Pete Fred

The disappointing HXBs from the other day deserved better than the bin so this pain perdu from the guys at Fallow seemed as good a way as any to use them up... I didn't have any marmalade so used Jersey Black Butter instead. It was pleasant, and I liked the whisky cream. However, I'm not sure how long it'll take to work my way through the remaining 1.3kg (3 lb) block! (The Fallow YouTube channel is worth a look, by the way.)

As the nursery rhyme goes: Hot cross buns! Hot cross buns! One a penny, two a penny, Hot cross buns! If you have no daughters, Give them to your sons. One a penny, two a penny, Hot cross buns! These were based on a Thomas Keller recipe which I seem to have adapted at some point in the past, unfortunately to its detriment. The spice mix was all wrong, and the texture a bit dry and crumbly. I'm scratching my head as to how it made its way into my recipe folder.

Tahini and date cookies... I tend to make these when I've the dregs of a jar of tahini. A pleasant cookie.

Yeah, I remember that ad from the 90s. (This YouTuber says 1997. Sounds about right.)

Another Galette des Rois, using the last of the Grand Marnier crème pâtissière in the filling, together with some inverted puff from the back of the freezer... This was a partial fail. The amount of pastry was a little smaller than I would normally use for a 24cm (9½-inch) galette, and in making it stretch (literally!) I compressed the layers too much. The top lost its shape and contracted in places, and towards the centre you can see where the layers failed to separate. The bottom was overworked and leaked butter. The final insult was the disappointingly muted flavour, with just the merest hint of orange. I'll get me coat.

I had some leftover cream from the choux puffs and, after admonishing others for being unseemly, I thought it unwise to simply plant my face in the bowl and inhale. So I made fairy cakes instead... Strictly speaking, I suppose these are more of a fairy cake/cupcake hybrid, combining a dainty base with a creamy swirl on top. And I'm kicking myself for not doing the fairy wings.

@Katie Meadow @JoNorvelleWalker Ladies, please! Control yourselves. This is a public forum. What I get up to in the kitchen late at night is not for idle speculation or gossip. You're better than this.

Choux au craquelin... The filling is a Grand Marnier crème légère.

I think I checked out the same video as you. So, I will see your meat chopper... ...and raise you the citrus press... But the question is, will anyone go all-in with the takoyaki pan?!?

I was just being silly. Oeufs de Lompe is lumpfish roe. For the avoidance of any doubt, I do not have a monthly supply of Sevruga sturgeon caviar, whereas I can often be seen shopping in Lidl. 😉

I guess you'll either love it or hate it, Jason Atherton's Marmite tart... It was Insta-famous for ten minutes before everyone moved on to the next thing. Given the ingredients, they really should stick it on the lunch menu at the Museum of Iconic British Brands... I liked it. It's essentially just a savoury crème brulée, not too strong, with a nice tangy note. In his restaurant, Atherton adds a scoop of caviar, so that was all the excuse I needed to break the seal on this month's tin of Sevruga* ($400/100g)... If anyone's curious and wants to take a stab, the recipe is here. *It's a bit cheaper at Lidl ($3/100g ) if you're lucky enough to have one nearby...

I was particularly taken with the Grand Marnier, but I've liked them all so far. For me, chocolate is probably more suited to a smaller soufflé, as it's quite rich. I'll try to make more with fruit purée as the base; I have a fig tree so thanks for the nod. The copper moulds are by Mauviel.

The first time I saw something similar was by Tom Kerridge, a multi-starred UK chef. He roasts rather than grills the minced beef, and for longer. His seems to have better colour than in the chilli video. Kerridge also uses star anise (a Heston Blumenthal thing, which I recall is supposed to boost the beefiness by, err, magic.) The only place I could find a clip was on facebook.

When I first started on my soufflé tests it was to make a Ritz recipe that called for 10x5 cm (4x2") ramekins. I don't have any so improvised with the only thing to hand: 10x5.5 cm stainless steel entremet rings. Obviously they're useless if I ever wanted to serve guests - plonking a red-hot baking tray down in front of someone and saying "dig in" would certainly be an usual end to a meal - but these were just tests to satisfy my own curiosity. I do like the large serving, but can't see myself ever buying an appropriate dish, unless I stumbled across something at a car boot/garage sale. Although if I ever won the lottery I'd treat myself to the copper moulds in the Comice video.

Experiments in soufflé, day 432... This was raspberry, simply using purée as the base. I liked this; clean, bright flavour, and easily adaptable depending what's in season or in the frozen aisle. And the best cheesecake in New York, circa 1971... I made the adapted version which called for whipping the mix somewhat, whereas the original version seems to me to be attempting to limit aeration. Anyhoo, it was very good, quite mousse-like with a nice tang. I had some leftover purée from the soufflé so made a raspberry version as well...