Slow cooked spiced rhubarb

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The forced rhubarb season is upon us, these beautiful tender shoots of veg are bright pink, full of flavour and deliciously fresh and crunchy – sadly, it is almost always over cooked – or stewed, which can be a good way to cook later season rhubarb, the stuff grown outside that is more green than pink, but is a bit of a waste of this tender, early season indoor grown stuff.

So, I like to cook mine for a long time at a very low temperature – this is an ideal chance to use the bottom oven of my ESSE. Cook it, setting it on its “slumber” mode, or rather, just leaving it on that setting but making use of that gentle heat , if like me you have total control of the bottom oven, set it to about 80 degrees.

Cooking time: Is around 2 hours

Ingredients:

  • 500g rhubarb
  • 10 black pepper corns
  • 1 star anise
  • 150g soft brown sugar
  • A suitable piece of stoneware or a stainless-steel baking dish and a lid or some cling film.

Method:

  1. This is so simple, just trim the unusable leaves off the end of the stems and tidy up the thickest ends where they have been torn form the plant.
  2. Use a sharp knife to cut the ‘barb stems into 3 o 4 cm long pieces – I like to do this on an angle, but it is by no means essential, just a fancy of mine.
  3. Rinse these in a colander and then tip them into your cooking vessel with the sugar, star anise, thyme and peppercorns. Toss everything around gently using your hands to coat the stems in sugar.
  4. Cover the cooking vessel with either a tight fitting lid or a layer of cling film and pop it in to the ESSE in the bottom oven for around 2 hours – you can check it after an hour and maybe gently agitate it all around a little. You want the stems to be tender but still firm, this is when you can take them from the oven and allow them to cool – they are ready!

I like to use this either as a dessert of have a little added to yoghurt for a breakfast dish – you can blend half of the rhubarb with the pink juices if you like to make a sauce to serve with the un blitzed pieces of stalk, add to this a nice shortbread and some whipped cream and you have a dessert to die for – the perfect pre spring time pudding, it has a real whiff of daylight and warmth to come about it – just the tonic when were not quite there yet but very much wish we were. Speaking of tonic – any leftover juice is really very good shaken over ice with large quantities of dry gin…. apparently……

Recipe created by Tim Maddams. Tim is a chef, food writer and cookery teacher who produces seasonal recipes for ESSE at his home in Inverness using ingredients grown in his kitchen garden. ESSE first met Tim over ten years ago when he regularly co-featured in the hit TV series River Cottage. During his time as head chef at River Cottage Tim pioneered ethical, local, seasonal produce and became a key spokesperson in the area of responsibly-sourced food.

Tim’s aim is to show off the “tremendous versatility” of the ESSE 600 X electric range cooker. The new 600 X has ESSE’s classic heat storage construction, patented ovens, beautiful colour finishes and the reassuring ‘solidity’ with modern, electric controllability and responsiveness.

Pecan and date tarts with cream cheese pastry

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Pastry chef Dominique Ashford treats us to a Christmas special, an alternative to the mince pie, pecan and date tarts served with homemade custard. The Christmas tree is up and the barn is feeling all cosy with the ESSE Ironheart pumping out warmth. The festive tarts are baked in the surround heat of the ESSE wood-fired oven and the custard is prepared using the cast iron hotplate above the fire.

Ingredients

Dough

  • 375g plain flour
  • 50g caster
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 226g cream cheese
  • 226g butter
  • Zest of 1 orange

Mix in a food processor or stand mixer, rest then roll out to about 2mm thick and cut into rounds to fit your tin. Fill with the date and pecan mix. Bake at 180°C [ESSE dial guide middle of HOT] for 15-20 mins.

Filling

  • 3 medium eggs
  • 200g dark brown sugar
  • 60ml maple syrup
  • 60ml brandy
  • 28g melted butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • ½ tsp mixed spice
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 100g chopped pecans
  • 100g chopped dates

Combine all. Delicious served with homemade custard – chef’s tip – add a little cornflour to prevent splitting.

