With a free subscription you get a new post every week, usually at the end of the week for some weekend reading! For a low monthly price, paid subscribers get access to the ever growing back catalogue of exclusive recipes, plus more exclusive content.

I’m always looking for recipe inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

I’ve got a quarterly cooking magazine too! If you’d like to find out more check out my online shop.

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Ben.

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Happy Friday!

I’ve got another new dessert recipe for you this week, in the shape of a sharing style crème brûlée that’s inspired by pb&j. There’s layers of strawberry jam (or whatever flavour you want!), a creamy peanut butter & vanilla custard and the classic blowtorched caramelised top.

This recipe actual came about out of the need to use stuff up. I had a pot of double cream that needed using up, plus an open jar of jam and peanut butter. That’s not to say it’s not a fantastic dessert! I’d happily buy the ingredients to make it…

So instead of serving this crème brûlée in individual ramekins, I opted for an oval gratin dish that I bought cheaply at the le creuset factory to table sale last year. I’ve been looking for a reason to use it, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity!

This means that instead of separate servings, you caramelise a larger surface then scoop the custard with a spoon, to serve. Although you can serve this the traditional way if you’d prefer, you’ll just need to shorten the cook time.

So let’s get on with the recipe, shall we?

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With a free subscription you get a new post every week, usually at the end of the week for some weekend reading! For a low monthly price, paid subscribers get access to the ever growing back catalogue of exclusive recipes, plus more exclusive content.

I’m always looking for recipe inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

I’ve got a quarterly cooking magazine too! If you’d like to find out more check out my online shop.

Thanks for being here, your support means a lot!

Ben.

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Happy Friday!

This week, I thought I’d give you an update on what I’ve been up to recently. There’s been a load of new recipes go up on the blog and I’ve even made a start on Christmas recipes. I know it’s still August but you can never really be too early in this line of work.

The Blog

As a general rule, I aim to publish 2 recipes per week on my website, at the very least. Mainly so there’s always new content for visitors to read but also as search engines favour websites that are updated regularly. But then again, google are always changing what the rules are, so who knows what they like!

Anyway, there’s been a bit of everything on the website recently. Including a ridiculously light white chocolate mousse that’s flavoured with malted milk, for a toasty, caramelised flavour. A confit pork belly with the crispiest skin, that I served with a batch of creme fraiche mashed potato. And a batch of homemade Mr Kipling angel cake slices.

I’m also still working on my homemade hobnob recipe, which should hopefully be out very soon, so keep an eye out for them!

The Magazine

The release date for issue no.1 of my new cooking magazine is now less than 2 weeks away. And the good news is that there’s still a couple of days left to pre order a printed copy! There’s a digital version available too, which is available to pre order all the way up to the release date. The pre order for printed issues closes at midnight on Monday the 24th.

If you’d like more info on the Autumn issue, I also recently filmed a flick through over on my YouTube channel! And I’ve already started working on recipes for the Christmas issue, including some brie stuffed dates, a twist on a classic prawn cocktail and a festive tiramisu!

There’s some other exciting stuff planned for the next issue, which I can’t wait to share with you all! I’d also just like to thank everyone again that’s pre ordered a copy. The response has been absolutely incredible!

Also, if there’s a particular recipe that you’d like to see either on my website or in the magazine over Christmas then feel free to drop a comment below. I’m always open to suggestions!

I might be a bit biased but how good does this tiramisu look?! Keep an eye out for this one closer to Christmas…

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With a free subscription you get a new post every week, usually at the end of the week for some weekend reading! For a low monthly price, paid subscribers get access to the ever growing back catalogue of exclusive recipes, plus more exclusive content.

I’m always looking for recipe inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

I’ve got a quarterly cooking magazine too! If you’d like to find out more check out my online shop.

Thanks for being here, your support means a lot!

Ben.

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Welcome back!

I’ve got yet another dessert recipe for you this week, in the form of a burnt honey and peach tarte tatin. Peaches are one of my favourite fruits and we’re in peak season for them right now, so it’s the perfect time to use them.

This isn’t your traditional tarte tatin, as I’ve used honey for the caramel and peaches instead of apples but it’s just as good, if not better than the original. Instead of a regular dry caramel, we cook the honey until it turns a deep, golden brown then stir in butter, lemon juice and a good pinch of salt. The burnt honey ends up having a rich, buttery, nutty flavour that works perfectly with the sweet peaches.

Whilst we’re on the subject of burnt honey tarte tatins, I’ve made one with fresh figs which features in the first issue of my cooking magazine! The figs turn caramelised & squidgy and pair perfectly with the flaky pastry and creamy ice cream. It’s really good! And there’s still time to pre order a copy of issue 1 if you like…

One of the reasons I like making tarte tatins so much, is that they’re super quick and easy to prepare! Serve this peach one with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and maybe a sprinkle of toasted almonds and you’re onto a real winner. Plus you can easily swap the peaches out for another stone fruit if you’d prefer. Apricots, plums or nectarines would all be good!

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With a free subscription you get a new post every week, usually at the end of the week for some weekend reading! For a low monthly price, paid subscribers get access to the ever growing back catalogue of exclusive recipes, plus more exclusive content.

I’m always looking for recipe inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

I’ve got a quarterly cooking magazine too! If you’d like to find out more check out my online shop.

Thanks for being here, your support means a lot!

