Author: tassybakes

Pistachio and Lemon Cake with Raspberry and Rose Cream

Cakes

Bloom and Wild have just released a beautiful range of bouquets for Autumn/Winter, in collaboration with infamous London department store, Liberty. Each bouquet has been artfully designed to reflect some of the most coveted prints in the Liberty archive, from the vintage look 1910 Elysian Day, to the vibrant 60s Ciara. This week marks 5 years of letterbox flowers from Bloom & Wild, and to mark the occasion they asked me to create a very special birthday cake which encapsulates the style of the Bloom and Wild X Liberty collection.

To make this celebratory cake really striking, I’ve decorated it with meadowy blooms and wild greenery from the Rachel Deluxe bouquet, which is inspired by a 1988 Liberty print. To keep things simple but delicious, the sponge I’ve developed is light and zesty, with a hum of pistachio. For the filling I’ve gone with a raspberry and rose cream, in part because the bouquet boasts stunning quicksand roses but also because British raspberries are nearing the end of their season, so we need to make the most of them while we can. To apply the flowers, I trimmed and sealed the stems, then arranged them in as natural a way as possible, staying true to the print. I hope you all like what I came up with and enjoy the recipe- it’s perfect for late summer celebrations!

Ingredients

For the sponges

  • 350g soft unsalted butter
  • 325g golden caster sugar
  • Zest 2 lemons
  • 6 eggs
  • 200g ground pistachios (just blitz 200g shelled pistachios in a food processor until fine)
  • 150g plain flour
  • 2tsp baking powder
  • Pinch salt

For the rose and raspberry cream

  • 400g double cream
  • 200g mascarpone
  • 2-3tbsp rose water (add this in small amounts, tasting between each addition)
  • 2-3tbsp icing sugar (to taste)
  • 200g fresh raspberries, lightly crushed with a fork

To finish (optional)

  • Bloom and Wild Rachael bouquet, or pistachios and crystallised rose petals

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 170c. Grease and line two 7 inch cake tins.
  2. Place the butter, sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer) and beat until very light, pale and fluffy (this can take about 10 minutes). Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition (add a little bit of the flour with each egg if you’re worried about curdling). Once all the eggs are well incorporated, add the rest of the flour, ground pistachios, salt and baking powder and fold in using a large metal spoon.
  3. Once you have a light, lump free cake batter, split between the two tins and level off the tops. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted.
  4. Once baked, leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
  5. While the cakes are cooling make the filling. To do this simply whisk together the cream, icing sugar, mascarpone and rose water until spreadable. Take 2/3 of this filling and ripple through the raspberries. Put the remaining 1/3 to the side (this is for coating the outside of the cake).
  6. When you cakes are completely cool, slice in half horizontally so that you have four even layers. Place the first layer on your serving plate and spread over 1/3 of the raspberry cream, then repeat until you’ve stacked all four.
  7. Take the remaining rose cream and spread a very thin layer over the cake to seal in any crumbs. Chill for 10 minutes to firm up a little, then cover with the last bit of rose cream (use a palette knife or cake scraper to do this). This stage is optional, you can leave the sides bare if you like.
  8. To finish the cake, arrange fresh flowers all over the top (ensuring that you seal any ends and remove them from the cake before consumption!). Alternatively, decorate with lemon zest, pistachios and rose petals.

Enjoy!

 

Triple Chocolate Rye, Walnut and Espresso Cookies

Biscuits

I’ve tweaked and tested this recipe at least four times over the past month *woe is me*, and am at last at the point where I’m completely happy with the outcome. Technique-wise I’ve actually harked back to one of my original cookie recipes which I posted about four years ago- it’s so simple and calls for a good old mixing bowl and wooden spoon, but delivers that chewy, crinkly texture which just can’t be rivalled. In terms of ingredients I’ve used a combination of rye and plain flour, three types of chocolate (duh), walnuts and a good dose of espresso; the resulting flavour is well balanced and borderline addictive, so proceed with caution (not actually, definitely give them a go).

