- Fruit Cobbler There’s a few variations to this recipe, basically put a kilo of cut up fruit into a shallow, wide oven proof dish. The commercial recipes use 2 cut up bananas & 450gm tin of drained pineapple pieces but use what you have. Topping: Mix together in a separate bowl: 1 cup sugar, 1 cup desiccated coconut, ½ cup SR flour, ½ cup oil, juice from drained tin of pineapple. Spoon the mixture roughly on top of the fruit and bake for 30 minutes till golden brown. For a dinner party, bake in individual dishes.
- Fruit Crumble This is best mixed in a Whizz – exceptionally quick! Don’t double the quantity as the whizz can’t handle it! Mix together: 1 cup S.R. flour (125gms) 175gms raw sugar and 125gms cold butter & 1/2tsp salt.
Use any type of fruit – fresh, cooked or tinned. Grease a baking dish, put the fruit in the bottom and cover thickly with the crumble. Cook at 180C for 40 minutes. Crumble can be kept in the freezer and brought out when you need to make a quick dessert!
Crumble No 2 170gms butter, 1 cup SR flour, 1 cup rolled oats, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, a pinch of clove, 1/4 tsp saltUse half/half quantities of fruit/sugar with lemon pips for pectin.
- Fruit Cake by Jenny Scodellaro Soak 1 kilogram mixed dried fruit in 2 cups strong black coffee overnight Add 2 cups self raising flour (can use gluten free if required), 100 gms dark chocolate (sugar-free, broken into small pieces, available in most supermarkets) and 2 eggs Place in 20cm x 20cm fruit cake tin, lined with baking paper. Bake 90 minutes at 180° C. Cool before removing from tin. Cut into small pieces, as it is very rich and filling. Pieces can be wrapped in plastic and frozen individually.
- Simple Fruit Cake (this is a slight variation on above recipe) Soak 1kg packet of sultanas in 600ml of coffee milk overnight Mix in 2 cups of SR flour the next day Line the tin with baking paper – spray and dust with flour Cook 1¾ hours – 2 hours on 150°C Variations: Soak fruit in 2 cups hot black coffee and when cold, add flour and 125gms chocolate chips. You could also use mixed fruit.
- Ice Cream Plum Pudding Dissolve 1 tbsp cocoa in 2tbsp hot water Mix: 375gm small size currants, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 2 tsp mixed spice, 3tbs brandy, Add cocoa mix and stand overnight Beat: 6 egg whites until stiff and add 1/3 cup castor sugar Beat: 600ml thickened cream with 1/3 cup castor sugar Blend all ingredients together by hand Place in a bowl lined with foil. I use a 230mm round silicone ware container without the foil – doesn’t rust, easy to clean and exceptionally easy to turn out as food doesn’t adhere. Freeze until solid. To turn out, run water over the base of the bowl. The original recipe called for mixed dried fruit but I chose to use currants as I don’t like citrus peel etc. If you decide to substitute, don’t use any large pieces of fruit as they remain in their frozen state. The recipe said you could use rum or sherry as an option. It can be made weeks in advance. I note that some manufacturers are putting out cream in 500ml containers – I think this would be fine. I also used a stainless steel platter which I keep in the freezer to keep it cold when serving. Grate a little chocolate over the top when serving.
- Fruit Sponge Dessert Place cooked fruit in dish. Beat: 2 eggs and ½ tsp vanilla until thick and creamy Add: ¼ cup castor sugar gradually and beat until dissolved Fold in ½ cup SR flour and a pinch of salt Place on top of cooked fruit – sprinkle with 1 tbsp sugar if desired Bake 30 minutes
- Microwave Apple Crunch 260cm container Sprinkle Pkt Whitewings buttercake mix over 800gm tin of apples Cut 125gm hard butter into thin slices and cover completely. Mix together 3tbs brown sugar, 3 tbs coconut, 1tsp cinnamon, 2tbs nuts (you can substitute coconut for the nuts) and put on top. Cook on high for 10 mins at 750W but check – might need extra
- Fruit Pudding Liberally butter a dish then sprinkle the base with a bit of castor sugar. Optional: chopped nuts and shredded coconut. Then place your fruit on top of this. You can either mix up a plain packet mix or beat 120gms butter with 120gms of sugar. Beat in two eggs and a little vanilla essence. Fold in 180 gms of SR flour. Bake 180ºC for 45 mins. though timing will depend on the size of your dish. This dish can also be turned upside down onto a warm plate and served with custard, cream or ice-cream.