Custard

  • 250g double cream
  • 125g milk
  • 3 yolks
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 5g corn flour
  • Vanilla

Bring the cream and milk to the boil. Whisk yolks, caster, corn flour, and vanilla together in a bowl. Pour the simmering liquid on and mix, return to the ban, and gently cook out until it thickens.

Dominique Ashford was the pastry chef for the Houses of Parliament for 13 years. Dominique knows and loves her food and wants ESSE cooker owners to do so, too. Baking courses with Dominique are planned for 2025 at the ESSE factory showroom in Barnoldswick where gourmet cookery courses will be laid on using ESSE’s electric range cookers.

Almond and Apricot Bites

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A special Christmas recipe created for the ESSE Ironheart wood-fired stove by pastry chef, Dominique Ashford.

Ingredients

  • 500g ground almonds
  • 300g caster
  • Vanilla seeds from 1 pod
  • 4 egg whites
  • 50ml Amaretto

Method

  1. Mix, and roll into a long sausage shape approx. 4cm thick.
  2. Cut and shape into small mounds.
  3. Top with a slice of dried apricot, and dust with icing sugar.
  4. Bake 170°C [ESSE dial guide low end of HOT] for 15-20 minutes.
  5. Delicious served with an English Stilton.

Since 2019 Dominique Ashford has worked with ESSE on the development of the electric range cookers and wood-burning cook stoves immediately recognising their potential for baking amazing desserts. She joined an established product development and demo team that includes River Cottage chefs and cookery writer and tutor Philippa Vine. Dominique will be holding cookery and baking courses at the ESSE factory showroom in Barnoldswick in 2025, visit the ESSE Facebook page for the latest event dates.

 

Plum and Allspice Tray Bake

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Plums, they are the very embodiment of here today and gone tomorrow. The whole year is no plums, no plums, no plums, then you get a brief interlude of almost plums, then it’s basically plums for about 4 seconds then it back to no plums again.

So, whilst they are here – if indeed they are still here wherever here is for you and if not file this one away for next year’s plums – let’s make sure we honour them with a recipe, not least because when they do all arrive all at once it’s good to have a few ideas to help you use them up.

I very often fall back on a basic sponge, I mean, the kids like a cake, everyone else seems to like a cake and it’s always good to have a bit of fruit inside your cake so that you can pretend it is in some way an allowable treat, despite all the sugar and butter.

Rich and aromatic plums that are properly ripe, not like those weird red golf balls you get at the supermarket with state on the pack “ripen at home” which proceed to remain rock hard for a month before going mouldy, are the very essence of deep and complex in terms of flavour, almost on the edge of fermenting by the time they are full to bursting with that delicious nectar like juice that dribbles down your chin as you sink your teeth in – balancing that needs dark brown sugar and a kick of spice, so here I’ve used all spice (no, not mixed spice, bear with me here it really works) and as it’s me I’ve gone for wholemeal flour and some ground almonds to help it feel more wholesome and taste way more interesting as well as the wholemeal flour helping things stand up to all that lovely juicy flesh we will incorporate in our cake.

Shall we begin?

Ingredients

  • 200g salted butter
  • 200 g dark brown soft sugar
  • 3 whole eggs
  • 150g self-raising wholemeal flour
  • 50g ground almonds
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 level teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 tablespoon demerara sugar to sprinkle over the top before baking
  • 8 plums

