Cooking safely with slow cookers

The slow cooker technique is absolutely ideal for dessert lovers!

For those with the proverbial sweet tooth, slow cooker desserts are a great alternative to the desserts cooked with conventional cooking methods. They can be as gourmet, or as simple as you desire, yet all will be delicious, and cooked with minimal preparation and mess!

The versatility of the slow cooker allows for real comfort food such as puddings and baked fruit type desserts, however it also allows for baked custard type desserts by using the cooker as a bain-marie (water bath). Simply fill the crock pot with warm or hot water place the prepared custard in ramekins or ceramic pots into the pot, cover with the lid and cook on Low for about 3 – 3 ½ hours. A wonderful example demonstrating this method of slow cooker cooking is the Classic Crème Brulee. This well known rich, velvety vanilla custard topped with its thin, brittle layer of caramelized sugar is usually seen in most up market restaurants; however it is a surprisingly easy dessert to make especially in the slow cooker.

The slow cooker can be filled with all types of fruit and because of the slow cooking process, the fruit cooks in it’s own juices, and retains all its vitamins and minerals. Sprinkles of sweet spices or splashes of liqueur turn slow cooker fruit desserts into delicious, effortless and stylish desserts. Using fresh fruit such as peaches or nectarines in season make wonderful desserts such as Poached Vanilla and Liqueur Peaches or Nectarines. These types of desserts are a great way to use up fruit such as nectarines or peaches which are a little too soft for eating raw. Poach them in sugar syrups made from liqueur such as Marsala, Port, or Sherry and it becomes an elegant, yet healthy dessert when served with ice-cream, crème fraiche, mascarpone cheese, custard or dollop of cream.

The moist heat maintained at low temperatures of the crock pot proves to be particularly ideal for certain dessert recipes such as steam puddings. And when you think steam pudding, don’t just think of the boring old lemon or chocolate steam pudding which many of us remember from our childhood, think ‘gourmet steam pudding’. Below is a wonderful comfort pudding. Made with moist figs, apricots and other basic pantry items, it turns into classy dessert by adding a touch of orange juice or orange liqueur. It contains breadcrumbs which can be substituted with gluten free bread crumbs for gluten intolerant diners, and the suet can be substituted to vegetable suet for vegetarian diners.

Fig and Apricot Pudding with Cinnamon Custard.

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons golden syrup
150g (5 oz) self raising flour
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ mixed spice
100g (3 ½ ox) suet
40g (2 oz) fresh breadcrumbs
180g (6oz) dried figs, roughly chopped
50 g (2 oz) dried apricots, roughly chopped
grated rind and juice of 1 orange (1/4 cup of juice can be substituted for an orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier)
2 lightly beaten eggs
for cinnamon custard:
425g (14oz) can ready made custard
¼ - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2-3 tablespoons orange flavored liqueur
Preheat the slow cooker. Lightly butter a 1.2 litre (2 pint) pudding dish that will fit into your slow cooker pot and line the bottom with a circle of nonstick baking paper. Spoon in 2 tablespoons of the golden syrup.

Method:
Put the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, suet and breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl and mix together. Add the dried fruit, orange rind and juice/liqueur, eggs and remaining golden syrup and mix.
Spoon the pudding ingredients into the bottom of the prepared basin. Cover with buttered and ‘scrunched’ foil. Tie with string and make a string ‘handle’ to easily lift in and out of pot. Stand the pudding basin on an upturned saucer in the slow cooker pot, then carefully pour enough boiling water around the basin to come halfway up the side of the basin. Place the lid onto the cooker and cook on High for approximately 3 – ½ hours. Carefully lift the pudding out of the slow cooker and check that it is cooked (it should be slightly browned and should have risen as well as springing back slightly when pressed with fingertip).
Remove the string and foil from the pudding, running a knife around the inside of the basin. Turn out onto a plate.
To prepare the custard: Mix together all custard ingredients in a saucepan, stirring until smooth. Gently heat. Serve with pudding while still warm.

Serves 6