HE may be a familiar face on TV and will be coming to Bournemouth next year on his first UK tour. But James Martin has no appetite for showbiz lifestyles. He believes chefs should stick to cooking.
The TV presenter, restaurateur, best-selling chef and one-time Strictly semi-finalist, has just published his new cookery book, Sweet.
"Every single dessert was shot at my house, and made and plated by me," reveals the 43-year-old Yorkshireman. "My agent was shouting and screaming as they had to take three weeks off, but what with celebrating 20 years in the business, I knew we needed to do this."
Following on from 2007's hugely popular Desserts, Sweet looks set to re-establish Martin as the king of puddings, with more than 70 recipes, from simple classic bakes and family favourites, to lavish showstoppers and an all-important troubleshooting section.
"People always say, 'I do this but this always goes wrong', and the first thing I would say is buy quality ingredients. It can only be you or the ingredients that are the problem, so if it's the ingredients, change it."
With a culinary career that spans two decades, perfectionist Martin has a finger in many pies
One thing that is growing, however, is Martin's car collection. He brings his Plates, Mates and Automobiles tour to Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre on Sunday March 20 next year.
In the meantime, if you fancy trying out some of Martin's sweet treats - from the privacy of your own kitchen - here are three recipes from his new book to whet your appetite...
:: BAKED DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PUDDING
(Serves 6)
100g melted butter, plus extra for greasing
3 eggs
175ml milk
250g self-raising flour
50g cocoa powder
1tsp baking powder
150g light brown soft sugar
100g dark chocolate drops (70% cocoa solids), or dark chocolate, finely chopped into 5mm dice
100g milk chocolate drops, or milk chocolate, finely chopped into 5mm dice
For the sauce:
300ml water
200g light brown soft sugar
40g cocoa powder
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4 and butter a 2L ovenproof dish.
Whisk the melted butter, eggs and milk together in a jug until smooth. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a bowl then stir in the sugar.
Pour the butter mixture onto the flour and mix well to a smooth batter. Stir in the dark and milk chocolate and spoon into the prepared baking dish.
To make the sauce, bring the water and sugar to the boil in a saucepan, then add the cocoa and whisk until smooth. Pour evenly over the top of the batter then place the dish in the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes. The top of the sponge will be just firm to the touch, but underneath there will be a runny chocolate sauce. Serve hot with double cream or ice cream.
:: PEACH AND CREME FRAICHE CRUMBLE CAKE
(Serves 12-16)
For the cake:
450g self-raising flour
2tsp baking powder
200g butter, plus extra for greasing
350g demerara sugar
6 eggs
150g creme fraiche
25ml peach schnapps or peach juice
100ml peach puree
7 peaches, halved and stoned, or 2 x 400g tins peach halves, drained
For the crumble:
60g plain flour
1/2tsp ground cinnamon
30g butter, diced
30g demerara sugar
For the topping:
100g creme fraiche
100g cream cheese
50ml double cream
Preheat the oven to 150C/Gas 1 and grease and line a 24cm high-sided, loose-bottomed cake tin.
To make the cake, place the flour, baking powder and butter in a bowl and rub together to form a breadcrumb-like texture. Stir in the sugar.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, creme fraiche, peach schnapps or juice, and puree together, then pour onto the dry mixture and mix to a thick batter.
Pour half into the prepared tin and tap the tin gently to settle the batter. Place the peach halves, cut-side up, onto the batter in concentric circles, then top with the remaining batter, smoothing over the top.
Bake in the centre of the oven for one-and-three-quarter hours until golden and risen. A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean - if it doesn't, return the cake to the oven for a further five minutes and repeat. Leave the cake in the tin to cool completely.
While the cake cools, make the crumble to go on top. Turn the oven up to 180C/Gas 4. Place the flour, ground cinnamon and butter in a bowl and rub until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and stir to combine. Spread out over a baking sheet and bake for six to eight minutes until golden brown and crispy. Set aside to cool on the baking sheet.
For the topping, whisk the creme fraiche, cream cheese and double cream together, then spread over the cake while it's still in the tin - this will give you a neat finish. Scatter the crumble over the top to cover the cream, then ease the cake out from the tin.
:: RUM BABAS
(Makes 8)
50g caster sugar
15g fresh yeast
75ml warm milk
2 eggs, beaten
75g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
300g strong flour
For the syrup:
200g light brown soft sugar
200ml water
100ml dark rum
To serve:
200ml double cream
1tsp vanilla bean paste
Put the sugar, yeast and warm milk into a large bowl and whisk together until the yeast has dissolved.
Add the eggs and butter and beat to combine. Add the flour and continue mixing until the batter is very smooth and comes away from the side of the bowl.
Grease eight individual 6cm baba moulds and divide the mixture between them, filling each one approximately half full. Set aside to rest in a warm place for 20-30 minutes, or until the mixture has doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.
Place the moulds on a baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden, then remove from the oven and leave to cool in the moulds. When cool, remove from the moulds and set aside.
For the syrup, put the sugar and 200ml water into a pan and bring to the boil. Boil for two minutes, then remove from the heat and add the rum. Place the babas in the rum syrup to soak, two at a time.
Lightly whip the cream and vanilla bean paste to soft peaks. Serve the soaked rum babas with the whipped cream.
:: Sweet by James Martin is published by Quadrille, priced £20. Available now
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