Do you love both wine and sugary treats? Well, lucky for you, we don’t think you should have to choose between the two, rather the opposite. Get to know more about our team through their favourite desserts and, as a bonus, get a few tips on which dessert to pair with wines that are currently on sale over on the iDealwine website.
List of desserts:
- Lime meringue pie
- Mango and lime tart
- Roasted fig tiramisu with gingerbread
- Raspberry tiramisu
- Lemon panna cotta with orange marmalade
- Heart-shaped lemon molten cake
- Glass of red fruits soaked in champagne
LIME MERINGUE PIE
LIME MERINGUE PIE
Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 55 mins
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
1 tube of shortcrust pastry
150g sugar
6 limes
4 whole eggs
1 knob of butter
3 egg whites
180g caster sugar
Utensils:
1 piping bag
Method:
Roll out the pastry and transfer to a tart tin, prick a few holes in the bottom with a fork, then place a sheet of greaseproof paper on top and fill with dry beans. Bake for 25 minutes at 180C, before carefully removing the dry beans and greaseproof paper and baking for a further 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, zest and finely chop two limes and juice the remaining four limes. Add the lime juice, zest, sugar, whole eggs and butter to a pan and mix well. Heat for 20 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened.
Transfer the lime filling onto the pastry. Whisk the egg whites in a bain-marie that is not too hot, then add the caster sugar.
Using a piping bag, swirl the meringue onto the pie and then place under the grill for a few minutes until the meringue is crisp and slightly coloured.
Food and wine pairing suggestions from iDealwine
The delicately exotic flavour of the limes would make an interesting pairing with a Gewurztraminer. The tartness of the pie would also pair well with a Pouilly-Fumé and its sweetness would go perfectly with a dessert wine, such as a Barsac.
MANGO AND LIME TART
MANGO AND LIME TART
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
1 tube of shortcrust pastry
2 mangos
1 lime
2 tbsp brown sugar
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Roll the pastry out onto a baking tray, prick a few holes in the bottom with a fork and bake for 5-10 minutes until the pastry is pale golden colour.
Cut the mangos into fine slices. Once the pastry is out of the oven, arrange the slices of fruit in a pleasing design so that they are overlapping. Sprinkle sugar and the zest of one lime on top.
Bake for 20 minutes. Keep a close eye during cooking: the mangos should be lightly caramelised, and the pastry should be cooked through.
Food and wine pairing suggestions from iDealwine
The perfect summer recipe: a tart with tropical aromas that isn’t too sweet. It would go great with a dessert wine, such as a Sauternes, whose tropical notes are a perfect match. Another option, one slightly more adventurous, would be a bottle of Constance from the South African domain Klein Constantia, which happened to be Napoleon’s favourite wine.
In collaboration with Goosto.
TIRAMISUS: ROASTED FIG OR RASPBERRY
ROAST FIG TIRAMISU WITH GINGERBREAD
Preparation time: 40 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
6 figs
10 pieces of gingerbread
4 eggs
250g mascarpone
180g caster sugar
20g icing sugar
25g butter
Method:
Slice the figs and sprinkle with 30g of sugar. Place them in a greased shallow dish and bake for 10 minutes at 200˚C. Cut them up into chunks and place them at the bottom of the glass dish and leave them to cool. Save the juice and keep it warm.
Separate the eggs and beat the yolks together with 150g of caster sugar until the mixture turns white. Add the mascarpone and mix further.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then add the icing sugar and gently fold into the mixture.
Soak the pieces of gingerbread in the fig juice and lightly press.
Layer the fig-soaked gingerbread pieces and the mascarpone mixture in the glass ramekins. Refrigerate for at least six hours before serving.
Food and wine pairing suggestions from iDealwine
Ideally, we would recommend a wine that’s heavier and contains more sugar to go with a dessert, however the figs would pair best with a generous red wine that is also able to support the strong flavour of the gingerbread. Try pairing this dessert with a Banyuls that contains black grapes. If you would prefer a white wine then go for either a Gewurztraminer, as its spicy notes will compliment those of the gingerbread, or even a Muscat, which would pair nicely with the mascarpone and would bring liveliness to the pairing.
RASPBERRY TIRAMISU
Preparation time: 30 mins
Refrigeration time: 2 hours
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
500g mascarpone
5 fresh eggs
200g sugar
30 ladyfingers
600g raspberries
200ml water
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp vanilla extract
Method:
In a pan, bring the water and sugar to the boil. Leave on the heat for two minutes until the sugar has melted, then remove and leave to cool.
Meanwhile, separate the eggs and whisk the yolks together with the sugar until they turn white. Add the mascarpone and the vanilla extract and keep whisking until the mixture is smooth.
Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and whisk until stiff, then gently fold in the mascarpone mixture.
Wash the raspberries and blend 100g of raspberries and add to the sugar syrup. Soak the ladyfingers in the sugar syrup.