Ben.

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Happy Friday!

I’ve got a brand new dessert recipe for you this week!

But before we get into that, I’d just like to say thank you for all the support that my new cooking magazine has received. To be honest, I was a bit nervous about how it would go down but we’ve already surpassed my target for copies sold of the first issue so thank you so much! The Winter edition is being planned as we speak, so keep an eye out for that closer to Christmas…

Anyway, onto this week’s dessert recipe. This week, we’re making a bread and butter pudding but instead of bread, this one uses waffles. It’s actually a twist on both a bread & butter and a waffleberry pudding. If you’ve never a waffleberry, it’s essentially a bread and butter pudding that’s made with waffles, raspberries and white chocolate.

Essentially, you make this pudding by layering toaster waffles up in a dish, with a quick homemade strawberry compote, chopped dark chocolate and vanilla custard. You let it all soak for an hour or so then top with a sprinkle of demerara sugar and bake until crisp on top and set with a wobble.

Easy stuff right?! This only takes around 30 minutes to prepare and the same to cook. You can even make it ahead of time, let it soak in the fridge then bake later on. I’ve included how to make a quick compote for this one but feel free to use jam if you’d prefer.

Serve this waffle pudding with vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of pouring cream and you’re onto a winner!

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With a free subscription you get a new post every week, usually at the end of the week for some weekend reading! For a low monthly price, paid subscribers get access to the ever growing back catalogue of exclusive recipes, plus more exclusive content.

I’m always looking for recipe inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

Thanks for being here, your support means a lot!

Ben.

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Happy Friday!

Remember that project that said I’ve been working on? Well this is it! I’m incredibly excited to share my magazine with you and I’m really proud with how it’s turned out. Over the last 3 months, I’ve been developing over 20 recipes for the first issue, as well as learning how to use InDesign and researching everything involved in the printing process. Stuff like paper weights, lamination & binding. I really wanted this magazine to feel premium and long lasting, so I’ve used the best materials available.

So, the first issue is all about Autumn ingredients. Which happens to be my favourite season for cooking! It’s all about comfort food and hearty recipes. This includes a full roast dinner with 2 types of meat a plenty of sides and sauces. A collection of seasonal preserves including a homemade version of Branston pickle. A cheeseboard to use the preserves on and as well as a mix of lighter meals for the start of Autumn and comforting recipes for when the weather turns cold. There’s ingredient guides and kitchen skills too.

The recipe that I’m most excited for people to read, is the caramelised apple sticky toffee pudding from the front cover. This is a twist from my most popular blog recipe, my brown butter sticky toffee pudding. It features a sticky toffee sponge that’s lightly spiced and made with half dates and half apples. A salted brown butter toffee sauce, caramelised apple wedges and vanilla ice cream. This is an absolute belter of a dessert and if you’re a fan of sticky toffee pudding and apple pie, you’re going love it!

If you’d like a copy of the very first issue of the Salt Butter Smoke magazine, it’s available to pre order now and will ship the start of September. Just hit the button below to go to my online shop!

Thanks again to everyone that supports my work, it really does mean a lot. I’m already working on the Winter/Christmas issue, so if there’s a recipe you’d like to see there, feel free to leave a comment below.

Thanks everyone!

Ben

Pre Order Issue 1

With a free subscription you get a new post every week, usually at the end of the week for some weekend reading! For a low monthly price, paid subscribers get access to the ever growing back catalogue of exclusive recipes, plus more exclusive content.

I’m always looking for recipe inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

Thanks for being here, your support means a lot!

Ben.

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Happy Friday!

This week, I've got a brand new recipe for you that’s one of my family’s favourites.

So my family own an arable farm, so summer is the busiest time of year thanks to the harvest. Every year during harvest, my mum makes a creamy, mustardy chicken pie with a puff pastry lid that we call a harvest pie. I grew up eating this and this recipe is my version that I’ve made slab pie style.

The filling’s pretty simple for this one, it’s made with chunks of chicken thighs that are seared then poached in stock. This stock is then used alongside milk to make a béchamel style sauce. There’s fried onion and garlic in there as well, plus peas, sweetcorn and chopped up Frankfurters. Though I couldn’t find any in the supermarket, so I went with a smoked pork sausage.

My mum makes her harvest pie pot pie style with a piece of puff pastry baked on top of the filling. For mine, I’ve gone with a slab pie that’s made with 2 sheets of puff pastry, with the filling on the inside. Sort of like a big turnover. Flaky puff pastry and creamy chicken just work together, so you really can’t go wrong!

This one’s a real winner and it’s super quick to make. The filling can even be frozen then defrosted at a later date, when you need an easy meal. I served my pie with some buttery mashed potato but it’s good with any sort of veg or a salad, if you’re after something a bit lighter.

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With a free subscription you get a new post every week, usually at the end of the week for some weekend reading! For a low monthly price, paid subscribers get access to the ever growing back catalogue of exclusive recipes, plus more exclusive content.

I’m always looking for recipe inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

Thanks for being here, your support means a lot!

Ben.

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Happy Friday!

This week, I thought I’d give you an update on what I’ve got going on with my kitchen studio project.

For the last 4 years, I’ve been cooking and filming in my home kitchen and in a filming space that I set up in a shipping container! Well now we’re in the process of building a dedicated kitchen space, for recipe development, photography and videos, in the form of a log cabin.

