6 unusual braai desserts you'll love

Tired of serving the same old thing at your braai? Here are 6 awesome desserts your guests will love.

POTJIE COCONUT-RICE PUDDING

Serves 4 | Hands-on 45 min

INGREDIENTS

• 500 ml milk
• 375 ml jasmine rice
• 250 ml coconut milk
• 80 ml sugar
• 1⁄4 tsp salt
• 1⁄2 tsp vanilla essence
• Coconut shavings, toasted, to garnish

METHOD

1. Place the milk, rice, coconut milk, sugar and salt in a potjie pot over medium-hot coals. Leave uncovered and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 40 minutes. Stir in the vanilla essence.
2. Garnish with coconut shavings and serve warm.

MILK TART TRIFLE

SERVES 4 | HANDS-ON 30 min | HANDS-OFF 30 min

INGREDIENTS

• 11⁄2 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 2 eggs, separated
• 625 ml milk
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 cinnamon stick, plus extra to garnish
• 1⁄4 tsp salt
• 50g sugar
• 3 cardamom pods, toasted and split
• 375 ml fruit-cake mix
• 1 sponge cake, sliced
• Ground cinnamon, to garnish

METHOD

1. Whisk the flour, cornflour and egg yolks together in a large bowl.
2. Place the milk, caster sugar, butter, cinnamon stick and salt in a pot over medium heat and bring to the boil.
3. Remove the cinnamon stick and pour the milk into the flour-egg mixture, whisking continuously. Return to the pot and cook over medium heat, whisking until it thickens.
4. Transfer the resulting custard to a clean bowl, lay cling film directly on to the surface of the custard and cool.
5. Place sugar and 250 ml water in a small pot over medium heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, continue to simmer until it is a glossy syrup. Add the cardamom pods and fruit-cake mix and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain, reserving both the syrup and the fruit. Remove the cardamom pods.
6. Dip each slice of sponge cake into the syrup, then arrange a single layer in a large glass dish.
7. Top with a few spoons of fruit, then pour over a thick layer of the custard. Repeat until all the cake and fruit has been used. End with a layer of custard.
8. Dust with cinnamon and garnish with a cinnamon stick. Leave to stand for half an hour before serving.

PINA COLADA SPLIT

Serves 6 | HANDS-ON 20 min | HANDS-OFF 2 hours

INGREDIENTS

• 180 ml coconut flakes, toasted
• 1L vanilla ice cream, softened
• 6 bananas, peeled and halved lengthways
• 1 pineapple, peeled and chopped, leaves reserved to garnish
• Pulp of 3 granadillas
• 90 ml light rum

METHOD

1. Stir 125 ml toasted coconut flakes into the softened ice cream. Freeze for 2 hours or overnight.
2. Arrange the bananas and pineapple pieces in serving dishes. Top with a few scoops of the coconut ice cream, a tablespoon each of granadilla pulp and rum, and a sprinkling of coconut flakes. Garnish with pineapple leaves before serving.
   

STAR-ANISE PEARS WITH CRÉME ANGLAISE 

Serves 6 | HANDS-ON 30 min | HANDS-OFF 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

For the star-anise pears

• 375 ml Marsala wine
• 300g caster sugar
• 6 pears, peeled and halved
• 3 star anise pods

For the crème anglaise

• 80g caster sugar
• 6 egg yolks
• 500 ml milk
• 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Pour the Marsala and sugar into a deep casserole dish, then add the pears and star anise. Cover and poach in the oven for 11/2 hours. (You can also poach the pears in a flat-bottomed potjie over smouldering coals.)

For the crème anglaise

1. Combine the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl.
2. Heat the milk and vanilla pod in a saucepan over low to medium heat until just bubbling.
3. Pour a little of the hot milk into the egg mixture and stir gently. Once combined, return to the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture.
4. Continue cooking, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the crème anglaise has thickened.
5. Remove the vanilla pod from the saucepan. Scrape the seeds from it with a knife and return them to the crème anglaise.
6. Serve the crème anglaise, hot or cold, in a bowl, topped with the warm star-anise pears.

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE BITES

Serves 2 | Hands-on 15 min

INGREDIENTS

• 10 small strawberries
• 75 ml plain cream cheese
• 2 tbsp caramel
• 4 Tennis biscuits, crumbled

METHOD

1. Cut the top of each strawberry. Scoop out a bit of the strawberry flesh to form a hollow.
2. Whisk the cream cheese and caramel together. Spoon some of this filling into each strawberry.
3. Sprinkle the crumbled biscuits on top of the filling.

WATERMELON AND GINGER ICE LOLLIES WITH EDIBLE FLOWERS

Serves 8 | HANDS-ON 30 min | HANDS-OFF overnight

INGREDIENTS

• 8 wooden ice cream sticks
• 100g sugar
• 3 cm ginger, peeled and finely sliced
• 375 ml fresh watermelon juice, blended and strained
• 125 ml fresh lemon juice
• Edible flowers

METHOD

1. Soak the ice cream sticks in water for 1 hour.
2. Combine 125 ml water and the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the ginger and leave to infuse for a few hours.
3. Remove and discard the ginger pieces.
4. Combine the sugar syrup, watermelon juice and lemon juice and mix well.
5. Divide the mixture between 8 ice-lolly moulds and push the flowers into the sides.
6. Freeze for at least 1 hour and then insert the soaked sticks. Freeze overnight.
7. To serve, run warm water over the moulds to loosen the lollies.

Looking for more ideas for your braai?  Have a look at our tips on how to braai the best steak as well as our favourite braai sides recipes.

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