Disgracefully Decadent Tiramisu (with a Tried and Tested Gluten Free Option and Thermomix instructions)

Put your biggest, stretchiest pants on, and attach steel girders to your dining chairs... this is not for the faint-hearted!!!

To be fair, it's only a centimetre or so of whipped cream more decadent than a standard tiramisu... and a lil' bit of grated dark chocolate... oh, maybe a couple of other bits... but don't be scared! Start this off the day / evening before you want to serve it, and it will keep for a few days in the fridge (well, if it lasts that long!).

I first started making and tweaking this almost thirty years ago, and then there was a period of drought, whereby there were delightful small people around (for which it's wholly unsuitable, unless you omit the alcohol and cook the egg yolk mixture to 70C, but more of that later!), and then coeliac disease, diabetes etc.... but now that the small people are in their twenties, it's come back as a decadent dessert option, and I had to research, re-vamp and remember a lot of it all over again!

It took me a fair while to get it all back to my version of perfection; so now that I've re-perfected it with a gluten free alternative, I'm getting it down onto my blog ASAP before I forget any of it!

I'll put "OPTIONAL" in brackets for the things that I like to add, which may stray a little from Nonnas' recipes, but it's fairly true to what would be acceptable to Italians, so you can make your own choices!

Whichever way you choose to do it, I hope you and your guests love it as much as we do!

Should serve at least 10, depending on your guests' appetites! Try to stay in charge of serving the initial portions and let people come back for seconds, and you might even be able to serve more!!! If you want to serve in individual glasses/dishes, I'd probably go with half portions of the ingredients, to make a good six portions.

Impossible Lemon and Coconut Tart - Gluten Free

A delicious dessert that you only have to make one simple mix for!

There's no faffing about with this dessert, you just mix everything together, bake, chill, and end up with an impossibly tasty dessert with a gorgeous coconut crust on top, a lemony custard in the middle, and a pastry-like base. 

What more could you ask for in a dessert! On top of that, it's gluten free, nut free, and you could easily use lactose free milk in it too, or your favourite dairy-free substitutes.

Makes ten portions at 349 calories each.

Luxury Sherry Trifle with Fresh Raspberries (with Thermomix instructions)

A traditional-based sherry trifle perfect for special occasions - you can leave out the sherry if you want the kids to have some too!

In our family, it has become traditional to make a sherry trifle over the festive period. I have given you the option whether you wish to make this trifle with or without  jelly - I like to make mine without, with plenty of fresh raspberries lightly crushed and crammed into the middle to counteract the sweetness of the sherry-soaked sponge and the custard.

Custard wise, if you own a Thermomix, I've put instructions for making your own custard at the bottom; if not a 500ml tub of good quality thick custard is perfect for the job (or of course, you could make up 500ml of instant custard if you prefer a more set texture).

This should serve around ten people, or a few more if the portions aren't too large!

Passionfruit Crème Brûlées (includes Thermomix method)

A decadent and delicious classic, infused with the fragrant flavour of fresh passionfruit.

There's something quite special about cracking open the crust of a crème brûlée with a teaspoon, and spooning out the rich and creamy custard from beneath. It's one of those really rich and special desserts that tends to accompany 'special occasions', or indulgent meals out.

And yet, it's actually deceptively easy to make - and lots of fun caramelising the sugar at the end, too!

This recipe makes six crème brûlées (in 150ml ramekins) and the cooked custards will keep happily covered in the fridge for a few days (mine were still fine after one week), so you can make them in advance, and caramelise the tops just before serving.

Chocolate Buttercream / Icing / Frosting (includes Thermomix method)

Rich, chocolatey and best reserved for special occasions!

This will easily cover a cake up to 30cm / 12inches, and is delicious on fairy cakes / cupcakes etc. too. You can also use to sandwich a cake together - it should do two layers if you don't spread it too thickly. The cake won't need to be refrigerated, although you can do if you wish, and the icing will become firm if you do.

It's very quick to whip up and easy to spread or pipe. Here it's been spread rather generously on a chocolate 'Magic Bean Cake' (recipe here).

Chocolate Cornflake Cakes

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist...

But who doesn't like a chocolate cornflake cake?

Not those ones that are just solid bricks of cornflakes melded together with cheap melted chocolate (or 'vegelate' as some Europeans might prefer to call it, and quite rightly so!), but the stickier, softer, richer, darker versions with decent chocolate, butter, golden syrup and maybe a pinch of sea salt (or even pink himalayan salt) if you're so inclined.

If you're making them with or for children, you could use all milk chocolate, and/or put into miniature cases.

Makes approximately 10, at 174 calories each [calories in square brackets, if you're counting].

Raspberry and White Chocolate Tart with Black Raspberry Liqueur

This is my go-to dessert when I *really* want to impress...

There's just something about the combination of fresh, tart raspberries offset against the richness of white chocolate and a hint of sourness from creme fraiche, with a crispy dark chocolate pastry encasing it...

Painting the cooled pastry case with a thin layer of dark chocolate means you're not going to get the dreaded 'soggy bottom', and keeps in all the lovely, juicy raspberry filling. It might look a little scary, but trust me - baking is definitely my weak point, and so this one is pretty foolproof and nowhere near as difficult as you might think!

So, now you just need an excuse to make one... right?

Healthy Raspberry Yoghurt Ice, with Oatbran

Like ice-cream, but healthy...?

And takes seconds?

Well, count me in! Also delicious with blueberries, mangoes, strawberries, or whatever your favourite frozen fruit is...

So simple, just blitz - most run-of-the-mill food processors and hand blenders will cope with this easily, made in seconds.

Serves one (easily doubled etc.), 158 calories.

Chocolate Brownies with a Twist

Oh, these are naughty, very, VERY naughty - there is no expense spared here, and not a calorie saved! 

Well, they're chocolate brownies, and I'm a chocoholic, so what else would you expect? There is NO compromising where chocolate is concerned in this house!

However, if you're trying to be good, and want a leetle, leetle there is the option to cut them into little baby brownies and 'reduce' the calories that way. But be careful, they are DANGEROUSLY more-ish...

Lime and Advocaat Cheesecake

Now we're talking (dirty)...

Cheesecake has never been my favourite dessert - not least because there are far more bad cheesecakes than good. Claggy, flavourless, thick, white, grainy gunge on top of soggy, tasteless biscuits with some token sickly sweet fruit or syrup slopped or swirled on the top. No thanks, not for me. I'd rather cheese and biscuits than that (and I LOVE a good dessert).

So, I decided to make the kind of cheesecake that I'd like to order... the kind you wouldn't be disappointed with...

A biscuit base with a touch of spicy, gingery heat and chopped nuts making sure it's crunchy, not soggy.

A silky-smooth creamy filling, nicely set with citrus-y notes and laced with Advocaat liqueur.

An outrageously zingy, zesty topping - the perfect compliment to creamy and crunchy.

Mouth watering yet? Read on for the recipe...