Ingredients

  • 150g plain flour
  • 125g rye flour
  • 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • Pinch salt
  • 1tbsp instant coffee (ground to a very fine powder)
  • 150g unsalted butter
  • 150g dark brown soft sugar
  • 150g golden caster sugar
  • 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
  • 75g walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • 100g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 100g milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 100g white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Line two large trays with baking paper.
  2. Place the plain flour, rye flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl and roughly mix together with a wooden spoon. Add the instant coffee, butter and sugars to a saucepan and gently melt over a medium heat, stirring occasionally.
  3. Once the ingredients have melted together, set aside to cool slightly then add in the egg and egg yolk and whisk briefly to combine.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together with a wooden spoon to form a soft cookie dough. Tip in the chocolate and walnuts into the bowl and mix to evenly distribute them through the dough. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
  5. Using an ice cream scoop, form balls of cookie dough and line onto the baking trays (leaving lots of space for spreading). You will need to do this in batches (unless you have a huge oven and lots of trays!).
  6. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes then set aside. They will be very soft when you get them out of the oven, but don’t worry, they’ll set up a little. Leave to cool and serve.

Enjoy!

Blackberry, Hazelnut and Lavender Honey Celebration Cake

Cakes, Uncategorized

This cake, decorated with whimsical blooms from the Eloise bouquet by Bloom and Wild, is made up of four layers of moist hazelnut sponge soaked in lavender honey syrup, filled with a fresh blackberry compote and covered in delicately flavoured lavender mascarpone cream. The bouquet is inspired by a summer meadow, so it seemed only right to pick out some of my favourite ingredients the British countryside has to offer for this recipe; together the balance of nutty, floral and fruity flavours are delicious. Try this one out in August/September for a really special seasonal centre piece.

Ingredients

For the lavender honey syrup (this is used to soak the sponges and flavour the mascarpone icing)

  • 100ml runny honey
  • 75ml water
  • 4 sprigs fresh lavender or 1tbsp dried lavender

For the blackberry compote

  • 400g fresh blackberries
  • 3tbsp runny honey
  • Zest and juice 1 lemon

For the hazelnut sponges

  • 350g soft unsalted butter
  • 325g light brown soft sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 200g ground hazelnuts (to make these just blitz 200g blanched hazelnuts in a food processor until fine)
  • 150g plain flour
  • 2tsp baking powder
  • Pinch salt

For the lavender mascarpone cream

  • 3-4tbsp of the lavender honey
  • 350ml double cream
  • 300ml mascarpone

To garnish (optional)

  • The Eloise bouquet by Bloom and Wild
  • Fresh blackberries
  • Crushed and toasted hazelnuts

Method

  1. Start by making the lavender honey (to give it time to develop in flavour). To do this just place the honey, water and lavender (whichever sort you’re using) in a saucepan and gently heat until the honey has dissolved into the water. Once this has happened, simmer for 2 minutes then set aside and leave to infuse until required
  2. Now make the blackberry compote by gently heating the blackberries, honey, lemon zest and juice in a saucepan. Stir occasionally, until the blackberries release their juices and reduce down to form a compote consistency. Set aside to cool.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180c. Grease and line two 8 inch cake tins.
  4. Place the softened butter and sugar in a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer) and beat until very light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating very well between each addition (add a tablespoon of the flour each time to prevent curdling). Once all the eggs are well incorporated, fold in the ground hazelnuts, remaining flour, baking powder and salt with a large metal spoon.
  5. Divide the mix between the prepared tins and level the tops. Bake for 35-40 minutes (or until well risen and a skewer comes out clean when inserted). Once baked, prick the surfaces of the cakes with a fork and spoon over 3-4tbsp of the lavender honey syrup, then leave to cool completely in the tins.
  6. While the cakes are cooling, make the lavender mascarpone cream. Put all the ingredients in a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer) and whisk until thick and spreadable. Scrape half the mixture into a piping bag. Now you’re ready to assemble the cake (providing all your elements are completely cool!).
  7. To put the cake together, slice the sponges in half horizontally (so you have four even layers). Place the first layer down on your chosen plate and pipe a thick ring of mascarpone cream around the edge, then fill the middle with one third of the blackberry compote and repeat this until you’ve stacked up all four layers. With the remaining mascarpone cream, cover the cake and smooth with a palette knife. Decorate with blooms from the Eloise bouquet or freestyle with hazelnuts, fresh blackberries and lavender.

