Our 10 best cream recipes

Blancmange and jelly

This classic dessert from Hawksmoor is much easier to make than it looks, and will win points for schooldays nostalgia.
Hawksmoor at Home, by Huw Gott, Will Beckett and Richard Turner (Preface)

Serves 4
For the jelly
6 leaves gelatine
150ml sugar syrup (100g sugar, 100ml water – stir and bring to boil, remove from heat, cool)
300ml freshly squeezed orange juice

For the blancmange
6 leaves gelatine
250ml double cream
250ml milk
25g caster sugar

1 Start with the jelly. Soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes, then heat the sugar syrup in a saucepan. Shake excess water off the gelatine, place in the syrup and stir to dissolve. Add the juice, stir, then sieve.

2 Pour half the jelly into the bases of either four jelly moulds or one large one. Put in the fridge for 1 hour, until set. Leave the other half of the orange jelly mix at room temperature.

3 To make the blancmange, soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes, then bring the cream, milk and sugar to the boil. Shake off excess water and add the gelatine to the cream. Stir and allow to cool before pouring over the set jelly. Leave for 2 hours to set, then add the remainder of the jelly and chill for 2 hours. Serve with orange segments.

Cullen skink with Arbroath smokie and potato bread

This Scottish fish soup is both warming and indulgent. If you can't get smokies, then use smoked haddock, simmered for 10 minutes in the milk and cream. Serve with crusty bread.
Recipe supplied by Luke Robinson, Bonnie Gull, bonniegull.com

Serves 4
20g unsalted butter
2 banana shallots, finely chopped
100g leek, white part only, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed then finely chopped
2 Arbroath smokies, skin removed, carefully deboned
200g charlotte potatoes, simmered in salted water until tender, then eeled
100ml whole milk
100ml double cream
Black pepper
Extra virgin rapeseed oil

For the fish stock
Rapeseed oil
150g mix of leek, fennel and onion, chopped
150g white fish bones from the fishmonger
125ml white wine
1 litre water

1 For the stock, add a splash of oil to a heavy-based saucepan on a high heat, then add the veg. Stir well to coat with the oil. Cover reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes or so. Stir often. Now add the washed and drained fish bones and cook for 5 minutes.

2 Add the white wine, then boil for 1 minute, then add the water. Bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer, and skim thoroughly. Turn the heat to low, then gently simmer for 20 minutes, so just a bubble or two breaks the surface every few minutes. Cool in the pan, then strain through a sieve. This can be done the day before, if you like.

3 For the soup, put a large saucepan on the heat. Melt the butter and add the shallots, leek and garlic. Cover and sweat for 5-10 minutes. Add the potatoes. Add half the smokie meat to the pan. Cover and sweat for 3 minutes, then add the fish stock and season with black pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

4 Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool down slightly. Pour the soup into a blender, then whizz for a few seconds. Gradually add the milk and cream, then whizz until smooth.

5 Divide the remaining Arbroath smokie into four bowls. Ladle in the soup and serve.

Chicken with sherry, cream and tarragon

Poaching the chicken whole like this ensures a wonderfully juicy bird. Serve with new potatoes and asparagus.
Recipe supplied by James Ramsden, jamesramsden.com

Serves 4
1 tbsp groundnut or vegetable oil
Salt and black pepper
1.5kg chicken, at room temperature
25g butter
4 shallots, peeled and sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
150ml fino sherry, or dry white wine
500ml chicken stock
300ml double cream
2 tbsp white wine vinegar or tarragon vinegar
2 tbsp finely chopped tarragon

1 Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof, lidded pan or casserole dish over a high heat. Season the chicken all over, brown then set aside.

2 Lower the heat slightly, then add the butter. Once melted, add the shallots, garlic, celery and bay. Season and cook gently for 15 minutes, stirring, until soft but not coloured.

3 Turn up the heat then add the sherry and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer, then lower in the chicken. Bring back to a boil, cover, and transfer to the oven for 1 hour, until cooked.

4 Remove the chicken from the pot and rest it in a warm place. Put the pan of cooking liquor over a high heat and boil hard until reduced by about half. Turn down to a gentle simmer and add the cream and vinegar. Simmer for another 5 minutes or so, then add the tarragon and taste for seasoning.

5 Take the legs and breasts off the chicken in whole pieces. Divide the leg and thigh, and cut each breast in half. Serve a piece of breast and a leg or thigh to each person with a generous spoonful of the sauce.

