Recipe:

You will need:

1 x round or square oven proof dish (mine is 26cm, round). Baking dish doesn’t really matter much for this.

Butter for greasing

Ice cream or cream to serve

Cake batter:

100g hazelnuts (blended to a fine crumb)

70g plain flour

100g soft brown sugar

30g cocoa powder

100g dark chocolate

75g butter

1 tbsp nutella

100ml milk

3 medium eggs

Sauce:

50g light brown sugar

20g cocoa powder

1 tbsp nutella

400ml boiling water

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c (160c fan) and grease your ovenproof dish.

2. Melt the butter and half of the chocolate together in a microwave. 30 second bursts, stirring in between. Once melted, stir on the nutella, it should dissolve easily.

3. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the wet ingredients and the butter/choc/nutella in a separate bowl. Fold the wet through the dry until a smooth batter forms.

4. Chop the second half of the chocolate and stir through.

5. Spoon the batter into the pre-greased dish.

6. Mix all of the ingredients for the sauce together until smooth. Pour this directly over the batter. It might seem weird but it’s completely legit.

7. Bake for 25 mins. Turn halfway through baking. After 25 mins, if the cake is still quite wobbly then add back for another 5 mins. The cake should be firm looking, with a crackly top but should still wobble slightly.

Tips and tricks:

1. Take your time when browning the butter. It can burn easily. Once the bubbling subsides and you’ve turned it down to low, keep an eye on it. There will be a lot of foaming, this is the milk solids toasting. Once the milk solids are just slightly brown and toasted, pull it from the hob quickly as the residual heat will continue cooking.

2. If you want an extra toasty flavor, add your malt powder to the browned butter when it’s foaming and toast that as well!

3. Be smart with your toothpick. A blondie is not like a cake. You don’t want to test in the centre and you definitely don’t want a clean/moist crumb toothpick. You want the centre to be wet and halfway between the edge and the centre to still be very moist, with a few crumbs still attached.

4. Don’t cream together the butter and sugar. This incorporates air. Air will heat more rapidly and expand leading to a drier, more cake like blondie.

Recipe:

You will need:

Greaseproof/baking paper

20x20 square tin

Ingredients:

150g white chocolate

150g dark chocolate or milk chocolate depending on preference (in chunks)

130g butter

100g light brown sugar

100g caster sugar

3 large eggs

100g tahini

1 tsp vanilla paste/extract

80g plain flour

60g malt powder, like horlicks/ovaltine

For the topping:

Black & white sesame seeds

Extra tahini for

Flakey maldon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 180c (160c fan) and line the tin with one strip of greaseproof paper, or as desired.

2. Brown the butter. Place the butter over medium high heat until melted. After 2mins, when melted and starting to bubble, drop the heat to medium low until it starts to foam. Toast this for 30 seconds. Let the butter cool for 10 mins.

3. In this time, melt the white chocolate. I do this by blasting in a microwave for 30 seconds, stirring and then repeating until melted.

4. Mix the brown butter with the eggs, one by one. The add the white chocolate, tahini, vanilla and malt powder and mix again. Once combined, beat in the sugars.

5. Fold in the flour and the chunks of milk/dark chocolate until well combined.

6. Pour into the tin and bake for 30-35 mins. Turn halfway through baking.

7. Insert a toothpick halfway between the centre and then edge. When slightly but not gooey, you’re good to go.

8. Top with extra tahini, sesame seeds and plenty of flaked salt.

Top tips:

1. Fry the coconut milk solids. This leads to a deeper flavor. It makes your dish nutty with a better coconut flavor. It also tempers the spices which rounds out the whole flavor of the dish.

2. Season well with fish sauce, lime, soy and sugar of your choosing. The whole point of Thai cooking is to hit every taste bud. Hard. I always add a bit too much of everything. You can almost never have too much of everything as long as it’s balanced.

3. Use a good quality curry paste. I know this video is about elevating the standard curry pastes but if you have a good quality curry paste, it’s just going to lead to a better end product. Mae Ploy is the way forward if you can get it.

4. Deglaze your pan. This is a one pot meal. Don’t sear the thighs separately. Chicken in general leads to an amazing fond, don’t waste it. Add the chicken juices from when they’ve been sat as well.

5. Top it well. Crunch, more acidity, spice. This for me is the best bit, a nice plate that everyone can help themselves to.

