Now here is a sweet that is truly unjustly overlooked these days in favour of the gelatine and cheap sour-perfume scent of a conglomerate whose name I have been legally advised to remove. A marriage in pink and white; spring blossom and a wedding dress, powdered with confetti, a fine coconut ice is a joy […]

Ingredients TOOTHPICKS. Keep handy. 4 oz unsalted peanuts 4 oz golden caster sugar 2 oz butter pinch salt 4 tsp water Method Spread the peanuts in a single layer on a buttered oven tray. Put the other ingredients in a saucepan and start to heat very slowly, stirring all the while. When the sugar has dissolved, increase […]

Ingredients 150g butter, softened 150g caster sugar 175g self-raising flour 3 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract icing, marshmallows, chocolate buttons, hundreds and thousands, edible stars, orange and lemon jelly slices, food colouring (all colours); edible gold and silver foil, candy footballs, Smarties, candy flowers, liquorice allsorts, ground almonds, toffee and chocolate sauce, jelly worms Method […]

Buy real ginger. It looks like a knobby root thing. You can ask someone if you can’t figure it out. Not that fruiterer who always asks you if you want any melons. He’s disgusting. Right, now, nick one of those medicine-measuring thingies from work. I know they’re the only ones you can figure out as […]

Ingredients 4 oz Breton soft butter, first churn 8 oz white caster sugar, sifted 4 large fresh free-range eggs, beaten 6 oz self-raising flour 6 oz plain flour 1 cup fresh milk 1 tsp vanilla essence Ingredients for the icing 4 oz Breton soft butter, first churn 16 oz icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla essence […]

Ingredients 8 oz butter, softened 4 oz caster sugar 5 eggs 1 tin sweetened condensed milk 8 oz Horlicks 8 oz plain flour 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp cognac Method Grease the small square tin and line the base and sides with baking paper. Allow the baking paper to extend over the top by […]

Ingredients 3 pears, peeled, halved and cored 7 oz butter 7 oz caster sugar 3 eggs 7 oz self-raising flour, sifted 3 tbsp milk 1 tbsp icing sugar Method Arrange the pear halves evenly over the bottom of a buttered pudding dish and set aside. Using a wooden spoon (not the mixer. I know you […]

Ingredients 1 egg white 1 lb icing sugar peppermint essence Method Beat the egg white until frothy – do not overbeat. No, that is just enough. Perfect. Stop now. Sieve in the icing sugar and now the mixture should be stiff. Yes, there is a lot of icing sugar on the floor. Don’t worry about […]

Ingredients for the cake: 2500ml double cream 4500g good-quality dark chocolate 50 eggs 1650g caster sugar 1500g plain flour 10 tbsp good-quality cocoa powder 5 tsp baking powder sugar flowers to decorate Ingredients for the icing: 1000g dark chocolate, broken into pieces 800ml single cream Makes one morning’s worth. Method: Stir double cream and chocolate […]