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  Variation 3: Caramel blancmange. Mix together the cornflour, egg yolk and milk and stir until you obtain a smooth consistency. Prepare the vanilla milk as indicated above and remove from the heat. To make the caramel, melt 100 g/31⁄2 oz sugar in a small pan over medium heat, stirring continuously, until it turns light brown. Remove from the heat. Stir in 15 g/1⁄2 oz butter into the caramel mixture, then add the vanilla milk and bring to the boil while stirring. Now add the cornflour mixture and bring to the boil again. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg white and proceed as described above.

  Variation 4: Chocolate blancmange. Mix together the cornflour, egg yolk and milk and stir to make a smooth consistency. Chop up 70 g/3 oz plain chocolate and add to the rest of the milk together with 5 tablespoons whipping cream, 1 pinch of salt and 30–40 g/1–11⁄2 oz sugar (without the vanilla pod). Stir until the chocolate melts. Now stir in the cornflour mixture and bring to the boil again. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg white and continue as described above.

  DESSERTS

  175 | Tiramisu

  Popular (6 servings)

  Preparation time: about 30 minutes, without soaking time

  500 g/18 oz mascarpone cheese

  100 ml/31⁄2 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) milk

  75 g/3 oz sugar

  2–3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar

  40 ml/11⁄2 fl oz (3 tablespoons) Amaretto almond liqueur

  200 ml/7 fl oz (7⁄8cup) cold espresso or strong coffee

  200 g/7 oz sponge fingers

  4 teaspoons cocoa powder

  Per serving:

  P: 8 g, F: 39 g, C: 44 g, kJ: 2443, kcal: 583

  1. Mix together the mascarpone, milk, sugar, vanilla sugar and half the amaretto in a bowl and stir until the mixture becomes smooth and homogenous.

  2. Mix together the rest of the amaretto and the espresso or coffee. Arrange half the sponge fingers in a shallow rectangular dish (of about 30 x 18 cm/12 x 7 in), pour half the coffee and amaretto mixture on top and cover with half the mascarpone mixture. Arrange the rest of the ingredients in layers following the same sequence.

  3. Put the tiramisu in the refrigerator and leave for a few hours for the flavours to mingle. Sprinkle with cocoa powder just before serving.

  Tip: Tiramisu is an ideal pudding for parties.

  Variation 1: Replace half the mascarpone with 250 g/9 oz curd cheese (20% fat, dry weight) and thus reduce the calories.

  Variation 2: Tiramisu with peaches. Drain 1 can of peach halves (drained weight 450 g/1 lb) and slice thinly. Prepare the mascarpone mixture as described above. Arrange half the sponge biscuits in the bowl and pour half the coffee-amaretto mixture over them. Arrange half the sliced peaches on top. Arrange the peaches and the rest of the ingredients in layers following the same sequence. Continue as described in paragraph 3 above.

  DESSERTS

  176 | Chocolate mousse

  For guests

  Preparation time: about 30 minutes, excluding cooling time

  100 g/31⁄2 oz plain chocolate

  50 g/2 oz full milk chocolate

  yolks from 3 medium eggs

  2 teaspoons sugar

  2 teaspoons Cognac or rum

  egg whites from 3 medium eggs

  125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) chilled whipping cream

  Per serving:

  P: 9 g, F: 27 g, C: 22 g, kJ: 1548, kcal: 370

  1. Chop both kinds of chocolate, melt in a bain-marie over low heat, stirring continuously and leave to cool a little.

  2. Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, Cognac or rum in a bowl, using a hand-held mixer with whisk attachment, until the mixture has thickened. Now stir in the melted chocolate while it is still warm.

  3. Beat the egg whites so stiff that you can cut them with a knife. Whip the cream until stiff and carefully fold into the chocolate mixture with the egg whites. Transfer the mousse into a large shallow bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

  4. Arrange the mousse in spoonfuls on a plate, using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, and serve.

  Note: Tiramisu is an ideal pudding for parties.

  Tip: Sprinkle the chocolate with icing sugar or cocoa powder just before serving.

  Variation 1: Chocolate mousse with amaretti. Finely chop 40 g/11⁄2 oz amaretti (Italian almond macaroons) and carefully fold into the mousse. Then garnish with whipped cream and chopped amaretti.

