Delicious UK Oct-18

Marsala-soaked fruit cake SERVES (ABOUT) 30. HANDS-ON TIME 25 MIN, OVEN TIME 3½-4 HOURS, PLUS OVERNIGHT SOAKING KNOWHOW Double-line the cake tin with well-buttered non-stick baking paper to stop the outside of the cake drying out as it bakes. MAKE AHEAD Wrap the baked cake in more baking paper, then foil. Keep in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months. Unwrap occasionally to feed it with marsala. FOOD TEAM’S TIP Either leave the cake to mature, feeding it with more booze now and then, or, for something a little less rich, eat it straightaway. • 400g sultanas • 250g currants and raisins • 250g glacé cherries, chopped • 250g dried figs, chopped • 50g mixed peel • 6 tbsp sweet marsala or sweet sherry, plus extra for pouring…

If I had to pick a favourite month, October would be it. I love the leafy smell in the air that tells me it’s full-on mushroom season, the glowing colours of piled-up pumpkins and turning leaves, the fact that it’s time to haul favourite jumpers out of the cupboard (forget the annual grumbling about moth holes) and – joy – putting on boots and tights again. And then there’s the food. Much as I relish the rainbow colours of summer peppers, tomatoes, peaches and berries, I love even more the sight of gourds, squash and crinkly-gorgeous savoy cabbages as they find their way back onto greengrocer shelves and market stalls. Yes, a brand new shining season of food has arrived, heralding good-as-a-hug food that chimes with the chill in the…

Zesty yogurt bundt cake with mojito drizzle SERVES 10-12. HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, OVEN TIME 50-55 MIN, PLUS COOLING MAKE AHEAD The cake will keep for a few days: store it somewhere cool in an airtight container. • 175g butter, softened, plus extra melted to grease • 2 tbsp fine polenta for dusting • 350g golden caster sugar • Finely grated zest 2 limes • 3 large free-range eggs • 350g self-raising flour • 200g natural yogurt FOR THE MOJITO DRIZZLE • 3 tbsp lime juice • 3 tbsp white rum • 2 tbsp caster sugar FOR THE ICING • 175g icing sugar • 2 tbsp lime juice • 2 tsp boiling water • 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves, plus extra leaves to decorate YOU’LL ALSO NEED… • 24cm…

The super-easy recipe Roast pumpkin with autumn veg and oozy-melty stilton Slice and deseed 1 medium pumpkin and slice 1 large leek, then toss in a large roasting tin with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch each of salt and black pepper. Roast for 30 minutes at 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7. Toss 250g mixed mushrooms with 1 tbsp olive oil, a few sage leaves and a handful of walnuts. Add to the tin, crumble over 100g stilton and roast for 10 minutes more until charred and the cheese has melted. 2 Spiced pumpkin soup Gently fry 800g cubed pumpkin and 1 chopped onion in butter for 15 minutes until beginning to soften. Stir in 2 tsp rose harissa, then pour over 1 litre hot vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15…

White forest gateau SERVES 12. HANDS-ON TIME 40 MIN, OVEN TIME 35 MIN, PLUS COOLING MAKE AHEAD Make the sponges a day before and wrap in cling film, or freeze for up to 1 month. Assemble the cake up to a day ahead and store in the fridge. Serve at room temperature. FOOD TEAM’S TIP To make chocolate curls, melt 100g chocolate and spread onto the underside of 2 greased baking trays. Leave to set, then drag a cheese plane over the surface to create large curls; chill in a sealed container until needed. Or scrape a vegetable peeler down the side of a chocolate bar to make shavings. • 200g plain flour • 2 tsp baking powder • 300g caster sugar • 5 medium free-range eggs, separated • ½…

1 TV dinners Nigel Barden (right, with chef John Fell) is a treat to listen to as a food presenter – the magic combination of knowledgeable and entertaining – so his new show, Drivetime Dishes, available now on Amazon Prime Video, is worth seeking out. Expect gorgeous recipes, often cooked in the great outdoors, with a focus on local, seasonal ingredients and producers. Amen to that. 2 An original angle Niki Segnit’s first book, The Flavour Thesaurus, won multiple awards because, as well as being a culinary tour de force, it’s an indispensable guide to which ingredients work together harmoniously. Niki’s second tome, Lateral Cooking (Bloomsbury £35), aims to turn you into a more intuitive cook, focusing on base recipes such as soup and stock, then helping you build on those with different…