Puddings

As elsewhere in the book and the television series that goes with it, I’ve based some of the recipes in this section on a couple of very useful techniques and added in other favourites chosen either because they are a little bit different or for quite the opposite reason: because they are perennially popular.

Many people seem to have a mental block about using gelatine. I demonstrate in one programme a foolproof method for dealing with it, and include here several other recipes for gelatine-based desserts. It may seem odd that some are termed mousses and others soufflés; the difference is often simply one of aesthetics: in a cold soufflé, a band of paper is tied around the dish and the mousse mixture poured in above the level of the rim to give the appearance of a risen soufflé.