Puddings

The fruit around us at Christmas time is incredible. Why would you not use it at every single opportunity? Make one, two or all of these for after the main meal has settled.

Nectarines in campari and vermouth

It couldn't be simpler, or more delicious. Things hinge, of course, on sourcing the best nectarines summer has to offer.

Ingredients

For each person:

One "old-fashioned" or small tumbler glass

Ice to fill glass halfway

Two tots martini rosso

1 tot campari

1 to 2 nectarines, cut into wedges

Wedge of orange.

Method

Fill glass with the ingredients in the order written down. Serve immediately, with forks. Guests should squeeze the orange into the drink and proceed.

Plum and pomegranate eton(ish) mess

This is, quite simply, a big fat cheat that everybody will fall upon and not care how it came to be. By all means make the meringues yourself if you have the time, but good busk-coloured (rather than snow white) ones from a home industry, bakery or market will work fine.

Ingredients

Four large meringues, roughly broken

Six to eight excellent plums, roughly chopped

500ml organic or other cream from a good dairy

Zest of one orange

1 teaspoon of good quality rose syrup.

Method

I hardly need tell you what to do here as you could simply look at the picture. But, just in case: whip the cream until stiff peaks, then gently fold in the orange zest. Layer the meringue, plums and cream in a bowl or on a platter. Drizzle over the rose syrup, resisting the temptation to be lavish. Less is more with this stuff.

Bruleed granadilla curd with ice-cream or yoghurt

Lemon is the default curd, but there is something about the rounded floral quality of passion-fruit that makes a granadilla curd more fantastic. Granadillas are tart but not straightforwardly so: they contain sulphur compounds similar to those in Sauvignon Blanc wines which add musky complexity.

A curd is as simple to make as a custard (indeed it is a sort of custard, made with fruit juice in place of milk or cream), and yet curds are rarely made these days. You can make the curd way ahead as it will last (bottled) in the fridge for weeks. A little bowl of the stuff sprinkled with a layer of bitter-sweet bruleed sugar is intense so keep portions small. Serve the best vanilla ice-cream or good really thick yoghurt on the side.

Ingredients

For four generous helpings:

100g butter

150g castor sugar

2 whole eggs

2 yolks

Juice from 10 large granadillas, or 14 if small / seeds from only two of the granadillas.

Castor sugar for topping. Blowtorch (hardware shop)

Method

Place the granadilla pulp in a colander or sieve atop bowl and work about with a spoon to release the juice and pulp. Leave to drain. Reserve the necessary seeds.

Off the heat, beat together eggs, yolks and sugar in a small pot until sugar dissolves.

Add granadilla juice and butter. Place pot on lowest heat and stir mixture constantly -- and I mean constantly - until it thickens up well. This takes only five minutes or so. Decant into a bowl and leave to cool. On serving, spoon into small ramekins or bowls, then sprinkle each serving with a flat teaspoon of castor sugar. Burn the sugar with the flame as evenly as possible, until dark-golden and almost black in spots. Leave to cool for a few minutes before serving.