SIMPLY DESSERTS

Festive, light, fruity, rich and sumptuous, Showcook's choice of desserts sees the new year in with a touch of delicious frivolity. Lannice Snyman, Arina du Plessis, Wilma Howells, Françoise Barbin Lecrevisse, Jenna Develing and Elsa Van der Nest. Summery white peaches and red Pineau, a duo of panna cottas in coconut and amaretto. Choose from twin chocolate mousses, classically decadent or rich espresso. On and on whipping up a whirl of sweet delights.

 

CARAMELISED PINEAPPLE PASTRY WITH YOGHURT AND HONEY
Jenna Develing, Tintswalo Safari Lodge, 'BUSHVELD BANQUETS'

200 g butter, preferably unsalted, softened
60 ml (4 tbsp) brown sugar
30 ml (2 tbsp) icing sugar
2 Queen pineapples, peeled cored and sliced thickly into rounds
1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted if frozen
100 ml honey
5 ml (1 tsp) Chinese five-spice powder
natural yoghurt
berries to garnish
mint sprigs to garnish
(Serves 4 – 5)

Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Mix the butter with both sugars, spread it out on a baking tray, and arrange the pineapple rings on the mixture, turning to coat. Place in the oven and let the mixture caramelize for about 15 minutes, taking care not to brown it too much. Reduce the heat to 180ºC. Cut 8 cm diameter circles from the pastry and arrange on a greased baking tray. Grease a second tray and place it, greased side down, over the pastry circles. 

Bake for 10 minutes, then increase the heat to 200ºC and bake for a further 10 minutes, or until golden. Remove the top tray and let the pastry cool. Meanwhile, combine the honey and spice powder, bring to the boil, remove from the heat and leave to infuse.

To serve, anchor a pastry circle in the center of a plate with a drop of spiced honey. Top with a pineapple ring, then add a dollop of yoghurt to the center of the ring. Repeat the layer with pastry, pineapple and yoghurt. Drizzle honey over the pineapple and around the plate. Garnish with berries and mint.

ESPRESSO CREAM WITH DARK CHOCOLATE SAUCE
Elsa Van der Nest, 'FEAST OF FLAVOURS FROM THE ITALIAN KITCHEN'

This dessert requires one day of advance, but worthwhile, preparation. Serve with biscotti for a perfect summer treat.

700 ml milk
2 tbsp instant coffee granules
1 tbsp instant espresso granules
180 – 195 g golden brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence (extract)
7 extra large egg yolks
4 tbsp Amaretto liqueur
3 ½ sheets gelatine leaves
250 ml fresh cream

Chocolate Sauce:
250 ml fresh cream
250 g best quality available dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

Combine milk, coffee granules, sugar and vanilla essence in a heavy saucepan. Bring to the boil over low heat. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks well in a heatproof (flameproof) mixing bowl set over a bain-marie – a pot of gently simmering water.

Slowly pour hot milk over egg yolks, whisking until well combined. Stir in amaretto, then strain into a clean heatproof mixing bowl.

Return bowl to bain-marie and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture thickens slightly. Soften gelatine in cold water about 5 minutes before custard is ready. When custard is ready, remove from heat immediately. Squeeze gelatine of water and stir into custard until completely dissolved. Transfer to a clean bowl and set over an ice bath to cool, stirring regularly. Cover and refrigerate cooled custard. When nearly set, it will resemble lightly whipped cream. Whip fresh cream to soft peak stage and fold into custard. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Prepare chocolate sauce 1 hour before serving. Bring cream to the boil and remove from heat. Put chocolate into a heatproof bowl, pour cream over and whisk until smooth. Set aside; do not refrigerate. 

To assemble, prepare 6 clean espresso cups and spoon ½ tsp chocolate sauce into each. Fill each cup-three quarter way with espresso cream and smoothen surface. Spoon chocolate sauce over to cover surface completely. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving.

JELLY FRUIT BOWL
Françoise Barbin Lecrevisse, 'COOKING WITH PINEAU' 

2,5 gelatine leaves
75 g sugar
80 ml water
100 ml red Pineau

For the fruits 
250 g strawberries
1 to 2 white peaches (150 g)
125 cherries
2 tbsp castor sugar
some fresh mint leaves (about 5 g)
(Serves 4 - 6) 

Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water to soften them. Bring sugar, water and Pineau to the boil, remove from heat and add gelatine leaves, stir to melt everything, allow to cool. Hull the strawberries, peel the peaches and cut into pieces. Wash and dry cherries, pit and cut into halves. Put all the fruits into a salad bowl, add sugar, mix and refrigerate. 

When the jelly is cold enough, pour almost 1 cm into the bottom of each bowl and allow to cool. In the meantime, wash, dry, cut and add mint to the fruits. Fill the bowls with the fruits when the jelly starts to set (do not add the juice of the maceration), pour the remaining jelly over and place into the fridge. When serving, place a mint leaf or a strawberry on the top to decorate.

PANNA COTTA WITH PLUM SAUCE
Lannice Snyman, 'FRUIT ART'

If plums aren’t in season, use berries in the sauce; or make two different fruit toppings for added interest.