  Variation 2: You can serve the chocolate mousse with a white chocolate sauce. To make the white chocolate sauce, melt 100 g/31⁄2 oz white chocolate in 125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) whipping cream in a small pan over low heat while stirring until it forms a smooth, homogenous mixture. Leave to cool down. Serve the sauce with the mousse.

  Variation 3: Vanilla chocolate mousse. Use 150 g/5 oz white chocolate instead of the plain and milk chocolate and add 2–3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar.

  DESSERTS

  177 | Swiss rice

  For children (4–6 servings)

  Preparation time: about 30 minutes, excluding cooling time

  For the rice cream:

  500 ml/17 fl oz (21⁄4 cups) milk, 1 pinch salt

  50 g/2 oz sugar

  2–3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar

  pudding rice (round grain rice)

  200 ml/7 fl oz (7⁄8 cup) chilled whipping cream

  For the strawberry sauce:

  500 g/18 oz strawberries

  2–3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar

  25 g/1 oz sugar

  Per serving:

  P: 6 g, F: 17 g, C: 46 g, kJ: 1528, kcal: 365

  1. To make the creamed rice, add the salt, sugar and vanilla sugar to the milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the rice and bring to the boil again while stirring. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally; the rice should still have a kernel firm to the bite. Leave to cool down a little, cover and refrigerate.

  2. Whip the cream and fold into the cold rice. Put the creamed rice in a bowl and refrigerate until served.

  3. To make the strawberry sauce, wash the strawberries, drain and remove the stalks. Purée 400 g/14 oz of the strawberries and stir in the vanilla sugar and sugar. Slice the rest of the strawberries. Serve the creamed rice with the strawberry sauce and sliced strawberries.

  Tip: This dish will feed 3 as a sweet meal.

  DESSERTS

  178 | Frothy wine sauce

  Quick

  Preparation time: about 10 minutes

  1 medium egg

  yolk from 1 medium egg

  60 g/2 oz sugar

  125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) dry white wine

  Per serving:

  P: 3 g, F: 3 g, C: 15 g, kJ: 507, kcal: 121

  1. Whisk together the egg and egg yolk and white wine in a stainless steel bowl or stainless steel saucepan.

  2. Put the bowl with this mixture in a hot bain-marie over medium heat. Whisk with a hand-held mixer with whisk attachment, set at the lowest setting, until the mixture becomes thick and frothy. The mixture should almost double in volume. Do not let the water or the mixture boil because this may make the sauce curdle. Serve the sauce immediately.

  Note: Use only very fresh eggs which are not more than 5 days old; check the sell-by date! Store the sauce in the refrigerator and eat within 24 hours.

  Tip: Delicious with fruit salad or ice cream.

  Variation 1: Alcohol-free frothy sauce. Use 125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) apple juice and 2 tablespoons lemon juice instead of wine.

  Variation 2: Zabaglione. Take yolks of 3 medium eggs, 60 g/2 oz sugar and 125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) Marsala (Italian dessert wine) and make the sauce as indicated above.

  DESSERTS

  179 | Curd cheese with fruit

  For children

  Preparation time: about 20 minutes, excluding cooling time

  1 can of peach halves, drained weight 450 g/ 1 lb

  grated zest of 1⁄2 untreated lime or lemon

  4 teaspoons lime or lemon juice

 
500 g/18 oz curd cheese

  150 g/5 oz natural yogurt, 3.5% fat

  2–3 tablespoons sugar

  2–3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar

  Per serving:

  P: 18 g, F: 5 g, C: 38 g, kJ: 1162, kcal: 277

  1. Drain the peach halves in a colander, cut into small dice and mix together with the lime or lemon zest and juice.

  2. Now whisk together curd cheese, yoghurt, sugar and vanilla sugar. Pour half of this mixture into a bowl. Arrange the diced peach halves on top, then cover with the rest of the curd cheese mixture. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

  Tip: Garnish with lemon balm leaves before serving. This is a very reasonablypriced dessert for parties. 50 g/2 oz roast grated coconut may also be added: sprinkle half over the peach mixture and the rest on top of the curd cheese.

