Baked Summer Dessert

Wed 1st Sep, 2021 - 10:48am by Emma Cockrell

Dessert Options

Ideas for quick and simple desserts are a frequent request from my clients who want to avoid sugars. Here is an extremely easy recipe that provides a tasty and nutritious meal, suitable for an after-dinner dessert, breakfast or snack. 

It is very easy to become over-dependent on natural yogurt if you can tolerate dairy, but it isn’t a good idea to be consuming too much of this, since milk products have potential to encourage inflammation. Dairy can also exacerbate mucus production, so if you are struggling with post nasal drip or chronic sinus issues, all dairy is best minimised or avoided. 

Dairy-free yogurts can provide a welcome treat, but these are not always an option.  Too much soy yogurt can also increase nasal mucus for some, while soy and almond yogurt are not helpful if you are following a low oxalate diet. Coconut yogurt, while being low in oxalate, can be rather pricey, and is not tolerated by everyone.

 

Summer Dessert

My Summer Dessert recipe is so easy to make, taking very little preparation time and then about 30 minutes in the oven. This light ‘sweet’ can be eaten straight from the oven, or made in advance and eaten cold, or warmed through. In theory it will last several days in the fridge, however, it is so delicious it won’t stay uneaten for long! 

My favourite way to serve the Summer Dessert is to top it with my marrow cream – another simple recipe that takes very little preparation. You can see my original recipe here, but an even quicker recipe follows. Find the way to make my Summer Cream at the end of this blog. 

 

Summer Dessert Recipe

 

 

Ingredients

• 4 cups of chopped and peeled courgette or young marrow (if the marrow is young enough you don’t need to remove the tender seeds)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder – this is hard to find in shops, but can be purchased online. It is rather pricey, but a little goes a long way.

 

 

Method

• Place all the ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth and creamy.
• Pour cream into a baking dish – I used 2 small flan dishes, about 18 cm diameter, but you could use one wider or deeper dish
• Place in the oven and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 30-40 minutes, depending on size of dishes used.
• When cooked, the dessert will be slightly golden, and firm to the touch when pressed in the middle, indicating that the egg has set.
• Serve warm or cold.

 

 

 

Summer Cream

This is another 3-ingredient dessert, that takes little preparation, and just 30 minutes baking. This cream works beautifully as a topping for sunflower seed pancakes, or with linseed biscuits on the side. I also think it completes the Summer Dessert, providing a creamy sauce to serve.

 

 

Ingredients

• 4 cups of roughly chopped and peeled courgette or young marrow. (Remove marrow seeds if they are not soft and tender)
• 1-3 cups Hemp Milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder

 

 

Method

• Place the chopped marrow or courgette on a baking tray lightly oiled with extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
• Place in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for about 30 minutes, until the vegetable is soft to the touch. (You can do this while the Summer Dessert is baking)
• Remove the pan from the oven and using a spatula, place the baked courgette/marrow into a blender with a cup of hemp milk and the vanilla powder.
• Whizz the blender until the courgette/marrow is thoroughly blended with the milk and smooth. Add more hemp milk to create the desired consistency – a little milk for a thick cream, or more milk for a pouring cream.
• Use immediately, or store in a jar for several days in the fridge.