DESSERTS

lemon or strawberry MERINGUE

If you put the meringue at the bottom and the filling on top, you avoid the pitfall of a weepy meringue pie. This is a fairly tart tart, not overly sweet and it’s refreshingly lemony, topped with candied lemon peel (easy to make, page 155, leaving out the ginger). If you prefer a fruity, creamy filling, try the Strawberry Meringue, which could also fill a pavlova.

MERINGUE

  1. For the meringue shell, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Add the salt and cream of tartar and whisk until stiff. Gradually add the castor sugar, whisking constantly until the mixture becomes very thick and glossy. Shape the meringue into a 22 cm circle on a large baking tray lined with two sheets of baking paper – do not grease anything, and use a regular-type tray, not a coated one. (To secure the paper, use a dollop of meringue below each corner.) Using the back of a spoon, gently flatten the centre and push the sides outwards to form a rim. Bake at 150 °C for 15 minutes, then at 120 °C for 1 hour – don’t open the oven door at any stage. Switch off the oven and leave the shell until absolutely cold – even overnight. Just before you are ready to fill it, gently remove the baking paper and place the shell on a large platter. Work carefully; the meringue is fragile.

LEMON FILLING

  1. Whisk together the egg yolks, lemon juice and rind, castor sugar, milk and cornflour. Pour into a heavy-based saucepan and stir over very low heat until cooked – using a balloon whisk should avoid any troublesome lumps, as the mixture becomes very thick, rather like porridge. When cooked, scrape into a mixing bowl, and leave to cool, stirring occasionally. Whip the cream with the vanilla until stiff, give the custard a quick last whisk to make sure it’s absolutely smooth, then add to the cream in small dollops, gently folding in each addition until everything is smoothly combined. Turn into the meringue shell (do this with care, a heavy plop will crack the shell), and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the candied peel and refrigerate until the filling firms up – 3–4 hours. Longer than that, and the meringue will become soft. Serves 10.

STRAWBERRY FILLING

Other fruits such as mangoes and bananas could, of course, be added, but there’s something very summery and enticing about a pure strawberry meringue.

  1. Rinse and hull the strawberries and slice enough of them into fairly small pieces to fill a 250 ml (1 cup) measure. Reserve the remaining berries for decoration. Place the sliced berries in a single layer on a large plate and sprinkle over the castor sugar and vinegar, leave for about 30 minutes, then pour off the juices that will have drawn. Pat dry with paper towel. Whip the cream with the icing sugar, liqueur and vanilla, fold in the berries and spoon into the meringue shell. Decorate with the remaining berries and serve, or refrigerate briefly. Serves 8–10.

spicy POACHED NECTARINES

This is a fine example of perfect fruit needing little embellishment: freestone nectarines, halved, poached with spices, and served with pouring cream. A bonus is that it needs to be made well in advance, and you could add a tot of orange liqueur to the cream if you wish.

  1. Place the nectarines in a large bowl, pour boiling water over to cover, and leave to stand for about 1 minute. Drain in a colander and, as soon as the nectarines are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins, separate into two halves and discard the pips. Push a clove into the rounded side of each half. Bring the water, sugar, cinnamon sticks and orange peel to the boil in a large frying pan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then slide the halved nectarines into the syrup to lie in a single layer. Reduce the heat immediately, then cover and poach gently for about 15 minutes. Test with a thin skewer, and if it slips in easily, they’re done – be sure not to over-poach so that they become flaccid. Using a slotted spoon, remove the nectarines to a fairly large, fairly shallow, heat-resistant serving bowl, in a single layer (don’t remove the cloves). Now boil the syrup rapidly until reduced by about half, bubbly, and the palest caramel in colour. Strain the syrup over the nectarines, leave to cool, and refrigerate for 24 hours. Serve two halves per diner, pouring over some of the syrup, and passing a jug of cream. Serves 4–6.

ALMOND-ROASTED PEACHES with schnapps

When peaches are in season it’s tempting to serve them pure and fresh. There’s something about sitting on a patio with peach juice dribbling down your chin that simply melts you with the joy of summer and sea and sun – but when a formal occasion demands that you fiddle with them a little in order to turn them into more of a dessert, then this is the answer. A quick dip and sprinkle, followed by a short bake – and out they come, soft and juicy and ready for serving either with thick cream or crème Chantilly. I must admit that, in this recipe, the schnapps is incidental – hardly even a suggestion – but it does add a little sweetness, and I included it in the title because it sounds so tempting.
  1. Wash the peaches well, run a knife round the centre seams and halve. Discard the pips. Removing the skin is optional – I prefer to do this, especially if they are not organic peaches – but in any case, if they are ripe, it’s a doddle to slip off the skin. Melt some butter and pour onto a large plate. Press each peach half, cut side down, into the butter, making sure to moisten well, then press into the almonds – be generous here. Arrange the peaches, cut sides up, in a lightly buttered baking dish to fit closely together. Sprinkle each with cinnamon – use your fingers rather than a spoon, to avoid clumps of the spice, then finish with a sprinkling of castor sugar. (One doesn’t need much, the peaches are sweet anyway.) Bake at 200 °C for about 20 minutes until succulent and, if using the schnapps, spoon 5 ml (1 tsp) into each hollow as you take the peaches out of the oven.

