Apple and thyme tarte tatin

Serves 4-6

150g caster sugar

25g butter

375g puff pastry

flour, for rolling out

6 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into quarters

leaves from two thyme sprigs

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. To make the caramel, put the sugar into a 20cm ovenproof pan and heat gently without stirring until it turns golden brown. Remove from the heat, add the butter and stir in gently.

Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut out a circle slightly larger than the pan.

Place the apples peeled-side down in the pan and sprinkle with the fresh thyme leaves. Cover the apple and caramel mixture with the pastry and tuck the overlapped edges down the side of the pan.

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is brown.

Remove the pan from the oven and leave to rest for one minute before turning it out. To do this, place a plate on top of the pan, and invert so that the tart slips out, pastry to the base and apples on the top.

Serve hot with ice cream on the side.

Fresh orange curd pudding

You can use Japanese yuzu instead of lemon zest and juice for an even better flavour. It's a citrus fruit available in Japanese food stores.

Serves 4-6

300ml fresh orange juice

grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

60g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

90g caster sugar

4 large eggs, separated

70g self-raising flower

1/2 tsp baking powder

160ml milk

icing sugar for dusting

Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Butter all sides of a 1-litre soufflé dish, or other similar ovenproof dish, and set aside.

Put the orange and lemon juices in a saucepan, bring to the boil and boil until reduced by just over half. Set aside to cool. In a bowl, beat the butter with the sugar and lemon zest until white and creamy. Mix in the egg yolks, one at a time. Sift the flour and baking powder together over the mixture, then mix to combine.

Slowly add the orange and lemon juice and milk to the mixture, stirring to blend.

Now whisk the egg whites in another bowl until they form stiff peaks. Beat a third of the whisked egg whites into the runny sponge mixture, then carefully fold in the rest using a large spoon. Stand the prepared dish in a roasting tin, then pour in the mixture. Pour boiling water around the dish and place in the oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes until golden brown and firm on top. Cover the dish with foil if the top browns too quickly.

Remove the dish from the oven and dust the pudding with icing sugar before serving.

Croissant butter pudding - with whisky and ice cream

Serves 4

500ml milk

500ml double cream

1 vanilla pod

3 whole eggs

6 egg yolks

200g caster sugar

6 large croissants

25g sultanas

25g butter, melted

175g white chocolate, cut into shards

75ml whisky

icing sugar for dusting

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

Pour milk and cream into a pan, add the vanilla pod, and gradually bring to the boil. Place the eggs, egg yolks and sugar in a food mixer bowl and mix gently using the whisk attachment at a low setting.

While the cream is heating, slice the croissants and place in an oven-proof dish, slightly overlapping the pieces. Sprinkle with sultanas and pour over the butter.

Once the cream has boiled, take it off the heat. Add the egg mixture and chocolate and stir well. Place to one side to allow the chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally.

Add the whisky to the cream mixture. Using a sieve, strain the cream over the croissants and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until almost set.

Remove from the oven and dust with icing sugar. Caramelise the topping using a very hot grill or, if you have one, a blowtorch. This is best served at room temperature, with a spoonful of ice cream.

Apple and toffee muffins

Don't put too much toffee in each muffin or it will boil over during baking. For a different flavour, use nutmeg instead of cinnamon.

Makes 12

2 eggs, beaten

80g caster sugar

240ml milk

100g butter, melted

300g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

good pinch of cinnamon

2 eating apples, such as Cox's or Granny Smiths, peeled, cored and finely chopped.

50g toffee, broken into small pieces.

Pre-heat oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Line a 12-hole bun or muffin tin with paper cases.

Mix the eggs, sugar, milk and melted butter in a large bowl. Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the chopped apple and mix roughly.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases, filling them a quarter full, then top with a few pieces of toffee, and cover the rest of the muffin mixture until the paper cases are half full. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until well risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Buttermilk scones

Makes about 10

75g butter, plus extra for greasing

225g self-raising flour, plus a little extra

pinch of salt

40g caster sugar

1 large egg, beaten

2tbs buttermilk, plus a little extra

clotted cream and jam, to serve

Pre-heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Grease a baking tray. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl, rub the butter lightly into the mixture until it looks like breadcrumbs, then add the sugar.

Beat the egg and 2 tbsp of the buttermilk together in another bowl, then add this to the flour mixture, mixing the dough with a palette knife. When it begins to come together, finish with your hands - it should be soft, not sticky.

Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a circle at least 2.5cm thick - be careful not to roll it any thinner as the secret to well-risen scones is to start off with a thickness of no less than 2.5cm.

Cut out the scones by placing a 5cm plain-edge cutter on the dough and giving it a sharp tap - don't twist it, just lift it up and push the dough out. Carry on until you are left with the trimmings, then bring these back together to roll out again so you can cut out on last scone.

Turn the scones over and place on the baking tray, brush them lightly with buttermilk and dust with a little flour. Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 10-12 minutes or until they are well risen and golden brown, then remove to cool on a wire rack.

Serve with clotted cream and any jam or jelly that takes your fancy.

Brown bread ice cream

Serves 4-6

175g brown wholemeal breadcrumbs

300ml double cream

300ml single cream

125g icing sugar

2 egg yolks

1tbs rum (optional)

2 egg whites

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Spread the breadcrumbs out on a baking tray and toast in the oven for a couple of minutes until crisp and slightly browned. Meanwhile, beat the creams with the sugar. Mix together the yolks and rum, if using, and add to the cream mixture, beating well. When the breadcrumbs are cool, fold them gently and evenly into the cream mixture. Lastly, whip the whites of the eggs until stiff and fold into the mixture.

Transfer to a sealable container, place in the freezer and store until needed. (There is no need to stir this ice cream while it freezes.)

· Taken from Desserts by James Martin (Quadrille, £20). To order a copy for £18 with free UK p&p go to observer.co.uk/bookshop or call 0870 836 0885