Summer Recipes: Barbecued Desserts That Are So Quick & So Good

Keep the outdoor vibes flowing with some sweet grilled endings to your barbecue gathering.

Chocolate and berry lava cakes

To make these, you can use old tins from previous lunches. They are perfect to place on a barbecue. You may get a few crispy bits around the edges, but that only adds to the experience. Using one bowl to mix the ingredients means fewer dishes.

Makes 6

2 cups self-raising flour

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup chocolate chunks

2 Tbsp cocoa

2 eggs

1 cup milk

¼ cup liqueur, e.g. Cointreau, optional

1 cup berries/cherries plus a few for decorating

Crème fraiche, to serve

Icing sugar, to dust

1. Get the barbecue to a medium heat. Grease 6 x 125ml barbecue-proof containers.

2. In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, chocolate and cocoa. Make a well in the middle and add the eggs, butter, milk and liqueur, stirring to combine. Fold through the fruit. Spoon the mixture into the tins.

3. Cover with tinfoil and place on the barbecue for 35 minutes, checking after 15 minutes. It depends on the heat as to how quickly they will cook. They will be soft to the touch and a little oozy in the middle.

4. Serve with crème fraiche or cream and dust with icing sugar.

Passion mascarpone with grilled nectarines on brioche

Pretty as a picture and full of flavour, you can't beat grilled nectarines with mascarpone and a hint of passionfruit — unless you add a decent scoop of icecream as well. Delicious.

Serves 4

200g mascarpone

¼ cup passionfruit pulp

½ tsp lemon zest

4 slices brioche, toasted

4 nectarines, halved and stoned

4 scoops icecream

Passionfruit pulp, to drizzle

1 Tbsp mint leaves, shredded

1. Combine the mascarpone, passionfruit and lemon zest in a small bowl.

2. Heat a grill on the barbecue or griddle pan to a medium heat. Toast the brioche, then grill the nectarines.

3. Serve the brioche spread with plenty of mascarpone, nectarines, a scoop of icecream, drizzle of passionfruit and sprinkle of mint.

Pineapple skewers

Skewers make for easy cooking and eating. This simple dessert is fresh and a perfect way to finish a meal. If you don’t have metal skewers, soak bamboo ones in water for 30 minutes before threading to ensure they don’t burn. You can splash a bit of Cointreau over the cooked pineapple and dollop the crème fraiche on top to serve.

Makes 10

1 pineapple, peeled, core removed

200g crème fraiche

1 Tbsp honey or rice syrup

1 Tbsp chopped mint

1 Tbsp chopped basil

½ lemon, zest only

Demerara sugar to sprinkle

A splash of liquor

Extra honey to drizzle (optional)

1. Cut pineapple into even-sized chunks. Thread 3 or 4 pieces on each skewer.

2. Place crème fraiche, honey, mint, basil and zest in a small bowl and stir well.

3. Preheat a barbecue plate to medium heat. Sprinkle skewers with sugar. Barbecue for 2 minutes each side until golden.

4. Serve warm with a splash of your favourite liquor and extra honey if using. Dollop over the crème fraiche.

All recipes by Angela Casley.