* Don’t use ready-ground almonds. Buy flakes, roast them lightly, and crush fairly finely – a rolling pin used on a breadboard does the job perfectly.

ORANGES VAN DER HUM with candied orange peel

I have used different ways of serving sliced orange desserts – macerated with spices, in a whisky syrup, or in melting sugar with a rich sabayon. All good – but this recipe has a more ethnic flavour and is easy and refreshing.

  1. Peel the oranges, remove all the white pith, and slice across into thin rings. Arrange in a flattish, heatproof dish – a 23–26 cm pie dish is ideal. Some slices will overlap, just squish them in gently until they’re all lying flat. Spread the sugar out into a heavy, medium frying pan and allow to caramelise over low heat. You can stir occasionally just to spread it out, but mainly you should just shake the pan – it takes a while over low heat. Remove from the stove when it’s a really deep toffee colour (no more, or it will scorch) and slowly and very carefully stir in the orange juice. The mixture will seize immediately, and make all sorts of weird tentacle-like shapes, but keep stirring and, if necessary put back on a low heat and stir until all the lumps have melted. Pour the syrup over the oranges, and then sprinkle the liqueur over evenly. Cool, cover and refrigerate for 2 days. Serve as is, or sprinkle with candied orange peel. Serves 5–6 with ice cream.

CANDIED ORANGE PEEL

Julienne the peel of 2 large oranges (having removed all the white pith). In a small saucepan, melt 60 ml (4 Tbsp) sugar in 60 ml (1⁄4 cup) water. Add the orange strips and cook over high heat until caramelized, then just cover with cold water and a lid and simmer slowly until soft. Remove from heat and leave to cool; the juices will slowly be absorbed. Sprinkle over the oranges before serving.

CREAMY, RUMMY FRUIT SALAD with crunchy pecans

I think seriously rich desserts are a fabulous treat in a restaurant because eating out is (usually) an occasional treat, but I don’t like making a habit of serving them at home. I once saw a guest hide her incredibly rich but utterly superb (I didn’t make it) chocolate terrine behind the dining-room curtain at the back of her chair, because she was full after two spoonfuls, but did not want to offend her hostess. It’s true. And that’s one of the reasons why I like serving a fruit salad – tart it up, give it a fancy name, and everyone can finish it. Tropical fruits are the best.

  1. Mix all the fruit gently in a beautiful glass bowl – wide, rather than deep. Mix the remaining ingredients; don’t whisk, just stir until smoothly combined, then pour over the fruit, cover and refrigerate for 3–4 hours.
  2. For the topping, melt the sugar and butter in the water in a small pan over low heat. Add the pecans and toss until crunchy. Drain on a paper towel, set aside, and sprinkle over the fruit salad just before serving. Serves 8–10.

strawberry-amaretto SYLLABUB

There was a time when, in order to make syllabub, you had to milk a cow into a bowl. There’s a lot more to the story, but suffice it to say that dozens of new versions of this dessert have evolved over the years, and you no longer need a cow in order to make it. But the basics are almost always a tipple of alcohol and a lot of cream, and this version, incorporating berries and liqueur, is superb. Presentation is important, but apart from that it’s one of the easiest, most luscious, do-ahead desserts imaginable.

  1. Rinse, hull and dry the strawberries, then slice them thinly. Spread out in a large, shallow bowl, sprinkle with the castor sugar, liqueur and lemon juice, and cover and macerate for about 1 hour. By this time lovely juices will have been drawn. Carefully pour them off – you should have almost 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) – and set aside. Spoon the strawberries into six red wine glasses – use glasses (or goblets for that matter) that are roundish rather than longish. If using the pepper, give a quick twist over each nest of berries – just a little. Whip the cream lightly, adding the icing sugar as you go. Slowly drizzle in the reserved juices and whip until thickish – firmer than floppy, but not stiff. Spoon over the berries; there’s heaps of cream so you’ll be able to pile it high. (In fact, there’s enough for another helping of berries.) Sprinkle generously with almond flakes. Place the glasses on a flat tray so that they don’t fall over, and transfer to the coldest part of the fridge for the rest of the day (6–8 hours). By serving time, the cream should have just started to melt and trickle down to the berries. Eat with small spoons. Serves 6.

strawberry and mint SOFT-SERVES

This is quickly whizzed in a blender to a thick, pink creaminess, like a soft-serve, but instead of coming in a cone, the mixture is spooned into parfait or wine glasses or goblets, and refrigerated until just firm enough to be scooped up with small spoons. The minimum quantity of gelatine is used to achieve the softly set texture, while the elusive fragrance of fresh mint (just a snitch is necessary) comes through now and then to offset the richness. This dessert is a real quick ’n easy one, and offers a slightly new take on the popular combo of strawberries and cream.

