It’s always enjoyable to indulge your dinner guests with a little extra which confirms how much you value their company. Adding a pre-dessert fits that bill and doesn’t have to be complicated - unless you are a bit of an awkward devil.

While planning the main elements of a meal it’s worth looking back at previous efforts and remembering stored components which are still available to start mucking about with - in a thoughtfully playful way of course.

For this most recent offering I nearly made a coconut panna cotta from scratch but in the end served what were essentially ‘leftovers’. Pineapple and lemon verbena juices from a sorbet were defrosted and turned into a jelly. Rum and raisin ice cream was made to go with our spiced fruit compote at Christmas. Enough of that remained for a small and almost perfectly-formed scoop. Our breakfast granola was supplemented with some chopped toasted macadamia nuts.

That’s it. Minimal distraction from preparing the starter, main and dessert. Make something restrained in size but big on visual and flavour appeal. However light you make of your efforts, there is almost bound to be a mixture of surprise and delight over the unexpected.

The pleasure of indulging your guests isn’t too selfish a one. But be ready to find that they will come to expect this extra indulgence.

No recipe.* Just one idea from me. Over to you.

*Oh - 70 grams of jelly in the glass if that helps.

Pineapple & Lemon Verbena Jelly, Rum & Raisin Ice Cream, Toasted Macadamia Granola

A Pre-dessert Idea