CONFECTIONS Bakes from Sweet, the gorgeous new cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh

Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh share three of the best bakes from their gorgeous new cookbook – just in time for Christmas!

Mont Blanc tarts

Named after the snowy mountain they resemble, Mont Blanc tarts – with their white meringue, whipped cream and tan-coloured chestnut purée – can often taste more fabulous than they look, with all that beige and white. We wanted to see if we could improve their visual appeal – bring in some contrast by playing around with the colours, for example – but after various experiments (dark chocolate pastry, a lighter-coloured purée) we were beginning to think that the tried-and-tested route up this particular mountain was the only winning one. It was a moment of pure synchronicity, then, that at one of our weekly pastry meetings there were various things lying around which came together in a flash: some empty tart shells, candied pecans, an open can of chestnut spread. At the same time, Helen and Yotam both grabbed an empty shell, filled it with chestnut spread, spooned over smooth whipped cream and added the element that had been missing – the candied pecans- which brought the crunch and look needed. There’s a metaphor in there, we’re sure, about climbing mountains, and not giving up, and things tasting all the sweeter when you’ve had to work just that little bit harder to earn them.

Makes 8 Flaky pastry

• 200g plain flour

• 120g unsalted butter, fridge-cold, cut into 1cm dice

• 30g castor sugar

• ¼ tsp salt

• ½ tsp white wine vinegar

• 3 tbsp ice-cold water

Candied pecans

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tbsp liquid glucose

• 1 tbsp castor sugar

• 120g pecan halves

• 1/8 tsp flaky sea salt

Filling

• 60g dark cooking chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

• 320g sweetened chestnut spread (we use Clement Faugier; whichever brand you use, just make sure that it is not the unsweetened variety)

Vanilla whipped cream

• 300ml double cream

• 1 tbsp icing sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ½ tsp brandy

1. For the pastry, place the flour, butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Blitz a few times, until it is the consistency of fine breadcrumbs, then add the vinegar and water. Continue to work for a few seconds, then transfer to your work surface. Shape into a ball and flatten into a disc, wrap in clingfilm and set aside in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days).

2. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/Gas Mark 6. To line the tart cases, allow the dough to set at room temperature for 30 minutes (if it has been in the fridge for more than a few hours) and placed on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough to about 3mm thick and cut out 8 circles, 14cm wide. Re-roll the dough, if necessary, to get eight circles. Transfer one circle at a time to 8-9cm wide and 2-3cm deep fluted tins and gently press the pastry into the corners of the tart tin: you want it to fit snugly and for there to be a decent amount of pastry hanging over the edge of the tart case, as the pastry can shrink a little when baked. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

3. To blind bake the tart cases, line the pastry bases with baking parchment or paper liners and fill with baking beans. Bake for 18 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown at the edges. Remove the beans and paper and cook for another 8 minutes, or until the base is golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely in the tray. Once cool, trim the pastry (so that it can be removed from the tray) and set aside until ready to fill.

4. Increase the oven temperature to 210ºC/190ºC fan/Gas Mark 6. Line a baking tray ( with a lipped edge) with baking parchment and set aside.

5. To make the candied pecans, put the maple syrup, glucose and sugar into a small saucepan and place over a low heat. Stir gently until the sugar has melted, then add the pecans and salt. Stir so that the nuts are coated in syrup, then tip the nuts on to the lined baking tray. Place in the oven for about 8 minutes, or until the syrup is bubbling around the nuts. Remove the tray from the oven and set aside until completely cooled. When the nuts are cooled, the glaze should be completely crisp; if not, return them to the oven for a few more minutes. Once cooled, break or roughly chop the nuts into 0.5cm pieces and set aside until ready to use.

6. Make the filling when you are ready to assemble. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure that the base of the bowl is not touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted, then use a pastry brush to line the inside of each case with the chocolate. Set aside for about 30 minutes to set, then fill with enough chestnut spread so that it rises about halfway up the sides of the tart cases.

7. For the vanilla whipped cream, pour the cream into the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment in place. Add the icing sugar, vanilla extract and brandy and whisk on a high speed for 1 minute, or until medium-soft peaks form.

8. Divide the whipped cream between the tarts, so that it is slightly domed on top of the chestnut spread. Sprinkle the candied pecans generously on top – you might have a tablespoon or two left over, but these can be saved to munch on, to sprinkle over your next bowl of breakfast granola or porridge, or to use in the Knickerbocker Glory [not included here] – and serve.

Belinda’s flourless coconut and chocolate cake

Every month or so we gather in the test kitchen with our pastry chefs. It’s an open forum, with the chefs presenting their offerings, which we then taste and discuss. It’s always exciting, as ideas are constantly being improved and implemented. This cake was a product of one of those meetings, brought to the table by Franceska Venzon, herself inspired by Belinda Jeffery’s version of the cake. We’ve played around with the shape – baking it in a loaf tin – and added a chocolate ganache, but the base is all Belinda’s. There’s something about a cake showcasing its flourless-ness or gluten-free nature which can often make its sound a little bit worthy. Unfairly so, in a case like this, where the feeling of eating it is the very opposite of ‘freefrom’: it’s utterly buttery and decadent.