Those of you that work from home, will understand that it can be pretty difficult to switch off from working so having an out of house cooking space should be a big improvement. We’re still in the process of building the log cabin then it’ll be onto designing the kitchen layout. I’ll be back with another update when it’s all up and running!

In other news, I’m getting very close with my homemade hobnob recipe so that should be up on my blog very soon. This one’s taken a lot longer than I thought it would but I’m not far off what I’m looking for. The flavour’s spot on but I’m after that snap you get with a classic hobnob. Baking biscuits isn’t exactly a hardship though so what’s a few more batches!

Other recipes I’m working on include a batch of sourdough pittas that can be cooked in a pan or in a pizza oven and also a new ice cream flavour. Possibly including white chocolate…

I’ve also been working on something very exciting that I’ll be announcing in a couple of weeks, so keep an eye out on my social media for that.

Thanks again for being here, I’ll have a new dessert recipe coming to the newsletter soon as well!

With a free subscription you get a new post every week, usually at the end of the week for some weekend reading! For a low monthly price, paid subscribers get access to the ever growing back catalogue of exclusive recipes, plus more exclusive content.

I’m always looking for recipe inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

Thanks for being here, your support means a lot!

Ben.

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We’re in the middle of another heatwave here in the UK, so I thought I’d give a bit of insight to how I develop my homemade ice cream recipes. It’s the weather for making it after all!

There’s quite a lot of science involved when making ice cream, which is something I wasn’t really aware of when I bought my ice cream machine, almost 4 years ago. Luckily it’s all pretty easy to get your head around once you make a few batches. And there’s calculators online that you can use that make figuring how much of each ingredient you need. I’ll link the one that I use below…

Of course, there’s always some level of trial and error needed when you’re developing a recipe but here I’ll be explaining my basic formula & the rules I follow, that means that you can make a pretty decent batch of ice cream from the get go, whatever the flavour. All of my recipes make 1 litre of ice cream, which I store in tall sealable containers.

Some Of My Favourite Flavours

• Tiramisu Ice Cream

• Turkish Delight

• Coffee Stracciatella

• Treacle Tart Ice Cream

• Halva Ice Cream

• Raspberry Ripple Stracciatella

A Balanced Mix

The key to making a batch of ice cream that’s smooth, creamy and easy to scoop, is to make a perfectly balanced mix. I pretty much always make my ice creams with an egg custard base as I find that it yields the best results. So that’s what we’ll be breaking down here. I also base most flavour off my classic vanilla ice cream, as it’s proved to be a really good starting point.

Anyway, here’s the ice cream calculator that I use when I’m developing a new flavour of ice cream. It has options for all types of sugars & dairy, plus the moisture levels of most types of fruit.

There’s also a handy composition guide, that I use as a guideline. Most of my ice creams are based on the premium or super premium options, as I’ve had the most success with these and it’s just a case of adjusting the amount of each ingredient until you reach the desired percentages. Essentially, the more premium the ice cream to the richer & creamier it will be.

The Dairy

I pretty much always use a mix of whole milk and double cream, for my ice cream recipes. Whole milk has a fat content around 3.5% and double cream 48%. Then to avoid making the base too high in fat, I use more milk than cream. I know it’s called ice cream but if you use too much cream, you’ll end up with a greasy ice cream that doesn’t set properly.

Sugar

I tend to use 2 different sugars for my ice creams. A regular sugar like caster sugar or brown sugar (if I want a caramel flavour), for sweetness and liquid glucose, which prevents large ice crystals forming, giving a smoother texture and making it easier to scoop. The more sugar you add in the sweeter the flavour and the softer the set, so you need to balance this carefully.

Milk Powder

You add milk powder to ice cream to absorb any un-emulsified or “free” water in the mix, to prevent large ice crystals forming as it freezes. This ensures that you get an ice cream with a smooth, creamy texture that’s easy to scoop. However, you need to be careful with how much you add, as too much can make the ice cream grainy. It’s also best to use skimmed milk powder (instead of whole) as we don’t want to increase the fat in the base.

Mix Ins & Flavourings

If your ice cream has too much water, it will become icy when you churn it. So when you’re looking at adding in mix ins or flavourings, you’ll need to reduce the amount of water in them as much as possible first.

When you make a fruit flavoured ice cream for example, you’d need to roast the fruit first then puree or make it into a jam. If you wanted to add in whole pieces of fruit, you’d soak them in alcohol (as it doesn’t freeze) or macerate them in sugar first, to stop them turning rock hard & icy.

Other mix ins that I’ve used before, include pieces of French toast that I soaked in maple syrup, cherries soaked in Amaretto, raspberry sauce, to make raspberry ripple and stracciatella, where you pipe melted chocolate into the ice cream as it finishes churning to make shards.

Ice Cream Machines

Last, let’s talk a bit about ice cream machines. There’s a few different types you can get, ranging from bowls you put in your freezer then use on a stand mixer. Compressor machines that freeze & churn the ice cream simultaneously, soft serve machines and commercial machines that churn large batches quickly.

The good news it that you can make really good ice cream in pretty much any ice cream maker! I use a compressor machine, which can churn a 1 litre batch in around 20 minutes.

