chilli and chive baked ricotta

what you need

Olive oil, to grease

500g fresh ricotta

2 eggs, lightly whisked

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh chives

1 tsp chilli flakes

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

what to do

Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush two 250ml capacity ramekins with oil to lightly grease.

place ricotta in a clean cloth and suspend over a bowl to drain four at least an hour.

Combine ricotta, egg, chives and chilli in a bowl.

Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon ricotta mixture among ramekins and smooth the surface.

Place on a baking tray.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until golden and set. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool.

Turn onto a cheese board. Serve with a fresh crusty baguette

Or refrigerate then slice and use as required

dried feta stuffed olives

what you need

1/3 cup plain flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tbs milk

1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

1 1/3 cups finely grated parmesan cheese

Pinch of cayenne pepper

400 gr Spanish feta stuffed olives, rinsed, drained *

Extra-light olive oil, to deep-fry

what to do

Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place the flour on a plate. Combine the egg and milk in a bowl. Combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan and cayenne pepper in a bowl.

Dip olives in flour and shake off excess. Dip in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing to coat. Place on lined tray. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill.

Add enough oil to a large saucepan to reach a depth of 5cm. Heat to 190°C over medium-high heat (when oil is ready a cube of bread will turn golden brown in 10 seconds). Add one-fifth of the olives to the oil and cook for 30 seconds or until golden. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat, in 4 more batches, with the remaining olives, reheating oil between batches. Place in a serving bowl and serve.

*feta stuffed olives are available from most continental delis

chocolate tart

what you need

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons cold water

170 grams bittersweet chocolate coarsely chopped

2 egg whites, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Chocolate shavings (optional)

what to do
To make the crust, thoroughly mix flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Cut butter in chunks and add to bowl. With two knives or pastry blender, cut butter into flour, tossing to coat with flour until largest pieces are the size of pine nuts and remaining pieces resemble coarse breadcrumbs.

As you work, scrape flour up from bottom of bowl, and scrape butter from knives or pastry blender. Do not let butter melt or blend completely into flour. Drizzle 1-1/2 tablespoons cold water over flour mixture while tossing and mixing, until just moist enough to hold together when pressed.

Add remaining water if needed. Turn out on plastic wrap. Gather into a flat disc, pressing together any loose bits. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 3 days.

Position rack in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (200 degrees celsius). Let dough stand 30 minutes at room temperature, or until pliable enough to roll without cracking.

On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 14- by 9-inch (35cm - 23cm) oval, about 1/8-inch thick (3mm), rotating and dusting with flour to prevent sticking.

Brush excess flour from dough; fold in half to transfer to a piece of parchment slightly larger than dough. Unfold dough. Loosely fold and roll edge, without pressing, to form rimmed crust. Place parchment with pastry on baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until light golden brown (crust edge will be a little raw inside).

Meanwhile, for filling, melt chocolate in microwave on 50 per cent power (medium) about 2 minutes. Stir frequently until chocolate is almost completely melted. Remove from microwave. Stir until melted; set aside.

In bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Beat until whites are stiff but not dry. Pour pecans and melted chocolate over whites; fold with spatula until batter is uniform colour.

Remove crust from oven. Reduce oven to 350 degrees (180 degrees celsius). Dollop filling on crust. Spread to 1/2-inch (1.2cm) thick. Bake 10 minutes, or until surface looks dry and slightly cracked (fudgy inside).

Cool on baking sheet on rack. Serve warm or cool. Cover and refrigerate after two hours or up to 24 hours. To serve, top with chocolate shavings.

peasant style chicken, potatoes & chorizo

This would have to be my daughter, Alexia's favourite dish, a very simple one pan dinner that is so easy to make and perfect for a sunday night dinner.

what you need

1 whole large free range chicken cut 1/2

2 chorizo sausages sliced

200mls chicken stock

1 kg potatoes quartered lengthways skin on

1 large onion sliced

2 gloves garlic finely chopped

fresh rosemary chopped finely

fresh oregano chopped finely

olive oil

sea salt & cracked pepper

what to do

Lay potatoes in the base of a heavy roasting dish, top with the sliced onions.

