From icy treats to fruity delights, these sunny-day desserts are here to cool you down and sweeten things up. 

 

Fruity ice lollies  

Makes 10-12  

Ingredients 

⅔ cup water or fruit juice of your choice  
3 Tbsp sugar (optional)  
¼ cup chopped fruit of your choice  
1 tsp lemon juice  
Fresh mint (optional)  
Bubbly or sparkling grape juice, for serving (optional)   

 

Method 

1. Heat water and sugar in a pot until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool. If using fruit juice, skip this step. There’s no need to add sugar as the juice is sweet enough.  
2. Combine liquid base with chopped fruit and lemon juice. You can leave it chunky if preferred or blend it until smooth. 
3. Pour into ice lolly moulds of your choice. Add fresh mint, if using. 
4. Freeze for 1½ hours. Secure the ice cream stick in the lolly as it starts to set.
5. Freeze for a further 4-6 hours or overnight. 
6. An optional celebratory serving suggestion is to serve the ice lollies upside down in a pretty glass topped with some bubbly. 

 

Cook’s tip: We recommend using fruit such as berries, stone fruit, kiwi, mango, pomegranates or pineapple. If you prefer, you can blend the mixture for a smooth consistency or have chunks of fruity bites in the ice lollies.   

 

Recipe & styling: Lichelle May 
Photography: Donna Lewis  

 

Smoky rooibos no-churn ice cream 

Makes about 2L 

Ingredients 

10 rooibos tea bags 
3 cups whipping cream 
2 cans (385g each) condensed milk
¼ cup full-cream milk 
Seeds of ½ vanilla pod (or 1 tsp vanilla essence)   

 

For the rooibos syrup  

1 cup caster sugar 
½ cup hot water 
4 rooibos tea bags   

Method 

1. Fold a piece of foil in half and mould it into a small bowl shape. Tear open 6 rooibos teabags and empty the contents into the foil bowl. Place this foil bowl into a medium-small stainless-steel bowl. 
2. Pour the cream into a separate bowl with the last 4 teabags (intact) and heat for about 1½ minutes until warm. Stir well to encourage the rooibos to infuse. 
3. Place the two bowls (cream and rooibos) next to each other on a baking tray. 
4. Cover the entire baking tray with two layers of foil, leaving one end open.
5. Light the rooibos on fire with a blowtorch, hovering the flame over the loose-leaf rooibos long enough to ensure it burns properly, creating little embers that produce smoke. Quickly fold the foil closed very tightly, capturing the smoke inside.
6. Set aside for 30 minutes to infuse. Do not open. 
7. Add rooibos syrup ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil for another 10 minutes until reduced and thick. Set aside to cool. 
8. Open the foil chamber and place the smoked cream in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill.
9. Discard the burnt rooibos and teabags submerged in the cream.
10. Add cream to the bowl of a stand mixer.
11. Whisk cream until it reaches stiff peaks, about 45-60 seconds. Take care to not over whip.
12.  Add the condensed milk, milk and vanilla, whisk for another 15 seconds until completely combined. 
13. Pour mixture into a 2L freezer-safe container. 
14. Drizzle cooled rooibos syrup over the ice cream and swirl through using a spatula. Place clingfilm straight onto the surface of the ice cream and freeze overnight or until solid. 
15. Scoop balls of ice cream onto cones, serve alongside dessert or enjoy on its own, savouring the beauty of the smoke-infused cream.

Recipe & styling: Sjaan Van Der Ploeg
Photography: Zhann Solomons 

 

Rose syrup and raspberry semifreddo  

Serves 6-8  

Ingredients  

4 large egg yolks 
1 cup sugar 
1½ cups cream, whipped to stiff peaks 
1 tub (250g) mascarpone 
1 cup fresh raspberries, + extra for decoration 
50g pistachios or almonds, shelled and chopped 
1 Tbsp rose syrup  

Method  

1. Grease and line a loaf tin with three layers of clingfilm. (Let the clingfilm hang over edges of the tin for easy unmoulding.) Place tin in freezer.
2. Place egg yolks and sugar in a large glass bowl over a tight-fitting pot of simmering water.
3. Whisk mixture with an electrical whisk on medium speed until thickened and sugar is dissolved, about 10-15 minutes. 
4. Remove from heat, increase speed to high and whisk for another 3-4 minutes until doubled in volume. 
5. Fold cream and mascarpone together in a separate bowl. 
6. Fold cream mixture through the egg mixture, working gently so you don’t knock out the air. 
7. Spoon mixture into chilled tin. 
8. Sprinkle over the raspberries, ¾ of the nuts and drizzle with Use a knife to swirl everything through. 
9. Fold the excess clingfilm over the mixture and freeze overnight to set. 
10. To serve, unfold the clingfilm from the base, turn over onto a platter and remove the tin. Peel off clingfilm. 
11. Serve semifreddo sliced and topped with extra berries, nuts and syrup.

Recipe & styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg
Photography: Zhann Solomons 

 

Sunrise panna cotta and jelly

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients  

 For the mango panna cotta 

1 Tbsp (12g) gelatine powder 1 mango, peeled and puréed 
1 cup (250ml) 100% fresh orange juice 
⅓ cup (67g) sugar
¼ cup (60ml) double-cream plain yoghurt   

 

For the berry coulis jelly 

1 Tbsp (12g) gelatine powder 
2 cup (300g) frozen red berries, thawed
¼ cup (50g) sugar
¼ cup (60ml) water
1 packet (80g) red jelly 
225ml boiling hot water 
Cherries for serving (optional)   

Method  

1. For the panna cotta, mix gelatine and 3 Tbsp water and set aside for gelatine to sponge.
2. Combine remaining panna cotta ingredients, mixing until sugar is dissolved.
3. Melt sponged gelatine in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, stirring halfway. Do not let the mixture boil. Stir gelatine into mango
4. Pour into a 17cm jelly mould (or a cling-wrap lined bread loaf tin of the same size). Chill the panna cotta until semi-set, about 30-60 minutes.
5. For the berry coulis jelly, mix gelatine and 3 Tbsp water and set aside for gelatine to sponge.
6. Blitz together the berries, sugar and water to make a coulis.
7. Melt sponged gelatine in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, stirring halfway. Do not let the mixture boil. Stir gelatine into 1 cup of berry mixture.  
8. Pour the berry mixture onto panna cotta layer, then chill until semi-set, about 30-60 minutes.
9. Prepare the packet of red jelly with the boiling hot water, then add in the leftover 1⁄2 cup (125ml) berry coulis. Mix well and pour onto the semi-set dessert.
10. Chill for 2-3 hours until set, or overnight for best result when unmoulding
11. To unmould, place a plate on the jelly mould, flip the jelly mould and plate over and remove the lid on mould. (If you’re using a metal mould, run a hot cloth on the outside of the tin, and using a sharp knife, loosen the edges from top to bottom to release the vacuum. Place on a platter and flip )
12. Serve chilled, topped with cherries if you like.  

Recipe & styling: Liezl Vermeulen
Photography: Zhann Solomons 

Also read: 4 festive dessert recipes