Creamy macaroni bake with salami and chilli

The touch of cream in this souped-up mac and cheese adds just the right amount of richness to balance the flavour-packed salami and chilli heat. Serve with crusty bread rolls and a green salad.
What Katie Ate by Katie Quinn Davies (Harper Collins)

Serves 6
50g cherry tomatoes, halved
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper
500g macaroni
250g salami, cut into bitesize pieces
60g butter
50g plain flour
1 litre milk
A large handful of grated parmesan, plus extra to serve for topping and to serve
A large handful grated pecorino, plus extra to serve
A large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
½–1 tsp dried chilli flakes, to taste
3-4 tbsp double cream
1 tsp white truffle oil (optional)
80ml white wine
A handful of basil leaves, torn

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Place the tomatoes on a baking tray, cut-side up. Drizzle with oil, season, then roast for 30–40 minutes. Remove from the oven, then turn it up to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.

2 Half-fill a large saucepan with salted water, add a glug of olive oil and bring to a rolling boil over a high heat. Boil the macaroni and cook for 8 minutes until only just al dente (the pasta will continue to cook in the oven, so you don't want to overcook it at this stage). Drain and rinse under cold water, then transfer to a large heavy-based casserole (or four small ovenproof dishes).

3 Add a little olive oil and stir to coat the macaroni, then add the salami and tomatoes. Season with a little salt and lots of pepper.

4 Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, then cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat, then gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until the sauce is thick and smooth. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheeses, nutmeg, chilli flakes, cream and truffle oil, if using, and season with a little more pepper. Pour over the macaroni in the dish, along with the wine, and toss together.

5 Stir the basil leaves through, then scatter lots of parmesan and pecorino over the top. Bake for 30–40 minutes until bubbling, golden brown and crispy (if you like, place the dish/es under a hot grill for a minute or two to get an even crispier topping). Serve piping hot with extra grated parmesan, crusty rolls and a green salad on the side.

Twice-baked cheese souffle (Soufflé Suissesse)

Le Gavroche have shared their classic souffle with us: simple, stunning and sinful in equal measure.
Recipe supplied by Le Gavroche, le-gavroche.co.uk

Serves 4
45g butter
45g plain flour
500ml milk
5 egg yolks
Salt and white pepper
6 egg whites
600ml double cream
200g gruyere or emmental cheese, grated

1 Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan, whisk in the flour and cook, stirring continuously for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and cook for 3 minutes, whisking all the time to prevent any lumps from forming. Beat in the yolks, then remove from the heat and season. Cover with a piece of buttered greaseproof paper to prevent a skin from forming.

2 Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form firm, not stiff, peaks. Add a third of the egg whites to the yolk mixture and beat with a whisk until evenly mixed, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Spoon into four well-buttered 8cm-diameter tartlet moulds or ramekins and place in the oven for 3 minutes, until light golden.

3 Meanwhile, season the cream with a little salt. Warm gently and pour into a gratin dish. Turn the souffles out into the cream, sprinkle the cheese over the souffles, then return to the oven for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Jansson's temptation

The Scandi Kitchen advises not to try to make this creamy potato dish with "normal" anchovies – it will be too salty and lack authenticity. Instead, you can get "anchovies" or sprats, as they are, in many supermarkets, as well as online.
Recipe supplied by Bronte Aurell, scandikitchen.com

Serves 6
2 tbsp butter
2 onions, finely sliced
9-10 medium-sized potatoes, peeled, cut into 5mm sticks
20 fillets, or 1½ tins of Grebbestad anchovies
Salt and black pepper
150ml cream
150ml whole milk
1 tbsp dried breadcrumbs
Crisp green salad, to serve
Cured meats and fish, to serve (optional)

1 Heat the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and cook until soft (a few minutes, taking care not to burn). Add the potatoes and cook for another 2 minutes, until beginning to soften, then take off the heat.

2 Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Place half the potato mixture in an ovenproof dish, then place half of the fish fillets evenly across the top. Season with salt and pepper. Top with the rest of the potatoes, then the rest of the fish.

3 Mix the cream and milk together then pour ⅔ of it over the potatoes, sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top, then season again. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked. Halfway through, check the moisture level and add the rest of the milk; if the dish feels a bit dry you can add a bit more milk, as you want a creamy consistency. Serve with cured meats and fish, or a crisp green salad.

Chicory and ham rolls with comte and cream

Bruno Loubet adds orange juice to this recipe to give it a fruity note, which balances the bitter chicory and rich cheese and cream. We love this served with lots of crusty bread and a few glasses of red wine.
Mange Tout by Bruno Loubet (Ebury)

Serves 4
4 chicory heads (Belgian endive)
30g butter
300ml orange juice
1 garlic clove
½ tsp thyme leaves
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp cider vinegar
100ml double cream
2 tsp dijon mustard
4 thin slices of bayonne or parma ham
100g comte or gruyere cheese, grated
Salt and black pepper

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Cut out the inside base of the chicory to make a hollow without cutting the outer leaves.

