Wine Soaked Peaches With Mint And Vanilla

Every year, I tell myself that when stone fruit season comes around, I'll make all the recipes that I've bookmarked through the year. It's no secret how much I enjoy baking and cooking with the fruit of the season and my cookbooks attest to that. These are usually cookbooks written by authors in the West, whose recipes are usually set in the Summer when their markets are crammed with berries and stone fruits.

Unfortunately, in India we have this really tiny window of opportunity when it comes to stone fruits. The first cherries appear in the last days of May when I frankly couldn't be bothered to do anything in that blistering heat but eat a bowl of chilled cherries every day as a snack. It's only when the rains come that you can think of making something with the fruits before you blink and they just vanish from the markets.

 

Well, I did try making a cherry cake last week and if you saw my post on Facebook or Instagram, you'd know that it was a disaster. Yes, I tried to pretty up the picture but honestly, that cake didn't have much going for it. Finally, because I hate wasting food, I had to make a batch of chocolate sauce, doused the cake in it to make it palatable so that we could quietly finish it off.

But, my confidence has taken a bit of a beating. So, instead I went with a no-bake dessert from Yossy's book before I get my bearings to bake another cake. This is a simple dessert where the peaches are soaked in white wine for two days along with some mint and vanilla and then served with some lightly whipped cream.

The reason I chose this dessert was because I have usually poached my fruits over heat, never just soaked them in wine. What you get is a simple, chilled, no-fuss dessert to enjoy the peaches in season. This is not a rainy day dessert. This is a dessert for the days when the rain takes a breather and the humidity and heat come back in full force. 

It's very important that you choose your peaches carefully. You are looking for firm peaches that have already ripened. If your peaches are still slightly unripe, they won't soften in the wine. You are then better off poaching them as that will soften them down. Neither will they be able to absorb the flavours of the mint and vanilla nor would the wine get infused with the scent of the peaches. I had a mixture of peaches that were ripe and some slightly under and I realised that while we really enjoyed the ripe slices, the slightly tougher ones needed some work.

I have served them with some lightly whipped cream but some vanilla ice cream will also work fine or you could just have the peaches with their wine syrup alone. But, it is important that you serve them chilled. That's what makes them so special on a hot day.

And here's the best part of the recipe. Once you've enjoyed the peaches, you are going to be left with some peach scented wine. Yossy recommends that you turn that wine into spritzers. Simply top up a glass of wine with some sparkling water (club soda), ice and a twist of lemon and it is just such a refreshing drink for a humid evening. 

Hope you are enjoying the weekend..x!

Strawberry Tarts

It's been so quiet for so long out here that I am not even sure how to begin this post. So, I'll get to the point straight away as to why I felt the need to put some space between me and this little blog of mine. 

If you are a food blogger, you will probably understand what I have to say...or maybe it's just me. The food blogging world is relentless with its constant bombardment and preoccupation with the visual imagery of food that it tends to get a bit overwhelming. It felt so intense that somewhere, in the multitude of food blogs that I follow on various social media channels, it all got a bit pretentious and all-consuming and somewhere along the line, I stopped enjoying this space.

And as I tuned off, I became critical of my own blog, especially of my posts over the past one year. The photographs seemed over-exposed/under-exposed, too grainy and lacking in focus and composition. And as for the writing, barring a few posts, it all read as repetitive and a tad boring, if I may say so myself. It was clearly time for a time-out!

But, as I stayed away, I kind of missed this place. I missed the creativity it sparked in me. I missed the baking and the little stories I wove around them. And yes, I missed interacting with the people I've met through this blog, even if this blog can boast of all of five readers!! 

This blog was never solely about the food. It was about the memories and stories that food evokes and about how food is the medium around which we create new memories. And somewhere in the social media onslaught, I lost touch with that. 

That meant clearing out my social media to follow a smaller bunch of food blogs that I can relate to. And of course, getting back to this blog with a resolve of keeping it simple. Of course, the critic within me tells me that I need to still work on my photography and my writing, which I believe will always be an evolving challenge.

