4 Fruity Desserts for Summer

It’s summer. Which means parties, which means desserts, which means… fruity summer desserts for the win! Four of them, to be exact.

With all of these desserts, fruit is the absolute star of the show. Sure, fats and dairy help bring out the sharpness of the fruit, sugar amplifies its flavour, notes of lemongrass and salt provide a counterpoint to keep the mouth zinging. But at the heart of each of these desserts is beautiful, seasonal fruit. With that in mind, make sure to pick up the nicest fruit you can find, and don’t be afraid to experiment if there’s a better seasonal offer. If the plums at your local aren’t looking too flashy, go for the soft, yielding nectarines or the perfect peaches!

Strawberry and Yogurt Panna Cotta

Ingredients:

• 2 cups  Greek yogurt
• 1 2/3 cups whipping cream 
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 2 titanium strength gelatine leaves
• 1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
• Chopped pistachios

Instructions:

1. Place cream and sugar in saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Bring to just below boiling point, then remove from heat and stand for 5 minutes to infuse.
2. Soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes to soften. Squeeze excess water from gelatine and whisk gelatine into warm cream mixture, stirring until dissolved. Whisk in yogurt, then strain mixture through a fine sieve. Pour into a 4-cup (1 litre) fluted mould, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 3 hours or until just set.
3. Gently pull panna cotta from sides of tin with your fingertips to loosen. Dip base of mould in hot water, then invert onto a plate and serve topped with strawberries and pistachios.

Mango and Lime Granita

• Ingredients:
  3 large ripe mangoes, peeled and diced
  Juice and finely grated rind of 1 lemon
  Juice and finely grated rind of 1 lime, plus slices to serve (optional)
  Lemongrass syrup
  1 cup caster sugar
  1 lemongrass stalk, coarsely chopped and bruised with the side of a cleaver
  
  Method:
  For lemongrass syrup, bring sugar, lemongrass and 2 1/4 cups water to the boil in a saucepan over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Leave to cool and infuse for 1 hour, then strain.
  

Combine mango and citrus juices, and rind in a blender, add lemongrass syrup and blend until smooth. Strain into a wide, shallow container and freeze overnight. Scrape into crystals with a fork, then return to the freezer. If the granita is hard to scrape, leave it at room temperature briefly to soften first.

Spoon granita into bowls and serve with lime cheeks.

Plum Sorbet

Ingredients:
8-10 plums
1 cup sugar
1 free-range egg white
½ a lemon

Method:
Stone and quarter the plums, then combine with 1/2 cup of sugar in a large heatproof bowl.

Cover tightly with clingfilm and set over a pan of simmering water for about 30 minutes to release the plum juices.

Sieve the plums, pressing down, to release about 1 1/4 cups juice – top up with water if need be.

Make a sugar syrup by dissolving the remaining sugar in 1/2 cup of boiling water. Pour 1/2 cup into the plum juice.

Beat the egg white until frothy, squeeze in the lemon juice and stir into the plum juice.

Taste, add more syrup if necessary. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the instructions.

Grilled Honey Peaches

Ingredients:
4 ripe peaches
Orange zest
4 scoops vanilla ice cream
Honey
Sea Salt Flakes
Canola oil

Method:
Heat grill to medium high heat.
Halve and destone the peaches.
Brush the peach halves with a touch of with oil and place on the grill for a few minutes and then rotate 90 degrees to continue to cook for about 3-4 minutes total grill marks appear and the fruit starts to caramelise.
Remove from the grill with a pair of tongs and serve some halves with a scoop of ice cream in the center of the fruit. Drizzle with honey and a sprinkle of orange zest and sea salt.

Try grilled peaches in as the main dish this summer in these Sweet & Spicy Chicken and Peach Skewers.

If you’re in need of a drink to cool you down, check out these Rosé recipes guaranteed to cool you down.