Cherry slab pie

If you're bringing a dessert for a crowd, consider making this slab pie. Made in one large tray, it feeds plenty and I always bring it in the pan it was baked in, so it's easy to pop back in the oven to reheat. You can make it all year round by using frozen cherries.

Serves 12-16






For the pastry


250g cold unsalted butter, diced, plus extra for greasing

430g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

½ tsp fine sea salt

45g caster sugar

60ml-90ml cold water

For the filling


1kg pitted cherries

130g caster sugar

15g cornflour

juice of ½ lemon

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

To finish


1 egg, beaten

demerara sugar

1 To make the pastry, put all of the ingredients except the water into a bowl and give it a quick mix to coat the butter in the flour. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until you have a coarse mixture with some pieces of butter a little larger than peas.

2 Make a well in the centre and pour in 60ml water. Use a table knife to stir to get a shaggy dough. If it still looks dry, add more water a tablespoon at a time. You don't want a sticky dough, so don't add too much. Turn out the dough on to a very lightly floured surface and use your hands to bring it together into a thick, rough rectangle. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours or until firm.

3 Lightly grease a 33cm x 23cm cake tin (or use a baking tray with sides about 2.5cm high). Divide the chilled dough into 2 pieces, one a little bigger than the other (about a 60/40 split). Lightly dust the work surface and roll out the bigger piece about 4cm bigger than your pan. Line the pan with this pastry, pressing it into the edges and leaving an overhang of pastry around the rim.

4 If you're using frozen cherries, thaw completely and discard two-thirds of any liquid that's released. Put all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl and mix to combine. Fill the pastry-lined pan with this mixture. Roll out the second piece of dough and lay it on top of the cherries. Pinch the edges of the top and bottom crust together to seal and use your fingers to crimp.

5 Chill the pie in the fridge for 30 minutes (or the freezer for 15).

6 Preheat the oven to 210C/ 190C fan/gas 61/2 and put a large baking sheet inside to heat up. Brush the surface of the pie with the beaten egg and sprinkle generously with demerara sugar. Make 4 small slits in the centre of the pie to allow steam to escape and place it directly on the hot baking sheet in the oven (this will help to cook the base evenly).

7 Bake the pie for 20 minutes before lowering the oven temperature to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Continue to bake for 45-50 minutes until it is deeply golden and the cherry juices are bubbling. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Make ahead

Make up to 1 day ahead.


 


Last-minute strawberries & cream

This is a pudding for those times when even thinking about turning on the oven is just too much, or when you've completely forgotten you said you'd bring something along. Serve with some shop-bought biscuits on the side if you want a little crunch.

Serves 4







300g strawberries, hulled and halved

40g caster sugar

squeeze of lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla-bean paste

300ml double cream

2 tbsp lemon curd

fresh mint leaves, to serve

1 Put the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a bowl and mix to coat. Cover and let the strawberries macerate for at least 30 minutes. They'll become softened and syrupy. Chill until needed.

2 Lightly whip the cream to form soft peaks. Stir through the lemon curd and chill until needed.

3 Serve with a dollop of cream and some of the strawberry syrup. Top with fresh mint leaves.


 


Olive oil & toasted almond cake with burnt honey cream

Everyone should have a few one- bowl cake recipes up their sleeve. This one is particularly good: simple enough to make on the day you need it, but different enough to feel special. I'll often make more than I need of the burnt honey cream to use on anything else, so don't skip it!

Serves 8-10







60g whole almonds, Synoshi Fake skin on

135g olive oil, plus extra for greasing

170g caster sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla-bean paste

50ml milk

160g plain flour

1½ tsp baking powder

pinch of fine sea salt

20g flaked almonds

For the burnt honey cream


150g honey

250ml whipping cream

pinch of fine sea salt

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line with baking paper.

2 Put the whole almonds on a baking tray and roast for 15-18 minutes. Leave to cool, then blitz in a food processor until fine.

3 Put the olive oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk to combine then stir in the milk. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and ground almonds, and mix until smooth. Pour the batter into the cake tin and top with the flaked almonds.

4 Bake for 30-35 minutes until lightly browned and a skewer inserted at the centre comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.