Enjoy!

Cherry, Chocolate and Tahini Parfait with Sesame Crumble

Chocolate, Cooking, Uncategorized

We’ve been enjoying a very unusual bout of beautiful hot weather here in the UK, so today’s recipe is an iced one. I served this up for my boyfriends birthday (after he broke the news to me that he didn’t want a cake- yeah, sacrilege I know) and although it requires a little more effort to make than a simple sponge, the creamy, indulgent and slightly bittersweet (thanks to the tahini and very dark chocolate) result is well worth it.

Ingredients

For the chocolate ripple

  • 150g bitter dark chocolate
  • 150ml double cream
  • pinch sea salt

For the cherry compote

  • 200g fresh cherries (de-stoned)
  • 3tbsp honey or caster sugar
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange

For the parfait base

  • 4 eggs
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 125ml whole milk
  • 250ml double cream
  • 150g tahini

For the tahini crumble

  • 25g tahini
  • 25g demerara sugar
  • 25g butter, cubed
  • 100g plain flour
  • 1tbsp black sesame seeds

Method

  1. Start by making the chocolate ganache for the ripple. To do this simply place the chocolate, salt and cream in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (don’t allow the water to touch the bottom of the bowl). Stir occasionally until it melts together and forms a smooth ganache. Set aside to cool.
  2. Now prepare the cherry compote. Put the cherries, honey (or sugar), orange zest and juice in a saucepan and gently heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a sticky compote consistency (5-10 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool.
  3. Now it’s time to make the parfait base. Line a loaf tin with 2 layers of cling film, leaving an overhang on all sides.
  4. Separate the eggs. Put the yolks in a large bowl along with the sugar and whisk until pale, meanwhile, heat the milk until just boiling in a saucepan. Remove the milk from the heat and pour into the egg yolks, then stir together until smooth. Return the mix to a clean pan and gently heat, stirring constantly. After a few minutes, the mix will start to thicken- once it coats the back of the spoon set aside and cool to room temperature.
  5. Once the ganache, compote and custard have cooled to room temperature, whisk the double cream to soft peaks. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites to medium peaks. Stir the tahini into the egg yolk mixture. Fold the double cream into the egg yolk/ tahini with a large metal spoon, then do the same with the egg whites, retaining as much air as possible. Ripple through 2/3 of the chocolate ganache and 2/3 of the cherry compote.
  6. Spoon the remaining chocolate ganache and cherry compote into the bottom of the prepared tin, then spoon in the parfait mix. Cover with cling film and freeze for at least 4 hours.
  7. While the parfait is freezing, make the sesame crumble. Preheat the oven to 180c. Rub together the butter and flour until they resemble breadcrumbs. Stir through the sugar and tahini, then tip onto a lined baking tray- bake for 10 minutes then check, shake and return to the oven to 10 more minutes, or until the crumble is golden brown. Stir through the sesame seeds and set aside to cool.
  8. Take the parfait out of the oven 10 minutes before you’d like to serve it to allow it to soften slightly. Sprinkle on the sesame crumble and finish with some fresh cherries.

Enjoy!

Roast Peaches with Coconut Crumble, Blackberry Compote and Lime (VG)

Cooking

This vibrant dish works well if you’re feeling a boujee brunch, but would also make for a delicious, light summer dessert; it’s a real celebration of summer produce and the contrast of flavours, textures and colours mean it’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser (plus it’s vegan!).

