For these summery dessert recipes from Angela Casley, we’ve got the whole orchard — think raspberries, strawberries and sweet cherries.
If there is a collection of flavours that we crave through the summer months most, it’s got to be the haul of sweet treats that grow in our
Raspberry, apple and butterscotch pavlova
Serves 6-8
You can make the pavlova bases ahead of time, just be sure to keep them airtight in tins and protect them from being damaged. The compote and sauce may also be made a couple of days in advance — meaning you can bring the dessert together quickly for a sunny occasion.
7 egg whites
320g caster sugar
2 Tbsp cornflour
2 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
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1 Tbsp butter
4 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
6 whole cloves
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out
½ cup sugar
2 tsp lemon zest
¼ cup lemon juice
1 cup fresh raspberries
Butterscotch sauce
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Advertise with NZME.25g butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup cream
½ cup toasted slivered almonds
300ml cream, lightly whipped
Icing sugar to dust
Mint leaves to garnish
- Preheat an oven to 140C. Line two 23cm cake tins with baking paper.
- Place the egg whites in a large bowl and beat until stiff. Slowly add the sugar, two tablespoons at a time, allowing it to dissolve before adding the next. Add the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla, beating through. Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins. Bake for 1 ½ hours before turning off the oven and allowing the pavlova to cool. Remove and store until ready to build.
- For the compote, warm the butter in a pot. Add the apples, cloves, vanilla seeds, sugar, lemon zest and juice, bringing slowly to a simmer, stirring so it doesn’t stick on the bottom. When the apples are soft, remove from the heat and cool completely. Stir through the raspberries.
- For the butterscotch sauce, heat the butter, sugar and cream in a pot, bringing to a simmer for 3 minutes. Store in the fridge.
- When ready to build the pavlova, place the base on your serving platter. Spread with half the cream and a little compote. Top with the second pavlova, the remaining cream, compote and almonds. Dust with icing sugar before serving and dribble over some butterscotch sauce. Serve the remaining sauce in a small jug.
Tiramisu with strawberry and limoncello
Serves 6-8
New-season strawberries are in stores now. You can buy limoncello at your local bottle store or mix ¼ cup of lemon syrup with 2 Tbsp of Cointreau. Either way, don’t be afraid to be heavy-handed with it. Like lots of things in life, tiramisu gets better with age. So feel free to make this a day in advance and enjoy the infused flavour.
½ cup milk
¼ cup limoncello
3 eggs, separated
½ cup caster sugar, plus 1 Tbsp
250g mascarpone
200g sponge fingers
150g strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 Tbsp icing sugar
¼ cup grated chocolate
- Combine the milk and limoncello in a dessert bowl.
- Beat the egg yolk and half a cup of sugar until thick and pale in colour. Fold through the mascarpone.
- Beat the egg white until just stiff. Beat in the tablespoon of sugar. Fold through the mascarpone gently.
- One at a time, dip the sponge fingers into the milk and lay a single layer into a roughly 1-litre serving dish. Spread on half the mascarpone and top with sliced strawberries. Repeat with sponge fingers and mascarpone.
- Dust with icing sugar and grated chocolate and refrigerate for several hours before serving.
Cherry and chocolate tart
Serves 8
A little cocoa in the pastry adds a touch of decadence. The almond essence is optional, but a blob of whipped cream or Greek yoghurt to serve is a must. You might also enjoy this tart with plums or, when in season, quartered figs.
Pastry
160g flour
2 Tbsp cocoa
100g cold butter, cubed
2 Tbsp caster sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp water
Filling
300g cherries, halved and stoned
¼ cup brandy
¼ cup caster sugar
200ml cream
200g dark chocolate, cut into small pieces
2 eggs
¼ tsp almond essence
Whipped cream or yogurt, to serve
- Preheat an oven to 180C.
- First, make the pastry — place the flour, cocoa, butter and sugar into a processor and blitz until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the eggs and water and mix to form a dough.
- Roll the dough on a lightly floured bench and line a 23cm tart tin. Cool the pastry shell in the fridge for 20 minutes, then bake blind for 20 minutes until cooked.
- For the filling, combine the cherries with the brandy and sugar in a bowl.
- Heat the cream to boiling point, remove from the heat, then add the chopped chocolate stirring until completely smooth. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then add the eggs, one at a time, and the almond essence.
- Place the cherry mix in the base of the tart. Pour over the smooth chocolate mixture. Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes.
- Cool completely before serving sliced with a dollop of whipped cream.
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