Confectioner recipes

Banana Ginger Parkin

This is a nutritious, energy-giving cake that is a really good choice for packed lunches as it doesn't break up too easily.

Banana Ginger Parkin

Chestnut Brandy Cream

Chestnut puree fortified with brandy is whipped up into a treat with heavy cream and chocolate.

Chestnut Brandy Cream

Red Fruit Philo Baskets

This elegant dessert looks very festive. It is also low in fat and needs only a fine brushing of oil before use

Red Fruit Philo Baskets

Petits Pithiviers

Crunchy Apple and Almond Flan

Amaretti

Raspberry Vacherin

Meringue rounds filled with orange-flavoured low fat fromage frais and fresh raspberries make this a perfect dinner party dessert.

Raspberry Vacherin

Lemon Chiffon Cake

Lemon mousse provides a tangy filling for this light lemon sponge.

Lemon Chiffon Cake

Peach and Raspberry Croustades

Golden peaches, nestling among rich red raspberries on a bed of featherlight pastry, bring the sweetness of summer to the table.

Peach and Raspberry Croustades

Papaya Skewers with Passion Fruit

Chinese Fortune Cookies

This is a small biscuit or cake containing a slip of paper with a horoscope, joke or proverb printed on it. Chinese Americans invented the idea early the 20th century.

Chinese Fortune Cookies

Raspberry Passion Fruit Chinchillas

Few desserts are so strikingly easy to make as this one: beaten egg whites and sugar baked in a dish, turned out and served with a handful of soft fruit and ready-made custard from a carton.

Raspberry Passion Fruit Chinchillas

Hot Plum Batter

Peach Swiss Roll

A feather-light sponge enclosing peach spread - delicious at tea time.

Peach Swiss Roll

Macaroons

These little macaroons can be served as petit-fours with coffee. Dust with Confectioner’s sugar or cocoa before serving.

Macaroons

Caramelized Apples on Pumpernickel

Peach and almond strudel

Pear Meringue

Spicy poached pears are given a feather-light topping of vanilla-flavoured meringue and served with a glittering red wine sauce.

Pear Meringue

Tofu Berry Brulee

This is a lighter variation of a classic dessert, usually forbidden on a low fat diet, using tofu, which is low in fat and free from cholesterol. Use any soft fruits in season.

Tofu Berry Brulee

Mini Pavlovas

Angel Cake

A delicious light cake to serve as a dessert for a special occasion.

Angel Cake

Chocolate berry parfait

Juicy raspberries and crunchy almonds layered with pleasantly tart chocolate-flavoured yoghurt make this a perfect cooling summer treat.

Chocolate berry parfait

Sweet Twists

Stollen

This authentic German Christmas bread will keep in an airtight container for up to a week; it also freezes well. The quantities are sufficient to make two stollen - one to keep and one to give away.

Stollen

Apricot and Orange Roulade

This elegant dessert is very good served with a spoonful of natural yogurt or creme fraiche.

Apricot and Orange Roulade

Marshmallows

These light and fragrant mouthfuls of pale pink mousse are flavoured with rose water.

Marshmallows

Sables with Goat's cheese and Strawberries

Sables are little French biscuits. They contrast well with the cheese and fruit in this recipe and taste great served with a glass of chilled white wine.