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Posts Tagged ‘Dessert’

Pomegranate-Poached Quinces

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 3 February 2021| Leave a Comment »

You could have these for dessert with some crème fraîche but we like them for breakfast with yoghurt and granola.

Pomegranate-poached quinces – serves 6

  • 700ml pure pomegranate juice
  • 300ml cold water
  • 350g caster sugar
  • 3 fresh bay leaves
  • 1 tsp pink peppercorns
  • a few sprigs of thyme
  • pomegranate seeds, to serve (we skipped these)

Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan. 

Put the pomegranate juice, water and sugar into a heavy casserole with a lid. Stir well, then add the bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme. Put the casserole over a low heat and leave to warm gently. 

Peel, quarter and core the quinces and add to the pan with the pomegranate juice. 

Bring to the boil, then scrunch up a piece of baking paper, slightly bigger than the pan, then unscrunch again and press down on top of the quinces, tucking it in and up the sides of the pan. Cover with the lid and place in the oven. 

Cook for 1½-2 hours or until tender. Remove the lid and baking paper, then scoop out the quinces with a spoon. Strain the liquid, then return to the heat and bubble until reduced by half. Pour the liquid back over the quinces and leave to cool. Keep in the fridge until ready to eat, they keep well for a few days. 

(Original recipe from Cook, Eat, Repeat by Nigella Lawson, Chatto & Windus, 2020)

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Blackberry Mess

Posted in Dessert, Food, tagged , , , , , , on 14 October 2018| Leave a Comment »

Blackberry Mess

We’re not really into desserts but occasionally make meringues for guests. Recently we had some left over and used a grate of blackberries to make a boozy sauce to stir through them with some whipped cream. Avoid the temptation to over-mix as this looks prettiest when the components are lightly swirled together.

Blackberry mess – serves 6

  • 6 bought or home-made meringue nests
  • about 500g of blackberries
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp of blackberry or blackcurrant liqueur – we used Chambord (you could leave this out if you don’t have any)
  • 250ml of double cream, whipped

Put about three-quarters of the blackberries into a pan with the sugar and cook over a low heat for a few minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the blackberries are starting to soften. Add the liqueur. Allow to cool before stirring in the reserved blackberries.

Break the meringues into a large bowl and mix in the whipped cream. Swirl some of the blackberry sauce into the meringue mixture then divide into 6 bowls. Spoon the rest of the blackberry sauce over the individual dishes.

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Strawberry and Buttermilk Ice Cream

Posted in Dessert, Food, Gluten-free, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 27 August 2018| Leave a Comment »

Strawberry and buttermilk icecream

We’re getting late in the strawberry season, so they’re both cheaper and have great flavour. This is an easy ice cream by Diana Henry with a texture similar to sorbet. Great on its own but we also loved this with some rich chocolate truffle ice cream laced with rum.

Strawberry & Buttermilk Ice Cream – makes 1 litre

  • 500g strawberries
  • 175g caster sugar
  • 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
  • 375ml buttermilk
  • 115g sour cream
  • pinch of sea salt flakes

Remove the green tops from the strawberries, then slice and put into a bowl with half the sugar and the seeds from the vanilla pod. Leave to sit for half an hour.

Pour the fruit and all its juice into a food processor with the remaining sugar and whizz to a purée. Push the purée through a nylon sieve to remove the strawberry seeds. Mix with buttermilk, sour cream & salt.

If you have an ice cream machine you can churn in that or alternatively transfer to a shallow container and put straight into the freezer. You will need to churn it manually by putting back into the food processor after an hour, then twice more at 2 hour intervals. The ice cream must be covered with a lid or cling film in between churning and when you store it.

Remove the ice cream from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving to allow soften a bit.

(Original recipe from How to Eat a Peach by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2018.)

 

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Classic Apple Crumble

Posted in Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 8 October 2017| Leave a Comment »

Apple crumble

A classic that can be pre-baked ahead of time and warmed in the oven when you need it … useful for entertaining and when someone gives you a bag of apples.

Wine Suggestion: Dessert wines often go really well with cooked apples. If you have some Sauternes, Monbazilllac or other late harvest or bortytised dessert wine lying around now’s the time to crack it open.

