Spicy Poached Nectarines with Amarula Cream
If you make a large quantity – say triple the recipe – for a summer party (February being a good month for nectarines) and pile the poached fruit into a deep glass bowl set out on the table, a scary thought is that nobody will eat them because they look just too beautiful to disturb: smooth, round, glossy orange orbs. Gorgeous. The one disadvantage to this dessert is that for a successful result you need not just any old nectarine, but large clingstones, quite tart in flavour, with pinky-red skin and deep orange flesh, so you might have to shop around first – but a bonus is that it has to be made at least 24 hours in advance, so that the nectarines can soften and sweeten by soaking up the syrup.
500 ml (2 cups) water
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) sugar
1 fat stick cinnamon
1 ml (1⁄4 tsp) freshly grated nutmeg
a squeeze of lemon juice
4 large nectarines (600–650 g)
8 whole cloves
AMARULA CREAM
For 4 nectarines, whip 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) fresh cream until stiff, then fold in 45 ml (3 Tbsp) Amarula. Now taste, you may want another tot. Chill until required.
Use a smallish, deep saucepan to take the fruit closely, and bring the water, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then leaving to simmer for about 5 minutes. In this time, pour boiling water over the nectarines, leave for about 30 seconds, then rinse under cold water and slip the skins off smoothly. Stick a clove into each side of each nectarine, then slide them into the syrup, reduce the heat, cover and poach gently for about 15 minutes, turning once, carefully. Before removing the fruit, do the skewer test: prick with a thin skewer – if it slips in easily right up to the pip, they’re done. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a small, deep bowl. Nick out the cloves – they’ve done their job – and boil the syrup rapidly until very bubbly and reduced by half, then strain over the nectarines. (The syrup will taste very sweet and concentrated at this stage – but it evens out on chilling.) Baste the nectarines a few times as they cool, then cover and refrigerate for 1–2 days. Serve 1 per diner, and pass the Amarula cream. Serves 4.
Pears in Phyllo Baskets with Sabayon
Baked custard has its place – and I, for one, love it – but there are times when you want to impress with a dessert that is a little smarter. Then this is it. The title may sound a little daunting, but the phyllo baskets are optional, and no step is either difficult or time-consuming to prepare.
about 750 g slightly underripe Packham’s Triumph pears
200 ml (4⁄5 cup) water
100 ml (2⁄5 cup) sugar
1 stick cinnamon
10 ml (2 tsp) fresh lemon juice
toasted almond flakes to decorate
SABAYON
3 XL free-range egg yolks
75 ml (5 Tbsp) sugar
5 ml (1 tsp) cornflour
45 ml (3 Tbsp) Amaretto liqueur
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) fresh cream
PHYLLO BASKETS
Brush large, deep muffin tins with butter and gently press in a square of phyllo, using only one layer. Brush lightly with melted butter, top with another square and brush with a little more butter. Bake at 200 °C for about 5 minutes, until browned, then lift out of the tins and cool on a rack. If you wish, you can neaten the edges by snipping with kitchen scissors.
Peel, halve and core the pears. Bring the water, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice to the boil in a wide-based pan, add the pears in a single layer, rounded sides up, cover and poach gently just until soft. Cool in the poaching liquid, then drain and chill. To make the sabayon, put the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in the top of a small double boiler, or into a small saucepan set on top of a larger one and, using a balloon whisk, whisk until pale and thick. Keep the water simmering, not boiling, or the mixture will scramble; however it should not be undercooked either, or it will separate on standing. (This is the only tricky part.) Now slowly add the liqueur, and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the mixture thickens again – it should be creamy and butterscotch-coloured. Pour into a small container, cool, then refrigerate. Just before serving, whip the cream and fold it in. To serve, place one pear half, rounded side up, on each serving plate, or nestle it in a phyllo basket. Pour over enough of the sabayon to coat, sprinkle with almonds, and serve at once. The sabayon is enough for 10–12 small pear halves.