  1. Rinse and hull the berries, pat absolutely dry, then chop into small pieces. For a velvety soft-serve, whizz all the berries in a blender until smooth; for a slightly chunkier texture, reserve one-quarter of the chopped berries, and fold these in later, along with the mint.
  2. Sprinkle the gelatine onto the water in a small container, then dissolve over simmering water – do not overheat. Add to the strawberry purée and pulse briefly to mix. Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla essence until stiff, then gently stir in the cottage cheese until it’s all nice and smooth. Add the purée and the mint, then fold in the reserved chopped berries, if using this option. Keep folding over gently until combined but not uniformly pink – a slightly marbled effect is attractive. Pour, or spoon, into six to eight glasses or goblets and place in the coldest part of the refrigerator to firm up – a few hours, or even overnight, loosely covered.
  3. Decoration is optional – although mint leaves have become boring and dated, a tiny sprig would actually be appropriate, otherwise a small strawberry, if you have any left, otherwise leave plain. Serves 6–8.

apple and mango CRUMBLE

There’s hardly a fruit that hasn’t been turned into a crumble, for the simple reason that when it comes to homespun, comforting desserts, crumbles are probably top of the list. The following is another variation on the theme, with mango and coconut introducing a tropical touch, and cashews adding crunch.
  1. If the apples are in large slices, chop into chunks. Chop the mango slices too. Place in a buttered 23 × 5 cm pie dish, pour over 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) of the reserved mango syrup, and mix in the golden syrup and sugar.
  2. To make the crumble, place the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse to mix, then add the castor sugar and coconut, pulse again, then add the butter and pulse until the mixture is finely crumbed. Sprinkle this over the fruit – it will be thickly covered – and finish with a scatter of cashews. Bake at 180 °C for 45 minutes until the crumble is toast-coloured and the syrup is bubbling through. Serve warm, rather than hot, with thick cream. Serves 6–8.

* If you’d prefer a more wholesome topping, mix 250 ml (1 cup) unsweetened muesli with 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) self-raising flour, 30 g chopped pecan nuts, 5 ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon, 90 ml (6 Tbsp) light brown sugar and 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) oil.

baked APPLE PUFF

… or Ouma’s Winter Fruit Cobbler. A hearty, homespun pudding, large and sweet and easy to make. Serve warm, rather than hot, with whipped cream or home-made custard.
  1. Chop the apples into smaller pieces. Dice the bananas, or peel, core and dice the pears. Mix the apples and chosen fruit, and spoon into a lightly buttered 25–26 cm pie dish, at least 6 cm deep (or the syrup will bubble over). Melt the golden syrup in the water and pour over the fruit. Sprinkle in the raisins. Whisk the remaining ingredients together to make a thick batter, then simply drop in spoonfuls over the fruit – the batter will spread during baking. Bake at 180 °C for 35–40 minutes until the topping is lightly browned and firm. Remove from the oven carefully because of the bubbling syrup. Allow to cool down a little before serving. Serves 8.

* Use choice-grade pie apples, firmly packed, with no juice to speak of.

ORANGE BAVAROIS with hot chocolate sauce

Everything here can be done in advance, making this an ideal dessert when entertaining.

  1. Sprinkle the gelatine onto the orange juice and leave to sponge. Scald the milk with the orange rind – do this over low heat, in order to release the flavour. Whisk the egg yolks with the castor sugar until pale and thick. Using a fine sieve, slowly strain the hot milk onto the egg mixture, stir to mix, add a pinch of salt, then return to the saucepan and cook over very low heat, stirring, until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon. It has to thicken, but dare not boil. Remove from the stove, stir in the sponged gelatine and vanilla, give a quick whisk to make sure that all the gelatine has dissolved, then cool in a mixing bowl. Hurry this up by standing the mixing bowl in a bowl of cold water. Once cooled, it may be chilled briefly until just thickening, but not yet setting. Fold in the cream, and then the stiffly whisked egg whites – use a metal spoon and stir a spoonful through the mixture first, then fold in the remainder. Pour into eight rinsed ramekins (6 cm diameter, 5 cm deep) and refrigerate until set. Overnight, if you wish. Unmould the ramekins onto serving plates.
  2. To make the sauce, melt the chocolate with the pouring cream and milk in a double boiler or saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally until smooth – do not let it boil or bubble. Set aside. Add the liqueur and reheat gently just before serving. Drizzle a little of the hot sauce over, allowing it to run down the sides. Serves 8.