Method

  1. Split your plums in half in the usual way and discard the stones. Sprinkle a pinch of the dark brown sugar and another good pinch of the allspice over these and gently toss them in a bowl, set them aside and get on with making the sponge mix.
  2. Line a 20cm x 30 cm x 4 cm baking tray with non-stick baking parchment and lightly brush it with melted butter.
  3. In a mixing machine with the K beater attached, mix the butter, sugar and allspice until you get a nicely creamed smooth mixture – it is worth taking your time over this and also worth having the butter at room temperature before you start. Stop the machine occasionally and scrape down the sides to ensure you are mixing all the butter and all the sugar – you should eventually end up with a really smooth and light mixture.
  4. Break your eggs and lightly beat them in a jug before adding them a little at a time to the butter and sugar mix – allowing each addition to emulsify and become one with the rest of the ingredients – repeat this process until all the egg is incorporated and then add the almonds and mix again until smooth, switch off the machine.
  5. Now add the flour  to the machine bowl and then briefly mix that in with the machine on slow adding the tablespoon of milk to help things along. As soon as everything is nicely mixed, stop the machine and scoop all the mixture out into the tray.
  6. Pre heat the ESSE top oven to 160 degrees, and close the steam vent.
  7. Place the halved plums in two rows down the cake tin and push them in so they are almost, but not quite submerged. Sprinkle each plum with a little demerara sugar and then scatter any remaining sugar over the top as evenly as possible.
  8. Place the cake in the oven to bake, opening the steam vent after the first ten minutes and cooking for approximately 40 mins. Test the sponge in the usual way to ensure it is fully cooked before you remove it from the oven. Allow the bake to cool a little in the tray before lifting it out and onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

I love this cake with some thick natural yoghurt, but cream is good as well, of course if it’s warm still then ice cream might make a nice addition and make it more of a dessert.

Recipe created by Tim Maddams. Tim is a chef, food writer and cookery teacher who produces seasonal recipes for ESSE at his home in Inverness using ingredients grown in his kitchen garden. ESSE first met Tim over ten years ago when he regularly co-featured in the hit TV series River Cottage. During his time as head chef at River Cottage Tim pioneered ethical, local, seasonal produce and became a key spokesperson in the area of responsibly-sourced food.

Tim’s aim is to show off the “tremendous versatility” of the ESSE 600 X electric range cooker. The new 600 X has ESSE’s classic heat storage construction, patented ovens, beautiful colour finishes and the reassuring ‘solidity’ with modern, electric controllability and responsiveness.

Rhubarb, sweet cicely & pistachio crumble cake

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This cake can be served as a pudding or as a cake with cream. The herb sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata) resembles a scented cow parsley and grows in a shady corner of the garden and has a reputation as the sugar herb because the stem is particularly sweet with an aniseed flavour and can be used as a sweetener. It goes well with rhubarb and gooseberries. This recipe works well with gluten free flour.

For the ingredients:

You will need a 20cm springform cake tin, lined with parchment paper

For the cake:

  • 3 eggs (weigh these and match the weight of the other ingredients to it)
  • Same weight of softened butter, coconut sugar or caster sugar and self-raising flour
  • A pinch of sea salt
  • Approx. 600g rhubarb, cut into small pieces plus a dessert spoon of extra sugar and a sprig of sweet cicely cut up (optional)

For the crumble topping:

  • 125g butter 100g spelt or plain flour
  • 75g pistachio nuts, chopped plus a few extra for sprinkling on top
  • 75g sugar

Method:

  1. Preheat the bottom oven to 170C / ESSE dial guide MODERATE.
  2. For the crumble, add the flour, sugar and nuts into a bowl. Cut the butter into small chunks and rub into the dry ingredients. Set aside while you make the cake.
  3. Weigh the eggs and then weigh out the remaining cake ingredients into a mixing bowl, add the eggs, pinch of salt and a splash of water just to loosen the mixture slightly. Beat well for about a minute (I use a food mixer).
  4. Turn into the prepared tin and spread out. Cover with the pieces of rhubarb, sweet cicely if using and sprinkle over a little sugar. Cover with the crumble mixture and add extra nuts if you wish on top.
  5. Bake in the bottom oven for about 50 minutes or until the top feels fairly firm to the touch. You may need to cover the cake with foil if it browns too quickly half way during cooking.
  6. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the tin before taking out of the tin and cutting.

The above recipe was created and photographed by Philippa Vine at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen in Arlington, East Sussex. ESSE has teamed up with Philippa Vine for over five years to offer customers amazing cookery experiences at the farmhouse demonstration kitchen in Polegate. Philippa’s cookery school puts ESSE’s electric range cookers and wood-fired cooking stoves through their paces, to show guests the control and flexibility these British-made range cookers provide.

