DESSERTS: This is a simple and easy way to prepare and enjoy frozen yogurt at home.

FROZEN YOGURT:

 

 

 

4 ½ cups frozen fruit in chunks, or berries                 

¾ cup vanilla yogurt

½ cup honey or superfine sugar                                  

1 tbsp. fresh orange juice

1 tsp. lime juice

 

 

 

Combine all ingredients in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with steel blade. Process with on/off pulses until mixture is smooth.

 

Pour into a metal container and freeze, covered for 1 hour. Take out and stir yogurt; then return to freezer until yogurt is firm and creamy.

DESSERTS: Custard, even though not served often in North America, is very popular in the UK, to go with baked fruits and puddings as desserts. Here is my version of it.

CUSTARD SAUCE & CUSTARD CREAM:

 

 

 

3 egg yolks                                         

2 cup of milk

¼ cup sugar                                        

1 tsp cornstarch****

½ tsp vanilla extract

 

 

 

Mix egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch together in a heavy saucepan. Scald milk until very hot either on stove top or in microwave on high for 2-3 minutes. Pour a small amount of hot milk into the egg yolk mixture and use a wire whisk to mix in well. Pour in the rest of hot milk.

 

Set saucepan over medium to medium-high heat and cook custard, stirring with a wooden spoon, until mixture is thickened and coming to a boil. Reduce heat further to allow custard to bubble for a few minutes; then remove from heat. Strain into a bowl and add vanilla extract. Cool custard, covering the top with clear plastic wrap to prevent skin forming.

 

Serve with puddings or pies as desired

 

 

****To make a firmer custard--to use in trifle--use 1 tbsp of cornstarch & make sure custard comes to a full boil to thicken sufficiently.****.

DESSERTS: Here is another version of the classic creme brulee that you might like to try out.

CRÈME BRULE WITH APPLE AND PEAR COMPOTE

 

 

 

fruit compote:

    1 large delicious apple + 1 large Bartlett pear

    ¼ cup maple syrup                                     

    ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice

3 tbsp. Calvados liqueur                                                         

Crème Brule:

    7 large egg yolks                                         

    2 ½ cups whipping cream

    1 tsp. vanilla extract                                    

    1/2 cup sugar

¼ cup sugar for caramelizing

 

 

 

 

Peel, core and slice apples and pear into small pieces.  Melt butter in skillet over medium heat and add fruits, maple syrup and spice. Stir well and cook until liquid evaporates and fruits turn sticky and golden. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 tbsp. Calvados liqueur, scraping up any brown bits at bottom of skillet and mix it well with the fruits. Divide fruit mixture among 8 ramekins. 

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

 

In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until smooth. Scald cream until very hot, add granulated sugar and stir to dissolve. Pour ½ cup cream mixture into egg yolks and mix well. Whisk in 2 tbsp. Calvados and vanilla extract. Ladle egg and cream mixture carefully into ramekins and transfer filled ramekins to a large baking pan. Pour in enough boiling water to come half-way up sides of ramekins.

 

Bake for 40 minutes or until centres still jiggle. Remove from water bath and let sit until cool enough to refrigerate.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

 

To serve, sprinkle 2 tsp sugar over custard in each ramekin. Use cook’s torch to melt sugar and brown it. Serve hot.

DESSERTS: Creme brulee is a popular and traditional dessert. Hope you like my version of it.

CRÈME BRULEE:

 

 

 

1 ¼ cup whipping cream                                 

4 egg yolks

3 tbsp. sugar                                                   

½ tsp. vanilla extract

extra sugar for coating

 

 

 

Scald cream in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until very hot.  Pour a small amount of hot cream into egg yolks, beating to mix well. Return cream and egg mixture to the cream in saucepan. Add sugar and vanilla. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.

 

Remove from heat and pour mixture into individual ramekins of desired sizes and shapes.  Chill overnight until set.

 

At serving time, sprinkle the ramekins with a thin layer of sugar. Torch the sugar with a kitchen blow torch until golden brown.  Alternately put ramekins under the preheated broiler and broil until sugar caramelizes to a deep golden brown.  Cool slightly and serve.

DESSERTS: This is the last of the clafouti desserts in my collection. It only takes minutes to put together and can be served from oven to table after a nice dinner.

CHERRY CLAFOUTI:

 

 

 

4 cups pitted red cherries; fresh or canned                 

2 tbsp. kirsch or cognac

2 tbsp. sugar                                                               

1 cup each milk & 10% cream                                                           

3 eggs

¼ cup flour                                                                 

1/8 tsp. salt

3 tbsp. sugar                                                               

1 tsp vanilla extract

icing sugar for dusting                                    

sweetened whipped cream(optional)

 

 

 

Toss the cherries with kirsch or cognac and set aside. 

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease an 8-9-inch diameter shallow baking dish and sprinkle with 2 tablespoon of sugar to coat pan. 

 

In food processor fitted with steel blade, swirl together milk, cream, eggs, flour and salt.. Add the 3 tablespoons of sugar and vanilla and pulse on/off a few times to mix.   

 

Distribute cherries evenly over the bottom of baking pan. Pour the egg-milk mixture over the fruit.  Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden and well puffed.

 

To serve, sprinkle icing sugar over dessert and top with a dollop of whipped cream if desired.

DESSERTS: Here is another example of the clafouti dessert that you might like to try out.

PLUM AND ORANGE CLAFOUTI:

 

 

 

3 to 4 large plums                                                       

4 tbsp. sugar                                                   

grated rinds and segments from 1 orange                    

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon or ginger

3 eggs                                                                         

1 cup milk

1 cup unflavoured yoghurt                                         

¼ cup flour

pinch of salt                                                                

½ tsp vanilla extract + ¼ tsp. almond extract

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.