apple and pear DESSERT CAKE

This is a sweetly nostalgic pud, closely related to Eve’s Pudding – the traditional, homely, sponge-topped apple dessert – but presented here with a few twists: pears with the apples, cinnamon and almonds in the topping. Serve warm with thick cream, crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream, or at room temperature, sliced into wedges.
  1. Stew the apples and pears with the brown sugar, vanilla and the 30 ml (2 Tbsp) water until soft. Keep the heat low so that the fruit will release its juices – about 12 minutes should do if the fruit is sweet and ripe. Spoon into a lightly buttered pie dish, 23 cm in diameter and about 5 cm deep. Cream the butter and castor sugar until pale and fluffy, then whisk in the eggs, one at a time, adding a pinch of flour with each egg. Sift in the flour, salt and cinnamon, and fold into the butter mixture along with the almonds. The batter will be thick and should now be lightened by folding in the hot water. Don’t try to spread the batter over the fruit, just drop it all over, in big dollops – it will spread during baking. Bake at 180 °C for 35–40 minutes until golden brown and puffed up, with just a hole or a crack here and there with a bit of fruit peeking through. Serve warm, rather than hot. Serves 6–8.

* Try to use these varieties, as they provide the correct texture and sweetness.

chocolate MOUSSE TRIFLE

This is neither a mousse nor a trifle, but there are elements of both in this dreamy combination of chocolate and cream set on a base of sliced swiss roll moistened with coffee and liqueur. It makes a special-occasion, party-sized dessert, to serve in wedges with ribbons of a fruity coulis as the perfect foil. Fresh strawberries whizzed with a touch of sugar are super, while lightly poached pears blended to a smooth purée are just as good with the chocolate-coffee flavours. May also be served in plump goblets. Drizzle a little coulis around the inside rims before serving.

  1. Cut the swiss roll into 1.5 cm thick slices and squish them in to fit tightly into a 25 cm diameter pie dish. Mix the coffee and liqueur and drizzle over evenly. Smear a small heatproof bowl with butter, add the broken-up chocolate and place over simmering water. Don’t try to melt the chocolate; the blocks should just soften completely. Cool slightly. Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites until stiff, slowly add the castor sugar and whisk to a stiff meringue. Slowly add the soft chocolate in small dollops, whisking all the time. By the time it has all been incorporated, the meringue will have deflated somewhat – this is correct. Without washing the beaters, whisk the cream, icing sugar and vanilla essence until stiff. Gently fold into the chocolate-meringue, and pour over the swiss roll base. Use a spatula to spread evenly, then immediately place in the coldest part of the refrigerator and leave to firm up, loosely covered, for 24 hours before serving. Sprinkle with chocolate scrolls, if using, slice into thin wedges and use a spatula to transfer to serving plates. Drizzle coulis alongside, and serve immediately. Serves 10–12.

green fig and ginger CHEESECAKE

Fig and ginger preserves combine superbly, and here they add amazing flavour to a plump, fluffy cheesecake.

  1. Mix the biscuit crumbs and butter, press onto the greased base of a deep 22–23 cm pie dish, and chill.
  2. To make the filling, sponge the gelatine in the cold water, then dissolve over simmering water. Leave to cool. Finely chop enough ginger and figs to give you 30 ml (2 Tbsp) of each, and set aside. Whisk the egg whites until stiffening, then gradually whisk in half the castor sugar to make a glossy meringue. Whisk the remaining castor sugar with both tubs of cheese, the cream and the vanilla essence until smooth. Slowly, while whisking, add the cooled gelatine, then fold in the meringue. Pour half this mixture onto the chilled crust. Sprinkle over the chopped ginger and fig preserve, then cover with the remaining creamy mixture, spreading evenly. (Work quickly as it firms up fast.) Chill until set. Slice three or four of the remaining figs into thin rounds, arrange in a circle round the edge of the cheesecake and sprinkle the centre with cinnamon – either do this just before serving, or decorate and chill again until required, although the colour will fade a bit and the crust will soften, but this won’t affect the flavour. Slice into wedges and remove with a spatula. Serves 10.

unsinkable baked LEMON CHEESECAKE

A favourite cheesecake, soft and creamy, that does not make waves in the baking, then collapse in the centre. The flat top makes a perfect base for a spread of whipped cream and a sprinkling of lightly candied lemon peel and ginger. For a lighter option, the cream can be omitted – simply sprinkle the cheesecake with ground cinnamon before baking.

