{ Mélanger :: to mix }

Pineapple, mango, passion fruit, pawpaw and payapa, coconut, banana, lychees.

This month on Mélanger, it was 100% tropical fruits.

Here in Queensland, we are blessed with a climate that produces fresh, sweet fruit.  Many native fruits and fruits from around the world are grown effortlessly in this tropical state.

Tropical fruit is at the heart of growing up in this part of Australia.  Mango trees at your school.  Banana trees in your own backyard.  Pawpaw that you can pick from your own back deck.  Passion fruit on a vine intertwined between neighbouring properties.  Summer is incomplete without them.

Here is a round up of the recipes from this month.  What tropical fruit dessert favourite would you add to this list?

Caramelised banana crêpes with roasted macadamia and caramel sauce :: Simple caramelised  banana paired with macadamia and caramel is simple to prepare and a delight to savour. { More … }

Pawpaw & lime sorbet with coconut tuiles :: A thirst-quenching homemade sorbet teamed with crispy, coconut tuiles.  The combination is more than a wink to summer.  { More … }

Pavlova roll with mango and passion fruit :: In this quintessential summer dessert, the succulent, buttery flesh of the mango is cloaked by a soft pavlova roll, and finished with cream and passion fruit. { More … }

Lychees in mint syrup with coconut milk ice cream :: Mint syrup soaked lychees, served with coconut milk ice-cream. Using a blend of cream and coconut milk as the base for the ice-cream, the overall flavour is not exaggeratedly sweet, perfect for the sugar rich lychees.  { More … }

Vanilla panna cotta with pineapple champagne granita :: The creamy texture of the panna cotta is a perfect complement to the cold, icy granita.  And extraordinarily simple.  Perfect for those slow, hot days.  { More … }

Banana pudding ice cream :: A creamy and rich ice cream base injected with custard powder and cinnamon, along with a healthy dose of tropical bananas, produces a refreshing dessert reminiscent of banana pudding.  A winter pudding, with a summer twist. { More … }

Thank you to my father working tirelessly in his much-loved garden who gave me so many memories.

Where does the time go?  Here we are already, the 27th of the month, and the very first Daring Bakers Challenge for 2010.

This month, we are baking a Canadian specialty, Nanaimo bars.  I had never heard of Nanaimo bars before reading this challenge.  Had you?  I was so pleased Lauren at Celiac Teen shared this recipe – and something special from her country.  I love learning about food origins.

As I reach the end of Tropical Fruit month, I wanted to punch up the challenge with a few more tropical overtones.  As I read through the recipe, the healthy dose of coconut included in this bar was encouraging, and prompted me to create an ice cream pairing.

I cherry picked a couple of key flavours from the Nanaimo bar recipe to incorporate into the ice cream.  The selected custard powder and cinnamon ingredients were injected into my standard vanilla ice cream recipe, along with a healthy dose of tropical bananas.  The overall combination reminded me of banana pudding.  A winter pudding, with a summer twist.  Delicious.

With Lauren’s obvious enthusiasm for her chosen dish as well as the upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver, I have added a little Canadian Olympic cheer into one of my photographs.  Lauren, that photograph is for you!

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.

{ Nanaimo Bars }

Please note I did not follow the gluten free instructions for the challenge. My ‘official’ and willing taste tester, my lovely co-worker’s Canadian husband, has fond memories of the Nanaimo bars his mother would make when growing up in Ontario.  I wanted to make them taste as close as possible to what he would remember. Hopefully they do, eh!

* Ingredients *
Bottom Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup (50 g) (1.8 ounces) Granulated Sugar
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Unsweetened Cocoa
1 Large Egg, Beaten
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) (160 g) (5.6 ounces) Graham Wafer Crumbs (See following recipe)
1/2 cup (55 g) (1.9 ounces) Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped)
1 cup (130 g) (4.5 ounces) Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened)
Middle Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons (40 mL) Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Vanilla Custard Powder (Such as Bird’s. Vanilla pudding mix may be substituted.)
2 cups (254 g) (8.9 ounces) Icing Sugar
Top Layer
4 ounces (115 g) Semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons (28 g) (1 ounce) Unsalted Butter

* Directions *
1. For bottom Layer: Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.
2. For Middle Layer: Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light in colour. Spread over bottom layer.
3. For Top Layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.

