comforting recipes

Here's a little reminder of a delicious British pudding you probably haven't eaten in years

Eve's pudding

Bramley apples, finely sliced

unsalted butter

raisins

soft brown sugar

eggs

self-raising flour

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Peel, core and slice the apples. Grease a large serving dish, about 2.5 litre/3 litre with 25g/1oz of the butter and tip in the apple. Scatter the raisins over the top.

In a separate dish beat the remaining butter and sugar together for 10 mins until the butter turns pale and the sugar starts to dissolve. Beat in the eggs, then carefully fold in the flour with a large spoon. Spread the batter over the apples, then bake for 45 mins until golden. Serve with the custard, below.

Keep a few portions of this vegetarian classic in the freezer and you'll never be stuck for a satisfying supper

Spinach & ricotta cannelloni

olive oil

garlic cloves, crushed

tbsp caster sugar

tbsp red wine vinegar

tomatoes

basil leaves

tubs mascarpone

tbsp milk

parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated

x 125 grams balls mozzarella, sliced

spinach

x 250 grams tubs ricotta

nutmeg

dried cannelloni

First make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the garlic for 1 min. Add the sugar, vinegar, tomatoes and some seasoning and simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally, until thick. Add the basil and divide the sauce between 2 or more shallow ovenproof dishes (see Tips for freezing, below). Set aside. Make a sauce by beating the mascarpone with the milk until smooth, season, then set aside.

Put the spinach in a large colander and pour over a kettle of boiling water to wilt it (you may need to do this in batches). When cool enough to handle squeeze out the excess water. Roughly chop the spinach and mix in a large bowl with 100g Parmesan and ricotta. Season well with salt, pepper and the nutmeg.

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Using a piping bag or plastic food bag with the corner snipped off, squeeze the filling into the cannelloni tubes. Lay the tubes, side by side, on top of the tomato sauce and spoon over the mascarpone sauce. Top with Parmesan and mozzarella. You can now freeze the cannelloni, uncooked, or you can cook it first and then freeze. Bake for 30-35 mins until golden and bubbling. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 mins before serving.

Make this seasonal apple and blackberry crumble for a comforting family pud. Pre-cooking the topping will make it extra-crispy, while also retaining the texture of the fruit

Apple & blackberry crumble

plain flour

caster sugar

Braeburn apple

demerara sugar

blackberries

cinnamon

vanilla ice cream, to serve

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Tip 120g plain flour and 60g caster sugar into a large bowl.

Add 60g unsalted butter, then rub into the flour using your fingertips to make a light breadcrumb texture. Do not overwork it or the crumble will become heavy.

Sprinkle the mixture evenly over a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins or until lightly coloured.

Meanwhile, for the compote, peel, core and cut 300g Braeburn apples into 2cm dice.

Put 30g unsalted butter and 30g demerara sugar in a medium saucepan and melt together over a medium heat. Cook for 3 mins until the mixture turns to a light caramel.

Stir in the apples and cook for 3 mins. Add 115g blackberries and ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, and cook for 3 mins more.

Cover, remove from the heat, then leave for 2-3 mins to continue cooking in the warmth of the pan.

To serve, spoon the warm fruit into an ovenproof gratin dish, top with the crumble mix, then reheat in the oven for 5-10 mins. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

A syrupy basin pudding with a moist sponge and sticky sauce – a Great British tradition with retro charm

Schooldays treacle sponge

unsalted butter, softened,

tbsp golden syrup, plus extra for drizzling

breadcrumbs

brandy (optional but delicious)

golden caster sugar

lemon

eggs,

Use a small knob of butter to heavily grease a 1-litre pudding basin. In a small bowl, mix the golden syrup with the breadcrumbs and brandy, if using, then tip into the pudding basin.

Beat butter with sugar and zest until light and fluffy, then add eggs gradually. Fold in the flour, then finally add the milk.