  Variation: Chocolate curd cheese with bananas. Break 100 g/31⁄2 oz plain chocolate into small pieces and melt in a bowl placed in a bain-marie over low heat. Add 4–6 tablespoons milk or whipping cream to 500 g/18 oz low fat curd cheese and stir until the mixture is smooth and homogenous. Stir in 2–3 drops natural vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar, the melted chocolate and 11⁄2 tablespoons sugar. Peel 4 small ripe bananas and put 1 banana on each plate. Put the curd cheese in a pastry bag with a large star-shaped nozzle and squeeze in whorls along the banana. If desired, garnish with praliné, roasted, peeled and flaked almonds or chocolate crumbs before serving.

  DESSERTS

  180 | Baked apples

  With alcohol (8 servings)

  Preparation time: about 60 minutes, excluding soaking time

  2 teaspoons raisins

  about 100 ml/31⁄2 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) rum

  8 apples, e.g. Cox

  20 g/3⁄4 oz soft butter

  20 g/3⁄4 oz sugar

  2–3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar

  4 teaspoons peeled ground almonds

  4 teaspoons peeled coarsely dropped almonds

  icing sugar

  In addition:

  fat for the form

  Per serving:

  P: 1 g, F: 4 g, C: 20 g, kJ: 644, kcal: 154

  1. Soak the raisins overnight in 2 tablespoons of rum.

  2. Preheat the oven at the top and bottom. Wash the apples, wipe dry, remove the stalks and cores without pushing through. Arrange the apples in a well-greased gratin dish or on small heat-resistant plates.

  3. Using a spoon, mix together the butter, vanilla sugar, ground almonds and soaked raisins. Fill the cored apples with this mixture using a teaspoon. Sprinkle the flaked almonds on top and press in slightly. Pour the rest of the rum over the apples. Put the dish or individual plates on a shelf in the oven.

  Top/bottom heat: about 200 °C/400 °F (preheated),

  Fan oven: about 180 °C/350 °F (not preheated), Gas mark 6 (preheated),

  Cooking time: about 40 minutes.

  4. Serve the baked apples hot and sprinkle with icing sugar just almonds before serving.

  Tip: Serve the baked apples with vanilla sauce or lightly whipping cream. Ideal for pudding or at tea time.

  Variation: Baked apples without alcohol. Soak the raisins in orange or apple juice, drain and proceed as indicated above. Instead of pouring rum over the apples, use orange or apple juice.

  DESSERTS

  181 | Red fruit pudding

  Classic (6 servings)

  Preparation time: about 20 minutes, excluding cooling time

  250 g/9 oz blackberries

  250 g/9 oz red currants

  250 g/9 oz raspberries

  250 g/9 oz strawberries

  (all fruits weighed after being prepared)

  35 g/11⁄4 oz cornflour (cornstarch)

  100 g/31⁄2 oz sugar

  500 ml/17 fl oz (21⁄4 cups) fruit juice, e.g. sour cherry or red currant juice

  Per serving:

  P: 3 g, F: 1 g, C: 40 g, kJ: 813, kcal: 194

  1. Sort out the blackberries, wash carefully and drain thoroughly. Wash the red currants, drain well and remove from the stalks. Sort out the raspberries but do not wash. Wash the strawberries, drain, remove the stalks and cut into halves or quarters depending on the size.

  2. Mix the cornflour with the sugar, add 4 tablespoons of the juice and stir well. Bring the rest of the juice to the boil in a saucepan. Stir in the juice and cornflour mixture, bring to the boil and remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the fruit and stir well. Put the red fruit pudding in a glass bowl or in pudding bowls and refrigerate.

  Tip: Serve red fruit pudding with vanilla sauce or cream. When served as a pudding or as a sweet meal with milk (in which case it will feed 4 people). It is an ideal party dessert. You can also make this red fruit pudding with deep-frozen fruit. In this case, stir the deep-frozen fruit in the hot, thickened sauce.

  Variation: Variation: Green fruit pudding. Wash 500 g/18 oz gooseberries, drain thoroughly and remove the stalks and any leaves. Peel 250 g/9 oz kiwi fruits, halve and cut into small pieces. Wash 250 g/9 oz seedless white grapes, drain well, remove the stalks and cut the larger grapes in half. Mix 20 g/3⁄4 oz cornflour with 150 g/5 oz sugar. From 375 ml/12 fl oz (11⁄2 cups) white grape juice, take 4 tablespoons and add to the cornflour and sugar mixture, then stir well. Bring the rest of the juice to the boil, stir in the cornflour and juice mixture and bring to the boil. Stir in the gooseberries and grapes, bring briefly to the boil, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the kiwi fruit. Put in a bowl and refrigerate.

