Recipes - Desserts / Sweets

(Most recently added recipes display first.)

Poached Pears with Prunes and Citrus

Ingredients

  • 4 Beurre Bosc pears, peeled
  • 4 cups water
  • ¼ cup caster sugar
  • 2 tblsps orange blossom water
  • 1 cup of pitted prunes
  • 2 cups of water, warm
  • Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon

Serves 4 Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Preparation

  • Place pears in a small saucepan with caster sugar, orange blossom water and cover with water.
  • Cook for 15 – 20 minutes until just cooked (which will depend on the ripeness of the pears)
  • Place the prunes in a ovenable glass jug with 2 cups of luke warm water, cover and microwave on Medium (50%) for 2 minutes to plump prunes
  • Stand and cool prunes
  • Place poached pears on individual dishes with prunes and a little juice
  • Garnish with citrus zest and serve with vanilla yoghurt

Tip
Pears can be poached quickly in 5 minutes in the microwave oven using half the quantity of water.

Prune and Ginger Spatchcocks with Jewelled Riz Pilaf

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pitted prunes
  • 4 spatchcocks
  • 4 tblsps oil
  • 4 shallots, finely sliced
  • 2 tblsps ginger, grated
  • 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
  • 1 tblsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • Oil extra

Serves 4 Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Preparation

  • Preheat the oven to 180 C
  • Place prunes in 2 cups of simmering water and cook for 5 minutes
  • Stand for 5 minutes
  • Remove prunes, drain and chop.
  • Reserve the liquid
  • Place spatchcocks in a shallow dish and pour prune juice over to marinate whilst preparing the stuffing.
  • Heat oil in a warm pan
  • Sauté shallots and ginger until soft over a low heat.
  • Stir in breadcrumbs, chopped prunes and thyme leaves.
  • Remove birds from marinade, season with salt and pepper and stuff
    each bird
  • Heat 2 tblsp of oil in a large heavy based pan over a medium heat and brown the chickens
  • Place in a large roasting pan with sprigs of thyme, drizzle with oil and cook for 25 -30 minutes, basting regularly with pan juices until cooked
  • Serve with Jewelled Riz Pilaf

Tip
Spatchcocks are cooked when juices run clear when a skewer is inserted in the thickest part of the thigh

Apple and Raspberry Crumble (Gluten-Free)

Ingredients

  • Fruit base
  • 5 large sized (900g) Granny Smith apples, peeled & cored
  • 20g butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup CSR Pure Icing Sugar (Gluten Free)
  • 1 cup frozen raspberries

Crumble Topping

  • 1/2 cup CSR Pure Icing Sugar (Gluten Free)
  • 1/3 cup Orgran All Purpose Gluten Free Plain Flour
  • 2/3 cup flaked coconut
  • 1/2 cup flaked almonds
  • 50g melted butter; extra

Serves 4

Preparation

  • Preheat oven to 190°C conventional 170°C fan forced.

Fruit Base

  • Thinly slice apples.
  • Melt butter in non-stick pan and cook apples, cinnamon and Pure Icing Sugar for 6 minutes or until apples are soft.
  • Stir through raspberries.
  • Spoon into a 4 cup ovenproof dish.

To make crumble

  • Mix together with a wooden spoon Pure Icing Sugar, plain flour, coconut, almonds & extra butter.
  • Cover fruit with crumble topping to form an even top layer.
  • Bake for 40 minutes or until crumble is golden brown.
  • Apple can be replaced with sliced pear as a delicious fruit alternative.
  • Crumble can be cooked in individual 1 cup ovenproof dishes. Simply reduce the cooking time to 30 minutes.

Dating Game

Ingredients

  • 2 large oranges, chilled
  • 1/2 cup chopped dates
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup flaked almonds
  • 1 cup orange juice, chilled

HG’s Custard Caper

  • 2 tbsp custard powder
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence (optional)

Serves 2

Preparation

Conventional (5 minutes)

  • Peel the oranges, removing all the pith, and cut into 5 mm slices.
  • Place a layer of oranges in each bowl, sprinkle with the dates, cinnamon and flaked almonds.
  • Repeat the layers with the balance of the ingredients.
  • Pour the orange juice over, and serve with yoghurt.
  • Serve with yoghurt or custard.

VARIATION

  • Add 2 tablespoons liqueur (such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau) before serving.
  • Microwave (7 minutes)
  • Mix the custard powder and sugar with a little milk in the microwave-safe container until smooth and lump-free.
  • Add the remaining milk and vanilla.
  • Cook, uncovered, on HIGH (100%) for 2 minutes. Stir.
  • Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.
  • Allow to  stand for 1 minute.

Conventional (7 minutes)

  • Make the custard according to the directions on the packet.
  • Serve sprinkled with chopped nuts or grated chocolate.

Tip
Allow the dessert to marinate for 2-3 hours for a better flavour.
To turn this custard into an egg custard, whisk an egg in at the end of cooking time. It will cook in the heat of the custard as it stands, without scrambling.
Peeling oranges or extracting juice: You can oranges peel more easily or extract more juice from citrus fruit by zapping in your microwave oven for 30 seconds on HIGH (100%) then standing 1 min before juicing

Panna Cotta

Ingredients

  • 300 ml low fat milk
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 1 tbs castor sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • 3 tsp gelatine
  • 200 ml vanilla flavoured low fat yoghurt

Serves 4

Preparation

  • Lightly oil 4 ramekins.
  • Combine the milk, vanilla, and sugar in microwave safe jug.
  • Place the jug in the centre of the turn table and cook on High (100%) for 2 minutes.
  • Combine the water and gelatine in a small microwave safe jug and dissolve on High (100%) for 40 to 45 seconds.
  • Strain the milk and remove the vanilla bean.
  • Add the gelatine and whisk.
  • Add the yoghurt and whisk again.
  • Pour into prepared dishes and chill 4 to 5 hours until set.
  • Serve with seasonal berries.

Energy:  370kl / 90 kcal
Fat:  0 g  Carbohydrate:  14g
Fibre: 0