Preserved fruit desserts

Press, 16 November 1981, Page 16

Preserved fruit desserts

COOKING with

Celia Timms

While we wait for our fresh fruit to ripen, those who prefer fruit puddings and sweets must rely on preserved fruit — bottled, canned or deep-frozen — and in my case it is the canned or bottled that I prefer. Although a deep-freeze enthusiast, I still would rather bottle my fruit. The following recipes . are for using canned or bottled fruit — three hot desserts and a dessert cake, filled with peaches.

PEACH CUSTARDS A simple little sweet which can be served warm or cold using canned or bottled peach halves cooked in individual ramekins in an egg custard and very lightly flavoured with cinnamon, which is optional. For six servings you need: 6 peach halves P/2 cups milk, or 1 cup milk and */2 cup evaporated milk 2 eggs l*/2 tablespoons sugar Few drops of almond essence Pinch of salt Cinnamon

Method: Drain peaches and place one half, rounded side down, in lightly buttered ramekin dishes. Heat milk to almost boiling. Beat eggs with sugar, essence and salt and combine with the hot milk. Pour an equal amount

into each of the six ramekins on top of the peaches and sprinkle each with cinnamon. Stand in a pan of hot water to come half way up the sides of the dishes and bake at 180 C for about 25 minutes or until the custards are set. Serve warm, rather than hot, or cold with cream. APRICOT CUSTARD SLICE This sweet also has fruit in egg custard but on an easily made biscuit crust base and again, the flavouring can be cinnamon. To serve six you need: 175 g flour */2 teaspoon salt 125 g butter or margarine 1 large can apricot halves, • drained % cup sugar ’/2 teaspoon cinnamop ‘/2 cup apricot syrup 2 eggs 1 cup evaporated milk Method: Sift flour and salt and rub in butter until mixture is like coarse, breadcrumbs. With a wooden spoon work into a paste and spread this over the base of a well greased shallow Binch square tin. Bake at 180 C to 190 C for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool slightly and arrange the drained apricot halves over this pastry base; sprinkle over the sugar mixed with the cinnamon. Combine the apricot syrup, lightly beaten eggs and evaporated milk

and pour over apricots. Return to 180 C oven and continue to cook until custard is set, about 30 minutes. Cut in squares and serve warm with a topping of sweetened whipped cream. MARMALADE PEARS

This sweet-. is simplicity itself and surprisingly — or unexpectedly — good. The sort of sweet that can be prepared in minutes for unexpected guests or when time has simply run out. For four tb six servings you need: ' 1 large can pear halves 1 cup orange marmalade Glace cherries Slivered almonds

Method: Heat the pears in their syrup then drain, reserving syrup, and arrange in shallow ovenproof dish. Measure half a pint or a large cupful of pear syrup and cook over high heat for 5 minutes uncovered, to reduce quantity slightly; stir in the marmalade and heat again. Pour this over the pears. Decorate with cherries and

almonds and serve hot, topped with custard or whipped cream or with a slice of ice cream which blends deliciously with the marmalade. PEACH DESSERT CAKE This can be served warm, garnished with some reserved peach slices and topped with whipped cream, .or it can be served cold with a fork as a very delicious and special cake. To make an Binch cake you need: Ehang4b 1 large can sliced peaches 225 g butter or margarine ■Vi cup sugar 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 2 eggs

1 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder */2 teaspoon salt V 3 cup sugar (additional) Vi teaspoon cinnamon ■A cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Method: Cream butter with the Vz cup of sugar until light and stir in lemon rind. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Sift flour with baking powder and salt and fold into batter. Spread half of the batter into a well-greased Binch pan. Drain peaches very thoroughly and . chop; spread evenly over batter. Cover with remaining batter, dropping it by spoonfuls on to fruit. Combine cinnamon, nuts and extra sugar and sprinkle over top. Bake at 180 C for 50 minutes.