- Apricot Slice Soak 250gms chopped apricots in boiling water for 15 mins. Melt 125gm butter Mix together 2 cups SR flour, 1 cup desiccated coconut and 1 cup raw sugar Add ½ cup milk to dry ingredients Drain the apricots discarding the water then add apricots to this mix Mix butter in with the ingredients Press the mixture into a lamington tin lined with baking paper and bake at 180ºC for 30-45 mins. Ice with 1 cup icing sugar, lemon juice and rind and a knob of soft butter
- Bread and Butter Pudding with Whiskey Sauce Marinate sultanas/fruit overnight Use one day old French stick cut up into small chunks – about 6 to each dish. Beat together 4 eggs, 600ml cream, vanilla Melt 2tbs butter and add 2tbs sugar and add to mix Put marinated sultanas in individual medium size dishes which have been buttered. Add the mix and cook half an hour in pan with hot water. Whiskey Sauce In a double boiler add: 250gm unsalted butter, Beat 1 cup sugar and 1 egg and add to melted butter – cook 2-3 mins – DON’T BOIL, COOL Add ½ cup bourbon
- Prunes in Marsala Stir and gently bring to the boil and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes: 2 packets of pitted prunes, 1/2cup sugar, 3/4cup water, 3/4cup orange juice (no pith) When cool, add 1/2cup marsala No need to refrigerate, keep in an airtight glass jar – may need a little extra marsala if kept for some time.
- Quick Fruit Slice Combine: 1 cup each of SR flour, sugar, mixed fruit, coconut and 1 egg then add 150gms melted butter.
Cook at 150° for 25-30 mins.
- Citrus Crumble Chop up 3 oranges, mandarins or grapefruit – add to pie dish. Sprinkle with ½ cup dried fruit eg cranberries, craisins or currants & 3 pieces finely chopped glace ginger Crumble Top: ½ cup each of brown sugar, SR flour, coconut, rolled oats, 1 zested orange Bake 180°C until the top browns – serve with custard, cream or ice-cream.
- Sugar free desserts contributed by Diane Moscheller from various authors over many years
- Froyo
Combine 4 cups Greek yogurt, 1 cup frozen fruit of choice, 1 tab of honey. Push through a sieve to avoid icy chunks. Mix in food processor til well blended. Freeze a few hours. Ready to scoop!Strawberry Ice Cream
500g strawberries, 2 medium bananas, 1 avocado, ¼ cup honey, ½ cup orange juice or 2 tabs tahina (for a creamier texture) Blend high speed. Pour into a container and freeze.Vanilla Ice cream
4 small bananas, peeled, chopped and frozen, ½ cup soy or thick nut milk, 1 tspn vanilla, 1 tab tahina, ½-1 tab honey. Blend and freeze.Banana and Caramel Ice cream
8 very ripe bananas (1.3g) Peel, thin slice. Freeze at least 6 hours. Remove from freezer, rest 5 mins. Place in food processor til smooth. At this point add 12 Medjool dates – pits removed.Cashew Cream 1 cup cashews (best activated overnight in water in frig), ½ cup of water or orange juice, 1-2 tspns honey
Blend nuts and liquid as finely as possible. Add a little honey and nutmeg. Use as a topping for fruit.
Strawberry Jelly Soak 2 tabs agar flakes (from sea vegetables no sulphide) overnight in 1 cup of water or a minimum of 2 hours. Heat agar til boiling and simmer til flakes dissolve. Blend 500gms strawberries, 1 cup fresh apple juice, ¼-½ cup honey.
Combine strawberry mixture with agar and blend briefly. Pour into a mould and refrigerate til set.
Tofu Lemon Cream
400g tofu, ½ cup lemon juice, grated rind of two lemons, maple syrup to taste. Blend well & refrigerate.Note: You can omit the honey/ maple syrup in all these recipes. For a sugar replacement flavour cinnamon is ideal.
As these are all fresh they only have a limited shelf life so make and enjoy within days.