Delicious Dessert Recipes-------------------------------------- HEALTHY DESSERT RECIPES: GOOSEBERRY FOOL From the Kitchen of The Good Food Angel --------------------------------------- INGREDIENTS Gooseberries (topped and tailed) Granulated raw cane sugar to taste Cream Serve with shortbread or cookies METHOD Place gooseberries in a heavy-based saucepan. Add sugar and cook on a very low heat, stirring continuously until the gooseberries become soft and begin to split open. Allow to cool. Stir in cream. (For a smoother fool, whizz in a processor) TIP: Needs to be kept cool until eaten. VARIATION: Use any summer fruit. Instead of cream, use pro-biotic natural yogurt/crème fraiche. For non-dairy desserts, use a little water instead of cream, and you have a compote. ---------------------------------------- HEALTHY DESSERT RECIPES: EASY APPLE CRUMBLE From the Kitchen of The Good Food Angel ----------------------------------------- INGREDIENTS Variety of different apples, including granny smiths Raw cane sugar Cinnamon Lemon juice Shortbread fingers (use pure butter shortbread ) METHOD: Cut apples into chunky slices leaving the skins on. Place in a deep cast iron saucepan that can be placed under the grill later. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Place on a very low heat on the hob and allow the apples to cook, stirring from time to time. Do not add any water as this will dilute the flavour. The lemon juice will provide enough liquid. Do not overcook as the apples are nicer with a bit of crunch. Crush the shortbread in a bowl with a pestle. When the apple is cooked, sprinkle the shortbread crumbs on top and place under a high grill for a few minutes until the shortbread turns golden brown. ---------------------------------- HEALTHY DESSERT RECIPES: FRUIT FRITTERS From the Kitchen of The Good Food Angel ----------------------------------- INGREDIENTS Basic pancake batter (egg, milk, flour) Sliced apple, pineapple and banana Flour Sunflower/canola oil Icing sugar METHOD Dip sliced fruit first in flour and then in batter and cook in very hot, clean oil in a pan, or deep fat fryer. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little icing sugar.
HEALTHY DESSERT RECIPES: EASY CHRISTMAS PIES From the Kitchen of The Good Food Angel ----------------------------------------------------------------- For years, I never baked mince pies, Christmas cake, or Christmas pudding because the whole thing seemed such a huge operation. My only knowledge of the process was from memories of my grandmother’s kitchen, when she would embark on the Christmas cooking like a military campaign, sometime after Halloween. There was no such thing as cooking up a few mincepies on Christmas Eve, when you finally had the time. It seems to me there should be something in between my grandmother’s way and just buying factory made pies, which is what most people do nowadays. So, to the purists, my little offering may not be the real thing, but in our family we love them and I can cook them at the last minute and have them hot out of the oven, just in time for Santa Claus! They are also delicious and nutritious eaten cold from a lunchbox. INGREDIENTS Raisins Sultanas Currants Finely chopped apples Chopped almonds Brown sugar Freshly squeezed orange juice and zest Freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest Cinnamon Nutmeg A little brandy Rolled puff pastry Baking cases METHOD Preheat oven to 200 C. Mix all the ingredients together except the pastry, making sure there is more than enough liquid to cover everything. Taste the sauce to see if it has the right amount of sugar and spices. Depending on how much time you have, you can cover the mixture with cling film and allow it to stand for an hour, or overnight, or longer, or not at all. Leaving it to stand allows it to absorb the juices, so the less time you have, the less juice you should use. Cut out pastry cups and lids to fit baking cases. Place cups in cases and fill with fruit mix. Put lids on. Bake for about 15 minutes until pastry is golden. Allow to cool on a rack. TIP: If you are too busy to cut out pastry shapes, just make it like a pie in a flan dish and cut off slices after it’s cooked.
------------------------------------- HEALTHY DESSERT RECIPES: FRUIT SALAD SEASONS From the Kitchen of The Good Food Angel -------------------------------------- Changing what we eat according to the seasons helps tune us in to the rhythms of the earth and the rhythms of what our bodies need. To each season, it’s own fruit, is a good adage to live by. Here are some fruit salad ideas for each time of year. AUTUMN/WINTER Loose pomegranite seeds, pears, green seedless grapes, toasted walnuts, crumbled blue cheese, wafer thin slices of red onion. SPRING/SUMMER Honeydew melon and cantaloupe, red grapes, mango, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mint. TROPICAL SUMMER Shredded coconut, star fruit, pineapple, banana, mango, macadamia nuts. VARIATION: Try dressing your fruit salad with a honey and lime/ orange sauce. Or a dollop of frozen ice-cream, frozen yogurt, or crème fraiche.