These should be the last few days of the strawberry season and to ease back into the blogging groove, I kept it simple with these strawberry tarts. The base is a regular short crust pastry that I filled with creme patissiere, which is just the French term for a thick and creamy custard. And, if making creme patissiere seems like too much cooking for you, which it is NOT, you can use whipped cream or even hung yoghurt if that's what your palate prefers.

The main focus are those fresh strawberries on top that I macerated with a wee bit of sugar. Recipes will suggest that you brush them with jam to make them glossy but these were so fresh that they needed nothing. 

That buttery, flaky crust contrasts with that creamy, soft, chilled vanilla custard and then topped off with those fresh strawberries makes just the most delightful tea time treat for the weekend!

It's been a while but I hope life's been treating you well...xx!!

Île Flottante With Fresh Cherries

The good thing about the stone fruit season is that the season in India is more or less in line with the season around the world. And that means you are never short of ideas for what to do with the fruit in the basket. And amongst all those ideas, I have a soft spot for French desserts. They can be elegant, they can be rustic, they can be simple, they can be flamboyant and sometimes, all at the same time. And I'm always taken in by how pretty they sound. Makes me wish I had paid more attention in class when we were taught the language in school!

 

Like this dessert I made with the last cherries of the season. In English, it would translate as 'floating islands', which won't elicit much of a response. But, say 'ile flottante' and it's time to pull out the little black dress for the occasion, even if you have no idea what it means.

 

'Île flottante' is a dessert that consists of poached meringues that are served floating on a crème anglaise, French for a vanilla custard. There are numerous recipes on the Web and I turned to the most economical one that was Mary Berry's.

 

The meringues use the egg whites and the custard uses the egg yolks and Mary's recipe uses them in equal number. Which is just perfect because I find nothing more frustrating than when I have leftover yolks or whites at the end of a recipe, which then means I have to go look for another recipe just to use them up!

 

The recipe is also resourceful in the sense that it uses milk to poach the meringues and once that's done, you use the same milk to make the crème anglaise. Perfect score in home economics, I say!

 

 

Preparing the dessert was not difficult but I'll admit it was a bit too fiddly for my liking, specially the bit about poaching the meringues. Although the meringues transformed themselves into soft, fluffy clouds as promised, I just had to keep second guessing myself, never really knowing if I was getting it right. In contrast, making the custard is quite simple and remember it is better served chilled.

 

This is a very rich dessert that makes quite an impression when it first appears. There is that white, soft, fluffy, delicate meringue served on a bed of pale yellow crème anglaise, whose simplicity of appearance belies its extravagance in flavour.

 

That would also mean that if you are looking for something simple and light, you will find this dessert a tad overwhelming. And that would also hold true, if you are a person who likes the taste of eggs to be hidden in your dessert, because it plays a starring role in both the elements.

What I would have preferred is a little less sugar in both the elements. This dessert is usually served with a caramel sauce but that would have just piled on the sugar I think. And that's why, thank goodness for the cherries. The freshness and the slight, natural tartness of the cherries cut through all the sugar and the richness of the dessert.  So, the cherries were a brilliant idea, courtesy David Tanis for the NYT.

 

Have you made or eaten ile flottante?? Do tell me what you think of it. Hope you're having a good week!!

 

Fig And Almond Cake

It wouldn't be until I started working that I would sample a fresh fig for the first time. Am not sure why that was the case considering I have always loved them in their dried avatar and you always got them easily in Bombay. It would take my flatmate's parents to come visiting to get me to try one. Clearly ignoring the fact that we were no longer in college, her mother, much like mine, would stock up the pantry with the essentials and the freshest fruits and vegetables. They clearly had no faith in our housekeeping skills!!

 

Anyhow, on one of their visits, they brought home a box of fresh figs and that's how I got to eat my first fresh fig and have been hooked ever since. I have always loved how a dried fig tastes but cutting through the dark purple skin of a fresh fig and then encountering the luscious, soft, deep red flesh inside has a charm of its own. And since then, I wait every January when the fruit makes it to our markets!

 

 

I enjoy them just as they are, no adornments, no embellishments. But, over the years, they seem to be much more in abundance than before. So, I couldn't let them leave the market without giving this cake, on which I have had my eye on for the longest time, a shot!

