Desserts

Ricotta, honeycomb and hazelnut with rhubarb compote

(a recipe by Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall)

Serves 4

100g skin-on hazelnuts

250g ricotta

200g honeycomb

For the compote
500g rhubarb, cut into 5cm pieces

50g caster sugar

1 Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3. While it's still a little wet from being washed, add the rhubarb to an ovenproof dish and toss with the sugar. Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes, until tender. Leave to cool completely.

2 Turn the oven up to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for around 5 minutes, until they are lightly golden and the skins are starting to split.

3 Tip the nuts on to a clean tea towel. Fold the towel over them and rub vigorously. This will remove most of the skins, but don't worry if a few stubborn bits remain.

4 Divide the ricotta between shallow serving bowls. Add a spoonful of rhubarb compote to each. Break or cut your honeycomb into 4 roughly equal pieces and place on the ricotta and rhubarb, trickling over any honey that has escaped. Scatter over the hazelnuts and serve.

Honey Cake

A simple, rich, moist honey cake, courtesy of James Martin

Ingredients

170g/6oz clear honey
140g/5oz butter
85g/3oz light muscovado sugar
2 eggs, beaten
200g/7oz self raising flour, sieved
water

For the icing

55g/2oz icing sugar
1 tbsp clear honey
hot water

Method

Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 3 and butter and line the bottom of a 7in/18cm cake tin.
Measure the honey, butter and sugar into a large pan. Add a tablespoon of water and heat gently until melted.
Remove from the heat and mix in the eggs and flour.
Spoon into the cake tin and bake for 40-45 minutes until the cake is springy to the touch and shrinking slightly from the sides of the tin.
Cool slightly in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack.
While the cake is still warm, make the icing by mixing the sugar and honey together with 2-3 teaspoons of hot water. Trickle over the cake in whatever design takes your fancy.