl sugar

Special equipment

Stand mixer
7″ cake tin/7″ ring mould

Method

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the orange zest followed by the milk, eggs and cream. On top of this, add the sugar, salt, flours and yeast. Knead the dough on a medium speed for around 15 minutes, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl throughout to ensure all the mixture is combined.

2. Next, slowly add the cubed butter a few pieces at a time, leaving about 20-30 seconds between each addition. Continue kneading for 12-15 minutes, until the dough comes away cleanly from the side of the bowl.

3. Once kneaded, take your dough out of the bowl and shape into a ball. Put it in a lightly greased bowl and lightly grease the top of the dough. Cover the top of the dough directly with cling film, and then cover the bowl with cling film. Proof in the fridge overnight (minimum 12 hours)

4. The next day, once your dough has proofed, take it out of the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour the top of the dough and your rolling pin, and roll it out into an oval shape to approximately half an inch thick.

5. Cut two circles out of your dough, the same circumference as the bottom of your cake tin or ring mould. (If you’re using a ring mould, you can use the ring mould to cut the dough. If you’re using a cake tin, you can use a pizza wheel to cut around the bottom of the tin.)

6. Place the dough into your greased and lined cake tins/ring moulds. Cover with a tea towel and leave to proof for 2-2.5 hours. Whilst proofing, make your crème pâtissière.

7. Start the crème pâtissière by heating milk and vanilla in a saucepan over a medium heat. Whilst this is heating up, in a separate bowl whisk together the egg yolk, sugar, cornstarch and salt. 

8. Once the milk has come to a gentle simmer, slowly pour it over the top of the egg mixture, whisking constantly.

9. Pour the combined mixture back into the saucepan and continue whisking until the mixture starts to thicken. It will take about two minutes to come to a boil. Once it reaches this point, heat and whisk for a further minute to cook out all the cornstarch. You should be left with a thick, pudding-like consistency.

10. Pass the mixture through a sieve onto a baking tray lined with cling film. Cover the surface of the mixture directly with cling film and chill in the fridge for 2 hours. Meanwhile, make the streusel.

11. In a bowl, add all your ingredients and combine them together with your hands until the butter has broken down and it’s a sand-like consistency. Then squeeze the streusel into a ball, cover it in cling film and chill it in the fridge for at least an hour.

12. Just before the dough has finished proofing, preheat your oven to 160C/320F Non- Fan Assisted. 

13. Make the egg wash by whisking together the eggs and cream in a bowl. Lightly brush the top of your cakes with the egg wash, then grate the streusel over the top (you’ll have some leftover). Lastly, add a good amount of pearl sugar. Bake the cakes for 35 minutes, until the inside of the cakes are above 90C. Whilst your cakes are baking, make the sugar syrup.

14. In a saucepan, add the sugar and water and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved, then leave to one side to cool.

15. Once baked, take your cakes out of their tins and leave to cool on a wire rack (approximately 45 minutes)

16. Once cooled, cut the cakes in half and brush your sugar syrup over the bottom half of the cakes. Next, make your crème diplomate.

17. Take your crème pâtissière out of the fridge and weigh it in a bowl (you should have approximately 525g). Weigh the same weight in double cream and whisk in a bowl until you have a medium stiff peak. It’s important that the cream is not under whipped as if it is too soft, it will result in a soft crème diplomate that won’t be able to support the weight of the brioche and it will ‘smoosh’ out when you place the lid on top. 

18. Going back to your crème pâtissière, whisk it lightly until smooth, then fold in your whipped cream a third at a time, until it’s just combined. This is your crème diplomate. Add the mixture to a piping bag with a 15mm round tip nozzle.

19. Pipe the cream in large droplets all over the base of the cakes, then gently put the tops of the cakes back on top. Dust with icing sugar, then your cakes are ready to serve!

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by Matt Adlard

Lemon Meringue Pavlova

TIER 2

Lemon Meringue Pavlova

4
INDIVIDUAL PAVLOVAS

Ingredients

Makes 4 individual pavlovas

French Meringue
240g Sugar
120g Egg Whites

Lemon Cream
3 Large Eggs
Zest of 1 Lemon
70g Lemon Juice
110g Sugar
215g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

Vanilla Chantilly
200g Double/Heavy Cream
½ Tsp Vanilla Paste
1 Tsp Sugar
50g Mascarpone (Optional)

Italian Meringue
55g Egg Whites
30g Water
150g Sugar

Special equipment

Stand Mixer
Silicon Baking Mats
Piping Bags
Large Round Tip Nozzle
Digital Thermometer
Digital Thermometer
Blow Torch

Method

Lemon Cream
1. Into a large bowl, add the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.

    • 3 Large Eggs
    • Zest of 1 Lemon
    • 70g Lemon Juice
    • 110g Sugar

2. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water and whisk constantly. Keep whisking until the mixture has thickened. Be careful not to overcook the mixture and scramble the eggs.

3. Once the mixture has thickened, immediately pour it through a sieve onto another bowl or a tall jug.

4. Using a hand blender, blend the mixture, adding a few chunks of butter each time. Keep blending until the butter is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

    • 215g Soft, Unsalted Butter

5. Cover the surface with a sheet of cling film and refrigerate overnight.

French Meringue

1. Start by pouring your sugar onto a tray, and placing it into a preheated oven, at 175C/345F for 5 minutes.

    • 240g Sugar

2. While the sugar is heating up, add the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on a low speed. You are looking for the egg whites to have small bubbles and be frothy once you start adding the hot sugar.

    • 120g Egg Whites

3. Remove the sugar from the oven (and lower the temperature to 90C/195F) and by this point your egg whites should be ready – increase the speed to medium/high, and add in the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, waiting about 10s between each addition of sugar.

4. Once you have added all the sugar, keep whisking for a further 5m, until you have a nice stiff peak to your meringue.

5. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle.

6. Onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat, start by piping a small spiral, about 2.5” wide. Then starting from the outside of the spiral, pipe a dollop of meringue, then release the pressure, and swipe the dollop towards the centre.

7. Repeat that around the entire spiral.

8. You should be able to get 4 meringue nests in total.

9. Place the meringues into the oven, and bake for 1h40m. Then turn the oven off and open the door slightly. Allow them to cool in there for 30 minutes.

Vanilla Chantilly

1. Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and whisk with a hand whisk until you have a medium peak.

    • 200g Double/Heavy Cream
    • ½ Tsp Vanilla Paste
    • 1 Tsp Sugar
    • 50g Mascarpone (Optional)

Assembly Part 1

1. Take the cooled meringue nests, and scoop a spoonful of the chantilly into the centre.

2. Use a spatula just to spread it out into a thin layer.

3. In the meantime, add the lemon cream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle. There’s no need to whisk it beforehand as you want it to be quite firm when you pipe it.

4. In the same motion that you piped the meringue, pipe dollops of the lemon cream onto the meringue nest and swipe these into the centre. Set these to one side while you make the meringue.

Italian Meringue

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and begin whisking on a low speed – note this is quite a small amount of egg whites so you might need to start whisking them by hand to thicken them slightly before adding them into your mixer otherwise the whisk attachment may not catch the egg whites.

    • 55g Egg Whites

2. While that is whisking, add the water and sugar to a small saucepan. Place it on a medium heat. Cook the sugar until it reaches a temperature of 118C/244F.

    • 150g Sugar
    • 30g Water

3. By this point your egg whites should be quite frothy and thick – immediately remove the pan from the heat, and slowly pour the hot syrup over the egg whites, whisking on a high speed. Be careful not to pour the hot syrup over the whisk itself or it will splash everywhere.

4. Continue to whisk for 7 minutes or until the bowl feels cool to the touch and the meringue reaches a stiff peak.

5. Add the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a smaller round tip nozzle.

6. Pipe little kisses over the top of the lemon cream, then using a blow torch, gently heat them until they turn a light golden colour.

7. Garnish with some greenery and fresh lemon zest.

by Matt Adlard

Baileys Yule Log

TIER 1

Baileys Yule Log

1
YULE LOG

Ingredients

Makes 1 yule log

Chocolate Sponge

80g Egg Yolks
20g Sugar (A)
55g Sugar (B)
150g Egg Whites
50g Vegetable Oil
35g Whole Milk
45g Plain Flour
25g Cocoa Powder

Baileys Chantilly
300g Double/Heavy Cream
30g Baileys
1-2 Tsp Sugar
½ Tsp Vanilla Paste

Tempered Chocolate To Decorate

Special equipment

12×10.5” Sponge Roll Mat
Stand Mixer/Electric Whisk
Acetate

Method

Chocolate Sponge

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F.

2. Into a medium bowl, add the egg yolks, sugar (A). Whisk the mixture by hand or in a stand mixer until it is thicker in volume and pale in colour.

    • 80g Egg Yolks
    • 20g Sugar (A)

3. Into a stand mixer, add the egg whites and whisk on a medium low speed. Once the mixture is frothy, increase the speed to medium and slowly add the sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisk until you have a medium-stiff peak to the meringue.

    • 55g Sugar (B)
    • 150g Egg Whites

4. Gently fold the first third of meringue into the egg yolk mixture. Once incorporated, add the second third, fold it through and then the final third.

5. Next, sift in the plain flour, cocoa powder, and fold it in carefully until it is fully incorporated.

    • 45g Plain Flour
    • 25g Cocoa Powder

6. Finally, pour in the vegetable oil and whole milk. Use a spatula to fold this in. Really ensure you scrape the bottom of the bowl as the oil can get caught at the bottom and not fully incorporate.

    • 50g Vegetable Oil
    • 35g Whole Milk

7. Lightly grease a 12×10.5” sponge roll silicon mat. Alternatively, you can grease a half sheet pan lightly with butter and place a sheet of baking paper on top.

8. Pour the batter into the mat, and then using a raplette or an offset spatula and spread the batter out evenly. Try to ensure that when using a spatula or raplette that you spread the batter so that it is very level.

9. Bake the sponge for 12-14 minutes then allow it to cool for 30 minutes.

Baileys Chantilly

1. Into a large bowl, add all of the ingredients and whisk until it reaches a medium peak. Be careful not to underwhip it too much, as if it is too soft, it will leak out as you roll it.

    • 300g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 30g Baileys
    • 1-2 Tsp Sugar
    • ½ Tsp Vanilla Paste

Assembly

1. To assemble the yule log, cut out a large piece of parchment paper. Take the cooled sponge and flip it (carefully) out of the silicon mat so that the smooth surface that was exposed to the oven, is now facing onto parchment.

2. Make sure that the short edge of the sponge (10.5”) is at the top and bottom, while the longer side (12.5”) is on the sides. Then take a sharp knife, and cut a 45 degree angle at the very bottom of the sponge (the dotted line).

3. Spoon the baileys cream onto, and use an offset spatula to spread it out so you have a relatively even layer. You might not quite need all of the cream depending on how thick you want it to be.

4. Then with parchment paper assisting you, roll the sponge on itself, as tight as possible so that you get a good spiral.

5. Then once it is rolled up, wrap the parchment around the cake, and then use a ruler or something long and flat, and press this against the underside of the sponge whilst also pulling the bottom sheet of the parchment. This will create tension and tighten the roll. Place it in the fridge for 30m.

6. To decorate the cake, I just made a few chocolate leaves. I made a small batch of tempered chocolate, and dipped a small pastry brush into it. Then I swiped the brush on long a sheet of acetate, in individual strokes, to create little leaves. Lift the acetate sheet up and set it in a slightly curved position.

7. Once the cake has chilled, un-roll it carefully from the parchment and place it onto your serving plate.

8. Use a hot knife to cut the rough ends off either side.

9. Then place a strip of card or paper into the centre and dust icing sugar over the top.

10. Remove the card and carefully place the tempered chocolate leaves into the centre.

by Matt Adlard

Lemon Sheet Cake

TIER 3

Lemon Sheet Cake

1
9"x13" SHEET CAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 9″x13″ sheet cake

Lemon Sheet Cake
410g Caster Sugar
410g Cake Flour
26g Baking Powder
410g Whole Eggs
170g Vegetable Oil
140g Whole Milk, Room Temperature
240g Unsalted Butter
Zest 1 Lemon
1 Tsp Lemon Extract

Lemon Sugar Syrup
30g Water
30g Lemon Juice
60g Sugar

Lemon Curd
Zest of ½ Lemon
50g Lemon Juice
45g Caster Sugar
50g Whole Eggs
75g Unsalted Butter

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
300g Egg Whites
560g Caster Sugar
9g Salt
Beans from 1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
750g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
Yellow Gel Food Colour

Special equipment

Stand Mixer
9×13” Cake Tin
Piping Bags
#4B Piping Nozzle
Ruffle Tip Piping Nozzle x 2
#18 Star Tip Nozzle
Digital Thermometer

Method

Lemon Sheet Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 185C/365F non-fan assisted.

2. Place the butter into a saucepan and melt it over a low heat (avoid boiling it). Once it has just melted, set it to one side to cool slightly.

    • 240g Unsalted Butter

3. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar, flour & baking powder. Mix until they are evenly combined.

    • 410g Caster/Superfine Sugar
    • 410g Cake Flour
    • 26g Baking Powder

4. In a separate jug, whisk together the eggs, oil, milk, lemon zest & lemon extract. Then, while mixing the dry ingredients on a slow speed, pour in the wet mixture. Mix everything until the wet & dry ingredients are evenly combined, scraping down the bowl to ensure everything is mixed in. Be careful not to overbeat the mixture.

    • 410g Whole Eggs, Whisked
    • 170g Vegetable Oil
    • 140g Whole Milk, Room Temperature
    • Zest 1 Lemon
    • 1 Tsp Lemon Extract

5. Finally, pour in the melted butter and mix the batter slowly until everything is evenly combined.

6. Lightly grease a 9×13” rectangular cake tin. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom to stop the cake from sticking.

7. Pour the batter into the cake tin and place the tin into the oven. Bake for around 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Every oven is different so keep an eye on the cake. You will see it turns a very nice golden brown colour on top and that is when it is close to being done. While the cake is baking you can make the sugar syrup.

Lemon Sugar Syrup

1. Place the sugar, water and lemon juice into a medium saucepan and bring it to the boil until all of the sugar has dissolved. Make sure you don’t boil it for too long otherwise it will thicken too much as it cools. Set to one side to use when the cake is ready.

    • 30g Water
    • 30g Lemon Juice
    • 60g Sugar

2. Once the cake has baked, remove it from the oven and place a wire rack on top of the tray. Very carefully flip the tray over so that the cake releases onto the wire rack.

3. Peel off the sheet of parchment paper and then immediately soak the cake with the lemon sugar syrup.

4. Wrap the cake in cling film and then place the entire cake in the fridge to chill for 3-4 hours. This will help to make sure the cake is nice and moist.

Lemon Curd

1. Into a stainless steel bowl, add the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.

    • Zest of ½ Lemon
    • 50g Lemon Juice
    • 45g Caster Sugar
    • 50g Whole Eggs

2. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water.

3. Whisking constantly until the mixture has thickened, almost like a custard consistency.

4. Immediately remove it from the heat and pass it through a sieve onto a tall jug.

5. Allow the mixture to cool to around 40C/105F (it will only take a few minutes), and then add in the soft butter.

    • 75g Unsalted Butter, Soft

6. Use a hand blender to blend until the mixture is completely smooth.

7. Place a sheet of cling film on top and refrigerate the curd until you are ready to use it.

8. If you chill it overnight you may need to warm it up just slightly before you use it so that it is softer to spread.

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1. Into a large metal bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites, sugar, vanilla and salt.

    • 300g Egg Whites
    • 560g Caster Sugar
    • 9g Salt
    • Beans from 1 Fresh Vanilla Pod

2. Place the bowl of a pan of gently simmering water. Whisk the mixture constantly until the sugar has dissolved and it reached a temperature of around 65C/149F on a digital thermometer.

3. Once at temperature, remove it from the heat and place it onto a stand mixer. Attach the whisk and whisk for 5-7 minutes, or until the bowl feels completely cool to the touch.

4. With the mixer still on a medium speed, slowly add in the soft butter, one piece at a time. As long as the butter is soft, you should be able to add it in relatively quickly. Wait about 10 seconds in between each addition.

    • 750g Unsalted Butter, Soft & Room Temperature

5. Initially it will look quite soupy, then it may begin to look curdled, but don’t panic – this is normal.

6. Once you have added all the butter, keep whisking for a further 3-4 minutes until the buttercream is completely smooth.

Assembly

1. Remove the cake from the fridge and use a serrated knife to trim all the edges of the cake (not the top though!), getting rid of the golden brown edges to reveal a nice soft cake on the inside.

2. Then, cut the cake in half horizontally so you have two nice even slabs of cake.

3. Place one half of the cake onto a cake board so the sliced sponge is facing out.

4. Take a few scoops of the vanilla buttercream and scoop this into the centre. Use an offset spatula to spread this out as evenly as possible to the edges.

5. Then, on top of that pipe or spread on a nice layer of that lemon curd. It should be a nice soft consistency that you can spread easily.

6. Place the second slab of cake on top.

7. To create the crumb coat, add a big dollop of buttercream on the cake and use an offset spatula to spread it over. Try and neaten it up as best as possible, using the spatula to scrape off any excess buttercream.

8. Once you are happy with the crumb coat, place the cake in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.

9. Remove the cake from the fridge and apply a second layer of buttercream, again using your spatula to spread it out as evenly as possible and a cake scraper to make it smooth. As you are scraping the sides you may see you get a build up of frosting on the top – what you can do is freeze the cake for 15 minutes, then use a sharp knife to trim off that excess buttercream around the outside.

10. When you have a rectangular cake that is relatively smooth and even coverage of buttercream, chill the cake for 20 minutes in the fridge and then we can start to decorate.

