Eggs Florentine pizzas

Ingredients

 6 bacon rashers
 150g baby spinach leaves
 2 medium pizza bases
 1/2 cup (125ml) tomato pizza sauce
 1 cup (80g) grated pizza cheese
 2 eggs
 100g truss grape tomatoes

Method

Step 1
Preheat oven to 220°C. Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Add the bacon and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
Step 2
Add spinach to pan and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
Step 3
Place pizza bases on an oven tray. Spread evenly with sauce. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Top with spinach and bacon then crack an egg in the middle of each pizza. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and top with tomatoes. Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and bubbling and egg is cooked as desired. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Pizza margherita

Ingredients

For the base
300g strong bread flour
1 tsp instant yeast
 (from a sachet or a tub)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
, plus extra for drizzling
For the tomato sauce
100ml passata
handful fresh basil
 or 1 tsp dried
1 garlic clove, crushed
For the topping
125g ball mozzarella, sliced
handful grated or shaved Parmesan
handful cherry tomatoes, halved
To finish
handful basil
 leaves (optional)

Method

• Make the base: Put the flour into a large bowl, then stir in the yeast and salt. Make a well, pour in 200ml warm water and the olive oil and bring together with a wooden spoon until you have a soft, fairly wet dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins until smooth. Cover with a tea towel and set aside. You can leave the dough to rise if you like, but it’s not essential for a thin crust.
• Make the sauce: Mix the passata, basil and crushed garlic together, then season to taste. Leave to stand at room temperature while you get on with shaping the base.
• Roll out the dough: If you’ve let the dough rise, give it a quick knead, then split into two balls. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into large rounds, about 25cm across, using a rolling pin. The dough needs to be very thin as it will rise in the oven. Lift the rounds onto two floured baking sheets.
• Top and bake: Heat oven to 240C/fan 220C /gas 8. Put another baking sheet or an upturned baking tray in the oven on the top shelf. Smooth sauce over bases with the back of a spoon. Scatter with cheese and tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and season. Put one pizza, still on its baking sheet, on top of the preheated sheet or tray. Bake for 8-10 mins until crisp. Serve with a little more olive oil, and basil leaves if using. Repeat step for remaining pizza.

Chicken and mushroom casserole

Ingredients

8 tbsp olive oil
flour, for dusting
400g /14oz chicken thighs, skinned and boned
150g /5½oz small onions, peeled
1 carrot, very finely chopped
1 celery stalk, very finely chopped
300g/10½oz button mushrooms, halved
200ml/7fl oz dry white wine
500ml/18fl oz chicken stock
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
3 free range egg yolks, beaten with 4 tsp of milk
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

Method

• Heat six tablespoons of the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.
• Sprinkle some flour onto a plate. Coat the chicken thighs in the flour, shaking off any excess, and carefully place into the hot oil. Fry the chicken thighs for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown on each side.
• Remove the chicken thighs from the pan and set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
• Heat the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion, carrot, celery and mushrooms for five minutes, or until softened.
• Add the wine and the stock, bring to a simmer and cook for a further 10 minutes.
• Return the chicken to the pan and season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper and nutmeg. Continue to simmer for another 4-5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through
• Just before serving, stir in the egg yolk mixture until smooth and sprinkle over the parsley.

Chocolate peanut butter cheesecake

Ingredients

For the base
200g/7oz digestive biscuits
50g/2oz salted peanuts
100g/3½oz dark chocolate chips
50g/2oz unsalted butter, softened

For the filling
500g/1lb 1oz cream cheese
3 free-range eggs
3 free-range egg yolks
200g/7oz caster sugar
125ml/4¼fl oz soured cream
250g/9oz smooth peanut butter

For the topping
250ml/9fl oz soured cream
100g/3½oz milk chocolate chips
30g/1¼oz soft brown sugar

Method

• Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.
• For the base, process the biscuits, peanuts, dark chocolate chips and butter in a food processor. Once the mixture comes together in a clump, turn it out into a 23cm/9in springform tin and press it into the bottom of the tin and up the sides, using your fingers, to make a crunchy crust. Chill in the fridge while you make the filling.
• For the filling, process the cream cheese, eggs and egg yolks, sugar, soured cream and peanut butter in a food processor, whizzing to a smooth mixture.
• Pour and scrape the filling mixture into the cheesecake base in the chilled springform tin and cook for 1 hour, checking after 50 minutes. The top – only – should feel set and dry. When cooked, take the cheesecake out of the oven while you make the topping.
• For the topping, warm the soured cream and chocolate chips with the brown sugar gently in a small saucepan over a low heat, whisking to blend in the chocolate as it melts. Once the mixture is melted and well combined, take off the heat.
• Spoon and spread the topping very gently over the top of the cheesecake, being as careful as you can in case you break the surface of the cheesecake. (Not that anything bad will happen; you’ll just have chocolate marbling the cake a bit.) Put it back in the oven for a final 10 minutes.
• Once out of the oven, let the cheesecake cool completely in its tin, then cover and put into the fridge overnight. When you are ready to eat the cheesecake, take it out of the fridge slightly in advance, just to take the chill off: this will make it easier to spring from the tin. Don’t let it get too warm, though, as it will become a bit gooey and be hard to slice.

