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Barbecue season: Amazing desserts that benefit from the lick of a flame

Lilly Higgins: There’s no need to limit your grill to savoury dishes

Honey semifreddo with charred stone fruit. Photograph: Lilly Higgins

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Lilly Higgins
Mon May 22 2023 - 05:00

It is barbecue season and the use of your grill doesn’t need to be restricted to savoury dishes. There are also some amazing desserts that benefit from the lick of a flame. Chunky rounds of pineapple are delicious when charred on the barbecue. Drizzle them with a brown sugar rum syrup and top with vanilla ice cream for a tropical ending to your next outdoor feast.

My kids love to make their own chocolate stuffed bananas. Simply cut a banana skin lengthways and insert chocolate buttons into the opening, before wrapping the banana snugly in foil. Place on the barbecue to cook for 10 minutes. Fruit skewers are another option. Thread whole strawberries and chunks of pineapple and mango on to skewers.

Another favourite dessert to make on the barbecue is the S’more. Place digestive biscuits on the grill with a square of chocolate on top. Meanwhile pop the marshmallows on to a skewer and hold over the heat as you would a campfire. Once the marshmallow is toasted, place it between the biscuits and serve.

A semifreddo is the easiest home-made ice cream to make. There’s no special equipment needed and very few ingredients. It’s like a home-made Viennetta, only nicer, and you’re in control of the quality of the ingredients. Save this for those warm summer days. It will last a month in the freezer, so you can slice off a piece whenever the sun shines.

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I’ve made semifreddos in all sorts of flavours, from mint chocolate to lemon curd. They’re very easy to slice, making serving them to guests a cinch. Semifreddo slices can be sandwiched between two wafers or cookies for a nostalgic, portable dessert or served on a plate alongside toppings and sauces.

This delicious dessert has peach Melba flavours, with plump ripe raspberries scattered on top of the vanilla flecked honey semifreddo. Placing the stone fruit on the barbecue for a few minutes ensures the fruit tastes warm, ripe and sweet. The hot fruit begins to melt the semifreddo as soon as they meet on the plate.

Recipe: Honey semifreddo with charred stone fruit

Lilly’s Kitchen Tips:

  1. If you are using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for an hour first so they don’t burn.
  2. If you are planning on making dessert on a barbecue, make sure to clean it thoroughly after cooking your main course.
  3. Drizzle fruit with a little maple syrup or honey before grilling briefly to bring out ripe sweet flavour.
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