Dessert Dinner recipes - All recipes UK

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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This light, sweet omelette should be cooked just before serving, but can be prepared up to the end of step 2 an hour ahead. It's a simple yet delectable pudding to make in late summer/early autumn.

Cherry brandy clafoutis

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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Clafoutis is a classic French dessert in which fruit is baked in a sweetened batter. Both canned and fresh fruit are suitable, so this is an ideal dessert to make whatever is in season – even from storecupboard ingredients when time is short. Bake in individual flan dishes or one large dish.

Coffee junket

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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When you want a quickly made dessert, try this smooth and soothing Victorian favourite. It doesn't set firm but has the consistency of a wobbly jelly or crème caramel. As you need to take care not to overheat the milk, it's a good idea to use a thermometer to check the temperature accurately.

Fruit and malt bread pudding

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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Aromatic malt loaf lends a healthy rich note to classic bread pudding, allowing you to reduce the fat without sacrificing any flavour as there is no need to spread the slices with butter. There is lots of dried fruit – dates, apricots, pears and apples – between the malt loaf layers, giving natural sweetness.

Glazed banana pain perdu

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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Based on two nursery favourites – ‘eggy bread’ and comforting banana sandwiches – this more glamorous version is bound to become a new favourite with family and friends. Other fruit, such as strawberries and pears, can be used to ring the changes, with brioche slices or other bread as the base.

Hot apricot soufflés

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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Keep cans of apricots or other fruit packed in fruit juice in your storecupboard and you will be able to make these impressive-looking, light and fluffy dessert soufflés in a matter of minutes. These simple desserts do not contain the large amounts of sugar and eggs found in most sweet soufflé recipes.

Marbled winter fruit fool

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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Dried prunes and peaches have an intense, concentrated flavour and sweetness and, with the addition of a dash of peach schnapps or brandy, they make a really special fruit fool. This is an attractive dessert for the winter months, when soft fruits for fools are not in season, and it's healthily modest in fat content.

Pannacotta

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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The traditional recipe for this ‘cooked cream’, from the Piedmont region of Italy, is made with rich double cream. This lighter version, served with a pretty rhubarb and strawberry compote, is delightfully smooth and creamy yet much lower in fat. Prepare it the day before serving, if possible.

Pear and blueberry shortcrust

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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Instead of making traditional pastry and rolling it out to top a pie dish, this rich almond shortcrust is simply patted out or rolled directly on a baking sheet, to be cut into portions after baking and served with delicious poached fruit. This way you get to enjoy more fruit than can fit into a typical pie dish.

Pear pancakes with chocolate sauce

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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Pears, almonds and chocolate make a delicious combination for a dessert to grace a special occasion. There is much less fat and sugar here than in similar recipes, but the rich, satisfying flavours have not been lost. The pancakes can be prepared in advance and frozen, if you like.

Persian almond-milk jelly

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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This irridescent milk jelly, delicately perfumed with almond, is set off to perfection by the exotic flavours and beautiful colours of the mixed fruit salad. Very little sugar is needed as the fruit provides natural sweetness.

Plum and marzipan pastries

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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Whole plums baked with toasted almonds and marzipan in light layers of flaky filo pastry makes a scrumptious dessert. Serve the pastries on their own or with a spoonful of Greek-style yogurt or reduced-fat crème fraîche.

Raspberry frozen yogurt

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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This frozen yogurt, exotically flavoured with rosewater and crème de cassis, is much lower in sugar than bought frozen yogurt. Serve scoops on their own, or pile into sundae glasses with fresh fruit and sprigs of mint.

Raspberry queen of puddings

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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A great British favourite, this version of queen of puddings has a chocolate-flavoured base and is given the modern treatment with more fruit and less sugar and fat. Whenever there is leftover bread, turn it into breadcrumbs, by grating or whizzing in a food processor, then freeze until needed for a dish like this.

Rhubarb and saffron crème brûlée

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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A tart compote of rhubarb makes a nice contrast to the rich custard here. While there is no way to completely streamline a crème brûlée, this special occasion treat is lightened by the fruit and has reduced amounts of cream and egg yolk, yet still retains its rich indulgent nature.

Steamed kumquat honey pudding

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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A pleasingly light yet traditional pudding for wintry days, this offers all the pleasure of a steamed pudding without the unhealthy saturated fat in suet. Layers of sliced kumquats add a deliciously tangy citrus flavour.

Sticky date and walnut pudding

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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On a chilly winter day, nothing could be more welcoming than a sponge pudding packed with dates and toasted walnuts. This is very easy to make and it has a lovely moist texture achieved by ‘steaming’ the pudding in a bain-marie in the oven. A tangy pineapple and marmalade sauce makes a perfect accompaniment.

Strawberry and cranberry granita

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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A granita is a refreshing alternative to ice-cream, with a delightful texture. Make this in strawberry season, when the berries are at their peak of sweet flavour and perfume – if your strawberries are very ripe and sweet, you won't need to add much sugar. The granita is served with a strawberry sauce.

Strawberry cheese tart

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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Here a very thin, crisp pastry case is filled with a creamy orange-flavoured filling – a delicious light alternative to pastry cream – and covered with luscious strawberries and blueberries. A sweet glaze is the finishing touch.

Sultana lemon cheesecake

Recipe by: Norma MacMillan

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Enjoy this thin but dense Italian-style cheesecake with its fresh lemon flavour with a cup of tea or as a dessert. Cheesecakes usually contain high levels of fat, but this recipe isn't baked with a butter-rich crust, and it uses lower-fat ricotta cheese rather than rich cream cheese, so the overall fat content is much reduced.

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Dessert + Dinner recipes (23)

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