{ Graham Crackers } From Nancy Silverton’s Pastries from the La Brea Bakery (Villard, 2000) via 101cookbooks.com

* Ingredients *
2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
7 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
1/3 cup mild-flavored honey, such as clover
5 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
For the topping:
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

* Directions *
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.
To prepare the topping: In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon, and set aside.
Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour as necessary. Trim the edges of the rectangle to 4 inches wide. Working with the shorter side of the rectangle parallel to the work surface, cut the strip every 4 1/2 inches to make 4 crackers. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place the crackers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with the topping. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.
Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more flour and roll out the dough to get about two or three more crackers.
Mark a vertical line down the middle of each cracker, being careful not to cut through the dough. Using a toothpick or skewer, prick the dough to form two dotted rows about 1/2 inch for each side of the dividing line.
Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the tough, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking.

Yield: 10 large crackers

{ Banana pudding ice cream } Original recipe by Julia @ Mélanger

* Ingredients *
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
8 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
¼ cup custard powder
2 bananas, partially frozen and coarsely chopped

* Directions *
Beat the egg yolks together with the sugar.  Separately, mix the salt, cinnamon and custard powder thoroughly into the cold milk.  Set aside.  In a saucepan, gently heat the cream until bubbles appear around the edges.  Remove from heat.  Meanwhile, prepare an ice water bath and set aside.  Slowly whisk the heated cream in a steady stream into the yolk mixture to temper.  Once it has been completely mixed, transfer the mixture back to the saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.  Remove from heat and mix in the milk.  Pour mixture through sieve, and set into an ice-water bath.  Chill mixture overnight in the fridge.  The following day, churn the mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Towards the last 5 minutes of churning, add the coarsely chopped bananas. Freeze for a further 1-2 hours to firm up the texture.

Makes 1 1/2 litres/quarts

Is there such a thing as too many mangoes?  Apparently so.

Mangoes are one of the most popular summer fruits in Queensland.  Home in scores of backyards, and craved by many as summer months loom near.

My high school years were rich in mango memories.  The school, perched high on a hill and overlooking the Brisbane river, was already an attractive position.  But it was made even more appealing by the addition of an enormous mango tree royally positioned in one of the main throughfares.

Many students casually grazed on the sweet, ripe fruit during lunch time.  Quite a messy affair, often requiring a liberal washing of the face before returning to class!

As Australia Day fast approaches, the fragrant mango, king of fruit (in my opinion!), justly takes centre stage.  In this quintessential summer dessert, the succulent, buttery flesh of the mango is cloaked by a soft pavlova roll, and finished with cream and passion fruit.

Now, this is summer!

{ Pavlova roll with mango and passion fruit } original recipe by Julia @ Mélanger

* Ingredients *
4 eggs
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
¾ cup (160g) sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon cornflour
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Double thick cream
1 mango, sliced
2 passionfruits, pulp removed
Icing sugar / confectioner’s sugar

* Directions *
Pre-heat the oven to 160C / 320F.  Line a Swiss roll pan with baking paper.  Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form.  Slowly add the sugar until incorporated and you reach firm peaks.  Fold in the vinegar, cornflour and vanilla gently.

With an offset spatula, spread the mixture into the Swiss roll pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, being careful it does not brown too quickly.

Meanwhile, place a clean tea towel on a cooling rack.  Liberally sprinkle with icing sugar.  When the Pavlova is cooked, remove from the oven and invert onto the tea towel.  Carefully remove the baking paper and allow to cool.  The Pavlova at this stage can be stored in an air tight container for up to 24 hours.

When ready to serve, spread a thick layer of cream across the Pavlova.  Top with mango and passion fruit.  Using the tea towel as a guide, roll up the Pavlova gently in a similar fashion to a Swiss roll.  Sprinkle generously with icing sugar, and serve sliced.

Serves 8-10

Want more marshmallow-ey light dessert? See Strawberry Pavlova.

On a regular daily jaunt, why is your level of perception heightened one day, and virtually non-existent another?  Perhaps I was not as pre-occupied with my thoughts (as I typically am).  On this particular day, while strolling to my bus stop one morning, I was taken aback by a small flock of crimson Rosellas. 

I paused for a moment to soak up their vibrant splendour.  The bright, colourful, iconic native bird, once a common sight in my childhood, but less so recently.  As I continue to walk, I am overwhelmed by a sense of nostalgia.

Not long ago, the customary afternoon summer thunderstorm in Queensland gave way to a practically rain free existence.  A drought.  But now, a few years on, the rain has returned (at least for now), and along with it a few old familiar sights.  The lush, fluorescent green grass (replacing the recent dusty, burnt brown ground covering).  Plants in full bloom, heavily perfumed and majestic in appearance (no longer scratchy and struggling).  And it looks like the birds may have returned, too.