11. Split the remaining buttercream into 2 batches, leaving one batch white, and colour the remaining batch with a vibrant yellow gel food colour. We are then going to add the white + yellow buttercream into 4 different piping bags:

    • 1 x Ruffle tip – White Buttercream
    • 1 x Ruffle Tip – Yellow Buttercream
    • 1 x 4B Tip – White Buttercream
    • 1 x 18 Star Tip – Yellow Buttercream

12. Remove the chilled cake from the fridge and start with the White Buttercream – 4B Piping Bag. Start at the bottom of the cake and pipe and shell border by applying even pressure to create a dollop of buttercream, stop piping and then drag the piping bag down to create a flick at the bottom of the shell. Repeat this technique, joining the dollops as you go along the outside edge of the cake.

13. Next, take the Yellow Buttercream – 18 Star Tip, and just above the shell border you just piped, apply even pressure, and pipe in an anti-clockwise circular motion to create a constant loop of tight spirals.

14. Move to the top of the cake and take the White Buttercream – Ruffle Tip Piping Bag. Apply even pressure and holding the piping nozzle so that the opening of the nozzle is perpendicular to the cake i.e it is facing outwards and to the left, (not facing up or down) pipe and even draping of the ruffled buttercream right along the edge of the cake. Try to ensure there are no air bubbles in your piping bag so that you can apply consistent pressure on the bag without stopping as you pipe.

15. Once you have piped the white ruffle around the entire top side of the cake, pick up the Yellow Buttercream – Ruffle Tip Piping Bag and pipe a second line of yellow ruffles, just above the white ones.

16. Finally, take the White Buttercream- 4B Piping Nozzle, and cover up the edge of the yellow ruffle buttercream with a shell design, just as we did in step 12.

17. Fill the centre of the cake with sprinkles or candles (whatever you fancy) and then let the cake come to room temperature for at least an hour before serving.

by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Sheet Cake

TIER 2

Chocolate Sheet Cake

1
9"x13" SHEET CAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 9″x13″ sheet cake

Chocolate Sheet Cake
340g Unsalted Butter
340g Brewed Coffee
85g Cocoa Powder
170g Dark Chocolate
430g Light Brown Sugar
6 Large Eggs + 3 Large Egg Yolks (Cold)
255g Plain Flour
1 Tbsp Baking Soda
½ Tsp Salt Chocolate Chips

Brown Sugar Ganache
200g Dark Chocolate
25g Unsalted Butter
35g Light Brown Sugar
200g Double Cream
75g Sour Cream

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
200g Egg Whites
375g Sugar
500g Unsalted Butter, Soft & Room Temperature
6g Salt
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or 1 Fresh Vanilla Pod
200g Melted Dark Chocolate

Chocolate Drip
100g Dark Chocolate
60g Unsalted Butter

Special equipment

Stand Mixer
9×13” Cake Tin
Piping Bag
1M Star Tip Nozzle
Digital Thermometer

Method

Chocolate Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 175C/345F. Into a large bowl, add the butter, and pour over the hot coffee.

    • 340g Unsalted Butter
    • 340g Brewed Coffee

2. Whisk the mixture together until the butter has completely melted. If the coffee is a little cool, then just pop the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water until melted.

3. Once melted, add in the chocolate and cocoa powder and whisk the mixture together. Again, you want to whisk this until the chocolate has completely melted. If it needs a little heating, just pop it over a pan of simmering water.

    • 85g Cocoa Powder
    • 170g Dark Chocolate

4. Add in the sugar and whisk until there are no more lumps of sugar.

    • 430g Light Brown Sugar

5. Add in the cold eggs and whisk to combine.

    • 6 Large Eggs + 3 Large Egg Yolks (Cold)

6. Finally, sift in the flour, salt & baking soda. Gently whisk the mixture together until there are no more dry parts of flour.

    • 255g Plain Flour
    • 1 Tbsp Baking Soda
    • ½ Tsp Salt

7. Take a 9×13” rectangle cake pan. Lightly spray it with a cake release spray. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom of the tin. If you are not using cake release spray, coat the base with soft butter, place the sheet of parchment down. Then grease the edges with butter and dust them with cocoa powder.

8. Pour the cake batter into the tin.

9. Take a handful of chocolate chips and dust them lightly in flour. Shake off any excess flour then sprinkle them on top of the cake.

    • Chocolate Chips

10. Place the cake into the oven and bake for around 40-45m, or until a skewer comes out clean from the centre. It may take longer – every oven is different so keep an eye on it.

11. Once baked, let it cool in the tion for 5 minutes, then carefully place a wire rack on top of the tin.

12. Take a tea towel, and hold the wire rack against the top of the tray. Very carefully flip the tray over, then slowly lift the cake pan so that the cake releases onto the wire rack.

13. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes, then wrap the cake tightly in cling film and refrigerate the cake for 4-6 hours. This is optional but helps to keep the cake moist.

Brown Sugar Ganache

1. Add the chocolate into a medium bowl, then place it over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir until it is completely melted.

    • 200g Dark Chocolate

2. Set that to one side to stay warm, while you add the cream, sugar and butter to a saucepan. Place it on a medium low heat, stirring constantly until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved into the cream. Make sure the cream is not boiling – just hot.

    • 25g Unsalted Butter
    • 35g Light Brown Sugar
    • 200g Double Cream

3. Slowly pour the cream into the chocolate in three additions.

4. With your spatula, stir the cream into the chocolate, stirring from the centre of the bowl in very tight circular motions. This is an important technique in order to properly emulsify the ganache (Although if you do have one, you can use a hand blender to blend the cream and chocolate together until smooth).

5. Once you have added all the cream, fold the sour cream into the ganache.

    • 75g Sour Cream

6. Set the mixture to one side (cover the surface directly with cling film), until it has set into a spreadable frosting consistency. Roughly 2-3 hours at room temperature, but it may take more/less depending on your environment.

7. Once the ganache has set up and the cake has cooled. Use a sharp serrated knife to carefully slice the cake in half horizontally. This can be a little tough to do evenly as it is a large cake, but if you have a cake leveller, that makes things a lot easier! At this point it is worth placing the cake on a cake board so it is easy to maneuver.

8. Use a palette knife to evenly spread the frosting onto one layer of the cake.

9. Carefully sandwich the second layer of cake on top. 10. Place the cake in the fridge while you make the buttercream.

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1. Into a large metal bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites, sugar, vanilla and salt.

    • 200g Egg Whites
    • 375g Sugar
    • 6g Salt
    • 1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or 1 Fresh Vanilla Pod

2. Place the bowl of a pan of gently simmering water. Whisk the mixture constantly until the sugar has dissolved and it reached a temperature of around 65C/149F on a digital thermometer.

3. Once at temperature, remove it from the heat and place it onto a stand mixer. Attach the whisk and whisk for 5-7 minutes, or until the bowl feels completely cool to the touch. As this is mixing, melt your chocolate. You want to ensure it is warm when you add it in, but not too hot, so by starting it now, it should be at a good temperature when you are ready to use it.

    • 200g Dark Chocolate, Melted

4. With the mixer still on a medium speed, slowly add in the soft butter, one piece at a time. As long as the butter is soft, you should be able to add it in relatively quickly. Wait about 10s in between each addition.

    • 500g Unsalted Butter, Soft & Room Temperature

5. Initially it will look quite soupy, then it may begin to look curdled, but don’t panic – this is normal.

6. Once you have added all the butter, keep whisking for a further 3-4 minutes until the buttercream is completely smooth.

7. Next, pour in the melted chocolate. Keep whisking (you may need to scrape down the sides to fully incorporate all the chocolate) until you have a smooth chocolate buttercream.

Assembly Part 1

1. Remove the chilled cake from the fridge and place a heaped scoop of chocolate buttercream on top.

2. With an offset spatula, spread the buttercream as evenly as possible around the entire cake. Don’t worry too much about perfectly sharp edges or making sure it is completely smooth, we are just adding a rough crumb coat.

3. Add enough buttercream and keep smoothing it out until you have a relatively even crumb coat. Lift the cake into the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

4. After 30 minutes, remove the cake from the fridge and add a second layer of buttercream, this time slightly thicker. Again, use an offset spatula to spread the buttercream out as evenly as possible but don’t panic too much about perfectly smooth edges. Just use your palette knife & cake scraper to get it as sharp as you want.

5. Lift the cake and place it in the fridge while you make the chocolate drip.

Chocolate Drip

1. Into a medium bowl, add the chocolate & unsalted butter.

    • 100g Dark Chocolate
    • 60g Unsalted Butter

2. Place the bowl over a pan of very gently simmering water and stir it until it has completely melted.

3. Remove the bowl from the heat and let it cool, gently stirring occasionally until it has cooled to around 30-32C (86F-89F) on a digital thermometer.

Final Assembly

1. Once the drip is at temperature, remove the cake from the fridge.

2. Add the drip into a piping bag or using a spoon, carefully drip the chocolate over the edge of the cake.

3. Next, take the remaining buttercream and add it into a piping bag fitted with a 1M star tip nozzle.

4. Applying even pressure, start at the top of the cake, and pipe and even shell border, covering the parts of the cake where the top of the drip can be seen. The key to getting an even border, is just to apply even pressure, squeeze a dollop of the buttercream, stop piping, then drag the piping bag towards you.

5. Once you have covered the top, repeat the piping along the bottom of the cake.

6. Then at this point, you can decorate the centre of the cake any way you want! I chose to fill the centre with chocolate curls, but you could add candles or sprinkles…whatever you fancy!

7. Allow the cake to come to room temperature for at least an hour before serving so the ganache can warm up.

by Matt Adlard

Berries & Cream Cake

TIER 1

Berries & Cream Cake

1
9"x13" SHEET CAKE

Ingredients

Makes 1 9″x13″ sheet cake

Genoise Sponge
300g Whole Egg
240g Caster Sugar
240g Plain Flour
50g Melted Butter
Zest ½ Lemon
1 Tsp Lemon Extract
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste/1 Fresh Vanilla Pod (Optional)

Sugar Syrup
30g Lemon Juice
30g Water
60g Sugar
Or
60g Water
60g Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Vanilla Chantilly Cream
400g Double/Heavy Cream
1-2 Tsp Icing/Powdered Sugar

Fresh Berries To Decorate

Special equipment

Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Whisk
9×13” Cake Pan

Method

Genoise Sponge

This sponge can be flavoured with either lemon/vanilla – or both. I like a lemon cake so I just used lemon extract & zest, but feel free to adjust the flavour to your preference.

1. Preheat the oven to 175C/345F.

2. Into a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs, sugar & lemon zest.

    • 300g Whole Egg
    • 240g Caster Sugar
    • Zest ½ Lemon
    • 1 Tsp Lemon Extract

2. Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, and whisk constantly until it has thickened slightly and looks paler in colour. If you have a digital thermometer, it should go above around 45C/112F.

3. Once thicker, remove it from the pan, and with an electric hand whisk, or you can place it on a stand mixer – whisk it for 3-5 minutes until it is much thicker, and the mixture holds a ribbon.

4. Next, sift the flour over the top, and fold it in with a spatula. This can be a little tough as you really need to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure you get all the flour as sometimes it can get stuck at the bottom, but also try to avoid going crazy and knocking out too much air from the mixture.

    • 240g Plain, All-Purpose Flour

5. Once the flour is incorporated, pour in the melted butter (and vanilla if you are using it) and fold the mixture again to make sure there are no more streaks of butter.

    • 50g Melted, Unsalted Butter

6. Take a 9×13” rectangle cake pan, and lightly grease the inside with butter or cake release spray. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom.

7. Pour the cake batter into the tin, then slide it into the pre-heated oven. Bake for around 20-25 minutes or until the cake is nice and golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Sugar Syrup

You have two options for the sugar syrup – vanilla or lemon. Choose whichever version you would prefer to use. If you are making vanilla – skip the lemon juice and do 60g water instead + 1 Tsp vanilla bean paste.

1. Into a small saucepan, add the lemon juice, water and sugar.

    • 30g Lemon Juice
    • 30g Water
    • 60g Sugar

2. Place it on a medium heat and bring it to a boil, ensuring the sugar has completely dissolved. Make sure the syrup doesn’t boil for too long otherwise it will become slightly too thick and make it more difficult to spread onto the cake.

3. Set the pan to one side while the cake bakes.

Assembly Part 1

1. When the cake has baked, remove it from the oven, and carefully run a knife around the edge of the cake pan to make sure it has completely released. Then place a wire rack on top of the tin and carefully flip it over so the cake is now on the wire rack.

2. Allow it to cool for a few minutes, then peel off the sheet of parchment paper on the bottom.

3. Take the sugar syrup and use a spoon or a pastry brush to soak the cake all over. This will add some moisture back into the cake.

4. At this point, you can wrap the cake tightly in cling film and refrigerate it (overnight ideally) or let it cool to room temperature to decorate. I find that wrapping it in cling film and then refrigerating it, while it’s still warm, helps to lock in a little more moisture.

Vanilla Chantilly

1. Once the cake has cooled, take a sharp serrated knife and trim the edges off. This will give you a nice clean edge and also get rid of the slightly drier edges.

2. Add the cream, vanilla and sugar to a bowl and use a hand whisk (or electric whisk) and whisk until the cream is thicker but not holding stiff peaks.

    • 400g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 1-2 Tsp Icing/Powdered Sugar

3. The thickness is crucial here, as if you whisk the mixture to stiff peaks then try and spread it, it will split.

4. The more you move the cream, the more it will thicken, so you need to under whip the cream, to a very soft peak, then pour it on the cake.

5. Use a spatula so spread it around in nice whirls to the edges.

6. Take fresh berries of your choice and place them all over the cream.

by Matt Adlard

Lemon Meringue Pie

TIER 3

Lemon Meringue Pie

4
INDIVIDUAL DESSERTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 individual desserts

Lemon Cream
150g Caster Sugar
Zest of 1 Large Lemon
110g Lemon Juice
4 Large Eggs
290g Unsalted Butter, Soft

Lemon Sweet Pastry
100g Unsalted Butter
70g Icing/Powdered Sugar
50g Egg Yolk
Zest ½ Lemon
200g Plain Flour

French Meringue Kisses
100g Egg Whites
200g Caster Sugar

Orange Gel
300g Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
2.5g Agar Agar
5g Sugar
10g Lemon Juice

Fresh raspberries to decorate

Special equipment

Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Whisk
4 x 4.5” Perforated Tart Rings
Piping Bag
Hand Blender or Food Processor

Method

Lemon Cream

You may have some lemon cream leftover depending on how big and how thick you pipe you spirals for the final plating.

1. Into a large bowl, add the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.

    • 150g Caster Sugar
    • Zest of 1 Large Lemon
    • 110g Lemon Juice
    • 4 Large Eggs

2. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water and whisk constantly. Keep whisking until the mixture has thickened. Be careful not to overcook the mixture and scramble the eggs.

3. Immediately pour the mixture through a sieve onto another bowl.

4. Using a hand blender, blend the mixture, adding a few chunks of butter each time. Keep blending until the butter is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

    • 290g Soft, Unsalted Butter

5. Cover the surface with a sheet of cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.

French Meringue Kisses

This will make more meringue than you need, but it can be hard to whisk a very small amount of egg whites!

1. Preheat your oven to 90C/195F non-fan assisted.

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites.

    • 100g Egg Whites

3. Whisk the mixture on a medium low speed until it starts to become frothy.

4. Once it is frothy, increase the speed to medium high and start adding the sugar.

    • 200g Caster Sugar

5. Add the sugar 1 tbsp at a time, trying to avoid throwing it on the whisk as otherwise it will throw the sugar all over the edge of the bowl and it won’t incorporate fully. Make sure to let the mixer whisk for 10-15 seconds before you add the next addition of sugar.

6. Once you have added all the sugar, keep whisking on a medium high speed until you have a stiff peak to your meringue. You should be able to rub the mixture between your fingers and not feel any sugar granules.

7. Add the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a 4B or any star tip nozzle.

8. Line a baking tray with a silicon mat or parchment paper and pipe small kisses of meringue.

9. Place the tray in the oven and bake the kisses for 45 minutes. Turn the oven off, then open the oven door slightly and leave them in the oven to cool for a further 30 minutes.

Lemon Sweet Pastry

Note – I used quite a large silicon mat in the video – so the instructions below will guide you on splitting the dough into two balls if you are using regular sized silicon mats- one ball to create the bases for your tart shell, and one ball to create the walls.

1. Into a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), add the cubed, cold butter, lemon zest and sift over the icing/powdered sugar.

    • 100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
    • Zest ½ Lemon
    • 70g Icing/Powdered Sugar

2. With a paddle attachment or with the beaters on a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until it is evenly combined. Scrape down the mixture with a spatula twice during this time.

3. While still beating the mixture, pour in the egg yolks and beat to combine. After about 30 seconds, scrape down the bowl ensuring all the butter is scraped off the bottom of the bowl and then mix for another 30 seconds.

    • 50g Egg Yolks

4. Add in the flour, and mix on a very low speed, until the dry ingredients are just combined. Be careful not to overbeat the mixture, simply mix until no more flour is visible and the mixture is clumping together. It should take about 15 seconds.

    • 200g Plain Flour/All-Purpose

5. Squeeze the mixture in your hand to form two rough balls. Place one ball of dough onto a silicon mat. Place a second silicon mat on top and roll the mixture into a rough rectangle, getting it as thin as possible.

6. Once you have a rough circle of dough, place it into the freezer for 30 minutes. This dough will be for the base of the tart shells.

7. With the remaining dough, repeat the process, rolling it in between two silicon mats, into a rough rectangle shape.

8. Place the sheet of dough in the freezer for 30 minutes.

9. While the dough is chilling, take the perforated tart ring and very lightly grease the inside with some soft butter.

10. Remove the chilled dough from the freezer that you are going to use for the base of the tart shell.

11. Working quickly, peel the dough off of the silicon matt and place it onto your baking tray lined with a baking mat (ideally a perforated baking mat). Press the tart shells into the dough and peel away any excess dough. Arrange the 4 tart shells on the baking tray and place them back in the freezer.

12. Remove the second strip of dough from the freezer that we are going to use for the walls of our tart shell. Working quickly, peel the top of the silicon mat off. Use a knife to cut long strips of dough.

13. Cut 4 strips of dough in total and then quickly place these back into the freezer for 10 minutes. You need to work quickly so the dough doesn’t melt.

