Winter Desserts That Don’t Pile On The Kilos!

If you are anything like me, eating fruit in winter just doesn’t come as easy as it does during the summer months.  When it’s cool, your body naturally wants warming foods, but they don’t necessarily have to be classed as unhealthy.  Use the opportunity to include fruit in your healthy desserts or breakfasts, but heated up!

One quick way I like to include a piece of fruit is first thing in the morning.  An apple or pear cut up and bunged in the microwave for 40 seconds is a great base to add cereal and yoghurt to. Having a fruit smoothie is also a great way to load up early.

Desserts get a good run around here in winter..and of course I like to keep them relatively healthy by basing them on fruit.  Here are some of my favourite ways to include fruit in a warming dessert.

pineapple pear crisp and caramelized bananas

Warm fruit compote is a simple but delish way to jazz up cold uninviting fruit

Hot fruit parcel..again really simple and just a matter of wrapping fruit in foil and placing in the oven

Cinnamon glazed poached pears can be made with apples also and has a yummy glaze

Pineapple pear crisp has a slimmed-down oat-and-nut topping to keep these baked pears heart-healthy

Caramelized bananas…oh yummo, this is super quick and easy to make

Prunes steeped in tea – I am a prune fan, and dates and figs for that matter! These can be served over ricotta cheese or with Greek yogurt. Rosehip may be used if blackcurrent tea bags are hard to source.

This apple crumble is simple yet healthy and delicious. The delicious topping uses almond meal and complements the apples so beautifully you hardly notice it’s gluten-free. Granny Smith apples work best, but any will do.

Ingredients

+ 6 large apples (or cheat like I do with tinned sliced apples)
+ 1 tablespoon brown sugar
+ 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Crumble Topping

+ 3 tablespoons almond meal
+ 4 tablespoons rice flour
+ 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
+ 2 tablespoons brown sugar or rice malt syrup
+ 2 tbs of coconut oil (or butter if you prefer)
+ handful of berries
+ cinnamon and nutmeg

Method

+ Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius.

+ Grease a medium sized round baking or casserole dish. Peel, core and chop apples into 1 cm pieces and place directly into the baking dish. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over apples and toss well.

+ Combine topping ingredients and rub together with fingers.

+ Sprinkle topping over apples and scatter and press berries into crumble.

+ Bake, covered, in preheated oven for one hour (less for tinned apples) or until apples no longer have shape, and then bake uncovered for a few more minutes to crisp the topping.

What is your favourite fruity dessert?  Better still do you know of any that are made in the thermomix?