Annabel Langbein
Fruity desserts make the perfect ending for a winter meal
When it comes to dessert, my husband Ted abides by writer Ernest Hemingway’s adage that “a man who eats dessert is not drinking enough”. This said, I have sometimes discovered Ted in the kitchen pantry, long after everyone has gone home, sneaking in a mouthful or two of leftover pudding.
I can’t think of anyone else who turns their nose up at dessert. In fact there are a great many people who consider a meal’s sweet ending to be its highlight.
When you’ve got friends coming over, dessert isn’t something you want to leave off the menu. It doesn’t have to be a major production but whatever sweet treat you choose to make, have it organised well before the meal. I often keep a jar of crumble topping in the fridge (3 cups flour, 2 cups rolled oats, 1½ cups brown sugar,1 cup almonds, chopped or slivered, 2 tsp mixed spice mixed with 250g melted butter), ready to pack over a baking dish of stewed or canned apples — sometimes with a few berries or some chopped frozen rhubarb added. The trick with crumble is to press the topping down firmly and bake it not too hot — 170C for about 30-40 minutes until golden usually does the trick — as if the oven is too hot the crumble browns without becoming crunchy.
Sauces and toppings are a great way to elevate simple desserts like fruit salad or icecream. Praline sounds fancy but it’s just caramel poured over nuts and ground to a crumb. Make the caramel by heating a cup of white sugar with a splash of water until it turns to golden toffee and then pour this over a cup of nuts such as almonds, pistachios or hazelnuts, spread out in a single layer on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Once the nutty toffee is cooled and set hard, break it into shards and then pulverise to a crumb — either in a bag with a rolling pin or in the food processor. Stored in a sealed jar, praline will keep for months. Use it as a sprinkle over a bowl of sliced oranges or make a jazzed-up apricot fool by mixing equal parts of pureed cooked apricots and whipped cream, spooned into a dish and sprinkled with that gorgeous praline.
Cool desserts always work well after a rich, rib-sticking winter meal. Here are some of my favourites. Each has a topping or syrup that can be enjoyed in multiple ways.