Apple Date Fritters With Lemon Curd Cream And Candied Ginger Food

MACADAMIA NUT SPRING ROLL WITH CANDIED GINGER

Steps:

• To make the macadamia nut filling, use a small saucepan over medium heat and combine the sugar and water, then bring to a boil and cook until it caramelizes to a nice amber color. Remove from heat and add the cream slowly. Return to heat and stir until sugar and cream are completely incorporated and smooth. Add butter, candied ginger, and chopped nuts, then allow to cool slightly. If mixture gets too firm, simply warm to make pliable.
• To assemble, place the 4 spring roll wrappers down on the table so 1 point is facing 6 o'clock. Divide the mixture evenly between the 4 wrappers. Fold the point facing 6 o'clock over the filling and continue to roll. Fold over the left side, and then the right side to seal the ends and continue to roll until a small triangle remains. Brush edge with water and press to seal the end. Fry in 360 degree F oil just to brown the skin. Cut in half and put aside.
• To make the brown sugar ice cream, begin by bringing the milk, heavy cream, split vanilla bean, and sugar to a boil. Combine yolks and karo syrup and stir. Pour half of the boiling liquid into the yolks and stir until combined. Add remaining liquid and put back on the heat and continue to stir until you reach a temperature of 180 degrees F. Strain and cool in an ice bath. Place in an ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.
• To make the pickled carambola, using a medium pot over medium high heat, combine vinegar, sugar, ginger, peppercorns, anise, vanilla, and saffron. Bring just to a boil, then remove from heat. Add carambola, and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove carambola with skimmer and cool. Cool liquid over an ice bath. Add cold carambola to cold syrup, cover, and keep refrigerated.
• To plate, place both spring rolls on a plate with a bowl of the pickled carambola and a bowl of brown sugar ice cream. Serve immediately.

APPLE-DATE FRITTERS WITH LEMON CURD CREAM AND CANDIED GINGER

Steps:

• Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and sugar; set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the egg and milk on low speed. Stir in the dry ingredients.
• Peel, core and chop apples. Toss the apples and dates with lemon juice and fold into the batter.
• Heat oil to 365 degrees F in an electric skillet (oil should be 1/4-inch deep).
• Drop batter by heaping spoonfuls into skillet, patting each fritter down a bit (2 1/2 to 3 inches or so in diameter). Fry until golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes. Drain on a paper towels (keep fritters warm) and repeat until all batter has been used.
• To make Lemon Curd Cream, whisk together the cream, lemon curd and sugar until slightly thick.
• To serve, arrange fritters on a heated platter, drizzle with lemon curd ream, and sprinkle with candied ginger.

CANDIED GINGER

Steps:

• Spray a cooling rack with nonstick spray and set it in a half sheet pan lined with parchment.
• Peel the ginger root and slice into 1/8-inch thick slices using a mandoline. Place into a 4-quart saucepan with the water and set over medium-high heat. Cover and cook for 35 minutes or until the ginger is tender.
• Transfer the ginger to a colander to drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Weigh the ginger and measure out an equal amount of sugar. Return the ginger and 1/4 cup water to the pan and add the sugar. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar syrup looks dry, has almost evaporated and begins to recrystallize, approximately 20 minutes. Transfer the ginger immediately to the cooling rack and spread to separate the individual pieces. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Save the sugar that drops beneath the cooling rack and use to top ginger snaps, sprinkled over ice cream or to sweeten coffee.

LEMON-RICOTTA FRITTERS WITH LEMON CURD

Steps:

• Make the curd: Prepare an ice-water bath. Combine yolks, granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 9 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and add butter, stirring until it melts. Immediately strain through a fine sieve into a nonreactive bowl. Set bowl over ice-water bath, and place plastic wrap directly onto the surface of curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour (or up to 3 days).
• Make the fritters: Heat oil in a medium saucepan to 350 degrees. Sift flours, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl.
• Mix together eggs and granulated sugar in a large bowl until just combined. Add ricotta, lemon zest, and vanilla, and stir until well combined. Add flour mixture, and stir until smooth.
• Using an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, carefully drop a few balls of dough into oil. Cook, turning 2 to 3 times, until golden brown on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes total. Adjust heat as necessary to maintain temperature of oil. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining dough. Place on a plate, and dust with confectioners' sugar. Transfer curd to a serving bowl, and serve with fritters.

APPLE AND LEMON CURD TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to has 7, 220C, fan 200°C Line two baking sheets with nonstick baking paper.
• Unroll the puff pastry sheet, lay it on a work surface, then cut into 8 rectangles. Lightly score about 5mm (1/4 in) from the edges of each rectangle with a sharp knife, to give a narrow border. Lay them on the baking sheets. Spread 1/2 tablespoon of the lemon curd over the centre of each piece of pastry, just up to the border.
• Lay the apple slices onto each piece of pastry so they overlap, standing up slightly, and cover the centre of the pastry, but leave most of the border uncovered. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the apples are just tender and the pastry edges are golden.
• Meanwhile, for the glaze, warm the remaining 3 tablespoons of lemon curd in a small pan with 2 teaspoons of water, until it is just runny. Remove the tarts from the oven, and brush the apples and pastry edges with the glaze. Leave them to cool slightly, then serve warm with double cream or vanilla ice cream.