Instructions

Stone and chop the dates quite small, put them in a bowl, then pour the boiling water over. Leave for about 30 minutes until cool and well-soaked, then mash a bit with a fork.

Stir in the vanilla extract. Butter and flour seven mini pudding tins (each about 200 ml / 7 fl oz) and sit them on a baking sheet.

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. While the dates are soaking, make the puddings. Mix the flour and bicarbonate of soda together and beat the eggs in a separate bowl.

Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl for a few minutes until slightly creamy (the mixture will be grainy from the sugar).

Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well between additions. Beat in the black treacle, then, using a large metal spoon, gently fold in one-third of the flour, then half the milk, being careful not to overbeat. Repeat until all the flour and milk are used. Stir the soaked dates into the pudding batter.

The mix may look a little curdled at this point and will be like a soft, thick batter. Spoon it evenly between the tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, until risen and firm. Meanwhile, put the sugar and butter for the sauce in a medium saucepan with half the cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring all the time, until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Stir in the black treacle, turn up the heat slightly, and let the mixture bubble away for 2-3 minutes until it is a rich toffee colour, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Take the pan off the heat and beat in the rest of the cream. Remove the puddings from the oven. Leave in the tins for a few minutes, then loosen them well from the sides of the tins with a small palette knife before turning them out.

You can serve them now with the sauce drizzled over, but they’ll be even stickier if left for a day or two coated in the sauce. To do this, pour about half the sauce into one or two ovenproof serving dishes.

Sit the upturned puddings on the sauce, then pour the rest of the sauce over them. Cover with a loose tent of foil so that the sauce doesn’t smudge (no need to chill). When ready to serve, heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Warm the puddings through, still covered, for 15-20 mins or until the sauce is bubbling. Serve them on their own, or with cream or custard.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Put the biscuits in a large re-sealable freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin into fine crumbs. Melt the butter in a small pan, then add the biscuit crumbs and stir until coated with butter. Tip into the tart tin and, using the back of a spoon, press over the base and sides of the tin to give an even layer. Chill in the fridge while you make the filling. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. You can do this in a food processor if you have one. Process for 2-3 minutes. Mix in the eggs, then add the ground almonds and almond extract and blend until well combined. Peel the apples, and cut thin slices of apple. Do this at the last minute to prevent the apple going brown. Arrange the slices over the biscuit base. Spread the frangipane filling evenly on top. Level the surface and sprinkle with the flaked almonds. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden-brown and set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Remove the sides of the tin. An easy way to do this is to stand the tin on a can of beans and push down gently on the edges of the tin. Transfer the tart, with the tin base attached, to a serving plate. Serve warm with cream, crème fraiche or ice cream.

Instructions

To make the pastry, measure the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the water, mixing to form a soft dough. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface and use it to line a 20cm/8in flan tin. Leave in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 (180C fan). Line the pastry case with foil and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for about 15 minutes, then remove the beans and foil and cook for a further five minutes to dry out the base. For the filing, spread the base of the flan generously with raspberry jam. Melt the butter in a pan, take off the heat and then stir in the sugar. Add ground almonds, egg and almond extract. Pour into the flan tin and sprinkle over the flaked almonds. Bake for about 35 minutes. If the almonds seem to be browning too quickly, cover the tart loosely with foil to prevent them burning.