Rub the chicken with some of the olive oil, chopped herbs and garlic, and place on top of the Potatoes and onions.

Place chorizo around the chicken

Pour in chicken stock , and season well with the sea salt and cracked pepper.

Roast in a moderate oven till the chicken is well browned and cooked to the bone

chilli crab

• Nothing like fresh crabs, Paul and the boys decided on a quiet Friday night to drag the boat down to the swan river. After may hours, with all the nets down they pulled up 8 monster blue swimmer crabs, and what better way to cook them than in a thick hot chilli sauce.

I think it was more fun watching these three guys dig into the large bowl of chilli crab, dipping the crusty bread and slurping up all that hot spicy sauce. On the down side was now having to clean the walls and windows that are now have red spots all over them.

• 
  
• what you need
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 4 green (uncooked) blue swimmer crabs
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 fresh long red chillies finely chopped
• 1 tbs finely grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 2 tbs sweet chilli sauce
• 2 tbs dry sherry
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 6 spring onions, ends trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander
• 
  

what to do

Heat the oil in a large wok over high heat until just smoking. Add the crab and stir-fry for 5-7 minutes or until just cooked (the crab meat will turn white when cooked).

Add the garlic, chilli and ginger, and stir-fry for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the tomato and sweet chilli sauces, sherry and sugar, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until sauce boils and thickens slightly.

Remove from heat. Add the spring onions and stir until just wilted. Add the coriander and toss until just combined.

Enjoy with crusty bread or serve with steamed rice

Crab linguine with chilli, lemon and garlic

what you need

1. 100ml olive oil
2. 1 medium-hot red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
3. 1 fat garlic clove, finely chopped
4. 3 pared strips of lemon zest, finely chopped
5. 450g linguine - fresh if possible
6. 2 tbsp lemon juice, plus lemon wedges to serve
7. 225g freshly cooked white crab meat
8. 2 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley

what to do

1. Put the olive oil, chilli, garlic and lemon zest into a small pan and put over a gentle heat until it begins to fry. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Bring a large saucepan of well-salted water to the boil. Add the linguine and cook until al dente. Drain well and set aside.
3. Tip the chilli and lemon mixture into the pan the pasta was in, then add the lemon juice and season. Heat until sizzling, then add the linguine and crab meat to the pan and toss gently over a medium heat to warm the crab through.
4. Add the parsley, season, and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

baked gorgonzola figs with macadamia, honey, balsamic dressing

what you need

8 fresh ripe figs

50gr gorgonzola cheese

1/3 cup toasted, finely chopped macadamia nuts

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Fresh dressed mixed greens

2 tablespoons full flavoured honey

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

what to do

Trim off the stem end of the figs, and using a sharp knife cut an X into the top of the fig 3/4 of the way down leaving the bottom of the fig attached.

Roll some of the gorgonzola into small balls about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch in size, then roll the balls into the macadamia nuts gently pressing them into the cheese balls. Place the figs on a baking sheet, then place a cheese ball into each fig. Gently squeeze the fig to enclose the cheese inside. Brush the figs lightly with a little olive oil and place the figs in a preheated oven, until the figs are heated through and the cheese is just beginning to melt.

While the figs are heating, divide the greens on top of each of four plates. Mix together the honey, balsamic, and olive oil. Place the figs on top of the greens and drizzle the figs with a little of the honey, balsamic dressing. Serve immediately.

Risotto Milanese

what you need

4 cups chicken stock
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup onion, diced finely
1 cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice
1 large pinch saffron threads
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano)

what to do

Bring the chicken broth to a simmer. Lower heat, keep warm.

In the risotto pan, add the olive oil and onion. Cook the onion slowly for several minutes, until soft but do not brown. Add the rice and cook the rice for a couple of minutes. Add the saffron. Add the white wine and cook for a couple of minutes until the liquid has cooked off.

Start adding the stock. Add a couple of ladles initially and stir. Use a rubber spatula instead of a spoon. This really is the best tool - you can really lift the rice off the bottom of the pan. When you begin adding the stock, start timing the risotto. It should take between 20-25 minutes. You should stir the rice as much as you can, not allowing it to stick to the bottom of the pan. Do not boil the rice, just keep it on a simmer. As soon as the liquid has cooked off, keeping adding the stock by the ladleful.

