Top 10 decadent recipes

It can be a depressing time of the year so cheer yourself up with this wonderfully naughty collection of recipes.

Monday 18th January marks Blue Monday, apparently the most depressing day of the year (or a nice marketing gimmick). We're not advocates of heavy dieting in January, as it's already tough enough due to the weather, long gap between paydays, etc.

So why not say "to hell with it" in style by trying one of these deliciously decadent recipes.

Chocolate brownie meringue gateau

If the name of this cake didn't convince you, then I bet the picture above did. Chocolate, strawberries, meringue and even pistachios. This cake has it all and then some.
Dust with your choice of cocoa powder or icing sugar to finish things off, and serve. I reckon you'll be making a second cake sooner than you think. The contrasting textures and flavours are addictive!

Builder's breakfast bowl

This is the slightly more upmarket version of a student halls of residence classic, and it can utilise takeaway leftovers if you have them lying around too. Whichever way you want to make it, it's a Sunday brunch classic.

Nougat recipe

Michael Ruhlman's nougat recipe calls for your choice of nuts and dried fruit, so you can customise it according to your own desires. You need a sugar thermometer to reliably control the temperature as you go along, or it will most likely go wrong. But it's a worthwhile investment for the sake of enjoying the foamy chewiness of nougat.

Bacon baklava

This is almost obscene. It's not quite enough to make the nutty, honeyed pastry layers on their own, apparently. You add a dozen cooked rashers of bacon to add a sharp salty savouriness to make this sweet treat even more moreish, then smother with syrup with a hint of orange flavour.

Concorde cake

Originally created to commemorate the first Concorde flight, Edd Kimber has made an updated version over 40 years later. It's made from layers of meringue flavoured with cocoa powder, stuck together with a straightforward chocolate mousse. It's a lot easier to make than it might look, and tastes amazing.

Recycled biscuit cake

Tired? Miserable? This will cheer you up no end and will be ready in just 15 minutes or so. Grab some chocolate, butter, and golden syrup, melt them down and stir in some smashed up biscuits. Leave to chill in the fridge for a little bit and presto, your day just got ten times better.

New York cheesecake ice cream

I get excited about this recipe every time I think of it. It is a genius idea. Made with cream cheese, lemon and digestive biscuit crumbs, the texture of a New York cheesecake is evoked, but in frozen form.
Grate a little (unwaxed) lemon zest on each serving for a really fresh tang.

Bacon, Stilton & chocolate sandwich

Thick slices of white bread encompassing grilled, crispy honey-cured bacon, melted Venezuelan dark chocolate, blue cheese and butter. 
Though it may sound like a clash of flavours, Paul A Young insists that it's his 'favourite brunch sandwich'! A turbo-charged bacon butty.

Mango cream cake

Light, moist vanilla sponge cake held together with mango purée and double cream. 
There are even fresh chunks of mango shoved in the gaps, and you could substitute the mango for papaya if you prefer, or another exotic fruit. It doesn't really matter what you use, this will still be delicious.

Popcorn ice cream

Popcorn ice cream might give the cheesecake ice cream a run for its money. Blend up toffee popcorn with your ice cream mixture then churn it. The results are even more compulsively edible than cinema popcorn. Smother with warm Dulce de Leche just before serving. 

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