Ideally, you want your ice cream to churn as quickly as possible as large ice crystals will form the longer it takes, turning it icy. And you’ll when it’s ready when it’s the consistency of soft serve and has reached a temperature of around -5°c/23°f. Then you pop it in the freezer and let it set fully, which will take a few hours.

I hope you find this info useful, you really can’t beat a batch of homemade ice cream! If you’ve got any questions or a flavour suggestion, feel free to drop a comment below. And to check out all of my ice cream recipes, head over to my blog…

With a free subscription you get a new post every week, usually at the end of the week for some weekend reading! For a low monthly price, paid subscribers get access to the ever growing back catalogue of exclusive recipes, plus more exclusive content.

I’m always looking for recipe inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

Thanks for being here, your support means a lot!

Ben.

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Happy Friday!

I’ve got a brand new dessert recipe for you this week and it’s an absolute belter! It’s a classic peach melba, so there’s tender vanilla poached peaches, creamy vanilla ice cream and a vibrant homemade raspberry coulis. I’ve also added a sprinkle of crystallised almonds onto mine as well, for some added crunch.

This is one of those desserts that sounds fancy but is actually really simple. The poached peaches and raspberry sauce can be prepared ahead of time and you can either use a good quality shop bought vanilla ice cream or make your own!

Peaches are in season right now, so it’s the perfect time of year to make this dessert. So are raspberries. You can make the coulis with frozen ones too, as they’re frozen straight after they’re picked (and are considerably cheaper!).

There’s not much else I can say about this one. It’s incredibly easy to make and perfect for cooling you down on a hot summer’s day. And you can use the leftover poached peach syrup to make iced tea with. I’ve included the recipe for this too!

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With a free subscription you get a new post every week, usually at the end of the week for some weekend reading! For a low monthly price, paid subscribers get access to the ever growing back catalogue of exclusive recipes, plus more exclusive content.

I’m always looking for recipe inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

Thanks for being here, your support means a lot!

Ben.

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It’s a bit warm currently and I don’t know about you but I don’t fancy spending too long in the kitchen! I was planning on posting a dessert recipe this week but the UK heatwave has meant that I’ve only being making salads plus some recipe testing in the evening.

So anyway, in this week’s newsletter I thought I’d give you all a but of a sneak peak at what I’ve been working on. I’ve got a few recipes that will be out very soon and I’ve just posted the pineapple salad above over on my blog.

But before we get into that, I’d also like to give an update on the mail club I mentioned a few weeks ago. First, I’d like to thank that ordered a copy, your support means a lot! But moving forward, this will be the last edition in its current form.

However, I’m working on something really exciting that will be launching later this year. I don’t want to give too much away at this stage but it’s probably my biggest project yet! It’s still in the same theme of seasonal cooking but it’s more substantial & I’m really excited to share it with you very soon. So keep an eye out for an announcement in a few weeks!

Recipe Development

So what have I been working on recently? If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that I’ve been making homemade hobnobs this week! I’ve already made a few different batches and we’re getting closer to how I’d like to them be, so that recipe should be out soon. Currently my homemade ones are a bit chewy like a flapjack, so I’m working to get that snap that you get with regular ones. Did you know that hobnobs technically have chocolate on the bottom? The biscuits run through a reservoir of chocolate, to coat the underneath.

Next, I’ve been making sourdough pittas that are cooked in a pizza oven. This recipe is pretty much good to go but with the hot temperature, I didn’t want to start fermenting doughs or cook outside! We ate these with some black garlic flat iron steaks and a homemade butter bean hummus. They’re really good! I’ve already got a pitta recipe on my blog that’s made with regular yeast, so it’ll be interesting to compare the 2.

I’m also working on a watermelon salad that’s going to be perfect for summer! I’ve got some fresh peaches to go through it and one in the freezer that’s going to be grated on top. Plus some feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, crispy prosciutto & fresh herbs. Maybe I’ll make a dressing to go in this one as well?

That’s about it for this week. If there’s a recipe that you’d like to see on my website or this newsletter, feel free to drop a comment below. I’m always looking for suggestions!

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With a free subscription you get a new post every week, usually at the end of the week for some weekend reading! For a low monthly price, paid subscribers get access to the ever growing back catalogue of exclusive recipes, plus more exclusive content.

I’m always looking for recipe inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

Thanks for being here, your support means a lot!

Ben.

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Happy Friday!

It’s Father’s Day this Sunday so I thought I’d put together a collection of some of my favourite recipes. We’re in the middle of a heat wave here in the UK, so I’ve kept things pretty light & simple to avoid spending too much time tin the kitchen. We’re talking steaks cooked on the barbecue, sharing style salads and homemade ice creams!

Usually I’d make a roast dinner for Father’s Day but to be honest, it’s making me feel warm just thinking about it! This year I’m thinking of lighting the barbecue up, throwing on some steaks and serving them some simple, make-ahead sides.

Snacks & Appetizers

Easy snacks and starters that are simple to make.

• Beer Battered Black Pudding - Thick slices of black pudding, coated in beer batter then deep fried until crispy!

• Hoisin Duck Spring Rolls - Crispy spring rolls filled with confit duck legs, fresh veg, herbs & hoisin sauce.

• Camembert Dough Ball Wreath - The ultimate tear & share bread, with a baked camembert in the middle.

• Frickles (Fried Pickles) - Sweet pickled gherkins coated in breadcrumbs then deep fried. Best served with a pot of barbecue sauce!

