Kate says: “I planted three plum trees when we first moved onto our smallholding. Nothing beats a just-picked plum eaten straight from the tree, but if you’re going to cook them, this is a very fine way to do it. And using ready-made pastry means it is quick and easy too.”

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 100g (3½oz) caster sugar
• 25g (1oz) butter, cubed
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 ripe plums, halved and pitted
• 1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
• ice cream or double cream, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), Gas Mark 7.

Heat an ovenproof frying pan, about 23–28cm (9–11 inches) in size, over a medium heat and sprinkle the sugar into the pan in an even layer. Swirl the pan over the heat for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar has melted and caramelized to a dark golden colour.

Remove the pan from the heat, dot the butter into the pan, sprinkle in the cinnamon and swirl again to mix it together to form a sauce, or use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir.

Place the plums, cut sides down, into the pan, arranging them in a nice pattern and packing them in as tightly as possible.

Cut the pastry into a disc about 2cm (¾ inch) wider than the top of the pan. Place the pastry over the top of the plums, tucking the edges down the sides of the pan to completely cover the plums. Prick the top of the pastry a few times with a fork.

Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and puffed up, then remove from the oven (be very careful as the pan handle will be really hot). Using a butter knife or palette knife, loosen the pastry from the edges of the pan. Carefully, place a large plate upended over the top of the pan, give the pan a little shake to make sure the tart is loosened and then flip the pan over, with the plate held tightly on the top of the pan, so that the tart drops out onto the plate with the plums facing upwards.

Serve with balls of vanilla ice cream, or whipped double cream, and enjoy while warm.

Kate says: “When I suggested we try to make a tart that shamelessly incorporates some of my favourite things into one dish, Pooch was understandably doubtful. But, without wanting to sound too smug, it worked! And because it is neither completely sweet nor completely savoury, it can be eaten in any way you like, at the beginning of a meal as a starter, at the end as a sort of pudding and cheese combined, or as a meal on its own with a salad.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
• 100g (3½oz) hard cheese, such as cheddar, grated
• 2 small eating apples, quartered, cored and finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 50g (1¾oz) walnuts, crumbled
• leaves from 4 thyme sprigs
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6.

Unroll the puff pastry sheet and place onto a baking tray. Sprinkle the cheese over the pastry, leaving a 1cm (½ inch) margin all the way round the pastry. Top with the apples, arranging them in a nice pattern on top of the cheese.

Put the honey into a small bowl, add a tiny bit of hot water and mix into the honey to loosen it to a brushable consistency. Brush the apples with the honey. Sprinkle over the walnuts and season with a little salt and pepper.

Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden all over. Remove from the oven and scatter over the thyme leaves. Leave until cool enough to handle, then cut into slices and serve either hot, warm or at room temperature.

Kate says: “Based on a recipe developed by Head Chef at Byron Burgers, Fred Smith, and inspired by Iris’s idea of using chopped chocolate rather than chips, these cookies are about as indulgent as you can get. You can use any chocolate you like, but I tried them using Solkiki’s miso chocolate and they were out of this world. If you can’t get hold of miso dark chocolate, then use plain dark chocolate and add 2 teaspoons of white miso paste, loosened with 2 teaspoons of warm water, with the eggs, making sure it is well mixed in before adding the flour.”

Makes about 20

Ingredients

• 150g (5½oz) butter, softened
• 300g (10½oz) light soft brown sugar
• 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
• 300g (10½oz) plain flour, sifted
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of sea salt
• 250g (9oz) miso dark chocolate (or see recipe introduction), chopped

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4, and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl with a handheld electric whisk. Once combined, mix in the whole egg and the egg yolk. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and chocolate, then mix in. Roll the cookie dough into balls the size of golf balls and place on the baking trays, spacing them apart to allow for spreading.

Bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes, or until golden but not too browned. Remove from the oven once cooked (the cookies will firm up more once they begin cooling, but will still have a soft middle) and leave on the trays for a couple of minutes to firm up before transferring to a wire rack for cooling.

Eat while warm, or leave to cool and store for up to 3 days in an airtight container.