After about 20 minutes, taste the rice. It should be soft, but still retain a little firmness (bite). When you think it is done, do not add any more liquid. Four cups of stock is usually just right. When the rice has absorbed the liquid, turn off the heat and add the parmesan. Serve hot and add more grated parmesan to the top if you like.

Sicilian stuffed arancini

what you need
5 cups chicken broth
pinch of saffron
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cups Arborio, Carnaroli or Aquerello rice
a rind of Parmigianno Reggiano cheese (if you have it) or 2 tablespoons grated cheese
2-3 egg whites
2 cups fresh bread crumbs (you can also use panko)
1 egg, beaten
1 cup (approximately) of meat sauce, bolognese, or ragu
vegetable oil (I used Canola) to give you about 4 inches of oil in your pot for frying

Make the risotto:
Heat the broth, add the saffron to it and keep it warm in a pot next to the pot in which you want to make your risotto.

In a medium size heavy pot, heat the olive oil and butter. Saute the onion with a pinch of salt gently for a few minutes. Do not let it brown. Add the rice, raise the heat a little and toast the rice for a couple of minutes. Add a couple of ladlefuls of broth and stir the risotto. Add the cheese rind. Lower the heat a little - you do not want the mixture to boil, but just to simmer gently. When the rice has absorbed the broth, add two more ladlefuls. You can tell when to add the broth by running your spoon through the mixture. If the liquid immediately fills in the crevice you make, let it cook some more. If it remains clear, it is time to add more broth (see photo in post for an example). Keep adding broth and stirring, repeating until rice is tender, about 25 minutes. You may not use all the broth. If you don't have enough broth, continue with plain water. If you don't have a cheese rind, at this point add the grated cheese and mix. Pour the risotto onto a baking sheet and let cool. You can refrigerate it to let it cool.

Line a baking tray with a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Place the egg whites in a small bowl and beat a little with a fork. Place the bread crumbs in a small bowl. Place the meat sauce into a small bowl.

Scrape the cooled risotto into a bowl and add the whole beaten egg. Mound some risotto into your hand using a quantity a little smaller than what size you want the finished arancini. With a spoon or your hand, make an indentation in the risotto. Place about a tablespoon of meat sauce in the indentation, add some risotto over the top and gently mold the whole thing into a ball. Roll the arancini in the egg whites and then in the bread crumbs. Place the arancini onto the wax paper. After they are all done, place them in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.

Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Heat about 4 inches of oil in a small pot or use a fryer if you have one. When the oil becomes hot enough to fry, lower the arancini one at a time into the oil with a handled strainer. Let fry for a few minutes, checking the color so they do not burn and gently rotating them with the strainer. When they are golden brown, remove with the strainer and place on paper towels to drain.

Italian stuffed mushrooms

18 large (about 2 lbs.) white mushrooms
Extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup Marsala wine
1 ½ cups, fresh bread crumbs (can substitute with gluten free crumbs!)
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano
2 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of salt
Aged balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove stems and coarsely chop them, reserving the caps. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped mushrooms to the heated oil, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally. Cook until mushroom mixture is dry, about 5 minutes. Slowly add Marsala. Cook until Marsala has evaporated, about 2 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in the bread crumbs. Set aside the bread crumb mixture to let cool, and then add Pecorino Romano, parsley, and garlic. Mix thoroughly.

Place mushroom caps in a single layer (rounded side down) on a greased cookie sheet. Spoon mushroom filling into caps, drizzle with olive oil, season with pepper, and bake until golden brown, about 30-45 minutes. Arrange mushrooms on serving platter and drizzle with a little aged balsamic vinegar

Italian sausage and three-cheese calzone

what you need

400g plain flour

100g semolina

1½ cups warm water

60ml olive oil

7g sachet dried yeast

1 Tbsp salt flakes

Extra 1 Tbsp olive oil

300g spicy pork sausages, out of their skins

2 large brown onions, sliced

¼ bunch oregano, leaves picked

Extra salt flakes and pepper, to season

400g ricotta

200g cherry bocconcini

150g parmesan, grated

what to do

Preheat oven to 200ºC. Put flour and semolina in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Attach dough hook. In a jug whisk together water, oil and yeast.

