The Sunday Crossword (2870), Sunday 06 Dec 2015

ACROSS
1   French article with story about apostle endlessly baffling (12) UNFATHOMABLE {UN}{FA{THOMAs}BLE}
8   Regret dropping name attached to a love affair (5) AMOUR {A}{MOURn}
9   Unruffled, tucked into more with second snack (9) ELEVENSES {EL{EVEN}SE}{S}
11 Attendant in strange dream is in command (10) BRIDESMAID {DREAM+IS}* in {BID}
12 Turn around, regarding monster (4) OGRE {OG<=}{RE}
14 Rough blanket popular officer accepted (7) GENERAL [MD] All definitions!!
15 Retreat after attention becomes intense (7) EARNEST {EAR}{NEST}
16 Driver of vehicle disappeared in conflict (7) WAGONER {WA{GONE}R}
19 Be quiet about meal with lieutenant in secrecy (7) STEALTH {S{TEA}{LT}H}
21 Back in Leyton Orient's club (4) IRON [T<=]
22 Bold one in side, Republican figure with illusory power (5,5) PAPER TIGER {PA{PER T}{1}GE}{R}
24 Be occupied by translation of term for fanatic (9) EXTREMIST {TERM}* in {EXIST}
25 Nothing feeble about large bird of prey (5) OWLET {O}{W{L}ET}
26 Feel dry run is unusually easy to handle (4-8) USER-FRIENDLY*

DOWN
1   Ideal university, best in surrounding area (7) UTOPIAN {U}{TOP}{I{A}N}
2   Patient managing to catch ball with energy (10) FORBEARING {F{ORB}{E}ARING}
3   Another malaise partly relating to heat (7) THERMAL [T]
4   Former love, overall, beginning to irritate me (3-4) ONE-TIME {O}{NE-T}{I}{ME}
5   Take off and cross highest point (4) APEX {APE}{X}
6   Decline to go into way to make pasta (7) LASAGNE {LA{SAG}NE}

7   Babe hag twice changed into butterfly (7,5) CABBAGE WHITE*

10 Musical set we modified, cautious about it (5,7) SWEET CHARITY {WE+SET}* {CHAR{IT}Y}
13 Ministry meddles excessively, restricting height and depth (10) PRIESTHOOD {PRIES}{T{H}OO}{D}
17 Doctor got list to identify part of larynx (7) GLOTTIS*
18 More prepared and stern, accepting finish (7) READIER {REA{DIE}R}
19 Apparition in novel peers around court (7) SPECTRE {PEERS}* around {CT}
20 Support partner in accordance with law (7) LEGALLY {LEG}{ALLY}
23 Judge at this point in speech (4) HEAR (~ here)

GRID