Picture this: a rich, brownie-like chocolate cake topped with chocolate mousse, whipped topping and garnished with even more chocolate. Sound divine? It is! Italian meringue gives the mousse a light, fluffy texture without the addition of gelatin. If you can include dairy in your dessert, substitute whipped cream for the nondairy whipped topping.
This velvety smooth and tangy cheesecake is so delicious that it's hard to believe there is anything light about it. Reduced-fat cottage cheese, light cream cheese and Greek yogurt team up to rival the original full-fat version without giving up any flavour or texture. Omit the candied lemon zest for an even lighter version of classic New York cheesecake.
Brilliant blue icing and a fun speckled effect make this show-stopping chocolate cake look like a robin's egg. For best results, practise your speckling technique on waxed paper before tackling the cake. The speckling can get a little messy, so protect the cake plate with strips of waxed or parchment paper.
The contrast of buttery cream and red wine–poached pears makes these tarts a stunning addition to your holiday spread. For the prettiest presentation, prepare the pastry, cream and poached pears in advance, then assemble the tarts just before serving. Use a small melon baller or a metal measuring spoon to easily core the pears.
This creamy pie is delicious cut into wedges and served cold at a picnic. It's also wonderful served warm from the oven.
Partridge and pheasant both have delicate chickenlike meat with a distinct boost of flavour. This celebratory pie will be a hit.
Rich duck and pork sealed in golden flaky pastry makes an over-the-moon creation. Serve small slices with Dijon mustard and pickles as an appetizer or as part of a buffet. Serve large slices with a crisp, lightly dressed green salad as a plated appetizer. While it may be a bit more involved than other pâtés, this dish is well worth the effort.
This elegant European-style torte layers walnut cake with coffee buttercream then envelops it all in mocha. For the buttercream, soften the butter until creamy before adding it to the cooled egg mixture.
With its pink rhubarb top, this light and fluffy cake is almost too pretty to eat! Almost!
