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July 14, 2006
The sweet treats of summer
Getting your just desserts is a snap when you prepare in advance.
DVORA WAYSMAN
Think lazy summer days. Think warm evenings under a star-strewn
sky. Think entertaining friends. Think luscious fruits, the chill
of ice cream on your tongue, party desserts to tempt your palate.
It's time to be adventurous and try some wonderful summer desserts.
When the mercury soars, making a fancy dessert can seem like a tall
order. The solution is to do most of the work in the cool of the
morning or the night before. Finish the preparation at the last
minute and present it with a flourish.
There are a few tips you should keep in mind before you try out
the recipes. Egg whites for souffles and meringues should always
be beaten at room temperature, the eggs removed from the refrigerator
two hours before beating. They should be fresh, and when you separate
the whites, make sure not a speck of yolk gets in.
One foolproof method is to break the egg into a saucer, covering
the yolk with half an eggshell. Tilt the saucer, pouring off the
whites into a clean, dry bowl and use dry beaters. Add a pinch of
salt to the whites before beating.
The success of making good cold and frozen puddings often depends
on using gelatine (many supermarkets sell a kosher version). Stir
it into cold liquid and only afterwards add to hot mixture. When
turning out a frozen pudding, wring out a towel in hot water and
hold it over the mould for a few seconds – it will then slide
out easily. Egg custards should never be allowed to boil. Cook on
very low heat or in a double boiler, stirring all the time.
Ambrosia
6 oranges
2 red apples
1 small tin pineapple rings
3 bananas
A handful of cherries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup liqueur or sweet sherry
1 cup chilled whipped cream
Other fruits in season such as peaches, plums, mangoes
Peel and remove skin from oranges. Slice unpeeled apples into thin
rings. Peel and slice bananas. Cover apples and bananas with lemon
juice to avoid discoloration. Drain pineapples, remove stones from
cherries and halve.
In a pretty glass dish, layer the fruit, sprinkling each layer with
a teaspoon of sugar. Reserve cherries for the top. To the pineapple
syrup, add liqueur or sherry and pour over the fruit.
Cover tightly and chill overnight. Serve with cream, which is passed
around separately in a bowl. Ambrosia was the name for the nectar
of the gods – when you've tasted this, you'll understand why.
Apple Sponge Pudding
4 large cooking apples
2 sticks cinnamon
4 tbsp. sugar
300 grams stale cake
1/2 cup thick, whipped cream
Cut up the peeled apples and cook with the cinnamon and a little
water until soft. Grate the cake or crumble to crumbs.
In a glass dish, put a thin layer of mashed apple, sprinkle with
sugar and cover with a layer of cake crumbs. Continue until all
the cake and apples are used up.
Spread cream smoothly on top and chill. Serve very cold.
Chocolate Mousse (Uncooked)
250 grams plain chocolate
4 eggs
4 tbsp. sherry or sweet
Red wine
Cut chocolate into small pieces and melt over hot water. Separate
whites and yolks from eggs. Beat yolks thickly and stir into chocolate
until blended. Add a pinch of salt to the whites and beat till very
stiff. Fold into chocolate mixture with sherry. Spoon into glass
dishes and chill. This is a rich, delicious pudding that needs no
cooking.
Pineapple Supreme
1 large pineapple
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. rum
2 tbsp. butter
1 cup whipped, sweetened cream
Slice off pineapple top to make a "lid." Trim base so
that the pineapple stands upright. Scoop out flesh and cut into
pieces, removing core.
Sweeten with sugar and rum, then put mixture back into shell. Dot
top with pieces of butter and wrap pineapple in foil. Wrap "lid"
separately in foil; stand upright on baking sheet. Bake them in
hot oven for one hour. Remove foil and cover with "lid."
Place pineapple on serving dish and serve cream or ice cream separately.
Grape-Pineapple Ice Cream (Pareve)
1 cup grape juice
1/2 cup drained, crushed pineapple
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup pineapple syrup
1/2 cup water
Heat water and sugar until sugar dissolves completely. In large
bowl, combine all ingredients and stir well. Pour into ice trays
and freeze hard.
Remove to chilled bowl and beat one minute until fluffy and light.
Return to trays and freeze three hours.
Serve in chilled glasses topped with fresh mint leaves. A cooling,
refreshing dessert, ideal for those who suffer from lactose intolerance,
or to serve after meat.
Dvora Waysman, formerly from Melbourne, Australia, lives
in Jerusalem. She is the author of nine books, including The
Pomegranate Pendant, Woman of Jerusalem and Esther – A Jerusalem
Love Story. She can be reached at [email protected].
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