Adam Byatt's Black Fig Tart with Mascarpone

Create's Consultant Chef, Adam Byatt, shares another of his tried and tested dessert recipes with us. This dessert is so delicious and simple to make you may find yourself making it again and again. it Adam has designed a range of seasonal menus for Create, as well as offering his culinary expertise and presence at a selection of tastings and events.

Give it a go and let us know what you think at @createfood. We'd love to see what you make!

Ingredients: Makes 8 

500g puff pastry (preferably made with all butter)
12 slightly firm, black Italian figs
60g butter
30g icing sugar
200g mascarpone, to serve

Preparation: 
Roll out the pastry on a floured surface until it is the size of an A4 sheet of paper and about 2mm thick. Place the pastry on a baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Slice the figs.
Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C fan/gas 8.

Method
1 Remove the pastry from the fridge and prick it all over with a fork – the holes should be about 1cm apart (this is called ‘docking’). Now crimp the edges with your thumb and forefinger, and chill the pastry again in the fridge for 20 minutes.

2 Lay the figs over the pastry in lines, overlapping them slightly so that they completely cover the pastry. Leave the tart to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

3 Melt the butter and brush it generously over the figs, then sift over the icing sugar. Bake the tart for 30 minutes or until the edges are crisp.

4 Remove the tart from the oven and leave to cool for about 10 minutes before cutting into squares and topping each square with a spoonful of mascarpone. Serve warm.

Adam Byatt's cappuccino crème brulee

Create's Consultant Chef, Adam Byatt, shares another of his tried and tested dessert recipes with us. Adam has designed a range of seasonal menus for Create, as well as offering his culinary expertise and presence at a selection of tastings and events. This is one of his favourite autumn recipes, so give it a go and tell us what you think at @createfood.

Ingredients: Makes 6

9 egg yolks

50ml cold espresso coffee

75g caster sugar

450ml double cream

Milk Foam

5g leaf gelatine

200ml milk

20g caster sugar

To Serve

icing sugar, for sprinkling

1 bar dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

Choc Chip Cookies 

Preparation:

Turn the oven on to 130°C/110°C fan/gas ½. Take a shallow roasting tray that is big enough to hold six 150ml coffee cups. Pour cold water into the tray until half full, then place the tray in the oven for the water to heat up.

Method

1 Put the egg yolks, espresso and sugar into a bowl and mix together well with a wooden spoon.

2 Bring the cream to the boil in a saucepan over a high heat. Pour the cream over the espresso mix and stir well. Pass this mix through a fine sieve and pour into a jug.

3 Pour the mix into the coffee cups, filling them three-quarters full. Place the cups in the tray in the oven and cook for 40 minutes. Test them by shaking the tray gently, the cream should be nearly set with a slight wobble. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then refrigerate for at least an hour until firm.

4 Meanwhile, make the milk foam. Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water until they are soft, about 10 minutes. Bring the milk and sugar to the boil in a pan. Lift out and squeeze the leaves, then add them to the milk and stir until dissolved. Pour the milk into a siphon canister (the same contraption used to whip cream in high-street coffee shops), screw the lid on and place the canister in the fridge. Leave for an hour to allow the gelatine to set.

5 When you are ready to serve, remove the chilled creams from the fridge and sprinkle the tops with icing sugar. Using a blow touch or a hot grill, burn the sugar evenly until dark brown. Allow to cool for 2 minutes.

6 Now check that the lid of the siphon canister is screwed on tightly, charge it with 2 gas cartridges and shake well. Gently squeeze the trigger to form a small ball of foam over the brûlées. Grate chocolate over the foam and serve straight away, with cookies.  

Are you ready for Spring Summer 13? We certainly are

After weeks of tastings, plating and cooking we have launched our new Spring Summer 2013 menus. In an attempt to encourage the summer sun we have scoured the UK coastlines, farms and fields for the finest seasonal produce that our fair isle has to offer.

The menus this summer have a strong theme of "re-invention", whether it is taking a cult classic like a summer pudding, jamming it full of delicious cherries and beetroot and serving it with a perfectly pink duck breast or pressing a classic club sandwich and serving it along side a marinated breast of spring chicken, this is 'meat and two veg' with a difference. 

Our desserts are always a talking point, beautifully presented, scented and tasting - this summer is no exception. We have retro chocolate mud pie with summer berries and chocolate popped rice and an amazing peach and miso arctic roll. They are the perfect talking point for any dinner, assuming people will want to talk rather than just indulge in our desserts.

A small taster...
english pea pannacotta (v)

with chargrilled pea pods, whipped cornish yarg, red mustard frills and poppy seed white toast wafers

salcombe bay crab

with honeydew and watermelon tartare, pineapple vinaigrette, pineapple crisps and baby coriander

breast of chicken rolled in tomato flakes and thyme

with pressed club sandwich, sautéed sugar snaps, baby beetroot and herb cream sauce

chocolate mud pie

with tarragon and fresh honeycomb ice cream, strawberry pesto and freeze dried strawberry and popped rice

pink rhubarb sherbet

with homemade custard creams, marshmallow with pink peppercorn and orange gel

What you have all been waiting for...dessert!

“The Masque”

Beetroot, Apples & Pears

candied baby beetroot, beetroot crisps and sweet beetroot crumble, apple blancmange “scotch egg”, spiced apple cake & free form apple sponge

& pear chantilly and honey cress.

Words don't really do this beautifully designed dessert enough justice, so here are some photos....

180 edible white chocolate red velvet sprayed cloches...

'The Masque'

Now it's time to head downstairs to the transformed Undercroft; James I's original drinking den. Enjoy a damson gin martini, grab a scoop of baked somerset brie studded with garlic and rosemary, a slice of vintage farm house cheddar, blue cheese and some marzipan fruits from the petit four station.