*Note – you may not have enough dough here for 4 tart walls depending on how you rolled it. In which case, start by cutting two walls and then re-roll the scraps to make another 2 walls.

14. Once chilled, remove the baking tray from the freezer that has the tart bases on and remove one strip of dough for the walls.

15. Work quickly and take the strip of dough and place it inside the tart ring. Use a knife to cut it to size so that there isn’t too much excess dough overlapping. Alternatively, you can measure a piece of paper on the inside of the tart ring so that it measures perfectly, then cut your strips of dough to this exact length so they fit perfectly when you place them inside the tart ring.

16. Use your fingers to press together the base and the walls. The idea is to slightly push down the base of the wall, so that it meets the dough on the base of the tart shell. Do this all the way around the tart shell so that there are no gaps in between the wall and the base.

17. You have to do this while the dough is cold, otherwise, if it is too warm, as you press the dough it will tear. If it does feel too warm, place it back in the freezer for 10 minutes then try again.

18. Remove the remaining strips of dough for the walls from the freezer and repeat this with the remaining tarts.

19. Once you have attached the walls and the dough, do not try and move the tart shells or lift them up as the dough will have softened and it will tear. Always keep them on the tray. Place the entire tray of tart shells in the freezer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 175C/350F non-fan assisted.

20. After 15 minutes in the freezer, remove the tray of tart shells. Use a knife to trim off the excess pastry around the top of the tart shell.

21. Then, use a variety of cookie cutters and piping nozzles to cut different sized holes out of the base of the dough.

22. Make sure to keep the disc cut outs and place these on the baking tray too (these may cook quicker than your tart shells so keep an eye on them as they bake as you may need to take them out early).

23. Place the tarts into the oven and bake for around 14-16 minutes until they are nice and golden. Be careful as the underside of the tart that is facing directly onto the tray, will end up being the top of the cage. This will cook quicker as it is in direct contact with the tray, so have a little look underneath the tart shell after about 14 minutes in the oven to see how the colour is. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely.

Orange Gel

1. Into a saucepan add the orange juice and the agar agar.

    • 150g Orange Juice
    • 2.5g Agar Agar

2. Whisk the mixture together and bring it to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, cook for 1 minute to fully activate the agar agar.

3. Remove it from the heat and pour in the remaining orange juice, sugar and lemon juice.

    • 150g Orange Juice
    • 5g Sugar
    • 10g Lemon Juice

4. Pour the mixture onto a tray and let it set in the fridge for 30 minutes – 1 hour, or until it forms a jelly-like consistency.

5. Break the mixture up and place it into a blender (or blend in a tall jug with a hand blender)

6. Once smooth, store it in a container in the fridge until you are ready to plate with it.

Final Assembly

1. Remove the lemon cream from the fridge, and scoop it directly from the bowl, into a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle. Make sure to squeeze any air bubbles out of the piping bag.

2. Take your plate, and applying even pressure, pipe a spiral of the lemon cream onto it.

3. Next, place the meringue kisses around the outside, and pipe a few more dollops of the lemon cream.

4. Garnish with some freshly sliced raspberries, and the discs of lemon sweet pastry you made from the cut outs. (I also added some fresh vanilla powder, which is simply dried up vanilla pods that I blended into a powder).

5. Carefully place the lemon pastry cage over the top, trying to slot the meringue kisses into the holes.

6. Remove the orange gel from the fridge and place it into a piping bag.

7. Pipe small dots of the gel over the plate and then serve.

by Matt Adlard

Apple Crumble

TIER 2

Apple Crumble

4-5
INDIVIDUAL DESSERTS

Ingredients

Makes 4-5 individual desserts

Caramelised Apples
2 Apples (Braeburn or other sweet apple)
20g Light Brown Sugar
5g Caster Sugar
5g Cornflour/Cornstarch
Pinch Cinnamon
Pinch Fresh Nutmeg, Grated
½ Tbsp Lemon Juice
Up to 125ml Water

Vanilla Pastry Cream
250g Whole Milk
2 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste / 1 Whole Vanilla Bean, Seeds Scraped
15g Cornstarch/Cornflour
85g Caster Sugar
55g Egg Yolks
25g Cold, Unsalted Butter

Crumble
50g Unsalted Butter, Cold
50g Caster Sugar
50g Ground Hazelnuts or Almonds
50g Plain Flour

Apple Gel
300g Cloudy Apple Juice
2.5g Agar Agar

Tuile
100g Egg Whites
100g Very Soft, Unsalted Butter
100g Caster Sugar
100g Plain Flour

Special equipment

Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Whisk
Sphere Silicon Mold
Dough Scraper
Piping Bag
Hand Blender or Food Processor

Method

Caramelised Apples

1. Take a large bowl and pour the lemon juice in the bottom.

    • ½ Tbsp Lemon Juice

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until evenly combined.

    • 20g Light Brown Sugar
    • 5g Caster Sugar
    • 5g Cornflour/Cornstarch
    • Pinch of Cinnamon
    • Pinch of Fresh Nutmeg, Grated

3. On a chopping board, core each apple and then peel the skin off the outside. Cut the apples into small even cubes and add them into the bowl with the lemon juice.

    • 2 Apples

4. Take the dry ingredients and tip them over the bowl of chopped apples. Toss them to coat evenly.

5. Add the apples into a small/medium saucepan along with a small splash of water.

6. Cook the apples over a medium heat, adding a splash of water as needed once the sauce starts to thicken. Keep cooking the apples and adding small amounts of water until the apples are soft and caramelised. It should take about 5 minutes.

7. Remove them from the pan and allow them to cool slightly. Then pour the apples into a silicon sphere mold. You can also use any small silicon mold that you have!

8. Place the apples into the freezer for 2-3 hours.

9. To decorate the plate – I also added a few larger chunks of apple – you can repeat this process with another 2 apples, but instead, chop the apples into larger cubes, about ½” wide. They will take slightly longer to cook so keep that in mind. Once they are cooked, just store them in a container. If the sauce has thickened too much when you come to use them, just pop them back into a pan with a small splash of water and heat them back up. That will loosen the thick sauce around them.

Vanilla Pastry Cream

1. Into a saucepan, add the milk along with the fresh vanilla or vanilla bean paste.

    • 250g Whole Milk
    • 1 Vanilla Pod or 2 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

2. Place it over a medium heat, until it reaches a gentle simmer.

3. As it is heating up, place the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour into a bowl. Whisk the mixture for 30 seconds until it becomes thick in consistency.

    • 15g Cornstarch/Cornflour
    • 85g Caster Sugar
    • 55g Egg Yolks

4. Slowly pour the hot milk over the egg yolks, whisking constantly.

5. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and whisk it constantly until it starts to thicken. Once it comes to a boil, cook for a further 1 minute.

6. Immediately remove the mixture from the heat and pass it through a sieve, placed over another bowl.

7. Use a spatula to press the mixture through the sieve.

8. Add the unsalted butter on top and stir or whisk the mixture until the butter has been fully incorporated.

    • 25g Unsalted Butter

9. Place a sheet of cling film directly on the surface and chill for 3-4 hours.

Streusel

1. Add all the dry ingredients to a bowl along with the cold, cubed butter. Mix the ingredients between your fingers, rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients, until it forms a breadcrumb-like consistency. You can also place this in a stand mixer and mix on a low speed with a beater attachment.

    • 50g Unsalted Butter, Cold
    • 50g Caster Sugar
    • 50g Ground Almonds or Ground Hazelnuts
    • 50g Plain Flour
    • Zest ½ Lemon

2. Place the mixture into the freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat your oven to 175C/350F.

3. Take the mixture and break it up with your hands, onto a baking mat. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until just lightly golden around the edge. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool completely.

Apple Gel

1. Into a saucepan add the apple juice and the agar agar.

    • 150g Cloudy Apple Juice
    • 2.5g Agar Agar

2. Whisk the mixture together and bring it to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, cook for 1 minute to fully activate the agar agar.

3. Remove it from the heat and pour in the remaining cloudy apple juice.

    • 150g Cloudy Apple Juice

4. Pour the mixture onto a tray and let it set in the fridge for 30 minutes – 1 hour, or until it forms a jelly-like consistency.

5. Break the mixture up and place it into a blender (or blend in a tall jug with a hand blender)

6. Once smooth, store it in a container in the fridge until you are ready to plate with it.

Tuile

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F Non-Fan Assisted.

2. Into a bowl, add the egg whites. While whisking, slowly add the sugar until it has thickened to a medium peak.

    • 100g Egg Whites
    • 100g Caster Sugar

3. Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and add in the very soft butter. Whisk the mixture over the hot water, until the butter has fully incorporated into the meringue.

    • 100g Soft, Unsalted Butter

4. Finally, tip in the flour and whisk again until you have a smooth paste.

    • 100g Plain Flour

5. Take a scoop of the tuile mixture and spread it thinly onto a baking tray lined with a silicon baking mat. The idea is to spread it as evenly as possible, without any air bubbles or marks in it.

6. Then, with a bench scraper or a palette knife, carefully wipe away any excess tuile mixture, shaping the batter into a long triangle shape like below.

7. Make sure the edges are nice and smooth and place the tray into the oven.

8. Bake the tuile for 5 minutes – as it is much thinner at one end than the other, you need to make sure you don’t overcook that part and make it golden, or it will snap very easily. The tuile shouldn’t take on any colour really, only a very slightly golden tinge around the edge.

9. Once baked, work very quickly. Remove the tuile from the oven and very carefully, lay the silicon mat over the top of two bottles, setting the mat in a wavy shape. Use some small containers or any object to hold the mat in shape, so that as the tuile cools, it doesn’t move. – It helps to use a silicon mat that isn’t too rigid – sometimes they can be too strong and almost “snap back” as soon as you release them which will snap your tuile. It is best to use a silicon mat that is relatively thin.

10. Once the tuile has set after about 3-4 minutes, very carefully peel the silicon mat away from underneath the tuile. You have to be quite careful to slide the bottles out from underneath, then use your fingers to peel the silicon mat away. Don’t worry if it does snap, it’s not the end of the world!

Final Assembly

1. Take your plate and place the curved tuile down the centre.

2. Remove your spheres of caramelised apple from the freezer and pop them out of the silicon mold. Lift a few spheres onto your plate, placing them around the tuile. They will defrost quite quickly (around 20-25 minutes), or you can very very gently blow torch them to help speed that up!

3. Next, remove the creme patissiere from the fridge and whisk it up to loosen it and ensure it is nice and smooth.

4. Add it into a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle.

5. Pipe dollops of this around the plate.

6. Add the larger chunks of caramelized apples to the plate too (if you made those)

7. Next, crumble the streusel on the plate.

8. Finally, remove the apple gel from the fridge and add it into a piping bag. Pipe small dots of it on the plate and then serve.

by Matt Adlard

Tiramisu

TIER 1

Tiramisu

4
INDIVIDUAL DESSERTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 individual desserts

Savoiardi Biscuit
85g Egg Yolks
40g Caster Sugar
75g Egg Whites
40g Caster Sugar
15g Corn Starch
25g Plain Flour

Caster Sugar + Icing Sugar To Coat

To Soak
Freshly Brewed Coffee

Mascarpone Filling
450g Mascarpone
80g Caster Sugar
Splash of Kahlua or Sweet Marsala Wine
Lemon Zest
¼ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
4 Large Egg Yolks
110g Double Cream

Chocolate Tuile
100g Egg Whites
100g Caster Sugar
100g Very Soft, Unsalted Butter
80g Plain Flour
20g Cocoa Powder

Vanilla Whipped Chantilly
375g Double/Heavy Cream
2.5g Gelatin Powder + 15g Water (Platinum or Gold Strength Gelatin)
75g Melted White Chocolate, Good Quality
½ Fresh Vanilla Pod

Special equipment

Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Whisk
4 x 7cm/2.7” Ring Molds
Acetate
Dough Scraper
Piping Bag
Round Tip Nozzle
Pastry Rods

Method

Vanilla Whipped Chantilly

(This will make more than you need)

1. Add the gelatin and cold water into a small saucepan and allow it to bloom for 5 minutes.

    • 2.5g Powdered Gelatin + 15g Cold Water

2. Add the white chocolate to a bowl and melt it over a pan of gently simmering water. Set it to one side.

    • 75g White Chocolate

3. Next, add the cream and vanilla to a medium saucepan, and bring to a gentle simmer.

    • 375g Double/Heavy Cream
    • ½ Fresh Vanilla Pod

4. Once hot, turn off the heat, add the bloomed gelatin mass and whisk this in to dissolve it.

5. Slowly pour the hot cream over the melted chocolate in three parts, stirring in small circles in the centre of the bowl to create an emulsion.

6. Once you have added all the cream, ensure it is fully combined with the melted chocolate, cover the surface with cling film, and then refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours or ideally overnight.

Savoiardi Biscuit

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if you are using an electric hand whisk), add the sugar and egg yolks.

    • 85g Egg Yolks
    • 40g Caster Sugar

2. Whisk the two together until the mixture is thick and pale in colour – it should hold it’s shape when you lift the whisk up, almost like a thick cream. Set the mixture to one side.

3. Into a separate bowl, add the egg whites and begin to whisk on a medium low speed.

    • 75g Egg Whites

4. Once frothy, slowly add the sugar, about 1 tbsp at a time.

    • 40g Caster Sugar

5. Once you have added all the sugar, keep whisking until you have a stiff peak to your meringue.

6. Take the meringue, and fold it into the egg yolk mixture, in three parts until evenly combined.

7. Take the cornflour and plain flour and sift them together into a separate bowl.

    • 25g Plain Flour
    • 15g Cornflour

8. Tip the dry mixture into the egg yolk/mermaid mixture and fold it in with a spatula.

9. Add the batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip zozzle (you could also pipe the batter into individual fingers if you are making a “classic” tiramisu but we are going to do a slightly different version) Pipe the mixture onto a tray lined with a baking mat or parchment, into discs, roughly 2.5” in diameter. Essentially, they need to be roughly the size of the mold you are using for the layered tiramisu, as they will spread slightly as they bake.

10. Once you’ve piped the mixture, sprinkle some caster sugar on top, then dust the entire surface with icing sugar. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then dust it with a second layer of icing sugar.

    • Caster Sugar
    • Icing Sugar

11. Place the baking tray in the oven and bake at 180C/390F non-fan assisted until the mixture is lightly golden on top. It should take around 15-16 minutes. They will crack slightly as they are baking. Once baked, allow them to cool.

Mascarpone Filling

1. Into a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add all of the ingredients for the mascarpone filling.

    • 450g Mascarpone
    • 80g Caster Sugar
    • Splash of Kahlua or Sweet Marsala Wine
    • Lemon Zest
    • ¼ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
    • 4 Large Egg Yolks
    • 110g Double Cream

2. Whisk everything together until it is evenly combined and thicker in consistency. The mixture should hold a medium peak when you lift the whisk from the bowl.

3. Set the mixture to one side ready to use.

Assembly Part 1

1. Take a ring mold that is roughly 7cm/2.7” in diameter and line the inside with a sheet of acetate, that is roughly 10cm/3.9” tall. You will need to tape the piece of acetate together down the seam so that it holds its shape. If you are using a different sized cookie cutter you may get more/less servings out of this recipe so keep that in mind.

2. Lift the ring molds onto a tray and begin to assemble.

3. Take the cooled ladyfinger sponge and soak them with freshly brewed hot espresso coffee.

    • Freshly Brewed Espresso Coffee

4. Then using a cookie cutter – the same size as your ring mold above (7cm/2.7”), cut the ladyfinger biscuit down to size so that it will fit inside the mold.

5. Place one layer of ladyfinger sponge into the base of the mold.

6. Remove the mascarpone cream from the fridge and add it into a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle.

7. Pipe an even layer of cream on top of the sponge.

8. Take a fine grater, and grate some fresh chocolate over the top of the cream (or dust cocoa powder – whichever you prefer!)

    • Grated Dark Chocolate

9. Repeat this layering process until you have a total of three layers, finishing with the grated chocolate on top.

10. Lift the tray of tiramisu into the freezer, and chill for 2 hours.

Chocolate Tuile

1. Into a medium bowl, add the egg whites and sugar.

    • 100g Egg Whites
    • 100g Caster Sugar

2. Whisk them together until they are thick and glossy in consistency.

3. Next, place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, and add in the soft butter. Whisk the mixture until it is fully incorporated into the meringue and there are no more lumps of butter.

    • 100g Soft, Unsalted Butter

4. Remove the bowl from the heat and sift in the flour and cocoa powder and whisk to combine.

    • 80g Plain Flour
    • 20g Cocoa Powder

5. Scoop some of the mixture out and spread it onto a silicon baking mat. Use a palette knife to spread it out as evenly as possible, trying to ensure there are no air bubbles or streaks in it.

6. Then, using a dough scraper or palette knife, scrape away the excess tuile mixture, shaping it into a rectangle.

7. To be accurate, you need to make sure that the rectangle is long enough to fit around the outside of your tiramisu dessert. So if you are using a 7cm/2.7” ring mold, you need to make sure your rectangle of tuile is roughly 24cm/9.5” long (you can calculate the circumference needed on google!) You also need to make sure it is tall enough to cover your tiramisu too. My Tiramisu was 8cm tall so I made my rectangle 24cm x 8cm (9.5”x 3”)

8. Place the tuile into the oven, on a tray, that has been preheated to 180C/355F Non Fan Assisted.

9. Bake the tuile for 5-6 minutes. It will begin to bubble up and then the bubbles will slowly fall down – at this point it is ready. Every oven is different so keep a close eye on it.

10. Remove the tray from the oven and working very quickly, very very gently get a knife under the edge of the tuile, life it up with your hands and then wrap it around an object, the same diameter as your tiramisu (in my case, 7cm/2.7”)

11. Once you’ve wrapped it around the object, place it down and use another item to hold the tuile in place so it does not unravel. Once you have set it, do not adjust it, or it will snap.

12. Repeat this process so you have 4 tuiles in total. Once they have set you can carefully remove them from your object but be careful as they are fragile!

