Sweet treats: Two recipes from Aimee

Say hello to Aimee, one of our brand new #BTHOUGHTFUL contributors and the brains behind Wallflower Girl. In her first post for us, she shares two mouth-watering recipes made using in-season, rich-in-hue fruits. Here she is with how to make the dishes, and if you'd like to know more about her, you can – right here. Over to Aimee... autumn sweet treats

Purple Grape & Rosemary Sorbet

This sorbet has the most addictive, wonderful and extraordinary flavour. Whoever thought that the combination of grapes and rosemary could create such an amazing desert? I got the idea from an article on cheese pairings... I don't eat cheese but I'm always interested in flavours that work with each other. Once I read that grape and rosemary were complimentary, I dreamed up this sorbet and was definitely not disappointed! Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 20 mins

Ingredients

(Serves 12) 180ml maple syrup 180ml water A few sprigs of fresh rosemary 720ml purple grape juice 2 tbsps alcohol i.e. vodka, whisky, brandy (optional)

Method

1. Heat the maple syrup and water gently in a small saucepan. 2. Add the fresh rosemary and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. Leave to cool, then strain and mix with the grape juice and alcohol (if using). 4. Chill the mixture in the fridge for a couple of hours, until completely cold. 5. If you have one, add the mix to an ice cream machine and churn it until it's thick and smooth. If not, give it a really good whisk before freezing, then whip it up again an hour after it’s been in the freezer so to break up any ice. 6. Add the sorbet to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before serving.

Nutrition information

Serving size: 1 scoop Calories: 88, Fat: 0g, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 0g autumn sweet treats

Plum & almond tart (vegan)

Juicy, baked plums in a warm, flaky pastry, complimented with sweet and nutty almonds. Does it get any better? Well, it does if you serve it with ice cream! This is a great dessert if you're expecting vegan guests for dinner or want to whip up something quick, yet spectacularly delicious. Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 35 mins Total time: 45 mins

Ingredients

For the tart 1 sheet of ready rolled puff pastry 8 medium plums (approx.), stoned and sliced 1 tbsp agave nectar Toasted, flaked almonds for decorating For the fragipane 100g ground almonds 1 tsp almond extract 2 tbsp almond milk 1 tbsp agave nectar autumn sweet treats

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. Place the puff pastry sheet on the baking tray and lightly score a 2cm border around the pastry sheet with a sharp knife. Score a criss-cross pattern in the middle to stop the pastry rising too much. 3. To make the frangipane, blend together the ground almonds, almond extract, almond milk and agave in a large bowl until smooth. Spread on to the pastry sheet, avoiding the borders. 4. Next, layer the plum slices on the pastry until it’s covered. There should be some leftover slices that you can use later for a glaze. 5. Bake the tart for 30-35 minutes until the pastry has risen and becomes flaky, and the plums are tender and juicy. 6. Make a quick ‘jam’ with the leftover plum slices – add them to a non-stick pan and with the lid on, cook for a few minutes on a low heat. Once the plums have softened and the juice begins to run, stir in the agave nectar and with a pastry brush, ‘paint’ the jam on top of your tart to create a sweet glaze. 7. Scatter the flaked almonds on top and serve!