Middle Eastern oranges with honey

Round off a heavy meal with this light, easy-to-put-together dessert.

Ingredients:

4 oranges, preferably seedless
1–2 tbsp honey
1–2 tbsp rose flower water, to taste
good pinch of ground cinnamon
seeds from 1 pomegranate
small handful of chopped, shelled, and
skinned pistachios (optional)
handful of small mint leaves, for garnish

Preparation:

1. Slice the top and bottom from each orange and place them on a cutting board. Carefully slice off the skin and pith, leaving as much flesh as possible, and following the curve of each orange so you maintain the shape of the fruit. Thinly slice the oranges crosswise, discarding any seeds as you come across them. Arrange the slices on a serving plate,and drizzle with any juices from the
cutting board.

2. Next, drizzle the orange slices with the honey and rose water,and sprinkle with the cinnamon.
Scatter the pomegranate seeds and pistachios over the top, then garnish with the mint leaves and serve.

Lemon and lime syllabub

A light and frothy dessert with a tangy, zesty taste.

Ingredients:

juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1⁄2 lime
1 tbsp gin or vodka
4–5 tbsp granulated sugar
11⁄4 cups heavy whipping cream
finely grated lemon zest and lime zest,
for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

1. Mix the lemon juice and lime juice in a bowl, add the gin or vodka and sugar, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Pour in the cream and beat with a balloon whisk until the mixture forms soft peaks.
2. Spoon into 4 serving glasses, then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Decorate with lemon zest and lime zest, if using, and serve with small wafers or little shortbread cookies.

Meringue and mango mess

A no-cook dessert that is infused with the essence of the tropics.

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup Greek-style plain yogurt
2 tbsp confectioner’s sugar,
or to taste, sifted
4 bakery-bought meringue nests, crushed
1 medium mango, peeled and sliced
or chopped
2 passion fruit
mint leaves, for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

1. Place the cream in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold in the Greek yogurt and confectioner’s sugar, then the meringues and mango. Divide the mixture between 4 glasses.
2. Scoop out the flesh and seeds from the passion fruit and drizzle over each serving, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Garnish with mint leaves, if you’d like, and serve.

Lime cheesecakes

Bring a little zing with this fresh, citrus-flavored dessert.

Ingredients:

4 vanilla wafers or graham crackers
1 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
finely grated lime zest and juice of 2 limes
extra lime zest, for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

1. Line the bottom of each of four 6oz (175ml) ramekins with a wafer.Put the cream cheese in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth, then beat in the condensed milk until well blended.
2. Add the zest and juice and beat until the mixture becomes thick and glossy. Divide among the ramekins and smooth the tops. Chill for at least 4 hours. Garnish with the extra lime zest (if using) and serve.

Berry gelatin cups with vanilla cream

Try topping this delicious dessert with crème fraîche instead.

Preparation:

1 package (4-serving size) instant gelatin,
berry flavored
1⁄2 cup crème de cassis
1⁄2 cup heavy whipping cream
1⁄4 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp confectioner’s sugar, sifted
small mint leaves, for garnish
handful of small berries,for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

1. Make the gelatin, according to package directions, in a 1-quart heatproof bowl. Pour in 2⁄3 cup
boiling water and stir until the gelatin has dissolved. Pour in the cassis, then add up to 1 cup cold
water, stirring until dissolved. Divide between 4 small wine glasses and chill for at least 4 hours or until set.
2. Just before serving, combine the cream, vanilla, and confectioner’s sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Spoon the cream into each glass, top each dessert with a mint leaf or two and a sprig of berries (if using), and serve.