Warm indulgent desserts for a cool, monsoon day

As the weather gets cooler, it's time to put away last season's cheesecakes, tiramisus, and gelatos and make space for comforting, indulgent desserts. Whether you prefer tender cooked fruits or rich molten chocolate cream, our curated list of recipes features something delectable for every kind of sweet tooth. Take notes!

Hot cocoa with salted chocolate cream

Ingredients

1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp Dutch cocoa powder, 3/4 tsp sea salt, 1 cup dark chocolate, 2 tsp honey, 3/4 cup whole milk. 

Method

Whip up the cream using an electric mixer at medium-high speed until the cream turns into soft peaks. Add in the sugar and continue whisking. Then add the sea salt and cocoa powder until well incorporated and set aside. Melt chocolate pieces in a pot and add milk and honey to it. Once the chocolate melts transfer it into serving cups and top it with the salted whipped cream. Serve hot.

Nutty banana caramel

Ingredients

4 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp brown sugar, 3 tbsp sour cream, 1 large banana, 1/2 cup roasted walnuts, 2 tbsp chocolate sauce, 2 tbsp whipped cream.

Method

In a pan, melt butter and add sugar. Once the sugar begins to caramelise, add in the sour cream and cook for a minute. Remove from the fire and set aside. Cut up the banana length-wise, set it on a plate, and pour the caramel on it. Garnish it with roasted walnuts and whipped cream. Drizzle chocolate sauce on top and serve warm.

Sticky toffee pudding

Ingredients for the cake

1 1/2 cup dates (pitted), 1/2 cup water, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup flour, 5 heaped tbsp butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 eggs, 1 cup sugar.

Ingredients for the toffee sauce

6 tbsp butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 cup cream.

Method

To make the sauce, heat butter in a pan and allow it to melt and foam up. Add in the sugar and vanilla extract. Once it begins to bubble, add cream and continue to stir. Be careful during this step as the caramel is hot and can bubble up. Once thickened up, keep aside to cool. In another pan, mix the dates with water and baking soda, cooking over high heat. Bring it to a boil, and then set it aside. Add the salt, flour, and date mixture to a blender and blend it on high speed until it turns light and airy. Add the vanilla and keep adding one egg at a time into this mixture. Transfer the batter into baking tray and bake it at 200 degrees for 30 minutes. Pour the toffee sauce on top and serve warm.

Hot cherry cobbler

Ingredients

2 cups cherries, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 1/2 cup flour, 2 tsp baking powder, pinch of salt, 1 tsp lemon zest, 6 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 cups heavy cream

Method

Mix cherries with sugar and 1 tbsp of flour. Lay it out on a baking dish and set it aside. In another bowl, add the dry ingredients—baking powder, salt, lemon zest, and the rest of the flour and give it a mix. Then add the butter and combine it with your fingers until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add the two tablespoons of cream to a baking dish, followed by the cherry mix, topped with the dough mix. Bake it at 150 degrees for 35 minutes. Serve warm with the remaining cream.

Lead image credit: Pexels

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