Turn mixer on low and pour in yeast mixture. Once all liquid has been added, increase speed to high, add salt and mix for 5 minutes until dough is soft and silky. Remove dough hook and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Put bowl in a warm place and allow dough to prove for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.

Heat extra oil in a frypan. Add sausages and cook over a high heat for 5 minutes or until brown. Add onion, reduce heat to low and cook for 25 minutes. Add oregano and season with extra salt and pepper.

Divide dough into 4 portions and roll out into rounds. Divide ricotta between rounds, tear over cherry bocconcini and drizzle with a little oil. Season with salt flakes and pepper. Sprinkle over parmesan and top with sausage mixture.

Fold over dough rounds to form half-moon shapes, then rope-twist the edges or press with a fork to seal. Put calzones on a heavy tray or preheated pizza stone and bake for 30 minutes.

Stand for 10 minutes, before serving.

corn and coriander fritters

what you need

1.5 cups corn kernels

2 spring onions finely chopped

½ onion finely diced

1 knob of ginger finely chopped

1/3 bunch of coriander leaves chopped

½ red capsicum finely diced

1 tsp dried cumin

½ cup of water (if you’re using tinned corn, use the water it comes in)

2 eggs

1 cup self raising flour

Sea salt flakes

Cracked lack pepper

Olive oil

what to do

Preheat oven to 180 degrees (350 fahrenheit).

Sauté the onion and ginger in a little oil until soft and translucent.

Place the flour, 1 cup of the corn kernels, onion, ginger, cumin, water and eggs into a food processor and process until well combined.

Place mixture into a large mixing bowl and stir through the remaining corn, shallots, capsicum, and coriander and season the mixture with sea salt and black pepper.

In a non-stick fry pan place a little oil and set over high heat.

Using a 30 ml (1 oz) ladle cook fritters 2 at a time, approx 1 minute per side or until golden.

Transfer to an oven proof rack and tray and cook for a further 3-4 minutes in the oven.

cajun spiced nuts

These are great to serve at a party or when friends come over for drinks you can also toss a few into a salad to give some extra bite and crunch.

What you'll need
1 kg mixed nuts

Good pinch Sea Salt flakes

Cajun Spices 50gms

2 Egg Whites Lightly whisked

What to do
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, rub the mixture together with your hands to get a good coating over the nuts

Place on a lightly greased tray and dry at 120C (250F) for 40 minutes

Once cool keep in an airtight container. They will last for a couple of weeks and you can crisp them up again in an oven at about 100degC (230F) for about ten minutes

new york style pizza dough

What you'll need
½ teaspoon active dry yeast

350ml warm water

2 ½ teaspoons sugar

2 ½ teaspoons) salt

15 ml olive oil

4 ½ cups) OO flour

What to do
Set the yeast in the warm water for 5 minutes, or until it starts to ‘bloom’

Add the remaining ingredients until they are just combined

Place a wet cloth over the bowl and let sit for 20 minutes. This step allows the starches to hydrate and better develop the dough as you proceed

Knead the dough for at least ten minutes, or until the dough is stretchy and does not rip when your finger pushes down on it

Put the dough in a warm area and let sit until it doubles in size

Punch it down, knead for three minutes, and let it rise until again doubled

Punch down again and shape in to 300gr balls.

let stand for 10 minutes, roll out and top as required.

Mango-Chili Salsa

What you need

200gr diced mango flesh

100 g (5 oz) mango puree, you may prepare this with the remaining flesh around the seed and the trimmings of the mango fillets when cutting the dice

90 g ( 3 oz) red or green bell peppers, diced

50 g (1 2/3 oz) red onions

10 g coriander leaves, chopped roughly

salt to taste

white pepper from the mill

1 piece lime, juice only

2 piece red finger chili, chopped

30ml (1 fl oz) virgin olive oil

What to do

In a bowl, combine all ingredients except the coriander leaves. Season well and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Add the coriander just before serving

raspberry friands

what you need

• 190g unsalted butter


• 60g plain flour


• 1 1/3 cups (200g) icing sugar, plus extra to dust


• 120g almond meal


• 5 eggwhites


• 100gr raspberries

what to do

Preheat oven to 180°C. Melt butter and use a little to grease a 12-hole friand pan. Dust with a little flour, shaking out excess.

