Sweet Dessert Pies

My son-in-law and I have a comparable sweet tooth and I so enjoy making sweet dessert pies for him to enjoy because it means I get to have some as well.... My son-in-law 's preference for dessert is something chocolate, especially chocolate cake of some kind... mine is cheesecake, but today I have a selection of pies for you to choose from saved from my other foodie blogging friends. Bon Appetit and enjoy!

Berry Cheesecake Pie

Pink Lemonade Pie

Amish Oatmeal Pie

Candy Bar Pie

Banoffee Pie

No Melt Turtle Sundae Pie

French Coconut Pie

Tropical Coconut Pie

Copycat Furr's Buffet Millionaire Pie

Chocolate Pie

Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie

Caramel Cream Pie

Strawberries and Cream Pie

Grapefruit Pie

Lemonade Pie with Gingersnap Crust

Cheesecake Apple Pie

Granadilla Pudding

Ingredients:
8 Granadillas (passion fruit)
15ml white sugar
1(14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
500ml cream
1 granadilla to garnish

Method:
Cut the granadillas fruits in half, and scoop the contents into a bowl with a teaspoon. Mix with hands to soften pulp. Strain through a sieve or cheesecloth. Stir in sugar and sweetened condensed milk.

In a chilled bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the cream into the passion fruit mixture, then quickly fold in remaining cream until no streaks remain. 

Refrigerate for 1 hour. Top with granadilla pulp to garnish.

Caramel Milk Tart

Ingredients:
250 g Tennis biscuits, finely crushed
200 g butter, melted
1,5 litres milk
200 g sugar
3 eggs
100 g flour
100 g cornflour
10 ml (2 t) vanilla essence
50 g butter
extra 250 ml (1 c) milk
1 box (90 g) caramel instant pudding
250 ml (1 c) cream
1 can (360 g) caramel condensed milk
1 slab (90 g) milk chocolate

Method:

Mix the biscuits with the melted butter and press onto the bottom of a deep 30 cm square dish. Chill until needed.
In a large microwave-proof bowl heat 1 litre (4 c) of the milk with the sugar for 10 min.
In a separate bowl beat the eggs, remaining 500 ml (2 c) milk, flour, cornflour and vanilla essence until smooth.
Mix the flour mixture with the hot milk and microwave for 12 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes until the mixture is thick. Beat in the butter and leave to cool.
Whisk the extra milk and instant pudding together. In a separate bowl whisk the cream until soft peaks form and fold into the instant pudding.
When the custard is cooled, start the layering. Pour the custard over the chilled biscuit layer, smooth the caramel condensed milk over the custard, then add the instant pudding mixture. Grate the chocolate over and refrigerate overnight.

Banana Split Pie

Ingredients:

3 cups digestive biscuit crumbs
1 stick butter, melted
8-oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
16-oz sour cream
3 bananas, sliced
20-oz can crushed pineapple
Maraschino cherries, with or without stems, for garnish
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
Whipped cream or cool whip
Grated chocolate, optional

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 170 C.

In a 13x9 baking dish, melt butter in microwave, then add digestive biscuit crumbs and mix well, pressing the mixture onto the bottom; set aside.

Combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in another mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until completely blended.

Spread this mixture evenly over the crust and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven, spread the sour cream over the cream cheese mixture, and bake for 15 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

While base is cooling, drain crushed pineapple and slice bananas into 1/4" slices; gently toss pineapple and bananas together.

When cool, layer the pineapple and banana mixture over the sour cream and then spread the whipped cream evenly over the top.

Dust with grated chocolate, if desired, then sprinkle with the chopped pecans and the cherries.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving

Whipped Cream:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form - texture should be billowy.
Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla.
Use immediately.

Blueberry Bakewell Tarts

These delightful little tarts are a treat with a cup of tea or coffee, or even for a dessert after a delicious meal.