Main Courses

Show stopping main courses, from steaks, to glazed ham, fried chicken & homemade pies.

• Black Garlic Picanha - This is my favourite beef recipe! Here a whole rump cap is marinated in black garlic then reverse seared, to cook perfectly.

• Smoked Beef Short Rib Pie - A family style pie filled with a rich smoked beef & Guinness sauce. There’s a whole roasted bone marrow in the middle, that renders into the pie as it bakes.

• Sticky Toffee Glazed Ham - Cider poached gammon roasted with a rich miso toffee glaze.

• Hoisin Honey Fried Chicken Drumsticks - Buttermilk fried chicken drumsticks glazed with hoisin & honey.

• Everything Bagel Tomato Tart - Flaky puff pastry topped with garlic & herb cream cheese, seasonal tomatoes and a sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning.

• Nduja Stuffed Porchetta - Tender roasted pork belly stuffed with spicy Italian nduja sausage!

Sharing Salads

Sharing plates of salads to make for the table!

• Tarragon Roast Chicken Cobb Salad - A classic sharing style cobb salad made with a whole roast chicken and a tangy tarragon dressing.

• Peach, Crispy Prosciutto & Mozzarella - Seasonal tomatoes served with juicy peaches, crispy baked prosciutto, torn mozzarella and fresh herbs.

• Watermelon & Honey Glazed Halloumi - Chunks of watermelon topped with honey glazed halloumi, fresh herbs, tomatoes, cucumber and a sprinkle of za’atar.

Homemade Desserts

Here’s a selection of desserts that you can make ahead of time. There’s loads to choose from over on the blog but here’s some of my favourites.

• Cake Crumb Treacle Tart - A classic treacle tart made with cake crumbs instead of breadcrumbs. There’s sour cream & lemon in the filling too, to cut through all of that sweetness!

• Chocolate Mousse - Just a really good homemade chocolate mousse! This is designed to be made ahead of time then can be topped with fruit & cream just before serving.

• Scoopable Vanilla Panna Cotta - A restaurant style vanilla panna cotta that’s scooped to serve, instead of being set in a mould.

• Homemade Profiteroles With Chocolate Sauce - Classic profiteroles served with rich chocolate sauce. There’s 2 types of fillings to choose from!

• Coffee Stracciatella Ice Cream - This ice cream is infused with coffee beans and there’s melted chocolate piped in as it churns, to create frozen shards.

  

With a free subscription you get a new post every week, usually at the end of the week for some weekend reading! For a low monthly price, paid subscribers get access to the ever growing back catalogue of exclusive recipes, plus more exclusive content.

I’m always looking for recipe inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

Thanks for being here, your support means a lot!

Ben.

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Welcome back & happy Friday!

This week, I’m excited to tell you a bit about my truck project that I’ve spent the last 4 months working on. It’s a 30 year old Toyota Hilux Surf that I bought from someone local at the start of the year and I’m turning it into a completely off grid cooking & camping overlander. It’s been off the road for the last 5 years, so it’s taken the a good few months to get it road worthy again.

Fortunately, this has given me plenty of time to kit the truck out exactly how I’ve wanted and I’ll be using it for lots of cooking content later this year! Once it passes it’s mot, hopefully next week…

If you’d like to follow my truck/overlanding instagram it’s @thecookanywhereproject

The Kitchen Set Up

Unsurprisingly, once you remove the back seats of an old truck, you’re left with quite a lot of space. This was great news when it came to designing and making the kitchen set up that I had in mind.

So, the back part of the truck features a pull out table where all of the cooking will take place, with drawers above for storage. Then behind this, there’s sections for a fridge to sit in and a portable power pack to power it. Plus some water storage. We’ve kept it simple to start with then I’ll add more stuff later on if I feel that it needs it.

The pull out table really is the centre piece of this whole set up and it’s made with a sturdy piece oak that’s sat on a pair of locking heavy-duty runners. Then to cook on, I’ve got a twin gas stove. There’s the option to use a grill and plancha style flat top with this as well, so it’s pretty versatile.

It’s quite a minimalistic set up right now but I’ve given it a test run and it really does work. I cooked up some steak and bearnaise sauce in the field by my house during that heatwave we had a few weeks ago. And it worked a treat!

Eventually, I’d like to add some more cooking equipment like a portable pizza oven and a barbecue to the truck but for now, the gas stove is where all the cooking will take place. I’ve got a lot of dishes in my mind that I’d like to make and you’d be surprised how much you can actually make on a simple 2 burner set up.

Future Plans

So, the plan is, is to take my truck to a whole load of off grid locations across the UK and basically, just see what I can cook! It’s all going to be filmed for my YouTube channel and of course, I’ll tell you all about it here as well.

If there’s a dish you’d like to see me cook, drop a comment below! So far I’m thinking burritos, tacos, burgers, pasta dishes, stews, sandwiches and maybe even a roast dinner…

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With a free subscription you get a new post every week, usually at the end of the week for some weekend reading! For a low monthly price, paid subscribers get access to the ever growing back catalogue of exclusive recipes, plus more exclusive content.

I’m always looking for recipe inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

Thanks for being here, your support means a lot!

Ben.

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Happy Friday, hope you’re well!

You may have noticed that we’ve rebranded slightly and the newsletter is now called The Prep List. Don’t worry though dessert fans, they’ll still be dessert recipes just alongside more food related content!