Banana and lemon loaf

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Recipe of the month from @thecastironcookinglady, Sarah Whitaker

Serves 4-6

Oven: Oven set to 180/ ESSE dial guide top end of MODERATE

Ingredients

  1. 2 eggs
  2. 110g soft brown sugar
  3. 110g butter
  4. 2 bananas
  5. 225g self-raising whole meal flour
  6. 2 tbsp. lemon curd
  7. ½ tsp ground allspice

Cook earlier:

  • Will keep in a tin for two or three days
  • Freeze

Method

  1. Line a 1 kg loaf tin with Bake-o-Glide. If possible, put the butter beside the cooker to soften for half an hour before making the cake.
  2. Peel and mash the bananas. Beat in the rest of the ingredients and pour into the prepared tin and bake.
  3. Slide the grid shelf into the oven and put the loaf tin onto it. Bake for about 40 minutes until golden brown and risen.
  4. Take the cooked cake from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
  5. Serve in slices.

Sarah Whitaker owns an ESSE 990 Electric Range Cooker and is one of the most experienced cookery demonstrators in the UK. Sarah is widely recognised as an expert in cast iron range cooking.

“I am really enjoying my ESSE range, which offers all the best aspects of traditional cast iron cooking, with an induction hob and full size grill! ESSE are British made and a British owned, family company.
I have to say I am completely convinced by the ESSE cooker’s capabilities, it really is an amazing piece of equipment and it cooks beautifully. Everything I do on it works out perfectly!”

From her home in rural Hampshire, Sarah specialises in ESSE range cooker classes and demonstrations, and writing recipes. Well known for her relaxed style and effortless recipes, she gives demonstrations in ESSE retail showrooms. Follow Sarah on Facebook and Instagram for recipe tips and interesting food combinations as they go into the oven, as well as advance information on demonstration places and menu ideas!

Tartelettes with crème patissiere and strawberries

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Liedia’s tartelettes are filled with a fine layer of chocolate and custard, and topped with delicious strawberries and a touch of mint. “The ESSE is fabulous with shortcrust pastry.”

Serves 5

Ingredients

  • 250 grams strawberries
  • mint leaves for decoration

The Pastry

  • 200 grams flour
  • 30 grams almond flour
  • 80 grams icing sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 120 grams unsalted butter
  • 30 grams beaten egg (about two thirds of an egg)

Filling

  • 50 grams dark chocolate 70%

Crème patissiere

  • 65 grams sugar
  • 16 grams vanilla sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 35 grams flour
  • 350 ml milk

Method

Preheat the oven to 170ºC / ESSE dial guide MODERATE.
You will need 5 serrated tartelette tins 10 x 2 cm

First make the pastry.

  1. Measure the flour, almond flour, icing sugar, salt and butter in a bowl. Mix until breadcrumb stage.
  2. Add the egg and knead until you have a nice smooth dough.
  3. Wrap it in foil and let it rest in the fridge for at least half an hour.
  4. While the dough is resting, you can make the pastry cream.

Instructions for the crème patissiere

  1. Mix the sugar, vanilla and egg yolks in a bowl.
  2. Add the flour and stir until it is completely absorbed.
  3. Heat the milk in a saucepan, and as soon as it starts to boil, turn off the heat.
  4. You can see that it is starting to boil because bubbles will appear on the edge of the pan.
  5. Add a little milk to the egg mixture and stir until the milk is completely absorbed.
  6. Then add the rest of the milk in parts and stir until it is a smooth mixture.
  7. Pour the mixture back into the pan and turn the heat back on. Bring to the boil while stirring.
  8. The crème is ready when it has the thickness of a thick custard.
  9. Pour the cream into a clean bowl and cover it with foil, this will prevent forming a skin.
  10. Let it cool down for a while and then put it in the refrigerator to cool completely. The cream will then thicken even further.

(The crème patissiere can be made up to a day ahead).

