Desserts

This Hairy Bikers peach cobbler recipe bakes fresh peach wedges in dark brown sugar and vanilla under a soft buttermilk scone topping. So the Ultimate Comfort Food version serves 4 to 6 in under an hour, at about 415 calories each for 6 by my estimate. This peach version is “a keeper” according to Si …

This Hairy Bikers chocolate mousse recipe folds whipped cream and stiff egg whites into dark chocolate beaten with yolks, icing sugar and optional rum. From Chicken & Egg, it fills 6 ramekins at my estimated 305 calories a ramekin, taking 4½ hours with my 4-hour chill. In Chicken & Egg it’s “one of the most …

This Hairy Bikers Mississippi mud pie recipe bakes a whisked chocolate filling in a two-biscuit crumb case, then piles it high with whipped cream. With the British Classics quantities it serves 8, and I estimate close to 5 hours in all and about 990 calories a slice. They discovered it on a trip to the …

Crumbly almond pastry holds Hairy Bikers Linzer torte together, with 200g of raspberry jam spread under a cinnamon-scented lattice top. And in the Big Book of Baking it serves 8 to 10, with my estimate of 1¾ hours including cooling and 375 calories a slice. Dating back to at least 1653, it’s “often said to …

These Hairy Bikers mincemeat and marzipan twists sandwich mincemeat and grated marzipan between two halves of puff pastry, then cut and twist it. From one 320g pack, the Brilliant Bakes recipe makes about 28, and I’d estimate 80 minutes plus cooling and 100 calories a twist. They pitch them as “a fun twist on the …

Under the lattice of Hairy Bikers mincemeat tart, 500g of mincemeat hides a disc of marzipan, all in an almond pastry case. So the British Classics version serves 6 to 8 in about 1½ hours by my timings, at near 700 calories a slice for 8. They love a mince pie but call this lattice …

Prunes and sour cherries fill Hairy Bikers mincemeat, along with sherry, brandy, cardamom and an optional splash of orange blossom water. From Brilliant Bakes, one batch makes about three 450g jars in 110 minutes, or 45 servings of 30g at roughly 95 calories by my reckoning. Their promise is that it “keeps for ages, so …

Hairy Bikers frangipane mince pies skip the pastry lid, so an almond sponge with flaked almonds bakes over the mincemeat in a nutty shortcrust case. With the Everyday Winners recipe you get 24 at about 225 calories each, in roughly 1¼ hours with chilling. Half the pastry is the point, because in Everyday Winners they …

Hairy Bikers mince pies are orange and cranberry ones, with marmalade and brandy in a same-day mincemeat under lemony sweet shortcrust. From Perfect Pies, the recipe makes 12 Christmas pies at about 195 calories each, in roughly 2¼ hours including cooling and chilling. Marmalade is the twist, because Si and Dave add it to make …

Hairy Bikers Christmas pudding trifle layers chunks of Christmas pudding and Madeira cake with ginger wine, mango, pineapple, custard and whipped cream. From their Go North Christmas episode on BBC Food, it takes 30 minutes plus 2 hours chilling and makes about 8 portions of 560 calories. Half the ginger wine goes on first, because …