Apple & cinnamon batter pudding

Preheat oven 220fan 200C gas7. Mix 6 tbsp plain wholemeal or white flour with half tsp cinnamon & 2 tbsp soft brown sugar. Make a well in centre & break in 1 egg and a little milk taken from 12 tbsp to make a smooth batter keep gradually mixing in milk.
Place tsp oil into a shallow 7inch shallow baking tin or yorkshire pudding tin with 4 divisions.  Place into the hot oven 2 mins.
Use a tin of apple slices or cut 2 small granny smith apples into wedges. Place the wedges evenly into the baking dish/es. Give batter a stir and pour evenly over applewedges.  Bake 20 mins if using yorkshire pudding tin or 25 mins if using baking tin.  The puddings are good served hot with custard or next day served cold with a light dusting of icing sugar on top.  Alternate using peaches or apricots for a change.

Apricot & Ginger Teabread

Combine 200g chopped dried apircots with 2 pieces of finely chopped stem ginger, 50g raisins & 10.5flozs orange juice, & soak 30 mins. Grease & line base of a 2lb loaf tin with half tsp oil & non stick paper. Heat oven 180C/gas 4.

Sift 225g SR flour in a large bowl & stir in 8tsp ganulated splenda. Beat 2 eggs into apricot mixture. Make a well in the flour & add mixture gradually, beating to make a batter. Pour into prepared loaf tin & bake 45mins til golden & a skewer comes out clean. Leave in tin 10 mins before cooling on a rack.

Butter almond raspberry sponge cake

Heat oven to 180degrees (fan asssited). Use a non stick 8" cake tin or line with greaseproof paper.  Cream 5oz butter with 5oz castor sugar.  Whisk 2 eggs and add 2 drops of almond essence for a few seconds then add eggs mix to creamed mix. Beat in 2floz of milk and add 5 oz sifted SR flour along with 5oz ground almonds folding in until just mixed.  Add 5oz raspberries & fold gently.  Bake 50 - 55 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.  Remove from oven, allow to cool for 10 mins.  Dust with sifted icing sugar and decorate with raspberries.

Caramelised Bananas & Fresh Pineapple Flambeed in Brandy

Peel & slice 2 bananas lengthwise & cut 2 rings of fresh pineapple into cubes half width of bananas. Heat a wide frying pan on medium heat & use enough oil just to coat the bottom then melt 30g butter into it.  When it starts to bubble place the bananas in cut side down to the outside of the pan & the pineapple slices in the middle where there will be most heat.  Sprinkle 2tbsp sugar over the fruit, continue frying turning pineapple frequently, the bananas less so until the sugar starts to caramelise & the bananas turn golden on both sides (the pineapple will have a little ‘bite’ & not be soft like the bananas).  Pour in 3 tbsp brandy & after 30 seconds add 2 tbsp double cream, the juice of half a lime & a touch of cinnamon.  Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche & chopped nuts sprinkled over.

Apple & Pear Honey Crunch

Peel, core & slice an apple & a pear. Place in alternate layers in a medium microwavable dish, thin slice a small banana as a final layer & drizzle 1 tbsp of clear honey over this.

Put 1 oz butter in another bowl & microwave for 1 min to melt. Stir in 1 tbsp of clear honey & 2oz muesli type breakfast cereal mixing well to coat. Spoon this evenly on top of the fruit & microwave 5 mins. Serve with hot custard.

Queen of Puddings (easy childhood favourite)

For 4 portions: place 3 egg yolks, 50g(2oz castor sugar), 1pt milk & 2 drops vanilla essence in a jug & whisk,  then microwave 4 mins. Put 175g (6oz) fresh breadcrumbs & half a grated lemon rind in a 2pt casserole dish, add the milk mix & stir well. Microwave 5.5 mins stirring halfway through cooking time. Set aside.

Place 2tbsp jam  in a dish & microwave 1 min. Spread jam over cooked breadcrumb & milk mix.

For topping: whisk 3 egg whites until mixture resembles peaks, fold in 175g (6oz) castor sugar. Spread mix over jam & swirl into decorative peaks then brown under a hot grill.

Hot Spiced Pears

A little longer  to prepare but I'm including this recipe as it's drool worthy:

Preheat the fan oven 180 degrees. Peel some pears & leave whole in a heatproof dish & place 2 star anise & a cinamon stick (snapped into 2 pieces) on pears along with 6 chopped dates or a handful of sultanas.

In another pan heat 150ml(quarter pt) red wine with 4tbsp orange juice, 35g(1&half oz) soft brown sugar, stir & bring to boil (or microwave 3 mins). Mash a banana & blend into the mixture. Pour this mixture over the pears spooning over a few times to coat the pears well. Cover the dish & bake up to 50-60mins until pears are soft. Remove pears & fruit & place upright in your serving dish.

Discard spices from the red wine liquid mixture & bring to boil stirring until reduced & thickened (around 4 mins). Spoon over pears & dribble with delight.