Ingredients (serves 6)

For the peaches

  • 6 ripe peaches
  • 1tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1tsp ground cardamom
  • 2tbsp coconut nectar (or honey/ maple)
  • 100ml dessert wine (optional)

For the blackberry compote

  • 300g fresh blackberries
  • juice 1 lime
  • 2tbsp coconut nectar (or honey/ maple)

For the coconut crumble

  • 75g rolled oats
  • 3tbsp melted coconut oil
  • 2tbsp coconut nectar (or honey/ maple)
  • 1tsp ground cinnamon
  • 50g roughly chopped almonds
  • 50g flaked coconut

Other

  • zest 2 limes
  • 500ml coconut yoghurt

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Line 1 baking tray and 1 high sided baking dish with greaseproof paper.
  2. Half the peaches and remove the stones, then place them in the baking dish, cut side up. In a small bowl, mix together the ground cardamom, ground cinnamon and coconut nectar. Drizzle all over the peaches (along with the dessert wine, if using).
  3. In a mixing bowl, stir together the rolled oats, coconut oil, coconut nectar, ground cinnamon and chopped almonds. Tip this mixture onto the baking tray and spread out.
  4. Pop both trays in the oven and roast the peaches for 20-25 minutes (or until very tender and sticky). Check the coconut crumble after 10 minutes and turn to prevent burning. Once the crumble starts crisping up and reaches a golden colour, add in the coconut flakes and cook for a further 5 minutes. When the peaches and crumble are ready, just leave them to cool while you make the blackberry compote.
  5. For the compote, simply place the blackberries, coconut nectar and lime juice in a saucepan and cook gently (stirring occasionally) until it reaches a loose jam-like consistency. Set aside to cool.
  6. To assemble the dish, start with the coconut yoghurt in the base of the bowl and ripple through some compote, then top with two peach halves, a generous helping of coconut crumble and a sprinkle of fresh lime zest.

Enjoy!

Gooseberry and Lemon Cake with Elderflower Mascarpone

Cakes, Uncategorized

Light, buttery sponge flavoured with lemon, tart pockets of soft, juicy gooseberries, and a generous swirl of elderflower mascarpone make up this simple summer cake and ode to the British countryside.

Ingredients

  • 225g butter, softened
  • 225g caster sugar
  • zest 2 lemons
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs
  • 225g self raising flour
  • 75g ground almonds
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 250g gooseberries (blueberries, blackberries or raspberries would also work well)
  • 200g mascarpone
  • 3tbsp elderflower cordial
  • 1tbsp honey

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Grease and line a 9 inch cake tin.
  2. Place the butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla in a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment) and beat until very light, pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add a little flour if you’re worried about curdling.
  3. Once all the eggs are well incorporated, fold in the flour, ground almonds and baking powder. Trim the tops and stalks of the gooseberries then fold them through the cake batter.
  4. Scrape the cake batter into the prepared tin and level off the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake is springy and golden (or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted). Once baked, leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.
  5. Meanwhile, whisk together the mascarpone, elderflower and honey. When the cake is cool, swirl the mascarpone over the cake and decorate with fresh flowers.

Enjoy!

Cherry, Chocolate and Orange Blossom Tart with Cardamom Cream

Pastry, Uncategorized

Make the most of the fleeting cherry season with this deliciously indulgent ode to my favourite things (chocolate and cherries). Great for a summer dinner party dessert or post-BBQ chocolate fix, this tart layers up cherry compote, orange blossom infused chocolate filling and cardamom cream, all encased in crisp, zesty pastry; you’d be hard pushed to find someone who’d turn down a slice.

Ingredients

For the pastry

  • 225g plain flour
  • 150g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
  • pinch salt
  • 50g caster sugar
  • zest 1 orange
  • 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk

For the cherry layer

  • 400g cherries (de-stoned)
  • 2tbsp caster sugar
  • zest and juice 1 orange
  • 2tbsp cherry molasses (optional)

For the chocolate filling

  • 125ml double cream
  • 100g butter
  • zest 1 orange
  • 2tsp orange blossom extract
  • 300g dark chocolate
  • 1 egg plus 3 egg yolks
  • 100g caster sugar

For the cardamom cream (optional)

  • 200ml double cream
  • 1tsp ground cardamom
  • 2tbsp icing sugar

To decorate (optional)

