Recipes: Banana Nut Brambles and Creme Brulee

May 3 2008 by Sheila Benson and Sean Millar, Liverpool Daily Post

SOMETIMES our customers struggle to make it to the dessert menu after eating our homemade bread and a hearty two course meal, but those that have the stamina (and a looser belt fastening!) are never disappointed.

After focusing on a distinctly savoury flavour in recent weeks, it is most definitely time to resurrect your sweet tooth so this week we’re dishing up two pudding recipes, and a couple of delicious accompaniments. Hopefully, as the weather gets better, we’ll also try some ice cream recipes as well.

Bananas and nuts have always been a superb combination, not least because the conflicting textures of the smooth fleshy fruit and the crunchy chopped nuts work so well. In this simple recipe for Banana Nut Brambles (serves six) you will see these ingredients perfectly combined, and if you fancy being extra wicked then try serving the brambles with the following recipe for Side Door chocolate sauce.

You will need: 175g (6 oz) butter, cut into cubes, 300g (10 oz) light Muscavado sugar, 175g (6¼oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) 100g (3 oz) chopped walnuts, 3 eggs beaten, 2 ripe bananas mashed, 100g (3 oz) self raising flour, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1tsp baking powder.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. Butter and line a 20cm square tin with silicone paper. Place the butter, sugar and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir until melted and remove from the heat.

Cool slightly. Stir in the nuts, eggs and bananas until well mixed, then sift in the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Mix gently.

Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes until firm to touch in the centre. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin. To serve, cut in squares and serve with Side Door chocolate sauce.

For the sauce you will need: 250g (9 oz) dark chocolate (60% cocoa solids), 60g (2 oz) caster sugar, 350ml (12 fl oz) water, 50ml (2 fl oz) pouring cream.

Grate the chocolate into a saucepan. Add the sugar and water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cream. Whisk well and serve.

Creme Brulee (French for burnt cream) has a long tradition in cookery, and is a favourite on menus everywhere. To get that beautiful hardened sugar shell, you’ll need a chef’s blow torch, but if your drawers are void of one, then fear not, because a grill works just as well.

For six people: 6 large egg yolks, 140g (5 oz) caster sugar, 500ml (17½ fl oz) cream, 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways and scraped and 6 x 8cm ramekins.

Pre heat the oven to 120°C/250°F/Gas mark 2. Mix the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. Place the cream and vanilla pod in a saucepan and heat very, very slowly. Bring it just to boiling point. Pour the cream onto the egg yolks, whisking all the time. Allow to sit until a skin forms on top. Remove the skin with a spoon and discard. Using a ladle, place the mix in the ramekins. Place the ramekins in a deep baking tray. Pour hot (not boiling) water into the tray to two thirds of the way up the ramekin. Place the tray in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Check if it’s cooked by pressing the top gently with your finger – it should still be slightly wobbly. Remove from the oven and tray and allow to cool.

Before serving at room temperature, sprinkle a spoon of sugar over the top and caramelise under a very hot grill or using a blow torch. Serve with sable biscuits – recipe below.

For 20 biscuits: 400g (14 oz) unsalted butter, 200g (7 oz) caster sugar, 1 egg yolk, 500g (1lb 1oz) plain flour, 1tsp vanilla extract.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5. Beat the butter and sugar together. Add the egg yolk, flour and vanilla and bring together into a ball using your hands taking care not to over mix. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for one hour.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the pastry until quite thin. Cut into shapes using a cookie cutter. Place on a baking sheet covered with silicone paper and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray. Store in an airtight container and serve with the brulees. Better loosen those belts!

* Sheila Benson and Sean Millar are at The Side Door, 29a Hope Street, Liverpool. Tel: 0151 707 7888.