2 Fry the chicory in butter over a medium heat. Season with salt and pepper, and brown on both sides.

3 Add the orange juice, garlic, thyme, sugar and vinegar. Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes or until the chicory is tender. Remove the lid, add the cream and mustard. Bring to the boil to reduce the liquid by half.

4 Sprinkle the ham with cheese, then place a chicory piece on each slice and roll up. Transfer to a gratin dish. Cover with cream, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for about 15–20 minutes, until lightly browned.

Saffron, cardamom and pistachio kulfi

This aromatic Indian-style ice-cream doesn't require an ice-cream maker, so takes no time to whip up the day before a dinner party. Serve scattered with extra crushed pistachios.
Recipe supplied by Prerna Singh, indiansimmer.com

Makes around 1.5kg
2 tbsp sugar
8-10 strands saffron
5-6 cardamom pods, seeds removed
400ml whipping cream
Icing sugar, to taste
Vanilla extract, to taste
400g tin condensed milk
400g tin evaporated milk
240ml double cream
70g pistachios, coarsely crushed

1 Grind the sugar, saffron and cardamom seeds in a pestle and mortar.

2 Whip the whipping cream with a little icing sugar and vanilla until it holds firm peaks. In a separate bowl, mix the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and double cream, then gently whip into the whipped, sweetened cream. You need to be gentle – the mix needs to be light and airy.

3 Add the saffron, sugar and cardamom mixture and pistachios, then mix well.

4 Pour the kulfi into small ramekins, moulds, or one larger dish, then cover with clingfilm, making sure it touches the surface of the kulfi. Freeze for at least 4-6 hours, or overnight.

Polenta with creamed kale

We've served this in smaller portions as a starter and as a generous veggie main – equally good in both instances.
Leon Fast Vegetarian by Jane Baxter and Henry Dimbleby (Octopus)

Serves 4
500ml water
125g polenta
Salt and black pepper
400g kale or cavolo nero, washed
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 dried chilli, crumbled
200ml double cream
1-2 tbsp parmesan/vegetarian alternative, to serve

1 First, make the polenta. Bring the water to the boil and add a little salt. Slowly add the polenta, whisking as you pour it in. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 50 minutes, whisking now and again. Pour into a greased baking tray 1-2cm deep and leave to cool. Cut into wedges and grill on each side over a hot griddle for a few minutes on each side. Keep it warm while making the kale.

2 Strip the leaves from the kale. Add to a large pan of boiling, salted water and blanch them for 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain, then refresh under cold water and squeeze out a little excess moisture, then roughly chop.

3 Heat the olive oil in a shallow pan over a medium heat, then add the garlic and chilli and stir for a minute. Add the chopped kale, season well and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cream, then turn up the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. The cream should coat the kale.

4 Remove half the mixture and blend in a food processor or blender, adding a little more cream to loosen it, if you need to, then stir back into the mixture in the pan. Season well, and serve sprinkled with the cheese alongside the polenta wedges.

Clotted cream arctic roll

This is the ultimate show-off Easter Sunday pudding. It's a little effort, but can easily be made in advance and feeds a crowd, or a smaller group of gluttons.
Recipe supplied by Michael Lecouteur, Mews of Mayfair, mewsofmayfair.com

Serves 10-12
3 eggs
175g caster sugar
2 vanilla pods, seeds scraped
175g self-raising flour
6-8 tbsp good-quality raspberry jam

For the ice-cream
250ml double cream
500ml whole milk
2 vanilla pods
10 egg yolks
250g caster sugar
200g clotted cream

1 Heat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3. To make the ice-cream, pour the cream, milk and vanilla into a pan, bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.

2 Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together. Put the milk mixture back on to the heat and whisk in the egg yolks. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens slightly. Whisk in the clotted cream and beat until smooth. Either pour into an ice-cream maker and churn until frozen, or pour into a container and freeze for two hours, then transfer to a blender. Give it a blitz then return to the freezer until set.

3 To make the sponge, whisk the eggs for 1 minute, then gradually add the sugar and vanilla, whisking until pale and fluffy. Gently fold in the flour.

4 Grease a baking tray or swiss roll tin (about 26 x 36cm) with butter and line with greaseproof paper. Spoon the mixture on to the tray and level it, being careful not to knock out all the air. Bake for 12 minutes, then take the sponge of out the oven and roll into a long sausage with the greaseproof paper still on the sponge, then leave to cool.

5 Take the ice-cream out of the freezer for about 15 minutes to soften, then unroll the sponge and spread with the jam and the soft ice-cream, leaving a couple of inches at each end. Then roll the sponge up again. Make sure it is evenly sealed. Freeze again for at least three hours, then slice to serve.

This article was amended slightly on 22 April as we incorrectly stated the Roux recipe was a "goat's cheese souffle" when clearly there's not a speck of goat's cheese to be seen. Apologies to all concerned.