Classic Apple Crumble – serves 4

  • 3 medium-sized Bramley apples – peeled, cored & sliced into 1cm thick slices
  • 2 tbsp golden caster sugar

FOR THE CRUMBLE:

  • 175g plain flour
  • 110g golden caster sugar
  • 110g cold butter, diced
  • 1 tbsp rolled oats (optional)

Heat the oven to 190C/170 fan/gas 5.

Put the flour and 110g of sugar into a large bowl with the diced butter. Rub the mixture with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs or put the ingredients in a food processor and process until sandy.

Put the apples into a pie dish and toss with the 2 tbsp of sugar. Spread the crumbs over the top and spread out to the edges. Sprinkle the oats over the top if using.

Put the crumble in the oven on a baking tray for 35-40 minutes.

Serve with cream or custard.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

 

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Marsala Honey Pears with Gorgonzola

Posted in Cheese, Dessert, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 22 October 2016| Leave a Comment »

Marsala honey pears with Gorgonzola & walnuts

A dessert and a cheese course all at once, solving the problem of which goes first. This is really delicious Autumn dish. Make sure you serve the creamy gorgonzola at room temperature. Marsala is a dessert wine from Sicily which is relatively easy to find, it also works well with figs – see Roast Figs with Marsala.

Wine Suggestion: naturally the Marsala from the recipe is a great match, look out for Florio or Pellegrino amongst others. Alternately a really good Sauternes emphasises the honey or a white Maury brings out the pears and all will work well with the Gorgonzola.

Marsala Honey Pears with Gorgonzola – serves 6-8

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 pears, about 500g in total, cored and cut into eighths
  • 3 tbsp Marsala
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 50g walnut halves
  • 500g ripe Gorgonzola – keep in a cool place but avoid putting it in the fridge if at all possible

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then fry the pears for 3 minutes per side.

Mix the Marsala and honey together,  add to the pears and allow the mixture to bubble furiously, then transfer to a plate.

Add the walnut halves to the juices left in the pan and stir-fry for about a minute or until browned and sticky. Remove from the pan and scatter over the pears. Serve with the creamy slab of Gorgonzola on the side.

(Original recipe from Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson, Chatto & Windus, 2007.)

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Honey, Orange Blossom and Pistachio Ice-cream

Posted in Dessert, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 1 February 2016| 1 Comment »

Honey, orange blossom and pistachio ice-cream

This is hedonistically rich and full of flavour; Jono thought it was devine and Julie thought it was all a bit much. A conversation piece at least to end your next Middle Eastern feast.

Pistachio, Honey & Orange Blossom Ice Cream – 4-6

  • 200g pistachios
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 600ml full-fat milk
  • 600ml double cream
  • 3 tbsp clear honey
  • 200ml orange blossom water
  • 400ml unsweetened evaporated milk
  • finely grated rind of 2 oranges

Whizz 150g of the pistachios with the sugar in a food processor until finely ground.

Put the milk, cream, honey, orange blossom water and the pistachio mixture in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer gently for 20-25 minutes or until reduced by a quarter. Keep stirring to prevent it boiling over. Set aside and leave to cool.

Chop the remaining pistachios. Add the evaporated milk to the cooled mixture and stir in the grated orange rind and chopped pistachios. Mix well, then chill in the fridge overnight (or for a minimum of 2 hours).

Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream machine and churn for 25-30 minutes. If you don’t have an ice cream machine, pour the mixture into a large shallow container and freeze for 2 hours. Remove the container from the freezer and fork through to break down the ice crystals, then freeze again until firm.

(Original recipe from Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour, Mitchell Beazley, 2014.)

 

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Panettone Bread & Butter Pudding

Posted in Dessert, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 9 February 2015| Leave a Comment »

Panetone bread and butter pudding

This would probably have been more useful a few weeks ago when you still had some panettone leftover from Christmas. Much fancier than the standard version!

Panettone Bread & Butter Pudding – serves 4

  • 50g butter, softened
  • 250g panettone
  • 2 eggs
  • 142ml double cream
  • 225ml milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • icing sugar, to serve
  • lightly whipped cream, to serve

Preheat the oven to 160C/gas 4/fan 140C.

Grease an 850ml baking dish with a little butter.

Cut the panettone into wedges and butter the slices lightly with the remaining butter. Cut the slices in half and arrange in the dish with the buttered side up.

Whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, vanilla extract and sugar and pour evenly over the panettone.

Put the dish in a roasting tin and pour hot water around to a depth of about 2.5cm.

Bake for 35 minutes or until just set and browned on top. Dust with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Petit pots au chocolat

Posted in Dessert, Food, tagged , , , , on 11 January 2015| 4 Comments »

Petit pots au chocolat

We find Rick Stein exceptionally reliable and when we needed a dessert for entertaining thought we’d give his recipe a go. Unsurprisingly they worked a treat and the result was a silkly, rich, and indulgent pot of chocolate to finish a meal with friends.

Wine Suggestion: Chocolate is notoriously difficult to pair with wine so we’d probably skip the wine altogether and go for a liqueur to complement this dish – Grand Marnier, Cointreau, Whiskey… choose your poison.

Petit pots au chocolate – makes 6

  • 225g plain chocolate, minimum 60% coco solids
  • 15g soft butter
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 150ml double cream
  • 150ml full-cream milk
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 6 tsp crème fraîche and a little cocoa powder, to decorate

Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and melt over a pan of just-simmering water. Remove and stir until smooth, then stir in the softened butter and egg yolks.

Put the cream, milk and sugar into a small pan, bring to the boil and then stir into the chocolate.

Pour the mix into six 100ml receptacles (we used small glasses but you could also use espresso cups or ramekins) and leave somewhere cold to set, but don’t refrigerate.

Decorate the pots with a little quenelle of crème fraîche and dust with cocoa powder to serve.

(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s French Odyssey, BBC Books, 2005)

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Eastern Mess

Posted in Dessert, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 14 August 2014| 2 Comments »

 

Eastern Mess

Still an Eton Mess really but the rosewater, pistachio, raspberry and basil combination is delicious!

Eastern Mess – serves 6

  • 600ml double cream
  • 3 tbsp icing sugar
  • the seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod
  • 2 tbsp rosewater
  • 6 ready-made meringue nests, broken into large pieces
  • 450g raspberries
  • handful of basil leaves, torn
  • 75g pistachio nuts, chopped

For the raspberry sauce: 

  • 225g raspberries
  • 1 tbsp icing sugar (or more if your raspberries are very tart)
  • 1 tbsp rosewater
  • squeeze of lemon juice

Whip the double cream, icing sugar, vanilla seeds and rosewater together in a mixing bowl until you have soft peaks (about 3 minutes but watch it carefully).

To make the sauce, mash the raspberries to a purée with the icing sugar, rose water and lemon juice in a bowl until the mixture is totally smooth. Pass through a sieve to remove the seeds.

Layer the cream, meringues and raspberries on a large serving plate, drizzling the sauce and scattering over the basil and pistachios as you go. Decorate the top with a drizzle of sauce, and a final scatter of basil and pistachios. Serve immediately.

(Original recipe from Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour, Mitchell Beazley, 2014.)

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Saffron & Cardamom poached Pears

Posted in Dessert, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 28 July 2014| Leave a Comment »

Saffron & cardamom poached pears

This is a touch of luxury, truly delicious, impressive, and yet very simple to do. Eat with a spoon of crème fraîche. The perfect ending to a Middle Eastern inspired meal.

Poached pears in white wine & cardamom – serves 4

  • 500ml dry white wine
  • 1½ tbsp lemon juice
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 15 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
  • ½ tsp saffron threads
  • pinch of salt
  • 4 firm pears, peeled
  • crème fraîche or thick double cream to serve

Pour the wine and lemon juice into a medium saucepan and add the sugar, cardamom, saffron and salt. Bring to a light simmer and place the pears in the liquid. Make sure the pears are immersed by adding a bit of water if necessary. Cover the surface with a disc of greaseproof paper and simmer until the pears are cooked through but not mushy, about 15-25 minutes. Turn the pears around every now and again as they cook. When a knife goes into the flesh smoothly, the pears are done.

Remove from the liquid and transfer into four dishes. Increase the heat and reduce the liquid by about two-thirds, or until thick and syrupy. Pour over the pears and leave to cool. Serve cold or at room temperature with the crème fraîche.

(Original recipe from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottololenghi and Sami Tamimi, Ebury Press, 2012.)

