How to make the perfect Taiwanese scallion pancakes – recipe | Felicity Cloake's How to make the perfect …

Strictly speaking, this is not a pancake in the traditional western sense, but rather a rich, flaky flatbread that has more in common with an Indian paratha than a French crepe or a Shrove Tuesday lemon-and-sugar number. It is, however, an equally delicious way to feast on fatty foods before Lent, and a fun kitchen project at any time of year, not least because it’s never a bad idea to have a freezer full of pancakes.A popular savoury snack throughout China and Taiwan, cong you bing are often served as a winter breakfast in the north of the country, Ken Hom reports. Eileen Yin-Fei Lo repeats the widely held belief that “no one but a chef from Shanghai should even attempt to cook” them, though that doesn’t seem to have put off the rest of the Chinese-speaking world: food writer Grace Young says she learned to make them from her Hong Kong-born mother. If you’d like to throw caution to the wind, too, here’s how to go about it

Rachel Roddy’s recipe for hazelnut, spelt and butter biscuits | A kitchen in Rome

Seven years ago, I walked along Oxford Street in London with the baker and writer Henrietta Inman. I can’t remember where we’d been in order to be illuminated by Foot Locker and Muji at midnight, but I do remember we talked about spelt flour. Or, rather, Henrietta did, describing its flavour as soft and nutty, and all as part of our wider conversation about her decision to leave the subterranean pastry kitchen of a five-star London hotel and return home to Dorset, where she adapted her knowledge and skill to different ingredients, resulting in her book The Natural Baker.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link

From the simple to the spectacular: the 20 best dessert recipes to comfort and delight

From crumbles to cheesecake, sticky toffee to tiramisu – the sweetest ways to finish any meal“For god’s sake, someone make me a proper dessert and quick,” Jay Rayner wrote in his paean to puddings in OFM, bemoaning the lack of care restaurants often give this essential course. There’s no question for us: the best, most comforting desserts, the ones that really hit that sweet spot, are made at home. Here you’ll find some of our favourites. Classics such as steamed pudding, creme brulee and profiteroles. Custard pie takes Greek form as galaktoboureko, rice pudding meets Indian spices, and Nigerian puff-puffs are the only kind of doughnut we want

Saltine’s sticky toffee apple cake recipe by Phil Wood

Makes 1 x 1kg loafeating apples 2 smallcaster sugar 100gstoned dates 190gwater 500mlbicarbonate of soda 2 tspunsalted butter 90g, at room temperaturedark brown sugar 300geggs 3self-raising flour 300gground ginger ½ tspTo servebutterscotch sauce and vanilla ice creamTo make the caramel apples, peel, quarter and core the apples, then cut each quarter into 3 segments.Put the sugar and 50g of water in a wide saucepan over a low heat. Stir until the sugar melts, then turn up the heat and boil, without stirring, until it goes a dark golden colour and smells caramelly.Carefully add the sliced apple and cook until the apple starts to soften, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat

Nigel Slater’s recipe for spiced pears with red wine and dark chocolate

Pears are notoriously capricious and can take anything from 15 to 50 minutes to poach to tenderness. You need to keep your eye on them. A metal skewer or small, sharp knife is a boon here, and they should be checked every 5 minutes or so during cooking.Serves 3red wine 750mlstar anise 3cloves 5vanilla pod 1cinnamon ½ stickcaster sugar 4 tbspcardamom pods 7pears 3, firmorange peel 2 x 5cm stripsshelled pistachios 2 heaped tbspdark chocolate 200gPour the wine into a deep, non-reactive saucepan. Add the stars anise, cloves, vanilla pod, cinnamon and sugar

Nigel Slater’s recipe for pink grapefruit jelly and clotted cream ice-cream

I see no reason why jelly can’t be for grown-ups, too. The essence of the fruit, its heart and soul, set into a glistening, jewel-like dessert. The high acidity level in grapefruit means you need a little more gelatine than usual. You will need about 3 grapefruits, depending on size.For the jellyServes 4gelatine 6 small sheetspink grapefruit juice 500mllemon juice of 1sugar 2 tbspFor the ice-creamServes 6-8eggs 2caster sugar 175gdouble cream 225mlmilk 250mlclotted cream 200gSoak the gelatine in cold water