Assorted Desserts Recipe

Prep and oven

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line an 8x8-inch (20x20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.

Melt chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a simmering pan of water (double boiler) or gently in short bursts in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Whisk sugar into the warm chocolate mixture, then add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder and salt; fold into the wet mixture just until combined. Do not overmix.

Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth the top and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (do not overbake).

Cool in pan on a rack. When cooled, use parchment overhang to lift brownies out and cut into 16 squares. Serve at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a 9x9-inch (23x23 cm) pan with parchment paper with an overhang.

Make the crust: in a bowl combine 185 g flour and 50 g powdered sugar. Cut in the cold cubed butter using a pastry cutter or fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Bake crust blind for 15–18 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from oven and slightly cool while preparing filling.

Whisk together 2 eggs, 150 g granulated sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and baking powder until smooth. Pour mixture over the warm crust and return to oven.

Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until the filling is set but still slightly jiggly in the center. Remove and cool completely in the pan on a rack. Chill for at least 1 hour for clean slicing.

Lift from pan, dust with 20 g powdered sugar and cut into 16 bars. Keep refrigerated until serving; bring to cool-room temperature before serving if preferred.

Make tart dough: in a bowl combine 200 g flour and 30 g powdered sugar. Cut in 100 g cold cubed butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and 15 ml cold water and mix until dough comes together; avoid overworking.

Form dough into a disk, wrap and chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Meanwhile preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to about 3 mm thickness. Cut rounds to fit into 12 mini tart pans (or a 12-cup muffin tin). Gently press dough into pans and trim excess. Chill shells in the fridge for 10 minutes to help maintain shape.

Brush shells with 10 ml milk and bake for 12–15 minutes, or until edges are golden. Remove and cool completely on a rack before removing from molds.

Fill cooled tart shells with about 1–2 tablespoons each of vanilla pastry cream. Top with assorted fresh fruit arranged attractively.

Warm 30 g apricot jam with 1 tablespoon water until smooth and loose. Strain if necessary and brush lightly over fruit to glaze. Chill until serving.

Bloom gelatin: sprinkle 6 g gelatin over 30 ml cold water in a small bowl and let sit 5–10 minutes to soften (if using powdered gelatin, follow package proportion to achieve similar setting power).

In a saucepan, combine 400 ml heavy cream, 100 ml whole milk and 60 g sugar. Add the scraped seeds of one vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract). Heat gently over medium-low heat until steam appears and sugar dissolves; do not boil.

Remove from heat and stir in bloomed gelatin until completely dissolved. Let mixture cool slightly (5 minutes) then strain through a fine sieve into a measuring cup to remove any solids.

Divide the panna cotta mixture among 6 small serving cups (approximately 80–90 ml each). Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours or until set.

For the berry sauce: in a small saucepan combine 200 g mixed berries, 10 ml lemon juice and 15 g sugar (adjust to taste). Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the berries break down and sauce thickens, about 6–8 minutes. For a smoother sauce, blend and strain; cool to room temperature.

When panna cotta is set, spoon berry sauce over each cup or serve on the side. Garnish with a few whole berries if desired and keep chilled until serving.