  1. Mix the ingredients for the crust and press firmly onto the greased base (not the sides) of a 20 cm pie dish – use the back of a spoon to spread evenly. Bake at 160 °C for 10 minutes. Cool.
  2. To make the filling, whisk the eggs and sugar until pale and light, then add the vanilla, lemon rind, cornflour, cheese and cream. Whisk well until everything’s combined, then pour onto the crust. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven at 180 °C for 20 minutes, then switch off the heat but don’t open the door – just leave it there for 15 minutes more before removing it to cool – it will still be a bit wobbly. Once cooled, refrigerate until firm enough to slice. Makes 8 wedges.

CANDIED LEMON PEEL AND GINGER

Place in a small saucepan: 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) water; thinly julienned peel (or zest) of 1 medium lemon; 10 ml (2 tsp) peeled and very thinly sliced fresh root ginger (1 small knob). Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until softened, then add 15 ml (1 Tbsp) light brown sugar. Increase the heat and boil, uncovered, until lightly caramelized, shaking the pan regularly. Remove from the stove when just starting to catch; carefully add 30 ml (2 Tbsp) water and leave to cool and soften before sprinkling over the cheesecake.

chocolate frangelico SEMIFREDDO

Semifreddos are very rich, soft, frozen desserts often made with double cream, eggs and sugar, with a flavouring of choice. This version is not strictly traditional, but it’s hard to beat for sheer delicious decadence. The mixture is set in a loaf-shaped container, frozen overnight, turned out and sliced for serving. It will start to melt almost immediately, which is what it should do, therefore have serving plates ready and waiting. If you want to set the slices on a pool of sorts, choose something bland like a fresh pear coulis – even custard would detract from the intense chocolate flavour. If not using a coulis, go for one or two sweet, scarlet strawberries – plain, or choc-dipped. They look fabulous placed alongside each slice.

  1. Roast or grill the nuts until browned. Wrap them in a kitchen towel and rub vigorously to remove the loose skins, then chop the nuts coarsely. Place the sugar, water and cocoa powder in a small saucepan and melt over low heat, stirring (do not boil). Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks, vanilla essence and liqueur very well until foamy. Gradually add the chocolate (cocoa) mixture, whisking well between additions. Fold in the cream and the nuts. Stiffly whisk two of the egg whites (you don’t need the third) with the salt. Stir a dollop through the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in the remainder. Line a 1-litre freezerproof, loaf-shaped container with clingfilm (use enough for an overlap), pour in the ‘freddo’ and freeze at once. After a few hours it should be firm enough to cover the top with the overlapping clingwrap. Freeze for 24 hours. Unmould onto a large, flat plate, slice and serve. Makes 10–12 slices.

amarula PANNA COTTA

Panna cottas are delicate ‘cooked cream’ desserts, usually made with sweetened double cream flavoured with vanilla and softly set with a flurry of gelatine. Once chilled and unmoulded, they look just like wobbly little blancmanges, but they’re much richer and, because of this, a trend – outside of Italy – is to scale down the fat with the addition of milk, which of course requires extra gelatine, which could result in a rubbery wobble, which is all wrong. An attractive solution is to set the panna cottas in small coffee cups. Then, instead of unmoulding them, you simply place the cups on their saucers, with small spoons alongside. In this way it is still possible to use a proportion of milk without extra gelatine. This is an unusual presentation, but these little Amarula creams provide a seriously delicious ending to a fine dinner when something sweet – but small – would be just right.

  1. Sprinkle the gelatine over the liqueur in a small container and leave to sponge. Mix the cream, vanilla pod, milk and castor sugar in a heavy saucepan and bring to just below boiling point over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the sponged gelatine, making sure that it is all dissolved. Leave to cool, stirring now and then, then strain the cream into six coffee cups. Refrigerate for a few hours until softly set. Just before serving, sift a whisper of cocoa powder over the top of each – this is simply to add a little colour to the pale cream – then serve as suggested, on the day of making. Serves 6.

chocolate FUDGE CUPS

I think the highest praise anyone can receive after hosting a dinner party is when one of the guests requests a recipe – and this one always leaves the house, especially now that those 70% cocoa slabs are available. Not only is it a super recipe, but it’s a life-saver for reluctant dessert makers because, being so rich, it’s absolutely acceptable to set it in small, after-dinner coffee cups. Desserts stretch amazingly when all they have to do is fill a small cup (Amarula Panna Cotta, previous page, is another fine example). So buy some stunning little cups and your dessert problems could be solved.