Final Assembly

1. Take your serving plate, and place a round object in the centre.

2. Dust a layer of cocoa powder lightly over the plate, then remove the object to reveal a nice un-coated disc on the plate.

3. Remove the tiramisu from the freezer and carefully slide off the ring mold.

4. Cut the sellotape holding the acetate together and carefully peel it off. The time in the freezer should have been long enough whereby the mousse is not tearing off along with the acetate.

5. Use a palette knife to carefully lift the tiramisu onto your serving plate. – At this point we need to let the tiramisu defrost slightly which won’t take too long – you can either leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes, or, if you are prepping dessert in advance for guests, place the plates in the fridge for a few hours and the tiramisu will slowly come to temperature.

6. Once the tiramisu is at temperature (you can check by very carefully sliding a toothpick into the mascarpone mousse – if it feels soft, it is ready)

7. Take the tuile, and carefully place this around the outside of the tiramisu.

8. Finally, remove the vanilla chantilly cream from the fridge and whisk it to a medium peak with an electric or a hand whisk.

9. Take a piping bag, and cut a St Honore nozzle using a pair of scissors. Cut along the dotted lines, according to the diagram below. The hole you cut only needs to be small.

10. Add the vanilla chantilly to the piping bag and pipe swirls of the cream over the top.

11. Garnish with edible gold leaf and serve.

by Matt Adlard

Strawberry Shortcake

TIER 3

Strawberry Shortcake

4
INDIVIDUAL DESSERTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 individual desserts

Pistachio Praline
120g Unsalted Pistachios
60g Caster Sugar
2 Tbsp Water
Pinch Salt

Pistachio Sponge
120g Whole Eggs
85g Caster Sugar
95g Plain Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
20g Ground Almonds
60g Double/Heavy Cream
65g Unsalted Butter (To Make 40g Brown Butter)
100g Pistachio Praline
Pinch Salt

Sable Breton
125g Soft Unsalted Butter
110g Caster Sugar
2g Salt
55g Egg Yolks
160g Plain Flour
5g Baking Powder
½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Vanilla Chantilly
300g Double/Heavy Cream
1-2 Tsp Icing/Powdered Sugar
½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Chocolate Decoration
Red Cocoa Butter
Gold Lustre Dust
200-300g Tempered White Chocolate

Sliced Fresh Strawberries & Crushed Pistachios to Decorate

Special equipment

9” Square Brownie Tin
High Powered Food Processor
Round Cookie Cutters
Stand Mixer
Acetate
Digital Thermometer

Method

Pistachio Praline

*Note – this is quite a small batch of praline, enough for the cake recipe, but if your food processor isn’t overly powerful, it may be worth doubling this recipe so that there is enough mixture in the food processor for it to “catch” the praline and blend it. Otherwise the blade will be spinning around blending air and all the praline will be stuck to the sides.

1. Place the unsalted, shelled pistachios onto a baking tray. Place them in the oven to roast gently at 175C/350F for 8-10 minutes. They should be fragrant and lightly toasted when done, but keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!

    • 120g Unsalted Pistachios

2. Meanwhile, place the water and sugar into a medium saucepan. Place it over a medium heat and try not to stir it. Heat the mixture until it reaches a nice deep golden colour. Once it is done, immediately pour it onto a silicon mat to set.

    • 60g Caster Sugar
    • 2 Tbsp Water

3. Once the caramel has set and is nice and firm to the touch (about 30 minutes – 1 hour), add it into a high powered food processor along with the roasted pistachios and a small pinch of salt.

    • Pinch of Salt

4. Start by bending on a low speed and slowly increase it.

5. Initially the mixture will look quite powdery and dry – you will need to scrape down the sides of the food processor at least 6-8 times, stopping the machine every 20 seconds or so to make sure it is fully incorporated. The key is to start on a medium low speed, so the blade isn’t running too fast that it spits all the mixture to the edges.

6. After about 5 minutes of blending and scraping down, you should end up with a nice green paste, that is a similar texture to a natural peanut butter. If your mixture is very dry, you can add a very small amount of groundnut oil to help loosen it and it will blend much easier.

7. Scrape the praline out of the food processor and weigh 100g of it, ready for the cake batter.

Pistachio Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 210C/410F Non-Fan Assisted . Lightly grease a 9×9” square tin, and then line the base & sides with parchment paper.

2. Start by browning your butter – place the unsalted butter into a small saucepan and place it over a medium heat.

    • 65g Unsalted Butter

3. Melt the butter and continue to cook until the butter starts to smell nutty and the bubbling noises have stopped. Keep a close eye on the butter as it can burn. Once brown, pour the butter into another bowl, weighing the 40g needed for the recipe. Keep it somewhere warm.

4. Into a medium bowl, add the eggs and sugar. Whisk the mixture for 1-2 minutes by and until it is slightly lighter in colour.

    • 120g Whole Eggs
    • 85g Caster Sugar

5. On top of the eggs, add the flour, baking powder, salt & ground almonds. Whisk the mixture until it is combined, do not overbeat it. Simply mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated.

    • 95g Plain Flour
    • 2 Tsp Baking Powder
    • 20g Ground Almonds

6. Next, pour in the cream and whisk to combine.

    • 60g Double/Heavy Cream

7. Finally, add in the warm brown butter and the pistachio praline you made earlier. Whisk to combine until you have an even batter.

    • 40g Brown Butter
    • 100g Pistachio Praline

8. Pour the batter into the greased tin, and place it into the oven. Bake for 11-15 minutes. Every oven is different so keep an eye on it, it should be a nice golden colour on top so be careful not to overcook it. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool.

Sable Breton

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if you are using a hand mixer), add the soft unsalted butter, vanilla & sugar and beat on a medium speed until it is white & pale in colour.

    • 125g Soft Unsalted Butter
    • 110g Caster Sugar
    • ½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

2. Next, add in the egg yolk and salt. Beat to combine. You will need to scrape down the bowl so it is fully incorporated.

    • 55g Egg Yolk
    • 2g Salt

3. Finally, sieve in the baking powder and flour. Mix on a low speed until just combined. You might need to scrape down the bottom of the bowl to ensure all the soft butter is fully incorporated.

    • 160g Plain Flour
    • 5g Baking Powder

4. Scoop the mixture out and place it into between two silpats or pieces of parchment. Using a rolling pin, roll it as thin as possible. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour, until it is firm to the touch. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F.

5. Remove the sable breton from the fridge and cut it into discs, 3.5” wide.

6. Place them onto a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden around the edge.

7. As they bake, they may spread slightly and lose their shape, so as soon as they come out of the oven, take the cookie cutter, and cut them down to size again so they are neat.

Chocolate Decoration

Tempering chocolate is a whole series we have covered in Bake It Better so I would advise watching those videos for the full explanation and techniques on how to temper. You can also skip this decoration and ignore these steps!

1. Take your bottle of red cocoa butter and place it in the microwave, heating it in small bursts, shaking it every time you remove it from the microwave. Don’t melt the entire bottle, you simply want to melt enough to the point where, when you shake the bottle you can feel a small amount of liquid in there, but the main body of the cocoa butter is still unmelted. As you shake the bottle, this will ensure the cocoa butter remains in temper.

2. Cut eight strips of acetate – around 12.5” long and 2” high. If you are making the desserts slightly larger, simply measure the circumference of your dessert to ensure the acetate collar will fit around the outside.

3. Take four of the strips of acetate and wrap them around large circular objects that are similar in circumference to your dessert – it could be a plastic bottle or container. Remember that once the collar has set, it will essentially hold this exact size, so if you place it around an object that is too large, it will be too large for your final dessert. Place the containers onto a tray.

4. My dessert was 3.5” wide, so I used a plastic container that was between 3.5” – 4” wide. You wrap the bottom in acetate so that the tempered chocolate doesn’t stick to the container.

5. Place the remaining 4 strips of acetate onto a large silicon mat. If the acetate curls up, simply stick the edges down with a small piece of sellotape.

6. Take the melted, tempered cocoa butter and squeeze drops of it onto your strips of acetate.

7. Use a sponge or a pastry brush to spread the cocoa butter evenly across the acetate. The cocoa butter will set quite quickly as you spread it. It should set within a minute or so.

8. Ensuring the cocoa butter has set (you will see it no longer looks wet), take a small pastry brush and dust the acetate strip with gold lustre dust.

9. Next, place your white chocolate into a medium bowl over a pan of very gently simmering water.

    • 200g High Quality White Chocolate

10. Stir the chocolate constantly until it reaches a temperature of 45C/113F on a digital thermometer.

11. Immediately remove the chocolate from the heat and stir in the remaining, unmelted chocolate.

    • 40g High Quality White Chocolate

12. Keep stirring the mixture constantly until it cools to 27C/80F. Place the chocolate back on the pan of gently simmering water and heat it slowly until it reaches 32C/89F. Be very careful not to overheat it.

13. Dry the bottom of the bowl with a tea towel, then ladle the chocolate evenly between the 4 strips of acetate coloured with cocoa butter. Spread the chocolate out evenly with a palette knife.

14. Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature until it is no longer wet, and is dry when you touch it, but is still flexible. If you let it cool too much, it will snap when you lift it up.

15. Very carefully lift the strip of acetate up, and wrap it around the acetate covered container you set up earlier and leave it to set. You can let it set at room temperature for an hour (if your room temperature is not too hot) or place it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.

16. Once the chocolate has set, very carefully remove the container from the centre, and peel away the acetate, being careful not to snap the chocolate.

Final Assembly

1. Take the pistachio sponge, and cut 3.5” circles to match the size of your sable breton.

2. Place the sponge on top of the sable breton biscuit base.

3. To make the chantilly, add all of the ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk by hand until you have a medium peak.

    • 300g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
    • 1.5 Tsp Icing/Powdered Sugar

4. Spoon the chantilly onto the centre of the sponge.

5. Take the chocolate collar and carefully wrap it around the dessert.

6. Slice the fresh strawberries and decorate the top of the dessert along with some crushed pistachio.

7. Finish with edible gold leaf and serve.

by Matt Adlard

Gourmet Brownie

TIER 2

Gourmet Brownie

8
BROWNIES

Ingredients

Makes 8 brownies

Chocolate Chip Brownie
250g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa)
120g Unsalted Butter
215g Whole Eggs (4 Large)
300g Caster Sugar
50g Light Brown Sugar
60g Plain, All Purpose Flour
25g Cocoa Powder
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
Handful Chocolate Chips

Chocolate Ganache
Depending on how thick you want the layer of ganache to be you can adjust the amount of ganache accordingly below. I used a thick layer but it is very decadent!

Thick
600g Double Cream
300g Dark Chocolate

Medium
400g Double Cream
200g Dark Chocolate

Thin
200g Double Cream
100g Dark Chocolate

Muscovado Chantilly
2.5g Powdered Gelatin + 15g Cold Water
400g Double/Heavy Cream
40g Dark Muscovado Sugar

Soft Caramel
This will make more than you need but you can cut them into little rectangles, wrap them in baking paper so you have little caramel chews!

100g Water
200g Caster Sugar
120g Glucose
20g Honey
160g Double/Heavy Cream
100g Butter, Room Temperature
Heavy Pinch of Salt

Special equipment

9” Square Brownie Tin
Stand Mixer
Digital Thermometer
Hand Blender
8” Round Metal Ring Mold (or any silicon/metal mold)
Piping Bags
4B Nozzle
Round Tip Nozzle

Method

Chocolate Chip Brownie

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F Non-Fan Assisted . Lightly grease a 9×9” square tin, and then line all the sides & base with parchment paper.

2. Into a medium bowl, add the chocolate and butter. Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water.

    • 250g Dark Chocolate
    • 120g Unsalted Butter

3. Into a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and cocoa powder.

    • 60g Plain, All-Purpose Flour
    • 25g Cocoa Powder
    • 1 Tsp Salt

4. Into a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, vanilla, eggs & sugar. Whisk until combined, no need to beat too much air into the mixture. It should take around 30 seconds.

    • 300g Caster Sugar
    • 50g Light Brown Sugar
    • 215g Whole Eggs
    • 1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

5. Take the cooled melted chocolate and very slowly pour this over the eggs, whisking constantly. If the mixture is too hot, it can scramble the eggs and cause the mixture to split so make sure it has cooled enough.

6. Next, sift over the dry ingredients and fold the batter together with a spatula. Mix it until the dry ingredients have incorporated.

7. Pour the batter into your lined tin, and then spread it to the edges. Sprinkle some chocolate chips on top, along with some flakey salt.

8. Place the tin into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. Every oven is different so keep an eye on them after about 25 minutes.

9. They should have a very small wobble in the centre when they are done.

10. Let them cool completely at room temperature – at least 2-3 hours.

Chocolate Ganache

Depending on the thickness you want, you can adjust the recipe accordingly.

1. Add your double/heavy cream into a medium saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer.

    • 600g Double/Heavy Cream (For a thick layer of ganache)

2. Meanwhile, add your chocolate (finely chopped if you are not using chocolate chunks) into a tall container.

    • 300g Dark Chocolate (For a thick layer of ganache)

3. Once the cream is hot, pour it over the chocolate and let it steep for 2 minutes. Then use a hand blender to blend until smooth and all the chocolate is completely melted into the cream.

4. At this point the ganache is too liquid, so you need to put it in the fridge for 1-1.5 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so (this will prevent it from setting too firm on top). We want it to be a slightly thicker pourable consistency as at the moment it is too runny so every time you stir it, check the consistency.

5. Once the ganache is at the right consistency take your cooled brownies, still in the tin, and pour the ganache over the top. The brownies shouldn’t have shrunk so the ganache shouldn’t really leak down the edges.

6. The ganache will still be relatively liquid, so carefully transport it into the fridge to chill overnight.

Muscovado Chantilly

1. Into a small saucepan, add the powdered gelatin and the cold water. Stir the mixture together and let it bloom for 5 minutes. After this time it should look drier in consistency and all the water will have been absorbed.

    • 2.5g Powdered Gelatin
    • 15g Cold Water

2. Into a medium saucepan, add the cream and muscovado sugar. Whisk the mixture over medium heat, until it is steaming and the sugar has dissolved completely.

    • 400g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 40g Dark Muscovado Sugar

3. Once hot, remove it from the heat, and scoop in the bloomed gelatin you made earlier.

4. Whisk it until the gelatin has completely dissolved.

5. Pour the chantilly into a bowl, cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate it overnight.

Soft Caramel

1. Into a medium saucepan, add the water, glucose, honey and sugar. Place it over a medium heat.

    • 100g Water
    • 200g Caster Sugar
    • 120g Glucose
    • 20g Honey

2. Meanwhile add the cream to a small saucepan and pace it over a low heat so that it is warm.

    • 160g Double/Heavy Cream

3. Cook the sugar water mixture until it reaches a nice deep golden colour, you can stir it gently occasionally to ensure it is all fully incorporated. Don’t be scared to take it to a nice deep colour, as when you add the cream it will automatically become much lighter in colour. So if you don’t cook the caramel enough, you will end up with quite pale caramels.

4. Once you have a deep caramel, immediately remove it from the heat and pour in the warm cream. Be careful as it will bubble up quite violently.

5. Place the mixture back on the heat, and cook it until it reaches 120C/248F on a digital thermometer. This won’t take long.

6. Remove it from the heat and pour it into a tall container. Add in the soft, unsalted butter, a big pinch of salt, and blend the mixture until it is nice and smooth.

    • 100g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
    • Big Pinch of Salt

7. Allow it to cool slightly, about 5 minutes, then take any mold – it could be a metal ring mold lined with a sheet of cling film, or a silicon mold – but make sure you grease it lightly with some neutral oil. I used a 8” ring mold and lined the bottom with a sheet of cling film. The bigger your mold the thinner your caramels will be.

8. Place your mold onto a tray and pour the caramel in.

9. Let it set at room temperature for 3 hours, or overnight.

Assembly

1. Remove the chilled brownie from the fridge.

2. Add the chantilly to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if you are using a hand whisk) and whisk on a medium speed until you have a medium peak to the mixture. Be careful not to over whisk it, as if you whisk for too long it could start to split so keep a close eye on it.

3. Split the chantilly between two piping bags, one fitted with a round tip nozzle and the other with a star tip nozzle. I used a 4B nozzle and a 12mm Round Tip Nozzle.

4. Pipe alternating dollops of cream all over the brownie in any pattern.

5. Then, using a hot knife, cut the brownies into 8 squares, or any shape you like! If the brownie is still quite cold from the fridge it can be slightly tough to cut, so you can always leave it out for a little while then cut it. Alternatively, cut it first THEN decorate with the cream! That saves you from messing up the cream when you cut it.

6. Once you have cut through the brownies, you can quickly use a warm palette knife, to clean up the edge of the cream and make sure that no chocolate has “bled” onto it.

7. Remove the soft caramel from your mold, and cut this into small cubes on a chopping board. Decorate the top of the brownie with the caramel and serve.

by Matt Adlard

Passion Fruit Slice

TIER 1

Passion Fruit Slice

8
SLICES

Ingredients

Makes 8 slices

Oat Crumble
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold
100g Caster Sugar
50g Ground Almonds
50g Ground Hazelnuts
40g Oats
60g Plain Flour
Pinch Salt
Zest ½ Lemon

Passion Fruit Cremeux
200g Egg Yolks
130g Whole Eggs
150g Sugar
300g Passion Fruit Puree
250g Unsalted Butter, Soft

Raspberry Gel
2-3 Tbsp Water
200g Fresh Raspberries
10g Lemon juice
4g Gelatin + 24g Cold Water

Italian Meringue
80g Egg Whites
210g Sugar
50g Water

Fresh Raspberries + Mint To Decorate

Special equipment

9” Square Brownie Tin
Hand Blender
Digital Thermometer
Stand Mixer
Piping Bag
126 Piping Nozzle
Blow Torch

Method

Oat Crumble

The addition of the oats give this quite a creamy flavour, making it slightly less sweet – if you want more of a streusel like flavour that is sweeter, simply use 100g flour and do not add the oats.

