If all else fails … make a mess!

This series goes back to 2017 and if you want ideas for another variation on a theme, make a Hodgepodge - aka a mess.

Hazelnut Hodgepodge

Serves 1

3 meringue kisses, crushed

1 scoop of vanilla ice cream

A sprinkle of toasted, chopped hazelnuts – 25g approx

30g frozen raspberries – defrosted – do not sweeten

1 tbsp sticky toffee sauce – loosen in microwave for

15 secs on medium

Assembly

A glass bowl or sundae dish makes this

dessert stand out, layer as follows :

crushed kisses

scoop of ice cream

sprinkle of hazelnuts

raspberries but reserve the juices

drizzle of sticky toffee sauce

drizzle of raspberry juices

Add a final sprinkle of hazelnuts

sweetness – the meringues

texture – the hazelnuts

sharpness – the raspberries and the juices

sticky toffee sauce and ice cream – pure indulgence

what is a dessert without indulgence!

A Hodgepodge is instant – ish. You can put in as much or as little effort as your time permits – to explain.

You can buy drums of meringue kisses or make your own*.

You can buy ice cream or make your own*.

You can buy whole hazelnuts and chop and roast or buy roasted, chopped hazelnuts in 100g bags ready to use.

Raspberries are available – preferably fresh, frozen if not.

You can buy jars of caramel sauce – dulce de leche or salted caramel or you can make your own sticky toffee sauce*.

We've covered all the recipes marked * in the Dids “Susan” ideas.

If you like the simplicity of the Hodgepodge there are two more recipes – Hodgepodge – Take 2 3^rdApril 2017 (Cherry and Chocolate) and Hodgepodge again - 18thApril 2017 (Lemon & Blueberry)

Whichever dive in dessert you choose to serve have the best time ever with your loved ones and stay safe and well.

Dids – back to the beginning

I began this series of dive in desserts with chocolate - easy, straight forward ideas for the Susan. It appeals to my sense of order to finish where I started with chocolate and with the fancy dancin' posh pud – but one that you can make ahead and freeze.

This pud involves prep – it's worth it but a word of caution – you might not want the work if your party is a large one.

Anyway, here goes :

Perfect Chocolate Fondants

Makes 2

60g unsalted butter, cut into dice, plus extra to grease

1 tbsp cocoa powder

60g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

1 egg and 1 egg yolk

60g caster sugar

1 tbsp plain flour

pinch of salt

Pre-heat the oven to 180fan/200c/Gas 6 if cooking immediately and put a baking tray on the middle shelf. Butter the inside of 2 small ramekins (8x4 cms) or pudding moulds (6x6 cms) and then put the cocoa in one and turn it to coat the inside, holding it over the second mould to catch any that escapes. Do the same with the other mould. You might want to do the “cocoa coating” over a tray lined with kitchen roll – you can't avoid cocoa dust.

Put the butter and chocolate into a heatproof bowl set over, but not touching, a pan of simmering water and stir occasionally until melted. Allow to cool slightly.

Vigorously whisk together the egg, yolk, sugar and a pinch of salt until pale and fluffy. Gently fold in the melted chocolate and butter, and then the flour. Spoon into the prepared moulds, stopping just shy of the top – at this point the mixture can be refrigerated until needed, or even frozen, as the puddings will not wait around once cooked.

Put on to a hot baking tray and cook for 12 minutes (14 if from cold, 16 if frozen) until the tops are set and coming away from the sides of the moulds. Leave to rest for 30 seconds and then serve in the ramekins or turn out on to plates if you're feeling confident – serve with fresh raspberries and/or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side (clotted cream works too).

This recipe absolutely works – make sure you have your kitchen timer sellotaped about your person – precision is everything – you'll get foolproof chocolate fondants!

Up next … if all else fails

Lemon curd gate

It has been a while since I had a rant – my last you may recall concerned the absence from our supermarket shelves of lemon curd – Sicilian specifically. It seems to be random – my friend shops at a different supermarket and assures me basic lemon curd is available. I've not seen either version since I don't know when!

It occurs that there seems little point in writing about the tiramisu recipes if you're not able to buy lemon curd. Clearly it's available in some areas but not in others. I'm lucky, I have my Sister, Whizzer who loves a challenge and produced yet another rabbit out of a hat and sent me a jar of lemon curd – the last one on the shelf.