You never know when the rain will disappear again, officially labelling the area in drought once more.  Until then, I will be on alert for all the small pleasures that have returned.  Like the regal Rosella birds.

Inspired by their colourful plumage, comes a bold tropical dessert.  Mint syrup soaked lychees, served with coconut milk ice-cream.  Using a blend of cream and coconut milk as the base for the ice-cream, the overall flavour is not exaggeratedly sweet, perfect for the sugar rich lychees.

{ Lychees in mint syrup with coconut milk ice cream } original recipe by Julia @ Mélanger

This dessert is not only simple to make, but all the components can be prepared ahead – the ideal dessert menu selection for easy summer entertaining! 

{ Mint syrup soaked lychees }

* Ingredients *
500g / 1 lb lychees
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup loosely packed mint leaves

* Directions *
Peel all the lychees and set aside.  Bring the sugar and water to the boil.  Add half the mint leaves.  Stir until the sugar has dissolved.  Continue to boil for 1-2 minutes and remove from the heat.  Cool and then pour mixture through sieve discarding the mint.  Once the mixture is completely cooled, add the lychees.  Finely chop the remaining mint, and add to the fruit and sugar syrup.  To serve, ladle a few lychees in a bowl or cup and top with syrup.

{ Coconut milk ice cream }

* Ingredients *
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 1/2 cups coconut milk
8 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

* Directions *
Beat the egg yolks together with the sugar.  In a saucepan, gently heat the cream until bubbles appear around the edges.  Remove from heat.  Meanwhile, prepare an ice water bath and set aside.  Slowly whisk the heated cream in a steady stream into the yolk mixture to temper.  Once it has been completely mixed, transfer the mixture back to the saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.  Remove from heat and mix in the coconut milk.  Pour mixture through sieve, and set into an ice-water bath.  Chill mixture overnight in the fridge.  The following day, churn the mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze for a further 1-2 hours to firm up the texture. 

Makes 1 1/2 litres/quarts

It was a day of thrills, fun and excitement…and dessert inspiration.

This weekend, Mr Mélanger and I journeyed with my nieces to the Gold Coast.  To Dreamworld.  One of the most popular theme parks in Queensland – and the highly anticipated Christmas present destination for my two nieces (ages 9 & 6).

The day was an adventure enthusiast’s delight.  Jam packed of rides (counting a few heart stoppers that Mr Mélanger enjoyed solo!), up close animal capers (including some overwhelmingly large 180kg/400lb White Tigers), and acres of wave pools and slides, eliciting a steady stream of laughter and screaming from us all.
 
At the end of the day, I am not sure who was most exhausted.  I think it was me!  We shuffled out of the park with sustenance in hand.  A cold, strawberry sno kone.  It was the perfect respite to the long, muggy, hot day (35C/95F).
 
As we drive back to Brisbane, with the two young thrill seekers happily chatting in the back seat, my mind wanders to the sno kone.  My mouth still cold from the mounds of crushed ice.  I pondered a tropical frosty creation of my own.  A pineapple granita.
 
Later, in my kitchen, with heat exhaustion setting in — and feeling somewhat slow in movement — I paired a fresh pineapple and champagne granita with, conceivably, the easiest dessert in the world.  The panna cotta. 
 
The creamy texture of the panna cotta is a perfect complement to the cold, icy granita.  And extraordinarily simple.  Perfect for those slow, hot days.

{  Vanilla panna cotta }
 
* Ingredients *
1 ½ cups of cream
½ cup whole milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean, or vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cold water
2 teaspoons of gelatine
 
* Directions *
Prepare 4 pudding moulds about ½ cup capacity with a light brush of oil.  Gently warm the cream, milk and sugar in a saucepan.  When the sugar dissolves, and bubbles start to appear around the edges, stir in the vanilla.  Separately, sprinkle the gelatine over the cold water and stir until dissolved.  Then mix into the cream.  Pour the mixture into the prepared moulds and refrigerate at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.  To un-mould, fill a bowl with hot water.  Dip the moulds immediately in and then out of the bowl, being careful not to allow water to reach inside.  Turn the mould onto a plate, slowly jiggle to loosen.

{ Pineapple champagne granita }
The champagne in the granita flatters the vanilla overtones in the panna cotta.  But feel free to substitute sparkling water for your liquid if you choose.
 
* Ingredients *
1 whole pineapple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
1 cup Champagne / sparkling wine
¾ cup sugar
Salt, optional
 
* Directions *
Puree the pineapple in a food processor until smooth but still with some texture.  In a saucepan, heat the Champagne and sugar.  When the sugar dissolves, and bubbles start to appear around the edges remove from the heat.  Let cool for a few minutes.  Mix the champagne into the prepared pineapple.  Add salt to taste.   Pour the mixture into a shallow container and place in the freezer.  After 30-40 minutes, remove from the freezer, and break up the mixture with a fork.  Repeat until the entire container is frozen.