I’ve got lots I want to talk about, cook & explore so the idea behind this rebrand is provide a space to do just that. Here I’ll be sharing a behind a scenes look at running a blog full time, including recipe development, food photography & videos and more.

We’ll also be exploring viral food trends & recipes, I’ve also got an off grid truck/cooking project I’d like to tell you about and I’d love to start a cookbook club as well. Plus they’ll be new monthly recipes too.

I’m super excited to get started! This week, I’ve got an exciting new blogging project to share that I’ve been working on for the last few months.

Thanks again for being here, your support means a lot.

I’ve Started A Mail Club

Yes, as the title says, I’ve started a mail club for recipes! It’s called In Season and it’s all about using ingredients when they’re at their best. It’s going out monthly and every issue will have two recipes made with seasonal ingredients (strawberries & tomatoes are first!) plus a note on what’s in season at the minute.

There’s 2 versions available. First, a physical version that includes 2 high quality printed recipes! They’re printed on some really nice folded A6 paper with laminated food photography on the front and the full recipe on the inside. This version is available to pre order until the 25th of this month then are posted out at the start of July in the post.

Then the second version is an expanded digital magazine. This is available to download instantly and includes the recipes, kitchen notes, cooking guides, a run through of what’s in season at the minute and what’s in season soon, as well!

This is a brand new side of my blog and I’ve been working on it for a while now so I’m excited to see how it goes! If you’d like a copy of either version, click the button below. And if your a paid subscriber, there’s a free gift below!

In Season Mail Club

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I’m always looking for dessert inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

Thanks for being here, your support means a lot!

Ben.

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I’ve got a twist on a classic tarte tatin for you this week that’s made with bananas, a rum & cinnamon caramel and flaky puff pastry. It’s quick to make and perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Just like bananas foster!

Before we get into this week’s recipe though, I’ve got some news regarding this newsletter & how it’s changing moving forward. As my blog is where I share pretty much just recipes, I’d like this space to include other food related stuff as well, not just a weekly recipe.

They’ll still be dessert recipes of course but I’d like to include different styles of cooking, ingredient testing, a cookbook club, food stories, a behind the scenes look at running a blogging business, recipe testing, that sort of thing!

So instead of being a newsletter just about desserts, “Dessert Stomach” will now be a collection/column as part of a wider weekly food newsletter. I’m still working on the name but expect a slight rebrand and new content next week! I’m really looking forward to getting started…

I’d also just like to thank everyone that subscribes to my newsletter, reads my blog or watches any of my videos. The support is greatly appreciated! And for those of you that have a paid subscription to my substack, they’ll still be exclusive content for you every month. And to say thanks, I’ll be sharing something next week that I’ve been working on for a while now. You’ll be getting the first look, before everyone else!

With that being said, let’s dive into this week’s recipe, shall we?!

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I’m always looking for dessert inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

Thanks for being here, your support means a lot!

Ben.

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Happy Friday! This week we’re making one of my favourite desserts with a luxurious twist. It’s a classic vanilla rice pudding that’s made with clotted cream! This one’s rich, creamy and perfect when topped with some poached fruit, homemade compote, toasted nuts or a spoonful of jam. I went with my peach & vanilla compote…

Whenever I make a rice pudding, I use a hybrid method that combines the stovetop and oven. Essentially, you bring the rice, sugar and milk to a simmer on the stove then stick a lid on the pan and it bake it in the oven, at a low temperature for an hour or so, until the rice is tender & the sauce is thick.

You get the ease of a baked rice pudding combined with the creaminess of a stove top version. I’m not a fan of the skin you get on top of an old school rice pudding so this is the perfect method in my opinion. You don’t have to stand at the stove stirring and there’s no risk of it burning in the oven.

To give this rice pudding a rich, creamier flavour we’re stirring a whole pot of clotted cream in right at the end, just before serving. It melts into the rice, giving it a luxurious finish and a sweet, mildly nutty flavour. It’s seriously tasty & I don’t know why I haven’t done it sooner!

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I’m always looking for dessert inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

Thanks for being here, your support means a lot!

Ben.

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Happy Friday & welcome back to another Dessert recipe! This week, we’re making a dessert that I grew up eating; a classic fruit flan.

If you’re not familiar with this pudding, it essentially a sponge cake that’s filled with fruit & jelly! You bake the sponge in a special flan tin that gives it a recess in the middle for the filling to go in. Sort of like a tart case but made with cake.

As strawberries are currently in season, I’ve used them as the filling for this flan. You can fill yours with whatever you like though! Tinned fruit work really well (peaches especially!) & you can go with a different jelly also, or make your own if you like.

I opted to make my own flan case for this recipe and I went with a Genoise sponge as I wanted something a bit lighter & fluffier than your classic flan case. I’ll be honest, this one took many attempts to perfect but I think the results really do speak for themselves. It may not be as neat around the edges as a shop bought flan case but the texture works perfectly with the fruit and jelly. It’s soft & light yet robust enough to hold all the fruit & jelly.

To serve the flan, I like to go with some evaporated milk as it’s what I grew up eating but this one would be good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of pouring cream.

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I’m always looking for dessert inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

Thanks for being here, your support means a lot!

Ben.

