Barbecue time – Dessert

No matter how much your guests have enjoyed their main meal, they can usually be persuaded to squeeze in a little dessert. Served with coffee, liqueur coffee or perhaps a dessert wine, a sweet offering, whether it be light and refreshing or sinfully rich, is the perfect end to a successful barbecue.

There’s no better way to finish a meal than with a nice dessert. But it’s not much fun for you to have to disappear into the kitchen to slave over dessert while everyone else relaxes outside.

Fortunately, all the dessert recipes in this section can be prepared ahead of time, so that you can have them on the table in minutes.

When entertaining, you need to feel confident that what you are serving will look and taste as good as the dessert recipe suggests, so here are a few tips to help you achieve dessert perfection. If you are making the Fresh fruit pavlova dessert , for example, you will want the meringue to be perfect. There are several methods for making meringue, but you must start with a clean, dry mixing bowl. lt’s best to have your egg whites at room temperature and, if possible, use caster sugar as it dissolves faster than any of the larger crystal sugars.

Beat the egg whites to soft, firm or stiff peaks, as the recipe requires – the aim is to reach maximum volume without overbeating. When you think the meringue is ready, take a little mixture and rub it between your thumb and forefinger. It should feel smooth and slightly gritty; if it’s too gritty it will need extra beating.

Cheesecakes as a dessert can also be an uncertain entity, and it’s often difficult to tell whether they are cooked through. A simple test is to gently wobble the cheesecake with the oven door slightly ajar, leaving the cheesecake in the oven. It should have a slight wobble. If you remove the cheesecake from the oven before it is properly cooked, it will sink. Allow to cool completely before refrigerating overnight for a firm, rich and creamy texture.

Dessert 1 – Key Lime Pie

Spring is here and I can’t think of a better dessert to have then a tart Key Lime Pie. The graham cracker crust is filled with a silky, creamy lime filling that is bright and fresh. The lime zest incorporated into the filling and sprinkled on top of the pie adds an extra pop of flavour, colour and fresh lime aroma. The pie is topped with sweeten whipped cream to help cut the tartness. I think this dessert pie is great for a beautiful spring brunch and would be great for Easter. I plan on making this recipe through the summer months. It’s easy to make; the hard part is waiting for the pie to chill and set up before you devour it!

Ingredients:
1¼ Cup graham cracker crumbs
¼ Cup sugar
5 Tbs melted butter
1 14 oz can of condensed milk
1 whole egg
1 Cup lime juice (key lime juice can be used but keep in mind key limes are tarter and more bitter than regular limes. You can cut the amount of juice down to ½ Cup for the recipe)
zest of 1 lime

Whipped Cream:
1 Cup heaving whipping cream
3-4 Tbs of powdered sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
1 tsp vanilla
Garnishes: lime zest and lime slices

Directions:
• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Press the mixture into a 9 inch pie or tart pan. Place pie pan on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let crust cool to room temperature.
• In another bowl, whisk together condensed milk and egg until smooth. Add lime juice and zest and whisk until combined and smooth. Gently pour filling into cooled pie shell (on baking sheet) and bake on the middle rack for 15 to 18 minutes until center of pie has set. Remove from oven and cool pie on rack and then chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Top with whipped cream and garnish with lime zest and slices.
Whipped Cream:
• In a large, deep bowl, add heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla. Using an electric hand mixer whip the ingredients together on medium high speed for 7 to 8 minutes until it begins to hold stiff peaks.
Enjoy!!

Source: Kitchen Runway.com

Dessert 2 – New York Cheese cake

1/2 cup self-raising flour
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
80 g butter, chopped
1 egg

FILLING
750 g cream cheese, softened
1 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup plain flour
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
4 eggs
2/3 cup cream

CANDIED RIND
1 cup caster sugar
rind of 3 limes, 3 lemons and
3 oranges, shredded
1 1/2 cups cream

1 Sift the flours into a large bowl, and add the sugar, lemon rind and butter. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre and add the egg. Mix with a flat-bladed knife, using a cutting action, until the mixture comes together in beads. Gently gather the dough together and lift out onto a lightly floured work surface. Press together, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes, or until firm.

2 Preheat the oven to hot 210°C (4l5°F/Gas 6-7). Roll the pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper until large enough to fit the base and side of a greased 23 cm round springform cake tin. Ease into the tin and trim the edges. Line with a piece of crumpled baking paper and pour in some baking beads. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the baking paper and beads and flatten the pastry lightly with the back of a spoon. Bake for a further 5 minutes. Allow to cool.

3 To make the Filling: Reduce the oven to slow 150°C (300°F/Gas 2). Beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour and rinds until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the cream, pour the filling over the pastry and bake for 1 hour 25-35 minutes, or until almost set. Cool, then refrigerate.

4 To make the Candied Rind: Put the sugar in a pan with 1/4 cup water and stir over low heat until dissolved. Add the rind, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Allow to cool and drain the rind (you can save the syrup to serve with the cheesecake). Whip the cream, spoon over the cold cheesecake and top with Candied Rind.

Dessert 3 – Tiramisu

3 cups strong black coffee, cooled
¼ cup dark rum
2 eggs, separated
250 g mascarpone
g 1 cup cream, whipped
20 large sponge finger biscuits
2 teaspoons dark cocoa powder

1 Combine the coffee and rum in a glass or jug.

2 Using electric beaters, beat the egg yolks and sugar in a small bowl for 3 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and pale. Add the mascarpone and beat until the ingredients are just combined. Using a metal spoon, fold in the whipped cream.

3 Using electric beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; then fold quickly and lightly into the cream mixture with a metal spoon.

4 Dip half the biscuits, one at a time, into the coffee mixture. Drain off any excess and arrange in the base of a serving dish about 20 x 25 cm and 6 cm deep. Spread half the cream mixture over the biscuits.

5 Dip the remaining biscuits into the coffee mixture and repeat layering with the biscuits and cream mixture. Smooth the surface with a spatula and dust with cocoa powder. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavours to develop (best refrigerated overnight). Serve with fresh fruit.

Dessert 4 – Fresh Fruit Pavlova

4 egg whites
1 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 cups cream, whipped
1 banana, sliced
250 g punnet strawberries, sliced
2 kiwi fruit, sliced
pulp from 2 passionfruit

1 Preheat the oven to slow 150°C (300°F/Gas 2), Line a large oven tray with non-stick baking paper and draw a 20 cm circle on the paper. Beat the egg whites with electric beaters in a large dry bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, beating well after each addition. Beat for 5-10 minutes until all the sugar has completely dissolved.

2 Spread the meringue mixture onto the tray inside the marked circle. Shape the meringue evenly, running the flat side of a palette knife along the edge and over the top. Run the knife up the edge of meringue mixture, all the way round, making furrows. This strengthens the pavlova, stops the edge crumbling and gives it a good, decorative finish.

4 Bake for 30 minutes, or until pale and crisp. Reduce the heat to very slow 120°C (250°F/Gas 1/2) and bake for a further 10-15 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the pavlova inside to cool, using a wooden spoon to keep the door ajar. Top with whipped cream and arrange with fruit. Drizzle with passionfruit pulp.

Desserts with Bill & Sheila

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