Spread a layer of frangipane evenly over the pastry round, leaving the glazed border clear. Drain the pears and dab dry with paper towels, then arrange on top in a concentric circle. Sift a little confectioners' sugar over the pears. Bake until the pears are tender and the filling is golden brown and set, 3545 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and let cool slightly. If you like, brush the pears with the sugar syrup left in the bowl.

Autumn fruit salad with thyme and ginger You could also serve this as a light and healthy dessert or as part of a buffet brunch. Put out a large bowl of yogurt to serve alongside, if you wish.

SERVES 4 4.

34 ripe plums 1 red apple 1 green apple 2 ripe pears Thyme and ginger syrup: 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise 1 star anise teaspoon coriander seeds few sprigs of fresh thyme 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced cup sugar cup water

Begin by making the thyme and ginger syrup: Sc.r.a.pe the seeds from the vanilla bean and put in a pan with the bean and the remaining syrup ingredients. Stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat to a simmer and cook until the syrup has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the plums in half and remove the pits. Quarter the apples and pears and remove the cores. Place all the fruit in a large bowl. While the syrup is still piping hot, pour it over the fruit and toss well to coat. Let cool, then macerate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Strawberry and champagne granita A sophisticated and refreshing dessert for hot days. To make it child-friendly, use cranberry juice in place of champagne and top with a little cold milk to make a milky strawberry slush. Stick a wide straw into each gla.s.s to complete. The granita will also serve well as a refreshing palate-cleanser between courses.

SERVES 46 46 2 pounds ripe strawberries, plus a handful for garnish 2/3 cup sugar cup sugar 3 tablespoons water 1/3 cup champagne, plus optional extra for serving cup champagne, plus optional extra for serving 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Hull and roughly chop the strawberries, then put them into a large heatproof bowl. Stir in the sugar and water. Set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and stir frequently to help dissolve the sugar. Carefully cover the bowl with a plate (or the lid of a saucepan) and gently steam until the strawberries are very soft and have released their juices, 3040 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the heat and strain the strawberry juice through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. Let cool, then mix in the champagne and lemon juice. Pour the mixture into a wide, shallow container and freeze until partially frozen, 12 hours.

Stir the ice crystals around the sides of the container into the liquid center. Return to the freezer and freeze for 12 hours longer, then give the mixture another stir as before.

When ready to serve, hull a few strawberries and cut into quarters. Drop them into individual serving gla.s.ses. Sc.r.a.pe the granita with a strong spoon and pile into the gla.s.ses over the strawberries. If you wish, pour in a splash of champagne and serve immediately.Caramelized apple pie I love the flavor of caramelized apples in a tarte Tatin tarte Tatin, and this is a way of bringing that flavor into a cla.s.sic apple pie. Because the apples are precooked, they won't shrink during baking and create air pockets inside the pie. I like to serve the pie while it's still warm, either with cream or vanilla ice cream.

SERVES 8 8.

cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling teaspoon ground cinnamon pinch of freshly grated nutmeg 4 large, tart cooking apples, about 3 pounds in total 4 tablespoons ( stick) unsalted b.u.t.ter 1 pound, or 1 recipe, sweet tart pastry (see Chapter 9) 1 extra-large egg yolk, beaten with 2 teaspoons water, for egg wash

Start by preparing the caramelized apple filling. Mix the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Peel, quarter, and core the apples, then cut into thick chunks. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with the spiced sugar to coat. Fry the apples in two batches: Melt half the b.u.t.ter in a wide, nonstick frying pan, add half the apple chunks, and fry over high heat until golden and caramelized around the edges, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining apples and b.u.t.ter. Let cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Roll out about half of the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 1 1/8-inch thickness. Overturn an 8-inch pie pan on top of the pastry and cut out a rough circle slightly bigger than the pan. Line the pan with the pastry, lightly pressing down to remove any air pockets, then trim off the excess pastry. Roll out the remaining pastry into another circle, again slightly larger than the pan, for the top crust.

Spoon the cooled apples evenly into the pie sh.e.l.l. Brush the rim of the bottom crust with a little water, then drape the top crust over the pie. Press down lightly to seal and trim off the excess pastry. Crimp the edges and brush the top with the egg wash to glaze. Use the tip of a knife to cut a small cross in the center so that steam can escape during cooking. Sprinkle with a little sugar.

Bake until the crust is golden brown and crisp, 3540 minutes. Let stand for 1520 minutes before serving.

Summer berry trifle These pretty little trifles appeal to any age group-it all depends on what style of serving gla.s.s you use. The only specification I give is that the gla.s.ses must be crystal clear, so they show off the red berries against the cool and pale layers of creamy custard. To add a little crunch, sprinkle the filled gla.s.ses with lightly crushed amaretti cookies before you top with the remaining fruit.

SERVES 8 8.

Custard: 2 cups whole milk 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise scant cup granulated sugar 6 extra-large egg yolks 5 tablespoons cornstarch 2/3 cup heavy cream cup heavy cream Trifle: 5 ounces each strawberries, raspberries, and red currants stripped from stems (about 1 heaped cup each), plus 8 small sprays of red currants on their stems 1 tablespoon creme de ca.s.sis 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, or to taste

Put the milk into a saucepan. Sc.r.a.pe the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the milk along with the bean and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining sugar together in a bowl. Slowly pour in the hot milk, stirring all the time to prevent the eggs from scrambling. When fully incorporated, rinse out the pan. Strain the custard mixture back into the clean pan and return to low heat. Whisk until the custard thickens-this usually occurs just before simmering point. Transfer to a bowl and let cool, stirring every once in a while to prevent a skin from forming.

