A sweet deal

No-bake berries and cream cheesecake. Recipe on page 90

NOT-SO DESSERTSNAUGHTY

PHOTOS: TOBY MURPHY RECIPES & STYLING: GAIL DAMON FOOD ASSISTANT: NADIA MEYER

Just because you’re eating better doesn’t mean you should forgo dessert. Get those spoons ready and scoop up some fab ways to make your favourite puds, treats and pastries lighter

NO-BAKE BERRIES AND CREAM CHEESECAKE

These irresistible bars are deliciously creamy, with just the right amount of sweetness.

Base:

1 box (200g) digestive biscuits, crushed ½ cup (125ml) honey or maple syrup

Filling:

3 leaves gelatine 1 tub (250g) ricotta cheese or 230g

medium-fat cream cheese

2 cups (500g) PnP

strawberries and cream double-cream yoghurt

¾ cups (180ml) honey 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla

essence

MAKES 10-12 BARS

Grease a 36cm x 14cm rectangular loosebottomed tart tin with cooking spray. Combine crushed biscuits and honey or maple syrup. Press mixture down evenly into tart tin to create the base. Chill in fridge for 30-60 minutes. Place gelatine leaves in water to soften (called sponging or blooming), about 10 minutes. Combine ricotta or cream cheese, yoghurt, honey and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Heat 1 cup of this mixture in a pot over medium heat (it should not boil or bubble). Remove from stovetop. Squeeze water from gelatine, add leaves to the pot and whisk until completely dissolved. Fold gelatine mixture into the rest of the unheated yoghurt fi lling mixture until smooth. Pour fi lling over biscuit base and refrigerate until set (2-4 hours) or overnight. Slice into bars and serve, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

GOOD IDEA Cook handfuls of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries (or 3 handfuls of one type of berry) with ¼ cup (60ml) each honey and water and a squeeze of lemon juice until sticky. Cool, then swirl through cheesecake before setting in the fridge.

TRY THIS

PnP DOUBLE-CREAM POMEGRANATE & RASPBERRY YOGHURT (1kg)

NEW

Look out for this new fl avour in PnP’s delicious, rich and creamy yoghurt range. Also available in strawberries & cream, salted caramel and lemon meringue.

SKINNY BANOFFEE PHYLLO STACKS

Take your banoffee pie to the next level.

2 packets (200g) walnuts or pecans, chopped ½ tsp (3ml) cinnamon 8 sheets phyllo pastry, defrosted ¼ cup (60ml) maple

syrup

1 can (400ml) chilled

coconut cream

4-6 bananas, sliced

Filling:

½ tub (120g) ricotta

cheese

¼ cup (60ml) maple syrup or honey 2 tsp (10ml) vanilla

essence

Juice (60ml) and zest of 1 lemon

Date caramel:

1 punnet (400g) medjool dates, stoned and chopped ½ cup (125ml) hot

water

¼ cup (60ml) honey ½ cup (125ml)

coconut milk

1 tsp (5ml) vanilla

essence

Pinch salt

SERVES 6

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 baking trays with paper. Combine nuts and cinnamon. Place two sheets of pastry next to each other and brush with maple syrup. Sprinkle with a little nut mixture and layer each with another sheet of pastry. Repeat until you have 2 stacks with 4 layers of pastry each. Cut each stack into 12 squares and place on lined trays. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden and crispy. Combine fi lling ingredients until smooth. Place date caramel ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth and velvety. Fold 2 Tbsp date caramel into fi lling mixture. Drain liquid from coconut can (it can be used in smoothies) and whip solid cream into stiff peaks. Place a spoonful of fi lling on each pastry square, then banana slices, some date caramel and whipped coconut cream. Layer 4 squares of pastry on top of each other to make a stack, ending up with 6 stacks to serve.

PAIR WITH

DURBANVILLE HILLS CHENIN BLANC LIGHT, R85

NEW

COOK’S NOTE No blow torch? Serve as is, or pop under the oven grill for a few minutes until lightly toasted and golden, but be sure to keep a close eye on it!

