Orange & date salad

Ingredients:

• 6 oranges
• 2 tablespoons orange-flower
• water
• 100g/4oz stoned dates,
• chopped
• 50g/2oz pistachio nuts,
• chopped
• 15g/1⁄2oz icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon toasted almonds

• Peel the oranges with a sharp knife, removing all the pith. Cut into segments, catching all the juice in a bowl. Put the segments in a serving dish.

• Stir in the juice from the bowl and the orange-flower water.

• Sprinkle the dates and nuts over the salad, along with the icing sugar. Chill for 1 hour.

• Just before serving, sprinkle with the toasted almonds.

Mandarins in syrup

Ingredients:

• 10 mandarin oranges
• 15g/1⁄2oz icing sugar
• 2 teaspoons orange-flower water
• 15g/1⁄2oz chopped pistachio nuts

• Thinly pare a little of the zest from 1 mandarin, and cut into fine shreds for decoration. Squeeze the juice from 2 mandarins and set aside.

• Peel the remaining mandarins, removing as much of the white pith as possible. Arrange the peeled fruit whole in a large glass dish.

• Mix the reserved mandarin juice, sugar and orange-flower water, and pour it over the fruit. Cover the dish and chill for at least an hour.

• Blanch the shreds of mandarin zest in boiling water for 30 seconds.Drain and leave to cool.

• To serve, sprinkle the shreds of zest and pistachio nuts over the mandarins, and serve immediately.

Fresh figs in wine

Ingredients:

• 450ml/3⁄4pt dry white wine
• 75g/3oz clear honey
• 50g/2oz caster sugar
• 1 small orange
• 8 whole cloves
• 450g/1lb fresh figs
• 1 cinnamon stick

• Put the wine, honey and sugar in a heavy saucepan, and heat gently until the sugar dissolves.

• Stud the orange with the cloves, and add to the syrup with the figs and cinnamon. Cover and simmer until the figs are soft.

• Transfer to a serving dish, and leave to cool before serving.

Californian baked pears

Ingredients:

• 25g/1oz butter
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• grated zest of 1⁄2 lemon
• 4 dessert pears
• 300g/11oz canned fruit cocktail
• in syrup
• 1⁄2 teaspoon mixed spice

• Preheat the oven to 190°C/ 375°F/Gas mark 5.

• Melt the butter in a flameproof casserole dish. Add the sugar and lemon zest. Peel the pears, and
turn in this mixture. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

• Add the fruit cocktail and its syrup, and sprinkle with the mixed spice. Return to the oven for 10 minutes.

• Lift the pears out onto warmed plates. Stir the fruit cocktail well into the pan juices. Spoon around the pears, and serve immediately.

Summer berries in Champagne jelly

Ingredients:

• 900ml/11⁄2pt Champagne
• 11⁄2 teaspoons powdered gelatine
• 250g/9oz granulated sugar
• 250g/9oz strawberries, hulled
• and chopped
• 250g/9oz blueberries

• Pour half of the champagne into a large bowl, and let the bubbles subside. Sprinkle the gelatine over the top in an even layer. Do not stir. Leave until the gelatine is spongy.

• Pour the remaining Champagne into a large saucepan, add the sugar and heat gently, stirring constantly, until all the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat, add the gelatine mixture and stir until thoroughly dissolved. Cool completely.

• Divide the berries among eight 125ml/4fl oz stemmed wine glasses, and gently pour the jelly over them. Chill in the refrigerator until set. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.

Mango & melon ginger salad

Ingredients:

• 2 avocados, peeled, stoned and
• flesh cut into slices
• 1 mango, peeled and cut into
• slices
• 1 cantaloupe melon, peeled and
• cut into slices
• Grated zest and juice of 2 limes
• 100g/4oz Stilton cheese,
• crumbled
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped
• stem ginger
• 2 passion fruit, halved

• Arrange the slices of avocado, mango and melon decoratively on a serving plate.

• Sprinkle the fruit with the lime zest and juice, Stilton and ginger. Spoon the passion fruit over the
salad and serve

Muscat grape frappé

Ingredients:

• 1⁄2 bottle Muscat wine
• 450g/1lb Muscat grapes

• Pour the wine into a stainless-steel baking tray, add 150ml/5fl oz water and freeze for 3 hours or
until completely solid.

