Sugar rush: quick and easy pudding recipes At Dock Kitchen our puddings are made daily and we know what our customers like: people go crazy for the salt caramel ice cream and the pistachio cake is never off the menu. The process of developing these recipes, however, can take ages, and some of the preparations are so lengthy that I never have time to make them at home. I'm sure many of you are just as busy; so here are a few recipes that are all quick and easy - so much so, in fact, that they're practically cheating. I'm a big fan of little custard tarts - I even made a pilgrimage once all the way to the town of Belém in Portugal, where the best and most famous come from, just to taste the original version. In Belém, people sit in the shade of the beautiful cathedral and eat dozens of these sweet delicacies while drinking cup after cup of short white coffee - I was in heaven. Making them properly takes a long time but the version here, using pre-made pastry and a clever crème fraîche and egg mixture instead of custard, is a cinch to make and very nearly as delicious as the original. They are a little lighter, too. Steamed puddings work amazingly well when cooked in a microwave. My grandpa, a mad-inventor-type, would often make a steamed pudding with blackcurrant jam at the bottom, cooked in one of three microwaves he had stacked up in his kitchen. My chocolate and ginger cake is cooked in cups, which means you don't need any equipment to make it other than a bowl and a spoon. Gipsy tart, from Kent, is a favourite of mine and - especially if you use shop-bought pastry, as I do - it's exceptionally easy to make. It is so sweet that it needs a dollop of crème fraîche or some fruit to make it feel acceptable, but people will love it and no one will believe it has only three ingredients. I find commercially available ice cream flavours almost always disappointing. The most promising is usually vanilla, which is the best option to jazz up for a rapid chilled dessert. It gives an easy home-made touch to the end of a meal, and as you will prepare it not long before you eat you don't need to worry about ice crystals or stability. Plus, it's fun. These recipes are my three favourites, but you can add any flavour within reason.