Sift the flour and sugar into a large bowl, then stir in the almond meal.

Place eggwhites in a small bowl and lightly froth with a fork. Add to dry ingredients with melted butter, stirring until completely combined, then gently fold through raspberries. Fill each friand hole two-thirds full. Bake for 25-35 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven, leave in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Dust with icing sugar just before serving.

Chicken Cacciatore

what you need

4 chicken thighs

2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/2 cup all purpose flour, for dredging

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large red capsicum, chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 can diced tomatoes with juice

3/4 cup chicken stock

3 tablespoons drained capers

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

what to do

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly.

In a large heavy sauté pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, sauté it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the red capsicum, onion and garlic to the same pan and sauté over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, capers and oregano. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes for the breast pieces, and 20 minutes for the thighs.

Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from atop the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the basil

Best Served with penne pasta..

vegetable & feta tort

what you need for the pastry 2 cups bakers flour 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tsp sea salt water as required for the filling
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
400g pumpkin, peeled and diced 2cm
1 large kumara, peeled and diced 2cm
6 silverbeet leaves, thickly sliced
1 cup crumbled feta
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten

what to do For the pastry

Place the flour, salt and oil in the bowl of an electric mixer with a dough hook and mix in enough water to make a stiff dough.Knead with the dough hook for 10-15 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. This can also be done by mixing in a bowl then kneading by hand. Remove from the bowl, cover in plastic wrap and rest the pastry in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.

For the filling
Heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the onions and garlic and fry gently until soft and well browned. Remove from the heat and cool.

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. Drain well and crush coarsely with a fork. Boil the pumpkin and kumara separately in more salted water until tender. Drain well and cool. Boil the silverbeet leaves until well wilted, cool under cold water then squeeze dry and chop again.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Roll 1/2 the pastry out to make a disc 35cm in diameter. Place on a baking sheet greased with olive oil. Put the potato in an even layer over the pastry, leaving a border 2cm wide all around the edge. Spread the fried onions on top, then the pumpkin and kumara. Sprinkle the silverbeet and feta over and season with a little salt (depending on how salty the feta is) and black pepper. Roll out the other 1/2 of the pastry and place on top. Brush the edges with egg and crimp or twist together all around to seal the pie. Brush the top all over with egg and make several cuts on the top to let the steam escape. Bake for 40 minutes or until well cooked.

Remove from the oven and cool slightly

Oven baked sausage and tomato risotto

What you need

1 tablespoon olive oil

400g chorizo sausages sliced thick

1 red onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

2 celery stalks, diagonally sliced

400g can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf

parsley, to serve

what to do

Preheat oven to 200°C. Heat oil in a 12-cup flameproof casserole or ovenproof saucepan over medium heat. Fry sausages for 10 minutes, turning until browned and almost cooked. Remove from pan.

Add onion to saucepan, and more oil if needed. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes until soft.

Slice sausages into bite-sized pieces.

Add rice and celery to saucepan. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring. Add sausages, tomatoes, stock and water. Stir. Remove from heat. Cover with the lid or foil.

Transfer dish to the oven and cook for 30 to 35 minutes or until almost all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, but firm to the bite. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

chocolate lava cake

These individual chocolate lava cakes are great for dinner parties because they can be completely made the day before and then quickly baked before serving, for the all-important "ooze" factor. Makes 6.

180gr unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter, set aside. Spray six 6-ounce ramekins or muffin pan with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and salt. Slowly stir the melted chocolate into the egg mixture until thoroughly combined. Pour the mixture evenly into the ramekins. Cover the ramekins and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. preheat oven to 350 degrees F. bake for15 to 20 minutes. They will be done when the outside has risen slightly above the sides of the ramekins and the center is still soft. Unmold the cakes. Place each cake on a plate and serve with fresh berries, vanilla ice cream or a dollop of double cream.