4 fruit-based desserts you're going to want to make this winter

Red Fruit Compote
Prep time: 10 mins
Bake time: 20 mins
Ingredients
500 ml cherry juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
100 gm sugar
50 gm sago
1 lemon peel
Seeds of 1 vanilla pod
1 stick of cinnamon
1 kg frozen red berries
Method
Put the cherry juice, lemon juice, sugar, sago, lemon peel, vanilla seeds and cinnamon stick in a solid container and cook at 100°C for 20 minutes. Stir once during cooking.
After cooking, remove the stick of cinnamon and the lemon peel.
Add the berries to the compote and stir.
Serve with fresh cream or ice cream, or use as a topping on bread.
Apricot Loaf
Prep time: 1 hr 20 mins
Bake time: 50-60 mins
Makes: 10-12 portions


Ingredients
1 cube (42 gm) fresh yeast
200 ml lukewarm milk
500 gm strong white flour
60 gm sugar
2 tsp vanilla sugar
A pinch of salt
1 tsp lemon zest
100 gm softened butter
1 egg
100 gm dried apricots
50 gm chopped
pistachio nuts
Milk, for glazing
Method
Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk.
Then add to the flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, lemon zest, butter and egg - and knead to form a smooth dough.
Place the dough in a warm place such as a cabinet or oven (switched off) for an hour.
Dice the apricots and knead into the dough with the pistachios.
Shape into a loaf and place in a greased loaf tin (approx. 30 cm long). Cover the tin and place
it in the oven to prove for
a further 15 minutes at 35°C.
Glaze the apricot loaf with milk and bake for 50-60 minutes at 150/160°C.
Slice and serve.
Honey Cake & Cranberry Soufflés
Prep time: 10 mins
Bake time: 30 mins
Serves: 6

Ingredients
100 gm honey cake
3 medium eggs
100 gm dark chocolate
80 ml double cream
75 gm soft butter
80 gm sugar
½ tsp mixed spice
A pinch of cinnamon
A pinch of salt
150 ml soured cream
50 gm dried cranberries
Butter for greasing
Method
Dice the honey cake and blitz to fine crumbs in a food processor. Separate the eggs. Chop up the chocolate and mix with the cream in a solid container.
Beat the egg yolks with butter, sugar and spices until thick and creamy. Fold in the soured cream and crumbed honey cake. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into the mix together with the cranberries.
Pour the mixture into six buttered ramekins (125 ml each), cover with foil and place on the rack.
Cover the chocolate-cream mixture with a lid, place in the oven together with the soufflés and cook at 100°C for 30 minutes.
Beat the chocolate sauce until smooth. Turn the soufflés out onto dessert plates, pour some sauce over each one and serve.

Stollen
Prep time: 1.5 hrs
Bake time: 45-65 mins
Makes: 20 portions

Ingredients
750 gm flour
125 gm sugar
40 gm fresh yeast, or 1 sachet dried yeast
20 ml warm milk
200 gm butter, melted
½ tsp of vanilla essence
300 gm raisins
150 gm currants
100 gm candied orange peel
100 gm ground almonds
For the topping:
200 gm butter, melted
75 gm icing sugar
Method
Mix about 3 tbsp of flour, 1 tsp sugar and the crumbled yeast with milk to form a smooth paste.
Set aside for about 15 minutes to rise.
Mix together with the rest of the flour, sugar, milk and melted butter (you can also use margarine, if preferred) and knead thoroughly for a few minutes.
Finally, knead in the essence, dried fruits and almonds.
Halve the dough, and shape into two loaves.
Place the loaves on two baking trays and pop them into the oven (50°C) to rise until the stollens have doubled in size.
(Note: You will need to bake one loaf at a time if using a conventional oven.)
When ready, remove loaves from the oven, and immediately brush with melted butter. Dredge with icing sugar. Slice up and serve.

• Food and Dining