Crave: Brilliantly Indulgent Recipes. Martha Collison

to be underestimated as they can pack a punch in the flavour department. Raspberries, blackberries and cranberries are sharp and work brilliantly to lighten heavy, rich or sweet bakes. Strawberries and blueberries provide a much more fragrant flavour, which is heightened when baked. Most berries work wonderfully in jams and jellies, thanks to the high levels of pectin they contain.

       Exotic fruits add a bit of a tropical twist to your baking. From punchy passionfruit to floral lychees, there is a wealth of different fruits to get stuck into and experiment with.

       I try to shop locally and check what fruit is in season before planning recipes that include it. While it’s possible to purchase fresh produce all year-round, blueberries in February will be more expensive and less flavoursome than their late-summer relatives.

Mini doughnut muffins

       Fresh doughnuts are one of the things I crave most, but making yeasted doughnuts is a lengthy, involved process that I often don’t have time to undertake. Doughnut muffins are my solution. Jammy and bite-sized with none of the wait, once you’ve made them a few times you won’t even have to look up the recipe. You can use any type of jam to fill these or simply eat them plain.

       MAKES 24 MINI MUFFINS

       PREP TIME: 12 MINS

       COOKING TIME: 7–8 MINS

      100g butter

      75g caster sugar, plus extra to dust

      100g plain flour

      ¹/₂ tsp bicarbonate of soda

      50g natural yoghurt

      1 egg

      1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

      1 tbsp raspberry jam

      1 tbsp apricot jam

      You will also need a 24-hole mini muffin tray and two disposable piping bags.

      1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Melt the butter in the microwave or in a pan over a medium heat and use a pastry brush to grease all the holes of the muffin tray with some of the melted butter.

      2 Place the sugar, flour and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl and combine.

      3 In a small jug, mix the remaining melted butter with the yoghurt, egg and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold them together until just incorporated.

      4 Divide the mixture among the 24 holes in the muffin tray using a teaspoon, then bake for 7–8 minutes or until golden brown and risen.

      5 While the muffins are baking, spoon the jams into the 2 piping bags and snip the end off each with a pair of scissors. Remove the hot doughnuts muffins from the oven and roll them in caster sugar, then make a small hole with a skewer in the bottom of each and pipe raspberry jam into the centre of half the doughnuts and apricot jam into the rest. These are best enjoyed fresh from the oven.

Quick berry crumbles

       Crumble is a proper winter warmer. This is the kind of pudding that you should eat wrapped in a blanket by the fire on chilly days. You can use any type of fruit as the base of the crumble, but berries work particularly well as they soften and cook really quickly. Frozen berries can be used in place of fresh, but they will take slightly longer to soften.

       PREP TIME: 10 MINS

       COOKING TIME: 10 MINS

       SERVES 4

      100g strawberries, hulled and quartered

      250g mixed berries (such as raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or blackcurrants)

      2 tbsp runny honey

      1 tbsp butter

      Cream or hot vanilla custard, to serve

       CRUMBLE TOPPING

      75g plain flour

      75g butter, chilled and cubed

      50g soft light brown sugar

      25g rolled oats

      1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Have 4 large ramekins or heatproof tapas dishes ready on a baking tray.

      2 Combine the strawberries, mixed berries, runny honey and butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat and cook gently until the berries have softened and the juices reduce a little.

      3 While the berries are softening, make the crumble topping. Place the flour, butter and sugar in the bowl of a mini food processor (I use a stick blender with a chopping attachment) and pulse until the mixture starts to clump together, then stir in the rolled oats. If you don’t have a food processor or stick blender, make the crumble by hand by rubbing the butter into the flour and sugar until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, before adding the oats.

      4 When the fruit is soft and slightly reduced, divide the mixture among the 4 ramekins or dishes. Top each with the crumble mix and bake on the top shelf of the oven for 10 minutes until the crumble topping is golden brown and the fruit bubbling. Serve immediately with cream or hot vanilla custard.

Mango and prawn filo cups

       Fruit complements savoury flavours really well, especially in bite-sized canapés, where they offer a burst of freshness among rich, heavy platters. Of course, pairing sweet and savoury is not revolutionary; we’ve embraced the retro delight of cheese and pineapple on cocktail sticks for years.

       Using filo pastry to create cups makes a great base for a range of different canapés as you can fill the cup with whatever you like. I fill mine with juicy mango, homemade sweet chilli sauce and prawns for a little mouthful with big, powerful flavours.

       MAKES 24 CANAPÉS

       PREP TIME: 8–10 MINS

       COOKING TIME: 10–12 MINS

      ¹/₂ × 270g pack filo pastry (pack cut in half)

      50ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing, or melted butter

      1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

      2 tbsp runny honey

      Juice of ¹/₂ lime

      ¹/₂ small ripe mango, peeled, stoned and cut into small chunks

      200g cooked shelled prawns

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