  1. Dust your work surface with flour and roll out the dough to a thickness of 4-5 mm.
  2. Cut out a piece of dough, a little bigger than the tin. Line your baking tin with the pastry up the sides.
  3. Cut away the excess edges of pastry and place the tins on a baking tray. Prick the base with a fork and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  4. Place the tartlets in the middle of the oven and bake them for 15-20 minutes at 170°C / ESSE dial guide MODERATE or till golden brown at the edges. Let them cool completely before continuing.
  5. Melt the chocolate au-bain-marie and apply a layer of chocolate to the base of the tartlet. Let this cool completely before adding the crème patissiere.
  6. When the crème patissiere has cooled and set, put it in a piping bag with a smooth nozzle. Fill the pastry case with the cold crème patissier spreading to the edges. Halve the strawberries and arrange them on top. Decorate with a few mint leaves.
  7. Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature.

Liedia van de Mortel regularly contributes to the ‘Loving my ESSE Cooker!’ Facebook group and her content is enjoyed by other ESSE Cooker owners. Liedia owns an electric 990 EL ESSE cooker with an induction hob. And to quote Liedia “I love it”.
Liedia is still life photographer in Rotterdam, Netherlands, previously working as a coloured pencil artist. Her favourite topics are products and food.
If you have a favourite recipe that you would like to share with ESSE, please get in touch through enquiries@esse.com.

Chocolate truffles

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A simple and delicious recipe, no cooking involved other than heating up the double cream!

I love rolling them in colourful dried raspberries which gives them a fruity burst in the mouth or you can use chopped hazelnuts if you prefer.

Make the filling the day before and then roll them the day you want to eat them.  Makes about 15 truffles and any left can be stored in the fridge for about a week.

Ingredients

  • 150g 70% dark chocolate
  • 150g double cream
  • A good pinch of sea salt
  • 2 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)

Method

  1. Finely chop the chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl.
  2. Bring the cream and a good pinch of sea salt to the boil in a saucepan.
  3. Remove from the heat as soon as small bubbles appear then pour the hot cream over the chocolate and leave for a minute to allow the chocolate to melt.
  4. Stir until thoroughly combined and glossy.
  5. Then add the maple syrup if you wish, this takes the edge off the bitterness of the chocolate. (A personal preference!).
  6. Transfer to a dish and allow to cool overnight in the fridge if you wish.
  7. Bring up to room temperature and then scoop out the mixture with a teaspoon and then roll in your hands to make a ball and roll into either the raspberries or chopped nuts or even sifted cocoa powder.

Recipe prepared by Philippa Vine at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen in East Sussex using the ESSE 1000 X Electric Range Cooker.

Mexican Beans filled pancakes

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This recipe is a nutritious and delicious supper dish and you can make it as spicy as you like! Serve with sides of soured cream and homemade guacamole for a complete Mexican style meal!

Serves 4.

Ingredients

  • 100g plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 300ml milk
  • A tablespoon of olive oil
  • A pinch of sea salt

For the filling:

  • 3 shallots or 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
  • 2 heaped teaspoons of tomato pure
  • 2 tablespoon water
  • A pinch of chilli powder (optional)
  • 450g cooked red or black beans
  • 100g grated hard cheese
  • A little olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Make the pancakes in the usual way.

  1. To make the filling, heat the oil in a frying pan and add the shallots or onions until they begin to colour and soften.
  2. Then add the spices, garlic, tomato puree and water and cook for a further few minutes.
  3. Then add the beans, crushing some of them with the back of a wooden spoon to mush up bit. Taste for seasoning.
  4. Fill your pancakes by spooning a tablespoon of filling on each pancake and then rolling up.
  5. Put them seam down in a greased shallow ovenproof dish and fill the other pancakes to fill the dish.
  6. Sprinkle the cheese over the pancakes and cook in the oven 190C (ESSE dial guide top end of HOT) for about 20 minutes or use the ESSE grill to brown the cheese on top if you wish.

This dish can be prepared in advance and cooked just before you want to eat it.

