Frozen citrus soufflé

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon powdered gelatine
• 100ml/31⁄2fl oz very hot water
• (not boiling)
• 3 eggs, separated
• 100g/4oz caster sugar
• grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• grated zest and juice of 1⁄2 lime
• grated zest and juice of 1⁄2 orange
• 150ml/5fl oz double or whipping
• cream
• 100g/4oz fromage frais

• Tie a greaseproof paper callar around a 15cm/6in soufflé dish.

• Sprinkle the gelatine into the hot water, stirring well to dissolve. Leave to stand for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, to give a completely clear liquid. Leave to cool for 10–15 minutes.

• Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until very pale and light in texture. Add the zest and juice from the fruits, mixing well. Stir in the cooled gelatine liquid, making sure that it is thoroughly mixed in.

• Put the cream in a large chilled bowl, and whip until it holds its shape. Stir the fromage frais into the cream, mixing it in gently. Fold the cream mixture into the citrus mixture using a large metal spoon.

• Using a clean whisk, beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff, thengently fold into the citrus mixture using a metal spoon. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Transfer to the freezer, and freeze for at least 2 hours until firm. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving

Cappuccino creams

Ingredients:

• 550g/11⁄4lb fromage  frais
• 2 tablespoons finely ground
• espresso coffee
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• 17g/6oz dark chocolate, at least
• 70% cocoa solids), grated

• Mix the fromage frais with the coffee and icing sugar. Spoon half of the mixture into eight individual ramekins or glass dishes.

• Sprinkle over most of the grated chocolate, and top with the remaining fromage frais mixture, sprinkling the last of the grated chocolate over the top. Chill until ready to serve.

Cherry mousse

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons powdered
• gelatine
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 150ml/5fl oz cranberry juice
• 225ml/8fl oz boiling water
• 450g/1lb fresh cherries, pitted
• 225ml/8fl oz low-fat
• Greek-style yogurt
• 150g/5oz granulated sugar

• Combine the egg, gelatine, cornflour, cranberry juice and 1 tablespoon cold water. Stir well to blend. Add the boiling water, and mix together thoroughly.

• Purée the cherries in a blender or food processor, add the gelatine mixture, yogurt and sugar, and blend until smooth.

• Chill for 4–6 hours to set. Blend again just before serving

Green fruit salad

Ingredients:

• 3 galia melons
• 100g/4oz green seedless grapes
• 2 kiwi fruit
• 1 star fruit
• 1 green dessert apple
• 1 lime
• 175ml/6fl oz sparkling grape juice

• Cut the melons in half and scoop out the seeds. Keeping the shells intact, scoop out the fruit with a melon baller. Set aside the melon shells.

• Remove any stems from the grapes, and peel and chop the kiwi fruit. Thinly slice the star fruit. Core and thinly slice the apple, and put the slices in a bowl with the melon, grapes, kiwi fruit and star fruit.

• Thinly pare the zest from the lime, and cut into fine strips. Blanch thestrips in boiling water for 10 seconds, then drain and rinse in cold water. Squeeze the juice from the lime, and sprinkle it into the fruit. Toss
through gently.

• Spoon the prepared fruit into the melon shells, and chill in therefrigerator until required. Just before serving, spoon the sparkling grape juice over the fruit, and scatter it with the lime zest.

Dried fruit fool

Ingredients:

• 300g/11oz ready-to-eat dried
• fruit, such as apricots,
• peaches or apples
• 300ml/10fl oz freshly squeezed
• orange juice
• 250ml/9fl oz low-fat
• fromage frais
• 2 egg whites

• Put the dried fruit in a saucepan, add the orange juice and heat gently until boiling. Reduce the
heat, cover and simmer gently for 3 minutes.

• Cool slightly. Tip into a blender or food processor, and purée until smooth. Stir in the fromage frais.

• Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until stiff enough to hold soft peaks, then slowly fold into the fruit mixture until combined.

• Spoon into four stemmed glasses, then chill the fools for at least 1 hour before serving.

Passion fruit & apple foam

Ingredients:

• 450g/1lb cooking apples
• 100ml/31⁄2fl oz unsweetened
• apple juice
• 3 passion fruit
• 3 egg whites

• Peel, core and roughly chop the apples. Put them in a pan with theapple juice. Bring the liquid to the boil, then reduce the heat and cover the pan. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the apple is very tender.

• Remove from the heat, and beat the apple mixture with a wooden spoonun til it forms a fairly smooth purée.

• Cut the passion fruit in half, and scoop out the seeds and pulp into the apple purée. Stir to mix thoroughly.

• Put the egg whites in a bowl, and whisk until soft peaks form. Fold theegg whites into the apple mixture. Spoon the apple foam into four serving dishes. Leave to cool and serve cold.

Mince pies

Ingredients:

• 150g/5oz butter, cut into pieces
• 225g/8oz plain flour
• 50g/2oz ground almonds
• 25g/1oz caster sugar
• a few drops of almond essence
• grated zest of 1 orange
• 1 egg yolk
• 225g/8oz mincemeat
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. Lightly grease a 12-hole bun tin or muffin pan.

• Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixtureresembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the almonds, sugar, almond essence, orange zest, egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water. Mix to forma firm dough. Knead briefly on a floured work surface, then wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

• Roll out thinly, and stamp out 12 rounds, about 7.5cm/3in, using apastry cutter. Use the pastry to line the holes in the bun tin. Spoon in the mincemeat to come two-thirds of the way up each hole. Use the remaining pastry to cut into seasonal shapes – such as holly leaves or Christmas trees – and place on top of the mincemeat.

• Bake for 20 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Serve warm with cream or brandy butter.