DK - Australian Womens Weekly Desserts: Achievable, Satisfying Sweet Treats

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For most of us today, desserts are treats to be relished when were eating out, have guests over, or gather for a special family meal, rather than something we eat every day. All the more applause for the cook, then, when something sweet and beautiful appears to crown the meal.

The recipes in this book are innovative twists on classics. Some are simple and quick to put together, while others are more time-consumingextravagant offerings to impress on a special occasion, but well worth the effort. With so many tempting choices, narrowing down what to make can be a conundrum for anyone with a sweet tooth. With this in mind, for ease of choice we have grouped the recipes in this book according to flavor combinations, many of which have a seasonal bent, with a final chapter for especially festive occasions, when you want to pull out all the stops.

Fresh and fruity

In this chapter citrus, berries, passion fruit, and stone fruit all reign supreme. There are also more exotic fruits, such as mango, figs, and pomegranate. It may seem that nothing could exceed the appeal of a perfectly ripe piece of fresh fruitbut what about a luscious meringue stack filled with a tangy lemon and passion fruit cream and topped with raspberries?

Let your choices be led by the fruit that is in season, as this will provide the best-tasting dessert. Embrace fruit that corresponds with cooking methods that suit the time of year, too. In cooler months, seek out baked treats, such as sweetly satisfying apple, blackberry, and marzipan pies or a clafoutis of late-season berries, or enjoy the comfort that only a warm muffin or cake brings. If the sun is shining and the weather is warm, opt for something lighter and fresher. Granitas and perfectly ripe fruits layered with cream are good choices, and gelatin-based desserts such as panna cotta have a distinct advantage: They can be prepared well in advance.

Chocolate and coffee

These two ingredients conjure up tempting visions of richness and indulgence. Depending on the cooking method, the texture and intensity of flavor can be altered. A chocolateegg base, lightened with egg whites, becomes a light-as-air souffl. For lovers of rich chocolate desserts, we offer up a molten lava cake, fig-laden brownies, and churros, the Spanish fried pastry in which crisp lengths of pastry are unabashedly dipped in a rich chocolate sauce. Coffee and chocolate make good bedfellows, too, enhancing each others flavors, so in this chapter you will see them in company as well as alone.

Nuts and caramel

Even with only eight nuts at your command, a world of possibilities opens. Nuts left whole and toasted provide texture within desserts, as well as adding depth to their flavor profile. Ground to a flour they yield muffins, cakes, crumble toppings, and cookies that look marvelous but are surprisingly simple to make. Caramel is the alchemy that happens by cooking sugar and water to a burnished golden hue; the process of caramelization dissipates the sweetness of sugar, developing complex aromas and flavors that can be buttery, sour, nutty, malty, or toasty. Caramels that include butter and cream become butterscotch and add still more richness and mouthfeel. Nuts and caramel can stand as sweet confections all on their own, toothink crunchy cinnamon-spiced almonds or home-made caramels that range from simple fudge to more sophisticated candies with intriguing flavor twists. Premade caramel sauces such as dulce de leche are featured here, too, adding their own stamp in flavor and texture combinations designed to entice.

Spices and herbs

Spices and herbs have been making their way along spice and trade routes and into various cuisines since ancient times. Fragrant vanilla, the worlds favorite flavoring, is of course used throughout the book, but you will find it united with other flavors such as basil, rosemary, and even chili. Infusing milk or cream-based desserts is another simple way to add interesting flavor notes. And spices are one of the easiest ways to add different sparks of flavor. Sweet treats with spices complement a menu with a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern bent perfectly.

Special occasions

One of the deepest pleasures of festive events are the traditional desserts that have become an essential and time-honored part of the entire occasion. They may belong wholly to a particular festival or tradition, like a Yule log, or they might appear at other times of the year to mark important occasions such as summer graduations or family gatherings. They could be a tradition closer to home, like the special treat chosen for birthdays. All of these family gatherings feature desserts treasured for what they mean beyond just the pleasure of eating them: continuity, togetherness, the assurance that some things never change. Or do they? Lots of people who celebrate Christmas will think of fruit cake or of baking special cookies in the week before the holidaybut the idea of having a frozen dessert or other cake has caught on quickly, and today it has become a tradition parallel to the old ones. Its called enjoying the best of both worlds.

And so, the result is this beautiful collection of sweet treats and heady desserts. Go ahead and indulgeand impress yourself, your family, and your friends.

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FRESH AND FRUITY

From delectable tarts and puddings bursting with flavor to frozen treats and cheesecakes perfect for the lazy days of summer, these desserts showcase the best of seasonal fruit.

Fresh and fruity | CONTENTS

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Ruby red slab tart

Baked and fresh | prep + cook time 45 minutes + refrigeration | serves

A slab tart is an easy and not-at-all-intimidating dessert for a novice baker to make, as it eliminates some of the elements that may cause grief. As an added bonus, it also requires no specific bakewarea boon in the repertoire of any baker, regardless of skill level.

1 cups flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp powdered sugar

cup + 3 tbsp cold butter, chopped

about 2 tbsp iced water