 

Slice plums and arrange them, together with orange segments, in the bottom of prepared pan. Sprinkle with half the grated rinds, 2 tablespoons of sugar and cinnamon/ginger.

 

Beat eggs, yoghurt and milk together. Add flour, 2 tablespoon sugar, salt, vanilla, almond extract and the remaining rinds. Stir just until batter is smooth. Pour over the fruit in the baking dish.  Bake 50 to 50 minutes, or when a knife inserted into centre comes out clean.  Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar.

DESSERTS: Clafouti is a puddy-like dessert that can be made ahead without fuss. Here is 1 example of it to enhance your next dinner party.

BLACK CHERRY CLAFOUTI:

 

 

 

2 eggs                                                             

¼ cup sugar

½ cup all purpose flour                                   

1 ¼ cups milk

2 tbsp. melted butter                                       

pinch salt

1 tbsp. brandy                                                 

1 x 14-oz. can pitted black cherries

sugar to dust                                                   

whipped cream

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease a shallow baking dish about 9-inch in diameter.

 

Beat eggs and sugar together until foamy. Beat in flour, milk, melted butter, salt and brandy.

 

Drain cherries and arrange in baking dish. Pour batter over it. Bake for 20 minutes. Lower heat to 375 degrees F and continue cooking until puffed and lightly browned, about 20 minutes more.

 

Remove from over, sprinkle with sugar and served with whipped cream.

DESSERTS: This pie is still delicious even if nuts and almonds are omitted in the ingredients in case of nut allergy.

OLD-FASHIONBED ICE CREAM PIE:

 

 

 

1 pint each vanilla and chocolate ice cream, slightly softened     

1 cup mixed chopped toasted nuts                              

2 tbsp. amaretto liqueur

1 cup lightly whipped and sweetened cream               

2 oz. each grated white chocolate & bittersweet chocolate

chocolate cookie crust:

    3 cups chocolate cookie crumbs                 

    pinch of salt

    1 tsp. cinnamon                                          

    ½ tsp. nutmeg

    1 tsp. instant espresso coffee powder                     

    ¾ cup melted butter

    ¼ cup ground almonds

 

 

 

To make cookie crust:  Combine all ingredients, stirring well to blend. Grease and line with wax paper either a 12-inch or two 8-inch spring-form pans. Pat crust mixture firmly onto bottom of pan(s) and 3/4-inch up the sides. Chill overnight or freeze for up to 1 week

 

When ready to make dessert, place vanilla and chocolate ice creams in a large bowl and use a knife to stir them quickly together to marble. Stir in nuts and liqueur. Transfer ice cream mixture into chocolate crust and return to freezer. Freeze until solid.

 

Just before serving, garnish with whipped cream, white chocolate and bitter chocolate flakes.          

DESSERT: This spectacular dessert is one of my personal favourites to serve on festive occasions. Hope you'll like it too.

CHARLOTTE RUSSE:

 

 

 

1 ½ cups lemon jello powder                          

12 ladyfingers

orange cream filling:

    1 cup each milk & orange juice

    1 egg + 1 egg yolk

    juice of 1 lemon                             

    1 ½ tbsp. unflavoured gelatine powder + 3 tbsp. water                                           

    ¼ cup sugar                                                

    1 cup whipping cream

extra sweetened whipped cream to garnish

 

 

Make jello/jelly according to package instruction. Pour into the bottom of a 2 ½ -quarts Charlotte mould to ½-inch in depth. Trim one end of ladyfingers to within ½ inch of the top of the mould and arrange them around the edge, rounded edge downwards on the jello. The ladyfingers should fit tightly, leaving as little space as possible between them.  Chill jelly in refrigerator until it is firm and set.

 

Place milk in a large mixing bowl sitting over a pot of simmering water. Make sure bottom of bowl does not touch the water. Add in egg and egg yolk. Beat together for 10 minutes until it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.

 

Sprinkle gelatine in water in a small bowl sitting in a pot of hot water, stirring to dissolve. Mix orange juice and lemon juice together. Add sugar, dissolved gelatine and fruit juices to the milk and egg mixture. Strain into another bowl and set aside to cool.

 

Whip cream until stiff and fold into milk-gelatine mixture. Chill in fridge until beginning to set; then pour mixture into the prepared mould. Chill until completely firm.

 

To serve:  Sit mould in hot water for a few seconds; then unmold dessert onto a serving platter. Decorate with rosettes of whipped cream.

DESSERTS: This recipe was given to me years ago. Even though it is not a practical everyday dessert camembert cheese is expensive, yet it is good to know that that cheese can make a wonderfully delicious dessert.

CAMEMBERT WITH PORT-SOAKED RAISIN:

 

 

 

2 tbsp. raisins                                                              

2 tbsp. port

1 x 12oz. whole Camembert cheese                           

canola oil spray

 

 

 

In a small saucepan, mix together raisins and the port. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and let stand 30 minutes.

 

Use a sharp knife to cut a circular lid from the Camembert, leaving a ¾-inch border. Carefully remove the lid, and scoop out the soft cheese with a teaspoon, leaving the base and border intact. Put raisins in the hole and return the cheese, squashing it down so that as much of the cheese as possible is put back into the cavity.

 

Lightly spray a double layer of foil with the oil spray and wrap the Camembert to form a sealed package.

 

Either put cheese in a 300 degrees F oven, or in a barbeque preheated to high direct heat. Cook 8-10 minutes, or until it is heated through.

 

Serve right away as dessert.