Ingredients:
For the blueberry jam:
125g fresh or frozen blueberries
15ml caster sugar
A squeeze of lemon juice

For the pastry:
200g plain flour
100g butter, chilled and cubed
40g icing sugar, sifted
1 large egg, beaten

For the frangipane:
55g butter, softened
55g caster sugar
1 large egg, beaten
40g ground almonds
15g plain flour

To decorate:
50g icing sugar, sifted
Fresh blueberries

Method:
Preheat the oven to 170C.

In a small saucepan, combine the ingredients for the jam and heat gently until the berries start to burst. Cook for a few minutes until the mixture is very thick and has lost its watery appearance. Press through a sieve to remove the skins. Allow to cool completely.

To make the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Using a palette knife cut in the egg, press the dough all together to form a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out the pastry between a sheet of greaseproof paper and the cling film to 3mm thickness. Use a 5cm round cutter to cut out 12 discs. Use the rounds to line the base of a greased 12-hole, non-stick muffin tray. Cut 12 strips 1cm wide and 20cm long from the remaining pastry. Use these to line the sides of the muffin tray, carefully pressing the pastry together at the seams to seal. Chill for 15 minutes.

Place the ingredients for the frangipane in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and thoroughly combined. Prick the bases of the pastry cases with a fork. Divide the cooled jam among them, placing half a teaspoon in each. Top with the frangipane.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the frangipane is risen and golden. Cool in the tray for a few minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Mix in the icing sugar with a little water to form a runny paste and use to decorate the tarts. Top with blueberries.

Lay-Z Cherry Cheesecakes

Plump and sweet British cherries are at their best right now and the season lasts only six weeks through July and August, so make the most of them while you can.

The Romans brought the first cultivated cherry trees from Persia to Britain in the first century AD. Over the centuries, cherry orchards were developed in south and west of England, and the summer months saw orchards lined with juicy, dark clusters of fruit, but with the importation of fruit grown in warmer climes and distributed at more attractive prices, by the early 1980s, these orchards had all but disappeared. However, some industrious cherry farmers still persevere and grow good-quality fruit, which is part of our British heritage.

Cherry orchards provide a vital habitat and food source for many native birds, butterflies and insects, making the continued cultivation of this fruit an important agricultural activity. If it were not for cherry growers like Bryan Neave of Little Sharstead Farm near Sittingbourne, in Kent, endangered species like the noble chafer beetle may have become extinct.

These individual deserts are so much easier than the traditional method of making cheesecake, but are every bit as luscious and can be put together in a matter of minutes and makes an exciting end to a lovely meal.

Ingredients:
150g ginger biscuits, crushed
200g cream cheese. or soft cheese.
300g natural Greek-style yoghurt
50g caster sugar
zest of 1 lemon
200ml water
100g sugar
200g fresh British cherries, stems and stones removed.

Method:
Divide the crushed biscuits between 4 tumbler glasses and press down with a spoon. Mix the cream cheese, yoghurt, 50g caster sugar and lemon zest together. Spoon this mixture into the glasses on top of the biscuit base.

In a medium saucepan, warm 200ml water with 10g sugar over a gentle heat until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat and boil for 2 minutes. Reduce to a simmer, add the cherries and cook for about 10 minutes until you have soft fruit in a syrupy sauce.

Spoon the cherries on top of each glass, sharing them evenly. Chill until ready to serve.

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry shortcake is one of America's favourite desserts. the name derives from being made 'short', a word dating back to the 15th century, which means 'crisp form the use of fat'. In England it is synonymous with Scottish shortbread, a crisp butter-rich biscuit like pastry, but in America it is a rich pastry enclosing fruit, which became popular in the mid 1800s. The traditional shortcake is usually made with a sweetened biscuit pastry, plenty of sliced strawberries and a generous dollop of whipped cream.

Ingredients:
For the Shortcake:
500ml flour
60ml sugar
20ml baking powder
2ml salt
a small grating of nutmeg
1 egg, well beaten
90ml cold water
80-85ml milk

For the strawberries:
1 litre fresh strawberries
200ml brown sugar

To Assemble and Serve:
500ml single cream, whipped to soft peaks

Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C.