1. Into a large bowl, add all the ingredients for the crumble.

    • 100g Unsalted Butter, Cold + Cubed
    • 100g Caster Sugar
    • 50g Ground Almonds
    • 50g Ground Hazelnuts
    • 40g Oats
    • 60g Plain Flour
    • Pinch Salt
    • Zest ½ Lemon

2. Use your fingers to rub the butter into the crumble, working the dry ingredients in, until it begins to clump together and form a crumble. Alternatively, place it into a stand mixer and mix on a low speed.

3. Place the mixture into the freezer for 15 minutes to chill. Preheat your oven to 175C/350F.

4. Take a 9” square brownie tin and grease the inside, and line the base + sides with parchment paper.

5. Pour the crumble into the tin and use a spoon or a spatula to press it flat.

6. Place the crumble into the oven to bake. It should take around 20-25 minutes, until it is lightly golden around the edge. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely.

Passion Fruit Cremeux

1. Into a medium bowl, add the passion fruit puree, sugar, eggs and egg yolks.

    • 200g Egg Yolks
    • 130g Whole Eggs
    • 150g Sugar
    • 300g Passion Fruit Puree

2. Place the bowl of a pan of gently simmer water. With a hand whisk, whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened and begins to hold a slight ribbon as you whisk. Be careful not to overcook it or the eggs will begin to scramble.

3. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour the mixture through a sieve into a tall container.

4. Slowly add the butter, a piece at a time, using a hand blender to blend until the butter is fully incorporated and you have a nice smooth cremeux.

    • 250g Unsalted Butter, Soft (Room Temperature)

5. Take the smooth cremeux and pour it over the cooled oat base. Rotate the pan slightly so it fills the gaps and place it in the fridge for 4-5 hours until it is firm.

Raspberry Gel

1. Into a small saucepan, add the powdered gelatin and the cold water. Stir the mixture together and let it bloom for 5 minutes. After this time it should look drier in consistency and all the water will have been absorbed.

    • 4g Powdered Gelatin
    • 34g Cold Water

2. Into a medium saucepan, add the raspberries, water and lemon juice.

    • 2-3 Tbsp Water
    • 200g Fresh Raspberries
    • 10g Lemon juice

3. Stir the mixture over a medium heat until the raspberries have broken down and released their juices.

4. Scoop in the bloomed gelatin and stir it through.

5. Pour the mixture into a tall container and blend very briefly. Then pour it through a sieve to catch the raspberry seeds.

6. Remove the chilled passion fruit base from the fridge and pour the raspberry gel on top. Tilt the tray to spread it out evenly.

7. Place this in the fridge for 3 hours until the raspberry gel has set up.

Final Assembly & Decoration

1. About an hour before you are ready to decorate, place the entire tray in the freezer, this will help to firm up the gel and make it much easier to slice.

2. Remove the tray from the freezer and use a hot knife to slice it into 8 rectangles. Carefully lift them onto a tray and place them back in the fridge.

3. To make the meringue, add the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on a medium speed.

    • 80g Egg Whites

4. While the egg whites are whisking, place the water and sugar into a small saucepan. Place it over a medium heat, and heat it up until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture has reached a temperature of 118C/244F on a digital thermometer. By this point the egg whites should be thick and frothy.

    • 210g Caster Sugar
    • 50g Water

5. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, increase the speed of the mixer to high and slowly drizzle in the hot sugar syrup.

6. Once you have added all the syrup, whisk for 5-7 minutes, until the bowl is cool to the touch and you have stiff, glossy peaks to your meringue.

7. Add the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a 126 nozzle. Remove the slices from the fridge and pipe a wavy line across the top.

8. Gently torch the meringue with a blow torch.

9. Decorate the rest of the dessert with some fresh raspberries (you can pipe some coulis into these for an added touch!), and garnish with mint.

10. Try to keep these chilled so that the cremeux stays relatively stable as if it becomes too hot it could start to weaken and become a bit unstable.

by Matt Adlard

Golden Gianduja Tart

TIER 3

Golden Gianduja Tart

4
INDIVIDUAL TARTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 individual tarts

Chocolate Pâte Sucrée
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
70g Icing/Powdered Sugar
50g Egg Yolks
175g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
25g Cocoa Powder
Pinch of Salt

Orange Frangipane
200g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
200g Caster Sugar
200g Whole Eggs
200g Ground Almonds
30g Plain Flour
Zest ½ Orange

Gianduja
160g Roasted Hazelnuts, Skins Removed
68g Icing/Powdered Sugar
230g Dark Chocolate, Melted

Gianduja Ganache
150g Gianduja
240g Double/Heavy Cream

To Decorate
200g Tempered or Melted Dark Chocolate
Edible Gold Dust
300g Roasted Hazelnuts, Skins Removed

Special equipment

4 x 11×3.5cm Perforated Tart Rings
Perforated Baking Mat
Perforated Baking Tray
Stand Mixer
Fluted Pastry Wheel Metal
Piping Bags
Hand Blender
4 x A4 Acetate Sheets
Cookie Cutters

Method

Chocolate Pâte Sucrée

*Note – the recipe makes enough for 4 tarts, however, you might not quite get that out of 2 dough balls. In this case, simply take the leftover scraps of dough and re-roll it for any remaining tart shells.

1. Into a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), add the cubed, cold butter and sift over the cocoa powder and icing/powdered sugar.

    • 100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
    • 70g Icing/Powdered Sugar
    • 25g Cocoa Powder

2. With a paddle attachment or with the beaters on a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until it is evenly combined. Scrape down the mixture with a spatula twice during this time.

3. While still beating the mixture, pour in the eggs and beat to combine. After about 30 seconds, scrape down the bowl ensuring all the butter is scraped off the bottom of the bowl and then mix for another 30 seconds.

    • 50g Egg Yolks

4. Add in the flour, and mix on a very low speed, until the dry ingredients are just combined. Be careful not to overbeat the mixture, simply mix until no more flour is visible and the mixture is clumping together. It should take about 15 seconds.

    • 175g Plain Flour/All-Purpose

5. Split the mixture into two equal parts. Squeeze the mixture in your hand to form a rough ball. Place the first ball of dough onto a silicon mat. Place a second silicon mat on top and roll the mixture into a rough circle, getting it as thin as possible. If you don’t have silicon mats you can roll the dough between parchment paper but it will be very difficult as it will slip and slide all over the place!

6. Once you have a rough circle of dough, place it into the freezer for 30m. This dough will be for the base of the tart shells.

7. With the remaining dough, shape it into a rough log shape. Place the log of dough onto a silicon mat. Working with the silicon mat lengthways, fold it in half so you have a long vertical mat.

8. Roll the log of dough into a long vertical strip of dough. The reason we do this, is that we are going to use this portion of the dough to create the walls for our tart shells. By rolling it into a long vertical shape, we maximise the dough and reduce any wastage. Place the sheet of dough in the freezer for 30 minutes.

9. While the dough is chilling, take the perforated tart ring and very lightly grease the inside with some soft butter.

10. Remove the chilled dough from the freezer that you are going to use for the base of the tart shell.

11. Working quickly, peel the dough off of the silicon matt and place it onto your baking tray lined with a baking mat (ideally a perforated baking mat). Press the tart shells into the dough and peel away any excess dough. Arrange the 4 tart shells on the baking tray and place them back in the freezer.

12. Remove the dough from the freezer that we are going to use for the walls of our tart shell. Working quickly, peel the top of the silicon mat off. Use a knife to cut one long line of dough, then use a fluted pastry wheel to cut a line above that – ensuring the width is the same as the height you need for your tart shell. This will then give you a fluted top to your pastry. The most efficient way to cut the strips is like the design in the PDF (excuse the rough drawing!).

13. Cut 4 strips of dough in total and then quickly place these back into the freezer for 10 minutes. You need to work quickly so the dough doesn’t melt.

*Note – you may not have enough dough here for 4 tart walls depending on how you rolled it. In which case, start by cutting two walls and then re-roll the scraps to make another 2 walls.

14. Once chilled, remove the baking tray from the freezer that has the tart bases on and remove one strip of dough for the walls.

15. Work quickly and take the strip of dough and place it inside the tart ring, ensuring the fluted part of the dough is at the top. Use a knife to cut it to size so that there isn’t too much excess dough overlapping. Alternatively, you can measure a piece of paper on the inside of the tart ring so that it measures perfectly, then cut your strips of dough to this exact length so they fit perfectly when you place them inside the tart ring.

16. Use your fingers to press together the base and the walls. The idea is to slightly push down the base of the wall, so that it meets the dough on the base of the tart shell. Do this all the way around the tart shell so that there are no gaps in between the wall and the base.

17. You have to do this while the dough is cold, otherwise, if it is too warm, as you press the dough it will tear. If it does feel too warm, place it back in the freezer for 10 minutes then try again.

18. Remove the remaining strips of dough for the walls from the freezer and repeat this with the remaining tarts.

19. Once you have attached the walls and the dough, do not try and move the tart shells or lift them up as the dough will have softened and it will tear. Always keep them on the tray. Place the entire tray of tart shells in the freezer.

Orange Frangipane

1. Preheat the oven to 175C/350F.

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room temperature unsalted butter along with the sugar & orange zest. Beat for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through, until the mixture is smooth.

    • 100g Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
    • 100g Caster Sugar
    • Zest ½ Orange

3. Next, pour in the eggs in three parts (ensure they are room temperature) and beat again. Initially the mixture will look quite split, but scrape down the sides halfway through and keep beating for 1 minute. Don’t worry if there are a few lumps of butter left.

    • 100g Whole Egg

4. Finally, add the ground almonds and plain flour. Beat until the mixture forms a smooth paste, about 30 seconds.

    • 100g Ground Almonds
    • 15g Plain, All-Purpose Flour

5. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle.

6. Remove the tart shells from the freezer and pipe the frangipane in. Fill the tart slightly below halfway as we need to ensure there is enough room for the ganache once it has baked.

7. Place the tarts in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Watch the tarts very closely for the first 5 minutes as sometimes, the pastry can slip down from the edge of the tart ring. If you see the pastry slipping ever so slightly, simply open the oven and use your finger to gently press the dough back against the tart ring then it will stay in place.

8. Once baked, remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely.

Gianduja

1. Add your roasted hazelnuts into a powerful food processor, along with the icing/powdered sugar.

If you don’t have roasted hazelnuts, take hazelnuts with the skin on, and place them in the oven at 175C/350F for 8-10m or until the skins start to burst. Remove them from the oven and let them cool, then peel off the skins. Pop them back in the oven very briefly until lightly golden.

    • 160g Roasted Hazelnuts
    • 68g Icing/Powdered Sugar

2. Blend the mixture on a medium high speed until it forms a smooth paste. Initially it will go a little chunky and you will need to scrape down the sides of the mixer 3-4 times to ensure it is fully incorporated. Depending on the power of your food processor, it should take 2-3 minutes until you have a smooth paste.

3. Once smooth, remove it from the food processor and scrape the mixture into a bowl.

4. Add the dark chocolate into a bowl and melt it over a pan of gently simmer water.

    • 230g Dark Chocolate

5. Pour the melted chocolate into the blended hazelnut paste and stir the mixture to combine. You can use the mixture immediately or store it in a plastic container to use later for the ganache. It will set it like a soft chocolate.

Gianduja Ganache

1. Into a tall jug, add the gianduja.

    • 150g Gianduja

2. Meanwhile, add your heavy/double cream to a medium saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer.

    • 260g Double/Heavy Cream

3. Once hot, pour this over the gianduja. Let it sit for 2 minutes then blend till smooth.

4. Take the cooled tart and pour the ganache onto the top of the frangipane. Fill the tart, until the ganache is slightly below the rim.

5. Place the tarts in the fridge until you are ready to decorate. The ganache will be quite liquid so we need it to set up so it is still soft, but not too firm. 1.5 hours in the fridge or 30 minutes in the freezer should be perfect.

Gold Chocolate Discs

1. Temper 200g of dark chocolate – for a full video on how to temper check the Bake It Better classes.

2. Pour the half of the tempered chocolate onto an A4 sheet of acetate.

3. Place a second sheet of acetate on top and then using a rolling pin, or a wooden rod and carefully run it along the top of the acetate, smoothing out the chocolate until it is an even thickness.

4. Place something heavy on top like a book, and let it set at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Repeat with the remaining chocolate on a second pair of acetate sheets.

5. Once the chocolate has set, take a cookie cutter, slightly smaller than the size of your tart. Heat it up with a blow torch or run it under some hot water so that it is hot.

6. Peel off the top sheet of acetate and cut out 2 circles from the first sheet of chocolate, and two from the second sheet.

7. Peel the chocolate discs carefully off the acetate and place them in the fridge for 5 minutes.

8. After 5 minutes, add a small amount of edible gold dust to a bowl and use a brush to dust it onto the disc so that it is evenly covered. Leave at room temperature until you are ready to assemble. If it is particularly warm in your house, leave them in the fridge.

Assembly

1. Remove the chilled tarts from the fridge. The ganache should be set on top but still be ever so slightly soft. This means it will be easier to press the hazelnuts in. If it is too firm, quickly and gently heat the top with a blow torch.

2. Take your roasted hazelnuts and chop them in half. Try and cut them so they relatively equal in size. This may be slightly more hazelnuts than you actually need but sometimes they don’t cut perfectly in half so you have a few that aren’t “aesthetic” enough!

    • 300g Roasted Hazelnuts

3. Place the halves of roasted hazelnuts all around the tart, starting from the outside and working your way into the centre. It is a bit of a laborious process but worth it for final presentation.

4. For a clean design, ensure the hazelnuts are all facing the same direction.

5. Remove the gold chocolate discs from the fridge and carefully lift it on top of the hazelnuts.

6. Take a heat gun, or a hair dryer and very gently melt the gold disc onto the tart. Try to avoid using a blow torch as this is more likely to burn the chocolate. You can also place the tart into a warm oven for a minute or so! Keep an eye on it!

7. Let the tart come to room temperature before serving.

by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

TIER 2

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

4
INDIVIDUAL TARTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 individual tarts

Chocolate Pâte Sucrée
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
70g Icing/Powdered Sugar
50g Egg Yolks
175g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
25g Cocoa Powder
Pinch of Salt

Chocolate Frangipane
70g Unsalted Butter
60g Icing/Powdered Sugar
15g Cocoa Powder
75g Ground Almonds
70g Whole Egg
30g Chopped Hazelnuts

Soft Caramel
175g Double Cream
45g Whole Milk
45g Glucose (1)
80g Caster Sugar
90g Glucose (2)
1.5g Sea Salt Flakes
60g Unsalted Butter

Vanilla Namelaka
2.5g Powdered Gelatin + 15g Cold Water
100g Whole Milk
10g Glucose
185g White Chocolate, Melted
½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
200g Double/Heavy Cream, Cold

Dark Chocolate Namelaka
2.5g Powdered Gelatin + 15g Cold Water
100g Whole Milk
10g Glucose
135g Dark Chocolate, Melted
200g Double/Heavy Cream, Cold

Special equipment

Hand Blender
Stand Mixer
4 x 5” Perforated Tart Rings
Metal Ruler
Perforated Baking Mat
Perforated Baking Tray
Piping Bags
Star Tip Piping Nozzle (4B)
Round Tip Piping Nozzle

Method

Vanilla Namelaka

1. Into a small bowl, add the gelatin powder and cold water. Stir together. Allow the mixture to bloom for 5 minutes.

    • 2.5g Powdered Gelatin + 15g Cold Water

2. Into a small saucepan, add the whole milk and glucose. Place it over a medium heat and bring it to a gentle simmer. Once it is hot, scoop out the bloomed gelatin and add it into the hot milk. Stir it through until it is dissolved.

    • 100g Whole Milk
    • 10g Glucose

3. Take the melted white chocolate, and pour the hot milk mixture over, in three parts. Whisk the mixture thoroughly each time as you add the milk. Initially it may thicken or look oily, don’t panic – add the remaining milk and it will become smooth.

    • 185g White Chocolate, Melted

4. Once it is all incorporated, pour in the cold double/heavy cream and blend or whisk the mixture to combine it.

    • 200g Double/Heavy Cream, Cold

5. Pour the cream into a bowl and cover the surface directly with cling film. Refrigerate overnight.

Chocolate Namelaka

1. Into a small bowl, add the gelatin powder and cold water. Stir together. Allow the mixture to bloom for 5 minutes.

    • 2.5g Powdered Gelatin + 15g Cold Water

2. Into a small saucepan, add the whole milk and glucose. Place it over a medium heat and bring it to a gentle simmer. Once it is hot, scoop out the bloomed gelatin and add it into the hot milk. Stir it through until it is dissolved.

    • 100g Whole Milk
    • 10g Glucose

3. Take the melted dark chocolate, and pour the hot milk mixture over, in three parts. Whisk the mixture thoroughly each time as you add the milk. Initially it may thicken or look oily, don’t panic – add the remaining milk and it will become smooth.

    • 135g Dark Chocolate

4. Once it is all incorporated, pour in the cold double/heavy cream and blend or whisk the mixture to combine it.

    • 200g Double/Heavy Cream, Cold

5. Pour the cream into a bowl and cover the surface directly with cling film. Refrigerate overnight.

Soft Caramel

1. Into a saucepan, add the whole milk, double/heavy cream and glucose.

    • 175g Double Cream
    • 45g Whole Milk
    • 45g Glucose (1)

2. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, whisking to ensure the glucose has dissolved fully. Once it is hot, set it to one side, but ensure it stays warm while you create the caramel.

3. Into a medium saucepan, add the glucose and the caster sugar.

    • 80g Caster Sugar
    • 90g Glucose (2)

4. Place it over a medium heat and bring it to a deep caramel. Try to avoid stirring the mixture, and shake the pan to help disperse the sugar. If the sugar isn’t breaking down, very quickly stir it in with a spatula.

5. Keep a careful eye on it, it will go from a deep golden colour to burnt quickly!

6. Once you have a nice deep golden colour, immediately pour in the hot cream mixture, being very careful as it will bubble up violently.

