Benjamina says: “A dessert book without a recipe for tiramisù wouldn’t be a very good dessert book at all. This may just be my favourite dessert of all time and is by far one of my most made when I’ve been asked to bring something. Now, there are hundreds and thousands of tiramisù recipes available and mine isn’t necessarily super traditional, but it’s exactly how

“I love it. Rich, almost custard-like mascarpone, a good hit of coffee, just enough alcohol to know it’s there but not to overpower, and a very generous dusting of cocoa powder to finish.

“This isn’t a last-minute dessert, so a bit of forward planning is a must. It needs time to sit overnight for everything to settle and mingle together. It should be just soft enough to scoop and spoon into bowls, barely holding its own weight but not sloppy. Never sloppy. I could go on and on about this one but if you need to bring dessert and are not sure where to start, this will always be a winner.”

Serves 10–12

Ingredients

• 5 egg yolks
• 80g caster (superfine) sugar
• 500g mascarpone
• 250ml double (heavy) cream
• 60ml sweet Marsala or dark rum
• 350ml strong brewed coffee
• 90ml coffee liqueur
• 26 savoiardi biscuits or lady fingers
• unsweetened cocoa powder, to finish

Method

Add the egg yolks and sugar to a large bowl and whisk on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes until they are thick and pale.

Add in the mascarpone in 4 batches, whisking well after each addition and making sure you don’t have any lumps.

In a separate bowl, lightly whip the cream until you just have soft peaks. Gently fold this into the egg mixture to combine. Fold in the marsala and set aside until needed.

Add your coffee to a large, shallow dish and stir in the coffee liqueur. Dip the savoiardi biscuits in one at time – make sure both sides get a dip in the coffee but be fairly quick. If you leave them any longer than about 5 seconds they’ll start to fall apart.

Arrange a layer of the soaked biscuits on the bottom of your dish. You may have to break some in half to fill in any gaps. Spoon half of the mascarpone mixture on top and smooth it out with a palette knife.

Repeat with another layer of soaked biscuits and then top with the remaining mascarpone, smoothing the surface. Lightly cover with some plastic wrap and chill in the fridge overnight. If you don’t have that long, then let it chill for at least 6 hours, but overnight is best.

When you’re ready to serve, dust the top of the tiramisu well with cocoa powder and spoon generous servings into bowls.

Make ahead:

Definitely! Make at least one day ahead and up to two. Store in the fridge as directed in the recipe.

Benjamina says: “If you’re a proper chocolate lover, then having a good mousse recipe up your sleeve is a must. This is rich and airy with a good hit of Irish cream for a post dinner treat. There are so few ingredients in this that now is a good time to crack out the good chocolate.

“Things move quickly when making a mousse, so make sure you’ve got everything weighed out ready to go. As it is quite rich, I sometimes also make this in one big dish instead of ramekins, and let everyone serve themselves with as much or as little as they want.”

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 120g dark chocolate
• 4 eggs, separated
• 50ml Irish cream
• pinch of fine sea salt
• 40g caster (superfine) sugar
• unsweetened cocoa powder or shaved dark chocolate, to finish

Method

Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl and set it over a pan of simmering water to melt. Alternatively, melt it in short bursts in the microwave. Set aside to cool a little.

Add the egg yolks to a separate bowl and pour in the Irish cream. Give it a quick mix to combine.

Add the egg whites and salt to another clean, grease-free bowl. Start whisking until they are frothy with soft peaks. Keep whisking while you add in the sugar a tablespoon at a time and the egg whites are thickened and glossy. You don’t need to take them all the way to stiff peaks.

Pour the chocolate into the egg yolks and mix quickly to combine. Add a spoonful of egg whites to the chocolate mixture and mix it in to loosen up the chocolate.

Add the rest of the egg whites in 3 batches, carefully folding each in to combine. Try not to knock out too much air.

Pour the mousse into 6 ramekins and chill in the fridge for 4 hours, or overnight.

To serve, top with a dusting of cocoa powder or some shaved chocolate.

Make ahead:

Make up to two days ahead and store covered in the fridge.

Benjamina says: “I love a good flourless chocolate cake and have developed quite a few of them over the years, all slightly different in texture and taste. As the name suggests, this version is more mousse-like. Airy and light with warming spices and macerated oranges, it’s a great one for the festive season.”

Serves 10–12

Ingredients

• 175g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 275g dark chocolate, plus extra for grating
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 eggs, separated
• 100g caster (superfine) sugar
• grated zest of 1 orange
• 15g unsweetened cocoa powder

For the oranges:

• 2 oranges
• 40g caster (superfine) sugar
• 50ml Grand Marnier or Triple Sec (optional)
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan/ 350°F/gas mark 4). Grease a 20cm (8in) loose-bottomed, deep round cake pan and line with baking paper.

Add the butter, chocolate, cinnamon and nutmeg to a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and melt gently. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with half the sugar, the orange zest and cocoa powder. Whisk until the eggs are thick and pale, about 2–3 minutes. Pour the cooled chocolate into the yolks and mix until smooth.

Add the egg whites to another clean, grease-free bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk until frothy then, with the mixer or electric whisk still running, add in the remaining sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Once you’ve added in all the sugar, fold about a quarter of the whites into the chocolate mixture. The first batch of egg whites is to loosen the mixture so you don’t need to be too careful about knocking out air.

Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites. Then pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 40–45 minutes until the cake looks risen and the edges are set. There should still be a little wobble in the middle.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.

To prepare the oranges, slice the top and bottom off of each one. Sit them upright and use a small, sharp knife to slice away the skin and pith, following the curve of the fruit. Cut between the membranes to remove the segments.

Toss the orange segments with the sugar, Grand Marnier, if using, cinnamon stick and star anise. Let it macerate in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.

Serve slices of cake with the orange segments and some of the syrup, along with some crème fraîche and gratings of dark chocolate.

Make ahead:

Make the cake and the oranges up to two days.