Chocolate ganache

A rich chocolate mixture to spread over a chilled cake or between layers of cake. Or roll into balls to make truffles.

Place 375ml single cream in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and add 340g finely chopped dark chocolate. Allow to melt slightly and then stir until glossy and smooth. Set aside to cool before using.

Free-form rhubarb and blackcurrant pies

Makes 4

400g rhubarb, trimmed and chopped
75g blackcurrants
220g caster sugar
2 tbs cornflour
4 sheets ready made frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbs caster sugar, to finish

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Toss the rhubarb, blackcurrants, sugar and cornflour in a bowl. Use a 19cm cutter to cut out a circle from each pastry sheet. Divide the rhubarb mixture between the circles and bring the edges of the pastry together to partially enclose the rhubarb. Brush the pastry with the egg and sprinkle with the extra sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden.

Plum and chocolate clafoutis

Serves 8

50g plain flour, sifted
30g cocoa powder, sifted
75g caster sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
250ml single or pouring cream
75g roughly chopped dark chocolate
20g unsalted butter, melted
8 plums, halved and stoned

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Place the flour, cocoa and sugar in a bowl. In a separate bowl, place the vanilla, eggs and cream and stir to combine. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Stir in the chocolate. Brush a 1-litre baking dish with melted butter. Pour in the chocolate mixture, top with the plum halves and bake for 20-25 minutes or until puffed.

Chocolate soufflé

Serves 4

melted butter, for brushing
caster sugar, for dusting
150g dark chocolate, chopped
80ml single cream
30g cocoa powder, sifted
6 egg whites
110g caster sugar, extra

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Brush 4 250ml-capacity dishes with butter and dust with caster sugar. Place on a baking tray. Melt chocolate, cream and cocoa in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until soft peaks form. Gradually add extra sugar and whisk until thick and glossy.

Fold a quarter of the egg white mixture through the chocolate mixture. Gently fold remaining egg whites through and spoon into prepared dishes. Bake for 20 minutes or until soufflés are puffed and set. Serve the soufflés immediately.

Mango and almond tart

Serves 12

2 x 200g sheets ready made frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten
30g ground almonds
60g brown sugar
3 mangoes, peeled, stoned and halved

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Brush the edge of one sheet of pastry with egg. Place another sheet of puff pastry slightly overlapping, join the edges with the other pastry to form a rectangle and place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper.

Cut 1cm from the edges of the pastry sheet and place around the edges to form a border. Sprinkle the pastry with the almond meal and 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar.

Top with the mangoes and sprinkle with the remaining brown sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is golden.

Serves 8

1 quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (see below)
2 tbs almond meal (ground almonds)
1 egg, lightly beaten
sugar, for sprinkling

For the apple filling:

8 green apples, peeled and chopped
1 tbs water
75g sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5. To make the filling, place the apples and water in a deep frying pan over medium heat. Cover and simmer, shaking the pan occasionally, for 5 minutes or until just tender. Drain and cool completely. Stir in the sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon.

Roll two-thirds of the pastry on a floured surface to 3mm thickness and place in a shallow 24cm pie tin. Sprinkle over the almond meal and pack the apples tightly into the pastry shell. Roll out the remaining pastry to fit over the top of the pie. Brush the rim with water, press the edges together and trim. Cut slits in the top, brush with the egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp.

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Make your own or, if time is at a premium, use one of the many store-bought fresh or frozen varieties. This recipe makes about 350g pastry, which is sufficient to line up to a 26cm pie dish or tart tin.

300g plain flour
3 tbsp caster sugar
150g cold butter, chopped
2-3 tbs iced water

Process the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor until the mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs. While the motor is running, add enough iced water to form a smooth dough and process until just combined. Knead the dough lightly, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface or between sheets of non-stick baking paper until 2-3mm thick, or whatever thickness required, and line the tart tin.

Place a piece of non-stick baking paper over the pastry and fill with baking weights or uncooked rice or beans. Bake the pastry case for 10 minutes, remove the weights and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Spoon in the filling and bake again as the recipe indicates.