7. Whisk the mixture and cook over a medium heat for 1 minute.

8. Remove it from the heat and pour it through a sieve into a separate bowl.

9. Let it cool for 2 minutes, then add in the salt & butter and blend (or whisk) until smooth.

    • 60g Unsalted Butter
    • 1.2g Sea Salt Flakes

10. Pour the mixture into a container and store at room temperature.

Chocolate Pâte Sucrée

*Note – the recipe makes enough for 4 tarts, however, you might not quite get that out of 2 dough balls. In this case, simply take the leftover scraps of dough and re-roll it for any remaining tart shells.

1. Into a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), add the cubed, cold butter and sift over the cocoa powder and icing/powdered sugar.

    • 100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
    • 70g Icing/Powdered Sugar
    • 25g Cocoa Powder

2. With a paddle attachment or with the beaters on a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until it is evenly combined. Scrape down the mixture with a spatula twice during this time.

3. While still beating the mixture, pour in the eggs and beat to combine. After about 30 seconds, scrape down the bowl ensuring all the butter is scraped off the bottom of the bowl and then mix for another 30 seconds.

    • 50g Egg Yolks

4. Add in the flour, and mix on a very low speed, until the dry ingredients are just combined. Be careful not to overbeat the mixture, simply mix until no more flour is visible and the mixture is clumping together. It should take about 15 seconds.

    • 175g Plain Flour/All-Purpose

5. Split the mixture into two equal parts. Squeeze the mixture in your hand to form a rough ball. Place the first ball of dough onto a silicon mat. Place a second silicon mat on top and roll the mixture into a rough circle, getting it as thin as possible. If you don’t have silicon mats you can roll the dough between parchment paper but it will be very difficult as it will slip and slide all over the place!

6. Once you have a rough circle of dough, place it into the freezer for 30 minutes. This dough will be for the base of the tart shells.

7. With the remaining dough, shape it into a rough log shape. Place the log of dough onto a silicon mat. Working with the silicon mat lengthways, fold it in half so you have a long vertical mat.

8. Roll the log of dough into a long vertical strip of dough. The reason we do this, is that we are going to use this portion of the dough to create the walls for our tart shells. By rolling it into a long vertical shape, we maximise the dough and reduce any wastage. Place the sheet of dough in the freezer for 30 minutes.

9. While the dough is chilling, take the perforated tart ring and very very lightly grease the inside with some soft butter.

10. Remove the chilled dough from the freezer that you are going to use for the base of the tart shell.

11. Working quickly, peel the dough off of the silicon matt and place it onto your baking tray lined with a baking mat (ideally a perforated baking mat). Press the tart shells into the dough and peel away any excess dough. Arrange the 4 tart shells on the baking tray and place it back in the freezer.

12. Remove the dough from the freezer that we are going to use for the walls of our tart shell. Working quickly, peel the top of the silicon mat off, and using a ruler and a sharp knife, cut long strips of dough, ensuring the width is slightly more than the height of your tart shells.

13. Cut 4 strips of dough in total and then quickly place these back into the freezer for 10 minutes. You need to work quickly so the dough doesn’t melt.

14. Once chilled, remove the baking tray from the freezer that has the tart bases on and remove one strip of dough for the walls.

15. Work quickly and take the strip of dough and place it inside the tart ring. Use a knife to cut it to size so that there isn’t too much excess dough overlapping. Alternatively, you can measure a piece of paper on the inside of the tart ring so that it measures perfectly, then cut your strips of dough to this exact length so they fit perfectly when you place them in.

16. Use your fingers to press together the base and the walls. The idea is to slightly push down the base of the wall, so that it meets the dough on the base of the tart shell. Do this all the way around the tart shell so that there are no gaps in between the wall and the base.

17. You have to do this while the dough is cold, otherwise as you press the dough it will tear. If it feels too warm, place it back in the freezer for 10 minutes.

18. Remove the remaining strips of dough for the walls from the freezer and repeat this with the remaining tarts.

19. Once you have attached the walls and the dough, do not try and move the tart shells or lift them up as the dough will have softened and it will tear. Always keep them on the tray. Place the entire tray of tart shells in the freezer while you make the frangipane.

Chocolate Frangipane

1. Preheat the oven to 175C/350F.

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room temperature unsalted butter along with the sugar & cocoa powder. Beat for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through, until the mixture is smooth.

    • 70g Unsalted Butter
    • 60g Icing/Powdered Sugar
    • 15g Cocoa Powder

3. Next, pour in the eggs in three parts (ensure they are room temperature) and beat again. Initially the mixture will look quite split, but scrape down the sides halfway through and keep beating for 1 minute. Don’t worry if there are a few lumps of butter left.

    • 70g Whole Egg

4. Finally, add the ground almonds. Beat until the mixture forms a smooth paste, about 30 seconds.

    • 75g Ground Almonds

5. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle.

6. Remove the tart shells from the freezer and using a sharp knife, cut off any excess dough that is hanging over the edge. As the dough is cold, you should be able to lift these up in your hand and cut them easily.

7. Place them back onto your baking tray and pipe the frangipane in. Only fill the tart shells up about halfway or the frangipane will spill over as it bakes.

8. Press a few chopped roasted hazelnuts into the frangipane and place the tarts into the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Assembly

1. Remove the vanilla namelaka from the fridge, and add it into a stand mixer (or a large bowl if you are using an electric whisk)

2. Whisk the mixture on a medium speed until it holds a medium stiff peak.

3. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle.

4. Take the cooled tarts and pipe, odd dollops of the vanilla cream over the tart, leaving space to pipe the chocolate namelaka cream.

5. Remove the chocolate namelaka cream from the fridge and whisk that to a medium stiff peak too.

6. Add it into a piping bag fitted with a star tip nozzle.

7. Fill in the gaps of the tart, piping dollops of the chocolate cream.

8. Once the tart has been filed up, very carefully heat the back of a small melon baller or a metal measuring spoon in hot water or with a blow torch.

9. Very carefully press it into the top of one of the vanilla cream dollops. Press down to melt the top of the dollop, then slowly rotate it 180 degrees and lift it out.

10. Repeat this for 2-3 of the vanilla dollops.

11. Add the salted caramel to a piping bag and pipe a very small amount into the vanilla dollops that you created a small crater in.

12. Repeat this with all of the tarts and then serve.

by Matt Adlard

Strawberry Meringue Tart

TIER 1

Strawberry Meringue Tart

4
INDIVIDUAL TARTS

Ingredients

Makes 4 individual tarts

Orange Pâte Sucrée
100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
70g Icing/Powdered Sugar
50g Egg Yolks
200g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
Zest of ½ Orange
Pinch of Salt

Lemon Cake
65g Ground Almonds
150g Icing Sugar
35g Plain Flour
125g Egg Whites
Zest ¾ Medium Lemon
125g Melted Butter

Vanilla Meringue
80g Egg Whites
80g Caster Sugar
80g Icing Sugar
½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Strawberry & Raspberry Compote
100g Fresh Strawberries
100g Fresh Raspberries
½ Tsp Sugar
1 Tsp Cornflour
2-4 Tbsp Water (you may need more)

Fresh Strawberries To Decorate

Special equipment

4 x 4” (Width) x 1.75” (Deep) Fluted Tart Tin (Brioche molds are great for this)
Stand Mixer
5” Cookie Cutter
Large Round Tip Piping Nozzle
Piping Bags

Method

Orange Pâte Sucrée

1. Into a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), add the cubed, cold butter, orange zest and sift over the icing/powdered sugar. It is important to sift the icing sugar to prevent any lumps getting in the pastry.

    • 100g Unsalted Butter, Cold & Cubed
    • 70g Icing/Powdered Sugar
    • Zest of ½ Orange

2. With a paddle attachment or with the beaters on a hand mixer, beat the butter, zest and sugar for 2-3 minutes until it is evenly combined. Scrape down the mixture with a spatula twice during this time.

3. While still beating the mixture, pour in the eggs and beat to combine. After about 30 seconds, scrape down the bowl ensuring all the butter is scraped off the bottom of the bowl and then mix for another 30 seconds.

    • 50g Egg Yolks

4. Add in the flour, and mix on a very low speed, until the dry ingredients are just combined. Be careful not to overbeat the mixture, simply mix until no more flour is visible and the mixture is clumping together. It should take about 15 seconds.

    • 200g Plain Flour/All-Purpose
    • Pinch of Salt

5. Split the dough into two dough balls. Take one dough ball and place it into the centre of a baking mat. Place a second baking mat on top and with a rolling pin, roll the dough to about ⅛” thick into any rough circular shape. Place the sheet of dough into the freezer for 30 minutes and repeat with the second ball of dough.

6. While the dough is chilling, lightly grease the outside of your fluted tart rings with soft butter.

7. Once the dough has chilled, remove it from the freezer and peel off the silicon mats. Use a cookie cutter that is about 1.25x bigger than your tart ring. I used a 4” tart ring, so I use a 5” cookie cutter. If your tart rings are not particularly deep then you may not need to cut a circle of dough quite as big. You want the circle of dough to be big enough so that it drapes over your tart shell but doesn’t quite reach the edge.

8. Cut out 2 circles of dough from one sheet, and 2 circles from the other sheet.

9. Place the circles of dough in the freezer and work with one at a time so that they don’t become too warm.

10. Gently massage the dough in your hands to warm it slightly, so that it is more pliable.

11. Place it over the back of your greased tart ring and carefully press it into the grooves. Don’t worry if it tears every so slightly as it bends, you can use your fingers to push it back together.

12. Once it fits nicely into the grooves, place the tart ring onto a baking tray and repeat with the 3 remaining shells.

13. Once you have 4 tarts on your tray, gently prick the base with a fork and place them into the freezer while you preheat your oven.

14. Preheat your oven to 175C/350F non-fan assisted.

15. Once hot, place the tart shells in the oven and bake for 18-25 minutes or until lightly golden. Keep an eye on them as every oven is different. Once baked, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely.

16. As an optional step, you can use a microplane to gently file down the edges of the pastry so that they are even and smooth. If you are planning to do this, pop the cooled pastries into the freezer for 10 minutes. If they are still slightly warm, they will be too fragile and will smash when you file them down.

17. Set the pastry cases to one side.

Lemon Financier

1. Preheat the oven to 175C/350F. Lightly grease the inside of your fluted tart rings and coat them with a dusting of flour.

2. Into a large bowl, sift in the dry ingredients and whisk them together by hand until combined.

    • 65g Ground Almonds
    • 150g Icing Sugar
    • 35g Plain Flour
    • Zest of ¾ Medium Lemon

3. Next, pour in the egg whites and whisk again to combine them.

    • 125g Egg Whites

4. Finally, pour in the melted butter and whisk to mix this in. It might initially look slightly split, but keep whisking and will become smooth.

    • 125g Melted, Unsalted Butter

5. Pour the batter equally between your 4 molds, filling them up slightly above halfway. Place them in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until they are lightly golden brown on top.

6. Once baked, allow them to cool and then pop them out of the molds. If they get a little stuck, slide a knife carefully down the side to loosen them.

Vanilla Meringue

1. Preheat the oven to 95C/200F.

2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl if you are using an electric whisk, add the egg whites. Whisk on a medium low speed until they become thick and frothy.

    • 80g Egg Whites

3. Once frothy, increase the speed to high and slowly add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Once you have added all of the sugar, keep whisking, until the mixture holds a stiff peak. Once it holds a stiff peak, add in the vanilla and briefly whisk it in.

    • 80g Caster Sugar
    • ½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

4. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, and place a sieve over the top. Sift over the icing/powdered sugar.

    • 80g Icing Sugar

5. Use a spatula to very carefully fold the icing sugar into the meringue, until there is no more dry parts in the mixture

6. Take a sheet of parchment paper, and using your tart ring as a guide, draw around it to create an outline of the outside of your mold. Flip the baking paper over (so the pen doesn’t touch your meringue) and glue the sheet of parchment to your baking tray with a little bit of meringue.

7. Place the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a round tip nozzle.

8. Pipe dollops of the meringue, following the guide of the outline you drew. Start by piping at about a 45 degree angle then stop applying pressure, and drag the nozzle down towards the paper to create a nice swoop into the centre. As you are piping around the outline, ensure that the meringue “drops” are touching, so that once baked, the entire meringue olds its shape. Pipe 4 circles of meringue in total.

9. Place the meringues into the oven and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, turn the oven off and open the door slightly. Let them cool in there for 1 hour.

Strawberry & Raspberry Compote

1. Into a saucepan, add the fresh chopped fruits, cornflour, sugar, and about 3 Tbsp of water.

    • 100g Fresh Strawberries
    • 100g Fresh Raspberries
    • ½ Tsp Sugar
    • 1 Tsp Cornflour
    • 2-4 Tbsp Water (you may need more)

2. Place it over a medium heat and stir the mixture for 3-4 minutes until the berries have completely broken down and the mixture has thickened. If the mixture is too thick as you are cooking it, simply add in a few more splashes of water.

3. Set the mixture aside to cool.

Assembly

1. Take the cooled tart and place a lemon financier into the shell.

2. Add the cooled compote on top of the financier and spread it out to the edges so that it is completely flush with the edge of the pastry.

3. Carefully lift the meringue on so that it sits around the edge of the pastry.

4. Fill the centre with fresh strawberries. I prefer to use a mix of small cubes of strawberry but you can also add whole strawberries too.

5. Serve the cake.

by Matt Adlard

Summer Fruits Cheesecake

TIER 3

Summer Fruits Cheesecake

8
SERVINGS

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

Raspberry Coulis
250g Raspberries
30-40g Sugar (Depending on the sweetness of your raspberries)
2 Tbsp Water
Zest 1/2 Lemon

Biscuit Base
150g Digestives/Graham Crackers
75g Unsalted Butter

Strawberry Cheesecake Filling
500g Mascarpone, Room Temperature
400g Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
250g Strawberry Puree
80g Sugar
12g Gelatin + 72g Water
200g Double Cream

Whipped Ganache
3.5g Powdered Gelatin (Platinum or Gold Strength)
21g Cold Water
380g Double/Heavy Cream
130g White Chocolate
½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Summer Fruits To Serve

Special equipment

Food Processor
7” Removable Base Cake Tin
Stand Mixer (Optional)
Hand Blender
Piping Bag
St Honore Piping Nozzle
4” Cookie Cutter

Method

Raspberry Coulis

1. Into a small saucepan, add a splash of water (about 2 tbsp), sugar, lemon zest and fresh raspberries.

    • 250g Raspberries
    • 30-40g Sugar (Depending on the sweetness of your raspberries)
    • Splash of Water
    • Zest 1/2 Lemon

2. Place the pan onto a medium low heat, and with a rubber spatula, stir the mixture until the raspberries have broken down and thickened slightly. It should take about 4-5 minutes.

3. Once thickened, pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve placed over a bowl. Use a spatula to spread the raspberry mixture through, catching any of the seeds.

4. Take the sieved raspberry puree and place it in the fridge.

Biscuit Base

1. Into a food processor, add the biscuits and blend them to a fine crumb. You can also smash them up in a large sandwich bag with a rolling pin.

    • 150g Digestives/Graham Crackers

2. Place the butter into a saucepan and melt it over a low heat. Pour the melted butter onto the biscuits and blend again to combine.

    • 75g Unsalted Butter

3. Lightly grease the bottom of a 7” cake tin with a removable base. Place a circle of parchment onto the greased base. Cut a strip of acetate slightly taller than the height of the tin, and place it on the inside of the tin. You may need to use some tape to secure it into place so it fits tightly.

4. Pour the biscuit mixture into the tin and spread it out. Use the back of a glass or something flat to smooth it and ensure it is nice and even.

5. Place the base into the freezer while you make the filling.

Strawberry Cheesecake Filling

1. Into a small bowl, add the powdered gelatin and cold water. Stir them together until combined, then set it to one side to bloom for 5 minutes.

    • 12g Gelatin + 72g Water

2. Add the cream cheese, mascarpone & sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat it on a low speed until the mixture becomes smooth.

    • 500g Mascarpone, Room Temperature
    • 400g Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
    • 80g Caster Sugar

3. Add the strawberry puree to a small saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer.

    • 250g Strawberry Puree

4. Add the bloomed gelatin to a small saucepan and melt it over a low heat. Pour the melted gelatin into the hot strawberry puree and stir it through.

5. Pour the hot strawberry puree over the smooth cream cheese mixture while beating on a low speed. Initially, it will split slightly but scrape down the sides and keep mixing and it will pull together.

6. Finally, whisk the double/heavy cream to a medium peak (be careful not to over whip it). Fold the whipped cream into the strawberry batter until it is all evenly combined.

    • 200g Double/Heavy Cream

7. Remove the chilled biscuit base from the freezer and pour in the strawberry filling. Use a spatula to spread it out evenly, and gently tap it on the work surface to flatten it.

8. Take the raspberry coulis from the fridge and spoon dollops over the top of the strawberry filling. Then use a skewer to swirl the coulis through the batter.

9. Place the cheesecake in the fridge for a minimum of 12 hours.

Vanilla Whipped Ganache

1. Place the powdered gelatin into a small saucepan along with the cold water. Allow it to bloom for 5 minutes.

    • 3.5g Powdered Gelatin (Platinum Strength)
    • 21g Cold Water

2. Add the double/heavy cream into a saucepan along with the vanilla. Place it over a medium heat until the mixture is steaming but not boiling.

    • 380g Double/Heavy Cream
    • ½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

3. Place the chopped chocolate in a tall just and pour the cream over the top. Melt the gelatin very gently in the pan and pour it into the jug as well.

    • 130g White Chocolate

4. Take a hand blender, and blend the mixture until it is smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl and cover the surface with cling film. Place it in the fridge overnight.

Final Assembly

1. Remove the whipped ganache from the fridge, and place it into a stand mixer. On a medium low speed, whisk the ganache to a medium peak.

2. Add the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a St Honore piping nozzle.

3. Pipe random zig-zags of the ganache on a silicon baking mat, placed on a baking tray. The shape doesn’t really matter but it needs to be a rough square/rectangle, big enough to cut a 4” circle out of it once frozen.

