Indulge Your Sweet Tooth With These Dessert Recipes

These summer desserts are so pretty, you will be proud of your creations! Chef Devashree Muni, Founder, Cocoa Cellar shares the recipes for her favourite treats.

Mango & Passion Fruit Pie

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Makes: 6

Ingredients

750 gm sweet shortcrust (pie) pastry

3 ripe mangoes, peeled and sliced or chopped, or 400 g can mango slices, drained

60 gm passionfruit pulp

1 tbsp custard powder

90 gm caster sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

Mango or passionfruit slices, nuts, berries and edible flowers for garnishing

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190° C. 
2. Grease six 8 cm (3 inch) fluted tart tins. 
3. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry between two sheets of baking paper until 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick. Cut out six 13 cm (5 inch) circles. Line the tins with the circles and trim the edges. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
4. Mix together the mango, passionfruit, custard powder and sugar.
5. Roll out the remaining pastry between two sheets of a baking paper to a thickness of 3 mm. Fill the pastry cases with the mango mixture and brush the edges with a beaten egg. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. 
6. Garnish them with mango or passionfruit slices, nuts, berries and edible flowers (optional). Enjoy!

Little Lemon Tarts 

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Makes: 24

Ingredients

For The Pastry

250 gm plain all-purpose flour

125 gm butter, chopped into pieces

2 tsp caster sugar 

1 tsp grated lemon rind

1 egg yolk

For The Filling

160 gm sweetened condensed milk

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 egg yolks

125 gm caster sugar

125 gm cream cheese, softened

For Garnishing

Candied lemon peel (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to moderate 180° C. 
2. Brush two 12-cup shallow patty (bun) tins with oil. 

For The Pastry

1. Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl then rub in the butter. Add the sugar, rind, egg yolk and two to three tablespoons iced water and mix the dough with a knife. Gently knead on lightly floured surface until you have a smooth dough. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for 10 minutes.

For The Filling

1. Using an electric beater, combine the cream cheese, sugar and egg yolks until smooth and thick. Add the lemon juice and condensed milk and beat until well combined.

For The Tarts

1. Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper to a 3mm thickness. Using a 7cm fluted, round cutter, cut rounds from pastry. 
2. Gently press these pastry rounds into patty (bun) tins. Lightly prick each round three times with a fork, and then bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until just starting to turn golden. 
3. Remove from oven and pour filling into each case. Return to oven for another five minutes or until filling has set. 
4. Cool the tarts slightly before removing them from the tins
5. Garnish with strips of candied lemon peel, if desired, and serve.

Tarte au Citron

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 60 minutes

Makes: 1 that serves 6

Ingredients

For The Filling
3 eggs

2 egg yolks

185 gm caster sugar

125 ml cream

185 ml lemon juice

1½ tbsp finely-grated lemon rind

3 small lemons, washed and scrubbed

160 gm sugar

For The Pastry

125 g plain all-purpose flour

75 g unsalted butter, softened

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp icing sugar, sifted

For Garnishing

Lemon slices and mint leaves

Method

1. Preheat the oven to moderately hot 200° C. 
2. Lightly grease a shallow loose-based flan tin, about 2 cm deep and 21 cm across the base.

For The Pastry

1. Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a large bowl. 
2. Make a well in the centre and add the butter, egg yolk and icing sugar. Work together the butter, the egg yolk and sugar with your fingertips, then slowly incorporate the flour. 
3. Bring together into a ball, you might need to add a few drops of cold water.
4. Flatten the ball slightly, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
5. After 20 minutes, roll out the pastry between two sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick, to fit the base and side of your greased tin. Place it on the tin and trim the edges. 
6. Chill it as is for 10 minutes. Line the pastry with baking paper, fill with baking beads or rice and bake for 10 minutes, or until cooked. 
7. Remove the paper and beads or rice and bake for another six to eight minutes, until the pastry looks dry all over. Cool the pastry and reduce the oven to slow 150° C.

For The Filling

1. Whisk the eggs, yolks and sugar together. Add the cream and lemon juice and mix. Strain into a jug and add the rind. 
2. Place the flan tin on a baking tray (sheet) in the centre of the oven and pour in the filling right to the top. 
3. Bake for 40 minutes, or until just set, it should wobble in the middle when the tin is tapped. Cool before removing from the tin.
4. Garnish it with lemon slices or mint leaves (optional), and enjoy!

Also read: Beat The Heat With This New Flavour Of Kulfi!