No-knead pizza dough

This recipe for no-knead pizza with fennel, Italian sausage and burrata is a bit of a leap of faith, but once you get used to the dough, it’s a great method to have up your sleeve. Ingredients ¼ tsp active dried yeast½ tsp golden caster sugar500g plain flour, plus more for dusting1 tsp saltfor the … Read more

Lamb, pea and wild garlic lasagne

Fresh from Ombra, a Venetian-styled bacaro in London, this next-level lasagne showcases seasonal ingredients and is the perfect lazy weekend project. Ingredients RAGU1 large onion, finely chopped1 carrot, finely chopped2 cloves garlic, finely choppedolive oil, for frying700g lamb mince1 tsp tomato puréea glass dry white wine LASAGNE SHEETS400g wild garlic150g (3 large) eggs500g 00 flour … Read more

Spaghetti alle vongole with samphire

Spaghetti alle vongole or clams makes a classic Italian supper. The clams are cooked in dry white wine, which combined with the natural clam juice and samphire make a lovely rich sauce for the pasta. Ingredients olive oil2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced1kg clams, well scrubbed90g samphire100ml dry white wine150g spaghetti25g butter, chilleda large … Read more

Italian flatbread with pear, walnut and gorgonzola

The combination of gorgonzola, pears and walnuts is usually found in a salad but works brilliantly on this molten cheesy bread. It’s great hot but equally good for lunchboxes the day after. Ingredients 2 red-skinned pears, cored and cut into thin wedges15 walnuts, roughly broken150g without rind gorgonzola dolce, dicedto serve (optional) fig jam or … Read more

Vegan Christmas cake

Everyone will enjoy a slice of this Christmas cake, which can be baked and matured up to eight weeks before Christmas. Feed the cake weekly with your choice of brandy, rum or whisky for extra moisture and a warming flavour. Ingredients 300g sultanas250g raisins200g glacé cherries100g dried mixed peel600ml fresh orange juice300ml soya milk2 tsp … Read more

Classic Christmas cake

Get ahead with your festive baking and rustle up our gently spiced fruit cake, covered in smooth layers of marzipan and fondant icing. This classic Christmas cake serves 12. Ingredients 600g currants, sultanas and raisins100g glacé cherries50g mixed peel, chop a couple of whole pieces if you can50g glacé ginger or crystallised ginger, roughly chopped100g … Read more

Chocolate coconnetta parfait cake

Viennetta ice-cream cake, this fun dessert is sure to delight at any party. INGREDIENTS 300 ml thickened cream30 gm (¼ cup) icing sugar, sifted90 gm (1 cup) shredded coconut Chocolate crumb70 gm plain flour30 gm cocoa50 gm brown sugar50 gm desiccated coconut80 gm unsalted butter, melted30 gm coconut oil Chocolate layers200 gm dark chocolate (70% … Read more

Christmas ice-cream cake with festive crumb

This grown-up ice-cream cake marries traditional Christmas flavours with a salted crumb and an indulgent chocolate and whisky sauce. INGREDIENTS 600 ml milk600 ml double cream8 egg yolks120 gm brown sugar¼ tsp xanthan gum (see note)465 gm store-bought Christmas cake, crumbled50 gm candied citrus peel, finely chopped100 gm each red and green glacé cherries, halved … Read more

Jam roll trifle

Here we have a traditional trifle turned inside out and upside down. As with the traditional version, it’s best made a day or two ahead. INGREDIENTS 3 eggs, separated110 gm (½ cup) caster sugar2 tbsp warm milk110 gm self-raising flour160 gm (½ cup) raspberry jam100 ml Pedro Ximénez150 gm raspberries, plus extra to serveTo serve: … Read more

Peach pavlova trifle with brandy custard

Trifles are things of beauty, as are pavlovas, so why not blend the two? Here, mini pavs are the crowning glory of a summery peach trifle – and it’s an excellent do-ahead dessert. INGREDIENTS 50 ml brandy16 savoiardi biscuits300 ml pouring creamSliced peaches and crumbled freeze-dried raspberries (optional), to serve Mini pavlovas150 gm (about 4) … Read more