Rhubarb and hazelnut mini pavlovas

January in London is a funny thing. It's cold, yes - but no longer endearingly so, as it was before Christmas. Any dustings of snow are now singularly annoying, rather than festive and exciting. People are struggling along with Dry January (I'm all for heath, but forgive me for saying there is no month where I need a glass of wine in the evening more so than January), and this year, Veganuary - as someone who works in Restaurant PR, I can safely say if I never hear that word again, it will be too soon.

If I sound a little scornful, forgive me. Four years of writing a baking blog has certainly put me off this time of restraint and abstinence. Is it just me who finds this circus of resolution a little gloomy? In the throws of winter and without the holidays to look forward to, I'd prefer it if we were all a little less tough on ourselves at this time of year.

And with that, I bring you a recipe which uses sugar, dairy and majestic forced rhubarb, which is just starting to come to market ahead of its February season. Rhubarb's brightness and light is a welcome and comforting sight to this sun-lover, and the sweetness of meringue the perfect end to January resolutions.

I've written before about my struggle with winter - I come from a family of sun-lovers, and we all feel genuinely happier from May-September (it's a thing!). That being said, I find that with age the return of winter brings with it an underlying comfort and reassurance. The cosiness of nestling in for a weekend in the kitchen becomes increasingly enticing - especially on rainy days such as this. It's funny how things shift as the years go by.

What are you all baking this weekend? I'd love to hear what's going on in your kitchens. This recipe makes 4 or 5 mini pavlovas, but is easily doubled.

THE INGREDIENTS

Rhubarb

300g forced rhubarb

50g caster sugar

1 orange

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Meringues

150g caster sugar

100g egg whites (2 large/3medium eggs)

150g double cream

1 tsp icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

50g toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

THE RECIPE

Heat the oven to 160°C / 140°C fan. Line an ovenproof dish with foil. Slice the rhubarb into 4-5cm batons, trimming off the ends. Arrange in the lined dish, then sprinkle with the caster sugar, the vanilla and the juice and zest of the orange. Cover with a second sheet of foil, and roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the rhubarb is soft. Don't overcook it, or it will fall apart and loose its shape.


Lower the oven to 100°C / 80°C fan. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Whisk the eggs whites to stiff peaks in a stand mixer or with an electric whisk. Add the caster sugar, one tbsp at a time, whisking after each addition before adding any more sugar. The sugar should be completely dissolved, and a little meringue rubbed between your fingers should not feel grainy.

Spoon the meringue into mini pavlovas on the baking tray. Try not to squash it, as the height is what will make them so pretty. Place on the bottom shelf of the oven. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes - 2 hours. The meringue is done when it can be lifted off the baking paper at the edges. Turn the oven off, leaving the meringue inside to cool completely. This will allow the meringue to cool down gradually, and for the centre to become soft and mallowy.

When you are ready to assemble the pavlovas, place the cream in a large bowl. Add the icing sugar and vanilla, and whip until the cream is thick and pillowy. Spoon the cream over the pavlova, then top with the roasted rhubarb. Top with the toasted hazelnuts.

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Rhubarb and rose pavlova

My Mum always says that a hot April makes for a wet summer. If she's right, then we are in for an absolute downpour. Over the past few days, London's parks have been chocca with dizzy, vitamin D-deprived city dwellers getting their fix after so many months of cold, grey weather. Spring is in full swing, and I could not be happier.

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Grapefruit, Hazelnut and Polenta Cake

These precious days between Christmas Day and the New Year make up my favourite week of the year. After the excitement of advent and ensuing celebrations, the calm, quiet time that follows is unbelievable special. To me, it really does feel like the only time that everyone switches off, beds in and takes stock ahead as the year in question drawers to a close. I find myself looking forward to those days in between almost as much as I look forward to Christmas itself. 

After so much indulgence, a cake of a slightly more wholesome persuasion can be just the ticket. This little loaf is the perfect project to while away a cosy afternoon this week. Rich with hazelnut, polenta and grapefruit, it wouldn't be unreasonable to suggest cake for breakfast too. 