• Scrape the frozen wine with a tablespoon to make a fine ice. Combine the grapes with the ice,
and spoon into four shallow glasses. Serve immediately.

Banana split

Ingredients:

• 200g/7oz dark chocolate (at
• least 70% cocoa solids)
• 175ml/6fl oz double cream
• 25g/1oz butter
• 4 bananas
• 12 scoops vanilla ice cream
• mixed chopped nuts, to serve

• Put the chocolate, cream and butter in a pan, and stir over a low heat until smooth. Cool slightly.

• Split the bananas in half lengthways, and arrange in four glass dishes. Put 3 scoops of ice cream in each dish, and pour the chocolate sauce over the top.

• Sprinkle with the chopped nuts, and serve immediately.

Mulled Florida cocktail

Ingredients:

• 2 grapefruit
• 2 oranges
• 150ml/5fl oz apple juice
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 2 fresh cherries, pitted
• and halved

• Over a saucepan to catch the juice, remove all zest and pith from the grapefruit and oranges, and
separate each into segments.

• Put the segments in the saucepan. Add the apple juice and brandy. Heat through until almost boiling.

• Spoon into four glass dishes and top each with half a cherry. Serve warm.

Eton mess

Ingredients:

• 150ml/5fl oz double cream,
• lightly whipped
• 200ml/7fl oz Greek-style yogurt
• 500g/1lb 2oz strawberries,
• hulled
• 2 tablespoons cr?me de cassis
• 5 meringue nests

• Fold the cream into the yogurt and chill for 30 minutes.

• Put 250g/9oz strawberries in a blender or food processor, blend to a purée, then stir in the crème de
cassis. Measure out 75ml/3fl oz of the purée and reserve.

• Slice the remaining strawberries into a bowl, reserving 6 for decoration, then pour the purée
over and chill in the bowl for 20 minutes.

• Break up the meringue nests, and carefully fold into the cream mixture along with the strawberry
mixture. Divide between six serving glasses, then drizzle over the reserved purée.

• Decorate with the reserved strawberries, and serve.

Summer fruits with ricotta & vanilla dip

Ingredients:

• 250g/9oz ricotta cheese
• 250g/9oz mascarpone cheese
• 150ml/5fl oz crème fraîche
• a few drops of vanilla essence
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• 50g/2oz caster sugar
• 900g/2lb mixed fresh
• summer berries

• Beat the cheeses together with the crème fraîche, vanilla essence, lemon zest and sugar. Spoon into
a serving dish, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.

• To serve, pile the berries onto a serving plate, and spoon the ricotta and vanilla dip on top.

Strawberries Romanoff

Ingredients:

• 750g/1lb 11oz strawberries,
• quartered
• 2 tablespoons Cointreau
• 1⁄2 teaspoon finely grated
• orange zest
• 15g/1⁄2oz caster sugar
• 125ml/4fl oz double cream
• 20g/3⁄4oz icing sugar

• Combine the strawberries, Cointreau, orange zest and caster sugar in a large bowl, cover and
refrigerate for 1 hour. Drain the strawberries, reserving any juices.

• Purée about a quarter of the strawberries with the reserved juices in a blender or food processor. Divide the remaining strawberries among four glasses.

• Beat the cream and icing sugar until soft peaks form, then fold the strawberry purée through the whipped cream. Spoon the mixture over the top of the strawberries, cover and refrigerate until needed.

Bananas with chocolate marshmallow sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 slightly unripe bananas
• 50g/2oz chocolate chips
• 24 mini marshmallows

• Preheat the oven to 160°C/ 325°F/Gas mark 3.

• Trim the ends of the bananas,leaving on the skins. Using a sharp knife, make a lengthways slit in
each one.

• Gently prise open each banana, and fill with chocolate chips and marshmallows, then wrap each
banana in foil. Bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes, and serve hot

Pineapple flambé

Ingredients:

• 1 large ripe pineapple, about
• 600g/11⁄4lb
• 25g/1oz butter
• 50g/2oz soft brown sugar
• 50ml/2fl oz freshly squeezed
• orange juice
• 25ml/1fl oz vodka
• 1 tablespoon slivered almonds,
• toasted

• Cut away the top and base of the pineapple, then cut down the sides, removing all the dark ‘eyes’. Cut the pineapple into thin slices. Using an apple corer, remove the hard, central core from each slice.