Serves 8

• 200g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing

• 250g castor sugar

• 60g desiccated coconut

• scraped seeds of 1 vanilla pod

• ¼ tsp salt

• 4 large eggs

• 180g ground almonds

Water ganache

• 60g cooking chocolate (70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped into 1cm pieces

• 25g castor sugar

• 25g liquid glucose

• 3 tbsp water

• scraped seeds of ½ vanilla pod

• 200g unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 2cm cubes

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160º fan/Gas Mark 4. Grease the base and sides of 900g loaf tin or 2cm round springform tin and line with baking parchment, then set aside.

2. Place the butter, sugar, desiccated coconut, vanilla and salt in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment in place. Beat on a medium-high speed, until pale and fluffy: about 3 minutes.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low, add the ground almonds and mix until just combined.

4. Scrape the mixture into the cake tin and bake for either 40 minutes if using the loaf tin, or 50 minutes if using the round tin, or until the cake is golden brown on top and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

5. Remove the cake from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin before inverting onto the serving plate. Set aside until completely cool.

6. Make the water ganache when you are ready to serve. Place chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside. Put the sugar and the glucose in a saucepan and place over a medium-low heat. Stir to combine and, when the sugar has melted, increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil, stirring gently from time to time. Continue to boil for about 7 minutes, until the colour is a pale amber. Remove from the heat and carefully pour in the water. Don’t worry if the mix seizes: just return the pan to the heat, add the scraped vanilla seeds and stir gently and continuously until it returns to the boil and the sugar has melted again. Remove from the heat and wait for a minute before pouring the water-caramel over the chocolate. Allow to stand for about 3 minutes, then whisk to combine.

7. Add the butter, a couple of cubes at a time, whisking after each addition.

8. Continue until all the butter has been added, whisking to combine until the consistency is that of golden syrup.

9. Spread the ganache over the top of the cake, letting a little run down the sides.

Cinnamon Pavlova, praline cream and fresh figs

This is a really stunning dessert for a special occasion. It also has a nice element of surprise, as the meringue base is not quite what you might expect: gooey – almost toffee-like – rather than dry and crispy. This is due to the brown sugar in the mix. Combined with the praline cream and fresh figs, it’s absolutely delicious. Pavlova is the dessert to make when you have a bit of time and are feeding people you adore. The recipe calls for flaked almonds but you can easily substitute those with chopped pistachios, as photographed.

Serves 10-12 (It’s quite rich, so the slices are not too big.)

• 20g flaked almonds

• 50g dark cooking chocolate (70% cocoa solids), finely chopped

• 600g fresh figs, cut into 1cm discs

• 3 tbsp honey

Meringue

• 125g egg white (from 3 large eggs)

• 125g castor sugar

• 100g dark muscovado sugar

• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/150ºC fan/Gas Mark 3.

2. Spread out all the almonds (for both the pavlova and the praline, 70g) on a baking tray and toast for 7-8 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven, divide into two piles (20g for the pavlova, 50g for the praline) and set aside to cool.

3. Reduce the oven temperature to 120ºC/100ºC fan/Gas Mark ½. Cover a large baking tray with baking parchment and trace a circle, about 23cm in diameter, on to the paper. Turn the paper so the drawn-on side is facing down but still visible.

4. First make the meringue. Pour enough water into a medium saucepan so that is rises a quarter of the way up the sides: you want the bowl from your electric mixer to be able to sit over the saucepan without touching the water. Bring the water to a boil. Place egg whites and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk by hand to combine. Reduce the heat under the saucepan so the water is just simmering, then set the mixer bowl over the pan, making sure the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl. Whisk egg whites continuously by hand until they are warm, frothy and the sugar is melted, about 4 min, then transfer back to electric mixer with the whisk attachment in place and whisk on high speed for about 5 min, until the meringue is cool, stiff and glossy. Add the cinnamon; whisk to combine.

5. Spread the meringue inside the drawn circle, creating a nest by making the sides a little higher than the centre. Place in the oven and bake for 3 hours, then switch off the oven but leave the meringues inside until they are completely cool: this will take about 2 hours. Once cool, remove from the oven and set aside.

6. Place the chocolate into a small heatproof bowl and set it over a small saucepan of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl is not touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted. Cool slightly, then brush the chocolate inside the meringue nest, leaving the top and the sides bare. Do this gently, as the meringue is fairly delicate. Leave to set for about 2 hours.

7. Make the praline. Place 50g toasted almonds on a parchmentlined baking tray (with a lipped edge) and set aside. Put the sugar and water into a small saucepan and place over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar has melted. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until it turns a dark golden brown. Pour the caramel over the nuts (don’t worry if they’re not all covered) and leave until completely cool and set. Once cool, transfer the praline to the small bowl of a food processor and blitz until fine.

8. Place the cream, mascarpone and blitzed praline in a large bowl and whisk for about 1 minute, until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-whisk here – it doesn’t take much to thicken up – or it will split. If this begins to happen, use a spatula to fold a little more cream into the mix to bring it back together. Refrigerate until needed.

9. To assemble, spoon the cream into the centre of the meringue and top with the figs. Warm the honey in a small saucepan and stir through the 20g almonds (or pistachios, as pictured). Drizzle these over the figs, and serve.