Ingredients

• 2 x 250g blocks light cream cheese
• half a cup castor sugar
• half a cup cream / zest of lime
• 3 teaspoons gelatine, dissolved in a quarter of a cup boiling water
• half a cup of chopped nuts

Serves 8

Preparation

• Beat the cheese until it is smooth.
• Add the sugar, cream, lime zest and dissolved gelatine mixture and beat well until evenly combined.
• Pour the mixture into the container, and sprinkle with nuts.
• Refrigerate for one and half hours until the mixture sets.
• Serve slices with fruit, such as grapes, strawberries or raisins.

Tip
Soften cream cheese in a microwave oven on HIGH (100%) for 45 seconds, to make it easier to beat.  For a chocolate cheesecake, drizzle 2 tablespoons of topping over the cheesecake before putting it in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 250g light cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• half cup light sour cream
• zest of 2 lemons
• a quarter of a cup fresh lemon juice
• one and a half teaspoons gelatine dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
• 6 granita biscuits, or the biscuits of your choice
• cinnamon for dusting

Replace lemon with zest and juice of 1 large orange.
Change biscuits for plain chocolate or ginger nut biscuits.
Omit cinnamon decorate cheesecakes with grated dark chocolate, sliced small strawberries or raspberries.

Preparation

• Line each cavity of a deep muffin pan with plastic wrap.
• In a mixing bowl blend cream cheese until smooth then add sugar, sour cream, lemon zest and lemon juice.
• Stir the gelatine into the mixture, then pour into the prepared pan.
• Top each cavity with a biscuit and cover with foil.
• Refrigerate for half a day.
• Invert the pan to remove the cheesecakes.
• Serve with yoghurt.

Ingredients

• 2, 150 g medium sized ripe Bosc Pears, peeled
• 1, 250 ml cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon grand Marnier or orange liqueur
• shredded rind of one orange
• toasted flaked almonds for garnishing

Preparation

• Mix together orange juice and liqueur in a small microwave safe jug then Zap on HIGH (100%) for 2 minutes.
• Place pears in a microwave safe container with the thicker portions at the outer edge of the dish.
• Cover the container and Zap on HIGH (100%) for 4 minutes turning pears over half way through cooking time.
• Pears should be skewer soft.
• Serve sprinkled with orange rind and garnished with toasted almonds with vanilla yoghurt at the side.

Ingredients

• 4 ripe nectarines, pitted and halved
• Cinnamon
• ¾ cup sweet white wine
• 3 egg whites
• ¾ cup caster sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
• ½ tsp white vinegar

Serves 4

Preparation

• Place peaches in small microwave safe container, pour over white wine, cover and cook on High (100%) for 4  minutes.
• Remove poached peaches carefully and take off skin.
• Arrange on the base of a glass microwave pie plate, sprinkle with cinnamon.
• Beat egg-whites until stiff but not dry.
• Gradually add sugar beating constantly.
• Beat in vanilla and sugar.
• Spoon meringue on top of fruit.
• Cook on High (100%) for about 4 minutes or until meringue is set.

Tip
Fruit may be varied seasonally.

Ingredients

• 200g pitted cherries
• 300ml light sour cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon self raising flour
• 2 eggs
• Cinnamon for dusting

Preparation

• Scatter cherries over the base of 20cm round microwave safe container.
• Whisk together sour cream, sugar, flour and eggs.
• Pour over cherries and dust with cinnamon.
• Cover container and cook on Med-High (80%) for 7 to 8 minutes.
• Stand for 5 minutes before serving.