THE INGREDIENTS

1 grapefruit

175g unsalted butter

175g golden caster sugar

3 eggs

60g plain flour

60g ground hazelnuts

60g fine polenta

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

300ml double cream

Toasted hazelnuts, optional

THE RECIPE

For the cake, begin with the grapefruit. Run the fruit under hot water to remove any wax coating, then place in a saucepan. Cover with water so that the grapefruit is submerged. Boil for 45 minutes – 1 hour, until the fruit is completely soft and a knife sinks through the peel with no resistance.

Remove the grapefruit from the water and set aside to cool. Slice in half, remove any pips, then blitz (peel and all!) in a food processor until pureed. Set aside. 

Heat the oven to 170°C and line a loaf tin with baking parchment. Grease the sides of the tin lightly with butter.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Adds the eggs, mixing after each addition. Add half of the grapefruit puree (discarding the second half) and fold into the mixture.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ground hazelnuts, polenta, baking powder and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, then pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Place this in the centre of the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the surface of the cake is a deep caramel colour, and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.

When you are ready to serve the cake, whip the cream into soft peaks, and spoon over the top. Sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts and top with dehydrated grapefruit slices to decorate.

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Eggnog Layer Cake

For many of us, Christmas is a season of gastronomic abundance and celebration. Be it the turkey, the pudding or in my case, the endless supply of mince pies that seem to have materialised in our flat, the food that we cook and share at this time of year is steeped with tradition and ritual.

The warmth and familiarity of these festive flavours brings so much joy and tranquility to my kitchen each December. While I treasure those trusted recipes that draw me back each year, I also love the opportunity to cook with new ingredients, and to lay the foundations for new traditions. And my, this cake might just be one of them.

Eggnog tends to divide opinion, which may well have more to do with the less-than-appetising name than the drink itself. Thick with cream, nutmeg, vanilla and bourbon, a good eggnog is near transcendent.

When I was developing this recipe, I read that eggnog - now championed in the United States and Canada - is actually thought to have originated in England as early as the 14th century, when it was likely made of milk, eggs and ale. Thankfully, the recipe has been refined over the centuries, and the ingredients and flavours of eggnog as we know it today are equally at home in baking.

Spiked with nutmeg, vanilla and bourbon, this cake would be the perfect alternative pudding to serve over Christmas.

THE INGREDIENTS

for the cake

180g unsalted butter

150g caster sugar

3 eggs

25ml milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

180g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

for the soak

50ml bourbon or rum

1 tsp vanilla extract

for the cream

250g double cream

25ml bourbon or rum

25g icing sugar

for the buttercream

120g unsalted butter

375g icing sugar

25ml bourbon or rum

2 tsp vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 170°C / 150°C fan. Line two tall 4" cake tins with baking parchment.

For the sponge, beat the softened butter and caster sugar until creamy and pale. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the milk and vanilla extract. Sieve in the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Mix until the wet and dry ingredients are just incorporated. Divide the cake mixture between the lined tins, then place in the centre of the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes.

While the cakes are baking, make the bourbon soak by mixing the ingredients together.

The cakes are baked when they are golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool out of their tins for 10 minutes, then carefully use a serrated knife to divide each cake into two. Use a pastry brush to glaze each cake with the soak.

For the cream filling, mix the ingredients together then whip the cream until it is just short of soft peaks. It will continue to thicken after you have stopped whipping.

To make the buttercream, beat the butter for a minute or two until it is creamy and pale. Add the icing sugar, and mix on a slow speed until the mixture is sandy. Add the vanilla and bourbon and half of the milk, and mix slowly. Add the remaining milk if the texture is too thick. Whisk on a high speed for 7 minutes. Transfer to a piping bag.

Brush the cakes with a pastry brush to remove any excess crumbs. Use a small scoop of buttercream to secure one cake layer to the plate, then pipe a circle of buttercream around the edge of the cake to form a damn. Spoon a third of the cream into the middle, then top with a second cake layer. Repeat this twice, until you have four layers of sponge with three layers of cream and buttercream inside.