  1. Smear a small saucepan with a little butter (this makes it easier to scrape out). Add the chocolate, cocoa and 100 ml (2⁄5 cup) of the cream. Melt over very low heat, stirring just a few times to get it going. Remove from the heat as soon as the mixture is smooth, and set aside until cool. Whip the remaining cream with the vanilla and icing sugar until thick but not stiff, then slowly whisk in the cooled chocolate mixture in dollops – make about five additions altogether, and stop as soon as everything is smoothly combined and uniformly chocolate in colour, being careful not to beat the life out of it. Spoon into eight to ten little cups, sprinkle with chocolate shavings and place (on their saucers so that they don’t fall over) in the coldest part of the fridge. They should be set within 2 hours, but will keep well overnight. Serves 8–10.

baked saucy CHOC-NUT PUDDING

A sweet and fudgy old-timer; serve hot, in syrupy scoops, over vanilla ice cream or with cream.

  1. Using an electric whisk, cream the butter and castor sugar until pale. Beat the egg with the vanilla essence and whisk into the butter mixture, combining to a soft, smooth consistency. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and cocoa directly into the creamed mixture. Give a quick whisk to combine, then add the milk and give another quick whisk to smooth out. Fold in the walnuts and then turn the batter – which will be quite thick – into a lightly buttered 20 cm pie dish (not less than 5 cm deep, as once it’s in the oven the syrup will gurgle and bubble up quite fiercely round the edges). Stir together the ingredients for the sauce and, as soon as the sugar has dissolved, pour carefully over the batter. Bake at 180 °C for 25 minutes, until risen and firm. Serves 6.

FRUIT flops

Even those who shy away from rich mousses always flip for flops – tropical fruit under a blanket of cream, yoghurt and a tipple of alcohol. They need to be assembled hours in advance, and then just left to do their thing in the refrigerator until dinner time. Use a bowl or goblets that are wide at the top; the cream mixture should be thick, but still pourable; and in order to soften and melt, the sugar must be sprinkled on thinly and evenly.

VERY SIMPLE FLOP

  1. Toss the bananas in a little lemon juice, mix with the mango flesh, then spoon into four glass bowls or wide goblets, dividing equally. (Glass is preferable to pottery, so that you can see the layers.) Whip the cream with the vanilla, then fold in the yoghurt and rum. Pour over each serving of fruit, and sprinkle each with 10 ml (2 tsp) soft brown sugar (use your fingers). Refrigerate for 4–6 hours, or until the sugar just starts to melt. Serves 4 and is easily doubled.

* Running short of fruit, I have, on occasion, added a few chopped, canned pears. No-one noticed. Greek yoghurt may be substituted for the Bulgarian for a slightly richer topping.

** Vanilla extract is undoubtedly special in flavour, but I have found that different brands vary in quality and price, so it’s a personal choice.

ELEGANT FLOP

  1. Mix the prepared fruits and ginger and spoon into a large glass bowl or divide between six small bowls or goblets. Fold the yoghurt, Amaretto and vanilla into the whipped cream. Pour over the fruit to cover completely. Using your fingers, sprinkle the sugar over evenly. Refrigerate for 4–6 hours, or until the sugar starts to melt. Sprinkle with almonds before serving. Serves 6.

frozen CITRUS CREAMS

A type of ice cream for those of us who like the concept of home-made ices, but do not own a churn. Refreshing, delicious, and perfectly complemented with the apricots.

  1. Whip the cream with the icing sugar and lemon rind until stiff. Whisk the egg whites until stiff (if you do this first you won’t have to wash the beaters) and fold into the cream, with the vanilla. Use a metal spoon and fold in lightly, but combine the mixtures well. Pour into a 2-litre container and freeze quickly. Allow to soften for about 5 minutes before serving.

ORANGE

Exactly the same procedure as the lemon, but substitute 20 ml (4 tsp) very finely grated orange rind for the lemon. Walnuts are good with the orange flavour – add a handful, chopped, when folding in the egg whites.

BRANDIED APRICOT COMPOTE

Place the following in a smallish, heavy saucepan: 1 stick cinnamon; 1 star anise; 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) fresh orange juice; 125 ml (1⁄2 cup water); 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) finely grated orange rind; 90 ml (6 Tbsp) light brown sugar. Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then add 200 g soft, ready-to-eat apricots (not regular dried apricots). Reduce the heat immediately, then cover and simmer very gently for 10–12 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 30 ml (2 Tbsp) brandy and (surprisingly) a few drops of vanilla essence. Once cooled, refrigerate in a covered glass bowl for 1–2 days. Serve two or three of the plump apricots with each helping of frozen cream, with a little of the syrup spooned over. Serves about 8.

STRAWBERRY cheesecake pots

These are light, novel and, dressed as they are in red, they make you feel cheerful even before you dip in your spoon. Similar to cheesecake, but without any crust to interfere with the delicate flavour, and no egg yolks. Remember that the cottage/cream cheese must be at room temperature (or else the gelatine could make strings when added) and the egg whites must be at room temperature as well, or they won’t whip.

