Trusted British chef recipes, tested at home
Mary Berry’s apple and plum crumble is ripe red plums and Bramley apples, poached with cinnamon sticks, then baked under a buttery semolina crumble with a crisp demerara top. It serves 6, and takes about an hour, with 40 minutes in the oven. The recipe comes from Mary Berry Cooks the Perfect (2014), where she …
This Mary Berry Biscoff cheesecake is a rich baked vanilla cheesecake on a crunchy caramelised Biscoff biscuit base, finished with a smooth soured cream topping. It serves 8. It takes about 1 hour of work and 40 minutes in the oven, plus cooling and an overnight chill. To be clear, Berry has no Biscoff cheesecake …
Mary Berry’s very best scones are light, tall, golden scones made with self-raising flour, butter, a little caster sugar, eggs and milk, glazed with egg and baked hot. The recipe makes about 20 small scones, and takes about 30 minutes from bowl to wire rack. The recipe comes from Mary Berry’s Baking Bible (2010), and …
Mary Berry’s chocolate trifle is layers of jam-filled trifle sponges, pears and ratafia biscuits soaked in Baileys, set under homemade custard and whipped cream, and finished with grated dark chocolate. It serves 8, and is best chilled overnight before serving. Berry calls it Baileys and Chocolate Trifle in Mary Berry’s Traditional Puddings and Desserts (2009). …
Mary Berry’s tea loaf is a dark, moist fruit loaf made with dried cranberries and sultanas soaked overnight in strong Earl Grey tea, then mixed with self-raising flour, light muscovado sugar and an egg. It bakes for about 1 hour 40 minutes and is served sliced and buttered. The recipe comes from Mary Berry’s Simple …
Mary Berry’s mushroom quiche is a creamy egg and Cheddar filling with soft onions and chestnut mushrooms, baked in a tortilla wrap instead of pastry. It serves 4, and goes from fridge to table in about 45 minutes. The recipe comes from Mary’s Foolproof Dinners, her BBC series, where it’s published as a fast quiche. …
Mary Berry’s chicken and leek casserole is honey-browned chicken breasts baked over leeks and new potatoes in a creamy apple, thyme and crème fraîche sauce. It serves 6 and takes about an hour and a quarter, with 35 minutes in the oven. Berry calls it Chicken Breasts with Leek, Potatoes and Thyme in The Complete …
Mary Berry’s Christmas vegetable gratin is parsnips, butternut squash, potatoes, leeks and broccoli baked in a creamy crème fraîche sauce under golden Parmesan. It serves 6 and takes about an hour, with only 20 to 25 minutes in the oven. Berry calls it Gratin of Winter Roots and Broccoli in Mary Berry’s Family Sunday Lunches …
Mary Berry’s mincemeat and marzipan tarts are crisp orange pastry cases filled with mincemeat and chopped apricots, topped with grated marzipan that bakes golden. The recipe makes 12, and takes about 55 minutes from start to finish. Berry calls them Mincemeat and Orange Feathered Tarts in Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourites (2015). Instead of a pastry …
Mary Berry’s sage and onion stuffing is a soft, savoury stuffing made with simmered onions, fresh sage, butter and white breadcrumbs, baked until golden and crisp on top. It serves 8 and takes about 55 minutes, mostly hands-off. The recipe comes from Mary Berry’s Christmas Collection (2013), where she calls it “a really good recipe …