Clear quantities
Each recipe brings the quantities, method and practical notes together in one clear place.
Recipes
The CCC recipe library is back.
Clear recipes for real kitchens, with practical methods, useful notes and ingredient measurements that work for readers in the UK and US.
A consistent recipe format
Useful information in the same place every time.
Useful timings
At-a-glance timings and yield make it easier to judge whether a recipe fits the day.
Practical notes
Equipment, substitutions, allergens, storage and technique sit together under Useful notes.
64 recipes
Choose from the full recipe library.
Choose a recipe by what you want to cook, with total time, yield and skill shown clearly on every card.
Classic British Thin Pancakes
A reliable thin British pancake recipe with lemon and sugar, clear timings, realistic yield and practical help for getting an even golden result.
- Total
- 50 min
- Serves
- 4 (8–10 pancakes)
- Skill
- Easy
Fluffy American-Style Pancakes
Soft, fluffy American-style pancakes with buttermilk, clear doneness cues, a repaired milk-and-lemon substitute and realistic batch timings.
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 4 (10–12 pancakes)
- Skill
- Easy
Winter Baking Spice Blend
A five-minute cinnamon-led blend with nutmeg and allspice for porridge, pancakes, loaf cakes, cookies, crumbles and hot drinks.
- Total
- 5 min
- Serves
- About 6 tbsp
- Skill
- Easy
Italian Herb Mix
A salt-free dried herb blend of basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary for tomato sauces, pizza, bread, marinades and roast vegetables.
- Total
- 10 min
- Serves
- About 6 tbsp
- Skill
- Easy
Lemon and Thyme Roast Chicken
A whole chicken roasted with lemon, thyme, garlic, butter and stock for crisp skin, juicy meat and fragrant pan juices.
- Total
- 1 hr 50
- Serves
- Serves 4
- Skill
- Moderate
Swedish Cardamom Bread
A soft braided sweet bread filled with butter, brown sugar and cardamom, finished with egg glaze and a crisp garnish.
- Total
- 3 hr 15 min
- Serves
- 1 braided loaf
- Skill
- Moderate
Beef Ragù Stuffed Baked Potato
A crisp baked potato filled with tomato-rich beef ragù, a little cream and melting mozzarella for a complete one-person dinner.
- Total
- 1 hr 15
- Serves
- Serves 1
- Skill
- Easy
Chicken Pizzaiola Pasta
A one-person chicken pizzaiola pasta with garlic, tomato, oregano and a glossy sauce, ready in about 35 minutes from everyday ingredients.
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 1
- Skill
- Easy
Savoury Pain Perdu with Vegetables
Day-old bread soaked with egg and herbs, pan-fried until golden and topped with sautéed vegetables and two poached eggs.
- Total
- 25 min
- Serves
- Serves 1
- Skill
- Easy
Arroz a la Cubana
A comforting Cuban-style plate of tomato-seasoned minced beef, rice and fried egg, made for two with ordinary cupboard ingredients.
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 2
- Skill
- Easy
Filled Viennese Biscuits
Buttery piped biscuits sandwiched with vanilla buttercream and jam, with an optional dark-chocolate finish.
- Total
- 57 min
- Serves
- About 12 filled biscuits
- Skill
- Moderate
Swiss Meringue Frosting
A glossy marshmallow-like frosting made by heating egg whites and sugar before whipping to stiff peaks.
- Total
- 25 min
- Serves
- Enough for 12 cupcakes
- Skill
- Moderate
Air Fryer Scotch Eggs
Boiled eggs wrapped in seasoned sausage meat, crumbed and air-fried until crisp and golden with much less oil than deep frying.
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- Makes 4
- Skill
- Moderate
Apple Crumble Cookies
Apple Crumble Cookies with clear ingredients, a practical method and useful kitchen notes.
- Total
- 50 min
- Serves
- 24 small cookies
- Skill
- Easy
Easy Satay Chicken
A quick satay chicken using shop-bought sauce, soy, lime and optional aromatics, with rice or noodles for an uncomplicated family meal.
- Total
- 50 min
- Serves
- 4–6
- Skill
- Easy
Creamy Lemon Garlic Prawn Pasta
Prawns and pasta in a bright, creamy lemon-garlic sauce with Parmesan and parsley, ready in about half an hour.
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- Serves 4
- Skill
- Easy
Perfect Roast Potatoes
Crisp, deeply golden roast potatoes with fluffy centres, made by parboiling floury potatoes, roughing the edges and roasting in hot fat.
- Total
- 1 hr 15
- Serves
- Serves 4
- Skill
- Easy
Shepherd's Pie
Minced lamb, vegetables and savoury gravy beneath a golden mashed-potato topping: classic British comfort food for six.
- Total
- 1 hr 20
- Serves
- Serves 6
- Skill
- Easy
Twice-Baked Potatoes
Four crisp potato skins refilled with buttery, cheesy mash and baked again, with flexible toppings and make-ahead guidance.
