Category: Dessert

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Dessert · Do-ahead · Fruit · Gluten Free · Vegan

Fruit salad with ginger-lemongrass syrup

Belinda

This zesty syrup makes a great base for poached or fresh fruit

Serves 4-6

Ginger-lemongrass syrup
3/4 cup canned lychee juice or water
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
6 stalks lemongrass, cut into 1″ lengths and bruised with a large knife
1/4 cup (tightly packed) grated palm sugar or brown sugar

Fruit salad
1 20 oz (565g) can lychees
1 punnet (12 oz, or 1.5 cups) strawberries, hulled and halved, if large
4 just-ripe kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
Optional- 2 whole mango, cubed

Over medium heat, simmer the ingredients for “Ginger-lemongrass Syrup” in a covered pot for 10 minutes. Allow to come to room temperature and cool. Keep in the fridge.

Prior to serving, cut the fruit and pour the syrup over the fruit. Done!

Recipe Notes
The fruits you choose are up to you but the four in this recipe are my preferred.

Baking · Dairy-free · Dessert · Do-ahead · Gluten Free

Easy whole orange and almond cake

Belinda

This is a wonderful recipe from the ladies who used to own the Post Office Café in Bundanoon, N.S.W, Australia.
A dusting of powdered sugar and served with blueberries and either créme fresh or mascarpone are the best accompaniments…

2-3 oranges , unpeeled. If they are really large, then just use 2. But the more “orangey-tasting” the more oranges!
250g (8oz) almond meal. (FYI, almond meal is made from raw, unpeeled almonds and is a coarser grind than almond flour, which is made from blanched peeled almonds)
6 large eggs
250g (8oz) sugar
1 tsp baking powder

Set the oven to 180C (350F)
Boil the oranges whole for about 30 mins or until soft. Remove from the water and let cool to room temp or enough so the eggs wont turn to scrambled eggs when they’re added to the orange.
Put the soft oranges into a blender and blend to a pulp, then add the eggs and sugar and blend until thick and pale
Add the almond meal and baking powder and mix well.

Put into a well greased cake tin and bake for 1 hour. Leave to cool a little and remove from the tin to a wire rack.

Chocolate · Dessert · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Rocky Mountain avalanche bars

Belinda

Recipe from “House of Nash eats” food blog

Rocky Mountain Avalanche Bars are part rice krispies treat, part peanut butter fudge, and part white chocolate bark. These totally addicting bars are perfect for a special treat.

4 cups white chocolate, chopped (about 24 oz)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups Rice Krispies
3 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Melt the white chocolate in a microwave on 50% heat in 30 second bursts, stirring between each burst, until melted.
Stir the peanut butter into the melted white chocolate until combined, then pour over the Rice Krispies in a large bowl and gently stir to coat.
Cool for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice until the melted chocolate is no longer warm to the touch.
Fold in the marshmallows and mini chocolate chips, then gently press into a 9×13-inch pan lined with a parchment paper sling or buttered on the bottom and sides.
Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes, then cut into squares.

Dairy-free · Dessert · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Gluten-free mixed berry crumble

Belinda

I made this for Christmas this year and besides being really easy, it was a huge success.
I also prepped it the day before, so just had to throw in the oven after the Christmas dinner was served up.
Very easy!

Serves 6, but can be doubled easily

6 cups mixed berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and hulled/chopped strawberries)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp cinnamon for berries
1/4 tsp cinnamon for the crumble
1 cup oat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter, chilled
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

In a large bowl, combine berries, sugar, lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Add cornstarch and toss to coat berries. Transfer to a baking dish or oven-safe skillet.

In a bowl, combine flour, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until distributed.

Cut in the butter and using hands, rub the butter into the flour mixture until large crumbs form. Stir in walnuts, if using.

Sprinkle mixture over top of berries to completely cover.

Bake in a 375 F oven for about 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Remove from oven and let stand for about 5 minutes.
Serve warm. Top with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Dairy-free · Dessert · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Raw-vegan Mango Coconut Truffles

Belinda

Raw-Vegan Mango Coconut Truffles

My son, Oliver made these for us and they’re delicious! The only thing I added was a pinch of salt, which enhances the flavor.
They are raw, vegan, gluten-free, paleo-friendly and super easy to throw together in your food processor.
They also make great treats for the children, as they think they’re eating something deliciously sinful!

Makes about 30 truffles

6 oz chopped dried mango
3 ½ cups unsweetened desiccated coconut, divided
8 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp agave/maple syrup, or to taste (optional)
pinch of salt

Place the chopped mango in a bowl and cover with cold water. Soak until the mango has softened, about 1 hour. Drain well and dry on kitchen towel.

Combine the mango, a pinch of salt, 3 cups of coconut, and the coconut oil in a food processor; blend until well combined and smooth. Add agave/maple syrup if the mixture is not sweet enough.

Place in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until the mixture has hardened, about 2 hours.

Roll into small balls and dredge in remaining 1/2 cup of desiccated coconut. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone liner, and place the coated balls on top.
Freeze for about 30 minutes until the coconut oil solidifies.

Store in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer.
*Note: these balls will melt if left at room temperature.

Chocolate · Dessert · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Easy Peppermint Fudge

Belinda

It’s seriously the easiest fudge you’ll ever make.
Recipe from Ree Drummond “The Pioneer Woman”

12 servings

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz. size) sweetened condensed milk
8 whole peppermint candies, crushed

Line a square 8 x 8 pan with foil and smooth the surface. Spray foil with nonstick spray.