  1. Slice the strawberries and place in a processor fitted with the metal blade. Add half the castor sugar and leave to stand for 10 minutes to draw the juices. Add the cottage cheese and pulse just until smoothly combined. Don’t purée to a mush – the mixture should be pale pink and flecked with little bits of berries. Turn into a large bowl. Sponge the gelatine in the water, dissolve over simmering water, and slowly stir into the cheese mixture. Whip the cream with the vanilla, and fold in. Whisk the egg whites until fairly stiff, then slowly add the remaining castor sugar to make a glossy meringue mixture. Stir a spoon of this through the strawberry mixture, then fold in the remainder gently but thoroughly. Pour into eight rinsed ramekins (about 6 cm diameter, 5 cm deep) or moulds and refrigerate until set. Unmould onto individual serving plates. Decorate each with a fresh berry, pour the coulis around each little pud, and run a ribbon of the extra cream through the bright coulis. Serves 8.

STRAWBERRY COULIS

Blend 250 g strawberries with 30 ml (2 Tbsp) castor sugar until smoothly puréed. To spark the flavour you could add a tipple of orange liqueur, but this is optional. Makes about 350 ml (12⁄5 cups).

CHERRY-AMARETTO cheesecake pots

These are similar to the Strawberry Pots, but they are not unmoulded and therefore do not require a coulis. Use wide, tubby glasses to show off the colours; the glaze adds a glossy invitation.

  1. Whisk the cottage cheese, castor sugar, salt, liqueur and vanilla until smooth. Sponge the gelatine in the water, then dissolve over simmering water. Slowly drizzle into the cheese mixture, whisking rapidly. Fold in the whipped cream. Whisk the egg whites until peaking, then gradually add the extra castor sugar while whisking to a stiff meringue. (If you do this first, and work quickly, you won’t have to wash the beaters.) Stir a spoonful of the meringue into the cheese mixture, then fold in the rest. Spoon into eight to ten ramekins (6 cm diameter, 5 cm deep) and refrigerate until set.
  2. To prepare the topping, halve the cherries and arrange, rounded sides up, on top of each dessert. Slake the cornflour with the reserved cherry syrup, then boil for a few minutes until thick, stirring. Cool briefly, then use to glaze the cherries, using a pastry brush. Pipe rosettes of cream in the open spaces (optional) and refrigerate. Serves 8–10.

citrus CUSTARD TART

Perfect for a simple, quickly made dessert, or instead of cake for tea.
  1. Prepare a standard crust of fine biscuit crumbs and melted butter and press onto the base and sides of a lightly buttered pie dish, 18 cm diameter, with sloping sides – the old-fashioned glass pie dish. Bake for 10 minutes at 180 °C. Cool.
  2. For the filling you’ll need a deep, medium, heavy saucepan. Rinse with water – this helps to prevent the milk from scorching. Heat half the milk with half the butter. Meanwhile, whizz the remaining milk, the cake flour, cornflour, castor sugar, salt, orange or lemon rind and eggs in a blender until smooth. Pour into the heated milk, then stir continuously over low heat, until the mixture starts to thicken. At this stage, it’s best to use a balloon whisk to achieve a smooth, lump-free custard. When it starts to pop and becomes as thick as really dense porridge, remove from the stove, beat in the remaining butter and the vanilla essence and pour onto the crust. Work quickly, as the custard firms up quickly. Spread evenly, and immediately sprinkle with the almonds and dust with cinnamon. Cool, then refrigerate before serving. Makes 8 wedges.

* For a taste of nostalgia, omit the citrus rinds and almonds and sprinkle the top generously with ground cinnamon to make an easy, unbaked version of melktert. Also add a good pinch of ground cinnamon to the crust.

litchi and amaretto CHEESECAKE

This cheesecake can be made ahead (without the topping) and kept in the coldest part of the fridge.
  1. Press a regular biscuit crust onto the base only of a deep pie dish (23 cm × 6 cm). If you brush the base with a flavourless oil like canola, the slices will be easy to remove. Chill before adding the filling. Sponge the gelatine in the water, then dissolve over simmering water. Whisk the egg whites until fairly stiff, then gradually, while whisking, add half the castor sugar and whisk to a thick meringue. Without washing the beaters, whisk together the cheeses, remaining castor sugar and liqueur. When smooth, add the cream and vanilla and whip until thickened. Continue to whisk while you dribble in the dissolved gelatine. Fold in the meringue mixture, pour onto the crust and refrigerate until firm.
  2. For the topping, pat the litchis dry, snip them into quarters and arrange on top of the cheesecake. Pour 100 ml (2⁄5 cup) of the reserved syrup into a small saucepan, stir in the cornflour, then bring to the boil, stirring, until clear and thick. Use a pastry brush to paint the litchis with dabs of this thick syrup – just enough to shine them up a bit. Add a sprinkling of almond flakes and return to the fridge until required. Serves 10.

