Caramelised onion, thyme & cheddar
Cheddar and caramelised onion are a classic combo and the thyme kicks the whole thing up a notch, turning this into a melty masterpiece. If you don’t have the time or inclination to make your own onion marmalade, you can always grab a jar from the shop.
2 tablespoons softened butter
Four slices of sourdough, 2cm thick
Six sprigs of thyme
4tbsp onion marmalade
100g strong, mature cheddar, grated
1tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Place a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.2 Spread the butter over the sourdough slices and press a sprig of thyme into each piece. These will be the outsides of the toasties.3 Turn over two of the slices and divide the onion marmalade evenly between them. Top the marmalade with the cheddar, pressing it down.4 Pick the leaves from the remaining thyme sprigs and sprinkle them over. Season generously with salt and pepper. Top each with the other slices of bread, making sure the buttered side is on the outside.5 Place the sandwiches into the pan and gently press down with a spatula.6 Cook for about four minutes on each side until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown. Serve immediately with any remaining onion marmalade.
The Peachy Keen: roasted peach, ricotta, lavender & honey on rye
This toastie is inspired by a wonderful breakfast I once had in a sunny café in Australia. The creaminess of the ricotta is delicious with the caramelised peach and honey.
Two peaches, ripe but still a little firm, stoned and sliced into eighths
4tbsp clear honey
2tbsp softened butter
Four slices of rye sourdough, 2cm thick
250g ricotta
Sprig of lavender
Zest of half lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Place a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and preheat the grill to medium.2 Lay the peach slices in the pan. After 10 minutes, when they are starting to caramelise, flip them over to cook on the other side for a few minutes more. Drizzle over two tablespoons of the honey.3 Meanwhile, spread the butter on all four slices of bread. Turn two slices over so they are butter side down, and divide the ricotta between them, spreading it evenly. Top with the caramelised peach slices, then sprinkle over the lavender. Top with the other two slices of bread, butter side up so the butter is on the outside of the sandwich.4 Place the sandwiches in the pan to cook. After five minutes, when the slices are starting to char and look golden, drizzle the remaining honey all over them so that it soaks into the bread to create a lovely, sticky mess. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and a little salt and pepper. Banoffee French toast
This is deserving of the honour of being called a grilled cheese sandwich due to the mascarpone layer. It’s wonderfully indulgent.
For the praline:
4tbsp caster sugar
10g hazelnuts, chopped
For the caramel dulce de leche:
400g can condensed milk
For the build:
Four slices brioche
2tbsp mascarpone
Two bananas, halved lengthways
One egg, whisked with 2 tablespoons milk
1 Fill a large saucepan with water and boil the can of condensed milk for two hours, making sure it is always immersed. Remove and set aside to cool. This will be your dulce de leche.2 Place a non-stick frying pan over a high heat and melt three tablespoons of the sugar with one tablespoon water until it turns to caramel. Add the nuts, stir to coat and then pour out onto greaseproof paper. Let cool, then roughly chop.3 Lay out the slices of brioche. Spread two of them with one tablespoon each of dulce de leche and the other two with one tablespoon each of mascarpone.4 Preheat the grill to medium. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the banana slices and briefly grill to caramelise. Once this is done, place on top of the mascarpone slices and top with the dulce de leche slices to form your sandwiches. Place the sandwiches into the egg mixture and coat both sides, then place in the frying pan over a medium heat. When starting to go golden, gently turn over. Cut in half and place on serving plates with extra dulce de leche poured over, and a sprinkle of praline.
Caramelised onion, thyme & cheddar
Cheddar and caramelised onion are a classic combo and the thyme kicks the whole thing up a notch, turning this into a melty masterpiece. If you don’t have the time or inclination to make your own onion marmalade, you can always grab a jar from the shop.
2 tablespoons softened butter
Four slices of sourdough, 2cm thick
Six sprigs of thyme
4tbsp onion marmalade
100g strong, mature cheddar, grated
1tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Place a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.2 Spread the butter over the sourdough slices and press a sprig of thyme into each piece. These will be the outsides of the toasties.3 Turn over two of the slices and divide the onion marmalade evenly between them. Top the marmalade with the cheddar, pressing it down.4 Pick the leaves from the remaining thyme sprigs and sprinkle them over. Season generously with salt and pepper. Top each with the other slices of bread, making sure the buttered side is on the outside.5 Place the sandwiches into the pan and gently press down with a spatula.6 Cook for about four minutes on each side until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown. Serve immediately with any remaining onion marmalade.
The Peachy Keen: roasted peach, ricotta, lavender & honey on rye
This toastie is inspired by a wonderful breakfast I once had in a sunny café in Australia. The creaminess of the ricotta is delicious with the caramelised peach and honey.
Two peaches, ripe but still a little firm, stoned and sliced into eighths
4tbsp clear honey
2tbsp softened butter
Four slices of rye sourdough, 2cm thick
250g ricotta
Sprig of lavender
Zest of half lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Place a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and preheat the grill to medium.2 Lay the peach slices in the pan. After 10 minutes, when they are starting to caramelise, flip them over to cook on the other side for a few minutes more. Drizzle over two tablespoons of the honey.3 Meanwhile, spread the butter on all four slices of bread. Turn two slices over so they are butter side down, and divide the ricotta between them, spreading it evenly. Top with the caramelised peach slices, then sprinkle over the lavender. Top with the other two slices of bread, butter side up so the butter is on the outside of the sandwich.4 Place the sandwiches in the pan to cook. After five minutes, when the slices are starting to char and look golden, drizzle the remaining honey all over them so that it soaks into the bread to create a lovely, sticky mess. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and a little salt and pepper. Banoffee French toast
This is deserving of the honour of being called a grilled cheese sandwich due to the mascarpone layer. It’s wonderfully indulgent.
For the praline:
4tbsp caster sugar
10g hazelnuts, chopped
For the caramel dulce de leche:
400g can condensed milk
For the build:
Four slices brioche
2tbsp mascarpone
Two bananas, halved lengthways
One egg, whisked with 2 tablespoons milk
1 Fill a large saucepan with water and boil the can of condensed milk for two hours, making sure it is always immersed. Remove and set aside to cool. This will be your dulce de leche.2 Place a non-stick frying pan over a high heat and melt three tablespoons of the sugar with one tablespoon water until it turns to caramel. Add the nuts, stir to coat and then pour out onto greaseproof paper. Let cool, then roughly chop.3 Lay out the slices of brioche. Spread two of them with one tablespoon each of dulce de leche and the other two with one tablespoon each of mascarpone.4 Preheat the grill to medium. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the banana slices and briefly grill to caramelise. Once this is done, place on top of the mascarpone slices and top with the dulce de leche slices to form your sandwiches. Place the sandwiches into the egg mixture and coat both sides, then place in the frying pan over a medium heat. When starting to go golden, gently turn over. Cut in half and place on serving plates with extra dulce de leche poured over, and a sprinkle of praline. 
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