This traditional Perigord dessert was first cooked for me by a neighbour, who would be horrified to know that I now prepare the dish using ready-rolled puff pastry from the supermarket. But as long as you get a brand that has been prepared using real butter, pre-made puff pastry is one of life's great shortcuts.

Pompe aux oommes du Perigord is a hand-formed layered apple puff that screams of autumn. If you own a mandolin, and use that to prepare the apples, this is a pudding that can be ready to eat within 40 minutes of work beginning, provided you don't mind burning your tongue when you tuck in.

2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
250g slivered almonds
200g muscovado sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
75ml sunflower oil
2 beaten eggs, separate (one to be used as an egg wash)
350g puff pastry made with butter
pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 190C. Set aside 1 tbsp each of the almonds and sugar for decorating, plus one beaten egg to use as a wash.
2. In a large bowl, mix together all remaining ingredients bar the pastry. If you use your (clean) hands, you can ensure a more even mixture.
3. Roll the pastry into a rectangle about the thickness of a pound coin, and cut into four equal rectangles.
4. Spread the mixture onto one pastry rectangle, top with a second, and then repeat. Do not put mixture on the top layer; instead cover it with an egg wash then sprinkle it with the almonds and sugar held back in the beginning.
5. Pinch the edges together to form a seal, and bake on a greased baking tray for 25-30 minutes. It is cooked when the top is golden.

Recipe via www.traditionalfrenchfood.com

The world-famous St Alvere truffle market - featured in Black Diamond - opened on the first Monday in December.

I will be visiting the market next Monday, 13 December, taking photos and conducting short interviews with the sellers for this website. Make sure to bookmark this page for a return visit next week, when Bruno will feature a host of truffle information for fans of Perigord's famous black diamonds.

If your whistle has already been whetted, the market's French language website can be found here.

Below the jump is St Alvere's recipe of the month, for truffle crème  brûlée. Truffles aren't just for savoury courses...

50 cl whole milk
25 cl whipping cream
1 vanilla pod
1 truffle
1 tsp red port
1 tsp truffle purée
2 apples (preferably golden)
8 egg yolks flavoured with truffles

[Note: to flavour eggs, just put them in a jar with fresh truffles for at least 48 hours.]

24 hours in advance
Put the milk, sugar, vanilla pod, whipping cream, port and truffle purée in a saucepan. Mix well with a whisk. Add the truffle and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and let steep overnight.

On the day
1. Peel the apples, core and cut into even slices of half a centimetre. Poach for one minute in a sugar syrup (half water, half sugar), slightly lemony. Drain and reserve.
2. Arrange in the bottom of a ramekin 6 slices of apples rosettes. Retrieve the truffle, cut it into thin slices and use it to cover apples. Put to one side.
3. Separate the egg yolks and whisk vigorously to incorporate the puréed truffle cream you prepared the day before. Cover the apples with this mixture and bake for 30 minutes in a water bath in an oven at 140 degrees.
4. Allow to cool before putting the cream and apple mixture in the refrigerator where it will thicken.
5. Just before serving, cover the surface with a thin layer of brown sugar and grill under high heat until the required burnt, blistered effect has been achieved. Keep an eye on it, as the amount of time needed will vary depending on the heat of your grill.


Serves four.