- Total
- 1 hr 35
- Serves
- 4
- Skill
- Easy
Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Fluffy mashed potatoes for six, enriched with butter and warm milk and designed to be chilled, reheated gently and finished just before serving.
- Total
- 1 hr
- Serves
- Serves 6
- Skill
- Easy
Leftover Vegetable Frittata
A flexible baked frittata using eight eggs, leftover vegetables, cheese and herbs, designed to turn odds and ends into six useful portions.
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- 6
- Skill
- Easy
Classic Omelette
A simple two-to-three egg omelette cooked in butter, with clear heat and folding cues plus flexible ideas for herbs, cheese or leftovers.
- Total
- 10 min
- Serves
- 1
- Skill
- Easy
Budget Chicken Tikka Masala
A home-style chicken tikka masala with a yoghurt marinade, gently spiced tomato sauce and double cream, serving four without takeaway prices.
- Total
- 1 hr 25
- Serves
- 4
- Skill
- Moderate
Homemade Garam Masala
A warm, aromatic garam masala made by toasting whole coriander, cumin, pepper, cloves and cardamom before grinding with nutmeg and cinnamon.
- Total
- 15 min
- Serves
- About 8 tbsp
- Skill
- Easy
Lobster Risotto
Creamy Arborio rice finished with lobster, Parmesan and butter for an indulgent dinner that can still use convenient frozen lobster tails.
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- Serves 4
- Skill
- Moderate
Biskvit Sponge Cake
A light Eastern European-style whole-egg sponge made from eggs, sugar and flour, suitable for simple serving or layered cakes.
- Total
- 1 hr 10 min
- Serves
- 1 × 20 cm cake
- Skill
- Moderate
Pan di Spagna
A traditional Italian whole-egg sponge made without added fat or baking powder, light enough for layered celebration cakes.
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Serves
- 1 × 20 cm cake
- Skill
- Moderate
Jaconde Sponge
A thin almond sponge sheet for opera cake and layered patisserie, enriched with butter and lightened with meringue.
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- 1 baking sheet
- Skill
- Advanced
Angel Food Cake
An exceptionally light, fat-free sponge made from whipped egg whites, cake flour and vanilla, baked in an ungreased tube tin.
- Total
- 2 hr 5 min
- Serves
- Serves 10–12
- Skill
- Moderate
Chiffon Cake
A tall, airy oil-based sponge lifted with whipped egg whites and cooled upside down to preserve its delicate structure.
- Total
- 2 hr 25 min
- Serves
- Serves 10–12
- Skill
- Moderate
Biscuit à la Cuillère Sponge
Light piped ladyfingers made from separated eggs, sugar and flour, ready for trifles, charlottes or serving with coffee.
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- About 24 ladyfingers
- Skill
- Moderate
Genoise Sponge
A classic whole-egg sponge with melted butter, beaten to ribbon stage for a light cake suited to layering and soaking.
- Total
- 1 hr 20 min
- Serves
- 1 × 20 cm cake
- Skill
- Moderate
Classic Focaccia
A soft olive-oil flatbread with a dimpled top, rosemary and sea salt, baked until golden at the edges.
- Total
- 3 hr
- Serves
- 1 large loaf
- Skill
- Moderate
Classic Brioche
A rich French bread with eggs, milk and plenty of butter, producing a tender golden crumb after two slow rises.
- Total
- 4 hr
- Serves
- 1 loaf
- Skill
- Moderate
Pumpernickel Bread
A dense, dark rye loaf with soaked rye berries and molasses, slowly baked for deep flavour and a moist crumb.
- Total
- 18 hr
- Serves
- 1 loaf
- Skill
- Advanced
Homemade Naan Bread
Eight soft skillet-cooked flatbreads made with yeast, yoghurt and butter or ghee, ready to serve with curry.
- Total
- 2 hr
- Serves
- Makes 8
- Skill
- Moderate
Challah Bread
A glossy braided loaf enriched with eggs and oil, lightly sweetened and finished with sesame or poppy seeds if desired.
- Total
- 3 hr 30 min
- Serves
- 1 large loaf
- Skill
- Moderate
Ciabatta Bread
Two rustic Italian loaves made from a wet olive-oil dough, with a crisp crust and irregular open crumb.
- Total
- 3 hr 30 min
- Serves
- 2 loaves
- Skill
- Moderate
Sourdough Bread
A naturally leavened loaf made with active starter, a long room-temperature fermentation and a hot covered bake.
- Total
- 18 hr 50 min
- Serves
- 1 loaf
- Skill
- Advanced
Sourdough Starter
A simple flour-and-water culture built over several days until it bubbles reliably and doubles after feeding.
- Total
- 5 days
- Serves
- 1 active starter
- Skill
- Easy
French Baguettes
Two crisp French-style baguettes made with flour, water, yeast and salt, shaped by hand and baked with steam.