---------------------------------- HEALTHY DESSERT RECIPES: EASY GOOSEBERRY CRUMBLE From the Kitchen of The Good Food Angel ----------------------------------- This really is worth the effort and is much easier than you think. Your family will love you forever when you cook this! INGREDIENTS Gooseberries (topped and tailed) Raw cane sugar Shortbread fingers (use pure butter shortbread ) METHOD Place gooseberries in a deep cast iron saucepan that can be placed under the grill later. Sprinkle with sugar. Place on a very low heat on the hob and allow to cook, stirring from time to time. Do not add any water as this will dilute the flavour. The juice will provide enough liquid. Crush the shortbread in a bowl with a pestle. When the gooseberries are cooked, sprinkle the shortbread crumbs on top and place under a high grill for a few minutes until the shortbread turns golden brown.
-------------------------------------- HEALTHY DESSERT RECIPES: BERRY YOGURT From the Kitchen of The Good Food Angel --------------------------------------- This is a wonderful way of avoiding the sugary, over-processed yogurt products that fill supermarket shelves. Your homemade version will be 100% creamy goodness! INGREDIENTS Fresh or frozen berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries etc.) Natural organic bio-yogurt Honey METHOD Combine everything in a food processor and whizz until smooth, until you have a fabulous dark purple smooth mixture. Freeze in little portion-sized tubs and take out the morning you want to use them. -------------------------------------- RECIPE: FRUIT KEBABS From the Kitchen of The Good Food Angel --------------------------------------- These fun kebabs make fruit-eating a little more appetising for young children. Remember, instead of sharp skewers and cocktail sticks, which can be a hazard, use wooded lollipop sticks or strong drinking straws. (Pinch the end of the straw while pushing it through the fruit.) Choose from whatever selection of fresh fruits are in season, cutting into cubes and arranging in an appetising variation of colours. However, avoid apples, or any other fruit that might discolour, or is too ripe or too soft to stay on a kebab, such as peach. INGREDIENTS A typical kebab might include any of the following: Pineapple Strawberry Melon Stoned greengage Stoned apricot Stoned nectarine Mandarin orange (pips removed) Mango Cherry Grape
-------------------------------------- HEALTHY DESSERT RECIPES: QUICK CHEESECAKE From the Kitchen of The Good Food Angel --------------------------------------- This sugar-free dessert tastes wonderful. If you love cheesecake, but don’t always have time to make it, try this quickie version. INGREDIENTS Fromage frais Blueberries Honey Linseed Plain digestive biscuits METHOD Mix all the ingredients, except biscuits. Spread over the biscuits and you have instant cheesecake. ---------------------------------------- HEALTHY DESSERT RECIPES: FRUIT SALAD SEASONS---SUMMER From the Kitchen of The Good Food Angel ---------------------------------------- INGREDIENTS honeydew melon cantaloupe red grapes mango strawberries blueberries raspberries chopped mint Salsa: Fresh lime juice and honey OR freshly squeezed orange juice and honey METHOD Chop, mix and toss the fruit in a lime and honey salsa, or some orange juice. --------------------------------------- HEALTHY DESSERT RECIPES: BANANA DOG From the Kitchen of The Good Food Angel ---------------------------------------- This is a favourite with young children! If you have difficulty introducing wholewheat bread to your family, this is a good place to start, as the deliciousness of the other ingredients should cancel out any objections! INGREDIENTS Soft hot dog roll Peanut butter/chocolate spread Banana Whipped cream Chopped walnuts Cake sprinkles/ chocolate drops METHOD Spread the roll with peanut butter or chocolate spread. Add a little cream if you can keep it cool enough. Place a whole peeled banana inside and sprinkle with chopped nuts and cake sprinkles/chocolate drops.
-------------------------------------------- HEALTHY DESSERT RECIPES: GATHER YE ROSEBUDS From the Kitchen of the Good Food Angel -------------------------------------------- This is a great novelty dessert. The most delicious food is that which we gather ourselves and every now and then I think it is important, especially for urban children, to get a taste of the wild. If you are lucky enough to be able to send your children out to pick the flowers and berries themselves, all the better. (But only if they know that some wild berries and flowers are toxic and cannot be eaten.) Or maybe you could go on a Sunday afternoon family ramble and collect the ingredients. INGREDIENTS Edible whole flower blossoms such as marigolds/elderflowers Rose petals Shredded fresh herbs such as mint, flat parsley/coriander leaf Seasonal hedgerow berries Sauce: Lemon and lime zest Honey Orange juice Dash of lime juice Black pepper/nutmeg/cinnamon METHOD Wash and mix the whole flower blossoms, rose petals, herbs and berries. Combine sauce ingredients and dress the flowers. TIP: If not eating straight away, stick it in the freezer and you will have a deliciously fresh, crunchy fun dessert. ---------------------------------------- HEALTHY DESSERT RECIPES: BAKLAVA From the Kitchen of The Good Food Angel ---------------------------------------- This is a classic middle-eastern treat. Pick up good quality baklava at your ethnic deli, or try making your own. INGREDIENTS Filo pastry ( If in a hurry, use puff pastry) Chopped almonds Chopped dates Cinnamon Nutmeg Honey METHOD Cook the pastry. Mix all the other ingredients and layer between several layers of thin pastry. Allow to cool. TIP: Try to get pastry with no hydrogenated oil. TIP: Make some for next week also and keep in the fridge.
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