To prepare the strawberries, wash and hull the fruit. Slice most of the berries, leaving 8-12 whole for garnishing. Place the sliced berries in a bowl and cover with the sugar. Allow the berries to macerate for at least an hour at room temperature.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg and sift into a mixing bowl. Work in the butter with the fingertips, then add the milk and egg. Mix just until the dry ingredients are all Incorporated and the dough is moist. Turn the dough into a buttered and floured 8-9 inch round cake pan and pat into a flat disc. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. To test if it is done, insert a toothpick in the centre; if it comes out with dough attached, lower the heat to 180C and bake for another 5 minutes or so.

Remove from the pan and split horizontally with a serrated knife. Butter the cut side of both layers. Place a layer of half the prepared strawberries on one layer and drizzle over some of the fruit juices. Cover this layer with a layer of cream and add another layer of the rest of the prepared strawberries and the rest of the strawberry juices. Place the second layer of shortcake on top. Garnish with several whole berries and serve with the remaining whipped cream.

Strawberry Yogullies

Yogullies are what I call jellies that have been made with yoghurt. These jellies are wonderful to finish off a summer evening meal or for the kids when out of school for the summer break. What a wonderful way to get them to have at least one of their '5 a day'. Make them a day in advance so they have plenty of time to set.

Ingredients:
6 sheets of gelatine
600ml strawberry and apple juice
250g strawberries
15ml icing sugar
150g Greek yoghurt

Method:
Soak the gelatine in 60ml of cold water for 10 minutes. Heat 150ml of the strawberry and apple juice in a small pan. When hot, remove from the heat and add the gelatine, squeezing out the excess water from the gelatinous mass. Stir until all the gelatine has dissolved. Add the remaining juice and stir well.

Pour 200ml of the juice into a bowl and leave to set in the fridge. Divide the rest of the mixture between 6 small glasses and leave to chill in the fridge for about an hour and a half until almost set.

Keeping 3 small strawberries intact, hull the remaining fruit. Place the hulled fruit in a mini-blender with the icing sugar and most of the yoghurt, reserving about 6 teaspoonfuls for garnish. Pulse until the strawberries are roughly chopped. Stir this yoghurt mixture into the bowl of set jelly and divide between the glasses. Leave to set for a further half an hour.

Serve topped with the reserved yoghurt and half a strawberry each.

Angels and Demons Strawberry Love Pie

This is a recipe that came to me through my mother-in-law. The angels refer to the meringue with its crisp crust and gooey centre; the demons are represented by the wickedly alcoholic chocolate sauce laced through it. It's a wonderful representation of human nature; we all wish to be good like angels, but even angels can fall. There is a little wickedness in all of us, no matter how good we think we are, but love is what matters; represented by the strawberry, love conquers all.

Ingredients:
For the Meringue:
6 egg whites
a pinch of salt
500ml caster sugar
10ml vanilla extract
10ml lemon juice

For the strawberry filling:
150g strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
30ml caster sugar
a pinch of salt

For the Cream Filling:
250ml double cream
2ml vanilla extract
15ml caster sugar

For the Chocolate Sauce:
300g dark chocolate, at least 70-75% cocoa solids, broken into small pieces
150ml double cream
30ml Bramley and Gage Strawberry Liqueur or other strawberry liqueur you may have available

Method:
Preheat the oven to 120C. Grease a 10 inch pie plate.
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff, but not dry. Very gradually add 250ml of sugar, beating well after each addition. Now add the vanilla and lemon juice and finish beating in the rest of the sugar until all the sugar is dissolved and the meringue is very stiff.
Place the meringue in the pie plate, making it higher in the middle in a dome shape. Bake for 90 minutes in the prepared slow oven, then increase the oven heat to 150C for 30 minutes. The meringue will puff up, then when taken out of the oven it will crack as it cools and the centre will sink. Cool thoroughly.

Meanwhile macerate the strawberries in the sugar and a pinch of salt until required.

When the meringue is completely cooled, whip the cream with vanilla and sugar until the stiff peak stage.