• Melt the butter in a frying pan with the sugar. Add the orange juice and stir until hot. Add as many pineapple slices as the pan will hold, and cook for 1–2 minutes, turning once. As each pineapple
slice browns, remove to a plate.

• Return all the pineapple slices to the pan, heat briefly, then pour  over the vodka and carefully light with a long match. Let the flames die down, then sprinkle with the almonds and serve at once.

Spiced fruit platter

Ingredients:

• 1 pineapple
• 2 papayas
• 1 small cantaloupe melon
• juice of 2 limes
• 2 pomegranates
• chat masala, to taste

• Cut away the top and base of the pineapple, then cut down the sides, removing all the dark ‘eyes’. Cut the pineapple into thin slices. Using an apple corer, remove the hard, central core from each slice.

• Peel the papayas. Cut them in half, then into thin wedges. Halve the melon and remove the seeds from the middle. Cut into thin wedges and  remove the skin.

• Arrange the fruit on six individual plates, and sprinkle with the lime juice. Cut the pomegranates in half, and scoop out the seeds, discarding any bitter pith. Scatter the seeds over the fruit.

• Serve, sprinkled with a little chat masala to taste.

Poached allspice pears

Ingredients:

• 4 large dessert pears, peeled,
• cored and halved
• 300ml/10fl oz orange juice
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 50g/2oz raisins
• 25g/1oz Demerara sugar

• Put the pears in a large saucepan. Add the orange juice, ground allspice, raisins and sugar, and heat gently, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the mixture to the boil and continue to boil for 1 minute.

• Reduce the heat to low, and leave to simmer for about 10 minutes. Test to see if the pears are soft and cooked by inserting the tip of a sharp knife. When they are ready, remove the pears from the pan with a
slotted spoon and transfer to serving plates.

• Serve hot with the syrup.

Grilled fresh figs with crème fraîche

Ingredients:

• 8 ripe fresh figs
• 225g/8oz crème fraîche
• 50g/2oz light muscovado suga

• Preheat the grill to high. Lightly butter a shallow flameproof dish, large enough to accommodate the figs in a single layer.

• Cut the figs into quarters without cutting through the base, and gently open each one out a little. Spoon a dollop of crème fraîche into the centre of each fig.

• Sprinkle the sugar evenly between the figs. Put the figs in the prepared dish, and put the hot grill for 2 minutes or until the sugar has melted and the crème fraîche starts to run. Serve immediately.

Melon & orange cups

Ingredients:

• 2 small honeydew melons
• 1 grapefruit, peeled and
• segmented
• 2 oranges, peeled and
• segmented
• 50g/2oz roasted, unsalted
• peanuts
• 25g/1oz light muscovado sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

• Halve the melons, scoop out the seeds and discard, then remove and chop the flesh. Reserve the melon shells.

• In a bowl, mix together the melon and citrus fruits. Pile the fruits back
into the melon shells.

• Chop the peanuts and mix with the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over
the fruit and serve.

Melon medley

Ingredients:

• 1⁄2 cantaloupe melon
• 1⁄2 honeydew melon
• 1⁄2 watermelon
• pulp from 2 passion fruit

• Cut the melons into bite-size pieces, or use a melon baller to slice into balls. Chill, covered, for
30 minutes.

• Drizzle with the passion fruit pulp before serving.

Pineapple & passion fruit salsa

Ingredients:

• 1 small pineapple
• 2 passion fruit
• 150ml/5fl oz Greek-style yogurt
• 2 tablespoons light
• muscovado sugar 

 

 

 

 

• Cut the top and bottom of the pineapple. Using a large sharp knife, slice off the peel and remove any remaining ‘eyes’. Slice the pineapple, and use a small pastry cutter or an apple corer to remove the tough core from each slice.

• Cut the passion fruit in half, and scoop the seeds and pulp into a bowl. Stir in the pineapple slices and yogurt. Cover and chill.

• Stir in the sugar just before serving.