Inspiration can come from almost anywhere.  Big or small.

Growing up, there was an abundance of fresh fruit on hand.  All from the garden my father would lovingly tend.  Baskets filled to the brim, and arriving sometimes daily to the household kitchen, the always-varied selection of fruit was customarily served au naturel.  It was kept simple, and seldom served beyond a pairing of vanilla ice-cream or plain yoghurt.

On rare occasion when we did indulge in a sweet after-dinner luxury — that was not the unadulterated freshness of homegrown fruit! — we were almost always treated to one thing.  Served the same way.  A stack of crispy, wafer thin crêpes, drenched in fresh lemon juice and finished with a healthy sprinkling of sugar.

These two simple, but significant, memories have inspired me to create a fruit dessert of my own.  A dessert combining bananas, a favourite from my father’s garden, with crêpes, from my mother’s dessert repertoire. 

Remaining faithful to the simplicity of my childhood memories, and with my mother’s treasured crêpe recipe in hand, the ingredients of my fruit dessert are reserved – adding only caramel and macadamia to complement the original untainted flavours.

Simple caramelisation of the banana to enhance the natural sweetness, and gently heat the fruit to pair with a warm vessel such as a crêpe.  Macadamia to add crunch and texture, with the creamy, rich nut matching well with the caramel sauce that finishes the dish. 

All up, only a few modest ingredients.  Easy to prepare.  A delight to savour.

Sometimes, simple is better. 

{ Caramelised banana crêpes with roasted macadamia and caramel sauce }

Freshly cooked crêpes filled with banana caramelised in a simple combination of brown sugar and butter.  Finished with a petite drizzle of caramel sauce, and a small handful of roasted macadamia nuts.

* Ingredients *
One recipe basic crêpes
One recipe caramelised bananas
1/4 roasted macadamia nuts
Vanilla ice-cream to serve, optional

* Directions *
After preparing a stack of crêpes, set aside. Prepare the caramelised bananas. Fill each crêpe with 2-3 pieces of banana. Drizzle caramel sauce over the finished crêpe and garnish with a few roasted macadamia nuts. Vanilla ice-cream optional.

4-6 serves

{ Basic crêpe recipe } recipe by Mélanger’s mother

* Ingredients *
1 cup (150g/5oz) plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
300ml milk

* Directions *
Mix flour and salt together. Make a hollow in the centre and mix in the egg. Gradually add the milk. Once fully mixed, refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Re-mix the batter as there may have been some settling. Fill a 1/4 cup half way, or measure out 2 tablespoons of mixture, and set aside. For each crêpe, melt about a teaspoon of butter/oil in a pan on medium heat. When it commences to smoke, lift the pan from the heat and tip on a 45 degree angle. Pour the prepared measure of mixture off centre into the pan and quickly swirl the mixture by continuing to tilt the pan but moving in a circular motion to distribute the batter evenly across the pan. Return the pan to the heat and cook.  After a few minutes, you will start to see some bubble blister appear on the surface. The underside of the crêpe at this stage is starting to brown. When appropriately golden, flip and cook other side.

Makes approximately 10-12 crêpes.

{ Caramelised bananas }

* Ingredients *
2 bananas, sliced
60g/2 oz unsalted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar

* Directions *
Melt the butter and sugar in a saucepan on a medium heat. Once sugar has dissolved, add the bananas. Watching carefully, gently cook until the bananas are well caramelised, and sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
 

Mum, thank you for your treasured crêpe recipe.   x

Imagine it is a warm, summer day and you crave something refreshing to eat.  You wander out your back door, walk a few short paces across your deck, and pick a ripe piece of fruit from a nearby tree.

Growing up, there was always an abundance of tropical fruit available in our garden.  Pawpaw was one such fruit — and within arms length of our back deck!

Served simply cut into wedges and a sprinkling of sugar, with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice-cream, or as part of a tropical fruit salad, pawpaw was a regular on the dessert menu at home.  When fresh produce was this close to hand — literally! — there was really no excuse to not eat well in our family.

For Tropical fruit month, I wanted to create a twist on an old favourite.  A thirst-quenching homemade sorbet teamed with crispy, coconut tuiles.  The combination is more than a wink to summer!

