Raspberry & Lemon Brandy Baskets

A healthy choice dessert - make it and use up the last of those pick-your-own raspberries

• Cooking Time Prep 5 mins
  
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  159

• Protein

  3g

• Carbs

  21g

• Fat

  8g

• Saturates

  4g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  15g

• Salt

  0.16g

Ingredients

• 150g punnet raspberries
• 6 tbsp fromage frais
• 2 tbsp lemon curd
• 4 ready-made brandy snap baskets
• 1 tbsp toasted flaked almonds

Directions

1. Reserve a few raspberries for decoration. Put the rest in a bowl and mash roughly with a fork. Fold in the fromage frais and the lemon curd and divide the mixture between the brandy snap baskets. Top with the remaining raspberries and almonds, then serve straight away.

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Cheat's Clafoutis

Try this easy, low fat, no-fuss cherry and lemon version of the classic French clafoutis

• Cooking Time Prep 45 mins - 55 mins
  
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 2

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  532

• Protein

  23g

• Carbs

  92g

• Fat

  11g

• Saturates

  3g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  38g

• Salt

  0.66g

Ingredients

• 450g cherries, pitted
• 2 tbsp cherry, plum or apricot jam
• finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 50g plain flour
• 3 large eggs
• 450ml skimmed milk
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 tbsp golden caster sugar
• icing sugar, to dust

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5/fan 170C. Lightly oil a shallow 1.3 litre baking dish. Gently heat the cherries and jam in a large saucepan, stirring all the time until the jam melts over the cherries. Tip them into the dish and sprinkle with the lemon zest and juice.
2. Whizz the flour, eggs, milk, cinnamon and sugar in a food processor for 30 seconds until smooth. Pour over the cherries, then put the dish on a baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the custard is set and the jam is beginning to bubble through. Dust with icing sugar and serve hot.

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Angela's Summer Pudding

Angela Nilsen discovers a stunning new way for a classic fruity British dessert

• Cooking Time Takes 1½ hours, plus overnight chilling
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 6

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  245

• Protein

  4g

• Carbs

  55g

• Fat

  1g

• Saturates

  0g

• Fibre

  5g

• Sugar

  35g

• Salt

  0.29g

Ingredients

• 1.15kg British summer fruits (Angela liked 350g/12oz raspberries, 350g/12oz small strawberries, 300g/10oz blackcurrants, 175g/6oz redcurrants, but this is not definitive - experiment with your own blend and try mixing in loganberries and tayberries)
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 5 tbsp Crème de Cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) or crème de mûre (blackberry liqueur)
• 2-3 day-old small unsliced farmhouse white loaf of bread (you will need about 5 slices)
• double cream, to serve

Directions

1. Firstly, get all the fruit ready. Hull the strawberries and cut them in halves or quarters depending on how big they are. Strip the blackcurrants and redcurrants from their stalks in one fell swoop by running a fork down the length of each stem-keep both the currants separate from the other fruits.
2. Tip the sugar into a wide, not too deep, saucepan. Measure in 3 tbsp water and the cassis. Put the pan on a low heat and cook, stirring often, until you can no longer hear the crunch of sugar grains on the bottom of the pan. When the sugar is dissolved, turn up the heat to medium-high and let the mixture bubble away for about 8 minutes. It will go quite syrupy and you want to catch it just before it starts to change colour or caramelise.
3. Now tip the blackcurrants and redcurrants into the hot syrup, it will feel quite sticky at first, then bring everything back up to a lively simmer and let it bubble again for no more than a minute, just to lightly burst and soften the currants without losing their shape. Take the pan off the heat and leave until it is barely warm.
4. Gently stir in the strawberries and raspberries-a large metal spoon is best so they don't break up-and let the fruity mixture sit for about half an hour so the juices all mix in.
5. Cut 4-5 slices from the loaf, about 5mm thick, and trim off the crusts. Cut a little square (about 4cm) from one slice and put it in the bottom of a 1.2 litre pudding basin. Using a big slotted spoon, put a layer of fruit (about 3 spoonfuls) over the bread. Next lay a slice of bread in the centre over the fruit trimming to fit and fill any gaps with trimmings of bread so the fruit is covered. Continue layering with more fruit, more bread, then a final layer of fruit so it comes to within a hair's breadth of the top of the basin. Spoon over a few spoonfuls of juice-not too much or it will ooze out when weighted down. (You should have about 4 spoonfuls of fruit and juice left for making a sauce.) Cover the fruit with a final layer of bread, press down to compact everything, then cover with cling film. Lay a saucer on top and weight down with heavy cans or weights. Stand the basin on a plate in case any juices spill out, then leave in the fridge overnight, or for a minimum of five hours. Press the leftover fruits and juice through a metal sieve to make a sauce, keep chilled. (You can freeze the pudding and the sauce at this stage for up to a month.)
6. To turn out, go round the edge of the pudding with a round-bladed knife to release it, then invert it on to a plate. Cut into slices with a serrated knife and serve with a drizzle of the fruit sauce and cream.