Panna Cotta
4 gelatine leaves
500 ml cream
150 g castor sugar
500 ml plain yoghurt
3 tbsp amaretto liqueur 

Plum Sauce
250 g ripe plums
4 tbsp clear honey
(Serves 8)

Panna Cotta Soften the gelatine leaves in iced water for a few minutes. Combine the cream, castor sugar and yoghurt in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until smooth and warm. Squeeze the excess water from the gelatine with your hands, add to the cream mixture and stir until the gelatine dissolves. Do not overheat, otherwise the yoghurt will curdle.

Remove from the heat and stir in the liqueur. Pour into eight glasses, cover and refrigerate for about 6 hours until set.

Plum Sauce Cut the plums into chunks and discard the stones. Pop into a blender or food processor with the honey and purée smoothly. Pass through a fine sieve and chill.

To Serve  Spoon plum sauce onto the panna cotta. A mint sprig would make a jolly garnish if you think that an extra touch of colour will cheer things up.

COCONUT PANNA COTTA
Arina du Plessis and Wilma Howell, 'ENTERTAIN'

Panna Cotta
15 ml (1 tbsp) gelatine
45 ml (3 tbsp) cold water
1 can (400 g) fresh cream
1 cinnamon stick
180 ml (¾ cup) sugar
80 ml (1/3 cup) milk

The finishing touch
45 ml (3 tbsp) Chinese five spice
lemon and spice syrup

Panna Cotta Sprinkle the gelatine over the cold water and let stand for 10 minutes. Bring the coconut cream, fresh cream, cinnamon stick, sugar and milk to boil. Remove from the heat and add gelatine. Stir well until completely dissolved. Cool for 30 minutes. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick. 

Grease six small cups or bowls with oil and fill with the mixture. Refrigerate overnight. To turn out, loosen the sides slightly and slide onto a side plate. (If you have trouble removing the panna cotta, quickly dip the cups/bowls in warm water and try again.)

Lemon and spice syrup
375 ml (1 ½ cup) sugar
8 ml (1/3 cup) lemon juice
125 ml (½ cup) water
6 whole star anise
125 ml (½ cup) apple juice

Heat all the ingredients, except the apple juice, together and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil and simmer until syrupy and golden brown. Cool slightly and stir apple juice into the syrup. Cool to room temperature. Dot syrup around a panna cotta portion, put a star aniseed on each plate and sprinkle with Chinese five spice.

MANGOES IN SWEET WINE WITH ALMOND CRISPS
Lannice Snyman, 'FRUIT ART'

500 ml bottle sweet wine (late harvest, noble late harvest, straw wine, natural sweet, sauternes)
2 mangoes

Almond Crisps
100 g flaked almonds 
50 g cake flour
50 g castor sugar
60 ml egg whites
50 g butter
(Serves 4)

Mangoes in Sweet Wine  Chill the wine. Skin, stone and slice the mangoes into a bowl. Cover and return to the fridge while you’re making the almond crisps.

Almond Crisps Lightly oil one large or two smaller baking trays. Heat the oven to 180ºC. Pop three-quarters of the almonds into a food processor with the flour and castor sugar and whizz quickly until quite finely crumbled. Whizz in the egg whites and melted butter; don't over-process as the almonds should stay textured.

Drop heaped teaspoonfuls of the biscuit mixture onto the baking tray/s, leaving plenty of space for spreading. Spread evenly into circles and scatter the remaining almonds on top, pressing them gently into the batter. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes. The biscuits should be quite brown around the edges and paler in the centre. Lift onto a cake rack to cool. Store, if necessary, in an airtight container.

To Serve Pour chilled wine into glasses and add mango slices. Place almond crisps alongside.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE (Mouse au Chocolat)
Elsa Van der Nest, ' FEAST OF FLAVOURS FROM THE FRENCH KITCHEN'

Elsa Van der Nest's Chocolate mousse is a simple, quick and decadently rich dessert.

300 g chocolate broken into pieces, use best quality available
5 eggs, separated
500 ml double (heavy) cream 
2 tbsp castor sugar
2 tbsp Grand Marnier or cognac

Melt chocolate in bain-marie or double boiler over gentle heat until fluid. Remove from heat and leave to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, beat egg whites until stiff and set aside. Whisk cream to soft peak stage. Add sugar and whisk further until sugar is incorporated. Set aside. Lightly beat egg yolks and stir into chocolate then add liqueur or cognac and mix until smooth.

Fold a heaped spoonful of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture; this helps to lighten it. Fold lightened chocolate into remaining egg whites. Finally, fold in sweetened cream. Spoon mousse into desired serving cups and refrigerate for 2 – 3 hours or until set. Before serving, remove from refrigerator and bring to room temperature for the texture to be soft and creamy. 

PEACH SOFT CAKE
Françoise Barbin Lecrvisse, 'COOKING WITH PINEAU' 

4 eggs
200 g castor sugar
100 g ground almonds
150 ml single cream
50 ml red Pineau
500 g well ripe white peaches
butter (for the mould)

(Special equipment) 1 porcelain sponge mould measuring 27 cm

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Whisk the eggs and the sugar until light and white (it is better using a mixer.) Gently add the ground almonds, cream and Pineau. Peel and cut peaches into thick slices. Butter the mould, pour the almond cream inside and divide the peach slices (evenly over the mould), press them gently. Bake and monitor for 35 minutes, let cook longer until the cake is set. Remove from oven and allow to cool; serve in the mould.