Warm Winter Desserts

By Kathryn Bailey
When seasonal affective disorder sets in and winter has you in its icy grasp, turn the bitter winter blues into sweet euphoria by dishing out warm and comforting winter desserts. From baked apples and fruit cobblers, to rich, steamy puddings and decadent hot chocolates, most winter desserts come from traditional, uncomplicated recipes that incorporate simple, easy-to-find ingredients.

Puddings
Whether simmered, baked or steamed, warm “comfort puddings” are traditional winter desserts that date back centuries and have resurged in modern cuisine.

Bread puddings are baked custards (heated eggs and milk/cream) soaked into bread. They’re highly versatile, because they can be made with any type of yeast-leavened bread and can accept many variations and quantities of ingredients. Cream and milk are easily interchangeable; dry ingredients like raisins, nuts and chocolate can be boldly added; and flavourings like rum, vanilla or brandy can be absorbed into the bread.

Baked and steamed puddings are essentially very moist cakes, which are typically accompanied by a flavourful sauce or cream. Steamed puddings involve a bit of preparation prior to cooking, as they must be immersed in water or cooked in a steamer, but require little attention during cooking, which make them ideal for dinner parties. There are numerous recipes to be found for baked and steamed puddings (don’t forget traditional plum or Christmas pudding!), but perhaps the best part of a simply cooked pudding is a luscious warm sauce.

Simpler to prepare—but not to be overlooked—are rice and tapioca puddings. These are two highly favoured warm-served soft puddings, and are instantly identifiable as comfort foods. Rice pudding can be varied by adding cinnamon and raisins and both puddings are agreeably complimented by whipped cream or a fruit sauce.
Cooked Fruit
Fruit is naturally flavoursome, but when served as a sweet, warm, wintry dessert (either on its own or with accompaniments) it takes on a new dimension. Fruit can be baked, poached, flambéed and stewed, and is generally sweeter and more exotic in flavour when cooked.

Poached pears and baked apples are exceptional favourites, though most fruits can be cooked successfully using the same basic principles. Baking and poaching are ideal ways to cook firm, juicy fruits like apples, pears and peaches.

With a name that belies its simplicity, compote is essentially fruit stewed in syrup. It can be created in endless variations with fresh, canned or dried fruits. Particularly wintry combinations might include dried cranberries, figs and apricots sweetened with brown sugar and cooked in a vanilla, cinnamon, rum and/or ginger-flavoured syrup.
Crisps, Crunches, Cobblers and Other Stuff
Commonly confused but similar in nature, there are a number of simply made warm fruit-and-dough-based desserts that go by a baffling assortment of names—crisps, crunches, grunts, slumps, brown betties, pandowdies and upside-down cakes are all variations of the cobbler.

The cobbler is a deep-dish fruit dessert with a single thick crust (usually made with biscuit dough). Crisps and crumbles are baked with fruit on the bottom and a crumb or cereal topping. Brown betties are made by placing fruit between layers of sweet buttered crumbs. Grunts and slumps, baked over the stove/fire, tend to be more like puddings and are essentially steamed fruit topped with dumplings. Pandowdies are more substantial deep-dish (usually apple) desserts sweetened with molasses or brown sugar and baked with a crumbly biscuit topping that is broken up during baking to absorb flavours. The classic upside-down cake is exactly as it sounds: a cake cooked upon a layer of sticky, sweetened fruit, which is served upside-down. Whichever version of these traditional dishes you choose, you’re guaranteed immediate warm and “stick to your ribs” gooey goodness.
Hot Chocoloate
No segment on desserts is complete without mention of chocolate, and what better way to serve it during the winter months than in a cup? There are many different ways to stir it up, but nothing is more comforting on an icy day than sipping rich, sweet hot chocolate made with real cream and melted bitter or semisweet chocolate. Add liqueurs or vanilla and top with whipped cream and cinnamon, nutmeg or chocolate shavings and sit down by the fire.