To make the chocolate sauce, place the chocolate, cream and liqueur in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the bowl is not in contact with the water. Stir continuously until all the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy.

To assemble the pie, put a layer of a third of the cream into the meringue shell, then a layer of half the strawberries, drizzle over the chocolate sauce, then repeat the layer - cream, strawberries, chocolate sauce - and finish with the remaining cream.

Serve the pie with any remaining chocolate sauce - over each serving dribble it, pour it, drench it, depending on how wicked you like it!

Red Berry Meringue Pie

This pie has no pastry, so cuts down on calorie intake in that respect, making it quite a healthy pudding. It still contains some sugar, but the sweetness of the meringue is overshadowed by the sharp taste of the fruit. It has virtually no fat as the only fat, a healthy monounsaturated fat that tends to improve the 'good' cholesterol levels in the body, comes from the almonds, which add extra crunch and texture to this delicious dessert.

Ingredients:
100g unblanched almonds
175g strawberries, washed, drained and hulled
175g raspberries, washed and drained
175g red currants, washed and drained
3 egg whites
175g caster sugar

Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C.

Divide the almonds between 4 ramekins, placing them on the bottom of each. Mix the berries together and put on top of the almonds, filling the ramekins to only half way up.

With an electric whisk, whisk the egg whites in a clean glass bowl until they form stiff peaks. Add half the sugar and whisk again until the mixture is glossy. Fold in the remaining sugar and divide the meringue between the four ramekins.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving.

Summer Fruit Charlotte

Chill out this summer with this cool light dessert;

it needs time to set but is definitely worth the wait.

Ingredients:
100g caster sugar
250g strawberries, sliced
175g raspberries
1 pack sponge fingers
2 sheets gelatine
500g Greek yoghurt
2ml vanilla extract
a few extra berries for garnish

Method:
Place 75g of sugar in a small pan with 100ml water. Heat gently, stirring until dissolved. Add the strawberries and raspberries to the pan. Take off the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Strain into a shallow dish, reserving the fruit.

Dip the sponge fingers one by one into the syrup and use to line the base and sides of a 1 litre pudding basin, cutting the sponges to fit. In another pan, soak the gelatine in about 50ml cold water for about 5 minutes until soft, then warm gently until melted.

Place the yoghurt in a bowl with the vanilla extract and the remaining sugar, then beat in the melted gelatine. Place half this mixture in the basin, add the reserved fruit, cover with the rest of the yoghurt mixture and top with any left over sponge fingers. Drizzle any remaining syrup around the edges and chill for 4 hours.

To serve, invert onto a plate, remove the basin and top with some extra berries.

Favourite Indian Sweets

There are a great variety of Indian sweets and desserts, the wide range ensured by the profuse use of rice, vermicelli, ground wheat, milk and a host of other ingredients. Traditionally Indiand serve a sweet at the beginning of a meal as a gesture of goodwill, although today in many South African Indian homes, this custom is falling away. In keeping with the western influence, the sweet dish may be served at the end of the meal as the hostess endeavours to lull the most voracious of appetites into quiet appreciation and to placate those with a sweet tooth. There are many western sweet dishes that are great favourites on Indian tables. Halwas and lagans may be called the equivalent of western puddings and mithais may be compared to fudge, although strictly there can be no comparison as they are quite different, and who could ever forget Burfee once they have tasted it?

My first introduction to Indian sweets came the year I started work and our Indian staff members brought Diwali cakes to share at work. Having an unbelievable sweet tooth, I could have eaten the lot in one go. I loved them! My plan is to share some of them here, the easier to make ones that is as some are very complicated to make. My absolute favourite has to be Gulaab Jamun, or Indian Doughnuts.

Galaab Jamun - Indian Doughnuts

Ingredients:
For the doughnuts:
325ml flour
3ml bicarbonate of soda
10ml baking powder
30ml semolina
3ml finely ground cardamom powder
30ml ghee
1 tin condensed milk
Ghee or vegetable oil for deep frying

For the syrup:
250ml water
375ml sugar
5ml rose water

Method:
Put the dry ingredients and the cardamom powder in a bowl. Rub in the ghee then blend in the condensed milk to make a soft dough. Roll the dough into a thick sausage and cut off 1 cm pieces. Roll each piece into a sausage the length and thickness of a forefinger. These can also be made as round balls if you prefer.