Recipe:

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• 1 tbsp neutral oil

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 8 Itsu gyozas, frozen

• 1 x 400ml tin coconut milk

• 3 heaped tbsp red curry paste

• 1 bunch coriander, leaves and stems separated, stems finely chopped

• 2 lime leaves

• 1-inch knob ginger, grated

• 2 garlic cloves, grated

• 1 lime, juiced

• 1 tbsp palm sugar, crushed in a pestle and mortar (or soft brown sugar)

• 1 tbsp fish sauce

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

To serve

• White rice or noodles

• Beansprouts

• Sliced red chillies

• Peanuts, crushed

• Crispy onions

• 1 lime, quartered

Method:

1. Season and sear the thighs in a pan over medium high heat with some neutral oil until browned on the outside but still a bit raw in the centre. Remove from pan.

2. In the same pan, add the coconut solids from the can (white cream that sits at the top). Cook this on a medium-high heat until the fats separate, it’s bubbling and the oil comes to the top.

3. Add the lime leaves, coriander stems, ginger and garlic and fry for 2 mins until fragrant.

4. Add the curry paste and cook for 2 more mins until the oil separates again and rises to the top.

5. Add the rest of the coconut milk from the tin. Season with soy, fish sauce, lime and sugar. Add the chicken thighs back in and keep at barely a simmer.

6. The longer you cook this, the richer it will be. If you want a light and fresh curry then cook for 10 mins. If you want slightly richer then cook for up to 30 mins. For the last 5 mins, add your gyozas.

7. Serve over rice with plenty of crunch through beansprouts, peanuts, crispy onions and coriander. Squeezing lime over at the end is mandatory, not optional.

Recipe:

You’ll need:

10” round cake tin

Butter for greasing

1 tbsp fine semolina + 1 tbsp caster sugar (mixed, in a bowl)

Icing sugar, to serve

For the cake batter:

• 100g caster sugar

• 75g dark brown sugar

• 100g butter (soft, at room temp)

• 85ml light olive oil or vegetable oil

• 3 medium eggs

• 210g self-raising flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp vanilla extract/paste

• 50g pistachios (see note in recipe)

• 50g ground almonds

• 85g full fat/5% Greek yoghurt

• 3 handfuls fresh blackberries

For the crumble:

• 50g pistachios (see note in recipe)

• 50g plain flour

• 50g caster sugar

• 50g cutter (cold, cubed)

• 1 heaped tsp pistachio paste (or 1 tsp almond extract if you don’t have)

Method:

1. Add both lots of pistachios into a mini blender and blend to a fine flour. Remove 50g and keep the other 50g in the blender.

2. Preheat the oven to 180c (160 fan).

3. Cream the butter, sugar and oil together for 2 mins until light and fluffy.

4. Beat in the eggs one by one. Once incorporated beat in the yoghurt and vanilla until completely combined.

5. Fold in the ground pistachios you reserved earlier, the ground almonds, baking powder, a pinch of salt and the self raising flour. Fold and mix until combined.

6. When smooth, leave this to sit whilst you make the crumble.

7. In the blender from earlier with the rest of the pistachios, add the flour, butter, caster sugar, pistachio paste and a pinch of salt. Pulse until incorporated. The mixture should look like play dough or wet sand.

8. Grease the baking tin and sprinkle with the semolina and caster sugar mixture.

9. Back to the cake batter. Fold in the 3/4 of your blackberries and then pour the batter into the tin and smooth it out so it reaches the sides. Scatter the remainder over the top and then pinch and place the crumble mixture over the top of this.

10. Place this in the centre of the oven for 1 hr and 15 mins, turning half way through. If the crumble starts to get a bit dark then tent with foil. A toothpick or wooden skewer should come out moist, with a few crumbs. If wet, return to the oven for 5 mins at a time until cooked through.

RECIPE:

For the chicken:

This is not my recipe, this is from the absolute innovator that is Kenji Lopez-Alt. I just love it and think more people should use it.

1 Large Chicken

Light Olive Oil

5g Baking Powder

15g FINE salt

For the salad & croutons:

1 Medium/Half Ciabatta (or any white bread). I used the @Waitrose par baked ciabatta.. No need to cook, just slice up, they’re perfect.

2 Heads of Romaine Lettuce

For the dressing:

2 Tbsp 0% Fat Greek Yoghurt

2 Tbsp Light Mayo

1 Garlic Cloves (Grated)

2 Anchovy Fillets (Mashed)

5 Dashes Worcestershire Sauce

Juice from 1 Lemon

50g Parmesan (Grated)

Salt & Pepper

1. Spatchcock the chicken. Flip the chicken so it’s breast side down. Cut along each side of the spine with kitchen shears/scissors (see my video for this). Flip the chicken back over and press down on the breastbone like you’re giving it CPR. This will break the wishbone and make the chicken lie flat.

