Crave: Brilliantly Indulgent Recipes. Martha Collison

Fruit crisps are one of my favourite ways to enjoy fruit on the go. Drying out thin slices of apple concentrates their flavour into intense, crispy morsels, which make a fantastic snack. I like to use a combination of different types of apple; you’d be amazed how much the flavour differs between each variety. Tart Granny Smith or Bramley apples create sour, refreshing crisps, while sweeter varieties like Pink Lady or Gala have beautiful pink edges that look stunning when they curl up in the oven. You can dust the finished crisps in sugar and cinnamon, but I prefer to eat them just as they are.

       MAKES ABOUT 50 CRISPS

       PREP TIME: 10 MINS

       COOKING TIME: 40–50 MINS

      1 Granny Smith apple or other cooking apple

      1 Pink Lady apple or other sweet dessert apple

      Juice of ¹/₂ lemon (optional)

      1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

      2 tsp caster sugar (optional)

      1 Preheat the oven to 120°C/100°C fan/gas 1/2 and line a large baking tray with baking parchment.

      2 Wash and dry the apples and remove the stalk from each. Use a mandoline to carefully slice the apple horizontally into very thin slices (1–2mm thick). If you don’t have a mandoline, use a sharp knife to cut slices as thinly as you can. Pop out and discard any pips. If you’re not baking the apples immediately, submerge the slices in a bowl of water with a squeeze of lemon juice to stop them browning.

      3 Arrange the apple slices on the baking tray, trying not to overlap the slices or they won’t be so crisp. Bake for 40–50 minutes until the apples frill up at the edges and feel completely dry. They will still be fairly soft and pliable, but they will firm up and quickly become crisp as they cool.

      4 Transfer the cooked apple slices to a wire rack and leave them to cool. Sprinkle over the cinnamon and sugar (if using) before serving. The crisps will keep in an airtight container for a few days, but they are best eaten while they’re still fresh as they lose their crispness over time.

Passionfruit Viennese whirls

       If the idea of a passionfruit-flavoured, deliciously crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth biscuit doesn’t make you hungry, then nothing will do! Viennese whirls are one of the bakes I can’t resist. Using fine powders like icing sugar and cornflour in the biscuit dough creates a melting texture unlike that of any other biscuit, as the small particles stop the formation of gluten, which can toughen them. The biscuit will break apart in your mouth easily, making it incredibly moreish. I’ve used a tart passionfruit filling in my whirls because I find the usual jam and buttercream cloyingly sweet. It cuts through the buttery biscuit and sugary filling perfectly.

       MAKES 16 WHIRLS

       PREP TIME: 25 MINS PLUS COOLING

       COOKING TIME: 10–12 MINS

       PASSIONFRUIT FILLING

      2 passionfruits

      25g caster sugar

       BISCUITS

      100g butter, softened

      25g icing sugar

      100g plain flour

      25g cornflour

      1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

      1 tsp milk

       BUTTERCREAM

      25g unsalted butter

      50g icing sugar

      1 tbsp lemon juice

      You will also need a piping bag fitted with a medium star nozzle.

      1 Scoop the flesh out of both passionfruits and place it in a small saucepan with the caster sugar. Simmer over a medium–high heat for 1–2 minutes or until bubbling and slightly thickened, then remove from the heat and set to one side to cool.

      2 Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

      3 To make the biscuits, beat the butter and icing sugar together in a bowl with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the plain flour and cornflour until a thick paste forms, then beat in the vanilla and milk to loosen the mixture slightly.