Dessert storm

What more does than one want than to indulge in some warm dessert in this cold, damp weather Here are some desserts that are warm, some gooey, but all delicious, for you to indulge in while it pours outside

Orange bread & butter pudding Ingredients

60 gm butter, room temperature Zest of 1 orange 170 gm baguette bread, cut into thick slices 150 gm vanilla sponge cake 3 whole eggs 3 egg yolks 300 ml fresh cream 200 ml milk 125 gm sugar 5 ml vanilla essence Icing sugar for dusting

Method Pre-heat the oven to 1700C. Mix the orange zest with the butter. Slice the baguette bread into thick slices. Apply the orange butter on the slices. Then, cut the vanilla sponge horizontally into two layers. In a cake tin, first place a layer of vanilla sponge on the bottom, then top that with the buttered slices of bread and repeat the layers once more.

Mix the whole eggs, egg yolks, fresh cream, milk, sugar and vanilla essence. Pour over the bread and sponge cake ensemble and bake at 1700C for 40 minutes.

Serve warm dusted with the icing sugar.

Date & walnut pudding Ingredients 500 ml water 250 gm dates seedless 20 gm baking soda 350 ml milk 350 gm sugar 350 gm flour 3 ml vanilla essence For the butterscotch sauce 200 gm sugar 125 ml cream 120 gm butter

Method Pre-heat the oven to 1800C. Cook the dates in the water along with baking soda until the water evaporates and the dates thicken. Cool this. Mix the milk, sugar, flour and vanilla essence together with a blender. Add the cooled cooked dates and mix well.

Put the batter in a greased cake tin and bake at 1800C for 30 minutes.

Butterscotch sauce Heat sugar without water and let it caramelise. Add the cream and butter and take it off the heat. Stir and allow to cool down. Serve the date cake topped or accompanied with the butterscotch sauce.

Caramelised bananas with toffee Sauce Ingredients 2 tbsp butter 4 bananas, peeled, halved vertically cup brown sugar 2 tbsp of thickened cream

Method Melt butter in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add banana slices and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate. Cover with foil. Add sugar to a pan and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved. Add cream and keep stirring for 2 minutes or until combined. Place bananas on serving plates. Drizzle some toffee sauce onto the bananas and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

Spectacular chocolate espresso brownies Ingredients 6 tbsp unsalted butter 1 bag semisweet chocolate chips 113 gm of unsweetened chocolate, chopped 4 large eggs 5 tsp instant espresso 1 tbsp vanilla extract 1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour 1.5 tsp baking powder 1 tsp flaky sea salt

Method Pre-heat the oven to 1800C. Butter and flour a baking dish, set aside. Melt the butter, half of the chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a double boiler, let it cool.

In another bowl, beat together the eggs, espresso, vanilla extract and sugar. Stir in the chocolate mixture, drizzling in slowly so you don't’ cook the eggs. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add it to the chocolate mixture and mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Evenly distribute the remaining half of the chocolate chips over the surface. Bake for 15 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and carefully give it a tap to force out any air bubbles. Return it to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.