 

The recipe is available on Ottolenghi's website, so, you know you are in safe hands! It is a cake made with almonds and Greek yoghurt and the top is adorned with fresh figs. The recipe states that while it was not needed, a red wine caramel syrup with fresh figs was recommended to go with the cake. Well, when the masters of cooking recommend it, who am I to say no!

 

 

The cake comes together very easily. I liked the fact that it has ground star anise, a welcome change from the usual cinnamon that I normally turn to. You won't only taste the star anise but you will smell it as the cakes bakes. Remember, there is no baking powder, so this is a dense cake in terms of consistency.

 

The recipe is right. You don't need the red wine caramel syrup but I will insist that you do not miss out on it. Toss some fresh figs in the syrup and then serve them with a slice of cake and some Greek yoghurt. The fresh figs along with the figs in the cake pay a fitting tribute to the fruit. The almond meal not only provides a different texture but ensures that a small slice goes a long way!

 

 

The red wine caramel syrup ties all the elements together and the Greek yoghurt ensures that it never gets too sweet for the palate. The hint of star anise that you encounter plays up the Middle Eastern heritage of the fruit.

 

 

If you love the fruit as much as I do, there is no way you should miss out on this cake. My mother, who personally does not like figs, enjoyed the cake with all its accoutrements. But, then again, I think she is unfairly biased towards this baker!!

Madeleines

".. .. one day in winter, as I came home, my mother, seeing that I was cold, offered me some tea, a thing I did not ordinarily take. I declined at first, and then, for no particular reason, changed my mind. She sent out for one of those short, plump little cakes called 'petites madeleines,' which look as though they had been moulded in the fluted scallop of a pilgrim's shell....No sooner had the warm liquid, and the crumbs with it, touched my palate, a shudder ran through my whole body, and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary changes that were taking place. An exquisite pleasure had invaded my senses..." 

 

"..And suddenly the memory returns. The taste was that of the little crumb of madeleine which on Sunday mornings at Combray (because on those mornings I did not go out before church-time), when I went to say good day to her in her bedroom, my aunt Léonie used to give me, dipping it first in her own cup of real or of lime-flower tea. And once I had recognized the taste of the crumb of madeleine soaked in her decoction of lime-flowers which my aunt used to give me... ..the whole of Combray and of its surroundings, sprang into being, town and gardens alike, all from my cup of tea. "

 

And with these evocative words on the power of food to evoke memories in his novel 'In Search of Lost Time', Marcel Proust would ensure that food writers and with time, food bloggers, would mention him every time they encounter a batch of madeleines. And yours truly is no different. I couldn't resist the opportunity to sound literary high brow!

Madeleines are dainty, French tea time cakes with a distinctive shell-like shape which is achieved by using a distinctive madeleine pan to bake them. The literary cliché aside, I have wanted to bake madeleines ever since I started writing this blog but not being able to find the appropriate pan has meant waiting till now. Finally, after two years of searching and a horrendously exorbitant price tag, I found my pan and you get to see my first batch of madeleines.

Madeleines are made using a genoise batter where, as opposed to a traditional sponge cake batter, melted, warm butter is used. This ensures that the madeleines, fresh from the oven, were crisp around the edges and soft, light and buttery on the inside. They are much easier to make than you think and this recipe from 'Joy of Baking' delivers beautifully.  I do wish I had been more generous with the lemon zest. These are elegant and dainty and moreish, and if like me, you bake them in a mini madeleine tin, it is easy to lose count of how many you've had!

Proust had his with tea, I had mine with coffee. And talking about coffee, have a little peek at the coffee mugs and platters I have used in this post. They were a surprise gift in the mail from my favourite lifestyle brand, 'Good Earth'. Eight times out of ten, the props such as the mugs and glasses that I use in my posts are from Good Earth. And these are from their collection titled 'Serendib', one of their most elegant collections, designed by the fabulously talented Pavitra Rajaram. I can't remember ever getting a surprise gift in the mail, let alone something so fabulously beautiful. To say that I was thrilled would be an obvious and gross understatement. Hopefully, these madeleines do them justice!

Caramel Custard / Classic Crème caramel

What I enjoy when it comes to food are the memories and anecdotes that it evokes. And it gets even better when it comes from an era you were never a part of.