* All ingredients, except cream, at room temperature.

** For a slightly lower fat content, omit the cream cheese and use 2 × 250 g tubs of smooth, low-fat cottage cheese instead.

WINE-POACHED PEARS with ginger and walnut mascarpone

Despite the title this is not a grand dessert; nevertheless, it’s delicious, does not take long to make, and can be done a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator.

  1. Mix the water, wine and sugar in a large frying pan and heat slowly, stirring now and then to dissolve the sugar. When you’re not stirring, peel, halve and core the pears, then place in the bubbling syrup, rounded sides up. They should fit the pan snugly. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer gently for 30 minutes or until soft but still perfectly shaped; test with a sharp skewer. If done, use a slotted spoon to arrange the pears, rounded sides still up, in a shallow serving dish – a 23 cm pie dish is just right. Taste the syrup in the pan, and if too sweet, add a dash of lemon juice. Increase the heat and boil, uncovered, until bubbly and syrupy – a matter of minutes. Pour over the pears, dust lightly with cinnamon, cool, then cover and refrigerate. Makes at least 4 plump servings.

GINGER AND WALNUT MASCARPONE

  1. Whisk the mascarpone, vanilla essence, icing sugar and milk with an electric hand-held whisk. This takes longer to get results than whipping cream, but it does whip up a lighter mascarpone with increased volume. Fold in the walnuts and ginger and refrigerate. Serve one or two pear halves per diner with a dollop of mascarpone at the side, or enlarge the hollows and pile with mascarpone.

PEARS IN PHYLLO BASKETS with sabayon

Baked custard has its place, but there are times when you want to impress with a dessert that is a little smarter. Then this is it. The title may sound daunting, but the baskets are optional and no step is either difficult or time-consuming.

  1. Peel, halve and core the pears. Bring the water, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice to the boil in a wide-based pan, add the pears in a single layer, rounded sides up, cover and poach gently just until soft. Cool in the poaching liquid, then drain and chill. To make the sabayon, put the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in the top of a small double boiler, or into a small saucepan set on top of a larger one, and, using a balloon whisk, whisk until pale and thick. Keep the water simmering, not boiling, or the mixture will scramble; however, it should not be undercooked either, or it will separate on standing. (This is the only tricky part.) Now slowly add the liqueur, and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the mixture thickens again – it should be creamy and butterscotchcoloured. Pour into a small container, cool, then refrigerate. Just before serving, whip the cream and fold it in. To serve, place one pear half, rounded side up, on each serving plate, or nestle it in a phyllo basket. Pour over enough of the sabayon to coat, sprinkle with almonds, and serve at once. The sabayon is enough for 10–12 small pear halves.

PHYLLO BASKETS (OPTIONAL)

Brush large, deep muffin tins with butter. Press in a square of phyllo, using only one layer. Brush lightly with melted butter, top with another square and brush with a little more butter. Bake at 200 °C for 5 minutes, until browned, then lift out of the tins and cool on a rack. You can neaten the edges by snipping with kitchen scissors.

cinnamon-poached PEARS WITH NUT LIQUEUR

A memorable dessert, this one, supremely elegant and yet so easy to prepare – plus there are options: you can use either Amaretto and almonds, or Frangelico and hazelnuts; you can serve the pears plain to relish the fine flavours; with crème fraîche to offset the sweetness; or with a blob of mascarpone piled into the hollows. Very special, any which way.
  1. Peel the pears as smoothly as possible, halve, and nick out the pips and core. Brush the rounded sides with lemon juice. Bring the water, sugar and cinnamon to the boil in a wide-based frying pan. Add the pears, rounded sides up, in a single layer. Cover and simmer gently for about 30 minutes. Test with the tip of a skewer – they should be soft but definitely not mushy. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pears from the poaching liquid and arrange them in a shallow dish to fit snugly, rounded sides up. Discard the cinnamon. Turn up the heat and boil the poaching liquid rapidly, uncovered, for 10–12 minutes, or until very bubbly, a pale toffee colour, and reduced to about 150 ml (2⁄3 cup). Remove from the stove, stir in the chosen liqueur, and slowly pour the syrup over the pears. Leave to cool, basting a few times, then cover and refrigerate for a few hours. Sprinkle with the nuts before serving. Serves 4–8.

* If using hazelnuts, remove the loose skins after roasting by rubbing the nuts in a clean kitchen towel.