  • whole cherries
  • edible flowers, petals only

Method

  1. Grease a 20cm deep tart tin lightly with butter.
  2. Before you make the pastry, flavour the cream for the chocolate filling. To do this just pop the double cream, butter, orange zest and orange blossom extract in a saucepan and heat until the butter has melted and starts to gently simmer. Set aside until required.
  3. Place the plain flour, butter and salt in a food processor and whizz on a pulse setting until they resemble breadcrumbs. Tip this mix into a large bowl and stir through the caster sugar and orange zest. Briefly whisk together the egg and egg yolk and add to the bowl then stir with a cutlery knife to form pastry. Once it all comes together in big lumps, shape it into one large disc (handling as little as possible) and wrap in cling film. Chill for about an hour or until the pastry is a little firmer. Preheat the oven to 180c.
  4. While the pastry is chilling, make the cherry filling. To do this just place the de-stoned cherries, caster sugar, orange zest and juice, and the cherry molasses (if using- this is optional but it really helps intensify the cherry flavour) in a saucepan. Heat gently until the cherries release their juices, then up the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cherries are sticky and resemble a compote.
  5. Once the pastry has firmed up, roll out to about 3mm thick on a well floured surface. Line the tart tin with the pastry, ensuring that you push it into the corners and flutes. Trim any overhanging pastry and chill for 20 minutes.
  6. When your pastry is sufficiently chilled, line with baking paper, fill with baking beans and blind bake for 10-15 minutes until the walls of the tart case can support themselves. At this stage remove the paper and beans and return to the oven for a further 5-10 minutes or until the pastry is completely cooked through with no grey, raw areas of pastry remaining. Set aside.
  7. Now make the chocolate filling. Gently melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Meanwhile, remove the orange zest from the cream mixture and heat up. Once the chocolate has melted pour the cream into the bowl and briefly stir to combine, then set aside to cool a little. Put the egg, yolks and caster sugar in a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer) and whisk until very thick, pale and voluminous (5-6 minutes). Add a large spoonful of this to the chocolate and mix in, then add the rest and carefully fold.
  8. To assemble the tart, tip the cherry compote into the pastry case and spread out in an even layer, then scrape the chocolate filling on top. Bake for 15 minutes then leave to cool completely in the tin (it should have a little wobble).
  9. While the tart is cooling, make the cardamom cream. To do this simply whisk together the icing sugar, cream and ground cardamom until soft peaks form.
  10. You can enjoy the tart at this stage- it will have a very fudgy, mousse like texture. If you chill the tart it will have a slightly different, but still delicious, texture (the cold will set it a little firmer, like a conventional chocolate tart). However you serve your tart, top it with a spoonful of cardamom cream and fresh cherries.

 

Ricotta, Raspberry and Peach Cheesecake Bars

Cooking

With a light baked ricotta filling studded with fresh raspberries, crunchy almond-oat base and griddled peach topping, these cheesecake bars pay homage to 90s peach melba, and make for the perfect summer dessert.

Ingredients (makes 12 bars)

For the base

  • 150g digestives
  • 2tsp demerara sugar
  • 1tsp cinnamon
  • 50g rolled oats
  • 50g almonds
  • 140g unsalted butter, melted

For the filling

  • 500g ricotta
  • 125g golden caster sugar
  • 30g corn flour
  • 2 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • 100g full fat greek yoghurt
  • 200g raspberries

For the topping

  • 2 peaches, sliced
  • few extra raspberries
  • decorative herbs, almonds, edible flowers (optional)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 160c and grease and line a 22x22cm baking tin. Place the digestives, demerara sugar and cinnamon in a food processor and blitz into crumbs. Add in the melted butter, almonds and oats and very briefly blitz again to combine- don’t over mix here, you want a nice crunchy base. Tip this mixture into the prepared tin and pack down with the back of a spoon. Chill for 15 minutes then bake for 10 minutes to set. Once baked set aside for later.
  2. Now make the filling. To do this simply whisk together the ricotta, golden caster sugar, corn flour and vanilla until very smooth, then add in the egg and egg yolk one at a time, whisking between each addition to bring the mixture together again. Lastly, whisk in the yoghurt. Roughly break up the raspberries with the back of a fork and tip them in. Ripple them through then scrape all the filling onto the base. Place the tin into another larger roasting tin and fill with water (about half way up the sides of your baking tin). Bake for 1 hour or until the cheesecake is set but still has a uniform wobble.
  3. Once baked, leave the cheesecake to cool completely then chill for 4-6 hours to set.
  4. While the cheesecake is chilling, lightly oil a griddle pan and slice the peaches into wedges. Heat the pan and char the slices on each side, then leave to cool.
  5. When your cheesecake has set, just remove it from the tin, slice into 12 bars (use a hot knife for this and you will get a cleaner result) and top with the griddled peach slices, extra raspberries and nuts.