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MULBERRY RIPPLE ICE CREAM

I am on something of a Hackney-holiday at the moment. I'm house-sitting in East London for a couple of months, before moving back south of the river - just a few streets away from where Pudding Lane Blog found its humble beginnings, in fact (more on that in the About section).

Keeping me company at the moment is Shuggiedog, who's house I am babysitting and who is proving to be the best exploring companion. The east-end boasts a plethora of cultural and culinary delights which, while hardly the undiscovered gems they perhaps were ten years ago, are nonetheless filling my weekends with the excitement of new tastes and experiences.

In leaving my well-trodden little patch of Hammersmith, it was with heavy heart that I also left behind a (modest) knowledge of local wild produce. I knew where I could find cherry blossom, elderflower (and later elderberries), wild Victoria plums, fennel pollen and fig leaves. It was cathartic and comforting to revisit favourite spots at the same time each year, and to discover new treasures in the process.

And so, just imagine my delight when I stumbled across a mulberry tree just two streets from my temporary home on my first morning in residence. Stood quietly on a neat residential street, the pale tree was practically groaning with the weight of luscious black mulberries. Not wanting to damage the delicate branches by attempting to scale it, I picked only the few precious berries that I could reach from my tip-toes.

Just enough for a tangy, inky ripple amid folds of snowy ice cream. Infuse your custard with rose geranium if you have it growing in your garden. The flavour is subtle but delicate and delicious.

This ice cream is special, and not just because mulberries are hard to find. Make it with blackberries if you can't find the former, and eat it with a warm, autumnal tart.

THE INGREDIENTS

325ml double cream

175ml full-fat milk

80g caster sugar

6-8 rose geranium leaves, wiped clean

2 egg yolks

100g mulberries

juice 1/2 lemon

25g icing sugar, to taste

SPECIALIST EQUIPMENT 

Ice cream maker

THE RECIPE

Begin by measuring the double cream into a large bowl. Set aside.

To make the ice cream base, heat the milk, caster sugar and geranium leaves in a large pan. Continue until the mixture is just starting to bubble. Separately, place your egg yolks in a large heat-proof bowl and whisk until smooth. 

Once the milk has reached temperature, pour a little over the egg yolks and whisk quickly to temper them. Return the milk pan to the heat, and carefully pour in the egg yolk mixture. Stir continuously until the custard has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Once it reaches this point, carefully pour it into the double cream, and whisk well. 

Allow it to cool to room temperature, then place in the fridge for a further hour. Once chilled, strain the mixture to remove the geranium leaves, then churn the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions. 

Meanwhile, prepare the mulberry ripple. Blitz the mulberries in a food processor along with the juice of 1/2 lemon and a teaspoon of icing sugar. Taste, then add more lemon juice or sugar as needed. You want the mixture to be tart, so that it stands up to the sweetness of the ice cream base. You can strain it if you wish, or leave the pips in (I prefer to keep them in there for texture).

Once the ice cream is churned, transfer it to a freezable container. Carefully fold the mulberry puree through the ice cream. Don't overmix, or you will loose the ripple effect. Freeze until solid, then remove from the freezer 30 minutes before you intend to scoop and serve. This ice cream is best eaten within two weeks of making, although will keep for much longer in the freezer. 

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Cherry Blossom Ice Cream

March brings with it the start of Spring, the end of Lent, and a glimmer of warmer days to come. It also sees the start of my guest blogging residency with Kitchen Garden Magazine! I'm delighted to be developing recipes and sharing my ideas for baking with ingredients as they come into season. 

Few sights herald the demise of winter more beautifully than pearly pink cherry blossom, which is in full bloom in early March. Found in urban and rural gardens, parks and street-corners alike, these pretty blooms often linger well into April.

While cherry fruits do not ripen until high summer - if at all, in British soil - the blossom from the tree has a subtle, fragrant flavour which is perfect for baking. Plum blossom, though harder to find, can also be used in this recipe. 

