For this baked cheesecake you do need a pumpkin variety with a dry flesh – I like to use sugar pie or red kuri, so would recommend one of these. If the pumpkin is nice and small, cut it open, scoop out the seeds, put it back together and then roast it in the oven for about 1½ hours – this will soften the flesh and lock in the delicious pumpkin flavour. The pumpkin could be roasted a day in advance for ease and speed, then cooled and kept in the fridge overnight, if you like.

I have used ginger nut biscuits for the base, but you could use plain digestive biscuits instead, if you prefer.

I have used the Thermomix for this recipe. Janie Turner from UK Thermomix demonstrated the new TM5 model to me. She made a chopped sweet potato salad and I was amazed with the results (potentially, I never need to use my grater again, so no more grated fingernails!).

I have a glut of pumpkins at the moment and I fancied a bit of cake, so the idea for this recipe came to mind. I thought, aha!, it’s a great time to test my new TM5 chopping techniques. I used the Thermomix to chop the pumpkin, apples and ginger, then I added the rest of the ingredients for the cake batter, whizzed it all together and in a jiffy the job was done – it’s pretty fast and impressive.

If you do not have a Thermomix, you can still make the cake, but you’ll need to use a grater instead (or a food processor with a grater attachment), then mix all the ingredients together in a bowl using a wooden spoon or an electric mixer.

What I mean by neutral here is that the damsons are only cooked with a little water until puréed with no sugar added. The purée is then separated from the stones (which are discarded), and frozen in 500ml blocks. This measurement is to make storage and use easy, but you can store it in varied quantities, as you wish. The frozen damson purée and good halves will last a few weeks in the freezer, ready for me to make delicious desserts such as this one for the menu. The purée usually amounts to quite a lot, so I also turn some of it into damson cordial (which we use for non-alcoholic and alcoholic cocktails in the bar), and then some of the very ripe and squishy damsons are used to make damson gin. I also sometimes make damson cheese with any remaining damson purée, and if there are any leftover good halves then I often make a delicious damson, apple and blackberry crumble or a plate pie. I hope my ‘damson diaries’ inspire you to do the same with your garden glut, whatever it may be. Greengages, wild plums, bullaces and Victoria plums would all be suitable.

The crumble topping is an old favourite of mine, it’s almost flapjack-like, as I make the crumble mixture, bake it first and then place it on top of the fruits and bake it for a second time. I dislike a soggy crumble, hence I find that the twice-baked crumbles deliver not only a fantastic baked-cum-roasted taste, they deliver on texture too.

I use a cherry stoner to remove the stones from the small wild plums and it works a treat.

After making choux pastry in the Thermomix the previous week, Steve wanted to try this method for himself, and yes, it works a treat! The only difference is that the sugar is left out of the choux pastry recipe and replaced with a pinch of salt. The beauty about choux pastry is that you can make the dough up to 3 days in advance, keep it in the fridge until needed, then fold in the flavouring and hey presto!, cook and serve. You also get plenty out of one recipe, which means you can either feed a small army or make plenty for the following day. I include both the conventional method and the Thermomix method for making choux pastry. See the Cook’s Tips at the end of the recipe for the Thermomix method.

These crab beignets are delicious served either hot or cold. Served cold they will lose a bit of their crispness, but they are just as delicious.

Our damson crop has been divided between a few recipes. I turned a good amount into a purée, which is used for making damson parfait, damson bellinis for the bar and even damson martinis, which have been a hot favourite with our regulars. The rest made their way into crumbles and chutneys, but my favourite recipe this season is this cinnamon-baked damson recipe. I use them for various dishes from pavlovas filled with chantilly cream and cinnamon-baked damsons to a damson meringue mess. My latest yummy creation is this choux bun recipe.

I enjoy eating choux pastry made into various shapes and used in different recipes, from savoury to sweet, but I used to find making choux pastry really hard work, mainly because of the amount of elbow grease required and also the amount of equipment it needed. Hard work means no fun until the Thermomix made its way into my life. This recipe for choux pastry made in the Thermomix is a dream and, yes, it’s guaranteed to work every time, providing you follow the instructions correctly. I speak from experience on this as last week I tried to make this recipe, but as I am fairly lazy I did not read the instructions, and while trying to answer the phone, cook, manage the business and watch what the junior staff were getting up to, I made a few fundamental errors and, yes, I made a flop! However, once I had gathered my thoughts and assessed my own mistakes, I ticked myself off, tried again (following the instructions this time!) and after that my choux pastry came out beautifully.

I bake it every day, as we are busy, and I serve this dessert on our set menu; it’s been a popular little number. Please do not fear, persevere and do give this recipe a go as it’s really satisfying and enjoyable. If you do not have a Thermomix, then follow the conventional method, even though it requires a fair amount of elbow grease. See the Cook’s Tips at the end of the recipe for the Thermomix method.

The unfilled baked choux buns will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, and the cinnamon-baked damsons can be made up to 1 week in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
Damsons freeze well. I have made the purée and frozen it in batches to ensure I have a good steady supply throughout the autumn, and then the quartered damsons without the stones I freeze on flat trays and use as I need them. For this recipe, if you are using frozen damsons, I recommend that you bake them from frozen and increase the cooking time accordingly.

Most of the time medlars are mixed with apples and turned into wine or jellies. However, as we had a large quantity of quinces donated to us I thought I’d give mixing the two together a go, and actually, the result is perfect. When you cook quinces for a long period of time the syrup turns pink, which gives this jelly an attractive colour.

The theme of the quinces continues by turning more quinces into a curd – the buttery curd complements the sweetness of the jelly and then the acidity of the crème fraîche balances the dish.

This garibaldi recipe has been with me for many years. It can be fairly temperamental and behaves best during the winter. If the dough gets a bit warm, it sticks and makes a bit of a mess (I know as I’ve had some ‘sticky garibaldi moments’ in the past!). My top tip is to shape it into sausages or logs, wrap in cling film and let it chill for at least 1 hour before cutting and baking. Then, take it from the fridge when you’re ready, cut it into discs and bake immediately. If you have baked a few too many of these delicious biscuits, just keep the leftover baked biscuits in an airtight container, or alternatively, bake what you need and keep the remaining dough in the fridge or freezer (see Chef’s Notes). I sprinkle the warm baked biscuits with caster sugar to give them even more of a homemade look.

Most chefs might cringe at the thought of a cheese foam as they think it’s passé; but then I’m so pleased food is subjective and it works for me. It’s a technique developed in my cooking era, something not from the Larousse and a technique I think that will last for a while and will make it’s mark on the culinary map.

I have chosen to use Montgomery cheddar for this cheesy foam as it’s strong, packs a punch and a very little goes a long way. The crispy bacon adds a meaty smoky saltiness to this delicious canapé the only thing missing is a glass of bubbly! Salute!

The Peshwari naan breads are absolutely delicious – salty-sweet and packed with golden sultanas, coconut and almonds. I have included two methods, one for making them in the Thermomix if you are lucky enough to have one and the other using the conventional method. Either way is great and there is no difference in the end results.

I brush the warm naan breads with melted ghee or butter and honey once they are cooked. You might find it strange that I cook these naan breads under the grill, but as they are thin they do not need to go into the oven. The grill is perfect for cooking them.