Panettone Bread & Butter Pudding

Serves 4

50g butter, softened (optional)
250g panettone (about 5 medium slices)
2 eggs
142ml carton double cream
225ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp caster sugar
icing sugar, for sprinkling
softly whipped cream, to serve

1.Preheat the oven to 160C/gas 3/fan 140C and grease a 850ml/1½ pint shallow baking dish with a little butter. Cut the panettone into wedges, leaving the crusts on. Butter the slices lightly with the rest of the butter. Cut the slices in half and arrange them in the dish, buttered side up.

2.In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, vanilla extract and sugar and pour evenly over the panettone.

3.Put the dish in a roasting tin and pour hot water around it to a depth of about 2.5cm/1in. Bake for 35 minutes until the pudding is just set - it should be yellow inside and nicely browned on top. Dust with icing sugar and serve with spoonfuls of whipped cream.

(Good Food magazine, January 2003)

Lime meringue pie

Serves 8

Gingernuts 300g
Butter 100g, melted
Condensed milk 397g tin
Eggs 3 yolks
Limes 4, juice and zested
Egg whites 3
Golden caster sugar 165g

1. Heat the oven to gas mark 3. Whizz the biscuits to crumbs in a food processor.

2. Mix the biscuits with the melted butter and press into the base and up the sides of a 22cm shallow tart tin. Bake in the oven for 10mins then cool.

3. Put the egg yolks in a large bowl and whisk for a minute with electric beaters. Add the condensed milk and whisk for 3 mins then add the zest and juice and whisk again for another 3 mins. Pour the filling into the cooled base then put back in the oven for 15 mins. Cool then chill.

4. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl to firm peaks, then whick in the sugar, a little at a time, until the meringue is thick and glossy. Pile into the middle of the pie then lightly brown the meringue with a blow torch to give a pale golden highlight on the peaks.

Nutrition per serving:
530kcals, protein 8.3g, carbs 74g, fat 22.2g, sat fat 12.5g, fibre 0.5g, salt 0.7g

(Olive Magazine - March 2013)

Classic Pancakes

Makes 8

100g plain flour
1 large egg
300ml milk
oil or melted butter, for frying

1.Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre with the back of a spoon then break in the egg and pour in half the milk. Whisk together, gradually incorporating the flour to make a smooth thick batter. Beat thoroughly to remove any lumps, then stir in the rest of the milk.

2.Heat a little oil or butter in a medium frying pan, then tip off the excess into a bowl. Pour about 2 tablespoons of batter into the pan, tilting the pan as you pour, until the batter thinly coats the base. Cook over a moderate heat for 30 seconds to one minute until golden brown on the underside.

3.Flip over the pancake with a palette knife, and cook the other side until it is golden brown. Slide the pancake out of the pan on to a plate, heat a little more oil or butter and cook the remaining pancakes one at a time in the same way.

4.If preparing in advance, cook and stack the pancakes. Reheat in the microwave on Medium (750W) for about 2 minutes. Alternatively, heat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C. Wrap the pancakes in foil and warm them through in the oven for 10 minutes.

Nutrition per serving: 117 kcalories, protein 3g, carbohydrate 12g, fat 7 g, saturated fat 4g, fibre 0g, salt 0.2 g

(Good Food magazine, March 2003)