LEMON MERINGUE YOGHURT PIE

A healthier but still creamy take on the classic. The fi lling needs to be chilled overnight, so start this pie the day before.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 23cm round loose-bottomed tart tin. Line tin with 1 packet (400g) defrosted shortcrust pastry, prick with a fork and blind-bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely before brushing with a thin layer of honey. Reduce oven to 150°C. Combine 1 tub (230g) medium-fat cream cheese, 2 cups (500ml) PnP lemon meringue doublecream yoghurt, 4 egg yolks, ¼ cup (60ml) maple syrup, grated peel and juice (120ml) of 2 lemons and ½ cup (75g) cake fl our until smooth. Pour into pastry shell and bake for 20-25 minutes – it should still be a little wobbly in the centre. Cool completely, then chill overnight in the fridge. Combine 400g xylitol or Sweetly sugar substitute, 4 egg whites and a pinch of cream of tartar in a glass bowl. Gently heat over a pot of simmering water, whisking for 8 minutes or until sugar dissolves and it’s no longer foamy. Spoon meringue topping over set tart fi lling, forming peaks with the back of a spoon. Toast with a blow torch before serving.

SERVES 8

See page 105 for more about refined-sugar substitutes and alternatives.

CHOCOLATE COCONUT PARFAIT

This mousse-like frozen treat gets better with every bite!

Chill 1 can (400ml) coconut milk in the fridge. Line a 30cm loaf tin with two layers of clingfilm. Heat ½ cup (100g) brown sugar or xylitol or Sweetly sugar substitute and 2 Tbsp (30ml) water in a pot over medium heat. Simmer until it becomes syrupy and reaches 112°C. (No thermometer? Drop a dab of the syrup on a cold plate – it should create a thread when pulled between your fingers). Whisk 4 egg yolks using an electric mixer for 6 minutes or until light and pale. Pour a thin stream of syrup down the side of the egg mixture, while motor is running, and whisk until thick, pale and foamy. Halve the mixture. Fold 1 slab (100g) melted dark chocolate into one half of mixture and ½ can (200ml) coconut cream into the other. Skim solid cream from chilled coconut milk (discard liquid). Whip coconut cream to stiff peaks, halve and gently fold into both mixtures until smooth. Pour chocolate mixture into loaf tin and freeze until just set. Add coconut layer and freeze until fully set. Unmould and serve, with toasted coconut flakes and drizzled dark chocolate.

SERVES 10-12

CHOCOLATE AND DATE SKILLET COOKIE WITH NAARTJIE ICE-CREAM

A giant gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free chewy cookie! Dates give this treat the yum factor it deserves.

Juice (60ml) and grated peel of 2 naartjies 1 tub (2L) vanilla ice-cream (use non- dairy or frozen yoghurt if you like), slightly defrosted/softened

Skillet cookie:

1½ cups (200g)

gluten-free fl our mix

(or regular fl our if you’re not gluten intolerant) ¾ cup (150g) xylitol or Sweetly sugar substitute ½ cup (125ml) bottled

apple sauce

2 Tbsp (30ml) coconut oil, melted + extra for greasing 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla

essence

1½ slabs (150g) dark chocolate, broken into chunks ¼ punnet (100g) medjool dates, stoned and chopped

MAKES 1 LARGE 26CM COOKIE

Add naartjie juice and peel to ice cream. Mix in well and freeze. Preheat oven to 180°C and grease a 26cm cast-iron pan with coconut oil. Combine fl our and sugar substitute. Combine apple sauce, coconut oil and vanilla in a separate bowl. Fold wet mixture into dry ingredients and mix well to create a smooth, dough-like batter. Fold in chocolate chunks and chopped dates. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan, making sure the base is totally covered. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes, then serve in the pan with the ice cream on the side.

PAIR WITH

ANNABELLE CUVÉE ROSÉ NON-ALC SPARKLING WINE, R90

NEW

GOOD IDEA Add ½ cup (125ml) peanut butter to the batter for a nuttier taste!