Poached Vanilla Peaches
If you use choice dessert peaches – Fairtime works well here – and if you poach them with a little wine added, together with a split vanilla pod – and if you serve them not only with vanilla ice cream, but with a small splash of peach schnapps over each OR the same of caramelised verjuice syrup – well, if you do all these things, you will (in my book) have a memorable dessert despite its simplicity. Or perhaps because of it.
250 ml (1 cup) water
60 ml (1⁄4 cup) semi-sweet white wine
60 ml (4 Tbsp) vanilla sugar
1 large, soft vanilla pod, slit top to bottom
4 large, almost-ripe, free-stone dessert peaches (550 g)
Bring the water, wine, sugar and vanilla pod (scrape out the seeds, and include the pod) to the boil in a medium frying pan into which the peach halves will fit snugly, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then reduce the heat and leave to bubble gently while preparing the peaches as follows. Place in a bowl, cover with boiling water, leave to stand for about 30 seconds, then drain and run under cold water. Run a knife round each peach, vertically, just where the natural seam lies, then give a twist, the halves will separate and the skin should slip off easily, leaving you with eight, smooth as silk, brilliant orange peach halves. Submerge them in the syrup, rounded sides up, then cover and simmer gently for about 8 minutes or until tender, but not pap. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a heatproof pie dish (or something wide rather than deep), then boil the syrup rapidly until bubbly – 4–5 minutes. Strain over the peaches (dry the vanilla pod and store in sugar). The peaches should now lie bathed in a pinkish syrup speckled with fine vanilla seeds which managed to escape the sieve. Cool, then cover and refrigerate for a few hours. Serves 4 doubles or 8 singles.
Roasted Peaches
When peaches are in season it’s tempting to serve them pure and fresh. There’s something about sitting on a patio with peach juice dribbling down your chin that simply melts you with the joy of summer and sea and sun – but when a formal occasion demands that you fiddle with them a little in order to turn them into more of a dessert, then this is the answer. A quick paint and sprinkle beforehand, followed by a short bake – and out they come, soft and juicy and spattered with cinnamon, to be served hot with cream or ice cream, or at room temperature with a dollop of crème fraîche nestled in the hollows. Simple, but good.
4 large (500 g) ripe but unbruised free-stone peaches, e.g. Fairtime
melted butter
ground cinnamon
pale, runny honey
castor sugar
Pour boiling water over the peaches, leave to stand for 30 seconds, then run under cold water. Run a knife round the centres, vertically, twist and remove the stones, then slip off the skins and place, hollows up and close together, in a baking dish base-lined with baking paper. Brush each peach lightly with melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon (use your fingers, not a spoon, so that the cinnamon doesn’t land in clumps). Drizzle a little honey over the cinnamon – about 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) per peach is enough, and then sprinkle evenly with castor sugar – just a large pinch per peach should do, as they are sweet anyway. Bake, uncovered, at 200 °C for 20–25 minutes until soft, speckled and juicy. Serve hot, or cool in the dish and serve at room temperature, but don’t chill – the buttery juices will congeal. Serves 4.
Frozen Citrus Creams
You can buy such super ice creams these days that few of us bother to make them anymore. In any case, unless you have an ice-cream churn, or are willing to beat three times as it freezes, the texture is always a little g
rainy. The following lemon and orange creams are exceptions: smooth and refreshing and delicious. Serve them with anything, but a berry coulis would be good with the lemon and Apricot Compote with the orange.
Lemon
500 ml (2 cups) fresh cream
400 ml (13⁄5 cups) sifted icing sugar
20 ml (4 tsp) very finely grated lemon rind (2 large lemons)
6 XL free-range egg whites
5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence (or slightly less extract)
Whip the cream with the icing sugar and lemon rind until stiff. Whisk the egg whites until stiff (if you do this first you won’t have to wash the beaters) and fold into the cream, with the vanilla. Use a metal spoon and fold in lightly, but combine the mixtures well.
Pour into a 2-litre container and freeze quickly. Allow to soften for about 5 minutes before serving.