Deep-fry these in batches over medium heat. The fat should not be too hot or the doughnuts will not swell. Remove from the fryer with a slotted spoon when golden brown and drain on kitchen paper. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup.

Boil together the water, sugar and rose water until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is beginning to thicken. Reduce the heat to very low so as to just keep warm.

Once the doughnut balls have drained off any residual oil, plunge them into the syrup for about 30 seconds. Remove from the syrup with a clean slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack. Allow them to cool before serving.

Marie Biscuit Date Delights

Marie Biscuits are one of the favourite biscuits in South Africa,
the UK equvalent of which would be Sweet Tea Biscuits.

Ingredients:
2 packets of Marie Biscuits, crushed in chunks, not crumbled
250g butter
250ml sugar
750g pitted dates, chopped
1 egg, beaten
30ml coconut

Method:
Place the butter and sugar in a pot and melt together. Add the chopped dates and simmer gently until the mixture is soft and well blended. Allow to cool slightly before adding the egg. Add the beaten egg, blending into the mixture quickly so the egg does not scramble. Finally add the crushed biscuits.

Spread the mixture on greased baking trays, flattening smoothly. Sprinkle the top with desicated coconut. Leave in the fridge for about an hour to set. Cut into slices or squares.


Larwa - Almond Balls
Ingredients:
For the syrup:
500g suagr
250ml water
For the Lawa Balls:
500ml chana flour
7.5ml baking powder
10ml solid ghee
250ml water
10ml egg yellow colouring
slivered almonds
Method:
To make the Syrup:
Put the sugar in a pan with the water and heat to disolve. Simmer until the syrup becomes sticky, but does not form threads. Remove it to the side of the stove so that it keeps warm.
To make the Lawa Balls:
Mix together the chana flour and baking powder and rub in the ghee. Add the water and mix to form a thick batter. Press this through a meat mincing machine on a small setting and transfer the 'worms' to a pan of hot oil to fry until golden. Transfer the bhoondis, or worm shaped fried larwa bits, to the hot syrup and steep them until all the syrup is absorbed. Cool and set aside for a couple of hours, then mould the resulting dough into balls about the size of golf balls. Roll these balls in the slivered almonds.

Burfee - Indian Fudge

As you will find, if you attempt this delicacy, I've left the best till last. Burfee is the closest to fudge you can get in Indian sweets. It's creamy and almost sickeningly sweet, but is a firm favourite with those who enjoy sweetmeats. Although it is quite a difficult thing to make, I believe all good things are worth taking the trouble over!

Ingredients:
For the Mawa:
3 litres milk
For the Burfee:
500g mawa
40ml double cream
30ml ground almonds
250g full-fat milk powder
500ml water
360g sugar
2.5ml fine ground cardamom powder
15ml rose water
icing sugar for dusting
Method:
To make the Mawa:
Using 500ml at a time, boil the milk rapidly over high heat, stirring all the time to make sure it does not catch on the bottom of the pan, until a hard lump remains. Remove this hard lump and set aside. Continue with the rest of the milk until you have 500g of mawa.
To make the Burfee:
The mawa will be hard and lumpy so cut it up into pieces and put it into a mixing bowl. Add the cream, almonds and milk powder and blend well. Leave aside for a few hours to dry. Put in a fodd processor and blitz, then set aside again for an hour or two.
In a saucepan, make a syrup with the water and sugar, stirring till all the grains of sugar are disolved in the water. Bring the syrup to the boil, then lower the heat and continue to simmer until the syrup is reduced by about a third in volume and is thickened, but not sticky. Add cardamom and rose water.
Add the cream and milk mixture to the syrup over low heat and stir till the syrup is absorbed into the cream and milk mixture. Remove from the heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Leave for a couple of hours before patting it into ice cube size blocks. Dust with icing sugar and leave to dry.