 

But, a little background first. Thanks to India's colonial past, the British left their mark on the Indian culinary scene. It was some of their beloved dishes that they improvised with the ingredients and spices that they found in India. Some of the popular dishes were Roast chicken, lamb stew, mulligatawny soup, meatloaf, fried fish with tartar sauce and for the desserts, there was trifle, bread and butter pudding, chilled lemon soufflé and caramel custard. And while this unique fusion cuisine is referred to as 'Anglo-Indian' cuisine, colloquially it was called 'English Khana'!

 

And much through the 50s, 60s and 70s, when very few Indians had the opportunity to experience the world outside, this English khana was all that we thought of as international cuisine. And I am told, in a distorted interpretation of modernity, it was considered 'modern' in those days, to say that you had English khana for dinner!!

My mother recounts how in the early 70s, a certain matriarch was on the lookout for a suitable match for her most eligible son. I am digressing but I have to state that I am yet to meet an Indian mother who does not think her son is most eligible. Anyhow, this particular lady rejected a whole host of young ladies because they admitted that they did not know how to make caramel custard!! Gasp!!! How did they ever think they would be suitable for her esteemed son if they did not even know how to make caramel custard, the epitome of English khana?!!?

It's such a random story but it makes Ma and me laugh every time someone mentions caramel custard!

 

I won't get into why I remembered this story but it did make me ask my mother for her very own caramel custard recipe. She's always insisted, it's extremely easy to make and I reckoned it must be, considering how often she churned it out when we were kids.

Looking at the recipe, there are only four ingredients and I have given a few tips from the dependable Mary Berry so that you just can't go wrong! Its all straightforward but it is preferable that you make it a day before you want to serve it.

The end result is perfect. The custard is smooth, light and not too sweet. It contrasts and compliments that dark, auburn caramel layer that is sweet with a hint of bitter that makes this dessert the classic it is. It is one of those desserts that isn't too heavy and helps finish off a meal on the right note.

Is there any food-related memory or anecdote that always has you in splits that you'd like to share??

Roasted Strawberry No-Churn Ice-Cream

For the past few weeks, I have been in a state of denial. I have absolutely refused to accept that Summer is here.  I have ignored the mangoes that have made their arrival in the markets. I have ignored my sighs of relief every time I enter an air-conditioned room. I have ignored the fact that white seems to be my overwhelming choice of colour these days. Why, I have even ignored the lizards that have emerged from the woodwork!

 

In short, I have desperately tried to cling on to any remnants of our tropical Winter. But, no more. Summer is here and it looks like a scorcher! Not like I expect my readers in the Western hemisphere, who are still waiting for Spring, to understand me!!

 

Summer is about all things cool and chilled. Summer is also about not seeing strawberries in the market anymore. So, to shore up my defences against Summer, I decided to make an ice-cream with what should be amongst the last strawberries to hit the market.

 

The ice-cream is a no-churn version that does not require an ice-cream maker. Last October, I had made a sitaphal (custard apple) ice-cream, using this method. It is an extremely easy, quick and fuss-free method that results in a creamy, soft-serve ice-cream.

 

To heighten the taste of strawberries, I decided to roast them 'en papillote'. I had tried it last March and I know from experience, that employing this technique intensifies the flavour of the strawberries.

 

When mixed with the cream mixture, the juices from the roasted strawberries will not only infuse their flavour but also colour the entire mixture with a delicate pink hue. Do ensure that you don't mash the strawberries too fine. Keep some of them as chunks. It is a lovely surprise when you encounter these chunks as you make your way through a bowl of this ice-cream. And don't be stingy with the amount of strawberries you are using. They are a delicately flavoured fruit. The more you use, the more robust their flavour will be in the ice-cream.

 

You have had strawberry ice-creams and then there is this one. This is not a strawberry ice-cream because of its colour and artificial fruit essences but a strawberry ice-cream where you will taste the strawberry in all its honesty, complete with all its tiny seeds. I was a never a fan of the commercial strawberry ice-cream but this one has such a natural taste to it, it has me converted.

Make it, grab a bowl and while you savour it, pray that Summer is kind to us this year!!

