ginger sticky baklava orange, walnut and

2021-09-09 -

We’ve combined two of our favourite things in one easy spiced bake: the comfort of an apple crumble with a fluffy sponge underneath. Swap the apples for pears or add a few blackberries dusted in a little flour, or sprinkle flaked almonds or chopped hazelnuts into the crumble topping, if you like.

1 HOUR + COOLING | SERVES 10 | EASY

unsalted butter 200g, softened, plus extra for the tin

golden caster sugar 100g

soft light brown sugar 100g

eggs self-raising flour 200g

vanilla extract 2 tsp

baking powder 1 tsp

ground almonds 100g

soured cream 100g

APPLE COMPOTE

cooking apples 2 medium, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm pieces

eating apples 2, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm pieces

lemon juice 1 tbsp

soft light brown sugar 100g

ground cinnamon 1 tsp

mixed spice ¼ tsp

CRUMBLE

plain flour 100g

unsalted butter 75g, cold and cubed

golden caster sugar 75g

rolled oats 50g

ground cinnamon ½ tsp

mixed spice a pinch

First, make the apple compote. Put all of the ingredients in a pan and cook for 10-12 minutes over a medium-low heat until the eating apples have broken down but the cooking apples are still just holding their shape. Remove from the heat.

For the crumble, rub together the flour and butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, oats, spices and a pinch of salt.

Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter the base and sides of a 30cm x 20cm tin and line with baking paper. Whisk together the butter and sugars in a bowl using an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, alternating with a spoonful of the flour and beating between each addition. Fold in the rest of the flour, the vanilla, baking powder, almonds and soured cream – you should have a thick cake batter that reluctantly drops off a spoon.

Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with a spatula. Dollop over the apple compote, swirling it into the batter in places using the tip of a cutlery knife, then scatter over the crumble mixture. Bake for 50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean and the crumble is golden and crisp. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before serving warm with custard or cream. Keeps in an airtight container for up to three days.

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This rich, fudgy loaf cake is topped with a smooth, creamy ganache and a sprinkling of chilli flakes for a pop of colour and subtle spicy kick.

1 HOUR 10 MINUTES + COOLING | SERVES 8-10 | EASY

butter 175g, softened, plus extra for the tin

golden caster sugar 175g

eggs self-raising flour 175g

baking powder ½ tsp

strong espresso 50ml, cooled

cocoa powder 50g, sifted

dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids) 50g, cut or broken into small pieces

dried chilli flakes

GANACHE

double cream 100g espresso or instant coffee powder 1 tsp

dark chocolate 100g, finely chopped

chilli powder a pinch

sea salt flakes a pinch (optional) ½ tsp, plus extra to serve

Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter a 900g loaf tin and line with a long strip of baking paper, leaving the ends overhanging (this will help you remove the loaf later). Whisk together the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until pale, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Fold in the flour, baking powder, espresso, cocoa, chocolate chunks and chilli flakes. Scrape the batter into the tin and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin.

For the ganache, heat the cream in a small pan with the espresso over a low heat until just steaming. Tip the chocolate into a heatproof bowl, pour over the warm cream mixture and let it stand for 30 seconds. Mix until smooth and glossy. Stir in the chilli powder, taste and add a pinch more, if you like. Cool until thick but still spoonable, then spoon over the cake, letting some ganache drip down the sides. Leave to set for 15 minutes, scatter with a few more chilli flakes and a pinch of sea salt flakes, if using, then slice.

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Stem ginger is a fantastic ingredient to have on hand in autumn, and the syrup from the jar is just as useful as the ginger itself. Here, we use it in the baklava syrup for a gloriously sticky dessert. 1 HOUR + COOLING | SERVES 12 | EASY

walnuts 300g

oranges 2, zested and 1 juiced

ground cinnamon 1 tsp

ground cloves ½ tsp

ground ginger 1 tsp

stem ginger 3-4 balls, finely chopped, plus 50g of syrup from the jar

runny honey 50g

butter 200g, melted

filo pastry 2 x 270g packs

golden caster sugar 250g

Put the walnuts in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (don’t blend to a paste, you want to keep the texture). Tip into a bowl and stir in the orange zest, spices, stem ginger, honey and a pinch of salt.

Brush a little of the melted butter over the base of a 20cm x 30cm baking dish. Halve or trim the filo sheets so they’ll fit the dish, then layer half of the filo into the base, brushing each sheet with the melted butter as you stack the layers. You should have about 10-12 layers in total.

Sprinkle over the chopped nut mixture and gently smooth the surface with a spatula so it reaches the edges. Repeat step 2 with the remaining filo, layering it over the nut mixture. Brush the remaining butter over the top of the baklava. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.

Score squares or a diamond pattern into the top of the baklava using a sharp knife, then chill for 10 minutes to firm up. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until deeply golden and crispy on top.

When the baklava is almost ready, make the syrup. Put the caster sugar and stem ginger syrup in a pan with the orange juice and 200ml of water. Bring to a simmer over a low-medium heat and cook gently for 6-8 minutes or until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is a smooth syrup. When the baklava is cooked, immediately pour over the warm syrup. Cool to room temperature (this will allow the baklava to absorb the syrup), then cut along the scores you made earlier and serve.

ginger sticky baklava orange, walnut and

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