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Easy Lemon Meringue Pie

Posted in Dessert, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 29 May 2014| 8 Comments »

Easy lemon meringue pie

An easy version of this dish that uses digestive biscuits as a base, but doesn’t lose anything in the eating. The filling doesn’t have to be cooked either. We made this for our friend Dave on his birthday.

Lemon Meringue Pie 

For the base:

  • 175g digestive biscuits
  • 75g butter

For the filling: 

  • 397g can full-fat condensed milk
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • finely grated rind and juice of 3 lemons

For the topping: 

  • 3 large egg whites
  • 175g caster sugar

You need a 20cm deep fluted flan dish.

Pre-heat the oven to 190ºC/Fan 170ºC/Gas 5.

Put the  biscuits into a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Melt the butter in a pan, then take off the heat and stir in the crushed biscuits. Press into the flan dish and leave to set in the fridge. (You can do this bit a day or two in advance.)

Pour the condensed milk into a bowl, then beat in the egg yolks, lemon rind and lemon juice (don’t worry about the mixture thickening on standing and loosening again when you stir it). Pour the mixture into the biscuit-lined dish. (You can mix this filling, cover and keep in the fridge for up to 8 hours before baking).

Whisk the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add the sugar, a teaspoon at a time, whisking well each time. Whisk until very stiff and all the sugar has been added.

Pile spoonfuls of the meringue over the filling, then spread to cover to the biscuit edge, lightly swirling as you go.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until light brown. Leave to cool for about 30 minutes, then serve warm.

(Original recipe from Mary Berry’s Baking Bible, BBC Books, 2009.)

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Lemon Curd Yoghurt Ice-cream

Posted in Dessert, Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 18 April 2014| 3 Comments »

Lemon Curd Ice cream

Delicious, smooth and creamy ice cream.

Lemon curd yoghurt ice cream – to serve 4

For the lemon curd: 

  • 2 small lemons
  • 120g caster sugar
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 2 eggs

For the ice cream

  • 400g Greek yoghurt

Finely grate the zest of the lemons and squeeze the juice. Put the juice in a saucepan with the sugar and butter. Beat the eggs to break them up and add them to the pan.

Stir the mixture over a low to medium heat until the sugar and butter have melted, then increase the heat. Bring just to the boil, stirring constantly, them take off the heat. Strain through a sieve into a bowl and stir in the lemon zest. Set aside to cool completely.

Once, cool, stir this lemon curd into the yoghurt and churn using an ice-cream machine. Transfer to a loaf tin lined with cling film, then cover and freeze. Slice with a hot knife as soon as you take it out of the freezer.

(Original recipe from Leiths How to Cook, Quadrille, 2013)

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Gooseberry & Elderflower Mess

Posted in Dessert, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 7 August 2013| 1 Comment »

For the past few weeks we have been walking past a basket of perfect looking gooseberries at our grocer and saying we need to make something with these. A version of the classic Eton Mess the tart gooseberries balance the sweetness to make this light and sunny, just like the weather.

Gooseberry & Elderflower Mess – serves 6

  • 300g gooseberries, tops pinched off
  • 50g golden caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp
  • 2 tbsp elderflower cordial
  • 600ml whipping cream
  • about 100g of meringue nests, roughly crumbled

Put the gooseberries, 2 tbsp water, and 25g of sugar in a small saucepan. Cook gently until the gooseberries start to soften and break down. Taste and add as much of the remaining 25g as you need, then cool.

Put the 2tbsp sugar, the cordial and the cream into a large bowl and whisk until soft peaks form, then cover and chill.

Just before serving, roughly mix the gooseberry mixture, the cream and the meringues together and spoon into serving glasses or bowls.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Gera’s Chocolate Fudge Cake

Posted in Dessert, Food, Party Food, tagged , , , , , , on 3 January 2013| 8 Comments »

Jono’s mum Gera often comments that we rarely put desserts on our blog. She sent us a collection of her favourite dessert and cake recipes and this is her chocolate fudge cake which was a great hit at our annual New Year’s Day lunch. The original recipe uses Australian cup measures so apologies for the odd measurements – they will work.

Gera’s Chocolate Fudge Cake

  • 180g butter
  • 250ml cocoa, sifted
  • 375ml castor sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs – separated and whites stiffly beaten
  • 375ml self-raising flour, sifted
  • 187ml plain flour, sifted
  • 1 cup of cold water
  • whipped cream
  • icing sugar

Beat the butter to a cream with the sifted cocoa. Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy, then add vanilla.

