DAVID KIRSCH IN A NEW YORK MINUTE

A Thanksgiving feast is not complete without the dessert. And although I usually restrain myself from the sweets, I make it a tradition to treat myself to a silver of pecan pie. You can delve into dessert (but not too deep!) with these two “healthier” alternatives:

Berry Tart with Whole Wheat Crust (Serves 4)

*Credit to Access Hollywood

You’ll Need:

Crust

1 1/4 cups whole wheat all purpose flour

5 Tbsp. Earth Balance vegetable shortening, cut into small cubes

Berry Tart

4 handfuls of mixed berries – blueberries, blackberries, raspberries

1 persimmon

1/4 cup non-fat Greek yoghurt, to serve

Powdered cinnamon, to serve

To prepare:

To make the crust put the flour and shortening in a food processor and pulse until the mixture looks like sand. Add 1 Tbsp. ice water and pulse 4-5 times to combine to form damp crumbs. Squeeze a small amount of the dough with your fingers, it should hold together.

If it does not hold together then add extra water, a teaspoonful at a time. Divide the dough crumbs equally between 4 small (3 1/2 in) loose-bottomed quiche tins and use your fingers to press the crumbs firmly together onto the base and sides of the tin. Freeze for 15 minutes, until firm.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F. Line the tart shells with squares of baking parchment and fill each one with a handful of baking beans. Bake for 10 minutes then remove the parchment and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the tart shells to cool in their tins, then carefully remove and transfer to a plate. Fill with mixed berries and sliced persimmon. Serve with a little nonfat Greek yoghurt, dusted with cinnamon.

Also try...

Almond Brittle With Apricots And Dark Chocolate (Serves 4)

You’ll Need:

1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1/3 cup ready-to-eat dried apricots, cut into thin slices

1 cup sugar

2oz good-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

To prepare:

Grease a small cookie sheet with a little canola oil. Mix the almonds and apricots together and spread in an even layer over the cookie sheet. Put the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved to a syrup. Raise the heat, bring to a boil and boil for 8-10 minutes, until the sugar turns a golden caramel color. Do not stir the sugar once it has started boiling but you can pick up the pan occasionally and swirl the sugar around in the pan. Pour the hot sugar over the fruit and nuts on the cookie sheet. Leave in a cool place until set then break the brittle into bite-sized pieces. Just before serving put the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of warm water, without letting the base of the bowl touch the water. Melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Dip the brittle in the melted chocolate, allowing the excess to drip off.

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