{ Pawpaw & lime sorbet }
A sorbet can be made from nearly any fruit, or combination of fruits.  It is simple, too.  A basic sugar syrup is mixed with a fruit puree, then churned to reach the desired consistency.  When experimenting with flavours and fruits, however, the only trick is to ‘measure’ the sugar content.  Too little or too much sugar and your sorbet will not set to the right consistency (not freeze enough or freeze too much).  But you can test this, with the humble egg.

* Ingredients *
1 kg / 2.2 lbs pawpaw (de-seeded and peeled), yields about 800g or 1.75lb
1/4 cup lime juice
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 egg, cleaned (for sugar test only)

* Directions *
Bring the water and sugar to a simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Puree the pawpaw with the lime juice.  Strain to produce a smooth consistency.  In a deep container, mix three quarters of the sugar syrup with three quarters of the fruit puree.  Stir well. Drop an egg into the mixture.  You want the egg to float to the surface and reveal enough shell equivalent to a 10 cent piece/US nickel/5 pence piece.  If the egg is floating too much, add more fruit.  If the egg is sinking too much, add more simple syrup.  Add the remainder of your fruit puree and simple syrup until you get the right consistency.  Remove the egg and then chill the mixture overnight.  Churn the sorbet mixture in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer’s directions.  Pack the sorbet into a freezer container and store in freezer for at least 2 hours.

{ Coconut tuiles }
From Desserts by Pierre Hermé written by Dorie Greenspan

* Ingredients *
1 1/4 cups dessicated coconut / sweetened coconut
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature slightly beaten
1 tablespoon butter, melted and still hot

* Directions *
Process the coconut and the sugar until you achieve a find powder.  Transfer to a bowl and mix in the eggs and melted butter until just mixed.  Cover the bowl and chill overnight.  (Can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 week.)

Prepare a baking tray with non-stick paper.  Gently re-stir the mixture. Drop 1/2 teaspoon measure of dough onto the baking tray leaving 6cm (2 1/2 inches) space between each drop.  Aim for about 8-10 cookies on the tray.

Chill for 15 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 150C or 300F.

Run cool water over the heel of your hand, and tap the cookies into round shapes.  (Their shape will not be perfect.)  It is important the dough be flattened very thin and that the thinness is uniform.

Bake one sheet at a time for 12- 15 minutes (watch as they brown very quickly).  The cookies need to be removed from the baking sheet as soon as they come out from the oven.  Working quickly, gently slide a plastic scraper until each and to a cooling rack.  To mold the cookies in the tradition shape, press the over a rolling pin or bottle instead of transferring to a cooling rack.

Repeat with the remaining mixture, or as required.

Makes 40 cookies.

In the distance, the sky is dark.  There certainly will be an afternoon storm.  The humidity has been especially hot that day.  The girl peers out the window and glimpses at her father outdoors, tending to his beloved plants in the garden he so cherishes.  She watches him stand in front of the banana trees, eyeing them, questioning them.  They are full of almost ripe fruit.  Although not ready to eat, the sweet perfume is strong, and the aroma almost carries indoors.

The girl walks outside as her father turns away from the banana trees.  He sees his youngest daughter standing there.  ‘Julia, would you like to help select which hand of bananas we will eat next?’ her father said with that trademark twinkle in his eye.  She skips over to her father happily exclaiming, ‘of course!’

They stand back, side by side, and consider the ripening bananas.  The young girl sticks out her hand, points and exclaims, ‘that one daddy!’  With a smile, he replies, ‘good choice.’  Julia’s father picks up his saw.  ‘Now, stand back a little and be careful of the sap.  You know how it stains.’  The expert gardener effortlessly cuts down the chosen hand of bananas, the bananas that the family will soon be enjoying.  The little girl claps her hands with glee.  Bananas are one of her favourite fruits.

Finished with the task, Julia returns to the house.  She runs up the stairs, but before walking through the back door she pauses.  She looks around at her father, and the fruit in the prized garden that he treasured.  Bananas, papaya, strawberries, mulberries, passionfruit.  All tropical fruits he had grown in this suburban Brisbane garden.  The garden he loved.

This month on Mélanger, I am showcasing the fragrant, tropical fruits of Queensland.

Why?  To remind myself how lucky I am to have such fresh, locally produced fruit available to me, to share a little of Queensland with my readers not familiar with the sunshine state of Australia, and to dedicate a handful of fruit desserts to my father, and to my memories of him tirelessly working in his much-loved garden.

For those in the southern hemisphere, I hope you enjoy this range of refreshing desserts to help you through your hot summer.  For those in the northern hemisphere, I hope this brings a little bit of sunshine to you during your cold, blustery days.

Welcome to Queensland!