4. Place the sheet of ganache into the freezer for 3-4 hours, until firm.

5. Remove the ganache from the freezer and gently heat a 4” cookie cutter (with a blow torch or hot water). Press the cookie cutter into the ganache, but don’t remove it quite yet. Place the ganache back into the freezer for 20 minutes.

6. After 20 minutes, carefully place the disc of ganache onto a glass or small bowl. Very gently heat the edge of the cookie cutter, and pull the cookie cutter down, revealing the disc of ganache. Lift the disc of ganache back onto the silicon mat, and freeze again until you’re ready to use it.

7. Remove the cheesecake from the fridge, and place it into the freezer for 30 minutes.

8. After 30 minutes, carefully press the cheesecake out of the tin, and remove the acetate strip from the outside.

9. Use a spatula to slide the cheesecake off of the cake base, onto your serving plate.

10.Remove the disc of ganache from the freezer and carefully place it on the cheesecake, slightly offset from the centre.

11.Decorate the remaining areas of the cheesecake with summer fruits.

12. Allow the cheesecake to come to room temperature for an hour before serving.

by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

TIER 2

Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

8-10
SERVINGS

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 servings

Biscuit Base
220g Digestives/Graham Crackers
110g Unsalted Butter
Pinch Salt

Chocolate Orange Filling
Zest ½ Medium Orange
110g Caster Sugar
350g Mascarpone, Room Temperature
50g Sour Cream, Room Temperature
700g Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
180g Whole Eggs, Room Temperature
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
250g Melted Dark Chocolate

Chocolate Ganache Coating
150g Dark Chocolate, Chopped
185g Double Heavy Cream

Chocolate Shavings To Finish

Special equipment

Food Processor
9” Removable Base Cake Tin
Stand Mixer (Optional)
Hand Blender

Method

Biscuit Base

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F non-fan assisted.

2. Into a food processor, add the biscuits and blend them to a fine crumb. You can also smash them up in a large sandwich bag with a rolling pin.

    • 220g Digestives/Graham Crackers

3. Place the butter into a saucepan and melt it over a low heat. Pour the melted butter onto the biscuits and blend again to combine.

    • 110g Unsalted Butter

4. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9” cake tin with a removable base. Place a circle of parchment onto the greased base.

5. Pour the biscuit mixture into the tin and spread it out. Use the back of a glass or something flat to smooth it and ensure it is nice and even.

6. Place the base into the freezer while you make the filling.

Chocolate Orange Filling

1. Add the chocolate into a medium bowl, and melt it over a pan of gently simmering water. Once melted, remove it from the heat, but ensure it is still warm when you go to use it.

    • 250g Dark Chocolate

2. Into a small bowl, add the sugar and orange zest. Massage the zest into the sugar until it is fragrant.

    • Zest ½ Medium Orange
    • 110g Caster Sugar

3. Into a stand mixer (or you can do it by hand in a large bowl), add the eggs, and the orange sugar. Whisk for a minute on a medium speed.

    • 180g Whole Eggs (About 3 Large)

4. Next, switch to a paddle attachment (or rubber spatula if doing it by hand), and add in the cream cheese, sour cream and mascarpone. Beat on a low speed until smooth and combined. Initially the eggs won’t incorporate too well, but keep mixing and they will pull together. Try to avoid adding too much air into the batter as you beat, as these air pockets could cause your cheesecake to crack as it bakes.

    • 350g Mascarpone, Room Temperature
    • 50g Sour Cream, Room Temperature
    • 700g Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

5. Once smooth, take the melted chocolate and pour this in, mixing it again to combine. Finally, add in the cocoa powder (Apologies – I missed this on the video!) and beat that in too. You should end up with a nice smooth chocolate cheesecake batter. If there are a few tiny lumps, don’t panic, that will be some of the cream cheese that hasn’t quite fully broken down.

    • 2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

6. Remove the biscuit base from the freezer, and wrap the bottom of the tin tightly with foil. This will help to secure it and prevent water leaking in.

7. Place the cake tin into a deeper, larger roasting tray. Next, pour the chocolate cheesecake filling onto the base and use a spatula to spread it out. Gently tap the tin, to help settle the batter and also remove any extra air bubbles.

8. Carefully place the roasting tray with the cheesecake in, into the oven. Then pour in some boiling hot water, so that about 1” of the bottom of the cake tin is covered in hot water.

9. Bake the cheesecake, on the middle shelf, for around 90 minutes, at 160C/320F. It should have a small wobble in the centre when you shake it, about 2” in diameter (every oven is different so keep an eye on it). Then, immediately turn the oven off, and open the door so that it is slightly ajar. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 2 hours.

10. Finally, remove the cheesecake from the oven and remove the foil. Place the cheesecake, uncovered, in the fridge to chill for a minimum of 6 hours, but ideally overnight. (If you cover the cheesecake, condensation will build up and the top will go soggy).

Final Assembly

1. Remove the cheesecake from the fridge. Heat up a small knife, and carefully run it around the outside of the cake tin to loosen the cheesecake. Press the cheesecake out of the tin, and then carefully slide it off the cake base with a spatula, onto your serving plate.

2. Add the double cream to a saucepan and place it over a medium heat. Once it is simmering, pour it over a tall jug of chopped chocolate. Allow it to sit for 2 minutes, then use a hand blender to blend it until it’s smooth. You can also whisk it together if you don’t have a hand blender, just let it sit a minute or so longer so that it is completely melted before whisking.

    • 185g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 150g Dark Chocolate, Chopped

3. Immediately pour the warm ganache into the centre of the cheesecake and spread it out with a spatula.

4. Finish the cheesecake with chocolate shavings and serve. It can be served cold or brought to room temperature.

by Matt Adlard

Oreo & Vanilla Cheesecake

TIER 1

Oreo & Vanilla Cheesecake

8-10
SERVINGS

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 servings

Biscuit Base
250g Crushed Oreos, Filling Removed
125g Unsalted Butter

Vanilla Cheesecake
750g Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
300g Mascarpone, Room Temperature
100g Sour Cream, Room Temperature
130g Caster Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
Zest ½ Lemon (Optional)
260g Double Cream

Cream Cheese Frosting
4g Powdered Gelatin + 24g Cold Water
350g Double Cream
45g Caster Sugar
200g Cream Cheese
½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Chocolate Drip
75g Dark Chocolate
45g Unsalted Butter

Special equipment

Food Processor
9” Removable Base Cake Tin
Stand Mixer (Optional)
Acetate
Hand Blender
Piping Bag
4B Piping Nozzle

Method

Biscuit Base

1. Start by separating the oreos, removing the biscuits from the filling. Add them to a food processor (or a large sandwich bag and break them up with a rolling pin) Blitz them to a fine crumb.

    • 250g Oreos, Filling Removed (weigh the biscuits after removing the filling)

2. Melt the unsalted butter and pour it onto the crushed oreos. Start by adding about 75% of the butter, stirring it into the mixture, adding enough butter until it feels like the consistency of wet sand. Avoid making it too soggy.

    • 125g Unsalted Butter

3. Take a 9” cake in with a removable base and lightly grease the bottom. Place a circle of parchment paper on top. Then, cut a strip of acetate slightly taller than the height of the tin, and place it on the inside of the tin. You may need to use some tape to secure it into place so it fits tightly.

4. Pour the biscuits into the base of the tin and spread them around, then use a glass or any flat bottomed item and press them down until they are completely flat.

Note – if you are using a smaller tin you may not need all of the biscuits or your base may be a little too thick! Place the tin into the freezer while you make the filling.

Vanilla Cheesecake Filling

1. Into the bowl of a stand mixer (or into a large bowl if you are doing it by hand), add the room temperature cheeses & sour cream. It is important to ensure they are room temperature so that they mix well together. On top of the cheese, add the sugar, vanilla (and you can add lemon zest if you want, but totally optional. You can also add some more crushed oreos into the batter too!)

    • 750g Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
    • 300g Mascarpone, Room Temperature
    • 100g Sour Cream, Room Temperature
    • 130g Caster Sugar
    • 1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
    • Zest ½ Lemon (Optional)

2. Beat the mixtures on a low speed until evenly combined and smooth. You may need to scrape down the bowl as it is mixing to ensure it is all fully incorporated. If you are doing it by hand, simply beat it together with a spatula until smooth.

3. Into a separate bowl, add the double cream, and then whisk in a stand mixer or by hand, until you have a soft/medium peak. Avoid over whipping it, otherwise if it will be harder to incorporate into the main batter.

    • 260g Double Cream

4. Take the double cream, and fold it through the main cheesecake batter with a rubber spatula.

5. Remove the biscuit base from the freezer and pour the vanilla batter in. Use a spatula to spread the mixture out evenly, and tap the tin on the table to flatten it as best as possible. Place the cheesecake into the fridge for a minimum of 12 hours.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Into a small bowl, add the powdered gelatin and cold water. Stir them together to combine, then let them bloom together for 5 minutes.

    • 4g Powdered Gelatin (Platinum or Gold Strength) + 24g Cold Water

2. Into a medium saucepan, add the double cream, sugar and vanilla. Place it over a medium heat until it comes to a gentle simmer. Once hot, quickly remove it from the heat, scoop in the bloomed gelatin and stir until the gelatin has completely dissolved. Make sure it is fully dissolved otherwise you will have chunks of gelatin in the frosting.

    • 350g Double Cream
    • 45g Caster Sugar
    • ½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

3. With the cream cheese in a tall container, pour the hot cream over.

    • 200g Cream Cheese

4. Take a hand bender, and blend till smooth. If you don’t have a hand bender, you can simply whisk it together.

5. Pour the mixture into a bowl, cover the surface directly with a sheet of cling film and refrigerate overnight.

Final Assembly

1. Remove the cheesecake from the fridge and place it into the freezer for 30 minutes. It’s important to chill it in the freezer so that the acetate comes cleanly off the cheesecake. Don’t freeze it for any longer otherwise it can affect the texture.

2. For the chocolate drip, add the chocolate and butter to a medium bowl, and place it over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir it together until completely melted and then remove it from the heat. If you have a thermometer, allow it to cool, to around 32C.

    • 75g Dark Chocolate
    • 45g Unsalted Butter

3. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, pushing it out of the tin. Carefully remove the acetate off from the outside. Use a spatula to slide the cheesecake off the base of the tin and onto your serving plate.

4. Use a spoon to spoon drips of chocolate all around the outside of the cheesecake.

5. Remove the cream cheese frosting from the fridge, and pour it into a stand mixer or a large bowl, and whisk to a medium peak.

6. Into a piping bag fitted with a 4B nozzle, add the whipped cream cheese frosting.

7. In an anticlockwise rotating motion, pipe a spiral rope around the outside of the cheesecake. Apply even, consistent pressure to the piping bag to get an even rope design.

8. Sprinkle some more crushed oreos in the centre of the cheesecake.

9. Allow the cheesecake to come to room temperature for an hour before serving.

by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Mousse Gateaux

TIER 3

Chocolate Mousse Gateaux

8-10
SERVINGS

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 servings

Chocolate Cake
100g Water
30g Cocoa Powder
110g Plain Flour
175g Caster Sugar
1/2 Tbsp Baking Soda
100g Buttermilk
65g Vegetable Oil
60g Whole Eggs (1 Large Egg)

Hazelnut Streusel
40g Cold Unsalted Butter
40g Ground Almonds
40g Flour
40g Sugar
Zest ½ Lemon
20g Hazelnuts

Chocolate Mousse
240g Dark Chocolate (or 50/50 mix of Dark + Milk Chocolate)
210g Double/Heavy Cream (A)
5g Powdered Gelatin + 30g Cold Water
100g Egg Yolks
80g Whole Eggs
40g Water
100g Sugar
210g Double/Heavy Cream (B), Whisked to Soft Peaks

To decorate
300g Tempered Dark Chocolate

Special equipment

7” Cake Tin
Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Whisk
Hand Blender
Digital Thermometer
Piping Bags
20cm x 6cm Ring Mold
18cm x 6cm Ring Mold
Acetate
Wire Brush

Method

Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 175C/350F non-fan assisted.

2. Into a medium saucepan, add the water and cocoa powder. Place it over a medium low heat and whisk. Cook the mixture until it is steaming and then set it to one side to cool.

    • 100g Water
    • 30g Cocoa Powder

3. Meanwhile, add the dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl and whisk to combine.

    • 110g Plain Flour
    • 175g Caster Sugar
    • 1/2 Tbsp Baking Soda

4. Next, in a tall jug whisk together the wet ingredients, and then pour these over the dry. Use a hand whisk to mix them together, ensuring they are fully incorporated (sometimes the dry bits can get stuck to the bottom of the bowl)

    • 100g Buttermilk
    • 65g Vegetable Oil
    • 60g Whole Eggs (1 Large Egg)

5. Finally, pour in the cooled chocolate mixture and whisk again to combine.

6. Take a 7” cake tin, lightly grease it, place a circle or parchment paper on the bottom (very important), and then coat the sides with cocoa powder.

7. Pour the cake batter into the tin, and bake for 30-35 minutes. It might take slightly longer depending on your oven, so ensure a skewer comes out clean, then they are ready.

8. Once baked, let them cool for 10 minutes, then very carefully run a palette knife around the edge of the cake tin, and gently shake the tin to help loosen the cake from the edges. Flip it onto a wire cooling rack. The cake will be very fragile so allow once you’ve flipped them don’t try and move it until it has cooled completely. Once it has cooled, wrap it up and place it in the fridge to chill.

Chocolate Mousse

1. Add the gelatin powder and water into a small saucepan and allow it to bloom for 5 minutes.

    • 5g Powdered Gelatin
    • 30g Cold Water

2. Into a medium saucepan, add the double cream (A) and bring it to a gentle simmer. Meanwhile, place the chopped chocolate into a tall jug. If you want a slightly sweeter mousse, you can do a 50/50 mix of milk + dark chocolate.

    • 240g Dark Chocolate (or 50/50 mix of Dark + Milk Chocolate)
    • 210g Double/Heavy Cream (A)

3. Melt the bloomed gelatin, and once the cream is hot, pour the gelatin in and quickly stir to combine.

4. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate, let it sit for 2 minutes, and then blend until smooth. Move onto the next stage quickly as we don’t want the ganache to set or cool too much.

5. Into a small saucepan, add the water, then sugar. Place it over a medium heat.

    • 40g Water
    • 100g Caster Sugar

6. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and the egg yolks in a stand mixer on a medium high speed.

    • 100g Egg Yolks
    • 80g Whole Eggs

7. Once the sugar mixture has reached a temperature of 118C/245F, very carefully pour it over the egg yolks, whisking on high speed. Try and avoid splattering the sugar all over the whisk, and pour in between the whisk and the bowl.

8. Keep whisking the mixture until it becomes much thicker, and paler in colour. It needs to cool to about 30C, and at this point, the chocolate ganache should also be at 30C.

9. Pour the ganache into the egg yolk mixture, and whisk to combine.

10. Finally, take the remaining double/heavy cream (B) and whisk it to a soft peak. Pour this into the chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. Cover the mixture and set it in the fridge.

    • 210g Double/Heavy Cream (B)

Hazelnut Streusel

1. Preheat the oven to 175C/350F.

2. Into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the dry ingredients.

    • 40g Ground Almonds
    • 40g Flour
    • 40g Sugar
    • Zest ½ Lemon

3. On top of that add the cold, cubed butter. Mix with your hands, or with a beater attachment on a low speed, until the butter pieces have broken down to about the size of peas.

    • 40g Cold + Cubed, Unsalted Butter

4. Tip in your chopped hazelnuts and toss the mixture with your hands to combine it.

    • 20g Roughly Chopped Hazelnuts

5. Into an 18cm (7”) ring mold, placed on a baking tray lined with a baking mat, add the stresuel. Press it into the mold gently, so it still has some texture and chunks but is all stuck together.

6. Bake for around 12-14 minutes or until a light golden brown. Once it has baked, remove the tray from the oven and let it cool completely. Then, carefully place the tray in the freezer so that the streusel can set and is easy to lift up. It may take about an hour. If the streusel is too warm, when you try and pick it up it will break apart so be careful.

Assembly Part 1

1. Remove the chilled chocolate cake from the freezer, and use a serrated knife to carefully cut the cake in half.

2. Take a 20cm (7.85”) ring mold, and line the bottom with a sheet of cling film, trying to get it as tight as possible. To get the cling film sheet very tight with no wrinkles, hold the ring mold in a hot oven for a few seconds and this will tighten the clingfilm. Place the ring mold, onto a baking tray.

3. Remove the chocolate mousse from the fridge and whisk it up just to loosen it slightly.

4. Pour it into a piping bag, and pipe half of the mousse into the base of the ring mold.

5. Add the first layer of chocolate cake into the centre.

6. Now at this point, my mousse was still a little too runny, so to prevent the layers from merging into one, I quickly placed the tray into the freezer for 20 minutes to help set the top of the mousse, therefore creating a more stable layer to put the next layer of mousse on top of.

7. Remove the mousse from the freezer and pour the remaining mousse in, leaving a little in the piping bag to fill up the gaps in a second.

8. Remove the streusel disc from the freezer, and place this on top of your second layer of cake so they are sandwiched together. Lift the cake streusel layer on top of the mousse, ensuring that the streusel is the top layer – this will mean that when we demold the mousse later, the streusel will act as our ‘cake board’.

9. If there are any gaps around the outside of the ring mold, fill them up with remaining mousse.

10. Place the mousse into the freezer overnight.

11. Once the mousse has frozen overnight, remove the mousse cake from the freezer. Peel off the sheet of clingfilm and place the rougher side (not the side that was covered with cling film as this should be smooth!) onto a tall but wide object, like a glass (if it’s too thin, then the cake could be unstable – something wider means there’s less risk it will topple!). With a blowtorch/hair dryer or a warm tea towel, heat the edge of the ring mold and then carefully lift off the ring.