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Welcome to another edition of Dessert Stomach! I’ve got an absolute belter of a recipe for you this week, in the form of a brown butter Basque cheesecake.

It was only after I posted last week’s recipe that I realised that I didn’t make it free, as the first of every month usual is. I hope this week’s recipe makes up for this, it’s one of my favourites!

So this cheesecake’s based on a classic Basque cheesecake but I’ve added a layer of brown butter hobnob biscuits on the base for some added texture and there’s brown butter in the batter as well, for double the flavour. There’s the usual vanilla beans in the batter & the filling is baked until it’s just set, for the softest, creamiest texture. Not forgetting the well caramelised crust on top of course!

I served my cheesecake with my blueberry & lime compote but honestly, it’s good with pretty much anything or just on its own. The nutty, caramelised flavour of this cheesecake would work great with some fresh, seasonal fruit, compote or coulis. Whatever you like really.

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Before diving into the recipe, let’s do a quick breakdown of each component. This is a super simple dish, so there’s only 3; the biscuit base, the baked filling & the brown butter that’s used in both.

Brown Butter

Here’s a little trick for making brown butter extra flavourful! Simply stir some toasted milk powder into the butter as soon as it’s cooked then use as normal. This is basically a dried version of brown butter & amplifies the nutty, caramelised flavours. You’ll need to make this yourself but it’s super easy & is great for cookies, brownies, ice cream & loads more. You can full my full guide on doing this, here.

So for this cheesecake, we’re adding brown butter into both the base & the filling. This means that we can brown all of the butter for the recipe in one go then take out what we need for each component. Don’t worry if you’ve never done this before, all that’s involved is cooking butter in a pan until it turns golden brown & smells nutty!

Hobnob Biscuit Base

A classic Basque cheesecake famously doesn’t have a base but that doesn’t mean you can’t add one! And you don’t have to use Hobnobs, use pretty much whatever biscuit you like. Though I would highly recommend using Hobnobs as they make the best cheesecake bases in my opinion. This base is made by mixing biscuit crumbs with brown butter & a pinch of salt.

Now usually when you make a baked cheesecake, you’d pre bake the base to keep it crisp & to prevent it from going soggy. But as a Basque cheesecake is baked at a higher temperature, I didn’t want to risk over cooking it. I was actually a bit nervous about it burning but it cooked absolutely fine as I baked this cheesecake at a very slightly lower temperature than usual.

The one thing I will say though, is to make sure to chill the base for at least 30 minutes before making the filling, to give it enough time to firm up before baking. This stops the cheesecake batter soaking into the biscuits.

Brown Butter Basque Cheesecake Batter

For my Basque cheesecakes, I use a mix of cream cheese, crème fraiche, double cream, whole eggs & egg yolks. Plus sugar, vanilla & some cornflour for stability & structure. For this recipe, there’s also brown butter mixed into the batter as well, in place of some of the cream (to avoid making the batter too thin).

I like my Basque cheesecake to be set so it’s just firm enough to slice, with a creamy, almost mousse like texture. The secret to achieving this texture every time, is to use a food probe to check the internal temperature of the filling once it’s baked. We’re aiming to hit between 60°c-65°c (140°f-149°f). I tend to take the cheesecake out of the oven once it hits 60°c/140°f but for a slightly firmer set, take it closer to 65°c/149°f.

If you don’t have a probe, bake the cheesecake until the top is a deep brown colour but the filling is still super jiggly. If you do have a probe, just make sure to probe the filling on the side (near the top), otherwise you’ll end up with a visible hole on the top of your cheesecake!

Brown Butter Basque Cheesecake

A twist on a classic Basque cheesecake! There’s a creamy brown butter filling & a hobnob biscuit base.

You’ll need an 8” springform tin, a food processor & a stand mixer.

Ingredients

Brown Butter

• 200g Unsalted Butter

• 2 tsp Toasted Milk Powder (Optional)

Biscuit Base

• 225g Hobnob Biscuits

• 60g Brown Butter

• A Pinch Of Table Salt

Cheesecake Filling

• 100g Brown Butter

• 560g Cream Cheese (Room Temp)

• 280g Creme Fraiche (Room Temp)

• 220g Caster Sugar

• 2 tsp Vanilla Paste

• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt

• 165g Whole Eggs (3 Large)

• 50g Egg Yolks (3 Yolks)

• 30g Cornflour

• 250g Double Cream

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Method

Brown Butter

1. Chop the butter into evenly sized pieces then place into a medium saucepan. Place over a medium heat & allow to melt, stirring regularly with a spatula. Keep cooking, until the butter starts to foam, smells nutty & you can see that the milk solids in the bottom of the pan have turned golden brown.

2. Once the butter has browned, take it off the heat & immediately stir in the toasted milk powder. Transfer the butter to a jug & leave to cool to room temperature.

Biscuit Base

1. Lightly grease an 8” springform tin then line the base & sides with baking parchment. Make sure to leave at least 2cm of baking paper sitting above the top of the tin (the cheesecake filling will rise slightly as it bakes).

2. Next, place the biscuits into a food processor then blitz into fine crumbs.

3. Tip the biscuit crumbs into a mixing bowl, add in 60g of the cooled brown butter & the pinch of salt then mix to combine. Give the brown butter a stir before taking any out, to mix the milk solids through.

4. Transfer the crumbs to the lined tin then use the back of a spoon (or a palette knife) to press them into a thin, even layer.

