Choc, spice & ice nice
Chilli with chocolate is a winning combination already so if you add icecream to the mix you have the makings of a perfect dessert.
The trouble with being someone who likes to cook is that you often find yourself inviting people over for dinner without really thinking about it.
It’s not the cooking that’s hard, it’s fitting the planning and shopping (and tidying up) around the rest of life’s chores and challenges. It took me a long time to realise that a host on the verge of collapse is no fun for anyone, least of all the guests.
I know the experts recommend doing as much as you can in advance, but if that’s not your thing shortcuts make life easier.
Both the following puddings tick all the boxes for the harried host, but they’re great if you’re on dessert duty as a guest too. If both fall into the too-hard basket, here’s a pro-tip I learned from the lovely Helen Meehan of Olivio.
Take the very best chocolate icecream you can find, and pour a generous spoonful of her smoked chilli-infused extra virgin olive oil over the top. It’s unlikely, memorable and utterly delicious, which is just what the perfect dessert should be.
Chilli-choc-nut icecream
Serves 6-8 Preparation time: 5-10 minutes Cooking time: nil
Unless your friends and family are allergic or indifferent to nuts, chocolate or icecream, this supersimple dessert is guaranteed to be a smash hit. It covers all bases – hot/cold, smooth/crunchy, creamy/fiery – and people go mad for it.
What makes it even better is that it takes minutes to assemble and you can make it an interactive affair by putting all the components on the table for diners to help themselves.
❚ 1 cup cream
❚ 200g dark chocolate (at least 60 per cent cacao), broken into pieces
❚ Up to 2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes
❚ 1 litre good quality vanilla icecream
❚ 1 cup dry-roasted peanuts
Put the cream in a small pot set over medium heat. Bring to nearly boiling point, then remove swiftly from the heat and add the chocolate. Leave to sit for a few minutes, then stir briskly until smooth. Decant into a jug.
If you’re presenting this at the table rather than allowing diners to serve themselves, cut or scoop the icecream into blocks or balls and stack into a pyramid on a plate. Pour the chocolate sauce over the top, then scatter over the peanuts and a couple of pinches of chilli flakes. Serve immediately.
Bruleed blackberries with creme fraiche
Serves 4-6 Preparation time:
10 minutes Cooking time:
3 minutes
This is another dessert that you can whip up with a quick trip past the freezer cabinet and dairy aisle.
I’ve borrowed this idea from Australian food writer Jill Dupleix, who includes a similar version in her fabulous book, I Hate To Cook.
❚ 1 x 22cm round trifle sponge
❚ 1 1⁄2 cups frozen blackberries, thawed
❚ 1 cup creme fraiche
❚ Zest of one orange
❚ 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
❚ 1⁄2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
Heat the grill.
Set the sponge on a lined oven tray. Arrange the blackberries on top. Beat the orange zest and vanilla into the creme fraiche and spread over the blackberries. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top.
Put the oven tray under the grill until the sugar is molten and caramelised – this will take about two minutes. Be careful, it can burn in an instant! Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving dish. Cut into slices to serve.
❚ More of Lucy’s recipes at thekitchenmaid.com. To see what she’s cooking daily, find her on Instagram or Facebook.