2. Mix the salt and baking powder. Sprinkle over the chicken skin and underside of the chicken. Tuck the wings under and point the chicken ankles (??) out wards (like the video). Leave this chicken in your fridge, skin side up and uncovered for at least 2 hours, best for 24 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to the max that it reaches. It should be around 220c. Once up to temp, pat your chicken dry. Rub with oil and crack over black pepper. Pop it in the oven for 35 mins. The thickest part of the breast should register 66c. If it doesn’t, chuck it back in for 5 minute intervals.

4. For the dressing mix all of the ingredients and let it down with water until it is a thinner consistency. Without the water it will simply be too thick and wilt your salad leaves.

5. Once the chicken is cooked, don’t discard the fat. Add the chunks of bread, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss liberally. Chuck them in the oven for 10 mins, flipping halfway until golden and crunchy.

6. Carve the chicken, toss the salad with the dressing. Plate everything up. Works brilliantly as a centerpiece or individually portioned.

You will need:

• 7 inch round tin

• 1 old tea towel that you don’t mind chucking in the oven

Ingredients:

• 550g Full Fat Cream Cheese

• 360g Double Cream (Heavy Cream)

• 140g Granulated Sugar (or Caster Sugar)

• 4 Medium Eggs

• 1 Tbsp Plain Flour (All-Purpose Flour)

• Big Pinch of Maldon Salt

• 35ml Light Soy Sauce

• 15ml Dark Soy - I used Lee Kum Lee Brand

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220c (200c fan).

2. Start with the caramel. Place your cream over medium heat and warm, don’t scald, just warm. Chuck your sugar in a different pan over medium heat. Ideally a large pan that can fit the cream and sugar. Don’t stir this at the start. Once the majority of the sugar dissolves and the sugar is a lovely sark color (not quite brown yet) then give it a stir to incorporate any last bit of sugar.

3. Add in all of your warm cream and stir. This can seize, but don’t worry, just keep staring over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.

4. Add the salt and soy and stir. Let it cool.

5. In the meantime, sieve the flour into the cream cheese and mix together with a spatula until smooth. Add the eggs one by one continuously mixing. You can use a hand blender here but make sure it is at the bottom of the bowl as to not incorporate air.

6. Combine the caramel and the cheesecake batter. In an ideal world, this would sit overnight, but I really do not have the patience for that.

7. Line a tin with greaseproof. You can scrunch it for a traditional look, or cut a circle for the bottom and line the sides for a cleaner look.

8. Pour the batter through a sieve into the pan.

9. Plan at the top of an oven for 35 mins until brown on top and a good wobble in the middle. I rotate mine to ensure I get an even cook, but this is optional. If your cheesecake is still pale, then remove from the oven, turn the heat up to max and whack it back in for 5 mins. This should give it a great color.

10. Finally, the worst part, let this cool overnight. When you eat it be very careful….. not to eat it in one go.

Ingredients

Serves 4:

1 x 9.5 inch round cake tin

For the cake:

• 350g Ricotta

• 1 Lemon (zested)

• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

• 65ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 3 Medium Eggs

• 125g Unsalted Butter (Softened)

• 200g Caster Sugar

• 215g Plain Flour

• 75g Fine Semolina

• 1 Tsp Baking Powder

• 1/2 Tsp Bicarb

• Pinch of Salt

• 3 Handfuls of Cherries (Pitted)

• Flaked Almonds

• Icing Sugar

Frangipane:

• 150g Unsalted Butter (Softened)

• 144g Ground Almonds

• 150g Caster Sugar

• 30g Plain Flour

• 1 Large Egg

• 1 Large Egg White

• Pinch of Salt

• 1 Tsp Almond Extract

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175c (160c fan).

2. Add the sugar and lemon zest to a bowl and massage. This is optional but brings out the lemon flavour.

3. Add the oil and butter and cream together until pale and fluffy (around 2 mins).

4. Mix the eggs in one at a time. Then add the ricotta and vanilla and mix again.

5. Fold in the dry ingredients until no lumps.

6. Now start the frangipane. Cream the butter in a mixer or with a whisk until really soft. Then add all of the other ingredients and mix until combined and smooth.

7. To the cake batter, fold in the cherries. Don’t be rough or your batter will go red and cherries will disintegrate.

8. Mix 1 tbsp semolina and 1 tbsp sugar in a bowl. Grease your cake tin and then pour in the semolina/sugar mixture. make sure this sticks to the tin through the butter. This will give the cake a lovely crispy crust.

9. Spoon in half the batter. Add dollops of frangipane, using half of the frangipane. Swirl this through the cake batter. Then add the remaining batter on top and dollop on the rest of the frangipane. Swirl again and top with the almonds.

10. Bake for 1hr and 15 mins. I always rotate half way through and check the cake at about 1 hour just to make sure it’s not burning. If it is looking dark then cover with foil.

11. Let the cake cool, slice and top with icing sugar. Goes so well with creme fraiche.