5. Chill the biscuit base for at least 30 minutes before making the filling.

Cheesecake Filling

Before making the filling, make sure to let the cream cheese, creme fraiche & eggs come up to room temperature.

1. Preheat an oven to 210°c/410°f (190°c/374°f fan).

2. Add the cream cheese, creme fraiche, caster sugar, remaining brown butter (100g), vanilla & salt into the bowl of a stand mixer then mix on a medium-low speed with the paddle attachment, for 2-3 minutes, until smooth.
   Make sure to scrape the bowl down regularly with a spatula as you mix the batter!

3. Next, add the eggs & yolks into a jug then lightly beat together with a fork.

4. With the mixer still running on a medium-low speed, gradually pour in the eggs. Make sure to let each addition mix into the batter before adding in more. Turn the mixer off once the eggs have been mixed in.

5. Next, add the cornflour into a separate mixing bowl then gradually pour in the double cream, whilst whisking, to make a smooth paste.

6. Turn your mixer back onto a medium-low speed then pour in the cream. Stop mixing once the cream has been incorporated.

7. Place your lined tin onto a baking tray then pour the batter on top of the biscuit base, through a sieve. You’ll need to push the batter through the sieve with a spatula.

8. Spread the batter into an even layer then give the tin a firm tap on the counter to pop any air bubbles.

9. Bake the cheesecake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, until the top is a deep, brown colour but is still quite jiggly in the middle.
   If you take the internal temperature of the cheesecake with a food probe, it should be between 60°c-65°c (140°f-149°f). 60°c will set softer, 65°c will set slightly firmer. Make sure to probe the cheesecake through the side (near the top) so you don’t end up with a hole in the top!

10. Once baked, let the cheesecake cool to room temperature then chill in the fridge overnight. The cheesecake will sink as it cools, this is normal!

11. To serve, take the cheesecake out of the fridge, take the cheesecake out of the tin then cut the into portions. I’d recommend letting the cheesecake slices sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving.
    For the neatest portions, cut the cheesecake using a knife that has been run under warm water & dried between cuts. A non serrated knife works best!

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Notes

• For the best texture, make sure to use full fat cream & creme fraiche and double (heavy) cream.

• When making cheesecake, it’s key to let the batter ingredients come up to room temperature as it mix more evenly, into a smooth batter. Cold cream cheese won’t be as smooth & can make the batter lumpy!

• For this cheesecake, you’ll need an 8″ springform tin that’s at least 7cm/2¾ inches tall. The batter will rise slightly as it bakes, which is why we leave a cm or two of baking parchment sitting above the top of the tin.

• I served my cheesecake with my blueberry & lime compote. Feel free to serve yours with whatever you like though!

I’m always looking for dessert inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

Thanks for being here, your support means a lot!

Ben.

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Welcome back! This week, we’re making a classic crème caramel that has a pinch of salt in the caramel to cut through all of that richness & creaminess.

If you’ve never this classic French dessert before, you’re missing out! It features a creamy, vanilla custard that’s baked in a ramekin with a layer of deep caramel on the bottom. Once set, you turn the custard out & the caramel forms a sauce to serve with it. It’s simple, tasty & surprisingly easy to make!

To keep things classic, I baked these crème caramels in individual moulds & I’ve not served anything with them as I think they really don’t need it. With that being said though, some poached or roasted seasonal fruit would be a great addition; roasted figs, poached strawberries, that sort of thing.

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I’m always looking for dessert inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

Thanks for being here, your support means a lot!

Ben.

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I’ve got a really good dessert recipe for you this week, that’s perfect if you love chocolate chip cookies & cheesecake! It’s a giant skillet chocolate chip cookie that’s stuffed with rich dark chocolate cheesecake batter. And quite frankly, it’s phenomenal.

Now a regular brown butter chocolate chip cookie is good but do you know what makes it even better? Baking the cookie dough in a skillet, with a generous layer of creamy chocolate cheesecake batter in the centre.

You end up with a deep dish cookie that’s crisp & golden on the outside then when you dig your spoon in, you get molten cookie dough with a rich chocolate stuffing, that’s sort of like a ganache or truffle. It’s really rather tasty & perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a generous drizzle of cold double cream.

This one’s surprisingly quick to whip up & can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days before being baked. This recipe makes a generous amount that’s perfect for sharing and any leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.

With that being said, let’s dive into the recipe shall we?

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I’m always looking for dessert inspiration so if there’s something you’d like to see on this newsletter, drop us a comment at the bottom of this post! And for loads more recipes, check out my food blog, saltbuttersmoke.com

Thanks for being here, your support means a lot!

Ben.

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This week on Dessert Stomach, we’re making the ultimate baked lemon tart! It’s essentially a custard tart that’s infused with fresh lemon then finished with a layer of caramelised sugar on top. Like a creme brûlée. It’s creamy, impossibly light & packed full of flavour!

This tart features crisp lemon pastry, a softly set lemon custard filling and a crunchy layer of torched sugar. Cut into elegant slices then served with a dollop of vanilla creme fraiche, it’s a simple yet impressive dessert that’s surprisingly easy to make. I’ve included some handy tips & tricks as well, for a perfect tart case, the creamiest filling and how to cut the cleanest slices.

Before diving into the recipe, let’s breakdown each components shall we?!

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