Chocolate And Vanilla Marble Cake

And then for tea time, we had some cake, of course!

Continuing from yesterday's post, where I shared the spoils from an afternoon of baking. First, for lunch we had a savoury quiche and then for our afternoon cuppa, I stuck to the old-fashioned, homely charm of a butter cake. You might get adventurous and fancy from time to time but ultimately home baking is about the classics and you can never go wrong with a pound cake.

 

There is something so comfortingly simple about a pound cake, complete with that ruptured, rustic top that has a charm of its own. There are many adaptations to a basic pound cake with the addition of lemon zest or orange zest or dry fruits or even, chocolate chips.

This chocolate-vanilla marble cake is my favourite version of the classic. I am not really sure but I suspect it appeals to my inner child to see those swirls of chocolate and vanilla play around with each other and result in that 'marbled' effect.

 

The recipe is the same for a basic pound, butter cake. Then half the batter is flavoured with cocoa powder. Alternate spoonfuls of the two batters are placed in the cake tin and then with a skewer, you gently draw swirls.

 

The final result is just delightful. You have the firm but light texture that you expect from a sponge cake. You can not only clearly see the two flavours but you will also taste them distinctly when you bite into a slice. Apart from the visual beauty of that marbling, the interplay between the sweet vanilla batter and the slightly darker, not-too-sweet chocolate batter ensures that the cake is not cloyingly sweet.

 

Baking this cake reminds me why I enjoy baking. Its about simple ingredients resulting in a beautiful cake that is homely, rustic, delicious and meant to be shared with family and friends amidst some gossip and giggles. All that's left is a cup of tea!

 

Baked Apricots with Lemon Tea

Ever since I started blogging, I have become more attuned to local and seasonal produce. Look back at my earlier posts and you will notice the local, seasonal calendar of fruits is what guides the subject of my posts. This year, we've had a good and bountiful stone fruit season and I have had my fill of these fruits, fresh and ripe, just as they are!

But, as the season draws to a close, you can sense that the best of the season's produce is behind us. So, I have been looking for ways to prolong this season, with desserts and bakes that celebrate these fruits that aren't in their prime any longer. For instance, apricots rarely make an appearance in Indian markets, a fleeting one at most. So, when I saw a mound of them, freshly arrived from North India, I just had to buy them because for all my proclaimed love for fruits, I've never tasted a fresh apricot. Sad but true!

 

 

Unfortunately, while these fruits had the most beautiful colour, they were sadly lacking in flavour. So, I turned to my most trusted advisor on how to cook with the fruit of the season, Nigel Slater's Ripe. I can't praise this book enough and it hasn't disappointed till date.

 

I wanted something simple that didn't involve elaborate cooking. This recipe of gently poaching the fruit with lemon tea and vanilla was just what I was looking for. And it definitely did not disappoint. With ten minutes of prep and forty minutes in the oven, this recipe transformed a bland fruit into a dainty and elegant dessert.

The citrusy lemon awakens these fruits with their subtle zestiness while the vanilla and the star anise infuses it with a delicacy that washes over you with its simplicity. Paired with vanilla ice-cream, it is a subtle and light dessert that will be a perfect end to any meal.  

 

Much like a beautiful piece of music, all the flavours are in perfect harmony and this dessert enervates and calms at the same time. Try it once, it will awaken your senses!

 

Homemade Vanilla Extract

I have a confession to make!! When I first started baking and the recipe would ask for vanilla extract, I would reach out to this tiny bottle labelled 'Vanilla Essence' that was available in most Indian stores. It is only once I started blogging and reading and sharing that I realised that I was doing it all wrong. Turns out that tiny bottle was all fraud! I read closely, and horror of horrors, the label had not a mention of the word "vanilla" in the ingredients list. Instead, I read the word "artificial" and even worse, "caramel flavouring"!!

 

  

Well, you learn! While vanilla extract is still not easily available in the Indian market, the even better option is to make the stuff at home. All you need is a clean glass bottle (in my case, an old soya sauce bottle that I sterilised), some vanilla pods and vodka. The only hitch, you have to wait for eight weeks before it is ready for use. Else, you will land up with vanilla-flavoured vodka!! (Label credit, here)

 

This takes barely about two minutes to put together and you will see the difference for yourself! 

