Strawberries in grape jelly

Ingredients:

• 500ml/18fl oz red grape juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• pared zest and juice of 1 small
• orange
• 1 tablespoon powdered gelatine
• 225g/8oz strawberries, hulled
• and chopped

 • Pour the grape juice into a pan, and add the cinnamon stick and orange zest. Cook over a very low heat for 10 minutes, then strain the juice and discard the flavourings.

• Sprinkle the powdered gelatine over the orange juice in a small bowl. When the mixture is spongy, stir into the grape juice until it has completely dissolved.

• Allow the jelly to cool in the bowl until just beginning to set. Stir in the strawberries, and pour into a 900ml/11⁄2pt mould. Chill until set.

Persian melon cups

Ingredients:

• 2 small cantaloupe melons
• 225g/8oz strawberries, hulled
• and sliced
• 3 peaches, peeled and cubed
• 225g/8oz seedless white grapes
• 25g/1oz caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon rose water
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed
• lemon juice
• crushed ice, to serve

• Carefully cut the melons in half and remove the seeds. Scoop out the flesh with a melon baller, taking
care not to damage the skin. Reserve the melon shells.

• Put the strawberries in a large mixing bowl with the melon balls, peaches, grapes, sugar, rose water
and lemon juice.

• Pile the fruit into the melon shells, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

• To serve, sprinkle with the crushed ice, and serve immediately

Nectarines with marzipan & yogurt

Ingredients:

• 4 nectarines
• 75g/3oz marzipan
• 75ml/3fl oz Greek-style yogurt
• 3 amaretti biscuits, crushed

• Cut the nectarines in half, removing the stones. Cut the marzipan into 8 pieces, and press one piece into
the stone cavity of each nectarine half. Preheat the grill.

• Spoon the Greek yogurt on top of the nectarines. Sprinkle the crushed amaretti biscuits over the yogurt.Put the fruits under the grill for 3–5 minutes until the yogurt starts to melt. Serve immediately

Gooseberry cheese cooler

Ingredients:

• 500g/1lb 2oz fresh
• gooseberries
• finely grated zest and juice of
• 1 small orange
• 1 tablespoon clear honey
• 250g/9oz cottage cheese

• Top and tail the gooseberries, and put them in a pan. Add the orange zest and juice, and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the honey.

• Purée the gooseberries and their juice in a blender or food processor until almost smooth. Allow to cool.

• Press the cottage cheese through a sieve until smooth. Stir half of the cooled gooseberry purée into the cottage cheese.

• To serve, spoon the cheese mixtureinto four serving glasses. Top each one with gooseberry purée, and
serve chilled.

Poached peaches with ginger

Ingredients:

• 4 peaches, halved and stoned
• 125ml/4fl oz water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1cm/1/2 in root ginger,
• peeled and grated
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 225g/8oz seedless white
• grapes, halved

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F/Gas mark 4.

• Put the peach halves skin side up in a baking dish. Combine 125ml/ 4fl oz water, the lemon juice, ginger and cinnamon stick, and pour over the peaches. Poach in the oven for 30 minutes.

• Remove from the oven and arrange the peaches on four dessert plates. Top with the cooking juices, add
the grapes and serve immediately.

Fruit fondue

Ingredients:

• 50g/2oz soft cheese
• 150ml/5fl oz hazelnut yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 teaspoon caster sugar selection of fresh fruits fordipping, such as strawberries,satsumas, kiwi fruit, grapes,all cut into bite-size pieces

• Beat the soft cheese with the yogurt, vanilla essence and sugar in a bowl.

• Spoon the mixture into a glass serving dish set on a platter. Arrange the prepared fruits around
the dip, and serve immediately

Grilled pink grapefruit

Ingredients:

• 2 pink grapefruit
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream

• Halve the grapefruit and cut round the edge of each, between the pith and the flesh. Separate the
segments. Sprinkle each grapefruit with sugar.

• Put in ramekins to keep them flesh side up, and put on a grill pan. Grill for 2–3 minutes until starting to lightly brown. Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of each, and serve immediately

Mango & lime mousse

Ingredients:

• grated zest and juice of 2 limes
• 8g/1?3oz powdered gelatine
• 3 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
• 50g/2oz caster sugar
• 300ml/10fl oz mango purée
• 100ml/4fl oz double cream,
• lightly whipped

• Put the lime juice in a small heatproof bowl, sprinkle in the gelatine and leave to soak for10 minutes.

• In a large bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar for 4–5 minutes until thick and mousse-like. Gently fold the mango purée, whipped cream and the lime zest into the mousse mixture.

• Put the heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water to dissolve the gelatine and lime juice mixture. Lightly fold into the mango mixture, making sure that everything is evenly combined.