Combine the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a double boiler over medium heat. Heat until melted, about 5-7 minutes. Stir until smooth, then immediately pour it into the foil-lined pan.
Use a spatula to smooth the surface, then sprinkle on the crushed peppermints.

Refrigerate for 2 hours, then cut into small squares.

Dessert · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Ginger, passionfruit trifle

Belinda

I am a huge fan of trifle, and usually stick to a very boozy traditional one, but this one from Nigella Lawson caught my eye and you can see why. Another easy showstopper dessert!

Serves 10

About 18-20 oz store-bought sponge or pound cake or savoiardi cookies
About 4-6 oz ginger wine (I use Stones Ginger Wine, available in most wine stores)
About 18 -20 oz heavy whipping cream
4 tsp confectioners sugar (icing sugar)
8 passion fruit

Slice or break the sponge into pieces and arrange half of them in a shallow dish or stand, then pour half the ginger wine over them. Mound up the remaining half of the sponge or cookie pieces and pour the remaining wine on top
* I pour in more than the stated amount of ginger wine as I like my trifle boozy and gingery!

Whip the cream with the confectioners sugar (icing sugar) until it’s firm but not too stiff; you want soft peaks.

Scoop the insides of 2 passionfruit into the bowl of cream and fold in before mounding the cream floppily over the soused sponges.

Scoop out the remaining 6 passion fruit onto the white pile of cream s that it is doused and dribbling with the black seeds and fragrant golden pulp

Chocolate · Dessert · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Chocolate chestnut refrigerator cake

Belinda2 Comments

Another fabulous dessert from Nigella Lawson.
It’s incredibly easy to make, and dangerously compelling to eat, one of those puddings about which everyone says ‘it’s very rich’ before going on to third helpings.


Makes: 10-12 slices

FOR THE CAKE
2 cups sweetened chestnut puree
12 tbsp soft unsalted butter
10 oz bittersweet chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
3 tbsp dark rum

TO SERVE
creme fraiche

Beat the puree in a bowl until it’s smooth, and then add the butter, beating again to make a well-blended mixture.
Melt the chocolate and let it cool slightly, before adding it to the chestnut and butter in the bowl.
Beat in the rum, and spoon the chocolate mixture into a 9″ x 4″ loaf tin, lined with clingfilm, in two batches, making sure the first layer reaches the corners and sides of the bottom of the tin before you smooth over the rest.
Wrap the overhanging clingfilm over the cake so that it is completely covered, and put it in the fridge to set for at least four hours, but a day or so in advance if you want.
Don’t take the loaf tin out of the fridge until you want to eat it, when you just unmold the cake, cut it into thin slices and serve with creme fraiche or sour cream.

Chocolate · Dessert · Do-ahead · Icecream

Girdlebuster pie

Belinda

Well, given the (Covid) year we’ve had and our waistlines are a little more “elastic” we can go out with a bang these Holidays with this easy and divine Girdlebuster pie from Nigella Lawson.

Serves 6-8

13 oz Digestive cookies or Graham crackers
3 oz soft butter, plus 3 more oz
2 oz dark chocolate pieces or chips
2 oz milk chocolate pieces or chips
4.5 cups (1 liter) coffee ice cream
10.5 oz Lyles golden syrup (Available on Amazon)
3.5 oz packed light muscovado sugar or brown sugar
1/4 tsp Maldon salt or a pinch table salt (optional)
2 tbsp Bourbon
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

In a food processor, process the cookies with the 3 oz of soft butter and the chocolate pieces or chips until it forms a damp but still crumb-like clump.
Press into a 9″ round pie dish or flan dish. Form a lip of cookie dough a little higher than the dish if you can. This process takes patience as you ideally need to form a smooth, even layer.
Freeze the cookie dough-lined dish for about 1 hour so it gets really hard.

In the meantime, let your ice-cream soften in the refrigerator, just until it can be scooped.
Spread the ice-cream layer into the hard cookie lined dish to form a layer.
Cover with plastic wrap and return to the freezer

Put the golden syrup, sugar, remaining 3 oz butter and salt (if using) into a saucepan and let it melt over a low to medium heat, before turning it up and letting it boil for 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat and add the bourbon, letting it hiss in the pan. Add the cream and stir to mix into a sauce then remove from the heat and let cool.
Once the sauce is cool, but not set cold, pour it over the pie to cover the ice cream layer and then put it back into the freezer.
Once frozen, cover it again with plastic wrap.

When ready to serve, remove the pie from the freezer, take the whole pie out of it’s dish and cut into slices.

Dessert · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Amaretti Syllabub

Belinda

Syllabub is a fabulous, indulgent, silky, fluffy dessert, well worth the calories and only takes 15 minutes to make!
This Anglo-Italian version is from Nigella Lawson and with the crumbled amaretti cookies, it feels like a light fluffy trifle.

Serves 4, if you’re lucky

1/3 cup Amaretto liqueur
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz amaretti cookies

Pour the Amaretto liqueur into a bowl with the sugar and lemon juice and whisk to mix.
Whisk in the heavy cream and whip this mixture until it has thickened but is still soft and billowy.
Crumble 2 little amaretti cookies into each of the 4 glasses (each with a yield of about 2/3 cup)
Divide the syllabub between the glasses on top of the crumbled cookies.
Crumble another 2 cookies and sprinkle over the top of all the glasses to give a fine sprinkle of crumbs on each.
Serve the remaining amaretti cookies alongside the syllabub.