When dinner only takes 30 minutes, there’s more time for dessert – and these recipes are just as speedy to prepare
Boozy baked caramelised bananas
SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 20 mins EASY V
6 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced in half lengthways
2 tbsp dark brown soft sugar
2 tbsp maple syrup
3-4 tbsp rum or whisky
40g pecans, toasted and chopped vanilla or salted caramel ice cream, to serve
1 Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8. Toss the banana halves in an ovenproof dish with the sugar, maple syrup and rum or whisky. Sprinkle with a small pinch of salt, if you like.
2 Bake for 15 mins, then remove from the oven. Heat the grill to high and grill the bananas for 3-5 mins, or until bubbling and caramelised. Spoon the bananas into bowls and scatter over the pecans. Serve with ice cream and any of the caramelised syrup from the dish drizzled over the top.
PER SERVING 175 kcals • fat 5g • saturates 0.4g • carbs 27g • sugars 24g • fibre 2g • protein 2g • salt 0.5g
Coconut panna cotta with mango & ginger nuts
SERVES 6-8 PREP 10 mins plus at least 3 hrs chilling COOK 20 mins EASY V
2 x 400ml cans full-fat coconut milk
60g golden caster sugar
200ml double cream
4 leaves of gelatine (or vegetarian alternative)
10 ginger nut biscuits
400g can mango slices, or sliced fresh mango
1 lime, zested
1 Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan and warm over a medium-high heat for about 20 mins, stirring frequently so it doesn’t catch, until reduced by about a quarter (you need around 600ml remaining). Stir in the caster sugar to dissolve, then pour in the cream. Meanwhile, soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 10 mins. Squeeze out any excess liquid, then add to the coconut milk mixture, stirring until the gelatine has dissolved completely.
2 Divide the mixture between six or eight ramekins (about 140ml each) and leave to cool. Chill for at least 3 hrs until set, or overnight.
3 Put the biscuits in a sandwich bag and use the end of a rolling pin to crush to a rough powder. Divide between plates, spreading thinly.
4 Prepare a bowl of warm water and dip the ramekins in to loosen the edges. Carefully turn upside down in the middle of each plate and tap gently so the panna cotta comes out.
5 Add a couple of mango slices beside each panna cotta and sprinkle over the lime zest. Serve straightaway.
PER SERVING (8) 398 kcals • fat 32g • saturates 24g • carbs 23g • sugars 16g • fibre 1g • protein 3g • salt 0.2g
