Recipe of the day: 3 easy dessert recipes for your Valentine

If there’s one thing – apart from a gift, flowers and wine, you shouldn’t skip on Valentine’s Day, it’s a sweet for your sweet. We put together three easy dessert recipes you can whip up while the main course cooks in the oven.

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Easy dessert recipes to try

No Bake Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake in Jars

Ingredients

• 1kg blueberries
• 60ml honey
• 15ml lemon juice
• 15ml water
• 15g corn starch

For the cheesecake

• 230g cream cheese
• 200g Greek yoghurt
• 30ml honey
• 1 lemon, zest and juice

For the biscuit crumb

• 1 packet Tennis biscuits
• 45ml butter, melted

Method

1. For the lemon blueberry filling: Combine ingredients, except for corn starch and water, and
2. in a saucepan heat over low medium heat on your gas stove for 5 minutes. Mix in cornflour
3. and water, add to sauce and continue to cook until sauce thickens. Allow to cool.
4. For the cheesecake: Combine all ingredients and place in the fridge.
5. For the biscuit crumb: Crush the Tennis biscuits into a fine crumb. Add butter and mix.
6. To assemble: Place biscuit crumbs into mason jars and pack gently with your fingertips.
7. Divide the cheesecake mixture evenly amongst jars. Top off with blueberry sauce and chill for at least one hour or make it the day before (considering your load shedding schedule!

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*This recipe was created by Chef Sharon Pye and is courtesy of Capsicum Culinary Studio

Chocolate and strawberry sphere

Ingredients

Vanilla bean ice cream

Strawberry Salad

• 200g strawberries chopped
• 10g basil chiffonade
• 20g icing sugar

Chocolate Sphere

• 45g 70% chocolate melted
• 40g butter melted
• 1 egg
• 1 yolk
• 40g sugar
• 30g cake flour
• 100g panko bread crumbs
• 100g flour
• 2 eggs whisked

Method

For the strawberry salad

1. Combine the strawberries, basil and icing sugar. 
2. Set aside and allow to macerate for a few minutes before serving.

For the chocolate sphere

1. Whisk eggs and sugar until light and creamy, add the chocolate and butter.
2. Fold in the flour. Pour into round moulds and freeze.
3. Once the sphere is frozen, coat with flour, followed by egg, followed by bread crumbs.  Repeat the process.

To Serve

• Deep fry the chocolate sphere in 180°C oil until golden.
• Serve on the strawberry salad with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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*This recipe was created by Kerry Kilpin, the Executive Chef of Steenberg’s Tryn restaurant and Bistro Sixteen82 and is courtesy of Steenberg wine farm.

Air fryer chocolate cake

Ingredients

Cake

• 120g plain flour
• 40g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder                                                                                                     
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp sea salt                                                                              
• 200g brown sugar     
• 1 tsp espresso powder                                     
• 125ml boiling water
• 130g buttermilk   
• 60ml vegetable oil  
• 1 large egg                                                                                                                           
• 1 tsp vanilla extract                                

Icing

• 60g butter
• 65g cocoa powder
• 260g icing sugar
• 100ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Sprinkles to finish

Method

1. Add the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a large mixing bowl, and mix well.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, espresso powder and boiling water, this allows the sugar to melt and the coffee to dissolve. Add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to the flour mixture and mix together until well combined. Gradually add the espresso mixture and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into a baking paper lined dish, and spread evenly.
3. Select ‘Bak’e on your air fryer and set the temperature to 160°C and time to 28 minutes. Allow the air fryer to pre-heat. When prompted, add the cake tin to the air fryer draw and cook until a skewer in the centre comes out clean. Remove the cake from the air fryer and allow to cool completely before icing. While the cake cooks, make the icing.
4. Sift the cocoa powder and icing sugar to eliminate clumps, then add the milk, vanilla and salt and combine until smooth and creamy. Beat the icing with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
5. Spoon the icing over the cake, in an even layer, then cover with sprinkles to finish.

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*This recipe was sourced from www.instantpot.co.za and re-used with permission.

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