Category Archives: Desserts

I like chocolate cake just as much as the next person. I am especially partial to fruit cake at tea time. Pound cake does have a place in my list of favorites but I do not enjoy adding a layer of excessive baked calories after a satisfying meal.

Also, there are very few baked desserts you can quickly prep and make for two, so the recipes I have  include in this blog are based on fresh fruit with the occasional dollop of sorbet, ice cream or creme fraiche for the calorie hungry palate.

I have come across a few simple, quick and easy fruit pies and have included those for good measure.

Basbousa-Egyptian Semolina And Yoghurt Cake

Basbousa-Egyptian Semolina And Yoghurt Cake

August 9, 2022

Prep 15 min cook 35 min A delicious and light dessert made from semolina flour and yoghurt, flavored with a sugar and rosewater syrup. This is a traditional Egyptian dessert often... More

Baguette French Toast With Orange Blossom Syrup

Baguette French Toast With Orange Blossom Syrup

May 6, 2022

Prep time 20 min cook time 15 min A delicious Middle Eastern version of French toast using baguette bread topped with orange blossom flavored syrup. One of the early memories I... More

Almond And Raisin Biscotti

Almond And Raisin Biscotti

April 25, 2022

Prep Time 20 min cook time 50 min In Italy, one of my favorite pastimes is sitting at a sidewalk cafe casually dunking biscotti in a mid-morning coffee or an after-dinner vin... More

Mahalabeya – Middle Eastern Milk Pudding

Mahalabeya – Middle Eastern Milk Pudding

June 6, 2021

Prep time 15  min ( excludes refrigeration time). Creamy Mahalabeya, an aromatic pudding flavoured with orange blossom, rosewater, pistachios, and honey. This was one of my... More

Grilled Peaches and Feta Dessert

Grilled Peaches and Feta Dessert

May 1, 2021

Prep and cook time 20 min As much as I love profiteroles, Sachertorte, and the occasional Paris-Brest pastry, I don’t really enjoy ending a meal with all these calories. What I... More

Tarte Tatin

Tarte Tatin

May 12, 2020

Prep time 15 min Cook time 50 min Usually, I do not add a layer of baked calories after a satisfying meal and prefer simple fresh fruit desserts.   Also I cannot bake, so if... More

Oum Ali Dessert

Oum Ali Dessert

April 20, 2020

Prep Time 15 min Cook time 15 min Oum Ali (Arabic for Ali’s mother) is Egypt’s national dessert. It is a delicious, centuries old recipe that has the comforting warmth of... More

Dried Apricots With Orange Blossom Yoghurt

Dried Apricots With Orange Blossom Yoghurt

February 7, 2020

Prep Time 10 min Cook and Cooling time 30 min I hear that the Mediterranean diet has been trending in a serious way and the Food Network considers it one of the best diets. I... More

Greek Lemon Yoghurt Pudding

Greek Lemon Yoghurt Pudding

September 19, 2019

Prep time 10 min Refrigerate 30 min All you need to do is whip up some lemon juice and zest with the condensed milk, then fold in  full or low fat Greek yoghurt, add some... More

Honey Berry Filo Smash

Honey Berry Filo Smash

September 7, 2019

Prep and cook 15 min Jamie Oliver takes credit for this delicious recipe that appears in his 5 Ingredient Quick And Easy Food and is about transforming a dollop of yoghurt into a... More

Macerated Strawberries With Black Pepper

Macerated Strawberries With Black Pepper

June 29, 2019

Prep time 30 minutes There is nothing like a big, juicy, sweet strawberry and there is nothing more elegant and simple than this dessert. The process of macerating involves... More

Charred Vanilla Ice Cream

Charred Vanilla Ice Cream

July 28, 2018

Prep time 5 min I am quiet adventurous in my outlook on life but when it comes to fads I tend to be a little more conservative. Especially when it comes to what I use for... More

Strawberries With Orange Blossom Yoghurt

Strawberries With Orange Blossom Yoghurt

June 7, 2018

Prep time 5 minutes Cook time 5 min After a big meal, I usually enjoy fresh fruit with the occasional dollop of something on the side like yoghurt. I am on an orange blossom tear... More

Chlada Fakya – Algerian Fruit Salad Dessert

Chlada Fakya – Algerian Fruit Salad Dessert

June 4, 2018

Prep time 10 min Chill time 15 min   This is a failsafe fruit salad dessert with a North African twist. Specifically an Algerian one and it is all about the cinnamon. In North... More

Yoghurt Dessert With Orange Blossom  Water

Yoghurt Dessert With Orange Blossom Water

May 11, 2018

Prep Time 5 minutes You probably have fruit and yoghurt for breakfast but orange blossom water transforms this staple morning fare into a refreshingly exotic way to end a meal.... More

Fresh Oranges With Caramelized Peel

Fresh Oranges With Caramelized Peel

March 27, 2018

Prep time 20 min. Cook time 10 min This recipe for fresh orange slices with caramelized peel is a quick and easy desert with a high wow factor. I am not big on deserts especially... More

Apple Crostata

Apple Crostata

February 13, 2018

Prep time 15 minutes Cook time 20 min   With lots of good quality ready-made pastry crust around, you can quickly have your kitchen filled with the lovely aroma of baking... More

Khoshaf – Dried Fruit Compote

Khoshaf – Dried Fruit Compote

December 21, 2017

Prep time 10 min Soak time 24 hours   A delish mix of stewed fruit, raisins and pine nuts in a rich apricot syrup. An ideal and light way to end a rich meal. The holy month of... More

Oranges With Angostura Bitters

Oranges With Angostura Bitters

August 4, 2017

Prep time 5 min   This recipe is one of the many reasons why Jamie Oliver called Nigel Slater “A genius”. I came across it in Nigel’s book The 30 Minute... More