Spoon the mix into the pudding basin. Cover with a double layer of buttered foil and baking paper, making a pleat in the centre to allow the pudding to rise. Tie the foil securely with string, then place in a steamer or large pan containing enough gently simmering water to come halfway up the sides of the basin. Steam for 1½ hrs. Turn out onto a serving dish. Serve with lashings of clotted cream and a little extra golden syrup drizzled over if you wish.

Spend a weekend afternoon making this classic beef and ale pie with porcini mushrooms and homemade pastry. It's even better made a couple of days in advance.

Steak, ale & mushroom pie

mushrooms

vegetable oil

1kg braising steak (buy this

onions,

large carrots, chopped into large chunks

tbsp plain flour

dark ale

beef stock cubes

smoked bacon lardons,

chestnut mushrooms, halved

plain flour, plus extra for dusting

lard butter

If you’re using the porcini mushrooms, cover 10g of mushrooms in boiling water for 20 mins, then squeeze out but keep the soaking water.

Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large casserole dish, brown 1kg large chunks of braising steak really well in batches, then set aside.

Add 2 large onions, roughly chopped, and 4 large carrots, chopped into large chunks, to the pan. Add a drizzle more vegetable oil, then cook on a low heat for 5 mins until coloured.

Add the soaked porcini mushrooms, sizzle for 1 min more, then scatter over 2 tsp golden caster sugar and 4 tbsp plain flour, stirring until the flour turns brown.

Tip the braising steak and any juices back into the pan and give it all a good stir.

Pour over 300ml dark ale, 2 beef stock cubes mixed with 400ml boiling water and the porcini mushroom soaking liquid, discarding the last few drops.

Season the stew, tuck in a small tied-together bunch of thyme, bay leaf and parsley, and bring everything to a simmer.

Cover with a lid and place in the oven for about 2 hrs, until the braising steak is really tender.

While the stew is cooking, heat a drop more vegetable oil in a frying pan and sizzle 200g smoked bacon lardons for 3 mins until crisp.

Turn up the heat, add 200g halved chestnut mushrooms and cook for 4 mins until golden. Remove from the heat and, when the stew is cooked, stir them through.

Leave everything to cool completely – better still, make this up to 2 days in advance and keep it in the fridge as the pie will be better if the filling is fridge-cold when added. Can also be frozen for up to 3 months and defrosted when needed.

Make the pastry up to 2 days before you want to assemble the pie. Crumble 650g plain flour and 250g cold diced lard or butter, together with a generous pinch of sea salt until completely combined, then add up to 200ml ice-cold water to make a soft dough. This can be done in a food processor if you want.

Knead the pastry, then wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 1 hr. The pastry can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge or frozen for up to a month.

When you want to make the pie, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and place a flat baking tray in the oven. Heavily grease a 24-28cm pie dish and dust well with flour.

Cut a third off the pastry and set aside. Roll out the pastry to a thickish round that will easily line the pie dish with an overhang, then line the tin.

Add the braising steak to the dish using a slotted spoon so some gravy is left in the container, as you don’t want too much sauce in the pie. You want the filling to be slightly higher than the rim of the dish. If you have a bit too much, set it aside.

Roll out the remaining pastry to a thick round big enough to cover the dish. Brush the edges of the pastry in the dish with 1 beaten egg yolk, then cover with the pastry lid.

Trim the edges, crimp the pastry, then re-roll your trimmings to make a decoration, for example, pastry leaves. Brush the top heavily with egg. Make a few little slits in the centre of the pie, place on the hot baking tray.

Bake for 40 mins until golden. Leave the pie to rest for 10 mins while you heat up the gravy left in the container. Serve the pie at the table with a jug of gravy and a big pile of greens.

A hearty yet healthy dish that's perfect for a rainy evening, and it's low-fat too

Minced beef cobbler

pack extra-lean beef mince

onion

baby chestnut mushroom

beef stock

Worcestershire sauce

thyme

tbsp low-fat natural yogurt

frozen peas

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Dry-fry the mince and onion in a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Stir frequently to break up the mince, until well browned. Add the mushrooms and plain flour, followed by the stock and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer, then gently cook for 10 mins.

