Profiteroles (serves 6)
| Butter | 75g / 3 oz plus extra for greasing |
| Plain flour | 75g / 3 oz plus some for dusting |
| Milk | 6 tablespoons |
| Water | 6 tablespoons |
| Eggs | 2 |
| Double cream | 200ml / 7 fl oz |
| Chocolate | 100g / 3 oz |
| Caster sugar | 50g / 2 oz |
Soften the butter. Grease a baking tray with butter and dust with flour. Pour the milk and 5 tablespoons of water into a saucepan. Add the butter. Bring to boil over a low heat. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the flour all at once and stir well. Return to the heat and stir constantly until the mixture comes away from the sides and bottom. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Spoon into a piping bag. Pipe into small mounds on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
To make the topping, melt the chocolate with 1 tablespoon of water in a small pan over a low heat. Stir in the butter and sugar and cook till thickened. Remove from heat and leave to cool. Whip the double cream. Make a slit in the side of the mounds and fill with whipped cream. Pour the chocolate over the top.
Pear Tarte Tatin (serves 4)
| Butter | 90g / 3oz |
| Brown sugar | 90g / 3oz |
| Pears | 2 |
| Lemon | 1 |
| Puff pastry | 300g / 10oz |
| Plain flour (for rolling pastry) | 60g / 2oz |
Cut the pears into thick slices. Juice and zest the lemon. Roll the puff pastry into 24cm diameter. Rub the butter onto a round ovenproof pan (23cm diameter). Sprinkle with brown sugar. Mix the pears with the lemon zest and lemon juice. Arrange the slices on the sugar in the pan. Put the pan on a gently heat until the sugar starts to dissolve. Turn the heat up and cook till the pears start to caramelise. Place the puff pastry on top. Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 200°C until the pastry is crisp and brown. Remove from the oven and turn into a heat-resistant pan. Brown under the grill.
Apple and Cinnamon Pie
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
| Unsalted butter – soft | ½ lb |
| Plain flour | 1 lb |
| Salt | Pinch |
| Eggs | 2 medium |
| Icing sugar | 2oz |
The method is as per shortcrust pastry above. Add the icing sugar with the flour at the beginning.
Apple and Cinnamon Filling
| Bramley (cooking) apple | 1 |
| Cinnamon stick | ½ |
| Or ground cinnamon | ½ teaspoon |
| Castor sugar | 4oz |
| Water | ¼ pint |
| Raisins | Optional |
Peel and cut the apple and place in water. Add sugar and cinnamon. Cook apple until soft (take out cinnamon stick) and mash. Cool immediately.
Cut pastry in half and roll out bottom to ¼ cm thick. Place pastry on greased dish and add the cooled filling. Cover with rolled top, crimp edges and egg wash. Make and air vent with a knife.
Bake until golden brown at 200°C, gas 6, for about 25 minutes.
When baked, dust with icing sugar and let cool before cutting.
Pineapple Spring Roll
| pineapple | One-tenth |
| Icing sugar | A dusting |
| Orange | ¼ |
| Unsalted butter | 25g / 1oz |
| Filo pastry | 2 sheets |
| Mint leaf | 1 |
| Sesame seeds | pinch |
Peel and core the pineapple. Cut into 3-inch strips. Shred the mint and combine with the fruit. Squeeze the orange over the mixture and dust with icing sugar. Melt the butter. Lay out one filo pastry sheet and brush with warm butter. Place the mixture in the centre and the fold the sides over the filling to meet in the middle. Brush again with butter. Roll up. Brush the top with butter. Dust with icing and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place the spring roll on a tray and bake in a hot oven until golden brown.
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