12 h. ago Helen Goh’s recipe for plum and star anise frangipane tart | The sweet spot

The rich, fruity natural sweetness of plums works wonders with a soft almond cream inside a delicious pastryLate-season plums are wonderful to bake with; juicy and slightly astringent as you get closer to the skin, they soften into a rich, almost winey sweetness. And, when they’re nestled into soft almond cream and scented with star anise, they make a delicious tart for any time of day. Serve warm with pouring cream as pudding or cold with a cup of tea. Continue reading...

Politics

60 h. ago Pineapple pudding cake, chocolate ginger beer cake, Portuguese napkins: Helen Goh’s cake recipes

Three treats from her new book, Baking and the Meaning of LifeThe combination of pineapple, salt and tamarind was part of my childhood in Malaysia. In fruit salads and the famous Penang laksa, the mix of sweet, tangy, salty and acidic is so vibrant and distinctive that, for me, it is almost synonymous with the country of my birth and, more importantly, its incredible range of foods and flavours. Naturally, then, I wanted to recreate that in a cake. The choice of an upside-down cake was obvious when thinking about pineapple, and adding tamarind to the caramel felt an exciting addition to the flaky sea salt we all know and love. I have always been intrigued by the fact that small children, my own included, who seem so sensitive to spice in anything else, love gingerbread cookies, which have such a robust flavour profile and warm spiciness. When my boys were going for a birthday sleepover, I had the idea of translating Nigella Lawson’s chocolate Guinness cake into a ginger version, rep...

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6 d. ago Max Verstappen pips Norris for Italian Grand Prix pole with fastest F1 lap

Red Bull driver just 0.077sec quicker than McLaren rivalDutchman’s flying lap beat record set by Hamilton in 2020 The beaming grin on Max Verstappen’s face showed what claiming pole position for the Italian Grand Prix meant to him and his Red Bull team. As records fell in a blur of speed at Monza, the world champion was perhaps the most unlikely victor after an impossibly tight contest.The transformation since the 2024 Italian GP could not have been more stark. Over a tumultuous 12 months Verstappen has clung on to seal his fourth title last season, seen long-term Red Bull team principal Christian Horner be sacked and the team comprehensively out-paced by McLaren. Here, they at last found a sweet spot that has been sorely lacking. Continue reading...

Sport

7 d. ago Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for chocolate and malted buttercream cake | The sweet spot

Fudgy layers and a luscious filling makes this bake simply irresistible – whether it’s your birthday or notBeing a twin, I’ve always shared a birthday cake. Each year, I ask my sister what I should bake and the answer is almost never chocolate, despite it being one of my favourite cake flavours. However, this year, I’ll be changing that and making this lovely, fudgy two-layer chocolate cake filled and topped with a luscious, malty buttercream that I could eat by the spoonful. If you want to make it extra celebratory, swap the chocolate shavings for sprinkles. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago Jennifer Aniston reveals cosmetic procedures after refusing to let 'grey hairs take over'

The Morning Show star Jennifer Aniston opened up about ageing in an interview published this week ahead of the Apple TV+ show's fourth season launching later this month

Politics

1 week ago We're calling it: All the fashionable women will be wearing brown trainers this autumn

Camel hits the perfect sweet spot of being neutral enough to go with everything while still adding a focal point to often-monochrome winter outfits.

Politics

1 week ago Shoppers save over £2000 on 'striking' Debenhams watch in 91% price slash

'Feels like the perfect sweet spot between quality and design and affordability. This has become my primary everyday watch.'

Economics

1 week ago Dundee derby delight for United as 'huge gamble' pays off but Steven Pressley left searching for 'sweet spot'

Both managers react as United claim 2-0 victory at Dens

Politics

2 w. ago Helen Goh’s recipe for peach, blackberry, ricotta and thyme galette | The sweet spot

Past-their-peak peaches and early blackberries bring late-summer vibes to this rich pastry bakeBy late summer, peaches are often past their peak for eating raw, being perhaps a little floury or shy on juice. That fading sweetness pairs beautifully with the first flush of wild blackberries, however, and this galette makes the most of that overlap: slices of peach and a handful of blackberries sit on a gently sweetened ricotta base that’s flavoured with brown sugar, orange zest and a few sprigs of thyme. The ricotta bakes into something soft and creamy that catches those juices as the fruits slump. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago The best plum recipes to make this season, from Eton mess to venison stew

Plum season in the UK runs from August to October, so now is the perfect time to make the most of this versatile stone fruit. These sweet and savoury recipes go beyond the crumble – think marzipan galettes, spiced stews and jammy roasted desserts

Politics

2 w. ago Sweet lovers delighted to spot retro treats back on shelves after they were discontinued nearly 30 years ago

Opal Fruits was first launched in Britain in 1959 and quickly went on to become one of the nation's most beloved treats.

Politics

2 w. ago Jennifer Aniston's new boyfriend Jim Curtis spotted supporting Friends star at launch event

Jim Curtis showed up to support Jennifer Aniston at the LA launch for her new hair product range. The couple are said to be madly in love and have been inseparable in recent months.

Politics

2 w. ago Review: Bluetti hits the sweet spot with the Elite 100 V2 power station

Perfect mix of size, weight and power - for use at home and on the road

Events

3 w. ago Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for spiced coffee granita with whipped cream | The sweet spot

Indulge both your caffeine and sugar cravings with this refreshing summer puddingA low-effort dessert inspired by café de olla, which is a drink I consumed daily while on holiday in Oaxaca, Mexico. It’s a black coffee gently spiced with cinnamon and cloves, and sweetened with piloncillo (an unrefined sugar). Here, I’ve turned it into something refreshing for summer, using dark brown sugar instead, not least because it’s easier to find. I can never resist a post-dinner coffee, and this scratches both that caffeine and sugar itch. Continue reading...

Politics

4 w. ago Exact date and time you should book this weekend for huge holiday savings

It's never too late to book that dream break and according to one travel expert there's a sweet spot this weekend where you can make huge savings - but you'll need to set your alarm

Politics

4 w. ago Helen Goh’s recipe for honey and almond semifreddo with nectarines | The sweet spot

This classic churn-free Italian dessert is easier to make than ice-cream, and can be customised by the seasonSofter and lighter than ice-cream, semifreddo, which is Italian for “half-cold” or “half-frozen”, is also easier to make because it doesn’t need churning. Customise this one by swapping the almonds for pistachios, and serving it with cherries or other seasonal fruit. Do seek out the anise seeds, though, because they add such a lovely pop of flavour. The praline can be made up to a week ahead and stored in an airtight container in the freezer, while the semifreddo itself will keep happily in the freezer for about a week. Continue reading...

Politics

4 w. ago Night Always Comes review – Vanessa Kirby gets lost in poverty thriller

A woman is forced to take extreme measures to save her family home in an initially stressful yet ultimately meandering Netflix dramaThere’s been a recent overkill of stories told about the super-rich, glossy films and shows set in ostentatious houses filled with characters as superficially on trend as they are painfully out of touch. It felt like needed escapism as we crawled out of the very worst of the pandemic, with The White Lotus, Triangle of Sadness, The Menu and Glass Onion all hitting a sweet spot, but it’s grown rather tiring, as Sirens, The Better Sister and Your Friends and Neighbors have felt less eat the rich and more what if we just admired their kitchens instead.It’s become especially uninteresting as the gap between the uber-wealthy and the rest of us has widened, food prices up and empathy down. That particular anger pulses through Night Always Comes, a well-intentioned yet often inert Netflix drama based on the 2021 novel by Willy Vlautin. It’s told over one awful ...

Politics