KEY POINTS:
What gets people in the mood for wintry food more, than the thought of self-indulgent, rich and wonderful winter puddings?
Not all these recipes are designed to make it hard to squeeze into your pencil skirt. Gorgeous winter fruit such as tamarillos and apples are at their peak right now and all that is needed is a gentle poach or bake. If all else fails, just have a bowl of vegetables as a main course then the guilt can be cast aside as the softly whipped cream caresses your mouth.
Steamed puddings are a winner. Moist and jammy, it's very hard to overcook one and once turned out of the pudding basin, sliced and served with custard or cream, they're difficult to resist. Any combination of jam and fruit can be used - marmalade and treacle are fantastic. But I had a few raspberries ripening on the vine, begging to be used and they looked so pretty photographed that the choice was made.
Dad's tamarillos were perfectly plump and beautiful peeled, poached and baked in a clafouti, sprinkled with icing sugar.
Lastly, the Apple Charlotte is a nice take on the apple pie but uses cinnamon sugar-dusted slices of buttered bread instead of pastry, encasing softly stewed fruit and baked until golden brown. It's bliss.
Chef's tip
When cooking fruit, choose slightly under-ripe rather than ready to eat, to ensure the fruit holds its shape and doesn't become pulpy too quickly.