Meanwhile, to make the cobbles, mix the self-raising flour and thyme together in a bowl. Stir in the yogurt with enough cold water to form a scone-like dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll out to the thickness of about 1.5cm and use a cutter to stamp out 12 x 5cm rounds.

Stir the peas into the mince mixture, then transfer to a baking dish. Randomly place the cobbles on top of the mince, then bake for 20-25 mins, until cobbles are risen and golden brown. This is good served with horseradish sauce.

These little puds look deceptively sweet, but they contain a sponge bursting with berries and the sauce is deliciously tangy

Little blueberry puddings with lemon curd sauce

softened butter

lemons

blueberries

tsp cornflour

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and put the kettle on. Butter 6 individual pudding basins or dariole moulds and line the bottoms with circles of baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one by one. Fold in the flour and lemon zest with the juice from half a lemon. Divide between the moulds, and evenly scatter the blueberries over each.

Sit the moulds in a roasting tin or baking dish just big enough to hold them all. Pour in boiling water from the kettle to come halfway up the sides. Bake for 30-40 mins until risen and a skewer poked in the centre comes out clean.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Tip the lemon curd into a small pan and gently warm. Gradually mix the juice from 1 lemon into the cornflour until you have a smooth paste, then stir into the lemon curd. Bubble for 1-2 mins, stirring, until smooth. Keep at room temperature.

To serve, carefully release each pudding from its mould by running a cutlery knife around the edge. Turn out onto serving dishes and spoon the lemon sauce on top. Eat with a dollop of crème fraîche or yogurt.

Chocolate and cake are two of our favourite things, so what's not to love about this indulgent cake?

Double chocolate loaf cake

ground almonds

½ tsp baking powder

milk

cocoa powder

plain chocolate chip

white, chocolate

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line a 2lb/900g loaf tin with a long strip of baking parchment. To make the loaf cake batter, beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, flour, almonds, baking powder, milk and cocoa until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips, then scrape into the tin. Bake for 45-50 mins until golden, risen and a skewer poked in the centre comes out clean.

Cool in the tin, then lift out onto a wire rack over some kitchen paper. Melt the extra chocolate chunks separately in pans over barely simmering water, or in bowls in the microwave, then use a spoon to drizzle each in turn over the cake. Leave to set before slicing.

This healthier pasta recipe uses low-fat soft cheese to create a creamy sauce to coat the spaghetti

Creamy ham, leek & mushroom spaghetti

leeks

chestnut mushroom sliced

garlic

spaghetti

low-fat soft cheese

wafer-thin smoked ham shredded

basil

grated parmesan

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Stir in the leeks, 2 tbsp water and some seasoning, cover, then cook for 5 mins over a medium heat until softened. Add the mushrooms and garlic, then cook for 3 mins more. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to pack instructions, then drain, reserving a little of the cooking liquid.

Stir the soft cheese into the leek and mushroom mixture, adding enough of the reserved pasta liquid to give a sauce-like consistency. Add the ham, basil leaves and Parmesan, then toss in the spaghetti.

Top 9 comforting recipes recipes from across the web

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Top Tags

Eve's pudding

Spinach & ricotta cannelloni

Apple & blackberry crumble

Schooldays treacle sponge

Steak, ale & mushroom pie

Minced beef cobbler

Little blueberry puddings with lemo...

Double chocolate loaf cake

Creamy ham, leek & mushroom spaghet...

Top 9 comforting recipes recipes from across the web

The most viewed comforting recipes recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Eve's pudding

Spinach & ricotta cannelloni

Apple & blackberry crumble

Schooldays treacle sponge

Steak, ale & mushroom pie

Minced beef cobbler

Little blueberry puddings with lemo...

Double chocolate loaf cake

Creamy ham, leek & mushroom spaghet...

The most viewed comforting recipes recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine