Having cooked for everybody from Robert de Niro to Raymond Blanc, Lynda Booth – founder of the award-winning Dublin Cookery School – has realised a long-held dream with the launch of her first book From Lynda’s Table.

This beautiful presentation of over 140 recipes is full of Lynda’s culinary memories and depicts her personal journey through food, spanning nearly two decades, challenging the reader to try new things en route, from mastering basics like breads, salads and stocks to show-stopping desserts, like Lynda’s passion fruit brûlée tart.

Lynda’s Passion Fruit Brûlée Tart

Serves 8

This is the only recipe I put my name to. It has been part of my repertoire for as long as I can remember. It has found me employment, averted crises and impressed critics. I have never tired of eating it as it has elements of a crème brûlée, but it offers so much more. I remember one boss who requested his birthday meal to include Lynda’s passion fruit brûlée tart. There has been plenty of banter in the kitchen over having my name as the prefix, but it has just stuck.

For the pastry

200g of plain flour

140g of chilled unsalted butter

2 tbsp of icing sugar, sieved

Pinch of salt

1 egg, beaten

A little beaten egg for brushing on the pastry base

For the filling

150g of caster sugar, plus extra to brûlée the tart

175ml of passion fruit juice (or about 15 to 20 passion fruits)

5 eggs

200ml of double cream

Equipment

A 25cm x 3.5cm quiche tin with a removable base

A blowtorch to brûlée the tart

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, 180°C fan, 400°F, gas mark six.

2. To make the pastry, place the flour, butter, sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor and whizz until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. While the machine is running, add about three quarters of the beaten egg and whizz again until it looks like breadcrumbs again. Open the lid and feel the consistency. If they feel too dry add the rest of the beaten egg with the machine running. Whizz the dough quickly to bring it together.

3. Alternatively, if making the pastry by hand place the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Chop up the butter into small pieces and rub it into the flour mixture until it resembles fine crumbs. Bind with the beaten egg as above.

4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for a few seconds, just to make the underside smooth. Place it on a piece of cling film, fold it over and flatten the pastry with your hand to create a disc. Allow to rest in the fridge for 45 minutes, or overnight if desired.

5. On a lightly floured board, roll the pastry out in a circle making it large enough to line the bottom and side of the tart dish. The pastry should be about three to five milimetres thick. Line the tin with the pastry, then place a sheet of baking parchment or greaseproof paper over the pastry and fill it with dried pulses.

6. Bake the pastry in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until the paper comes away easily from the base. The edges of the tart should be slightly golden, but the base should still be pale.

7. Gently remove the sheet of paper and the dried pulses. Brush the base of the tart with a little beaten egg and place it back in the oven for about five minutes to let it dry out. Remove it from the oven. Lower the temperature to 180°C, 160°C fan, 350°F, gas mark four.

8. To make the filling, whisk the sugar into the passion fruit juice. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and cream together using a hand whisk. Gently whisk the egg and cream into the fruit pulp, just until combined. (If you over-whisk, you will create too many air bubbles.) Pour this mixture into the prebaked pastry case and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Check the tart towards the end of the cooking by shaking it very slightly – it should be barely set in the centre. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool.

9. If you have a blowtorch you can caramelize the top of the tart just before serving, or up to 30 minutes in advance. Sprinkle a good layer of caster sugar over the top of the tart, leaving a margin of 2.5cm from the rim (this is to prevent the pastry from burning). Caramelize the sugar until it turns golden. It will harden immediately.

Clara’s Hot Chocolate Pots

Serves 6

These chocolate pots are more like a hot mousse with a rich chocolaty flavour. They aren’t difficult to make and the result is amazing.

Ingredients

160g of dark chocolate, finely chopped

4 tbsp of water

3 large eggs, at room temperature

40g of caster sugar

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, to serve

Equipment

6 ramekins

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C, 140°C fan, 325°F, gas mark three.

2. Place the chocolate and water in a heatproof bowl. Melt in the microwave on 600W for one minute and in short bursts after that. Stir each time you remove the bowl from the microwave. Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring every so often. Remove as soon as the chocolate is fluid and allow it to cool a little.

3. Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl and whisk them eggs until they have tripled in volume, using an electric whisk or a standing mixer. Fold a little of the egg mixture into the chocolate. Pour the chocolate mixture back into the whipped eggs and sugar and fold the two together. Pour the mixture into the ramekins and fill almost to the top. At this point the chocolate pots may be covered and refrigerated for up to two days if required.

4. Place the chocolate pots in an ovenproof dish and pour boiling water to come half way up the ramekins. Place in a preheated oven and cook for about 25 minutes. The pots should be soft and mousse-like. They will also set a little more if left to cool for five to 10 minutes. Serve while still warm, topped with some whipped cream or ice cream.

Blackberry and Apple Crisp

Serves 6

When does a crumble become a crisp? I’m not sure, but probably when it’s made by Americans. My American friends Kris and Annie often make me crisps, which usually include nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios or pecans) and cinnamon. The nuts are chopped finely so that they add texture and flavour. The crisp may be served in a pie dish or, even better, in individual ramekins large enough to hold a generous portion of fruit. The bubbling juices of the fruit will then ooze through the crumbly topping, to be savoured and enjoyed with each spoonful.

5 Granny Smith, Cox Pippin or Golden Delicious apples

450g of blackberries

80g of light brown sugar

2 tbsp of plain flour

Whipped cream, to serve

For the topping

130g of plain flour

100g of butter

90g of porridge oats

65g of light brown sugar

30g of pecans (optional)

½ tsp of ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan, 350°F, gas mark four.

2. To make the topping, place the flour in a bowl. Chop up the butter very finely and rub it into the flour until it resembles fine crumbs, or whizz in a food processor. Add the oats, sugar, pecans and cinnamon. Mix all the ingredients together.

3. To make the filling, peel, core and slice the apples. Mix the blackberries, apples, sugar and flour together and place in a 30cm x 20cm ovenproof dish. Sprinkle the crisp on top.

4. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes to one hour, until the fruit is tender (you’ll see it bubbling up) and the topping is pale golden. Test the fruit with a skewer or with the point of a knife to see if it’s ready. Serve hot with whipped cream.

NOTE: The crisp may also be cooked in ramekins about 9cm x 7cm in size. In that case, chop the apples finely and pack the fruit almost to the top. Sprinkle the crisp on top and bake as above.

* A must-have for all passionate cooks, From Lynda’s Table (DCS Publishing) is available in all good book stores, now priced at €24.99, with signed copies from www.dublincookeryschool.ie