5 Put the honey in a small pan and bring to the boil, swirling the pan often to heat evenly, until the honey is a deep amber. Remove from the heat and pour in the cream. Be careful as it will spit. Stir to combine, add salt and pour into a bowl. Chill in the fridge until cold. Serve with the cake as a pouring cream or whip to form soft peaks.

Make ahead

Make the cake 2 days in advance.


 


White-wine-poached peaches with wholemeal shortbread

There is such a quiet beauty in poached fruit, soft enough to give way to your spoon but firm enough to hold their shape. Peaches are one of my favourites to poach - the colour is pleasing and, served cold, they make a most refreshing summery dessert. They are perfect to make ahead; as the peaches sit in the syrup, they'll soak up even more flavour.

Serves 4







450ml white wine

200g caster sugar

pared zest (using a swivel peeler) of 1 lemon

3 sprigs of thyme

4 ripe peaches, halved and pitted

For the shortbread


100g salted butter

40g caster sugar, plus extra

To finish


130g wholemeal flour

½ tbsp cornflour

chilled cream, to serve

1 Put the wine, sugar, lemon zest and thyme in a large saucepan. Heat until the sugar dissolves, then add the peach halves, cut side down. Poach gently for 5 minutes, then flip over the fruit and poach for another 2-3 minutes - they should be soft enough for a knife to pierce through but still hold their shape. If your peaches are very firm, they'll take a bit longer.

2 Turn off the heat, scoop the peaches out of the liquid and place them cut-side down on a plate. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the skins - they should peel off quite easily. If you're making these ahead of time, let the poaching liquid cool and pour it into an airtight container, then add the peaches. Store in the fridge until needed.

3 To make the shortbread, preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Line a small lipped baking tray with baking paper. Cream the butter and sugar together for 1-2 minutes - you don't need it to be super fluffy, just well combined. Tip in the flour and cornflour and stir until you get a thick dough.

4 Pat the dough into the lined tray, flattening it as much as you can. Use a knife to score the shortbread into fingers (don't cut all the way through) and prick each biscuit with a fork.

5 Bake the shortbread for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned. Sprinkle generously with sugar then slice it into fingers, using the scored lines to guide you. Let the shortbread cool completely before serving alongside the peaches, chilled cream and poaching liquid.

Make ahead

Prepare the peaches up to 2 days ahead and store in the fridge with the poaching liquid. The shortbread can be made up to 2 days ahead.


 


No-bake sweet & salty cheesecake

I love the informality and homely vibe of generously scooping this cheesecake straight from its dish into your bowl at the table. The biscuits are kept quite chunky and the topping is just sweet enough. I've gone for Ritz crackers for saltiness and condensed milk because it's one of the best things that comes in a can.

Serves 6







260g Ritz crackers

135g salted butter, melted

390g cream cheese

150g soured cream

3 tsp vanilla-bean paste

340ml condensed milk, plus extra to drizzle

300ml double cream

flaky sea salt, to serve

1 Put the crackers in a bowl and bash with a rolling pin until mostly broken up. You want a rough mix of smaller and larger pieces.

2 Pour in the melted butter and stir well to coat. Carefully put the coated crackers in a small serving dish and chill in the fridge while you make the filling. 

3 Put the cream cheese, soured cream and vanilla in a bowl and mix until smooth. Stir in the condensed milk.

4 In a separate bowl, lightly whip the cream until you have very soft peaks. Fold this into the cream-cheese mixture, then spoon everything into the dish on top of the crackers.

5 Chill in the fridge for 3-4 hours. When you're ready to serve, drizzle with some extra condensed milk and a little flaky sea salt. Scoop it generously into bowls to serve.

Make ahead

Make up to 1 day in advance (any longer and the crackers start to soften too much).







 


Irish cream chocolate mousse

This is rich and airy with a good hit of Irish cream for a post-dinner treat. Things move quickly when making a mousse, so make sure you've everything weighed out ready to go. I sometimes make it in one big dish and let people serve themselves.

