Pancakes

My pancakes are different, I use 4oz of self raising flour, 1 egg and enough milk to make a fairly thick batter. Heat some butter in a pan and pour on a nice big disc, about the size of an old 45 record. Cook both sides until golden brown and serve stacked with layers of Maple syrup poured between each layer. Slice it like a sponge cake and eat.

White Chocolate and Raspberry Terrine.

Now it could be said that of late I have been obsessed with white chocolate, but it does seem to go perfectly with so many of my favorite things.
Take a terrine dish, a small loaf tin and line it with cling film, next whip a full tub of double cream until stiff and whip in a full tub of Philadelphia type cream cheese, the quantities can vary it's the consistency that's important, make sure it's thick like meringue mix. Now place a large bar, at least 300g, of  best quality white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water and melt it, stir the melted chocolate into the cream mixture and combine thoroughly. Next take your big fat juicy home grown raspberries and fold them through the combined chocolate mixture and spoon the lot into the loaf tin, smooth out the surface and place into the fridge until it is set, I would give it 4 hours. To present it, simply turn the terrine out onto a fancy little place and slice it, you can serve it with a coulis, or my preference, a little dark chocolate sauce, both of which are easy to make... gorgeous, easy and well impressive!

Simple Souffle

Souffle sounds very posh and impressive but it is such an easy and versatile dish to make if you do it my way. Separate 3 large eggs and whisk the whites until they are stiff. In a saucepan melt a little butter, about an ounce, and stir in a dessertspoon of plain flour and a little full cream milk, stir with an egg whisk until it thickens and gradually add more milk until you get the consistency of a fairly thick white sauce, a rue to be precise. Turn down the heat and cook for about a minute whisking constantly until the flour is cooked out. Take it off the heat and add a handful of strong grated cheese, whatever cheese you like, and 2 of the egg yolks, beat it all together thoroughly and season with salt and pepper and a dash of English mustard powder to taste. Fold in the egg whites carefully with a large metal spoon. Place in a deep round straight sided dish that has been thoroughly greased right up to the top of the dish and over the rim, this is probably the most important stage of any souffle, place in a medium hot oven for about 25 minutes depending on the size of the dish, 3 egg whites will make 4 small, 2 medium sized or one large souffle. It is nice to make individual portions though as they serve better when you present them, and there you have it, easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Ginger and White Chocolate Ice cream Tart

This recipe sounds like a cheat to start with but it's really not and for the purists out there you are most welcome to make your own ginger nuts! Either way it's as easy as pie and makes you look like a god or a goddess, as do all my recipes.

Firstly, crush half a packet of good quality ginger nuts in a food bag, just bash them with a rolling pin until they succumb then mix them in a pan of butter which has been melted, only about 2oz, use your hands to combine them thoroughly and press the mixture into the bottom of a lined flan tin, line it with whatever you like.
The next step is to whisk 2 egg whites until stiff, and add 2 heaped table spoons of icing sugar whisking the sugar in until it's firm and glossy. In another bowl whisk a medium tub of whipping cream until stiff and add 1 heaped table spoon of icing sugar, again beating it in thoroughly. Grate in a desert spoon of fresh ginger to the cream mix and pour in half a large bar of good melted white chocolate and mix together well.
Fold the cream and the egg mixtures together making quite sure it's all combined and spoon onto the crumb base, sprinkle with some chopped or grated milk chocolate and freeze. Serve straight from the freezer whenever you want to impress yourself or others!