Butterscotch Sauce

Butterscotch sauce makes a great accompaniment for steamed puddings, cheesecake and many other desserts.

Ingredients:
30ml water
100g caster sugar
100g brown sugar
250g butter
200ml double cream

Method:
combine the water, caster sugar and brown sugar in a saucepan. Heat gently until the sugar has completely dissolved and formed a golden brown caramel.
Add the butter and let it melt with the caramel until completely absorbed.
Stir through the double cream.

Monmouth Pudding

Pwdin Mynwy – a traditional Welsh dessert, which is similar to ‘Queen of Puddings’. From the name of this dessert you can surmise that it originated in Monmouthshire – and you would be absolutely right!

Ingredients:

For the pudding:
90g fresh breadcrumbs
30ml soft light brown sugar
450ml whole milk
1 lemon, zest only
30ml caster sugar
25g salted butter
3 large egg yolks

For the topping:
175g raspberry jam
150g fresh raspberries
75g caster sugar
3 large egg whites, whisked until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed

Method:

For the pudding, preheat the grill to a medium setting.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and brown sugar into a roasting tray. Shake the tray to mix the two together, then grill until the breadcrumbs are lightly toasted and the sugar has started to melt. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 150C.

Heat the milk, lemon zest, sugar and butter in a pan over a medium heat. Cook, stirring regularly, until the butter has melted and the mixture is well combined, then stir the toasted breadcrumbs and sugar into the milk mixture and set aside, off the heat, for 30 minutes.

Once the milk and breadcrumbs mixture has stood for 30 minutes, whisk the egg yolks in a bowl until pale and fluffy, then add them to the milk and breadcrumb mixture and whisk gently until well combined.

Pour the pudding mixture into a 8inch ovenproof serving dish and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the pudding has risen and is just set. (The pudding has set when a skewer inserted into a middle of the pudding comes out clean.)

Remove the pudding from the oven and increase the temperate to 180C.

For the topping, spread the raspberry jam in an even layer over the pudding. Sprinkle over the raspberries.

In a bowl, add the sugar to the whisked egg whites and continue whisking until the mixture is glossy and stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed.

Spoon the meringue over the pudding and return to the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the meringue is golden-brown.

Serve immediately.

Syllabub

The story told regarding the origin of this ancient dessert tells that it was created by milking a cow directly into a bowl of cider, or wine. Early recipes can be traced back to Tudor times, where thickened cream was served floating on sweet wine. Making syllabub involves dissolving sugar in lemon juice and sweet wine or brandy, adding a long curl of orange peel then leaving it to infuse overnight. The following day, double cream is introduced and beaten until thick. Infusing the sugar and alcohol with the citrus probably seems a bit mystical, but don’t leave out this bit: the flavour is smoother if you let the mixture steep overnight. The essential ingredients is not something you add to the mixture, but something you do to it; whether this dessert stands or falls, is all in the whipping of the mixture. Beat slowly with a large balloon whisk or electric mixer right to the bottom of the mixture. Watch the texture vigilantly, stopping as soon as you sense a heaviness on the whisk and the mixture sits in soft folds the mixture starts to feel heavy on the whisk, when it will creases in soft folds, like a warm fluffy blanket. The mixture will split if whipped too much.

Ingredients:
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1-2 curls of orange peel, cut with a vegetable peeler without going into the white pith
50ml caster sugar
60ml sweet wine
15ml brandy
300ml double cream

Method:

Dissolve the sugar in the lemon zest and juice, sweet wine and brandy. Add one or two curls of orange peel cut with a vegetable peeler without going into the white pith and leave the mixture to steep overnight.

In the morning, add the double cream and whip until the desired thickness is achieved.

Good as it is, the odd embellishment is no bad thing with this recipe. A drop of Eau de vie, perhaps Framboise or Kirsch adds a welcome kick, as does some crushed ginger in syrup, or even a spoon of ginger marmalade. I have had it with a hint of nutmeg, a little rhubarb and flavoured with lime juice and zest. For a particularly fragrant twist use Cointreau, orange flower water and rose water, to give it a Turkish feel.