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Juicy Lucy Pudding

Look no further for a fruity, guilt-free dessert that's both delicious and nourishing

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins - 20 mins
  Cook 35 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4 - 6

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  276

• Protein

  3g

• Carbs

  56g

• Fat

  6g

• Saturates

  3g

• Fibre

  7g

• Sugar

  16g

• Salt

  0.14g

Ingredients

• 350g packet frozen fruits of the forest, defrosted
• 3 tbsp light muscovado sugar
• 4 tbsp no-added-sugar wild blueberries jam (we used St Dalfour, from larger supermarket branches)
• 6 medium-sized ripe pears, peeled, quartered and cored
• 50g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 25g butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5/ fan 170C. Mix the fruits of the forest in a large bowl with the sugar and jam, then add the pears and toss to mix. Tip into a deep baking dish measuring about 18x28cm, cover with foil and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Pierce a pear or two to see if they are really tender; if not, return dish to the oven for another 5 minutes or until they feel soft.
2. Mix breadcrumbs with the butter and scatter over the fruit. Bake uncovered in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden and crispy. Serve hot.

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A Nice Rice Pudding

Try this recipe for a low-fat rice pudding, which doesn't skimp on creaminess

• Cooking Time Prep 5 mins
  Cook 2 hrs
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  214

• Protein

  8g

• Carbs

  40g

• Fat

  3g

• Saturates

  2g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  21g

• Salt

  0.19g

Ingredients

• 100g pudding rice
• 50g sugar
• 700ml semi-skimmed milk
• pinch grated nutmeg
• 1 bay leaf, or strip lemon zest

Directions

1. Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Wash the rice and drain well. Butter an 850ml heatproof baking dish, then tip in the rice and sugar and stir through the milk. Sprinkle the nutmeg over and top with the bay leaf or lemon zest. Cook for 2 hrs or until the pudding wobbles ever so slightly when shaken.

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Baked Apples With Prunes Cinnamon & Ginger

A simple, classic low-fat pudding to use up seasonal Bramleys

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 40 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  284

• Protein

  3g

• Carbs

  47g

• Fat

  11g

• Saturates

  7g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  45g

• Salt

  0.19g

Ingredients

• 4 cooking apples, cored but left whole
• 2 stem ginger balls, finely chopped
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 prunes, chopped
• 50g light muscovado sugar
• 1 tbsp butter
• 4 big scoops good quality vanilla ice cream, to serve

Directions

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Using a sharp knife, score a line around the equator of each apple. Put them into a baking dish with a small splash of water in the bottom.
2. In a bowl, combine the ginger, cinnamon, prunes and sugar. Stuff the mixture into the apples so that they are well packed. Top each with a knob of butter and bake for 35-40 mins, or until cooked through. To test, pierce with a sharp knife-it should slide straight through. The apples can be cooked up to a day ahead, then warmed through in the oven or microwave before eating.
3. Remove from the oven and baste the apples with the liquid left in the dish. Serve hot or warm with the ice cream.