• Pour the mousse into glasses, put in the freezer for 20 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving chilled.

Chocolate cream pudding

Ingredients:

• 25g/1oz cornflour
• 75g/3oz unsweetened cocoa
• 125g/41⁄2oz Demerera sugar
• 750ml/11⁄4pt milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla essence

• Sift the cornflour with the cocoa and sugar, and put in a saucepan.

• Gradually stir in the milk over a low heat until the mixture is free of lumps. Add the vanilla when slightly cooled, then pour the pudding mixture into a serving dish and refrigerate until needed

Glazed nectarine tart

Ingredients:

• 175g/6oz ready-to-roll
• puff pastry
• 25g/1oz butter, melted
• 600g/11⁄4lb nectarines,
• quartered, stoned and sliced
• 2 tablespoons apricot jam

• Preheat the oven to 230°C/ 450°F/Gas mark 8.

• Roll out the pastry thinly to a 28cm/11in round. Put on a nonstick baking sheet ,and prick well all over with a fork. Bake for 8–10 minutes until well browned and cooked through.

• Brush some of the melted butter over the pastry, and arrange the fruit slices on top, right to the edges of the pastry. Drizzle with the remaining butter and grill for 5 minutes or until the fruit is just tinged with colour. Cool slightly.

• Warm the apricot jam with a little water, and brush over the fruit to glaze. Serve warm or cold.

Frozen egg nog

Ingredients:

• 2 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 300ml/10fl oz double cream

• Put the egg yolks, rum and brandy in a pan over simmering water and whisk until the mixture is thick and
creamy. Remove from the heat and continue whisking until the mixture has cooled slightly. Transfer to a
freezerproof container.

• Whip the cream until it stands in soft peaks, then fold carefully into the egg mixture.

• Freeze for a minimum of 4 hours before serving.

Redcurrant filo baskets

Ingredients:

• 3 sheets filo pastry
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 175g/6oz redcurrants
• 250ml/9fl oz Greek-style yogurt
• 1 teaspoon icing sugar

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. Cut the sheets of filo pastry into 18 squares measuring 10cm/4in.

• Brush each filo square very thinly with the oil, then arrange 3 squares in each hole of a six-hole muffin tin, placing each one at a different angle so that they form star-shaped baskets. Bake for 6–8 minutes until crisp and golden. Lift the baskets out carefully. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

• Set aside a few redcurrants for decoration, and stir the rest into theGreek yogurt. Spoon the mixture into the filo baskets. Decorate with the reserved redcurrants, and sprinkle with the icing sugar to serve.

Chocolate fluff

Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites
• 3 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 150ml/5fl oz cream
• 2 tablespoons melted dark
• chocolate (at least 70%
• cocoa solids)
• chopped nuts

• Beat the egg whites until stiff, then gradually stir in the sugar and vanilla essence.

• Whip the cream until firm. Fold into the egg whites. Gradually fold in the chocolate

• Put into individual glasses, chill until needed and serve sprinkled with chopped nuts.

Brandy trifle

Ingredients:

• 20cm/8in sponge cake, cut into
• small cubes
• 150g/5oz apricot jam
• 125ml/4fl oz brandy
• 75g/3oz apricot jelly crystals
• 600ml/1pt boiling water
• 2 bananas
• 450ml/3⁄4pt prepared custard
• 225ml/8fl oz double cream,
• whipped
• 50g/2oz toasted almonds,
• chopped
• pulp of 2 passion fruit

• Put the sponge cubes in a large serving bowl. Combine the jam, brandy and 50ml/2fl oz water, and sprinkle over the sponge.

• Add the jelly crystals to the boiling water, and stir until dissolved. Pour into a rectangular dish and refrigerate until set.

• Cut the jelly into cubes. Scatter over the sponge. Peel and slice the bananas. Top the jelly with the
sliced bananas and the custard.

• Decorate the trifle with the whipped cream, almonds and passion fruit. Chill until needed.

Rum & raisin ice cream

Ingredients:

• 250g/9oz raisins
• 100ml/31⁄2fl oz dark rum
• 4 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons golden syrup
• 1 tablespoon treacle
• 600ml/1pt double cream,
• whipped

• Put the raisins in a pan, add the rum and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave the mixture to steep.

• Put the egg yolks, syrup and treacle in a small bowl. Whisk with an electric mixer for 2–3 minutes until it has a mousse-like consistency. Pour into the cream, and whisk for 3–4 minutes until thick.

• Pour the mixture into a large roasting tin, and freeze for 1 hour or until it begins to harden around the edges.

• Add the soaked fruit and any remaining liquid to the ice cream, and mix well. Put back in the freezer for 45 minutes, then spoon into a sealable container and freeze for at least 21⁄2 hours