Banana Butterscotch Pudding

Who doesn’t love a hearty pudding? I think puddings were made for chilly winter days but then again I could easily eat them come sunshine, rain or snow! I had 2 small ripe bananas left in the fruit bowl after making the muffins yesterday and I knew exactly where to put them to good use! I had the perfect recipe in mind and one I had remembered seeing in Rachel’s Favourite Food at Home (just loving this book). This recipe is originally from Bill Granger’s book, Simply Bill but features in Rachel’s book, as she adores this pudding and I can see why!! This self-saucing, all in one pudding is baked until the sponge has risen and set, while underneath is hiding a luscious sticky sauce. If you fancy something sweet, sticky and utterly yummy, you can’t go wrong with this pudding, especially served with good-quality vanilla ice cream.

Banana Butterscotch Pudding

Serves 4

Ingredients
For the pudding:
125g/4½ oz plain flour
3 level tsp baking powder
125g/4½ oz caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 banana, mashed
250ml/8fl oz milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
85g/3¼ oz butter, melted

For the topping:
100g/4oz soft brown sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
150ml/5fl oz boiling water

To Serve:
Vanilla Ice cream or softly whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4).
Sift the flour, salt, sugar, baking and powder into a bowl.
Add the mashed banana, milk, butter, egg and vanilla extract and whisk together until well combined.
Pour into a greased 1.25 litre baking dish.

To make the topping, place the brown sugar, golden syrup and water in a small pot and bring to a boil.
Pour the boiling mixture carefully over the pudding, then bake for 30-40 minutes or until cooked through when tested with a skewer.
Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Toffee, Apple and Almond Crumble

If there is one thing I love about weekends, it’s the opportunity to entertain friends or family at our home. This weekend we had my lovely mother in law over on Sunday for the day, she arrived just after 1pm, which gave me plenty of time for preparations. I got up early and prepared a chicken and mushroom bake in the slow cooker and then got started on what I can only describe as the most divine crumble ever! I had come across this recipe ages ago in my copy of Rachel Allen’s Favourite Food at Home but I’d never got round to making it, that is until Beth at Jam and Clotted Cream blogged about it recently and I was sold! The combination of toffee, apples and almond in this crumble transforms this favourite comfort pudding into something really special. This crumble was served with vanilla ice cream and extra toffee sauce and was a big hit all round! I loved this so much I did a Nigella and helped myself to seconds later on in the evening to eat while watching Lost, pure bliss!

Toffee, Apple and Almond Crumble

Ingredients:

Toffee Sauce:

125g Golden Syrup

125g Light Brown Sugar

50g Butter

100ml Single Cream

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Crumble:

175g Self Raising Flour

Zest 1 Lemon

85g Butter, cubed

85g Light Brown Sugar

50g Ground Almonds

Filling:

6 Eating Apples, cored, peeled, quartered and cut into 2cm/¾in chunks

25g Butter

Method:

Preheat the oven 180oC/350oF/Gas Mark 4. Put all ingredients for the toffee sauce into saucepan over a medium heat and boil for 3 minutes, stirring until smooth. Set aside. Make the crumble topping by placing flour and lemon zest in a bowl and rub in butter, leaving it a little rough and uneven. Stir in the sugar and ground almonds to the crumble and place in the fridge until you are ready to use it. To make the filling, melt the butter in a saucepan or frying pan, add the chopped apples and toss on the heat for a few minutes until the apples start to soften. Add 125ml of the toffee sauce (about half; keep the rest for serving) and continue to simmer for a few minutes longer until the apples are just cooked. Pour the apple mixture in a pie dish and sprinkle over crumble and bake in the preheated oven for 20-40 minutes or until the crumble is light golden and with toffee sauce juices bubbling up the sides. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and a jug of the remaining warm toffee sauce!

Chicken Curry and Raspberry & Toffee Ice Cream Bars

Every summer I love to cook one of my favourite recipes from Nigella Lawson’s Forever Summer cook book, Chicken and Cashew Nut Curry (I didn't have any cashews this time). It’s a soft mellow mild curry but without the fierce bite. I love the notes of ginger, green chillies, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cardamom and coconut milk; all of which add the most amazing flavours. I love this served alongside basmati rice and naan bread. This is a quick but delicious curry and one I have served to friends and family with rave reviews. Perfect for dining al fresco on a summer evening!

I spotted this heavenly dessert in my latest edition of Delicious magazine and it was love at first sight! This is definitely something my boys and I would enjoy for that weekend dessert fix and what could be better than ice cream in this summery weather but not just any ice cream. The following may cause a dangerous craving!!! These ice cream bars come in the form of a buttery shortbread base, good quality vanilla ice (Haagen Dazs), dulce de leche, raspberries and more shortbread! I did warn you!!!