Beat in egg yolks, one by one.

Stir in sifted flours alternately with the water.

Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites

Pour into 2 prepared 20cm cake tins.

Bake at 150-160ºC for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack.

When the cake is cooled, sandwich together with whipped cream and sift icing sugar over the top.

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Spiced Baked Quinces

Posted in Dessert, Food, tagged , , , , , on 15 December 2012| 1 Comment »

Baked Quinces

A Nigel Slater inspired dish that has a heady aroma and flavour. The star anise really pair quince well. Some quince varieties will bake to an exotic golden reddish colour and others to this more golden yellow – both are delicious. Serve with a big dollop of cream if you like.

Roast quinces – to serve 4 

  • 4 heaped tbsp sugar
  • 500ml water
  • 4 cloves
  • 2 star anise
  • 4 small quinces
  • half a lemon
  • 4 tbsp maple syrup

Bring the sugar and water to the boil in a saucepan. Add the cloves and star anise. Peel and halve the quinces, scoop out the cores and rub them with the lemon to stop them turning brown. Add the quinces to the sugar syrup and simmer for about 25 minutes or until tender (they may take longer).

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas 4. Lift the quinces out of the syrup and put them in a shallow baking dish. Take 150ml of the cooking liquid, add the maple syrup and pour them over the quinces, along with the cloves and star anise. Bake for about 30 minute or until really soft. Serve with the cooking juices and some whipped cream.

(Original recipe from Nigel Slater’s Tender Volume II, Fourth Estate, 2010.)

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Roast Figs with Marsala and Muscovado

Posted in Dessert, Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 11 November 2012| 3 Comments »

Delicious served with a drizzle of cold cream.

Roast figs with marsala and muscovado – to serve 4

  • 8 figs
  • sweet marsala (or you can use dry marsala but add an extra tbsp of sugar)
  • light muscovado sugar
  • cream, to serve

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/Gas 6.

Cut the stalks off the figs, then slice a deep cross into the top, going about half way down. Push the fruit around the middle so it opens up like a flower.

Place the figs in a baking dish (or individual pots) and sprinkle over the wine and a couple of tablespoons of sugar.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until very tender and the edges have started to caramelise. You can finish browning them under the grill if necessary.

Serve with the sticky pan juices and a drizzle of cream.

(Original recipe from Nigel Slater’s Tender: Volume II, Fourth Estate, 2010.)

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Tarta de Santiago (almond cake) with Strawberries & Sherry Vinegar

Posted in Dessert, Food, Spanish, tagged , , , , , , on 20 August 2012| 4 Comments »

We’re really getting into desserts these days. I think we might have made two in the one month! We’re not really dessert people but lots of are friends are so we’ve been making an effort. This is a Spanish cake which is flavoured with orange and almond and is traditionally marked with the shape of a cross on the top. You don’t have to serve it with the strawberries but they work really well.

Tarta de Santiago with Strawberries & Sherry Vinegar – 8-10 slices 

  • a little butter, for greasing
  • 6 medium eggs
  • 300g caster sugar
  • 300g ground almonds
  • zest of 3 lemons
  • icing sugar, for dusting

For the strawberries: 

  • 250g strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered lengthways
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 50ml Sherry vinegar
  • vanilla ice cream, to serve

Mix the strawberries in a bowl with the sugar and vinegar, cover and leave to marinade in the fridge for about 2 hours.

Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter and line a 22cm springform tin with baking parchment. Use an electric whisk to mix the eggs and sugar until pale and thick. Gently fold in the almonds and zest with a metal spoon.

Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 50 minutes – it should be golden and a skewer pushed into the centre of the cake should come away clean. Take the cake out of the oven and cover with a clean tea towel to cool it down, so it doesn’t dry out. Dust with icing sugar and serve with the strawberries and ice cream.

Wine Suggestion: Try a rich Olorosso, a dark sherry from Spain, which has a warm nuttiness to complement the almond flavour in the cake.

(Original recipe by José Pizarro in BBC Good Food Magazine, August 2012.)

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Team Oscar Strawberry and Mascarpone Tart

Posted in Dessert, tagged , , , , , on 12 August 2012| 2 Comments »

This is easy peasy and looks so impressive.

