Crave: Brilliantly Indulgent Recipes

7 Gently warm the lime marmalade in a small saucepan to loosen it and make it easier to spread, then pass it through a sieve. Stick one lemon strip of cake and one lime strip together using some of the lime marmalade, then stack the alternate colour on top of the bottom layer to create the chequerboard effect with the four strips.

8 Lightly dust the worktop with icing sugar, then roll out the marzipan into a large rectangle, trimming the edges so the rectangle is approximately 18 × 20cm. Brush the top and sides of the assembled cake with the remaining marmalade, then place top-side down on to the marzipan along the short edge. Brush the face-up side of the cake with more marmalade before tightly rolling it up in the marzipan until it is covered. Press in the final section of marzipan or trim if it looks too long.

9 Trim the ends of the cake using a serrated knife and transfer the Battenberg to a plate or cake stand. The cake will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container.

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Understanding Fruit (#ulink_1b77b1a1-a771-547f-99a7-ee2b1df698d9)

Orchard, stone, berries and exotic fruits are perfect for when your body craves something refreshing and nourishing but not quite as powerful as citrus fruits – anything from creamy bananas or powerful cherries to mellow, sweet peaches or vibrant berries.

Stone fruits include some of my all-time favourites. Peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots and cherries are luscious and juicy with tender flesh and a gentle honeyed nectar. Whether shiny or fuzzy-skinned, at optimum ripeness they are delicate and sweet, perfect for poaching or eating just as they are.

Vibrant and small, berries are not to be underestimated as they can pack a punch in the flavour department. Raspberries, blackberries and cranberries are sharp and work brilliantly to lighten heavy, rich or sweet bakes. Strawberries and blueberries provide a much more fragrant flavour, which is heightened when baked. Most berries work wonderfully in jams and jellies, thanks to the high levels of pectin they contain.

Exotic fruits add a bit of a tropical twist to your baking. From punchy passionfruit to floral lychees, there is a wealth of different fruits to get stuck into and experiment with.

I try to shop locally and check what fruit is in season before planning recipes that include it. While it’s possible to purchase fresh produce all year-round, blueberries in February will be more expensive and less flavoursome than their late-summer relatives.

Mini doughnut muffins (#ulink_1a4f628d-341a-57ab-9459-5f72da7b4b29)

Fresh doughnuts are one of the things I crave most, but making yeasted doughnuts is a lengthy, involved process that I often don’t have time to undertake. Doughnut muffins are my solution. Jammy and bite-sized with none of the wait, once you’ve made them a few times you won’t even have to look up the recipe. You can use any type of jam to fill these or simply eat them plain.

MAKES 24 MINI MUFFINS

PREP TIME: 12 MINS

COOKING TIME: 7–8 MINS

100g butter

75g caster sugar, plus extra to dust

100g plain flour

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tsp bicarbonate of soda

50g natural yoghurt

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

1 tbsp raspberry jam

1 tbsp apricot jam

You will also need a 24-hole mini muffin tray and two disposable piping bags.

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Melt the butter in the microwave or in a pan over a medium heat and use a pastry brush to grease all the holes of the muffin tray with some of the melted butter.

2 Place the sugar, flour and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl and combine.

3 In a small jug, mix the remaining melted butter with the yoghurt, egg and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold them together until just incorporated.

4 Divide the mixture among the 24 holes in the muffin tray using a teaspoon, then bake for 7–8 minutes or until golden brown and risen.

5 While the muffins are baking, spoon the jams into the 2 piping bags and snip the end off each with a pair of scissors. Remove the hot doughnuts muffins from the oven and roll them in caster sugar, then make a small hole with a skewer in the bottom of each and pipe raspberry jam into the centre of half the doughnuts and apricot jam into the rest. These are best enjoyed fresh from the oven.

Quick berry crumbles (#ulink_67953ff0-c1f2-52e4-a593-86fea606892a)

Crumble is a proper winter warmer. This is the kind of pudding that you should eat wrapped in a blanket by the fire on chilly days. You can use any type of fruit as the base of the crumble, but berries work particularly well as they soften and cook really quickly. Frozen berries can be used in place of fresh, but they will take slightly longer to soften.

PREP TIME: 10 MINS

COOKING TIME: 10 MINS

SERVES 4

100g strawberries, hulled and quartered

250g mixed berries (such as raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or blackcurrants)

2 tbsp runny honey

1 tbsp butter

Cream or hot vanilla custard, to serve

CRUMBLE TOPPING

75g plain flour

75g butter, chilled and cubed

50g soft light brown sugar

25g rolled oats

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Have 4 large ramekins or heatproof tapas dishes ready on a baking tray.

2 Combine the strawberries, mixed berries, runny honey and butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat and cook gently until the berries have softened and the juices reduce a little.

3 While the berries are softening, make the crumble topping. Place the flour, butter and sugar in the bowl of a mini food processor (I use a stick blender with a chopping attachment) and pulse until the mixture starts to clump together, then stir in the rolled oats. If you don’t have a food processor or stick blender, make the crumble by hand by rubbing the butter into the flour and sugar until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, before adding the oats.

4 When the fruit is soft and slightly reduced, divide the mixture among the 4 ramekins or dishes. Top each with the crumble mix and bake on the top shelf of the oven for 10 minutes until the crumble topping is golden brown and the fruit bubbling. Serve immediately with cream or hot vanilla custard.