Tilly Ramsay – daughter of Gordon – is a chip off the old block. As she releases her first cookbook, Tilly’s Kitchen Takeover, Ella Walker meets the teenager to talk food, fame and family

TILLY Ramsay is only 15 and already has her own TV show and cookbook, but she's still not in charge of the kitchen at home. In fact, when it comes to doing the washing-up, she says: "I try, but mum always says, 'You're doing it wrong', then she takes over!"

Youngest daughter of sweary, hot-headed celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, 50, and former school teacher turned cookery book writer Tana, 41, Tilly's Kitchen Takeover is her first book and combines recipes from Tilly's CBBC series, Matilda And The Ramsay Bunch. It's been designed for complete cookery beginners, whether they're kids or not, so don't expect the pages strewn with Michelin star-worthy dishes - this is food Tilly-style, with only the occasional practical hint from her dad (who apparently doesn't swear at home) woven into the book.

"My dad wasn't overly involved, he just helped me with a few things. There were a few recipes I couldn't quite nail, and I said, 'What would you do? How would you improve this?' and he really helped me there, but he wasn't pushing me to do any of his stuff," explains Tilly, who lives in London and California.

It's just as well they didn't create the book together; when they do join forces in the kitchen, things can get out of hand. "I'd say it's utter chaos when we're together. There's a lot of mess, we're very loud together, we sing, we have a lot of fun, we boss each other around."

Tilly started in the kitchen when she was still tiny, chipping in when her parents made dinner, and that hasn't stopped. However, you won't find her eating out at any fancy restaurants. "We've only ever been to my dad's Michelin-starred restaurant once. That's because it's a very special restaurant for him and he keeps us as normal as he can. We just go to Wagamama with friends."

Staying normal seems key for Tilly, who says her family is "just like any other family". She watches Bake Off and MasterChef ("The people on them are just normal people who love cooking, and I think that's so cool"), she loves Justin Bieber, playing sport and hanging out with her mates, and Instagrams just like any other teenager - bar the fact she's got 159,000 followers, and the Beckham kids are in her photos.

Despite criticisms of nepotism, it is difficult to knock her work ethic. Summer holidays are spent filming The Ramsay Bunch, while Tilly fits in TV appearances, recipe writing and book commitments around school. "It's really easy to manage because my mum makes sure I do my school work," she explains. "There's no pressure to do stuff when I'm getting stressed with too much work, it's just relaxed."

And anyway, filming in Las Vegas, working with her brother Jack and two sisters, Holly and Megan, yoga paddleboarding and training with Cirque du Soleil, isn't exactly painful. "I think of it as fun," says Tilly. "The first few times I did it, it's obviously quite scary, but now I know it's good just to be myself."

GRANOLA BARS

(Makes 12-14 bars)

180g soft dates, stoned

360ml runny honey

250g rolled oats

60g pecans, roughly chopped

60g dried apricots, roughly chopped

30g sunflower seeds

120g unsweetened desiccated coconut

2tbsp chia seeds

Vegetable or sunflower oil, for greasing the tins

Heat your oven to 180C/Gas mark 4. Put the dates in a small saucepan with the honey. Bring to the boil then blitz in a blender until you have a smooth paste. Leave to cool a little while you get the rest of your ingredients ready.

Put the oats, pecans, apricots, sunflower seeds, coconut and chia seeds into a mixing bowl and add the date paste. Mix everything together really well.

Line a brownie tin (approximately 23cm square) with baking paper and brush it with a little tasteless oil like vegetable oil. Pour the granola mixture on top, pressing it into the corners and making sure it is roughly flat on top.

Put the tray into the oven for 40 minutes until lightly brown on top, then remove and leave to cool completely.

Cut into bars and try not to eat them all, or you won't have any left for your breakfast!

These granola bars take a bit of time to make, so don't start them 10 minutes before the school run! Make them the night before instead. They will last for up to five days in an airtight container.

Dad says: When measuring things like honey or syrup, coat the measuring jug, bowl or spoon with a thin layer of vegetable or sunflower oil beforehand so all the sticky stuff gets into the mixture rather than left behind.

RESCUE RINGS

(Serves 6-8)

2 green apples, cored

2 red apples, cored

2tbsp unsalted pistachios, chopped

100g chocolate spread

100g smooth peanut butter

2tbsp freeze-dried strawberries

2tbsp dried blueberries

2tbsp flaked almonds

2tbsp yoghurt-covered raisins

Slice the cored apples in half across the middle and then each half in half again across the middle - so each apple ends up becoming four rings with holes in the middle.

Spread one side of the apple circles with either chocolate spread or peanut butter and lay them out on a plate.

To finish, sprinkle the apples with different combinations of the freeze-dried fruits, nuts and raisins.

Tilly's tip: Some of my favourite combinations are chocolate spread with pistachios and almonds, and peanut butter with yoghurt-coated raisins and freeze-dried strawberries, but get experimenting - you're in charge here!

  • Matilda & The Ramsay Bunch: Tilly's Kitchen Takeover by Tilly Ramsay (Hodder & Stoughton, £20). Pictures by Jemma Watts