You can find the full recipe for Kitchen Garden magazine here. 

THE INGREDIENTS

150ml whole milk

3 large branches of cherry blossom

75g caster sugar

2 egg yolks

300ml double cream

150g morello cherries, chopped

THE RECIPE

Begin by preparing the cherry blossom. Remove all of the blossom petals from their stems, and place in a sieve. Gently rinse with water to clean them, then turn out onto kitchen towelling and allow them to dry. Add them to your milk, and leave to infuse overnight in the fridge.

The next day, add the sugar, milk and petals to a small saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove it from the heat when it has just started to bubble.

Place your egg yolks in a large, heatproof bowl. Pour a little of the milk over them and whisk to temper, then pour all of the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the milk. Return this to the heat, and stir continuously so that it doesn't catch on the bottom while it is thickening. Continue until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream.

Strain the mixture to remove the blossom petals, then chill for one hour or until it has come down to room temperature. Churn in an ice cream maker or, if you do not have one, you can churn it yourself by taking it from the freezer once an hour and churning it by hand. Once churned by soft, add the chopped cherries, then allow to freeze until set.

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RHUBARB ROSE WATER POSSET

 British rhubarb is a tale of two seasons. In summer, luscious and sturdy green rhubarb flourishes. Huge, elephant ear leaves give shelter to dappled stalks, speckled pink and brilliantly tart in flavour. This rhubarb is a bit of a battle-axe - growing profusely, unfazed by the elements, abundant to the point of exasperation for its growers.

But in the bleakness of January and February, delicate forced rhubarb comes to the fore. Traditionally grown in Yorkshire by candlelight, this variety is denied the sunlight that nourishes its wild relation. Encased in darkness then 'forced' out of the ground with artificial light, the result is a more slender, pinker and sweeter version of this wonderful plant.

The season for forced rhubarb is short, and it's not as cheap to buy as the summer variety. But delicately poached, there are few things more beautiful or delicious. My grandparents force their own rhubarb with a steel bin and a good dose of determination, and I am resolute to follow their lead if I ever succeed in securing an elusive London allotment.

As for this recipe - it's simple, elegant, pretty and delicious. My mum's go to dinner party pudding was always lemon syllabub, and these pastel pink possets are a seasonal version of the classic.

THE INGREDIENTS 

150g forced rhubarb

150ml water

75g caster sugar

250ml double cream

1 tsp rose water

1/2 a lemon, juiced

Trim the ends away from the rhubarb, and cut the stalks into 3cm batons. Arrange in the base of a saucepan, sprinkle with 25g of the caster sugar, then pour over the water. Gently bring to the boil over a medium heat, then simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat when the rhubarb is soft and pink throughout, and the liquid has reduced to a thick, pink syrup. Leave to cool.

Pour the cream and the remaining sugar into a milk pan, mix, then bring to the boil. Allow it to bubble for a few seconds, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Drain 75ml of syrup from the rhubarb, then add this to the cream along with the rose water and lemon juice. Mix quickly, then pour the cream into 3-4 ramekins. Leave to set in the fridge for 3-4 hours. Serve topped with the rhubarb and a drizzle of the remaining syrup.

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BAKED PEACHES WITH LEMON VERBENA CREAM

Earlier this month I was lucky enough have three of my recipes published with The Telegraph, in a feature I wrote on how to bake with tea.

Tea is one of my favourite baking ingredients. It's versatility, both in terms of blends and substance, is perfect for baking, and the aromatic punch of fresh and dried leaves alike can elevate baked goods to new heights of flavour and complexity.You can read my advice on how to bake the best out of your brew here.

Lemon Verbena is not strictly a tea of course, but the dried blend of this fabulous herb has a light, subtle tang which adds a new depth of flavour to fresh, thick whipped cream. While this recipe calls for peaches, this fragrant verbena cream would also sit beautifully alongside figs, pears or plums.

My recipe for baked peaches with lemon verbena cream is available on The Telegraph lifestyle here.

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