Strawberries en Papillote

In my neck of the woods, we don't have a gradual thaw when it comes to Winter. It arrives unannounced one fine day in November, when you feel a certain nip in the air. And then just like that, Winter disappears. You wake up, one day in March, to find the sun has gotten harsh and the days, uncomfortable and you know Summer is round the corner. If you know how much I love to hate the torrid, unbearable Indian Summer, then you know how much I am looking forward to the next three months!

 

And the change of weather signals the end of the strawberry season. So, I wistfully bid adieu to Winter with a simple dessert that celebrates this beautiful berry as it gets ready to leave the Indian markets.

 

 

The recipe I turn to is from Beatrice Peltre's beautiful, award-winning blog, La Tartine Gourmande. If you are familiar with the food blogging world, you would be well-acquainted with Bea's blog. I remember the first time I landed up at her blog, it would be a long time before I left. I was completely mesmerised by her stunning photography and her holistic approach to food with an emphasis on seasonal and fresh produce. I was charmed!

 

Come summer and one can see Bea work her magic with berries and other summer fruit. Time and again, in her posts, I would see her lightly steaming fruit in its own juices in a pouch placed in the oven. The technique is known as "en papillote" and I have seen it being used to mainly steam fish or vegetables. Seeing it being employed with fruit was a first.

 

 

This dessert is simple and more importantly, it hardly takes any time and effort. The strawberries are tossed with sugar and vanilla and then placed in a secure parchment-paper parcel and put in the oven for 20 minutes. Allowed to rest for ten minutes, the fruit is then served with vanilla ice-cream. I told you it was simple!!

 

 

The best part is the gentle waft of vanilla that creeps into your home while the fruit cooks in the oven. Steaming the fruit in its own juices tends to accentuate its taste and is a beautiful way to celebrate the fruit. The flavour of the vanilla does not burst through but instead provides this dessert with a certain 'je ne sais quoi', a certain elusive, indefinable, but definitely pleasing flavour. And it does not disappoint with the visual. The strawberries leach out a sticky and vibrantly red syrup that not only catches your eye but also threatens to stain everything it comes in contact with.

 

Looking back, I could have added a herb, like some mint leaves, that would have gone well with the strawberries. You can adapt this dessert with the any other fruit or condiments of your liking.

 

 

This dessert will captivate and at the same time, soothe all your senses. It is so beautiful in its simplicity that it is lyrical. It would be a pity to give it a miss!!

 

Poires Belle Hélène : Spice-Poached Pears with Warm Chocolate Sauce

Recently, I bought myself a copy of Nigel Slater's 'Ripe'. For someone who has increasingly found herself enjoying baking with the fruit of the season, I thought this book would be a valuable addition to my tiny cookbook collection. And for once, I got it right!!

 

To call this book a cookbook would be doing it gross injustice. This book is much much more. Divided into chapters, with one chapter being dedicated to one fruit, this book celebrates the world of fruit like none other. With his characteristic, evocative style, Slater draws you into the magical world of fruit trees that grow in his backyard, jostling with each other for space. And then as the seasons change, he introduces you to each fruit tree as an unique personality.

 

From the tree to its blossoms to its fruit, from its shape to its colour to its taste, he describes the appeal of each fruit, almost as if it were a person. Elaborating on the appropriate pairings for each fruit, he shares recipes that celebrate the fruit. Along with rustic photographs, this book engrosses and enchants you so completely in its world, that you can't help long for a little patch of fruit trees to call your own!! 

 

 

I was keen on giving one of the recipes from the book a shot. I was looking for something easy and fuss-free and it had to be with pears - the one fruit along with apples that is dominating the market right now. Nigel talks about the pairing of pears and chocolate as a "marriage made in heaven"!! And that's how I zeroed in on this recipe of poached pears along with warm chocolate sauce that has a hint of coffee in it.

As it turns out, this recipe of poached pears with chocolate sauce is a classic French bistro dessert. Created in 1864 by the legendary Auguste Escoffier, this dessert was inspired by the operetta, La belle Hélène by Jacques Offenbach. The operetta parodied the story of the infamous Helen whose face launched a thousand ships and set off the Trojan war!! And so in French, this dessert is called 'Poires Belle Hélène'!!

