Defeated by a Pudding...

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

As I don't like making new dishes on the day of a party, and especially don't like doing desserts, I thought I'd try out a simple-looking 'Banana Tarte Tatin' recipe this weekend and see if it needed tweaking. After two failed attempts (toffee sauce either burning or turning into fudge!) I finally got it to work by cobbling it together with another recipe. Only problem is that now I never want to see another Banana Tarte Tatin as long as I live and have to think of a whole new dessert...

Back to the old cheeseboard.

Got apples? Cream? Eggs?

Apple Snow

750g apples (cooking, eating, mixture, whatever you want)
Lemon, grated rind and the juice
2 egg whites
80ml double cream
80g caster sugar

Core peel chop apples and put in a pan with lemon rind and juice and 60g of the sugar. Cover and simmer for about 10minutes until it's dry. Then liquidise in a blender and let cool.

Once cool, (see, built in MNing time!) whisk egg whites until stiff. Add the rest of the sugar and fold in.

In separate bowl whisk the cream until fairly stiff. Carefully fold the cream and the egg whites into the cool apple puree.

Chill in fridge for an hour or so.

It is utterly yum.

Like the idea of the banana tarte tatin, mind you.

I have always shied away from tartes tatin, as my mum grew up in France, had fabulous delicious ones over there, and despite being a fab cook never managed a tarte tat which - in her view - was satisfactory. (I thought they were OK )

not a tarte tat, this autocorrect thing is driving me nuts. It keeps inserting apostrophes into ones, when I mean the plural of one, too. (ha ha one two!)

Tarte Tat was pretty much what my first two efforts amounted to! A load of old Tat :) I've rationalised it away that it was just a rubbishly written recipe... so there. Apple Snow sounds lovely. I'm actually going to attempt another recipe from the same cookbook (hope springs eternal and all that) for pears poached in saffron. Looks un-bugger-up-able... :)

I had been for a dinner party where they made pears (or was it plums?) in wine and it was absolutely superb! Dead easy peasy too.

The problem is I cannot remember the recipe . Think it is plums or pears cooked with lots of wine, sugar, a cinnamon stick and lavender, for 20 minutes or so. Totally delicious served with a thin biscuit or biscotti .

Apple snow sounds gorgeous too

I have a fridge magnet that states

Dessert is stressed backwards

that sums up my relationship with making puddings, you have y sympathies

Ooh I have a recipe for pears in red wine. DH, who professes to hate puddings, had two helpings!!!!

I'll try to find it.

Pears, halved and cored
1 1/2 of those small bottles of red wine
2 cinnamon sticks
Lemon juice
Nutmeg
Sugar, about 3oz

Put everything except the pears into a large pan and heat until boiling. Turn down to a simmer.

Put in pear halves. Simmer for 10 mins ish
Turn the pears over. Simmer 10 mins ish.

Take the pears out.
Reduce the sauce and pour over the cooked pears.

This recipe may have come from here, actually. Thanks to the MNer who put it up, if so.

I have done pretty much the same with plums, equally delish.

Like the idea of the lavender though. If you ever get that recipe would you pm it to me? Thanks.