GO TROPPO with these tropcial fruit dessert recipes. This one is for all our readers in the Northern Hemisphere who can enjoy the fruits of the summer season.

Ice Cream Sandwiches in Macadamia Biscuits
Makes 10

• 125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup (150g) raw sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg 
• 3/4 cup (110g) plain flour 
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 11/4 cups (110g) rolled oats
• 1 cup (150g) salted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
• Selection of store-bought flavoured ice cream (we used coconut, passionfruit and strawberry)

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC. Combine butter and sugar in a bowl. Using electric beaters, beat until thick and pale. Add vanilla and egg, then beat until combined.
2. Sift together the flour and bicarbonate of soda. Add the flour mixture, oats and
macadamia nuts to the creamed butter and sugar, and stir to combine.
3. Line 2 baking tray with baking paper and place tablespoonfuls of mixture on the trays, flattening to 1/2 cm thick.
4. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Allow to cool on trays.
5. To serve, sandwich the ice cream between the biscuits. Serve immediately
or keep in the freezer.


Homemade Lemonade Fruit Icey Pops
How good is a homemade iceblock in the peak of summer? There is nothing like it. You will need eight 1/3 cup (80ml) ice block moulds for this recipe.
Makes 8  

• 1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
• 1/2 cup (125ml) lemon juice
• 11/2 cups roughly chopped tropical fruit (cut to fit your moulds – such as papaya, pineapple, mango, star fruit, lychee, kiwifruit and passionfruit)

1. Combine the sugar and 1 cup (250ml) water in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. 
2. Once cooled, add the lemon juice. 
3. Divide the fruit among the ice block moulds, pressing the cut surfaces against the sides. Pour over the homemade lemonade, then cover and place in the freezer for at least 6 hours or overnight until frozen and set. 
4. Remove the ice blocks from the moulds to serve.
 
White Chocolate Eclairs
Makes 16

• 2 cups (500ml) milk 
• 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped 
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten, plus 6 extra egg yolks 
• 1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar 
• 1 cup (150g) plain flour
• 60g unsalted butter 
• Pulp from 3 large passionfruit, 1 tbs strained passionfruit juice (from 2 passionfruit) 
• 1 cup (150g) icing sugar, sifted
• 200g white chocolate, melted 
• 1 tbs light olive oil

1. To make the passionfruit custard, place milk and vanilla pod and seeds in a saucepan over low heat and bring to a simmer. Combine the egg yolks, sugar and 1/4 cup (35g) flour in a bowl and whisk until light and creamy. Discard the vanilla pod and gradually pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly until combined. 
2. Return custard to the saucepan over low heat and cook, whisking constantly, for 8-10 minutes until thickened. 
3. Transfer to a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming
and chill for 2-3 hours. 
4. Preheat oven to 230°C. Place butter and 3/4 cup (185ml) water in a saucepan over medium heat until the butter has melted. Bring to the boil. Add the remaining 3/4 cup (110g) flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2-3 minutes until the mixture forms a smooth ball. Set dough aside to cool slightly. 
5. Place dough in a large bowl, add beaten egg, a little at a time, beating well with
electric beaters after each addition until smooth. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle and pipe sixteen 8cm lengths onto a baking paper-lined
baking tray.
6. Sprinkle eclairs with water and bake for 7 minutes. Reduce oven to 180°C
and cook for a further 20-25 minutes until golden. Pierce one short side of each eclair with a skewer and set aside to dry and cool.
7. Remove custard from fridge, fold through the passionfruit pulp and return to fridge for 1 hour to set. Place custard in a piping bag fitted with a plain 1cm nozzle. Pipe custard into the holes in the eclairs. 
8. To make the passionfruit icing, combine the icing sugar and passionfruit juice in a bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a fine nozzle and set aside.
9. Combine the white chocolate and oil in a bowl, and stir until smooth.10. Dip the top of each eclair into the white chocolate and place on a sheet of baking
paper. Drizzle the passionfruit icing, back and forth across the eclairs, then run a
bamboo skewer up and down the length of the eclairs to create a marbling effect.10.  Allow the icing to set, then serve.

Fruit skewers with Coconut Cream
and Gingersnap Crumbs 
Choose your favourite fruit combo for this recipe – select varieties with contrasting colours and flavours. To make things interesting we have created a coconut cream and a gingersnap crumb for texture and crunch.
Serves 4
 
• 1/2 cup (125ml) thickened cream 
• 1/2 cup (125ml) coconut cream 
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar (see the food dept. fact)
• 125g gingersnap biscuits 
• 1 each mango, kiwifruit and banana 
• 2 star fruit 
• 1 tamarillo or peach 
• 1/2 papaya 
• 1/2 small pineapple

1. Soak 12 wooden skewers in water for 15 minutes. 
2. Combine thickened cream, coconut cream and 1 tsp coconut sugar in a bowl and whisk until the cream has thickened. Chill until ready to serve. 
3. Whiz the biscuits in a food processor until fine crumbs, then set aside until ready to serve. 
4. Slice the fruit into equal-sized pieces and thread onto skewers. Place the skewers on a baking tray lined with foil and sprinkle the fruit with half the remaining coconut sugar. 
5. Using a blowtorch, brulee the fruit until the sugar has melted and caramelised. (Alternatively, place skewers under a hot grill, turning, for 4 minutes or until caramelised.)
 6. Sprinkle the remaining coconut sugar over the fruit and brulee again until a deep golden colour. 
7. Serve skewers immediately with coconut cream and gingersnap crumbs.

the food dept. fact: Coconut sugar is extracted from the bud of a coconut palm and has a caramel flavour. It's available from supermarkets and health food shops; substitute brown sugar.


Black Sticky Rice with Chilli Caramel Mango
Begin this recipe 1 day ahead.
Serves 6
 
• 11/2 cups (300g) black sticky rice (see the food dept. facts)
• 3 pandan leaves tied in a knot 
• 1 cup (270g) finely grated dark palm sugar, plus 2 tbs extra 
• 3 large mangoes 
• 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes 
• 1 cup (250ml) coconut cream

1. Soak the rice in cold water overnight.
2. Drain and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear.
Combine the rice, 3 cups (370ml) water, pandan leaves and a pinch of salt in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer for 35 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
3. Remove from the heat, cover and leave to steam for a further 15 minutes. Discard the pandan leaves.
4. Combine the palm sugar and 1/3 cup (80ml) boiling water in a heatproof bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Stir three quarters of the palm sugar syrup through the rice, reserving the remaining to serve. Cover the rice to keep warm.
5. Cut the cheeks from the mangoes and sprinkle with chilli and extra palm sugar.
6. Drizzle the rice with coconut cream and remaining palm sugar syrup, then serve with mango cheeks.

the food dept fact: Black sticky (glutinous rice) and pandan leaves are available from Asian grocers.


This story was originally published in ABC delicious magazine, February 2014.

Recipe: Sally Courtney.