When it comes to desserts, I am always looking for quick, interesting options that require the minimum of fuss and time in the kitchen.

For this reason ? and also because of my personal likes and dislikes ? I tend to steer away from rich creamy or layered and baked concoctions.

I would much rather have a mixture of fresh fruits and ice cream with a dash of something boozy which is much more suitable to warm African summers in any case.

Quite frankly, I even prefer a cheese choice ahead of a mountain of sweetness. The fact that one can enjoy a delightful dessert wine or port with it also probably has much to do with this choice?

By adding a few interesting items it is easy to turn a wedge or two of mature brie cheese into something quite impressive and very tasty to serve instead of a formal dessert.

For this ?afters? you need:

Ingredients

1-2 wedges of brie per person (buy a large brie and slice it into wedges)

2 preserved figs per portion

2 pieces of preserved ginger per portion

A couple of grapes and a few fresh strawberries per portion

? cup roasted, roughly crushed almonds (to be divided between four portions)

A tablespoon of butter

3 cups of sugar

Water biscuits

Method

On four individual dessert plates, place the brie and top and surround with preserves, grapes, strawberries and nuts

In a saucepan melt the butter and add the three cups of sugar

Over low heat let it melt and simmer until turns into golden-brown syrup

Pour some of the melted sugar syrup over each portion

Serve with water biscuits ? and don?t forget the dessert wine and port