Recipe Tips
All ingredients should be at room temperature before you start. The cheesecake can be made up to 2 days ahead. Once made, cool and chill as directed. Do not cover until completely cold, then cover with a plate or cling film, making sure that the covering does not touch the surface of the cheesecake. Chill in the fridge until needed, then unmould and serve as directed. The cheesecake will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days in total.

The cheesecake can also be frozen for up to 1 month. To freeze, chill thoroughly, then wrap, still in its tin, in a double layer of cling film and one layer of aluminium foil. Defrost overnight in the fridge and eat within 2 days. Some condensation may appear on the surface of the cheesecake when defrosting but it's fine to eat.

Irish cream and chocolate cheesecake

Ingredients

100g/3½oz butter
250g/8¾oz digestive biscuits, crushed
600g/1lb 5oz cream cheese
25ml/1fl oz Baileys or other Irish cream liqueur
100ml/3½oz icing sugar
300ml/10½oz double cream, whipped
100g/3½oz grated chocolate

To garnish
200ml/7¼oz double cream, whipped
cocoa powder, to dust

Method

• Melt the butter in a pan and add the crushed digestive biscuits. Mix well until the biscuits have absorbed all the butter.
• Remove from the heat and press into the bottom of a lined 18cm/7in springform tin. Place in the refrigerator and allow to set for one hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Lightly whip the cream cheese then beat in the Irish cream and icing sugar. Fold in the whipped cream and grated chocolate. When smooth, spoon evenly onto the biscuits.
• Refrigerate and allow to set for a further two hours. Once set, remove and decorate with whipped cream and cocoa powder dusted over the top. Serve.

Chocolate profiteroles

Ingredients

For the choux pastry
200ml/7fl oz cold water
4 tsp caster sugar
85g/3oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
115g/4oz plain flour
pinch salt
3 medium free-range eggs, beaten

For the cream filling
600ml/1 pint double cream
1 orange, zest only
For the chocolate sauce
100ml/3½fl oz water
80g/3oz caster sugar
200g/7oz good-quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Place a small roasting tin in the bottom of the oven to heat.
• For the choux pastry, place the water, sugar and butter into a large saucepan. Heat gently until the butter has melted.
• Turn up the heat, then quickly pour in the flour and salt all in one go.
• Remove from the heat and beat the mixture vigorously until a smooth paste is formed. Once the mixture comes away from the side of the pan, transfer to a large bowl and leave to cool for 10-15 minutes.
• Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, until the mixture is smooth and glossy and has a soft dropping consistency - you may not need it all.
• Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Using a piping bag and plain 1cm/½in nozzle, pipe the mixture into small balls in lines across the baking sheet. Gently rub the top of each ball with a wet finger - this helps to make a crisper top.
• Place the baking sheet into the oven. Before closing the oven door, pour half a cup of water into the roasting tin at the bottom of the oven, then quickly shut the door. This helps to create more steam in the oven and make the pastry rise better. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden-brown - if the profiteroles are too pale they will become soggy when cool.
• Remove from the oven and turn the oven off. Prick the base of each profiterole with a skewer. Place back onto the baking sheet with the hole in the base facing upwards and return to the oven for five minutes. The warm air from the oven helps to dry out the middle of the profiteroles.
• For the filling, lightly whip the cream with the orange zest until soft peaks form. When the profiteroles are cold, use a piping bag to pipe the cream into the profiteroles.
• For the chocolate sauce, place the water and sugar into a small saucepan and bring to the boil to make a syrup. Reduce the heat to a simmer and place the chocolate into a heatproof bowl set over the pan. Heat, stirring occasionally, until melted. Take the pan off the heat, pour the syrup mixture into the chocolate and stir until smooth and well combined.
• To serve, place the stuffed profiteroles into a large serving dish and pour over the chocolate sauce. Serve hot or cold.
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Tiramisini

Ingredients

100ml/3½fl oz espresso or strong instant coffee
2 tbsp coffee liqueur
4 Savoiardi biscuits (fine sponge ‘ladyfinger’ biscuits)
2 free-range egg whites
250g/9oz mascarpone
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp Marsala
1 tsp cocoa powder

Method

• Make your espresso and pour it into a heatproof jug, adding the coffee liqueur, then leave it to cool - I find ten minutes outside the window on a cool day does it!
• Break each Savoiardi sponge finger into about four and drop the pieces into four small martini glasses, then pour the cooled espresso mixture over them. Press down gently, making sure the biscuits are soaked all over.
• Using an electric hand-held whisk for ease, beat the egg whites in a bowl until they form soft peaks when the whisk is removed, and set aside for a moment.
• Scrape the mascarpone into another bowl, adding the honey: I love the way its mellow sweetness marries with the Marsala (though sugar would be fine, too). Beat with the whisk (no need to clean it out first) and, when smooth, slowly beat in the Marsala.
• Fold in the egg whites, a third at a time, then dollop this mixture over the soused Savoiardi in each glass, using a spoon to whirl it into an elegant peak at the top.
• Let these stand in the fridge for at least 20 minutes and up to 24 hours, then dust with cocoa, pushing it through a fine-mesh strainer, just before serving.