Sweet treats: Three no-bake desserts to enjoy on a hot summer day

It’s too hot to fire up the oven, so here are three easy desserts that keep heat to the minimum

Keep cool with these delicious desserts

Cereal milk chocolate ice pops

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Homemade ice pops are a refreshing treat on a warm summer's day.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• 150g cornflake-style cereal, and a bit extra for decorating

• 600mls milk

• 1 tbs honey

• 150mls cream

• 250g chocolate, melted

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Method

1. Spread the cereal onto a large flat baking tray and toast it until it is just beginning to turn a deeper golden colour.

2. Stir most of the toasted cereal into the milk and cream: keep some for sprinkling at the end. Set the mixture aside for an hour to steep.

3. Strain the mixture through a sieve. Do not press it as you want the milk and cream to gently drip through and leave the mushy cornflakes in the sieve.

4. Stir the honey into the milk and taste. It should taste just a little sweeter than you would like, as the sweetness will dull when frozen.

5. Pour into six moulds and add in the sticks, leave to set until completely frozen through.

6. Melt the chocolate and pour it into a tall skinny glass. Dip the frozen pops into the glass and stir them around gently, coating completely. Give them a quick shake as you are removing them to get an even coating.

7. Sprinkle straight away with some crushed toasted cornflakes. Put back in the freezer and remove a few minutes before you want to serve them.

 

Cheesecake with white chocolate, cream liqueur and macerated strawberries

recipe by:Neven Maguire

Neven Maguire pays homage to his mother, Vera with this delectably smooth dessert complete with fresh, vibrant berries

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 40 mins

Total Time

 40 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• 200g cream cheese

• zest and juice of ¼ lemon

• ½ vanilla pod, split in half and seeds scraped out

• 100g white chocolate, broken into squares

• 100ml cream

• 100ml cream liqueur

• 4 shortbread biscuits, finely broken up

• white chocolate curls, to decorate

• dried raspberries to decorate

• Maltesers to decorate

• spun sugar, to decorate

• fresh mint sprigs, to decorate

• For the macerated strawberries:

• 225g strawberries, chopped

• 2 tbsp crème de cassis

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp mint or basil, chopped

Method

1. Using a whisk, beat the cream cheese, lemon rind and juice, vanilla seeds, melted white chocolate and liqueur together, until smooth and light. Fold in the whipped cream until combined. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle and place in the fridge until needed.

2. To assemble the cheesecake, divide the macerated strawberries among martini glasses and crumble the shortbread biscuits on top. Pipe the cheesecake mixture right up to the rim of the glasses and decorate with raspberries, white chocolate curls, dried raspberries, Maltesers, spun sugar and mint sprigs. To serve, arrange the cheesecakes on plates.

3. Pour the crème de cassis and vanilla extract over the strawberries. Cover with cling film and shake. Leave overnight to infuse.

 

Vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Cool down with a classic treat topped with hot chocolate sauce - a simply delicious summer dessert

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 4 hours 0 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 4 hours 10 mins

Course

 Dessert

Cuisine

 Italian

Ingredients

• 300 ml milk

• 3 tsp vanilla

• 110g golden caster sugar

• 280 ml cream

• 3 egg yolks

• For the sauce:

• 100g dark chocolate, broken into small even-sized pieces

• 25g butter

• 120 ml cream

• 1 tbsp muscovado sugar

• ½ tbsp brandy

Method

1. To make the ice-cream put the milk, vanilla and half of the sugar into a heavy-based saucepan and bring to a shivering stage, just before it boils and the sugar has melted. Set aside.

2. Add the rest of the sugar to the egg yolks and whisk until pale. Add a ladleful of the milk mixture to the eggs, then whisk the egg mixture into the remaining milk and continue whisking over a low heat until it thickens.

3. Place the mixture into a bowl and put it in the fridge to cool, stirring every now and then to make sure a skin does not form on the surface.

4. Whip the cream until it doubles in volume, stop before it gets to stiff peaks. Stir this into the cold custard until combined. Scoop into a freezer-safe dish and place it into your freezer. Stir every hour for about four hours to break up the crystals.

5. To make the sauce melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Try not to stir it in case steam gets in and causes the chocolate to stiffen.

6. Heat all of the remaining ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat until combined. Remove from the heat and stir the mixture through the melted chocolate.