Blog

How to tell a good vanilla bean… Getting quality vanilla can be long and expensive process. It took me a year of trying different suppliers, preparations, and origins before deciding on the Tahitian vanilla I use now for my classic vanilla ice cream recipe. When looking for quality in a vanilla bean there are few […]

How to Temper Chocolate Tempering is the process of heating and cooling chocolate to improve the consistency, durability and hardness of the chocolate. Once chocolate has been tempered, chocolate has a glossy and firm finish. Because of these changes, tempered chocolate is used to produce the finest confectionery. The process of tempering involves heating the […]

The difference between white and brown sugar What’s the difference between white and brown sugar? A lot of the time when it comes to pastry it is important to know what you can substitute and what the main differences are between them. Mixing different sugars is one of the easiest ways to change the flavour […]

I remember when I started in the kitchen and fluid gels where something everyone had heard of but no one was using. It seemed like a weird bit of molecular gastronomy that represented a shift away from the classic way of doing things. Fast forward 15 years and you find fluid gels on most menus. […]

On this page are links to something I’ve never considered giving out before. A digital copy of my personal recipe book, which updates as I add things to my personal files. In here you will find the recipes that I use day-in-day-out with all of my unfiltered notes and comments as I tweak, add and […]

Honey and Olive Oil Cake Thank you to everyone who commented on Instagram and sent me messages to get the recipes of my honey and olive oil cake. I wasn’t expecting such a reponse so thought it would be easier to lay it out here so I can cover it in as much detail as […]

Good chocolate mousse recipes can be hard to come by. I think that most of the reason for this is that when a mousse is too thin, they will increase the chocolate rather than use gelatine. This create a dense, thick mixture that is more like a delice or ganache. This also isn’t helped by […]

Those of you who have followed me for a while or have done a live class will know that I am a big Valrhona fan. The chocolate may be one of the most expensive on the market, but the quality and depth of flavour you get is second to none in the mainstream market. Valrhona […]

Have you plenty of pumpkin hanging around after Halloween that you don’t know what to do with? Fancy making something tasty the leftovers? Why not try out making a Pumpkin Pie? A great dessert that is easily amended to suit specific needs and flavours, it is easy to make and easily enjoyed! An American Thanksgiving […]

It’s Custard Week in the tent and the bakers put their twist on floating islands in the Signature challenge, tackle a summer staple in the Technical, and make custard the star and basis of a show stopping set gateau. Typically referred to as Crème Moulee in French, custard is an egg-thickened cream which can be […]

This week’s Bake Off took a spooky turn, with contestants dressing up in advance of Halloween celebrations next week, and making Halloween themed bakes for their tasks including a treacherous Technical – making s’mores! S’mores have a complex history, originating back to Ancient Greece when the plant Althaea officinalis (marshmallow to you and I), was […]

This week’s Bake Off episode got back on track with a Dessert theme – and contained a lot of delicious looking dishes! With the contestants making a Lemon Meringue Pie, and a Show Stopper with a ‘Hidden’ Surprise, the episode brought everything from birthday cakes, planets, bees and, of course, booze! Originating back from the […]