Don’t get hot and bothered. Make these five no-bake desserts, writes Angela Day.
On the menu:
Tropical cheesecake
Choc mint strawberry tart
Aperol jelly
Banoffee pie
Coffee chocolate mousse
Tropical cheesecake
Makes 1 large tart or 8 smaller tarts
200g packet of ginger biscuits, crushed
100g butter, melted
80g lemon jelly powder
80ml boiling water
250g cream cheese
60ml lime juice
125ml castor sugar
380g evaporated milk, well chilled
Kiwi fruit, strawberries and litchis
Combine the crushed biscuits with the melted butter and mix well. Press the mixture into 1 large 23cm pie plate or 8 smaller ones. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling. Dissolve the jelly in the boiling water and allow to cool. Beat the cream cheese with the lime juice and castor sugar.
Beat in the cooled jelly mixture. In a separate bowl, beat the evaporated milk until thick. Beat in the cream cheese mixture. Spoon onto the chilled crust and refrigerate until set.
Serve decorated with fruit.
Choc mint strawberry tart
Serves 8-10
200g chocolate biscuits, crushed
100g butter melted
250ml cream
a handful of fresh mint
250g chocolate, chopped
strawberries to decorate
crushed peppermint crisp to serve
Combine the crushed biscuits with the melted butter and mix well. Press the mixture into a loose-bottom quiche tin and refrigerate. Heat the cream until just boiling, then remove from the heat and add the mint leaves.
Set aside to infuse for 20 minutes. Press the mixture through a sieve and discard the leaves. Combine the cream and chocolate in a bowl and microwave on medium heat until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour onto the chilled crust and refrigerate until set. Decorate with strawberries and peppermint crisp.
Aperol jelly
Makes 6
25ml gelatine
250ml fresh orange juice
160ml castor sugar
375ml bottle of Prosecco
125ml Aperol liqueur
whipped cream to serve
orange segments to serve
Sprinkle the gelatine over 125ml of the orange juice.
Combine the remaining orange juice, castor sugar and Prosecco in a small saucepan and heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the soaked gelatine and stir until dissolved.
Remove from the heat and stir in the Aperol.
Strain the mixture though a sieve.
Pour into desired moulds or serving dishes.
Refrigerate until set.
Serve with a little whipped cram, decorated with orange segments.
Banoffee pie
Serves 6-8
Crust
200g digestive biscuits, crushed
100g butter, melted
Toffee
125g butter
125ml brown sugar
385g tin of condensed milk
45ml golden syrup
Topping
3-4 bananas, sliced
lemon juice
250ml cream
15ml castor sugar
3ml vanilla extract
Crust: Combine the biscuits and butter and mix well.
Press into the base and sides of a 20cm pie plate.
Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
Toffee: Combine the butter, sugar, condensed milk and syrup in a small pot and stir over a gentle heat until well mixed.
Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring for about 10 minutes until thickened.
Pour this mixture onto the prepared crust and refrigerate until set.
Sprinkle the banana with a little lemon juice. Arrange the slices over the toffee.
Beat the cream with the castor sugar and vanilla and spoon over the bananas.
Coffee chocolate mousse
Serves 6-8
2x125g packets of coffee-flavoured milk chocolate balls*
250g dark chocolate, chopped
625ml cream
90ml coffee liqueur
15ml castor sugar
Use a rolling pin to crush one of the packets of chocolate balls.
Put the chopped dark chocolate, 250ml of the cream and 60ml of the liqueur into a glass bowl and microwave on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until melted and smooth. Allow to cool completely.
Beat 250ml of the cream until stiff, then beat in the chocolate mixture and fold in the crushed chocolate balls.
Spoon into a serving dish and refrigerate until set.
Whip the remaining cream with the castor sugar and remaining 30ml of coffee liqueur until soft peaks form. Before serving, spoon the cream over the mousse and decorate with the remaining chocolate balls.
(* Like Malted Puffs from Woolworths or Chuckles.)
The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.