I don't know why I didn't think of this before – just in case you're having difficulty finding the curd, you could make your own in 12 minutes max in the microwave :

Making Microwave Lemon Curd

115g/4oz butter, cubed

Finely grated rind and juice

of three large lemons**

225g/8oz caster sugar

3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

Put the butter, lemon rind and juice in a large microwave-proof bowl. Cook on high for 3 minutes.

Add the sugar to the bowl and stir for 1 minute until it has almost dissolved. Return to the microwave and cook on 100% power for 2 minutes, stirring every 1 minute.

Beat the eggs and the yolk together, then whisk into the lemon mixture, a little at a time.

Cook on medium (40% power), for 10-12 minutes, whisking every 2 minutes, until the curd thickens. You will find that your curd has white cords from the eggs – pour the curd through a sieve before filling the jars, for the perfect smooth result.

Ladle into hot sterilized jars, cover and seal. When cool, store in the refrigerator. Use within 2 months.***

N.B. Microwaves vary :

This recipe is based on an 800 watt version. For microwaves with a different wattage, adjust cooking times as follows, 900 watt – subtract 10 seconds per minute. 850 watt, subtract 5 seconds per minute. 750 watt, add 5 seconds per minute. 700 watt, add 10 seconds per minute.

**If you don't have fresh lemons you can use lemon juice and omit the rind. As a guide - 4 tbsp of juice is equivalent to 1 and a half lemons.

***The quickest way to sterilise jars is to place them in your dishwasher.

It's really easy – a small tip though – when you begin to cook the curd on medium in 2 minute blocks, make a note on a piece of paper 2,4,6,8,10 and/or 12 and cross off each 2 minute block – use your timer too – it helps to keep track.

It's not Sicilian I know but it's every bit as good as shop bought “basic”.

Note to self – I really must look at my back catalogue of recipes more often.

Next … the fancy dancin' “Did” you make ahead and freeze - that takes minutes to heat and serve.

Dids - Hints, tips and the tiddy

All the tiramisu recipes benefit from being made ahead – the tip is – don't decorate until you're ready to serve. You can have your Flake bashed or your plain chocolate grated, ready. If you want to add an optional sprinkle of crushed Amaretti biscuits, likewise – bash and bag!

As I mentioned you have serving options – large or small (the tiddy).

If you opt for the tiddy the best tip I can give is set your stall out – choose your size of glass or dish and an appropriate cutter to fit. The glasses I use have a capacity of 160ml – they measure 7 cms in diameter and 7 cms deep.

If you'd like to see a photo guide check out A Tiddy Tiramisu 20th June 2017 which illustrates the lemon version.

You'll see sliced Madeira cake, along with the glass I used and the cutter too – the size is 4cms in diameter and the cake should be 1cm slices approximately.

On the subject of cake - you could bake your own Madeira cake if you wish but it seems unfair on the cake when you're going to dunk it in syrup! Why not use an “economy” range Madeira cake - available in most supermarkets – a word to the wise – they vary in size so I'd buy two to be on the safe side. You could use a lemon drizzle cake instead of the Madeira.

One final tip – complete your tiddy with a circle of cake - add a teaspoon of the curd to the cake top and then sprinkle with the chocolate and optional crushed Amaretti biscuits – the curd “glues” the chocolate and the biscuits in place.

A perfect make ahead celebration pud!

Dids – finally, cherry

Cherry Tiramisu

8 tablespoons of cherry juice (100ml)

20fl oz whipping cream/1 pint/570ml (heavy)

4tbls cherry liqueur - Kirsch (optional)

one red velvet cup cake per serving

4tbls caster sugar

225g/8oz Mascarpone or curd cheese (Philadelphia)

4 Amaretti biscuits, crushed to a crumb

50g/2oz plain chocolate (grated) or

a cherry liqueur chocolate to decorate

Cherry compote

Red velvet sponge – see notes below

Cherry and Raspberry Compote

350g cherries, stoned – can use frozen

150g caster sugar

juice of 1 lemon (2 tbsps)

150g raspberries – can use frozen

4 tbsp water or juice from defrosted fruit

Pour the water into a pan and add the cherries, sugar and lemon juice. Place on a medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Cook the cherries over a low heat for 5-10 minutes until they have released some juice but are not overcooked. If you are using frozen cherries you will have the fruit juices when defrosted – use this juice instead of the water and reduce the cooking time to 5 minutes.

