Whether you're planning a BBQ, Sunday lunch or a weekend treat, these fruity puddings and bakes will fit the bill
Mini pavlovas with white chocolate cream & rosé raspberry syrup
Meringues keep for ages in an airtight tin, so make more than you need to keep for another time.
■ Makes 6 ■ Prep 25 mins plus cooling ■ Cook 1 hr 15 mins
3 egg whites
150g caster sugar
1/2 tsp cornflour
1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
FOR THE WHITE
CHOCOLATE CREAM
100g white chocolate, broken
into pieces
400ml double cream
FOR THE SYRUP
300ml rosé wine
150g caster sugar
300g raspberries
1 Line two baking sheets with baking parchment and draw 3 x 10cm circles on each piece of parchment.
2 Heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Put the egg whites into a large, clean bowl and use electric beaters to whisk to firm peaks. Add the caster sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, while continuing to whisk until the mixture holds stiff peaks and is shiny and glossy. Carefully whisk in the cornflour and vinegar.
3 Divide the mixture between the six circles on the baking parchment, then use a dessertspoon to make into rounds with nests in the middle. Put into the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and bake for 40 mins, then turn the oven off and leave inside to cool for 1 hr. Move onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4 For the white chocolate cream, put the white chocolate and 150ml cream into a small pan. Heat gently until all of the chocolate has melted. Pour into a bowl, cover the surface and chill until cool and thickened.
5 For the rosé syrup, put the wine and sugar in a small pan and simmer until syrupy. Leave for 15 mins to cool, stir in the raspberries, then cool completely.
6 To finish the white chocolate cream, whip the remaining cream to soft peaks, then fold in the white chocolate ganache, whisking again to thicken, if needed.
7 Put the meringues onto plates, spoon on some cream, then finish with the rosé syrup and raspberries.
PER SERVING 683 kcals, fat 41g, saturates 25g, carbs 64g, sugars 64g, fibre 2g, protein 5g, salt 0.2g
Strawberries with lime syrup
■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 10 mins plus cooling ■ Cook 5 mins
2 limes
100g golden caster sugar
2 tsp crushed black peppercorns
or 5 ‘long’ peppercorns, one crushed
and the rest left whole
450g ripe strawberries, hulled and
halved, or quartered if large
vanilla or coconut ice cream, to serve
1 Using a vegetable peeler, pare the zest from 1 lime in long strips. Shave away any white pith from the back of the zest, then put the zest in a medium pan. Squeeze both of the limes and add the juice to the pan with 3 tbsp water, the sugar and the crushed and/or whole peppercorns. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then bring