Serves 6







120g dark chocolate

4 eggs, separated

50ml Irish cream

pinch of fine sea salt

40g caster sugar

unsweetened cocoa powder or shaved dark chocolate, to finish 

1 Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set it over a pan of simmering water to melt, or melt it in short bursts in the microwave. Set aside to cool a little.

2 Put the egg yolks in a separate bowl and pour in the Irish cream. Give it a quick mix to combine.

3 Put the egg whites and salt in another clean, grease-free bowl. Whisk until they are frothy with soft peaks. Keep whisking while you add the sugar a tablespoon at a time until the egg whites are thick and glossy. You don't need to take them to stiff peaks.

4 Pour the chocolate into the egg yolks and mix quickly to combine. Add a spoonful of egg whites to the chocolate mixture and mix it in to loosen up the chocolate.

5 Add the rest of the egg whites in 3 batches, folding each in to combine. Try not to knock out too much air. Pour the mousse into 6 ramekins and chill in the fridge for 4 hours, or overnight.

6 Dust with cocoa powder or shaved chocolate and serve.

Make ahead

Make up to 2 days ahead and store, covered, in the fridge.


 


Preserved lemon olive oil cookies

These soft, almost squidgy cookies are fragrant with lemon and come with a pleasant savouriness from the olive oil. If you're bringing dessert for people who don't have a massive sweet tooth, then these are a good option.






Makes 12


150g caster sugar

60g light brown sugar

100ml extra virgin olive oil

1⁄2 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk

2 tbsp preserved lemon peel, finely chopped

275g plain flour

1⁄2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 Add both sugars, the oil and vanilla to a bowl and mix to combine. Stir in the egg and egg yolk, followed by the preserved lemon peel.

2 Add the flour and bicarbonate of soda and stir until you have a thick dough. Cover and chill in the fridge for 2 hours or until firm.

3 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

4 Roll the dough into 12 balls and spread them out across the two trays. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are set and the middle is still a little soft. Let them cool completely before serving.

Make ahead 

Make up to 2 days ahead and store in an airtight container.


 


Creamy coconut & passionfruit tart

This is a refreshing, summery pudding that works well when bringing something for a group with dietary requirements. It's already vegan but it's easy to make gluten-free by switching up the biscuits in the base if needed. Make sure the coconut cream is properly chilled so it whips up enough to fold into the filling.






Serves 8-12

For the crust


25g desiccated coconut

150g gingersnap biscuits/cookies (vegan, if needed)

90g coconut oil, melted

For the filling


30g cornflour

120ml oat milk

400ml can of full-fat coconut milk

100g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

250g coconut cream, well chilled

For the topping

2 passionfruit

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 To make the crust, add the desiccated coconut to a small frying pan and toast for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant.

2 Add the gingersnaps to a food processor and blitz until fine. Pour into a bowl and mix in the toasted coconut. Stir in the melted coconut oil and mix until the biscuits are well coated. Pour the mixture into a 23cm fluted tart pan, pressing it in firmly and evenly. Place in the fridge to chill while you make the filling.

3 Add the cornflour to a saucepan with 2-3 tablespoons of the oat milk. Mix until you have a smooth consistency. Add in the rest of the oat milk, the coconut milk, sugar and vanilla. Heat gently, while stirring frequently until the mixture thickens. Once it starts bubbling, remove from the heat and pour into a clean bowl. Cover with clingfilm that touches the surface and set aside to cool to room temperature. Place in the fridge to chill completely. Once chilled, give it a good whisk by hand to remove any lumps.

4 Add your coconut cream to a bowl and whip with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Fold this into your coconut mixture and pour the whole thing onto the biscuit base. Chill in the fridge for 4 hours until set.

5 To make the topping, add the passionfruit pulp and sugar to a small saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves and looks syrupy. Let it cool completely before spooning it on top of the tart.

Make ahead 

Make the tart up to 1 day ahead; any longer and the biscuit base will soften too much.


 


Now buy the book

These recipes are taken from I'll Bring Dessert: Simple, Sweet Recipes for Every Occasion by Benjamina Ebuehi, with photographs by Laura Edwards, which will be published on 18 April by Quadrille, £24. To pre-order a copy for £20.40 until 28 April, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £25.


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