Lemon Syllabub

Syllabub is a dessert that has been around for centuries. Yes, it sounds fancy, but basically it's just alcohol and cream whipped together to make a soft mousse. It can be used as a topping for a trifle or a pavlova, but this 'everlasting' version is good enough to be eaten on its own with nothing more than an amaretti biscuit alongside!

According to this newspaper cutting from my mother's recipe book, "the syllabub originated in the 17th century when it was made with a bowl of cider, directly into which a cow was milked." This recipe uses white wine, brandy and cream!

juice and rind of 1 lemon

150ml white wine

2 tbsp brandy

70g caster sugar

300ml double cream

sprinkle of nutmeg

The day before, put the lemon rind and juice into a bowl with the wine and brandy. Give it a stir and leave overnight.

The next day, strain the lemon mixture into a large, deep bowl. Add the sugar and stir with a spoon until it has all dissolved.

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Then slowly add the cream, stirring all the time. Now it's time to whisk, either with a balloon whisk or an electric whisk on a slow-speed. This will take about 10-15 minutes.

When it's ready, spoon into individual glasses and top with a shaving of lemon rind.

NB. This will keep for a couple of days in the fridge.

Seville orange marmalade

The taste of Seville orange marmalade is out of this world but the oranges are only in season for a few short weeks at the beginning of the year. So January is the time to make marmalade. Seville oranges are bitter in comparison to ordinary oranges but they are also higher in pectin, making them perfect for preserves. Harvested in Spain from November onwards and shipped during January, the season is short but if, like Paddington Bear, you love marmalade it's worth seeking them out. You can also freeze them for use later in the year.

Marmalade is a bit more complicated to make than jam and takes a bit longer. I've used an Aga recipe that my mother used to follow and tweaked it slightly to make it more user-friendly.

You will need -

1½ kg Seville oranges

juice of 2 lemons

3kg granulated sugar

2 litres of water

First of all, sterilise your jars (you will need about ten) and put a small plate or saucer into the freezer. You will need this when testing for set.

Then, wash the oranges and place the whole fruit into a large saucepan, add the lemon juice, cover with water and bring to the boil. It will need at least 2 hours with the lid on and you can either do this on the hob, or transfer it to a 140ºC oven.

Once the time is up, remove the fruit with a slotted spoon but keep the orange water. When the fruit has cooled, cut them in half and using a spoon, scoop out the flesh, pith and pips. Add this to the orange water. Boil this for about 5 minutes, without the lid on. Then strain through a sieve, pressing the pulp with a wooden spoon to extract all the juice. Leave the sieve to sit over the bowl while you get on with the next bit.

Cut the peel into thin or thick slices, whichever your preference, and put into a large preserving pan along with the sieved orange water and the sugar. Put onto the hob and heat through slowly, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar has dissolved. Then, turn up the heat and boil rapidly for about 15 minutes.

Remove the plate from the freezer and take the pan off the heat. Drop a small amount of the marmalade onto the cold plate and push with your finger. If wrinkles form, it is ready. If you think it needs a bit longer, boil for another five minutes and try again.

When it's done, leave the marmalade in the preserving pan for a short while to cool before potting up - this means the peel is evenly distributed and will not sink to the bottom of the jars or float to the top. I use a tablespoon rather than a ladle to spoon the jam straight into a jam funnel and into the warm jars. Cover immediately and label when cool.

I use this to make marmalade muffins, light in texture and a delicious breakfast treat.

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Apple Jalousie

A jalousie is a crisp puff pastry tart with a sweet fruit filling. Here, I've used the remains of the Christmas mincemeat and a Bramley apple. If you want to leave out the mincemeat, try adding ground cinnamon sprinkled directly on to the apples or add a few blueberries.

In France, a jalousie is a louvre or shuttered window, which is mirrored in the decoration on this scrumptious tart.

375g ready-rolled puff pastry

200g mincemeat

1-2 cooking apples, cored, peeled and thinly sliced

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 220ºC and place a baking tray in the oven to heat through. This will ensure the bottom of your tart is crisp.

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Unroll the pastry onto a board and cut it in half. You should have two pieces about 30cm x 15cm in size.

On the first piece, score a border about 25mm deep around the edge. Spoon the mincemeat into the middle, spreading it out to the edge of the border.

Place the apple slices in overlapping rows onto the mincemeat.

Brush beaten egg around the edges.

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Fold the second piece of pastry in half lengthways and slit through the fold up to 25mm from the edge. Continue all the way along cutting the slits about 5mm apart.

Open out the pastry and place on top of the filling. Using your thumbs, press the edges together to ensure they are sealed (and to prevent leakages) and finally use the back of a small knife to ‘knock’ up the edges. This involves holding the knife vertically against the pastry and tapping at intervals along the side of the tart.

Brush with beaten egg and place on the heated tray. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 190ºC. Cook for a further 10 minutes, remove and, using a sieve, sprinkle with icing sugar. Return to the oven and cook for a further 5-10 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice-cream.

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