Emma Parkin brings us lovely winter desserts to tickle the taste buds

Winter Treats

Pears in mulled wine
Serves 4
450ml red wine
150ml orange juice
75g sugar
2 sachets mulled wine spice
4tbsp brandy (optional)
4 pears, peeled and cored
To serve
Fromage frais

1. Pour the wine, orange juice, sugar, mulled wine sachets and brandy into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil. Add the pears and simmer for 45-50 minutes, until tender, turning occasionally.
2. Remove the pears from the wine and keep warm. Turn up the heat under the wine mixture and simmer until the sauce has reduced by half.
3. Serve each pear on a plate, drizzled with the sauce and with a little fromage frais.

Vanilla biscuits
Makes 5 biscuits
3/4 cup margarine
1 cup caster sugar
2tsp vanilla essence
21/2 cups cake flour, sifted
1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and grease a couple of baking trays. Cream the margarine, sugar and vanilla essence together until light and fluffy.
2. Add the flour and egg and mix to form a dough. Cover in clingfilm and leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
3. Roll out the dough on a floured surface. Cut into angel and star shapes with a cookie cutter. Bake for 10-15 minutes until pale golden brown
4. Leave to cool for a few minutes until hard enough to remove from the trays. Cool completely on wire racks. Sift icing sugar over the cookies. Wrap the cookies in pretty cellophane bags.

1. Wash and peel rhubarb and cut into 1 inch pieces, add sugar and orange rind and mix well. Cut sponge into thin slices. Line the bottom of a greased baking dish with 3-4 slices and over with a quarter of the rhubarb.
2. Continue to make alternate layers of cake and fruit until all material is used. Cover and bake in the middle of a moderate oven (Mark 4/350oF) for 30 mins.
3. Beat egg whites until stiff, add castor sugar slowly, beating until blended.
4. Pile on pudding and bake for 15 mins. in slow oven (Mark 2/325oF) or until meringue is slightly browned.