15 easy desserts for effortless entertaining
Dinner parties and entertaining need not be a pain with these awesome yet easy sweet treats.
Take your pick from our cheat’s pine lime and caramel ice cream parfaits, dumplings and impressive but effortless mousse, cake, pavlova, refreshing granita and silky panna cotta.
Our collection of easy desserts has the perfect dish for every occasion.
“This pretty-in-pink dessert is so simple to prepare, but plates up beautifully. Be sure to serve with plenty of bright berries on the side, to really make those colours pop.” – Lucy Nunes. You’ll need to start this recipe a day ahead.
Poached apricots with pistachio and amaretto mascarpone
Sweet summer apricots sing in this elegantly easy dessert by Yotam Ottolenghi. It’s ideal for a laid-back lunch or breezy dinner party.
Aww, you’re blushing! Or it could just be the beautiful rosy glow from this fragrant dessert by Yotam Ottolenghi.
Cheat’s pine lime and caramel ice cream parfaits
This tangy retro dessert just got a whole lot easier to make.
Upside-down peach and raspberry pavlova
This upside-down method removes the stress of worrying if your pav will hold up or crash, but still ticks all the boxes for taste, texture and aesthetics.
“Taho is traditionally served by street vendors, who carry containers with tofu, tapioca pearls and brown sugar syrup, calling out ‘Taho!’ as they roam the streets. This recipe allows you to recreate this classic Filipino snack at home.” – Luisa Brimble. You’ll need a bamboo steamer for this recipe.
Floral meringues with whipped yoghurt cream and roasted strawberries
“I defy anyone to refuse the heavenly trio of crisp meringue, pillowy whipped cream and tart roasted fruit. I think these little rosewater-scented meringues are the perfect end to a meal outdoors – eat them piled up as little pavlovas, or crush them up and serve Eton mess-style.” – Tilly Pamment
Tapioca pearls with apricot jelly and peach granita
“I love a make-ahead dessert like this that you can just whip out of the fridge when you’re ready to serve.” – Lucy Nunes. You’ll need to start this recipe at least 6 hours ahead.
Vanilla yoghurt panna cotta with sumac strawberries and arak strawberry granita recipe
“After a long winter of heavy desserts, in spring I love nothing more than a little freshness to finish my meal. This recipe is super simple, and any leftover granita is great in a smoothie, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and sliced stone fruit, or added to a small glass of arak as an aperitif. We need to celebrate the seasons, when produce is at its best! When strawberries are in season, you can really tell – they’re a deep red, they’re full of flavour and they have this beautiful perfume.” – Shane Delia
Iced coffee with whipped Biscoff cream
If you thought coffee was addictive, wait until you try this super-creamy concoction.
Tropical fruit in citrus syrup with pandan granita
You can use any summer fruit in this refreshing tropical dessert.
“Take the classic golden syrup dumplings and make it boozy! We’ve swapped out the golden syrup for the mellower flavour of maple syrup, and spiked the lot with a touch of ginger. It’s the perfect winter-warmer dessert that’s fuss-free and sure to please. Just don’t serve it to the kids.” – Emma Knowles
Chocolate mousse with salted caramel and mochi
This dessert is pillowy, sweet and mellow – perfect for capping off a great meal.
“This is one of my favourite cakes. It’s so easy to make, has the best chewy, moist texture and lots of spiced flavour. This can also be made with rhubarb instead of pear.” – Jo Barrett
Chocolate, coconut and cherry sponge
Turn to the dark side this spring with a decadent chocolate sponge.
Matt Preston’s self-saucing chocolate pudding
“When I arrived in Australia over 20 years ago, I was blown away with this country’s love of a good chocolate pudding, sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce and the rightfully venerated lemon delicious! That same self-sauciness blesses this pudding that’s based on a recipe found in a vintage cookbook from Victoria.” – Matt Preston
For more food, travel and lifestyle news, go to delicious.com.au
Originally published as 15 easy desserts for effortless entertaining
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