Strawberry Cheesecake

(SERVES 8)

• 100g/4 oz semi-sweet wheat meal biscuits (cookies), crushed
• 50 g/2 oz/ ¼ cup low-fat spread, melted
• 225 g/8 fl oz/1 cup very low-fat crème fraiche
• 45 ml/3 tbsp reduced-sugar strawberry jam (conserve)
• 15 ml/1 tbsp powdered gelatine
• 45 ml/3 tbsp water
• Artificial sweetener granules (optional)
• 100 g/4 oz fresh strawberries

Mix the biscuit crumbs with the low-fat spread and press into the base of a 20 cm/8 in flan tin (pie pan). Chill until firm. Meanwhile, beat the cheese with the crème fraiche and the jam. Sprinkle the gelatine over the water and leave to soften for a few minutes. Stand the bowl in a pan of hot water and stir until dissolved, or warm briefly in the microwave. Stir into the cheese mixture and sweeten to taste, if necessary. Turn into the flan disk and chill until firm. Decorate the top with the strawberries and serve.

Chocolate Éclairs

(SERVES 6)

• 65 g/2 ½ oz/generous ½ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
• A pinch of salt
• 150 ml/ ¼ pt/ 2/3 cup water
• 65 g/ 2 ½ oz/generous ¼ cup low-fat spread
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 30 ml/2 tbsp cocoa (unsweetened chocolate) powder
• 100 g/4 oz/ ½ cup very low-fat soft cheese
• Artificial sweetener granules
• 150 ml/ ¼ cup low-fat whipping cream, whipped

Sift the flour and salt on to a sheet of kitchen paper. Put the water in a saucepan with 25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp low-fat spread and heat until the fat melts. Add all the flour in one go and beat well until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan clean. Remove from the heat. Beat in the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition, until smooth and glossy but the mixture still holds its shape. Spoon or pipe into six sausage shapes on a sheet of baking parchment on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 200degree C/400degree F/gas mark 6 for about 20 minutes or until risen, golden and crisp. Cool on a wire rack. Meanwhile, melt the remaining low-fat spread in a small saucepan. Add the cocoa and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Empty in a bowl. Beat in the cheese and sweeten to taste. Chill. Make a slit in the side of each éclair and fill with a little whipped cream. Spread the chocolate mixture over the top and serve.

Mango Ripple

(SERVES 8)

Prepare as for Vanilla Ice Cream but add 1 or large mango, pureed with a squeeze of lemon juice, after whisking when half-frozen. Lightly fold in but do not over-mix or you won`t have ripples.

Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream

(SERVES 8)

Prepare as for Vanilla Ice Cream but add 224 g/8 oz raspberries, pureed then sieved (strained) to remove the seeds, after whisking when half-frozen. Lightly fold in but do not over-mix or you won`t have ripples.

Coffee Ice Cream

(SERVES 8)

Prepare as for Vanilla Ice Cream but dissolve 15 ml/1 tbsp instant coffee powder in the milk before making the custard.

Mock Pistachio Ice Cream

(SERVES 8)

Prepare as for Vanilla Ice Cream but substitute almond essence (extract) for vanilla and add a few drops of green food colouring to the mixture.

Vanilla Ice Cream

(SERVES 8)

• 25 g/1 oz/ ¼ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
• 2 eggs, separated
• 10 ml/2 tsp vanilla essence (extract)
• 300 ml/ ½ pt/1 ¼ cups skimmed milk
• 10 ml/2 tsp artificial sweetener granules
• 300 ml/ ½ pt/1 ¼ cups low-fat double (heavy) cream

Put the flour in a pan with the egg yolks and half the vanilla essence. Whisk in a little of the milk until well blended, then stir in the remainder. Cook over a moderate heat, stirring all the time, until thick and smooth, then simmer for 3 minutes, stirring. Sweeten to taste. Cover with a circle wet greaseproof (waxed) paper and leave to cool. When cold, whisk the egg whites until peaking, then the cream with the remaining vanilla until soft peaking. Fold the cream, then the egg whites into the cold custard and sweeten with the artificial sweetener. The mixture should taste very sweet now as it will taste very sweet now as it will less so when frozen. Turn into a plastic container with a lid and freeze for 3 hours. When half-frozen, frozen thoroughly to break up the ice crystals. Freeze again until firm. Remove from the freezer to the fridge about 20 minutes before serving to soften slightly.

