home-made desserts

I'm really bad at making desserts, but usually manage to get away with these and people seem to like them, although I'm not sure if some of the ingredients would be on common sale in food shops in the country where you live. First example: I get a packet of ready-made meringue nests and fill with fresh, tinned or thawed frozen fruit - then simply serve with cream...in a separate container so those who don't like cream can choose not to have it. Second example: Just get some tall dessert dishes then make layers inside, repeating to the top, of chopped fruit (fresh, dried, tinned or thawed/frozen), then ice cream and so on. When the dish is full, top with ice cream then sprinkle with chopped nuts and chocolate or strawberry sauce (bought bottled). Plant a couple of wafers into the ice cream, then serve. Third example: Peel one banana for each person, then slit down the middle to make a 'pocket' shape, but don't cut right through. Break up a large chocolate bar and place a couple of pieces inside each slit banana. Buy some ready-made flaky/puff pastry, roll it out to the shape/size that will, when rolled up, accomodate each of the bananas separately. Wrap each banana in a piece of pastry, making sure they are completely enclosed and the pastry is sealed together around the seams, penetrate each gently a few times with a fork, then bake in a pre-heated hot oven for about 20 minutes, then serve with chilled fresh cream or ice cream - you can eat them hot or cold, but they must be cooked first. Fourth and final example: Get one pot of plain yoghurt for each person. Transfer into separate dishes....as to how many, depends on the amount of people you are cooking for. Chop up some dried apricots (about 3 per person) very finely and mix each lot into each of the yoghurts. Then stir one teaspoonful of honey into each of the yoghurt/apricot servings, and refrigerate them for about 3 hours before eating. Alternatively you can freeze them and serve them as an ice-cream type dessert...whether eaten refrigerated or frozen, just before serving, decorate each one with a small sprig of fresh mint. Hope that helps and if you use them, that they come out well. Good luck!

Here is how to prepare fruit clouds desert Ingredients : Chopped apples peeled plums Sliced Bananas Diced pears Seedless grapes Blueberries 2 cup sour cream 2/3 cup sugar Whipped cream 3/4 to 1 cup milk 1 small can fruit cocktail 1 cup mandarin oranges 1/2 cup flaked coconut 1/2 cup chopped Macadamia nuts or silvered almonds Take a large mixing bowls, beat sour cream by adding sugar. Add whipped topping and mix well. Beat in just enough milk so that mixture is thick but not stiff. Add fruits, marshmallows, coconut and nuts.