Place half of the ladyfingers in a dish and top with a layer of the mascarpone mixture and then a layer of raspberries. Repeat this step to create another layer. Add the remaining raspberries to the top and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.
Food and wine pairing suggestions from iDealwine
This dessert would be delicious if you made it using “Biscuits Rose de Reims” (pink biscuits from Reims), but that’s not to say you should rush out and buy champagne to go with it. Instead, why not try a dessert wine that has been aged in wood barrels as the vanilla notes from the wine will go perfectly with those of the cream. And of course, another great option would be a young Sauternes, which is dynamic and fresh.
LEMON PANNA COTTA WITH ORANGE MARMALADE
A delicately tangy recipe that’s not too sweet, and that goes very well with a Sauternes or Monbazillac. Top tip: replace the orange marmalade with a passion fruit coulis for a smoother taste.
Preparation time: 15 mins
Rest time: 6 hours
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
600ml double cream
50g sugar
3 gelatine leaves
Zest of one organic lemon
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 tbsp orange marmalade
Method:
Place the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water and leave to soak.
Pour the cream into a pan and add the lemon zest.
Add the sugar and heat over a low flame.
Once it begins to boil, remove from the heat.
Squeeze the water out of the gelatine leaves and add them to the pan along with the lemon juice and stir until completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into small glass ramekins and leave to cool, then place in the fridge to set for at least six hours.
Serve with a scoop of orange marmalade on the top of each panna cotta.
Food and wine pairing suggestions from iDealwine
The orange from the marmalade adds a hint of acidity to the dish that is echoed in a dessert wine with a natural freshness. We’re, of course, referring to a semi-dry or sweet Vouvray!
HEART-SHAPED LEMON MOLTEN CAKE
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 40 mins
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
1 egg
140g flour
100g sugar
60g fresh cream
40g slightly salted butter
30g honey
1 organic lemon
1 tbsp fromage blanc or Greek yoghurt if you can’t find fromage blanc
1 tbsp orange blossom water (optional)
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch of salt
For the icing:
2 tbsp icing sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
Method:
Melt the butter over a low heat or in the microwave.
Whisk together the egg, sugar, honey, cream, fromage blanc and a pinch of salt. Add the flour and baking powder and mix well.
Add the cooled butter, then the lemon zest, juice of half a lemon and orange blossom water.
Preheat the oven to 200˚C.
Pour the mixture into a heart-shaped flexible mould.
Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until a knife can be inserted into the middle of the cake and comes out clean.
Remove the cakes from the moulds when they are lukewarm and leave to cool fully.
Meanwhile, prepare the icing by mixing together the icing sugar and lemon juice into a bowl. Drizzle over the cake and smooth out with the back of a knife.
Food and wine pairing suggestions from iDealwine
This slightly sour dessert goes perfectly with a white Sancerre, which has notes of citrus fruits. Fancy something a little more out there? Try a white Irouléguy, which will complement the slightly salty notes of this cake.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, A PARTY RECIPE: A GLASS OF RED FRUITS SOAKED IN CHAMPAGNE
Preparation time: 15 mins
Refrigeration time: 24 hours
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 bottle Brut Rosé Champagne
300g red fruits of your choice (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries…)
10 mint leaves
For the coulis:
100g strawberries
100g raspberries
50g sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
For the champagne sorbet on the side:
140g sugar
10g lemon juice
60g glucose
335ml water
480ml Brut Champagne
Method:
Start by preparing the coulis, wash the strawberries and raspberries, then drain and remove the stalks. Blend together with 50g sugar and the juice of one lemon.
Wash the red fruits that you have chosen, drain them, remove the stalks and cut into two or four depending on your preference. Add to a mixing bowl along with 4 tbsp of coulis, then add the finely chopped mint leaves. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
This fruity mixture would go well with a champagne sorbet. To make, add water, sugar and glucose to a pan and bring to the boil. Leave to cook until it congeals to form a syrup. Then stir in the champagne and lemon juice and strain the mixture through a fine sieve. If you have an ice-cream maker, use it to chill the mixture for around 40 minutes before putting it in the freezer. If you don’t have one then put the mixture in the freezer for four hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Once the mixture is firm and crumbly, blend it until smooth and return to the freezer for a further 24 hours.
To serve, divide the red fruits between the glasses, top with a scoop of champagne sorbet and drizzle over the coulis. Add a splash of champagne and serve cold with a glass of champagne.
Food and wine pairing suggestions from iDealwine
A very refreshing dessert that is perfect for summer and a perfect way to enjoy the first red fruits of the season. Best served with a white or rosé sparkling wine, but preferably Champagne, as this will go wonderfully with the tartness of the red fruits. A Crémant de Loire would also pair well as the Chenin grapes that it is made using are naturally very round and generous.