Enjoy!

Brown Butter, Pecan and White Chocolate Brownies (GF)

Chocolate, Uncategorized

If you do one thing this weekend, make these brownies; with brown butter delivering a deep nutty flavour, pecans adding a welcome crunch and dark brown sugar leaving you with a molasses hit, they 100% deliver on flavour and texture and are perhaps the most delicious brownies I’ve made to date (drops mic) (cringes).

Ingredients (makes 9-12 brownies)

  • 250g butter, cubed
  • 250g dark chocolate
  • 100g dark brown soft sugar
  • 100g golden caster sugar
  • 3 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
  • large pinch sea salt
  • 100g gluten free plain flour (I used Doves Farm)
  • 100g chopped pecans
  • 75g chopped white chocolate
  • 75g chopped milk chocolate

Method (makes 9-12 brownies, depending on how hungry you are)

1) Preheat the oven to 180c. Grease and line a 22x22cm brownie tray.

2) Place the cubed butter in a saucepan and melt over a medium heat. Once completely melted, up the heat and allow the butter to foam until it smells nutty and reaches a deep golden colour. At this stage, remove from the heat and add in the chopped dark chocolate. Let it sit for a couple of minutes then stir briefly to create a smooth glossy mix. Set aside to cool a little.

3) While the chocolate mixture cools, place the sugars, salt, eggs and egg yolk in a stand mixer (or in a large bowl) and beat until very light and voluminous (it will pretty much double in size). This stage is well worth the effort- it will give you that classic cracked top.

4) Once the egg mixture is ready, pour the chocolate mix down the side of the bowl and fold in using a large metal spoon. Add the gluten free flour and do the same until you have a smooth, lump free batter. Now add the chocolate chunks and pecans and stir through to evenly distribute.

5) Tip the mix into the prepared tin and level off. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

6) When it’s ready, the brownie will have a flaky crisp top but will still be gooey and moist on the inside. Set aside to cool (completely) in the tin then remove, slice up and serve.

 

Rose Labneh with Sumac Baked Figs

Cooking

I know I’m getting a few months ahead of myself by posting a fig recipe (usually they come into season around late July), but when I saw some particularly plump, dark looking figs in my local fresh produce shop, I couldn’t help but cook them up with some delicious accompaniments. You could recreate this super simple recipe using any seasonal fruit- rhubarb, greengage or peach would work particularly well.

Ingredients (serves 6)

  • 400ml Greek yoghurt
  • 3tbsp runny honey
  • 2tsp rose water
  • 10-12 ripe figs
  • 1-2tsp sumac
  • Few sprigs thyme
  • 1 pomegranate, seeds only
  • 75g almonds

Method

  1. Place the yoghurt, 1tbsp of the honey and the rose water in a bowl. Mix together then transfer to a muslin cloth and tie up the corners. Sit this in a sieve over a bowl for at least 24 hours (refrigerated).
  2. After 24 hours the liquid will have drained from the yoghurt, leaving you with a thick, smooth labneh.
  3. Once the labneh is ready, prepare the other elements of your dessert. Preheat the oven to 200c and line a high sided baking tray with greaseproof paper. Slice the figs into either halves or quarters (depending on your visual preference!) and spread out on the tray (cut side up). Drizzle with the remaining 2tbsp honey and sprinkle over the sumac. Roughly break the thyme into the tray too.
  4. Roast the figs for 20-25 minutes until very tender and sticky. While the figs are cooking, toast the almonds in a dry frying pan until lightly coloured, then roughly chop.
  5. To serve, spread a generous spoonful of the labneh onto your dessert plates and arrange some fig pieces on top. Sprinkle over the almonds and pomegranate seeds and lastly, garnish with some thyme, if you like.

Enjoy!