Once the custard has cooled, whip the cream into soft peaks and fold into the custard to lighten it. Chill for a few hours, or overnight if preparing in advance.

Cut four attractive strawberries into quarters and set aside with the sprays of red currants. Put the rest of the strawberries, the raspberries, and stripped red currants into a large bowl along with the creme de ca.s.sis and confectioners' sugar. Crush the fruit with a potato masher or a large fork to get a compote-like texture.

To a.s.semble the trifles, spoon some custard into eight small dessert gla.s.ses, to fill the bottom third. Spoon a layer of fruit into each serving gla.s.s, then top with the remaining custard. If you have any left, spoon a little juice from the crushed fruit over the custard, then garnish with the reserved strawberry quarters and red-currant sprays.Peach, raspberry, and ginger crumble A little stem ginger lifts the flavors of the fruit in this crumble, which is similar to a fruit crisp. The best way to eat it is warm from the oven, with a generous scoop of cold vanilla or ginger ice cream (see Chapter 7).

SERVES 46 46 Filling: b.u.t.ter for greasing 8 firm but ripe peaches, about 1 pounds in total 8 ounces raspberries (about 2 cups) 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons creme de peche (or confectioners' sugar) 2 pieces of stem ginger in syrup, drained and minced Crumble topping: 1/3 cup all-purpose flour cup all-purpose flour pinch of fine sea salt 3 tablespoons b.u.t.ter, diced scant cup rolled oats cup Demerara or Turbinado sugar teaspoon ground cinnamon cup slivered almonds or crushed hazelnuts

Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly b.u.t.ter a wide 6-cup baking dish and set aside.

Halve the peaches, remove the pits, and cut into wedges. Place in a large bowl and gently toss with the raspberries, lemon juice, creme de peche, and stem ginger. Spread the fruit evenly in the prepared baking dish and set aside.

To make the crumble topping, put the flour and salt into a bowl and add the diced b.u.t.ter. Rub the b.u.t.ter into the flour until the mixture resembles coa.r.s.e bread crumbs. Stir in the oats, sugar, cinnamon, and nuts. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the peaches and raspberries.

Bake until the topping is golden brown and the fruit underneath is soft, 2025 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Baked gooseberries with honey and almonds Tart gooseberries need sugar and a touch of cream to balance out their acidity. This effortless recipe takes 10 or 15 minutes to make, and most of that time is spent tr.i.m.m.i.n.g the gooseberries. When fresh gooseberries are not available, use thawed frozen gooseberries, or subst.i.tute other berries or fruits such as plums or peaches.

SERVES 4 4.

2 tablespoons b.u.t.ter, cut into small pieces, plus extra for greasing 1 pounds gooseberries (about 4 cups) 11 tablespoons sugar cup sliced almonds clear honey for drizzling whipped cream for serving

Preheat the oven to 400F and lightly b.u.t.ter four individual baking dishes. Trim the ends from the gooseberries, then divide among the baking dishes. Sprinkle with a little sugar and scatter the almonds over the top. Drizzle with a little honey. Dot a few small pieces of b.u.t.ter over the almonds and gooseberries.

Bake until the gooseberries are soft and have started to burst, 2530 minutes. The sliced almonds will be golden brown and caramelized. Remove the baking dishes from the oven and let cool slightly, then serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream.Fig ice cream If you make this ice cream using black figs, it comes out a pretty shade of light purple. Creamy and luscious, the ice cream makes the perfect accompaniment to a pecan tart, or simply serve it with a bowl of fresh figs drizzled with honey.

SERVES 8 8.

16 fresh figs in season (or about 8 dried figs) 2/3 cup sugar cup sugar cup water finely grated zest of 1 lemon 2 cups heavy cream 34 tablespoons lemon juice

Trim off the stems from the top of each fig, then cut lengthwise into eighths. Put the figs in a saucepan with the sugar, water, and lemon zest. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid has reduced to a syrup and the figs have broken down to a jam texture, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wide bowl and let cool completely.

To make the ice cream base, put the cooked figs into a blender and pour in the cream and lemon juice to taste. Blitz until smooth. Stop the machine as soon as the mixture starts to thicken and increase in volume. Sc.r.a.pe into an ice-cream maker and churn until almost firm. Scoop into a suitable container and freeze until firm.

Remove the ice cream from the freezer about 1015 minutes before serving to let it soften a little.

Cinnamon rice pudding with apricot compote Rice pudding is pure comfort food. I really enjoy a bowl of warm rice pudding in the winter, and it is equally good served chilled in the summer, with fresh fruit compote. The pudding tends to set when cold, so loosen the consistency with a splash of milk or a little extra cream right before serving. Any extra compote would be great with breakfast muesli.

SERVES 6, 6, WITH EXTRA COMPOTE WITH EXTRA COMPOTE.

Rice pudding: 1 cup short-grain rice 2 cups whole milk pinch of fine sea salt cup sugar 1 cinnamon stick 1 cup light cream, plus optional extra for serving Apricot compote: 1 pound ripe apricots 2 tablespoons b.u.t.ter 34 tablespoons sugar 2 star anise 1 cinnamon stick