Recipe prepared using the ESSE Ironheart wood-fired cooking stove, pancakes cooked direct to the right hand side of the cast hand hotplate and then baked in the oven which is heated by the fire. Courtesy of Philippa Vine at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen and Cookery School in East Sussex.

Poppyseed Pancakes with Lemon curd cream cheese

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For me this is one of huge benefits of owning an ESSE cooker, using the hotplate to cook pancakes, tortillas and flat breads direct on the hotplate.  Its worth getting the cooker just for pancakes!! No need to own any non-stick frying pan as you have your own built in pancake pan! You will make about 8-10 pancakes. Pancakes are quick and easy to make “1-2-3 “ (100g flour, 2 eggs, 300ml milk). The batter improves in texture and flavour if you leave it to rest for  30 minutes or over night in the fridge before making the pancakes. This gives the flour a chance to absorb the liquid and for the gluten to relax. This recipe makes crepe style pancakes as I love them thin.  The consistency of the batter determines the thickness of the pancake. The thinner the batter the thinner the pancake.  Have a flippin’ time!

Ingredients

  • 100g plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 300ml milk
  • A knob of butter, melted
  • A tablespoon of poppy seeds
  • A pinch of sea salt

For the filling:

  • 150g lemon curd
  • 200g cream cheese

Method

  1. Put the flour, a pinch of salt and poppy seeds in a bowl.
  2. Make a well in the centre and whisk in the eggs, then slowly whisk in the milk, drawing the flour into the liquid to make a smooth batter.
  3. Whisk in the melted butter.
  4. Ideally, let the batter to rest for half an hour.
  5. Meanwhile, make the filling by beating the lemon curd into the cream cheese.  Taste, you can always add some fresh lemon juice for extra sharpness.

To cook the pancakes, heat the hotplate to 200C (dial on 12 o’clock) and wipe the hotplate with a greased kitchen paper.  Then using a ladle pour a little batter directly on the hotplate, swirl it around with the back of the spoon to make it thin.

Allow the pancake to brown on its underside, this will take about 60 seconds and then flip, using a palette knife, and cook until golden on the other side. As the pancakes are cooked, stack and repeat with the remaining batter.  Then when you are ready to serve them, cover half of each pancake with the curd filling and fold in half.  These can be made in advance and reheated in the ESSE.

Recipe prepared using the right hand side of the cast iron hotplate on the ESSE Ironheart wood-fired cooking stove by Philippa Vine at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen, East Sussex.

Sussex Pond Pudding

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A hearty winter steamed pudding. Easy to cook when you have an ESSE cooker as you can leave it to steam away in the oven. It gets its name because of the amount of butter in the middle which melts when it’s boiled and soaks into the suet pastry with the marvellous tartness of lemon and ginger cutting the richness.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

  • 225g self raising flour
  • 110g suet
  • 110g butter, softened plus extra for the basin
  • 110g light muscovado sugar
  • 1 unwaxed lemon
  • A walnut size piece of fresh root ginger, grated
  • A pinch of sea salt

Method

  1. Butter a 900ml pudding basin using plenty of softened butter.
  2. Mix the suet, flour and a good pinch of salt with about 120ml cold water or more and mix with a table knife to a soft dough.
  3. Roll out on a lightly floured surface into a circle, reserving a quarter for the lid and line the basin.
  4. Mix the sugar and butter together then add the grated ginger.
  5. Make a few slits in the lemon with a sharp knife.
  6. Put half of the butter/sugar mixture into the basin then place the lemon on top and add the remaining butter/sugar on top. Roll the reserved piece of pastry large enough fo cover the top of the basin. Dampen the pastry edges and place the lid, sealing well by pressing edges together.
  7. Cover with buttered kitchen foil, making a pleat across the centre to allow the pudding to rise. Tie around with string.
  8. Put a trivet into the base of a large saucepan, add a quarter full of water and bring to the boil.
  9. Put the pudding into the pan, cover the pan with a lid and put into the oven 150C (ESSE dial guide low end of HOT) and steam for about 3 1/2 hours.
  10. To serve, allow to cool before turning out onto a serving plate.  Delicious when served with custard flavoured with a bay leaf.

