Grapes may often go unnoticed when you have showier, bolder-flavored fruits around. But their undeniable perfection makes them a shoo-in in sweet creations of all kinds. Don’t just take our word for it though! Get cracking in the kitchen with these delightful recipes.
1. Grape and Almond Tart
Ingredients:
- Red or black grapes, 200 gm
- Store bought puff pastry sheet, 1 sheet
- Ground almonds, 100 gm
- Castor sugar, 75 gm
- Unsalted butter, 50 gm
- Egg, 1 nos.
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 360°F (180°C).
- Place the grapes on a baking tray. Drizzle them with a touch of olive oil. Roast them for 15 minutes.
- Roll out the pastry sheet into a pan. Prick the base with a fork.
- Mix almonds, sugar, butter, and egg to make the filling. Spread this over the pastry.
- Place roasted grapes on top and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
- Serve warm, perhaps with a dollop of cream, or a scoop of dairy-free ice cream for a vegan option.
2. Grape and Mint Sorbet
Ingredients:
- 500 gm of green grapes
- A handful of mint leaves
- Juice, from 1 lemon
- 100 ml of water
- 50 gm of sugar
Method:
- Blend the grapes, fresh mint leaves, lemon juice and water together until the mixture becomes smooth.
- Strain the mixture to remove any grape skins.
- In a saucepan, dissolve the sugar in water, allow it to cool down and then combine it with the grape blend.
- Freeze the mixture for an hour. Then whisk it to break up any ice crystals. Repeat this process twice.
- Freeze until set and serve chilled.
3. Grape Halwa
Ingredients:
- 1 kg grapes
- 2 tablespoons of ghee (for a vegan version, use coconut oil)
- 150 gm of sugar or jaggery
- Half a teaspoon of cardamom powder
- Slivered almonds and pistachios for garnish
Directions:
- Start by pureeing the grapes and then straining the juice.
- Take a pan and heat the ghee then add the grape juice.
- Cook the mixture over medium heat until it thickens to your desired consistency.
- Add in the sugar or jaggery along with the cardamom powder. Continue cooking until it forms into a halwa.
- Finally garnish your creation with slivered almonds and pistachios before serving it.
Note: Some versions of this recipe call for thickening the grape juice with a bit of corn flour to get the desired halwa consistency.
4. Grape and Ricotta Cheesecake
Ingredients:
- 250 gm of Ricotta
- 3 tablespoons of honey
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 150 gm of fresh grapes
- 100 gm of almond flour
- 50 gm of butter
- 100 gm of biscuits
Directions:
- Start by crushing the biscuits and mixing them with melted butter and almond flour to create the base for your cheesecake. Press this mixture into a pan. Refrigerate it.
- In a blender, combine the ricotta cheese, honey and vanilla extract until you achieve a smooth consistency.
- Pour this mixture over the chilled base, in the pan. Allow it to refrigerate for at least four hours.
- Before serving, add some grapes on top as an enticing garnish.
5. Grape and Oat Crumble
Ingredients:
- Seedless grapes, 300 gm
- Rolled oats, 100 gm
- Whole wheat flour, 50 gm
- Brown sugar, 75 gm
- Cinnamon powder, 1 tsp
- Unsalted butter, 50 gm
Instructions:
- Sprinkle cinnamon over the grapes. Place them in a baking dish.
- Combine oats, flour, sugar and butter to create the crumble topping. Sprinkle it over the grapes.
- Bake in an oven at 360°F (180°C) for 30 minutes or until the topping turns golden brown.
- Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.