Strawberry and Mascarpone Tart – to serve 8

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • 250g mascarpone cheese
  • 2 drops vanilla extract
  • 250g strawberries

For the crumb base:

  • 75g butter
  • 250g almond, orange or sweet oat biscuits (or digestives will do!)

You need a rectangular tart tin with a removable bottom. We used a long thin one 12cm x 34cm.

For the crumb base, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Crush the biscuits to a coarse powder in a food processor (or bash them in a bag with a rolling pin). Mix the crumbs with the butter, then spoon into the tart tin and smooth them into into the corners and up the sides. Press firmly but don’t try not to compact them too much. Stick the base in the fridge until it has set.

To make the filling, separate the egg, put the yolk in a bowl with the sugar and beat for a few seconds to mix. Beat in the mascarpone until you have a custard-coloured cream. Stir in a few drops of vanilla extract. With a clean whisk and a clean bowl, beat the egg white until it stands stiff, then fold it into the creamed mascarpone.

Spoon the mascarpone into base. Hull the strawberries, slice them thinly and arrange them on the top. Put the tart back in the fridge but remove it about 20 minutes before serving.

Drink with: a glass of Moscato d’Asti –  lightly sparkling and deliciously sweet and fruity.

(Original recipe from Nigel Slater: the kitchen diaries, Fourth Estate, 2005.)

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Peaches Baked Two Ways

Posted in Dessert, Food, Wine, tagged , , , , , on 8 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

The peaches at the moment are really tasty so we’re gorging on them while they’re in season. Here are two easy and delicious dessert recipes to distract ourselves from just eating the peaches fresh.

Baked peaches with an almond crust – to serve 4

  • 4 ripe peaches
  • 50g almonds – no need to skin
  • 50g golden caster sugar
  • 45g butter

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Cut the peaches in half, remove the stones and put them in a shallow baking dish cut-side up.

Blitz the almonds in a food processor until you have a coarse rubble. Add the sugar and butter and mi again briefly.

Spoon the almond mixture on top of the peaches and bake for about ¾ of an hour or until the peaches are super-soft and the topping is crispy. Pour a little double cream over to serve.

Baked peaches with maple syrup and vanilla – to serve 4

  • 4 ripe peaches
  • 4 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • juice of a lime

Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Cut the peaches in half, remove the stones and put in a shallow baking dish cut-side up.

Pour the maple syrup into a bowl. Scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod and add to the maple syrup along with the lime juice. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the peaches are really soft. Baste them occasionally while they cook.

Drink with: a fragrant and slightly frothy Moscato d’Asti from the Piemonte region in Italy. Moscato is a completely under-rated wine that is fruity and light (about 5% alc.) and won’t overwhelm the dessert. We find that Moscato is quite often a much better match for fruit based desserts than traditional, much sweeter, “dessert” wines.

(Both recipes are adapted from Nigel Slater’s Tender: Volume II, Fourth Estate, 2010.)

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Rhubarb Syllabub

Posted in Dessert, Food, tagged , , , , on 26 April 2012| Leave a Comment »

We don’t do many desserts but we do love Rhubarb which is in all the shops for spring. This is easy to make and nice and light.

Rhubarb syllabub – to serve 6

  • grated zest and juice 1 orange
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 6 stems young pink rhubarb, about 500g
  • 2 cardamom pods
  • 2 star anise

For the syllabub

  • 280ml double cream
  • zest and juice 1 large lemon
  • 3-4 tbsp Grand Marnier or dry sherry
  • 100g caster sugar

Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Warm the orange juice in a pan and dissolve the sugar in it. Cut the rhubarb into thumb-length segments and cook in the orange juice with the zest, cardamom and star anise for 8-10 minutes, then cool.

To make a syrup, lift out the rhubarb pieces and boil up the juice until it thickens.

To make the syllabub, put the cream, lemon zest and juice, alcohol and sugar into a bowl and beat for a few minutes until the mixture becomes thick and light. Remove the cardamom pods and star anise from the syrup. Put the rhubarb into individual glasses, spoon over some of the syrup, then the syllabub mixture over the top and chill for a few hours before serving.

(Original recipe from Sarah Raven’s Garden Cookbook, Bloomsbury.)

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