Add the raspberries to the pan and cook for a further 1-2 minutes until they start to soften. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the mixture to cool, then chill it well before serving. Blitz the compote and pass through a sieve. You'll get 400ml.

Mix the cherry juice with the Kirsch. If you're serving kiddies then omit the Kirsch and add an additional 4 tbsp of cherry juice.

Mix the cream carefully with the sugar and mascarpone. A small tip – place the mascarpone cheese in a mixing bowl and add the sugar. Once combined add the cream gradually. Fold 2 tablespoons of cherry compote into the mixture, gently, to give a ripple effect.

Cut up the cake in shapes that suit the bowl you are using and dip into the cherry mixture.

Layer the mascarpone mixture with the sponge.

Add your decorations when you are about to serve – sprinkle the Amaretti crumb and then add the grated plain chocolate or a cherry liqueur chocolate.

For extra pizzazz add a puddle of cherry compote. Freeze the compote you don't use along with any red velvet sponge you have left for another day!

You have options with the red velvet sponge. I made red velvet cupcakes and a batch gave me 24, far more than I needed, which was deliberate since I was able to either freeze what I didn't use or add frosting for a traditional cupcake.

There are “fast fixes” out there – most large supermarkets sell red velvet cake mixes which will usually give you 12 cupcakes or a 7” cake. Betty Crocker likewise.

Hints and tips and the tiddy version of the tiramisu up next.

Dids - then there's the lemon

Lemon Tiramisu

Serves 4 large or 6 smaller

servings

Lemon syrup – 4 tbsp lemon juice, 100g icing sugar

20 fl oz whipping cream

4 tbsp Limoncello liqueur (optional)

20 sponge fingers or Madeira cake

4 tbsp caster sugar

225g Mascarpone

2 heaped tbsps lemon curd to fold into Mascarpone mixture

2 x Cadbury's Flake for decoration

To make the syrup place the lemon juice and icing sugar into a small saucepan and heat gently so that the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.

If you are using Limoncello liqueur then add to the syrup.

Mix the cream carefully with the caster sugar and mascarpone, gently fold the lemon curd into the mixture so that it gives a ribbon effect. If you're using a hand mixer use the blades to fold through the lemon curd :

For one large tiramisu and using sponge fingers, a rectangular dish is the best shape. Dip the fingers into the syrup and arrange in a row, then add the mascarpone mixture and repeat.

For the kids, bash a Flake in its packet so that it doesn't fly all over the kitchen worktop, open carefully and sprinkle over to decorate. If you want grown-up “sprinkles” to decorate instead of the milk chocolate Flake use plain chocolate, grated.

Cling film and fridge until you're ready to serve.

… and finally – cherry!

Dids – the orange pick me up

Here goes :

Orange Tiramisu

Grated rind and juice of 2 oranges

20fl oz whipping cream/1 pint/570ml (heavy)

4tbls Cointreau (optional)

20 sponge fingers or Madeira cake

4tbls caster sugar

225g/8oz Mascarpone or curd cheese (Philadelphia)

50g/2oz plain chocolate (grated)

Mix the orange rind and juice with the Cointreau. If you'd prefer an alcohol free version then omit the Cointreau and add an additional 4 tbsp of orange juice.

Mix the cream carefully with the sugar and mascarpone. A small tip – place the mascarpone cheese in a mixing bowl and add the sugar. Once combined add the cream gradually.

Cut up the cake in shapes that suit the bowl you are using and dip into the orange mixture.

Layer the mascarpone mixture alternately with the sponge.

Grate the chocolate and set aside. Sprinkle over the tiramisu when you are about to serve.

As usual there are “tweaks” :

You can buy orange curd. It's delicious and an excellent addition to your store cupboard.

I added the orange curd – 2 tablespoons - to my Mascarpone mixture, folding it through gently to give a rippled effect and extra zing!

In addition to the sprinkled chocolate I added 4 Amaretti biscuits, crushed to a crumb. Set aside the crumb and sprinkle with the chocolate just before serving.

For an optional additional flourish serve with a jug of orange drizzle – it balances the richness of the cream.

Orange Drizzle

200g icing sugar

250ml orange juice – no bits

Put the sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan and heat gently so that the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes.

Hey presto, a syrupy drizzle to dress your tiramisu.

Next up – then there's the lemon!