Winter comfort recipes prepared by Philippa Vine using the Ironheart wood-fired cooking stove at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen and Cookery School in East Sussex.

Pear & Chocolate Tart

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For any chocolate lover, this luxurious tart is deep filled with juicy sliced pears on top.  All you need is some cold cream to serve with it.

You don’t have to bake blind the pastry as it will cook on the base of the ESSE cooker.  You will need a 23cm deep tart tin.

Serves about 8.

Ingredients

For the pastry

  • 200g plain or spelt flour
  • 50g cocoa powder
  • 110g cold butter
  • 1 tablespoon icing sugar
  • 1 large egg

For the filling

  • 150g 70% cocoa solids chocolate
  • 150g butter, softened
  • 150g light muscovado sugar
  • 50g plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 ripe pears, skin left on, cored and sliced

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 180C (ESSE dial guide middle of HOT).
  2. For the pastry, mix together the flour, icing sugar and cocoa powder.
  3. Then add the butter, cut up into cubes.  Rub into the flour mix until fine breadcrumbs.
  4. Then add the egg until it makes a dough.
  5. Leave to rest in the fridge while you make the filling.
  6. Melt the chocolate on the induction hob setting 1 or leave the chocolate in a bowl at the back of the ESSE until melted.
  7. Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, Whisk the eggs and add to the butter and sugar together with the flour. Finally fold in the melted chocolate.
  8. Line the tart tin with the pastry and then fill the pastry case with the chocolate filling. Then carefully arrange the pears on top.
  9. Cook for about 40 minutes or until the filling is cooked.

Winter comfort recipes prepared by Philippa Vine using the Ironheart wood-fired cooking stove at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen and Cookery School in East Sussex.

Pumpkin Custard Tart

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Golden custard made from seasonal pumpkin or butternut squash puree and all the warm spices make this tart one of my favourite desserts in Autumn!  I cook a whole Crown Prince or Red Kiri squash in the ESSE for a couple of hours slowly and then spoon out the soft orange flesh.  (Leave the large cheap bright orange pumpkins for carving as their water content is too high for this recipe)

You will need a 20cm tart tin.  I pre cook the pastry in a hotter oven and lower the oven for cooking the filling as you want crisp golden pastry and a slowly cooked filling, which almost tastes treacly!

Method

For the shortcrust pastry:

  • 200g spelt or plain flour
  • 110g butter, cold and cubed
  • 1 egg

For the filling:

  • 300g pureed pumpkin
  • 3 eggs
  • 300ml double cream
  • 110g soft brown sugar
  • 2 level teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • A good pinch of sea salt
  • Freshly grated nutmeg for the top

Method

  1. Make the pastry in the usual way, by rubbing the butter into the flour and then incorporating the egg, mix to a smooth dough.  You may need to add a splash or two of cold water (depending on the size of the egg and what flour you are using).
  2. Roll out the pastry and use to line the tart tin.  Leave for 20 minutes to let the pastry rest.  The oven should be about 180C/200C (ESSE dial guide reading low end of HOT) to cook the pastry.  Line the pastry with baking parchment paper, fill with baking beans and bake blind in the oven for about 15 minutes or until just starting to brown.
  3. Then lower the oven to about 150C (ESSE dial guide reading top end of COOL).  To make the filling, simply beat the filling ingredients until smooth then carefully pour into the pastry case and bake for about 30 minutes or until just set, with a slight wobble.  Grate a little nutmeg on the top and leave for about 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe created by Philippa Vine of Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen using her ESSE Ironheart wood-fired cooking stove.

Summer berries and coconut traybake

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This is a simple cake perfect to take on a picnic and works so well with gluten free flour and oats too.  It is a cross between a flapjack and a cake with a delicious crumble topping.  You will need a square 23cm cake tin, lined with parchment paper.