Sinful Strawberry Brulee

(SERVES 4)

• 225 g/8 oz strawberries, sliced
• 150 ml/ ¼ pt/ 2/3 cup low-fat double (heavy) cream
• 150 ml/ ¼ pt/ 2/3 cup very low-fat plain yoghurt
• 5 ml/1 tsp vanilla essence (extract)
• 60 ml/4 tbsp demerara sugar

Put the fruit in four small flameproof dishes. Whip together the cream and yoghurt with the vanilla until peaking and spoon over the fruit. Chill. Just before serving, sprinkle the sugar over each portion and place under a hot grill (broiler) until the sugar melts and caramelises. Serve straight away.

Tropical Sundae

(SERVES 4)

• 1 fresh pineapple
• 8 fresh dates, stoned (pitted) and chopped
• 2 small bananas, sliced
• 45 ml/3 tbsp dark rum
• 45 ml/3 tbsp apple juice
• 15 ml/1 tbsp coconut flakes, toasted

Cut a slice off the top of the pineapple and about 3 cm/ 1 ½ in from the leaves and reserve the top as a lid. Scoop out the flesh with a serrated-edged knife, leave the pineapple skin as a shell. Chop the flesh, discarding any hardcore. Place a bowl and a mix with the dates, bananas, rum and apple juice. Toss and chill for at least 1 hour. Add the toasted coconut, pile back into the shell, top with the lid and serve.

Golden Trifle

(SERVES 4)

• 1 Swiss (jelly) roll, filled with reduced-sugar apricot jam (conserve) and left to cool
• 228 g/8 oz/1 small can peach slices in natural juice
• 1 packet sugar-free orange or peach dessert whip
• Skimmed milk, chilled

Slice the Swiss roll and place in the base of a serving dish. Drain the peaches, reserving the juice and a couple of slices for decoration. Chop the remainder and scatter over the Swiss roll. Make up the jelly using the fruit juice instead of some of the water. Pour over the sponage and fruit and chill until set. Make up the dessert whip with skimmed milk according to the packet directions. Spoon over the trifle and chill. Decorate with the reserved fruit before serving.

Strawberry Syllabub

(SERVES 4)

• 225 g/8 oz ripe strawberries
• 5 ml/1 tsp artificial sweetener granules
• 10 ml/2 tsp lemon juice
• 100 ml/3 ½ fl oz/ 6 ½ tbsp dry white wine
• 200 ml/7 fl oz/scant 1 cup low-fat double (heavy) cream

Puree the fruit in a blender or food processor with the sweetener. Put the lemon juice, wine and cream in a bowl and whip until softly peaking. Fold in strawberry puree and spoon into four goblets. Chill for at least 2 hours, when the mixture will have separated into two delicious layers.

Garlic Coffee with Chocolate Mint Fingers

(SERVES 6)

• 225 g/8 oz/1 block plain (semi-sweet) chocolate suitable for diabetics
• 25 g/1 oz/ ¼ cup raisins
• 100 g/4 oz/ ½ cup very low-fat soft cheese
• Artificial sweetener granules
• Peppermint essence (extract)
• A few drops of green food coloring
  
• 900 ml/1 ½ pts 3 ¾ cup strong black coffee
• 60 ml/4 tbsp Irish or scotch whisky
• 150 ml/ ¼ pt/ 2/3 cup low-fat double (heavy) cream

Line the base of a 20 cm/8 in square shallow baking tin (pan) with non-stock baking parchment. Break up half the chocolate and place in a bowl over a gentling simmering water. Stir the chocolate all the time and as soon as the bowl is hot and the chocolate is beginning to the melt, remove the bowl from the pan and continue to stir until melted. Spread over the baking parchment in an even layer. Chill. Put the raisins in a cup and snip with scissors until finely chopped. Place in a bowl with the cheese and sweeten to taste with artificial sweetener granules. Add peppermint essence, a drop at time, until a good flavour is achieved. Add a few drops of green food colouring. Spread this mixture over the set chocolate and chill again until fairly firm. Melt the remaining chocolate in the same as way before. Spread on the cheese, using a wet palette knife is necessary. Chill again until firm. Using a knife dipped in very hot water, cut the slab into sixteen 5 cm/2 in long fingers. Carefully lift out on to a serving plate. To make the Gaelic coffee, put an empty teaspoon in each of six wine goblets and pour in the hot coffee. Sweeten to taste with sweetener and add 10 ml/2 tsp Whisky to each. Remove the teaspoons. Using a clean, cold spoon, hold it just above the surface of the coffee, rounded side up, and pour the cream slowly over the back of the spoon so it floats in a layer on top of the coffee. Repeat with each glass. Serve with chocolate mint fingers.