Here’s a version based on the concept of syllabub with a British-South East Asian fusion twist. Without all the rigmarole of steeping over night, this syllabub can be made in a hurry.

Elderflower Lemon and Ginger Syllabub

Ingredients:
15ml bottle green ginger and lemon grass cordial
15ml bottle green elderflower cordial
30ml sweet sherry or sweet white wine
50ml sparkling water
4 lady finger biscuits
250ml double cream
60ml icing sugar
125ml lemon curd
30 ml chopped crystallised ginger
Sprigs of mint to garnish

Method:

Mix together the cordials, sherry and sparkling water.

Break up the biscuits in the base of each of 4 sundae glasses. Drizzle over 15ml of the cordial-sherry mixture into each glass.

Pour the cream into a bowl and add the icing sugar. Whisk the cream until soft peaks form.

Fold in the remaining cordial-sherry mixture.

Add the lemon curd and lightly fold through, leaving a marbled effect.

Spoon the cream mixture into each of the glasses. Top with the chopped crystallised ginger and a sprig of mint.

Serve chilled.

Manchester Tart

The Manchester tart is a traditional English baked tart, which consists of a shortcrust pastry shell, spread with raspberry jam, covered with a custard filling and topped with flakes of coconut. The original Manchester Tart is a simple modern version of an earlier recipe, the Manchester Pudding, which was first recorded by the Victorian cookery writer, Mrs Beeton.

Ingredients:

butter, for greasing
500g ready-made shortcrust pastry
Plain flour, for dusting
200g raspberry jam
15ml desiccated coconut
300g fresh raspberries
500ml full-fat milk
1 vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped out with a knife
5 egg yolks
125g caster sugar
30ml cornflour
10ml icing sugar, for dusting
400ml double cream, whipped until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed
50ml desiccated coconut, toasted in a dry frying pan until golden-brown, to serve

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C. Grease a 10in tart pan with butter.

Roll out the shortcrust pastry onto a lightly floured work surface to a ¼in thickness. Line the prepared tart pan with the pastry. Prick the pastry several times with a fork, then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

When the pastry case has rested, place a sheet of baking parchment into it and half-fill with baking beans. Transfer the pastry case to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.

Remove the baking parchment and baking beans and return the pastry case to the oven for a further 4-5 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.

Spread the raspberry jam onto the pastry base in an even layer. Sprinkle over the three tablespoons of non-toasted desiccated coconut and half of the fresh raspberries. Set the pastry base aside.

Bring the milk, vanilla pod and vanilla seeds to the boil in a pan, then reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod (put it in a jar of sugar to give ‘vanilla sugar’).

In a bowl, beat together the egg yolks and sugar until well combined.

Pour the hot milk and vanilla mixture over the egg and sugar mixture, whisking continuously, until the mixture is smooth and well combined.

Return the mixture to the pan over a medium heat. Whisk in the cornflour, a tablespoon at a time, until well combined. Heat, stirring continuously until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

Transfer the custard mixture to a clean bowl and dust with the icing sugar (this prevents a skin from forming on the surface of the custard). Set aside to cool, then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes when cool enough to go in the fridge.

Whisk the whipped double cream into the chilled custard mixture until well combined.

Spoon the custard and cream mixture into the pastry case in an even layer. Sprinkle over the remaining fresh raspberries.

To serve, sprinkle over the three tablespoons of toasted desiccated coconut and serve immediately.

Oxford New College Pudding

This is a very traditional pudding, which originated at New College, Oxford, one of the oldest colleges in the city. I must say, it’s a very tempting pudding, especially when there isn’t time to make a proper steamed pudding or a fruit pie and pudding is necessary.

Up to the point of cooking, it’s like a steamed pudding. The batter, or dough, is mixed well and then left covered for 15-20 minutes to rest, then dollops of the mixture are deep fried in butter for a few minutes until the outsides are lovely and golden brown. When cooked through, the puddings are dredged with sugar.

