I am a night owl and I have a fierce midnight snack habit. I just can’t help it and besides, I quite like to indulge, especially in lockdown where comfort eating is an available pleasure. Life is tough and weird right now, we need these cheesecakes and all the other delicious things. Please don’t feel bad about eating. Ever.

They are as quick as throwing together an open sandwich (if you have some cooked rhubarb roasted in your fridge as I suggested you should in yesterdays post!). Even if not, it cooks quickly. The cheesecake topping is a combination of cream cheese, whipped cream, honey and rosewater. You can stir your cooked rhubarb through, or you can put it on top, like I did. Continue reading

Chocolate, olive oil and salt were a combination that I hadn’t imagined together until I first went to Barcelona and started to see it everywhere. In lots of ways, and in one of my favourite desserts too, chocolate mousse. Then I spotted it in one of my favourite London tapas bars, Morito, and I wasn’t alone, Nigella is a fan too.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – the secret ingredient in this lovely chocolate mousse

Like me, I am sure that you likely always have extra virgin olive oil in your kitchen. You likely use it for cooking and salad dressing, as I do too. It brings a lightness and a freshness to cooking which I love.  But chocolate mousse?

It seems an unusual thing to add but ultimately it is fat, just like cream, and so it gives a beautiful texture and a gorgeous flavour too. Extra virgin olive oil acts as a seasoning too, a peppery extra virgin olive oil works beautifully with dark chocolate which loves all things spice like pepper, cardamom and chilli. It is a dairy-free dessert so perfect for people who might otherwise have had to avoid chocolate mousse. With extra virgin olive oil, eggs and chocolate all being quite good for you, all you need to worry about is the sugar. Of course, you don’t need to worry at all as there is only a small amount in it. This is all about the chocolate and the olive oil with the eggs providing richness and fluffiness. Continue reading

This is the second in a two post series in a happy collaboration with Vitamix to celebrate the launch of the Vitamix Ascent Series blenders. This unique blender series combines power and precision, future-forward technology and an all new design to ensure fast, consistent results that are bursting with flavour. I have really enjoyed experimenting with this very impressive piece of kitchen kit and I can heartily recommend it. It has won coveted space on my tiny kitchen counter and I now use it regularly. (The first recipe in the series is my Gorgeous Dairy Free Beer Cheese Dip).

I am committed to the cause. Several causes, I am a little obsessive, but let’s focus for now on Christmas.

Now, I am not one of those Christmas types who throws out the pumpkins and wheels in the tree and all other festivities on November 1st. Nor am I a Michael Bublé cd toting menace (you know who you are). But I do love the build up in December, and all the things that winter brings at this time. Seeing people I rarely see, having fun, and indulging.

Christmas is all about luxury and intensity, seeing friends, taking stock, and eating and drinking more than is necessary. Everything that passes your lips should have a hint of luxury, or a lot of it. Christmas is all about food and drink and food at Christmas should be festive and a little different. Turkey is fine, but Christmas is all about the midday and all day snacks, the cheeky glasses of wine, and we can do those better. Continue reading

It was one of those days, I just needed some rhubarb and custard. I adored it as a child, usually a huge bowl of rhubarb and a decent dollop of custard on top. Today I reversed that with a bowl of homemade coconut custard and some poached Yorkshire rhubarb on top. Because I can, and because the custard was gorgeous. 

Rhubarb and custard whisks me to childhood with every bite. I loved custard, usually whipped from Bird’s powder or ushered from a carton (no judgement – I loved it). Then in school, with the advance of compulsory Home Economics lessons (I do believe that every school should have them) I discovered real custard. Made slowly over gentle heat. Pouring custard, baked custard, and baked apples with custard. Eyes wide open, eggs, sugar and milk in gorgeous alchemy. I have been hooked ever since. Continue reading

Good morning! I have something fun to share with you today. I have been working with Flavorly on some fun videos of my recipes. We started with my easy and gorgeous Blueberry & Cardamom Tart.

You can knock this one up super speedily, shop bought pastry, a quick frangipane whipped together with almonds, brown sugar, eggs, butter and punch fabulous cardamom. A perfect bright tart for any day, particularly for summer. It transports super easily too. 

Follow Flavorly on Facebook to see more recipe videos. I have another couple coming up soon!

Enjoy! Press play below and then get into your kitchen.