- Total
- 4 hr
- Serves
- 2 baguettes
- Skill
- Moderate
Apple Tarte Tatin
Caramelised apples baked beneath a crisp puff-pastry lid, then turned out for a classic French upside-down tart.
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Serves
- Serves 6–8
- Skill
- Moderate
Bean and Cheese Quesadillas
Crisp bean and cheese quesadillas made with four tortillas, a can of beans and plenty of melting cheese, ready in about 25 minutes.
- Total
- 25 min
- Serves
- 4 quesadillas
- Skill
- Easy
Classic Alfredo Sauce
A quick, rich Alfredo sauce made with butter, double cream, garlic and Parmesan for coating freshly cooked pasta.
- Total
- 15 min
- Serves
- Serves 4
- Skill
- Easy
Homemade Fettuccine
Fresh egg pasta made from flour, eggs and a little salt, rolled thin and cut into ribbons for a quick two-to-three-minute cook.
- Total
- 1 hr
- Serves
- Serves 4
- Skill
- Moderate
Chilli con Carne
A straightforward chilli con carne with minced beef, kidney beans, tomatoes and warming spices, plus flexible serving and storage notes.
- Total
- 1 hr
- Serves
- 4
- Skill
- Easy
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
A fast spaghetti aglio e olio with sliced garlic, olive oil, chilli and parsley, using pasta water to create a glossy coating.
- Total
- 20 min
- Serves
- 4
- Skill
- Easy
Hot Water Crust Pastry
A sturdy warm pastry made with hot fat and water, designed for raised pies and moulded pie cases.
- Total
- 30 min
- Serves
- 1 large pie crust
- Skill
- Moderate
Homemade Filo Pastry
Thin, nearly translucent pastry sheets made from flour, water and olive oil for crisp layered savoury or sweet bakes.
- Total
- 1 hr 30 min
- Serves
- 10–12 sheets
- Skill
- Advanced
Sweet Pastry
A crisp, buttery sweet pastry enriched with sugar and egg for tart cases, fruit tarts and other filled desserts.
- Total
- 1 hr 35 min
- Serves
- 1 tart case
- Skill
- Moderate
Choux Pastry
A versatile cooked pastry paste for éclairs, profiteroles and savoury puffs, crisp outside and hollow enough to fill.
- Total
- 1 hr 15 min
- Serves
- About 20 small puffs
- Skill
- Moderate
Shortcrust Pastry
A dependable all-purpose pastry made with flour, cold butter and water for sweet or savoury pies and tarts.
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 1 batch
- Skill
- Easy
Homemade Puff Pastry
Classic laminated pastry made by repeatedly rolling and folding a flour-and-butter dough to create crisp, flaky layers.
- Total
- 3 hr 30 min
- Serves
- About 700 g pastry
- Skill
- Advanced
Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy
Golden sausages, creamy mashed potatoes and a rich red-onion gravy make this a dependable British comfort-food dinner.
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- Serves 3
- Skill
- Easy
Chocolate Fondants
Individual chocolate puddings with set edges and molten centres, baked quickly and turned out while still warm.
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- Makes 6
- Skill
- Moderate
Espagnole Sauce
Espagnole Sauce with clear ingredients, a practical method and useful kitchen notes.
- Total
- 1 hr 30
- Serves
- 1 large batch
- Skill
- Moderate
Hollandaise Sauce
A classic warm butter-and-egg emulsion sharpened with lemon, ideal for eggs, asparagus, fish and other dishes served immediately.
- Total
- 15 min
- Serves
- Serves 4
- Skill
- Moderate
French Tomato Sauce
French Tomato Sauce with clear ingredients, a practical method and useful kitchen notes.
- Total
- 1 hr
- Serves
- 1 batch
- Skill
- Easy
Velouté Sauce
Velouté Sauce with clear ingredients, a practical method and useful kitchen notes.
- Total
- 20 min
- Serves
- 1 batch
- Skill
- Easy
Béchamel Sauce
A smooth white sauce made from a pale butter-and-flour roux and warm milk, useful for lasagne, gratins and cheese sauce.
- Total
- 20 min
- Serves
- About 500 ml
- Skill
- Easy
Homemade BBQ Sauce
Homemade BBQ Sauce with clear ingredients, a practical method and useful kitchen notes.
- Total
- 15 min
- Serves
- 1 batch
- Skill
- Easy
Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake
A simple vanilla loaf cake packed with milk-chocolate chips and baked until golden, ideal for slicing with tea or coffee.
- Total
- 1 hr 30 min
- Serves
- 8–10 slices
- Skill
- Easy
Bacon-Wrapped Honey-Mustard Stuffed Chicken
A single chicken breast stuffed with a firm honey-mustard cheese filling, wrapped in bacon, glazed with barbecue sauce and cooked in the air fryer.
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- Serves 1
- Skill
- Easy
Soft Bread Rolls
Soft Bread Rolls with clear ingredients, a practical method and useful kitchen notes.
- Total
- 2 hr 50
- Serves
- 9–24 rolls
- Skill
- Moderate