Orange
Exactly the same procedure as the lemon, but substitute 20 ml (4 tsp) very finely grated orange rind for the lemon. Walnuts are good with the orange flavour – add a handful, chopped, when folding in the egg whites.
Apricot Compote
Place the following in a small, heavy saucepan:
1 stick cinnamon
1 whole star anise
1⁄2 vanilla pod, split lengthwise
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) fresh orange juice
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) water
2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) finely grated orange rind
45 ml (3 Tbsp) light brown sugar
Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then add 200 g soft, ready-to-eat dried apricots, reduce the heat, cover and simmer very gently for 12–15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 15 ml (1 Tbsp) brandy. Cool and chill in a glass bowl overnight, but serve at room temperature – 2–3 plump apricots with some of the syrup per serving. Also good with chocolate ice cream. Muesli too.
Litchi & Amaretto Cheesecake
This old favourite refused to be left out for two good reasons: it’s very big, and very delicious. It’s also very rich – see note at the end.**
FILLING*
25 ml (5 tsp) gelatine
75 ml (5 Tbsp) water
3 XL free-range egg whites
200 ml (4⁄5 cup) castor sugar
1 × 250 g tub smooth, low-fat cottage cheese
250 g cream cheese**
60 ml (1⁄4 cup) Amaretto liqueur
250 ml (1 cup) fresh cream
5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
CRUST
Press a regular biscuit crust onto the base of a large, deep pie dish – 23 cm × 6 cm is just right. Don’t do the sides, it’s really unnecessary, and if you brush the base with a flavourless oil like canola, the slices will be easy to remove. Chill before adding the filling.
Sponge the gelatine in the water, then dissolve over simmering water. Whisk the egg whites until fairly stiff, then gradually, while whisking, add half the sugar and whisk to a thick meringue. Without washing the beaters, whisk together the cheeses, remaining sugar and liqueur. When smooth, add the cream and vanilla and whip until the mixture thickens, then continue to whisk while you dribble in the dissolved gelatine. Fold in the meringue mixture, pour onto the crust and refrigerate until firm – it will set quickly.
For the topping, drain 1 × 565 g can pitted litchis, reserving the syrup. Pat the litchis dry, snip them into quarters and arrange on top of the cheesecake – do this best sides up – and don’t worry if the entire top is not covered. Pour 100 ml (2⁄5 cup) of the reserved syrup into a small saucepan, stir in 7 ml (11⁄2 tsp) cornflour, then bring to the boil, stirring, until clear and thick. Use a pastry brush to paint the litchis with dabs of this thick syrup – you won’t need all of it, just enough to shine them up a bit. The finishing touch comes now: a sprinkling of toasted almond flakes. These complement the flavour and will also hide any bare patches. Return to the fridge until required. Serves 10.
* Have all the ingredients, except the cream, at room temperature.
** For a slightly lower fat content use 500 g smooth, low-fat cottage cheese and omit the cream cheese.
Special Chocolate Bavarian Cream
A reasonably simple, alcohol-free, custard-based chocolate dessert set with gelatine might sound like a blancmange lifted from one of ouma’s recipe books, but ouma did not use 70 per cent cocoa slabs – and this is what makes this one special. The eggs are in there, and so is the cream, along with a touch of coffee and cocoa powder – and the result is a dark, velvet-textured sweet finale that can be made the day before – a fact which is always comforting.
15 ml (1 Tbsp) gelatine (measure carefully, not a grain more)
10 ml (2 tsp) instant coffee granules dissolved in 60 ml (1⁄4 cup) cold water
4 XL free-range eggs
150 ml (3⁄5 cup) sugar
10 ml (2 tsp) cornflour
600 ml (22⁄5 cups) milk
30 ml (2 Tbsp) cocoa powder
2 × 100 g slabs dark 70 per cent cocoa chocolate (e.g. Belgian Intense)
400 ml (13⁄5 cups) fresh cream
5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
Sprinkle gelatine onto the cold coffee and leave to sponge. Whisk the eggs, sugar and cornflour until creamy. Scald the milk and cocoa, stir a little into the egg mixture, then pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and stir over low heat until the custard coats the back of a wooden spoon – it must thicken, but must not boil. Remove from the stove, add the sponged gelatine mixture, and stir until dissolved. Smear a small heatproof container with a dab of butter, add the chocolate, broken up roughly, and melt over simmering water. When just softened, scrape into the custard, give a quick whisk to make it absolutely smooth, then pour into a mixing bowl. Leave for a short while to cool and, when just beginning to thicken, whip the cream softly and fold in, with the vanilla. Pour into 10 glass goblets*, and set in the refrigerator**. A twirl of whipped cream would look attractive on the top of each, but as the dessert is rich as it is, a chocolate scroll or flake plunged into the middle would be a more elegant option. Serves 10.
