24 May The Pink Pudding Project

I was recently nominated to take part in the Pink Pudding Challenge by Chef Megan Meikle from Grei restaurant at the Saxon Hotel. The Pink Pudding Challenge is part of the Pink Table Project, a Cancer awareness and fundraising initiative. The goal of the Pink Table Project is to prove that healthy eating can still be exciting and delicious, since a healthy diet is a contributing factor in preventing certain cancers.

My task was to create a healthier dessert, particularly one that was lower in sugar. As you all know, I’m not normally one to shy away from sugar. But for such a good cause I was excited to test my skills in making a healthier (and very pink) pudding!

The dessert I made relies on only honey for sweetness and contains no refined sugar. I also used several antioxidant-rich foods like plums, beetroot, raspberries and red wine.

To see all the other beautifully healthy and pink desserts that chefs from around the world have created for this challenge, head to the Pink Table Projx Instagram page.

Ingredients:

(Makes 8)

For the Plum and Yoghurt Mousse:

6 plums
60g honey
50ml red wine
½ tsp mixed spice
4 sheets of gelatin (6.5g)
180g double cream yoghurt
100ml cream

For the beetroot crumble:

70g cold butter
45g honey
120g flour
10g beetroot powde

For the raspberry jellies:

2 sheets of gelatin (3g)
125g raspberries
45ml water
30ml honey

Edible pink flowers eg dianthus and additional beetroot powder for plating

Directions:

• Stone the plums and chop into small pieces. Add to a saucepan with the honey, wine and mixed spice. Heat on low heat and simmer until the plums are soft, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile cover the gelatin sheets in cold water and leave to bloom for at least 5 minutes.
• Add the cream to the yoghurt and whisk until thick and smooth.
• Use a stick blender to blend the plum mixture until smooth, then squeeze the excess water from the bloomed gelatin sheets and stir into the plum purée. Pass through a sieve.
• Fold the yoghurt mixture into the plum purée and pour into semi-sphere moulds. Refrigerate until set, around 4 hours.
• To make the beetroot crumble, preheat your oven to 160°C and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend just until you have coarse crumbs. Do not overmix.
• Spread out onto the prepared baking tray and bake for around 20 minutes. Leave to cool completely on the tray.
• To make the raspberry jelly, place the raspberries, honey and water into a small saucepan. Heat on a low heat and gently bring to the boil, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, soak the gelatin sheets in the remaining water for at least 5 minutes.
• As soon as the raspberry mixture starts to bubble, remove from the heat. Allow to cool slightly, then use a stick blender to make a puree.
• Squeeze the excess water from the gelatin then stir into the warm raspberry liquid. Stir until smooth. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Pour the raspberry liquid into a shallow dish lined with clingfilm and chill for 1-2 hours or until set.
• Before serving, place the plum mousse in the freezer for 30 minutes to assist in unmoulding. Use small fondant or cookie cutters to cut the raspberry jelly into flower and/or heart shapes, or slice into small squares. Place a sheet of paper over each plate and sift some beetroot powder over the remaining half. Carefully place the plum mousse in the centre of the plate. Stir a few tablespoons of beetroot powder through the beetroot crumble to brighten the colour, then sprinkle around the centre line on the plate. Gently place some jelly shapes and edible flowers around the crumb and serve immediately.