What can I make as an elegant dessert for eight people, with only five minutes to spare, and an empty fridge?

Hmm, luckily I had a tub of PHILLY Cream for dessert in the fridge from my day cooking with Suzanne Gibb and Margaret Fulton. One of the great things about the PHILLY cream for desserts is the long fridge life of the product. So many times I buy regular cream expecting to make something, only to throw it out a week later when it has past the due date.

Although my fridge is bare I always have the basics, eggs, sugar and chocolate. Thanks to my goodie bag from PHILLY I also had a carton of Cream for Desserts. This looked like the makings of a delicious dessert and I had just the recipe up my sleeve.

But before I go any further I would like to announce a giveaway!

The lovely people at Kraft Foods Australia, makers of PHILLY products have given me five PHILLY gift packs to giveaway. The prize packs will include a copy of the “Simply Heaven Vol.2 Cookbook” and a Coles gift card to the value of $7.00. The gift card will buy two Philly products so readers can choose to make this recipe I am about to share or another from their new PHILLY cookbook. The total value of the prize is $42.

To be in the draw all readers need to do is tell me in the comments section below, what PHILLY dessert they are currently craving. The best five answers will have their PHILLY craving satisfied.  This competition will also be announced on the Gourmet Getaways facebook page. Please leave the statement “I have entered the PHILLY Dessert competition” on the Facebook competition thread. Winners will be announced on the 29^th November via Facebook, so please make sure you are a friend of Gourmet Getaways so that you receive your notification.  Good luck to all!

Now back to my last minute dessert. These four ingredients equal a luscious White Chocolate Mousse. I shared this recipe to Belly Rumbles for the Philly Masterclass in Sydney last month, so you can also find this dish on her site.  I had intended to substitute the praline layer for something a little different like blueberries reduced in maple syrup, but unfortunately the pantry is also bare and all I had was nuts and sugar.

I hope you enjoy having this quick recipe up your sleeve for a last minute dessert.

Ingredients:

250gm white chocolate (melted)

250gm PHILLY “Cream for Desserts”

1 egg white

1 Tbs caster sugar

Praline layer:

½ cup sugar

½ cup water

¼ cup of any unsalted nuts

Method:

Stir the Philly “cream” through the melted chocolate until combined.

Beat egg white in a mixer until the start of soft peaks; add sugar very slowly at the start making sugar the sugar is completely dissolved before adding more. Continue to beat the egg white on the highest mixer setting until all the sugar is incorporated.

Carefully fold ¼ of the meringue through the chocolate cream mixture. Continue mixing the remaining meringue a quarter at a time until all the mixture has been folded through.

Using a dessert spoon, place two large spoonfuls of the mixture into the bottom of eight serving dishes. Add a layer of filling to the mousse.

Place the final scoop of mousse on top of the filling and you are done. The dessert can actually be served immediately as it is a thick luscious custard or refrigerated and served as a set mousse. 

I have given the direction below for the praline filling although you could have anything you desire as the contrasting layer. I chose praline as there is nothing else in the house!

Praline Method:

Place nuts on a tray with baking paper under the oven grill to toast. Remove from the heat once they are golden and set aside.

Dissolve sugar and water in a saucepan over a low heat.

Once dissolved increase the heat and allow to boil until the toffee changes to a golden colour. Remove from the heat and pour over the nuts.

Cool the praline at room temperature and break into pieces with a meat mallet or food processor.

So there we have it, a quick and easy dessert which is mouth wateringly delicious.

Now lovely Gourmet Getaways readers, what delicious dessert are you craving at the moment. Thanks to Kraft Australia, the makers of PHILLY "Cream for Desserts" five lucky readers will receive a PHILLY prize pack valued at $42. For a chance to win all you have to do is let me know what dessert you are craving in the comments section below. The competition ends at midnight on the 29th of November, 2011. Winners will be announced on the Gourmet Getaways Facebook page. The competition is open to anyone within Australia.