With all the butter and sugar, enjoy in moderation, if that’s possible with this addictive dessert.

Ingredients:

150g dried breadcrumbs

25g currants

100g suet, finely shredded

1ml ground nutmeg

25g candied peel

1 egg, beaten

30ml sherry

30ml sugar

A pinch of salt

Milk to loosen the dough

500g unsalted butter, for deep frying

Method:

Mix the breadcrumbs, currants, suet, nutmeg and candied peel together.

In another bowl, mix the eggs, sherry, sugar and pinch of salt together.

Gradually stir the egg mixture into the breadcrumb mixture to make a stiff dough. Add enough milk to just loosen the dough to not quite a dropping constituency. Leave the dough to rest in a cool place for about 15 minutes.

Melt the butter in a large deep frying pan. Spoon the dough into shapes about the size of a large egg, like you would for making quenelles, between two dessert spoons. Drop the puddings into the butter and fry until golden brown, turning regularly. Remove and dredge with caster sugar.

Mississippi Mud Pie

This decadent, rich pie has a thick filling and a crumbly biscuit base, similar to a cheese cake. It is said to resemble the muddy banks of the Mississippi river and remains a popular dessert in the southern states of USA. There are many variations, most of which have just one layer of chocolate filling, but I like to vary it with having a paler coffee filling on top of a dark chocolate filling.

Ingredients:

For the biscuit base:

200g digestive biscuits

60g butter, diced

60 dark chocolate, chopped

For the Chocolate Filling:

90g dark chocolate, chopped

90g butter, diced

2 eggs, lightly beaten

90g dark muscovado sugar

100ml double cream

For the Coffee Filling:

90g white chocolate, chopped

90g butter, diced

2 eggs, lightly beaten

90g white sugar

100ml double cream

10ml instant coffee powder, dissolved in 30ml hot water and cooled

For the topping:

100ml double cream, well chilled

50ml icing sugar

1 Chocolate Flaky to scatter on top.

Method:

To make the base, put the digestive biscuits into a re-sealable bag and lightly bash them with a rolling pin until evenly crushed. Tip into a large bowl. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir until smooth, then take off the heat, pour onto the crushed biscuits and mix until evenly combined. Tip the crumb mixture into a 23cm cake tin with removable base. Using the back of the spoon, press the mixture onto the base and up the sides of the tin to cover evenly. Chill to allow the base to firm up.

Preheat the oven to 180°C

To make the chocolate filling, melt the dark chocolate and butter together in a bowl over simmering water and leave to cool slightly. In another large bowl, beat the eggs and muscovado sugar together, using an electric mixer, until thick and doubled in volume. Whisk in the cream, then fold through the melted chocolate and butter.

To make the coffee filling, melt the white chocolate and butter together in a bowl over simmering water (as above) and leave to cool slightly. In another large bowl, beat the eggs and white sugar together, using an electric mixer, until thick and doubled in volume. Whisk in the cream and the dissolved coffee, then fold through the melted chocolate and butter.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the biscuit base and carefully top that with the coffee mixture. Try not to get them mixed together. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes until just firm. Allow to cool completely before removing from the tin.

For the topping, whip the cream with icing sugar until it holds soft peaks. Spread this over the top of the cooled pie and finish with a scattering of broken up flaky. Cut into slices to serve.

Cheddar Apple Sponge Pudding

Cheese might seem a strange ingredient for a pudding, but it seems to work so well with sweet apples.

.

Ingredients:

110g sugar

110g butter

2 eggs, beaten

140g flour

5ml baking powder

30g grated cheddar cheese

8 walnuts, chopped

½ an apple, peeled, cored and grated

clotted cream or custard to serve.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C

Cream the sugar and butter together with an electric beater.

Slowly add the 2 beaten eggs, then fold in the flour and baking powder.

Fold in the grated cheddar, chopped walnuts and apple.

Spoon the mixture into individual fluted tart tins or buttered ramekin dishes and bake for about 15 minutes.

Serve with clotted cream or custard.