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Crushed Raspberry Creams

Barney Desmazery's tasty berry dessert is both creamy and low in fat - no cooking needed

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins - 15 mins
  
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  214

• Protein

  7g

• Carbs

  31g

• Fat

  8g

• Saturates

  5g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  25g

• Salt

  0.23g

Ingredients

• 50g golden caster sugar
• 2 x 125g/4½ oz punnets raspberries
• 200g tub half-fat crème fraîche
• 150g tub Total 0% Greek yogurt
• 3 meringues shells, either bought or homemade, broken into large pieces

Directions

1. In a small bowl stir a sprinkling of the sugar in with the raspberries, crushing them very slightly as you stir, but still leaving them more or less whole. In a separate bowl fold the crème fraîche and yogurt together with the remaining sugar and the meringue pieces.
2. Divide the raspberries among four small glasses, top with the creamy meringue mixture. The raspberry pots can be eaten straight away or will keep in the fridge for up to 4 hours.

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Easy Baked Pears With Amaretti

A warming autumnal pud that's low fat, speedy and satisfying

• Cooking Time Prep 5 mins
  Cook 20 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  198

• Protein

  4g

• Carbs

  39g

• Fat

  4g

• Saturates

  2g

• Fibre

  4g

• Sugar

  32g

• Salt

  0.23g

Ingredients

• 4 ripe pears
• 100g ricotta
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 4 tbsp clear honey, plus extra to serve
• 8 crisp amaretti biscuits

Directions

1. Cut each pear in half, then place on a large baking tray. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the cores and make a dip in the centre of each pear. If your pears are firm, you may need to use a sharp knife to do this. Dollop about 1 heaped tsp ricotta into each dip, then sprinkle over the cinnamon and drizzle with a little honey.
2. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5, then roast the pears for 10 mins. Tip the biscuits into a food bag and use a rolling pin to lightly crush them. Remove the pears from the oven, then scatter the crumbs over each pear. Return to the oven for another 10 mins or until the pears are soft and the biscuit golden brown. Serve drizzled with honey.

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Hoisin Wraps

Make this delicious, healthy take on a Peking duck wrap for a speedy snack or tasty lunch.

• Cooking Time Prep 5 mins
  Cook 5 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 2

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  302

• Protein

  33g

• Carbs

  31g

• Fat

  6g

• Saturates

  2g

• Fibre

  12g

• Sugar

  2g

• Salt

  1.81g

Ingredients

• 200g cooked turkey or chicken, cut into strips
• 4 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 flour tortillas
• ¼ cucumber, deseeded and shredded
• 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely shredded
• good handful watercress

Directions

1. Heat the grill to high. Mix the turkey or chicken with half of the hoisin sauce so that it's coated, then spread out onto an ovenproof dish and grill until sizzling. Warm the tortillas under the grill or according to pack instructions.
2. Spread the tortillas with the rest of the hoisin sauce, then use to wrap up the turkey or chicken with the cucumber, onions and watercress. Cut in half and enjoy while still warm.

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Fresh Tuna Tortillas

An all round winner - vitamin D, omega 3 and 1 of your 5-a-day, it's even simple to make

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 50 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 4

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  370

• Protein

  27g

• Carbs

  36g

• Fat

  15g

• Saturates

  2g

• Fibre

  3g

• Sugar

  2g

• Salt

  0.54g

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 large tuna steaks
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 4 soft tortillas
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• juice 1 lime
• handful coriander, chopped
• soured cream, to serve (optional)

Directions

1. Rub oil over each steak, then sprinkle with the spices. Heat a griddle pan until hot, then cook the steaks on one side for 2 mins. Turn and cook for 1-2 mins more. Cut into strips.
2. Heat the tortillas for 30 secs in a microwave until soft. Pile tuna, avocado and tomatoes on top of each, then squeeze over the lime juice and scatter with coriander. Dollop soured cream on top, if you like, then roll up and eat.

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