Ingredients

  • 200g self-rising flour or GF flour
  • 100g rolled oats
  • 75g desiccated coconut
  • 225g soft brown sugar
  • 200g butter
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 500g summer berries

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 170C (ESSE dial guide MODERATE).
  2. Mix the flour, oats, coconut & sugar into a bowl.
  3. Cut the butter into small chunks and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. (use a food processor for quickness).
  4. Weigh 200g of this mixture and set aside as this is the crumble topping.
  5. Then mix the other mixture with the beaten eggs to make a cake dough.
  6. Press this into the prepared cake tin and top with the summer berries.
  7. Sprinkle over the reserved mixture and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until it is cooked.
  8. Let the cake cool in the tin and then cut into squares.

Recipe prepared by Philippa Vine using the ESSE 1000 X Electric Range Cooker at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen & Cookery School, East Sussex.

 

Baked cheesecake topped with poached rhubarb

by

This recipe is a classic and easy to cook in your ESSE cooker, gently baked in the bottom oven with the steam vent closed to retain the moisture. It’s a great gluten free dessert and can be bake ahead of time.

Serves

10 approximately

Ingredients

For the base:

  • 250g ginger nut biscuits or gluten free biscuits
  • 125g butter plus a little extra for the tin

For the filling:

  • 6 tablespoons caster sugar
  • 20g cornflour
  • 2 large tubs of Philadelphia full fat cream cheese
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs
  • 200ml double cream

For the topping:

  • Rhubarb, poached gently and sweetened with a squeeze of fresh orange zest and juice, plus a drizzle of honey

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 150C. Butter generously a 20cm springform cake tin.
  2. For the base, melt 125g of butter. Put the biscuits into a strong plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin, or whiz in a food processor. Tip into the melted butter and give it a good stir and press into your prepared tin.
  3. Then beat together the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, cornflour, cream and vanilla essence.
  4. Pour the mixture over the biscuit base and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the topping has just set, there should be a slight wobble as it will set completely in the fridge.
  5. Leave to cool in the tin, then chill in the fridge before carefully unmoulding. Then decorate with poached rhubarb.

Hot Chocolate Pudding

by

This quick (and utterly delicious!) chocolate pud, which I’ve been making for years to delight my family, occupies a space somewhere between a brownie, a soufflé and a cake. I think you’ll agree that’s not a bad place to be. It can be whipped up easily (and on demand!) from store-cupboard ingredients. Briefly baked until set on the outside but still gooey in the middle, it is excellent served with some fruit to cut the richness. It’s gluten-free too.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 100g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 100g butter, cut into pieces, plus extra to grease the dish
  • 3 medium eggs
  • 50g soft light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 75g ground almonds
  • A pinch of salt

To serve

  • Raspberries or other berries, or plum compote
  • Yoghurt or cream (optional)

Method

  1. Put the chocolate and butter into a saucepan and melt gently over a very low heat, watching all the time and stirring often so that the chocolate doesn’t get too hot. Set aside to cool a little. Preheat the oven to 190°C/ESSE Dial Guide HOT. (Aim for the dial reading to be at the low end of HOT). Butter a small oven dish.
  2. In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract together until pale, thick and mousse-like. Using a stand mixer or hand-held electric whisk on full speed, this should only take a few minutes, but whisking by hand with a rotary or balloon whisk will take a lot longer! The mix should be significantly paler, thicker and increased in volume.
  3. Turn the mixer down to a low speed and, with the motor running, slowly pour in the tepid melted chocolate and butter mixture (or whisk it gently by hand). Use a rubber spatula to scrape the last drops of chocolate into the mix, and then to fold the mixture fully together.
  4. Combine the ground almonds and salt. Add to the chocolate mixture and fold in carefully, using the spatula.
  5. Turn the mixture into the prepared oven dish and shake the dish a little to spread it out. Bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes until the pudding is set on top and firm at the edges, but still wobbly and gooey in the middle.
  6. Serve straight away, with fresh raspberries or plum compote, and a spoonful of yoghurt or a trickle of cream if you like.

A best-loved favourite recipe made better by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall from the River Cottage good comfort cook book. Recipe prepared using his ESSE Range Cooker.

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