  DESSERTS

  182 | Fruit juice jelly with fruit

  Sophisticated

  Preparation time: about 30 minutes, excluding cooling time

  6 leaves gelatine

  500 ml/17 fl oz (21⁄4 cups) red currant juice or nectar

  120 g/4 oz sugar

  250 g/9 oz strawberries

  100 g/31⁄2 oz red currants

  Per serving:

  P: 4 g, F: 0 g, C: 62 g, kJ: 1196, kcal: 285

  1. Soak the gelatine in cold water following the instructions on the packet. Heat half the juice or nectar in a pan. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Squeeze out the gelatine, add to the hot juice and stir to dissolve. Then stir in the rest of the juice and leave the mixture to cool down a little.

  2. Meanwhile, wash the strawberries, drain, remove the stalks and cut into slices. Wash the red currants, drain well and remove the currants from the stalks.

  3. Pour a small amount of the liquid into a large bowl or 4 individual bowls and refrigerate until set. Keep the rest of the liquid at room temperature so that it does not set.

  4. As soon as the jelly at the bottom has set, cover with part of the fruit and pour some of the remaining liquid on top. Put the bowl back in the fridge so that this liquid can set.

  5. Arrange 2 more layers of fruit and jelly in the same way. The top layer should be jelly. Return the bowl to the fridge and leave for at least 2 hours to set.

  Tip: Serve the fruit juice jelly with vanilla sauce or cream. If the remaining liquid begins to set while you are still making the layers, put the bowl in warm water.

  Variation: Apple jelly. Prepare the liquid as indicated above using 6 leaves of white gelatine, 500 ml/ 16 fl oz (2 cups) apple juice, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 50 g/2 oz sugar and 2 large pinches of vanilla sugar and refrigerate. Wash 300 g/10 oz sharp apples (e.g. Granny Smith), wash, peel, cut into eighths and remove the cores. Cut the pieces into thin slices and mix with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 250 ml/8 fl oz (1 cup) water. Arrange the liquid and the thin slices of apple in alternate layers as indicated above, but remove the sliced apples from the lemon and water mixture and pat dry before arranging them in layers in the bowl.

  DESSERTS

  183 | Apple snow

  Classic

  Preparation time: about 25 minutes

  750 g/11⁄2 lb sharp apples, e.g. Russets or Bramleys

  3 tablespoons water

  about 50 g/2 oz sugar

  Per serving:

  P: 0 g, F:
1 g, C: 30 g, kJ: 537, kcal: 129

  1. Wash the apples, peel, cut into quarters and then into small pieces. Add the apples to the water in a pan and bring to the boil. Cover and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes.

  2. If desired, you can purée the apples and sweeten with sugar.

  Tip: Serve the Apple snow as a pudding either on its own or with whipped cream, or with potato pancakes or with potato and Kastenpickert. You can also use apples that have not been peeled. In this case, wash the apples, remove the stalks and any leaves, cut the apples into pieces and cook as indicated above. Then rub the stewed apples through a sieve.

  Variation 1: Apple compote, a “lumpier” variation of stewed apples. Coarsely chop the peeled, cored apples, cook with a little water for about 10 minutes as indicated above, do not purée and add sugar to sweeten.

  Variation 1: Layered stewed apples and curd cheese pudding. Make half the amount of stewed apples as described above and leave to cool. Fry 50 g/2 oz sunflower seeds in a pan without fat over low heat until golden brown and leave to cool down. Mix together 500 g/18 oz curd cheese, 2–3 tablespoons sugar and 2–3 drops natural vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar. Arrange half the curd cheese mixture, stewed apples and sunflower seeds in layers in a glass bowl, then cover with the rest of the curd cheese, stewed apples and sunflower seeds, arranged again in layers. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

  DESSERTS

  184 | Pear compote

  Easy

  Preparation time: about 20 minutes, excluding cooling time

  500 g/18 oz pears

  250 ml/8 fl oz (1 cup) water

  50 g/2 oz sugar

  2–3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar

  1 cinnamon stick

  3 cloves

  3–4 teaspoons lemon juice

  some sugar (to taste)

  Per serving:

  P: 0 g, F: 0 g, C: 29 g, kJ: 501, kcal: 119