Ingredients:

• 350g butter
• 350g caster sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 350g self raising flour
• 8 drops vanilla extract
• Jam to finish (usually strawberry, but I used home made plum jam)

Here is an extra tip for you:

I like to keep vanilla pods in my caster sugar jar.  This gi...

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon, juiced
• 3 ripe pears, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons of marsala
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla paste
• 285ml double cream
• 4 large egg yolks
• 170g caster sugar

Here’s what you do:

Step 1 - Pour the lemon juice into a saucepan with...

Ingredients:

• 4 large egg whites
• 225g caster sugar
• 110g hazelnuts
• 1 pint cream
• 200g dark chocolate

Here are some extra tips for you:

I like to keep vanilla pods in my caster sugar jar.  This gives the sugar a nice gentle vanilla flavour.  The pods last for years...

Ingredients:

• 3 large lemons
• 250g granulated sugar
• 250 ml tonic water
• 1 egg white
• 15 - 30 ml gin (optional, but worth it)

Here’s what you do:

Step 1 - Scrub the lemons and then strip the zest from them and squeeze the juice out.

Step 2 - Put the lemon juice an...

Ingredients:

Tart base:

• 150g plain flour with extra for rolling
• 1 level tablespoon of cocoa powder (I like the Green & Black’s one)
• 50g icing sugar
• 1 large egg

Pear poaching

• 250 ml of white wine from a carton (you can use red wine of you prefer, but it doesn’t...