 

Don't you just love these French names?!!? They make something simple sound so elegant and classy, that it makes you want to pull out your high heels and pearls for the occasion!!! 

The dessert is nothing too elaborate. The recipe in the book poaches the pears in a simple sugar syrup with vanilla. I took it further and added some spices - star anise, cinnamon and cloves. The chocolate sauce is more of a chocolate ganache with a hint of coffee. I love coffee but if it's not to your liking, you can leave it out.

 

As you poach the pears, the gentle waft of those spices, namely the star anise and cinnamon, will invade your kitchen and soothe the senses. So delicate is the aroma of the poached pears, that I did wonder, while making the chocolate sauce, if it would overpower and dominate the pears.  

 

And that's where I was surprised. The dessert is something of a 'tango' between the two components. If initially your taste buds are led by the more powerful chocolate sauce, the delicate pear follows with the spices and a certain freshness of the fruit that stands up quite effortlessly to the chocolate. Much like the classical dance, the components embrace each other to create a dessert that is elegant and captivating!

You can have it with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream but the opinion at home was that it could easily be done away with.. the choice is, of course, yours!! Either way, the simplicity and elegance of this dessert asks that you try it at least once and you won't be disappointed!!

Trifle with Plum Compote and Vanilla Custard

Events in Britain have been capturing our news space for some time now. It started with a certain Royal Wedding last year, then the Jubilee Celebrations over the summer and now for the 'Greatest Sporting Event' of our times. So, in the spirit of the Olympics due to be inaugurated in London day after tomorrow, I share with you my version of the classic English dessert, the Trifle. It has even been listed as one of the 'Top Ten Great British Dishes'!!

A trifle is a layered dessert, that starts off with a layer of cake, soaked in some spirits, followed by layers of fruit (jam), custard and cream. The best part of it is that you can play around with your choices on the type of cake, fruit, custard or even spirits that should be used.

So, when it came down to me deciding on the layers of my version of the trifle, I knew there had to be fresh fruit. I zeroed in on plums, the one stone fruit that I have not worked with this season. To figure out my other layers, I looked for flavours that paired well with plums. I came across this beautiful resource online, that informed me that plums pair well with cinnamon and vanilla.

Keeping that in mind, I decided on a regular, vanilla pound cake and a vanilla custard for the other layers. As for the plums, I found this gem of a recipe for a plum compote by model-turned-cook book author, Sophie Dahl. The recipe caught my eye, not only because it uses fresh plums, but more so because it is flavoured with cinnamon and star anise.

A trifle is about getting all the components ready, because once done, they just have to be layered. No fancy technique really!! The plum compote takes no more than 15 minutes to make. In the interest of time and convenience, you can cheat with this recipe and use store-bought cake and 'custard-powder' custard. Stop wrinkling up your noses, all ye purists out there!!!

A traditional trifle is made in a large bowl. But, there is something rather ungainly about a trifle when it is spooned out of the bowl and put on a plate. There just isn't a pretty way of doing it!! So, with my penchant for individual dessert servings, I went for individual trifle glasses.

My earlier encounters with trifles had left me unimpressed with their insipid layers of cake, jelly, custard and cream. I was a trifle-sceptic going into this dessert. But, such is the power of fresh fruit in a dessert that I am now a surprised convert.

That plum compote is what makes this trifle a winner. The slight tart taste of the compote on account of the plums contrasts beautifully with the other sweet layers and prevents this dessert from being cloyingly sweet. The addition of cinnamon and star anise adds a completely new, exotic dimension to a regular fruit compote. The vanilla custard harmonises and lightens the dessert by toning down the intensity of the compote.

Even if you decide not to make this trifle, I'd tell you not to miss out on the plum compote. It celebrates the fruit beautifully and can be paired with Greek yoghurt or ice-cream for an easy and light, summer dessert.

The trifle with its layers of different textures and flavours in a way represents the multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society that is modern Britain today. And, I think, no other city in Britain celebrates that better than London - an apt choice to host an event that celebrates "the spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play"!! Nothing more to say except "Let the Games begin"!!!