Dan Lepard's gluten-free Turkish delight tahini bar

Rose pairs beautifully with chocolate, as the bitter edge of cocoa just cools the floral notes of the rose. Think of the best-tasting rose chocolates, from grand soft-centred choccie boxes through to bars of chocolate-covered Turkish delight. And, almost by chance, both these recipes are gluten-free so even more of your friends can enjoy them.

Turkish delight tahini bar, gluten-free

Base

75g unsalted butter, softened

50g tahini

1 egg white

125g dark muscovado or brown sugar

200g gluten-free plain-flour mix

75g sesame seeds

Turkish delight layer

800g red seedless jam, such as plum

60g potato flour, cornflour or gluten-free plain-flour mix

juice of ½ lemon

2 or more tsp rosewater, to taste

150g good-quality milk or dark chocolate

1. Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan-forced) and butter the sides and base of a 20-centimetre square tin, ideally with a removable base. Mix the butter, tahini, egg white, sugar, flour and sesame seeds together, then, using wet fingers, press this over the bottom of the tin. Bake for about 25 minutes or until just starting to colour on top.

2. For the Turkish delight layer, beat together the jam, flour and lemon juice in a saucepan, then add enough rosewater so the flavour is strong but not overpowering. Start with two teaspoons, then taste and adjust.

3. Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring all the time, until it becomes translucent and the starch is cooked through. Pour this on to the base, spread it evenly, then leave to cool, ideally overnight.

4. To serve, melt the chocolate and drizzle this over the top in swirls, then leave until set. Cut with a hot, sharp knife to serve.

Chocolate rose marble cake, gluten-free

250g unsalted butter, softened

250g castor sugar

5 medium eggs (60g each)

250g ground almonds

75ml rosewater

100g dark chocolate, about 70 per cent cacao

125g potato flour or gluten-free plain-flour mix

2 tsp baking powder, gluten-free

1. Line the base and sides of a deep, round 22-centimetre-diameter cake tin with non-stick paper, ideally with the paper around the inside reaching a few centimetres above the top of the tin.

2. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Fold in the almonds and rosewater.

3. In another bowl, melt the chocolate. Fold the flour and baking powder through the butter mixture, then spoon half into a third bowl. Fold the chocolate through half the butter mixture, then spoon dollops of each mixture in turn into the tin.

4. Slightly swirl the two mixtures together, then bake for about an hour at 180C (160C fan-forced), or until a skewer poked in comes out almost clean. While the cake is warm but cooling, cover the top of the tin with a sheet of cling film to stop it from drying, then serve when cold.