“Ever since the wider public rediscovered the true flavour of pistachio – a prized, naturally sweet nut far removed from the artificially coloured pastes flavoured with bitter almond oil – it has become an undeniable smash hit of a flavour. This tart celebrates pistachio in its purest form, layered in a spectrum of natural green tones: matcha-infused pastry, luxurious pistachio…”

“This lemon and yuzu meringue pie is all about balance – bright, citrusy sharpness mellowed by a delicate sweetness. Yuzu, the incredibly fragrant Japanese citrus, brings a depth of flavour that goes beyond just tartness, offering floral and almost spicy notes that make this pie stand out from a classic lemon tart. The filling is silky and vibrant, nestled in a crisp pastry case…”

“There’s something magical about the way apricots caramelise, turning golden and intensely fragrant. This tarte tatin captures that magic, whether using fresh fruit or tinned when out of season. Nestled in a thyme-scented caramel, the apricots’ tartness balances the rich, crisp pastry beneath. Once flipped, their glossy, syrupy juices soak into the layers, creating a dessert…”

On the menu since Al Brown opened doors at Depot in 2011, Sugar Pie epitomises the knack Al has for creating signature dishes with just a handful of great ingredients. Here a perfect crust is filled with eggs, brown sugar and cream. Al was introduced to this dessert in…”

“This pretty sweet treat is so easy to whip up that the hardest part is waiting for the pastry to defrost!” - Nabula El Mourid

“I love this pudding because it perfectly combines two of my all-time favourite sweet treats – carrot cake and sticky date or sticky toffee pudding. It was actually initially inspired by a traditional North Indian dessert called halwa, which is made by cooking…”

We know sago is not everyone’s dessert ingredient of choice, but hear us out. It’s a drum we’ve banged before because we l-o-v-e Asian (and Asian-inspired) desserts and sago is a common presence. Take this Chilled Sago and Melon Pudding, for example. It's the best combo of chilled summery-ness and minimal effort ever, and it doesn’t scream ‘sugar rush’ either…

Perfect for cherry season, this rich tart serves a LOT of people as it’s quite lavish, so it’s an excellent option to serve to a crowd. All it needs as an accompaniment is a good splodge of whipped cream, and it's good to go…

“My favourite kind of Indian desserts are custards and creams. I can remember savouring silky smooth shrikhand and rich warm kheer during big holiday dinner. Possets give me the same type of feel. They are a citrus-flavoured (usually lemon) dessert that has a texture similar to pudding or pot de crème but without eggs…”

“Dirty chai is a chai with a shot of espresso, and it’s what kept me going through grad school. The combination of chai spices, milky black tea, and bitter coffee is stellar. You can make this semi-homemade if you’re short on time by using boxed brownie mix. I promise I won’t judge…”

“My mom has an intense green thumb, and her pride and joy is her night-blooming jasmine. Summer nights were spent sitting outside basking in the aroma of jasmine while eating freshly cut fruit from my dad. This tiramisu is an edible version of those memories, and it’s made with ladyfingers that are soaked in a delicate jasmine tea and layered with ripe strawberries and a velvety…”

Semolina—yeah, we get it, it’s a bit of a love-hate thing. And we know why: flashbacks to dodgy school puddings that were overly sweet, gloopy, and borderline inedible. One of our grandmothers, for reasons that still mystify us, used lemon essence in her semolina despite having a fruit-laden lemon tree right outside her kitchen window. Go figure…

“This tart-ified version of a carrot cake might not be an obvious classic, but it belongs in this chapter as a great foundational recipe for the tarts in our ‘Not Your Average Tarts’ chapter. The cream cheese glaze is what makes this one special – it’s designed to taste the same as a typical cream cheese frosting and to sit perfectly flat across the top of the tart…”

“Being a travelling monk in sixteenth-century Sicily couldn’t have been easy. During Lent, the season of austerity preceding Easter, monks were expected to hike on foot day after day for forty days, ministering to the faithful across the land. Although they were able to stop at monasteries for sustenance, eating meat was prohibited…”

“Unusually for an Asian nation, the Vietnamese have a fondness for coffee – a taste they acquired from their French colonisers. (Interestingly, Vietnam supplies the world coffee trade with much of its robusta beans, most of which end up as instant coffee.) The left-over syrup keeps well and tastes delicious spooned over ice-cream.”

“Being a travelling monk in sixteenth-century Sicily couldn’t have been easy. During Lent, the season of austerity preceding Easter, monks were expected to hike on foot day after day for forty days, ministering to the faithful across the land. Although they were able to stop at monasteries for sustenance, eating meat was prohibited…”

“If you’ve been to the Caffè Sicilia in Noto, it’s likely you’ve had your way with a warm brioche dipped into a bowl of slushy granita di mandorle made with freshly pressed almond milk. It’s a deliciously fragrant contrast of textures and temperatures. Although they call it a granita, it’s more like a cremolata. Unlike granita, where you want a bit of crunch…”

“There’s an excellent Sicilian pasticceria in my neighborhood in Brooklyn called Monteleone, owned by a man who was born and raised in Sicily. His pastries taste as authentic as any you’ll find in Sicily and, lucky for all of us, he makes cuccidati year-round, not just at Christmas time. (That’s when he makes a larger, ring-shaped version called buccellati, or bracelets.)…”

“Pistachios are super tasty, vibrantly colourful and chock-full of healthy fats. In addition to being highly nutritious, they’re also very forgiving to the baker – the high fat content provides incredible moisture and makes it almost impossible to overbake this cake. We tend to use whole pistachios and grind them fresh, as they oxidise quickly once ground. A top tip is to…” – Michael & Pippa James

“The wow-factor of a clafoutis is inversely proportional to the ease of making one. Just before dinner, make a quick batter, lay some beautiful seasonal fruit into a baking dish and pour the batter over the top. Pop it in the oven while you eat your meal and enjoy a satisfyingly creamy, fruit-based, baked custard pudding to follow. No pastry, no fuss…” – Michael & Pippa James