12. Carefully place the mousse back in the freezer for an hour.

Chocolate Decorations

1. For the chocolate collar to go around the outside, take a long strip of acetate, about 65cm (25.5”) long and 6.cm (2.5”) tall and place it on your work surface.

2. Temper your dark chocolate and use a ladle, to take about ⅔ of the chocolate and ladle it onto the sheet of acetate in a relatively even line. You will need about 200-250g tempered chocolate.

3. Using an offset spatula, spread out the tempered chocolate evenly across the acetate.

4. Let the chocolate set slightly so it is no longer wet, but still pliable. It won’t take long so keep an eye on it.

5. Then very carefully, lift the strip of acetate up, and carefully place it around the outside of the 20cm ring mold that we had the mousse in previously. It is important to a) use this mold as this will ensure our collar is big enough to fit around the cake and b) make sure the chocolate is not wet when you place it on, otherwise it will stick to the ring mold.

6. Use a small piece of tape to secure the collar together and then let the chocolate set at room temperature for 1 hour.

7. For the chocolate leaves, take a few strips of long acetate and place them on your work surface.

8. Dip a small paint brush into the tempered chocolate and paint small leaves onto the strip of acetate. You will need about 30-40.

9. Once you have painted the leaves, try to set the strips of acetate in a curved position. You can do this by sliding the acetate into a cylinder cardboard roll (like from a paper towel) or place the acetate against a wall, and press a book against the edge of the acetate which will force it into a curved position. Let the leaves set for an hour.

Final Assembly

1. Remove the mousse cake from the freezer and with a spatula, lift it onto your serving plate.

2. Remove the acetate strip from the outside of the chocolate collar, and then using a wire brush, gently score the chocoolate to create a “bark” effect – this is optional but creates a fun design to the cake.

3. Very carefully lift the collar around the mousse cake.

4. Finally, carefully move the chocolate leaves from their curved position. As you flatten the acetate, the leaves should pop off so be careful. Some may break.

5. Place the leaves into the centre of the cake, in any pattern you would like, and then add a light dusting of cocoa powder.

6. Ensure the cake comes to room temperature before serving.

by Matt Adlard

Black Forest Gateaux

TIER 2

Black Forest Gateaux

8-10
SERVINGS

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 servings

Chocolate Cake
120g Caster Sugar
180g Egg Whites
120g Egg Yolks
25g Cocoa Powder
120g Unsalted Butter
150g Dark Chocolate

Soaking Syrup
50g Water
50g Caster Sugar
1-2 Tbsp Kirsch (Optional)

Vanilla Cream
1000g Double/Heavy Cream
6.5g Gelatin Powder + 39g Water (Platinum or Gold Strength Gelatin)
200g Melted White Chocolate, Good Quality
1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Orange Vanilla Cream
500g Double/Heavy Cream
3g Gelatin Powder + 18g Water (Platinum or Gold Strength Gelatin)
100g Melted White Chocolate, Good Quality
½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
Zest ½ Orange

To Fill
Cherry Jam or Cherry Compote
Handful of Fresh Cherries or Marinated Cherries

To Decorate
Chocolate Shavings

Special equipment

Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Whisk
20cm x 6cm Ring Mold
18cm x 6cm Ring Mold
Electric Clay Pottery Wheel or Spinning Turntable
15mm Round Tip Nozzle
Piping Bags

Method

Vanilla Cream

1. Add the gelatin and cold water into a small saucepan and allow it to bloom for 5 minutes.

    • 6.5g Powdered Gelatin + 39g Cold Water

2. Add the white chocolate to a bowl and melt it over a pan of gently simmering water. Set it to one side.

    • 200g White Chocolate

3. Next, add the cream and vanilla to a medium saucepan, and bring to a gentle simmer.

    • 1000g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

4. Once hot, turn off the heat, melt the bloomed gelatin and whisk this in to dissolve it.

5. Slowly pour the hot cream over the melted chocolate in three parts, stirring in small circles in the centre of the bowl to create an emulsion.

6. Once you have added all the cream, ensure it is fully combined with the melted chocolate, cover the surface with cling film, and then refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours or ideally overnight.

Orange Vanilla Cream

1. For the orange vanilla cream that we will use to decorate the top of the cake – follow the exact same process as above, but add the orange zest into the cream when heating it. Cover and refrigerate overnight

    • 500g Double/Heavy Cream
    • 3g Gelatin Powder + 18g Water (Platinum or Gold Strength Gelatin)
    • 100g Melted White Chocolate, Good Quality
    • ½ Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
    • Zest ½ Orange

Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/340F non-fan assisted.

2. Into a medium bowl, add the chocolate and butter and melt it over a pan of gently simmering water.

    • 120g Unsalted Butter
    • 150g Dark Chocolate

3. Meanwhile, into a bowl, add the egg yolks and cocoa powder and whisk these together until smooth. Take the melted chocolate mixture, and pour this in. Whisk again to combine.

    • 120g Egg Yolks
    • 25g Cocoa Powder

4. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites and whisk on a medium speed until they are thick and frothy. Increase the speed slightly, and add the sugar in, one tablespoon at a time. Keep whisking until you have a stiff glossy peak to the meringue.

    • 120g Caster Sugar
    • 180g Egg Whites

5. Add the meringue in three parts, into the chocolate mixture. Fold it in gently, stirring it just until it is fully incorporated and there are no more streaks of egg white.

6. Take a 7” ring mold and lightly grease it with butter. Dust the ring with cocoa powder and place it on a baking tray lined with a silicon mat or baking paper.

7. Pour the cake batter into the ring mold and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Keep an eye on it as every oven is different.

8. Once cooked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool – as it cools it will collapse but that is normal.

9. Once it has cooled – I like to freeze the cake for 2 hours. Once it has chilled, slice the cake in half so that you have two layers. By freezing the cake, it makes it easier to cut!

Soaking Syrup

1. Into a small saucepan, add the sugar, water and kirsch. The kirsch is optional but is “traditional” for a Black Forest Gateaux.

    • 50g Water
    • 50g Caster Sugar
    • 1-2 Tbsp Kirsch (Optional)

2. Bring the ingredients to the boil, ensuring the sugar has fully dissolved. You can make this while the cakes are baking or chilling, so that it has time to cool.

3. When you have sliced the cakes in half, apply an even layer of soaking syrup over each side. You may not need it all, so don’t over soak the sponges.

Assembly Part 1

1. Remove the vanilla cream from the fridge and place it into the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl if you are using an electric mixer). Whisk it until it has thickened to a medium peak. Be careful not to over whip it.

2. Take the 20cm x 6cm ring and cover one side of the mold with a single sheet of cling film. Try and get it as tight as possible with as few wrinkles. To get the cling film sheet very tight with no wrinkles, hold the ring mold in a hot oven for a few seconds and this will tighten the clingfilm. Place the ring mold, onto a baking tray.

3. Pour ⅓ of the vanilla cream into the base of the ring mold and use an offset spatula spread it up the sides. It’s important to spread it to cover all sides and ensure there aren’t any large air pockets.

4. Once you have covered the sides and the base, place a layer of sponge on top. Then spread a thin layer of cherry jam or cherry compote on top of the sponge.

    • Cherry Jam or Cherry Compote

5. Add the next ⅓ of vanilla cream on top of the sponge and then press some fresh or marinated cherries into the cream.

6. Add the final layer of cake and finally top up the mold with the remaining cream. Use a spatula to spread the cream, so that it is completely flush with the ring mold. Then place it in the freezer overnight.

Orange Vanilla Cream

1. To prepare the decoration for the top of the cake, remove the cream from the fridge and whisk it to a medium peak. You will not need it all to create the decoration but I have added some extra in the recipe in case you need to practice!

2. Take a sheet of parchment paper, and use the 20cm ring mold to draw a circle on it as a guide. Place this sheet of parchment paper underneath a silicon mat, on a flat baking tray.

3. Add the cream to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip nozzle (I used a 15mm nozzle).

4. Place the flat baking tray onto a cake turntable or an electric pottery wheel. If you are using a cake turntable, try and get someone to spin it slowly for you while you pipe!

5. Apply even pressure, and starting from the centre, pipe a tight spiral of cream, stopping just before you reach the edge of the template you drew. Place the circle of cream into the freezer for 30-60 minutes, or it is until firm enough to lift it up.

Final Assembly

1. Remove the mousse cake from the freezer. Peel off the sheet of clingfilm and place the rougher side (not the side that was covered with cling film as this should be smooth!) onto a tall but wide object, like a glass (if it’s too thin, then the cake could be unstable – something wider means there’s less risk it will topple!). With a blowtorch/hair dryer or a warm tea towel, heat the edge of the ring mold and then carefully lift off the ring.

2. Use a large offset spatula to carefully lift the mousse cake onto a tray lined with a silicon mat and place it back into the freezer for 1 hour.

3. After 1 hour remove the cake from the freezer, at this point it is worth carefully lifting it onto a cake board (if you plan to take it anywhere!), something that will allow you to maneuver it with a bit more ease.

4. Place the mousse cake onto a tall glass or object again, and then place a tray underneath. Take your chocolate shavings and press them into the side of the mousse cake. If it is still quite cold, the curls might not stick and fall off straight away. If that is the case, you can very very carefully heat the edges with a blow torch, or just let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes.

5. Press the curls all over the side of the cake until it is completely covered.

6. Remove the orange vanilla disc from the freezer and lift this onto the centre. Depending on how large you piped it, you may have a slight gap between the edge of the disc and the edge of the cake. Fill any gaps with more chocolate curls. Lift the cake carefully onto a large serving plate.

7. Garnish the cake with a whole cherry, then allow the cake to come to room temperature before eating so that the mousse is soft.

by Matt Adlard

Sacher Torte

TIER 1

Sacher Torte

8
SERVINGS

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

Chocolate Chantilly
3.5g Powdered Gelatin
21g Water
500g Double/Heavy Cream
65g Dark or Milk Chocolate

Chocolate Torte
180g Chocolate
175g Butter
200g Caster Sugar
200g Ground Almonds
60g Cocoa Powder
120g Whole Eggs + 120g Egg Yolks
160g Egg Whites
1 Tbsp Caster Sugar
Pinch Salt

Soaking Syrup
50g Water
50g Caster Sugar

Chocolate Ganache
400g Dark Chocolate
480g Double/Heavy Cream
80g Soft, Unsalted Butter

Filling
125g-175g Apricot Jam

Special equipment

Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Whisk
2 x 7” Cake Tin
Hand Blender
Piping Bags
Star Tip Piping Nozzle

Method

Chocolate Chantilly

1. Into a small saucepan, add the water and gelatin powder. Let it bloom for 5 minutes.

    • 3.5g Powdered Gelatin
    • 21g Water

2. Meanwhile, add the chocolate to a medium bowl, and place it over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir it, until it is completely melted.

    • 65g Dark Chocolate

3. Add the cream into a saucepan and place it over a medium heat. Once it is steaming but not boiling, gently melt the gelatin over a low heat. Pour the gelatin mixture into the cream and whisk it through.

    • 500g Double/Heavy Cream

4. Then slowly pour the cream mixture over the melted chocolate. Use a spatula to stir the chocolate in small circles constantly, slowly incorporating the cream.

5. Once the cream is fully combined, cover the surface with a sheet of cling film and chill overnight.

Chocolate Torte

1. Preheat your oven to 150C/300F. Lightly grease 2 x 7” cake tin, place a circle of parchment on the bottom of the tin, and then line the sides with a dusting of cocoa powder, tapping out any excess.

2. Into a medium bowl, add the chocolate and butter. Place this over a pan of gently simmering water and stir occasionally until completely melted. Remove from heat and set it to one side.

    • 180g Dark Chocolate
    • 175g Unsalted Butter

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, egg yolks & salt until smooth. Then tip in the cocoa powder and ground almonds and whisk to combine.

    • 200g Caster Sugar
    • 120g Whole Eggs + 120g Egg Yolks
    • Pinch Salt
    • 200g Ground Almonds
    • 60g Cocoa Powder

4. Once mixed, pour in the slightly cooled, melted chocolate mixture and whisk together until everything is evenly combined. Set this to one side.

5. Into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, whisk the egg whites on a medium low speed, until they start to become thick and hold a soft peak. Then add the sugar and continue to whisk until you have a medium stiff peak.

    • 160g Egg Whites
    • 1 Tbsp Caster Sugar

6. Take the egg white mixture, and fold it into the chocolate batter in three parts, being relatively gentle as you fold.

7. Once the egg whites are completely mixed in and you can’t see any more streaks of white, split the batter equally between the two lined cake tins – you should get roughly 500-515g per tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Every oven is different so keep an eye on it.

8. While they are baking, make a quick soaking syrup. Add the water and sugar to a small saucepan. Bring it to the boil and then once the sugar has fully dissolved, turn off the heat and let it cool.

    • 50g Water
    • 50g Caster Sugar

9. Once baked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Run an offset spatula around the outside of the cake tin and very carefully flip the cakes out onto a wire cooling rack.

10. Once they have completely cooled, paint a light coating of the sugar syrup all over the cakes (you may not need it all), then wrap the cakes in cling film and refrigerate them for a few hours (or overnight). This step is optional, but I’ve always enjoyed the texture of the cake after chilling it.

Assembly Part 1

1. Remove the chilled cakes from the fridge.

2. Take the apricot jam (you can use as much or as little as you want – or swap it for another jam if you don’t want apricot) and using an offset spatula, spread and even layer over one of the cakes.

    • 125-175g Apricot Jam

3. Carefully sandwich the second layer of cake on top and place it back into the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

Chocolate Ganache

1. Into a tall jug, add the chocolate (chop it up small if you are using large chunks).

    • 400g Dark Chocolate

2. Meanwhile, pour the cream into a medium saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer.

    • 480g Double/Heavy Cream

3. Once hot, pour it over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for a minute. Then blend with a stick blend until smooth. Avoid adding any air bubbles here, so try to move the nozzle of the blender as little as possible. If we add air bubbles to the ganache, that will result in air bubbles on the final glaze of our cake.

4. Once blended, add in the soft, unsalted butter and blend again to emulsify. The ganache is now ready to use immediately.

    • 80g Unsalted Butter, Soft

5. Remove the cake from the fridge and place it onto a large cookie cutter or a bowl – something that can prop it up so that there is a gap in between the cake and the tray below. Ensure there is a tray underneath to catch any excess.

6. Working relatively quickly, pour half of the glaze over the cake. Then use an offset spatula to spread off any excess across the top. Do this with one swift motion, avoid going back and forth over the cake with the spatula.

7. Gently tap the tray that the cake is sitting on, on the work surface, and let the glaze drip down. Then once it has set slightly, use a knife to cut off any excess drips hanging off the bottom of the cake.

8. Place the cake into the fridge for 15 minutes.

9. Meanwhile, we need to keep the ganache at a warm pouring temperature. If we leave it out at room temperature, it will get too cool to pour. So I advise, to take about 2 inches of boiling water in a pan or bowl, and leave the jug sitting in the warm water. Swirl it every so often so it doesn’t set on top (or stir it gently with a spoon but avoid adding air). The glaze should be at a temperature of around 40-45C (105-112F) when you are ready to pour again.

10. Remove the chilled cake from the fridge and repeat the same glazing process, quickly pouring the remaining glaze over the top of the cake and spreading off any excess. Again, tap the tray underneath on the work surface, helping any excess glaze to settle and drip off. Once the cake has set slightly, trim off any excess drips that may be hanging off.

11. At this point the glaze is still quite wet – you can let the cake sit at room temperature for an hour or so to set, or pop it in the fridge to set in about 15 minutes. Once it has set, very carefully lift the cake, trying not to damage the glaze, onto your serving plate.

Final Assembly

1. Remove the chocolate chantilly from the fridge. Place it into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if you are using an electric hand mixer).

2. Whisk the chantilly to a medium peak, being very careful not to over whip it. Remember that as you work with the chantilly and add it into the piping bag etc, it will continue to thicken so always under whip it ever so slightly.

3. Add half of the chantilly into a piping bag fitted with a star tip nozzle (we add half, because like I said, above, as we continue to handle it, it can over whip so we just use half to decorate the outside, then the remaining cream to decorate the top)

4. To decorate, pipe even swirls of the cream around the edge and then on top. You can get creative with any piping pattern you want. Alternatively, you can skip the chantilly and instead, use any leftover ganache to pipe “Sacher” in the centre of the cake – this is very traditional!

5. Best served and eaten at room temperature.

by Matt Adlard

Pistachio Cake

Tier 3: Pistachio Cake

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by Matt Adlard

Almond & Orange Cake

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by Matt Adlard

Lemon Cake

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by Matt Adlard

Opera Cake

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by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Praline Finger Cake

Tier 2: Chocolate Praline Finger Cake

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by Matt Adlard

Strawberry Roll Cake

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by Matt Adlard

Passion fruit Soufflé

Tier 3: Passionfruit Soufflé

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by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Moelleux

Tier 2: Chocolate Moelleux

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by Matt Adlard

Vanilla Panna Cotta

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by Matt Adlard

Strawberry Popsicle

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by Matt Adlard

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Tier 2: Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

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by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Parfait

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by Matt Adlard

Roasted Strawberry & Creme Brûlée Tart

Tier 3: Roasted Strawberry & Creme Brûlée Tart

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by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Spider Web Mirror Glaze

Tier 3: Chocolate Spider Web Mirror Glaze

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by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Hazelnut Finger

Tier 2: Chocolate Hazelnut Finger

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by Matt Adlard

Lemon Citrus Crunch

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by Matt Adlard

Chocolate Pot De Creme

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by Matt Adlard

Herringbone Lattice Apple Pie

Tier 3: Herringbone Lattice Apple Pie

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by Cameron_MemberPress

Crème Brûlée Cheesecake

Tier 2: Crème Brûlée Cheesecake

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by Cameron_MemberPress

Chocolate & Hazelnut Praline Tart

Tier 3: Chocolate & Hazelnut Tart

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by Cameron_MemberPress

Lemon Tart

Tier 2: Lemon Tart

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by Cameron_MemberPress

Frangipane Tart

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by Cameron_MemberPress