* May also be set in one large glass bowl if preferred.
** Keep refrigerated until just before serving.
Butternut Pecan Pie
A soft and spicy mousse-like pie. Use a brilliant orange butternut, be lavish with the decoration, and enjoy a most unusual sweet ending.
CRUST
Line the base of a 20 × 6 cm pie dish with a biscuit crust – if handy, include a few ginger biscuit crumbs. Chill.
FILLING
12 ml (21⁄2 tsp) gelatine
30 ml (2 Tbsp) cold water
500 g peeled and cubed butternut (prepared weight), preferably organic
2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) ground cinnamon
1 ml (1⁄4 tsp) ground mixed spice
60 ml (4 Tbsp) sugar
15 ml (1 Tbsp) golden syrup
2 XL free-range eggs, separated
10 ml (2 tsp) cornflour
60 ml (1⁄4 cup) milk
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) fresh cream
2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) vanilla essence
pecan halves, preserved ginger and ground cinnamon for topping
Sprinkle the gelatine onto the water and leave to sponge. Boil the butternut in a little lightly salted water until soft. Drain if necessary and cool down before whizzing in a blender until smooth. You should have 500 ml (2 cups) thick purée. Spoon into a heavy saucepan and add the spices, sugar, syrup and the egg yolks beaten with the cornflour and milk. Stir over low heat until the mixture becomes very thick, like a dense, cooked custard, but be careful not to boil. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the sponged gelatine, continuing to stir until dissolved. Cool the mixture in a mixing bowl and, when cold but not set, fold in the cream softly whipped with the vanilla, followed by the egg whites, whisked until stiff but not dry – stir a spoonful through the mixture and fold in the rest. Pour onto the biscuit crust and refrigerate until firm, then top with the pecans, snip over a knob or two of the ginger and finish with a very fine dusting of cinnamon. Make
s 8 wedges.
Lemon Meringue
If you put the meringue at the bottom and the lemon filling on top, you avoid the pitfall of a weepy meringue pie. This is a fairly tart tart – not too sweet, and refreshingly lemony. If you prefer a fruity, cream-filled filling, try one of the variations, which you could also use to fill a pavlova. Or double the quantities for the meringue shell and make two (use a large baking tray so that they bake on the same oven shelf), then fill the extra one with one of the alternative fillings.
MERINGUE
2 XL free-range egg whites (at room temperature)
a pinch of salt
a pinch of cream of tartar
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) castor sugar
LEMON FILLING
2 XL free-range egg yolks
30 ml (2 Tbsp) fresh lemon juice
2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) finely grated lemon rind
60 ml (4 Tbsp) castor sugar
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) milk
20 ml (4 tsp) cornflour
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) fresh cream
2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) vanilla essence
toasted almond flakes for topping
To make the meringue shell, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Add the salt and cream of tartar and whisk until stiff. Gradually add the castor sugar, whisking constantly until the mixture becomes very thick and glossy. Shape the meringue into a 20 cm circle on a baking tray lined with two sheets of baking paper – do not grease anything, and use a regular-type tray, not a coated one. (To secure the paper, use a dollop of meringue below each corner.) Using a spoon, gently flatten the centre and pull the sides inwards to form a rim. Bake at 150 °C for 15 minutes, then at 120 °C for 1 hour. Switch off the oven and leave the shell – even overnight – until absolutely cold.
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