Iced Fresh Fruit Platter with Passionfruit Cream

I like to leave the skin on the fruits for this dessert, so that you’ve got something to hang on to when you dip it into the cream. To serve fewer people, just cut down on the number of different fruits that you use, but do keep their colour in mind when making your selection. Remember, there’s nothing like a bit of colour ... so my wife keeps telling me.

Serves 8

3 ripe peaches or nectarines

3 red-skinned apples

1 large bunch of red or green grapes

8 ripe fresh figs

1 small Galia or Charentais melon or a large wedge of watermelon

8 ripe apricots

For the passionfruit cream

4 passionfruit

150 ml (5 fl oz) double cream

finely grated zest of ½ small orange

2 tablespoons icing sugar or more to taste

2 tablespoons orange juice

5 tablespoons Greek natural yoghurt

plenty of crushed ice to serve

For the passionfruit cream, cut the passionfruit in half and scoop out the pulp into a bowl.

Whip the cream, orange zest and the icing sugar into soft peaks and then gradually whisk in the orange juice, yoghurt and passionfruit pulp so that the mixture remains softly whipped. Spoon the mixture into a small serving bowl, cover and set aside to chill in the fridge.

Cut the fruits into one-portion pieces. Place on a tray, cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Cover a large, round serving plate or tray with lots of crushed ice and nestle the bowl of passionfruit cream in the centre. Arrange the chilled prepared fruits attractively over the ice and serve straight away.

VARIATION

You can vary the selection of fruits, depending on availability or according to a theme if you wish. Red fruits such as strawberries, cherries, plums, red-skinned apples and red grapes would work well with 300 g (10 oz) of Greek yoghurt mixed with 2 tablespoons of lemon curd and the finely grated zest and juice of 1 small lemon. For an Italian theme serve fresh figs, peaches, pears, green grapes and melon, with perhaps a bowl of slightly sweetened mascarpone cheese. For a tropical theme use papaya, mangoes, pineapple, kiwi fruit, melon and serve with the passionfruit cream.