My corn was from ZaraMama – named after the Incan Goddess of Grain – they stock a dozen different types of corn, with exotic and tasty sounding names such as creamy crunch, fiery amber and pink blossom.  A 90g bag costs just over £1 which will make two huge bowls full, still a bargain.

Delicious and morerish Speculoos spread is hard to describe, I only discovered it on my last trip to France.  It is Lotus biscuit paste in a jar.   Spicy and caramalised (remarkably Lotus biscuits account for a massive 20% of biscuit consumption in their home county of Belgium).  Perfect spread on toast, pancakes in cakes or sometimes it begs to be eaten straight from the jar with a spoon standing in front the still open cupboard.

Whenever I mention Speculoos on twitter I am sent a barrage of replies extolling its virtues and deliciousness, but, bizarrely it does not seem to be stocked by any of the UK supermarkets – I think we need a twitter campaign to lobby them to get it in store, although I wonder if it will lose at least some of its allure if its scarcity value goes?   I bought back 4 pots from France last November, carefully swaddled in a fleece at the bottom of my suitcase and have been rationing them ever since.   If you crave the taste, but do not have a jar of the paste, Steenbergs have a Koekkruidden spice blend which will give you the flavour at least.

Today I opened my last jar to make the popcorn, heaven in a bowl.

Recipe: Speculoos Popcorn

Serves 2

Scant glug vegetable oil
2oz / 1/4 cup popcorn

1 heaped tbs Speculoos Spread
1 heaped tbs butter
Good pinch sea salt

Place the oil and popcorn in a pan with a well fitting lid and put on a medium / high heat.   Swirl the pan every 20 seconds or so.    When the corn starts to pop turn the heat right down.

Meanwhile, melt the Speculoos spread and butter together and stir well, adding  sea salt to taste.

When the corn is popped pour the Speculoos sauce over and mix well.

Sit down with a good film and scoff

My translation of the ingredients seem to suggest the Speculoos is both egg and diary free, so substitute a non diary spread for a vegan adaptation.

Fresh fruit and a hot sauce are perfect for those dull and damp summer evenings, when you want a hot pudding but also want to pretend to be healthy. This quick and easy pudding can be cooked in just a few minutes is very good for using up odd bits of fruit that are starting to turn – nectarines, bananas and apples would all work.

I used “stone clinger” peaches – those peaches that are overripe on the outside and still hard in the middle.

Ingredients (serves 2)

1oz butter
1oz soft light brown sugar
1tbs honey
Peaches, apples, nectarines, bananas or other fruit. 2 pieces per person is perfect.

Put the butter, sugar and honey into a saucepan (to save time and washing up just use a wooden spoon to approximately measure the honey) and heat on a medium heat stirring from time to time. Meanwhile cut the fruit into segments ready to add to the sauce.

When the sauce has thickened and is golden and bubbling add the fruit, stir for a minute until heated through.

Serve straight away, either by itself or with cream or ice cream.

Pure comfort food and perfect on ice cream. I am a great fan of piping hot sauces on ice cream I love the contrast of hot and cold, and the memory of when I used to go home for lunch in my first year at primary school my mother would; for a treat; give me vanilla ice-cream topped with hot homemade jam. All that sweet hot jammy goodness over the half melted cold ice-cream. Bliss.

This fudge sauce is unbelievably easy to make from just 3 ingredients and tastes wonderful and is incredibly moreish. I have made another batch of this immediately after scraping the pan clean on more occasions than I should admit. Any leftovers can be stored in a jam jar in the fridge and microwaved in the jar (minus lid) or eaten straight from the jar with a spoon.

Hot Fudge Sauce

Unsalted butter
Soft light brown sugar
Double cream 

I use my electronic scales and weigh straight into the saucepan.

Variations

Use soft dark brown sugar for a more treacly sauce, or add half a cup of espresso for a coffee fudge sauce, but the cooking time will be longer.