Caramelised apple tart

Serves 4-6

60g butter
165g caster sugar
2 tbs water
4 apples, peeled, cored and quartered
375g block ready-made frozen puff pastry, thawed

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Place an 18cm frying pan with an ovenproof handle over medium heat. Add the butter and allow to melt. Add the sugar and water and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved. Continue to cook for 5 minutes or until golden and syrupy. Add the apples and cook for 5 minutes. Allow the bubbles to subside then arrange the apple pieces in a circular pattern, core-side up, over the base of the frying pan.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm thickness. Cut out a 24cm circle and place over the apples, tucking the edge under. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden. To serve, invert the tart onto a plate.

Crème brûlée with passion fruit topping

Serves 8

1 litre single or pouring cream
2 vanilla beans, split and seeds scraped
8 egg yolks
110g caster sugar
165g caster sugar, for the fruit
pulp of 1 passion fruit

Preheat the oven to 160C /gas 2. Place the cream and vanilla bean and seeds in a saucepan over low heat and cook gently until the mixture comes to the boil. Remove from the heat and discard the beans.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until thick and pale. Pour the warm cream mixture over the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Return the mixture to the saucepan and stir over low heat for 6-8 minutes or until the custard coats the back of a spoon.

Pour the custard into eight 125ml capacity ovenproof dishes and place in a deep baking dish, add boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake for 25 minutes or until just set. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until the custard is completely set.

Combine the extra sugar and passion fruit pulp. Cover the brûlées with the passion fruit sugar and caramelise the sugar with a blowtorch or spoon (see below).

Caramelising sugar

Spoon method

Also known as brûléeing, rest the back of the bowl of a spoon on an open gas flame for 5 minutes or until very hot. Using a thick tea towel, lift the handle and run the spoon over sugar topping. Caramelisation will happen instantly and the sugar will set to hard toffee. The spoon will turn permanently black after heating.

Blowtorch method

Light the blowtorch and carefully hold the flame 2cm above the sugar coating and heat for 1 minute or until the sugar begins to bubble and caramelise.

Chocolate cheesecake

Serves 12

250g chocolate biscuits
100g butter, melted
450g dark chocolate, chopped
50g butter, extra
2 tbs cocoa powder
675g cream cheese, softened
220g caster sugar
4 eggs
375g sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
fresh raspberries, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Place the chocolate biscuits in a food processor and process until fine. Add the melted butter and process until well blended. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 22cm round springform cake tin which has been lined with non-stick baking paper. Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool.

Place the chocolate and extra butter in a saucepan over low heat and stir until melted. Whisk in the cocoa and set aside. Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until fluffy. Add eggs gradually. Add chocolate mixture and beat well. Add sour cream and vanilla, beat well.

Pour into tin and wrap the outside of the tin with foil. Place tin in a roasting dish and fill with hot water, so that it comes halfway up the side of the tin. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and leave to cool in the water for 15 minutes. Loosely cover and refrigerate for 12 hours. To serve, cut into slices and top with raspberries.

Devil's food cake

Serves 10

185g butter, softened
385g caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
125ml buttermilk
80ml water
1/2 tsp red food colouring
300g plain flour, sifted
80g cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/4 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda, sifted
1 quantity chocolate ganache, see above

Preheat the oven to 160C/gas 2-3. Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in a mixer and beat until fluffy.

Add the eggs gradually and beat well. Combine the buttermilk, water and food colouring in a bowl. Fold the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda through the butter mixture, then fold the buttermilk mixture through. Divide the mixture between two 20cm round cake tins lined with baking paper.

Bake for 50 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool cakes on wire racks. Spread the tops of cakes with ganache and sandwich together.

Blueberry banana pancakes

Makes 15

300g plain flour, sifted
3 tsp baking powder, sifted
110g caster sugar
1 egg
310ml milk
185ml buttermilk
75g butter, melted
blueberries and sliced bananas, to serve
maple syrup, to serve

Place the flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl. Place the egg, milk, buttermilk and butter in a separate bowl and whisk until combined. Combine mixtures and whisk until smooth.

Heat a greased medium non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Pour 80ml of the mixture into the pan and cook, in batches, until bubbles appear on the surface. Turn the pancakes and cook for 1 minute or until golden. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

Serve in stacks with blueberries, bananas and maple syrup.

· From 'Chocolate' and 'Fruit' books from the Simple Essentials series by Donna Hay, Fourth Estate, £9.99 each. The books and more Donna Hay Home products are now on sale at Sainsbury's