Sluttishly Sweet: White Chocolate and Pistachio Fudge

Since making this white chocolate and pistachio fudge yesterday, I'm rather concerned for my health. It's so quick to make. I actually made a cup of tea at the same time and was done in minutes. The only thing that takes a bit of time is shelling that pistachios and that's surprisingly therapeutic when done in front of the telly with a slightly lingering hangover.

This is a slightly tweaked Nigella recipe. She uses dark chocolate, I went for the richer white version since I don't really like dark chocolate and I wanted the greens and pinks of the pistachios to really stand out. Make sure you play about with the salt while you're mixing - without enough salt it will be far too rich.

White chocolate and pistachio fudge (makes about 50 squares, despite it looking like it makes half of that)
You'll need:

• 1 can condensed milk
• 380g white chocolate
• 150g salted pistachios (shelled)
• 1tsp salt
• 30g butter

Make it!

1. Bash the pistachios into rough pieces with a rolling pin (or in my case, a wine bottle).
2. Break up the white chocolate and add to a saucepan with the condensed milk and the butter.
3. Place pan on a low heat and stir well until everything is smooth.
4. Add salt and pistachios, mix again.
5. Pour the mixture into a baking tray lined with foil or greaseproof paper.
6. Allow to cool and then pop in the fridge.
7. You'll get a proper set the day after, but this was just about firm enough to eat after five hours and you will find yourself picking at it. Once it's set, cut into small squares and serve.

Gluten Free: Chocolate Chestnut Cake

Like puppies, chestnuts are not just for Christmas: chestnut flour should definitely be in your gluten free pantry. Its sweet, roasted flavour makes it perfect for desserts and cakes while its slight smokiness means that it works just as well in savoury dishes (try using it in your pastry, it's amazing!). I love it because, unlike most ground nuts, it's starchy so you can pretty much switch it out with other gluten free flour with brilliant results.

In the spirit of our Sluttery Pudding Club, I've gone for a chocolate cake this week. To be completely honest, I didn't need much convincing - chocolate is possibly my favourite food group. This is a pudding-y kind of a cake; rich, dense and best served warm with a dollop of whipped cream (or, even better, clotted cream).

You'll need:

• 200g decent plain chocolate
• 125g butter, softened
• 125g caster sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 150g chestnut flour

Make it!

• Heat the oven to 180°C
• Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of just simmering water.
• Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and mix well. Pour in the melted chocolate, stirring constantly, until combined, then fold in the chestnut flour.
• Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks (you can try the bowl-over-your-head trick to test their readiness, but I'm always to scared to try in case I end up with egg on my face, literally).
• Add about a third of the whisked egg whites to the chocolate chestnut mixture and beat to loosen it before gently folding in the remaining egg whites. 
• When the whites are completely incorporated into the rest of the batter, cafefully pour into a 20cm cake tin and spread out evenly.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, until slightly springy. Leave in the tin for about 10 minutes before turning out.