Clementine Almond Ginger Cream Food

STICKY CLEMENTINE & GINGER PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Juice one of the clementines and set aside. Peel the other two, reserving the peel. Slice the clementines into thick rounds. Using a teaspoon, scrape away the pith from the reserved peel, then finely chop the peel.
• Grease 6 individual pudding basins, drizzle 1 tbsp golden syrup into each, add a slice of clementine, then set aside.
• In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until pale, then add the eggs. Fold in the flour, almonds, ground ginger and chopped peel, then fold through the juice and chopped ginger. Divide the mixture between the basins, then cover each tightly with a greased hat or foil.
• Place the puddings in a roasting tray, half fill the tray with boiling water from the kettle, then cook in the oven for 30 mins until puffed up. The puddings can be made up to 2 days ahead and reheated in a steamer or in the microwave. Turn out onto plates and serve with cream or custard.

LITTLE CLEMENTINE & CRANBERRY SYRUP CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease 8 ovenproof dariole moulds and line the bases with a disk of baking parchment. Sprinkle each slice of clementine with a little sugar and place 1 in the bottom of each dariole, line up on a baking tray and set aside.
• Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Mix with an electric hand whisk until smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until well incorporated. Add the flour, almonds and baking powder, whisk until smooth, then add the zest, milk and cranberries. Give everything a good final mix with a spatula, then divide the mixture between your dariole moulds. Bake for 30 mins until risen, golden, and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in their tins for 10-15 mins while you make the syrup.
• Heat the clementine juice, orange liqueur and sugar in a small pan, swirling until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and boil for a few mins, until the liquid has reduced by about half. Pour into a shallow dish and leave to cool for 5 mins.
• When cool enough to handle, turn the cakes out of their tins and peel away the parchment. Stand in the dish of syrup, spooning it over the little cakes until completely absorbed. Transfer the cakes to a baking parchment-lined tray and leave to cool completely before serving with stem ginger cream (see tip below for recipe).

GINGER AND ALMOND BARS

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line the pan with baking parchment, letting the parchment hang over the sides. (This will make it easier to remove the dessert once baked.)
• Prepare the base:
• In the saucepan, melt the butter. Add the almond meal, fresh ginger, honey, egg, salt, and vanilla. Stir until well combined. The mixture should be thick and sticky.
• Turn the mixture out into the prepared pan. To help make a level and even base, place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the base. Using a flat-bottomed glass (or your fingers), smooth out the base by pressing gently to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Remove and discard the plastic wrap. Bake until the base is slightly firm, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the topping:
• In the same saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the almonds, candied ginger, honey, salt, and vanilla. Stir just until the ingredients are incorporated.
• When the base is baked, spread the topping evenly over the base and bake until the topping is dark and sizzling, 12 to 15 minutes. Do not underbake.
• Transfer the pan to the baking rack to cool. When the dessert is completely cool, remove it from the pan using the overhanging parchment as handles and cut it into 16 even squares.
• Do Ahead
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
• Variation:
• Chestnut Honey Squares: For the base, replace 1 cup (90g) almond meal with 3/4 cup (120 g) unbleached, all-purpose flour and use a strong honey, such as chestnut, in place of the mild honey. For the topping, replace the candied ginger with organic candied orange or lemon peel, cut into tiny cubes.