Autumn Fruits With Cinnamon Custard Food

RUSTIC AUTUMN FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Cut the cold butter and cream cheese into the flour with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (This can also be done in a food processor: pulse the cold butter into the flour until the mixture resembles cornmeal; add the cream cheese and pulse until it's the size of small peas.) When you squeeze a handful of the mixture, it should form a ball. Shape the dough into a round disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Toss the sliced apples and pear with the orange juice. Whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cornstarch. Toss the fruit with the sugar-spice mixture and set aside.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Set out an 8-inch tart pan, or, if you'll be making a free-form tart (galette), lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured work surface to form a 10-inch circle. Transfer the dough to the tart pan or baking sheet. Arrange the fruit decoratively in the tart pastry. If you're baking the tart on a baking sheet, leave a 2-inch rim of dough and fold it up over the edge of the fruit (the pastry folds will overlap).
• Bake the tart in the preheated oven until the crust is browned and the filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and brush it with the apricot jam.

AUTUMN MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease muffin pans or line with paper muffin liners.
• In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, white sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Make a well in the center, and add the melted butter, milk and eggs, mix until smooth. Stir in the cranberries, apple, figs, and hazelnuts. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pans. Cups should be at least 3/4 full.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

AUTUMN FRUITS WITH CINNAMON CUSTARD

Steps:

• In a large skillet cook vermouth or apple cider over low heat just to boiling. Carefully add pears, apples, and star anise to the hot liquid. Sprinkle sugar over fruit. Cook fruit mixture, covered, for 5 minutes or until the fruit is just tender.
• To serve, using a slotted spoon carefully transfer the cooked fruit to individual dessert bowls. Discard poaching liquid. Drizzle fruit with Cinnamon Custard. Makes 6 servings.
• Cinnamon Custard: In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan combine 1 beaten egg, 2/3 cup milk, and 4 teaspoons sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture just coats the back of a spoon; stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and a dash of ground cinnamon. Remove custard from heat. Place saucepan in a bowl of ice water for approximately 10 minutes to stop cooking process. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 24 hours. Bring just to room temperature to serve.

POACHED PLUMS

Steps:

• To prepare the plums: wash and cut them into quarters, then remove the stones.
• Tip the sugar into a pan with 225ml water, the cinnamon and vanilla. Gently heat until the sugar dissolves.
• Slide the fruit into the syrup. Bring the pan to the boil, then let it simmer for 5-10 mins - depending on the ripeness - until the plums are soft. Leave to cool slightly and serve as they are with something creamy.

AUTUMN FRUITS WITH CINNAMON CUSTARD

Steps:

• In a large skillet cook vermouth or apple cider over low heat just to boiling. Carefully add pears, apples, and star anise to the hot liquid. Sprinkle sugar over fruit. Cook fruit mixture, covered, for 5 minutes or until the fruit is just tender.
• To serve, using a slotted spoon carefully transfer the cooked fruit to individual dessert bowls. Discard poaching liquid. Drizzle fruit with Cinnamon Custard. Makes 6 servings.
• Cinnamon Custard: In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan combine 1 beaten egg, 2/3 cup milk, and 4 teaspoons sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture just coats the back of a spoon; stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and a dash of ground cinnamon. Remove custard from heat. Place saucepan in a bowl of ice water for approximately 10 minutes to stop cooking process. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 24 hours. Bring just to room temperature to serve.

AUTUMN FRUITS WITH CINNAMON CUSTARD

Steps:

• 1. In a large skillet cook vermouth or apple cider over low heat just to boiling. Carefully add pears, apples, and star anise to the hot liquid. Sprinkle sugar over fruit. Cook fruit mixture, covered, for 5 minutes or until the fruit is just tender. 2. To serve, using a slotted spoon carefully transfer the cooked fruit to individual dessert bowls. Discard poaching liquid. Drizzle fruit with Cinnamon Custard. Makes 6 servings. Cinnamon Custard: In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan combine 1 beaten egg, 2/3 cup milk, and 4 teaspoons sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture just coats the back of a spoon; stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and a dash of ground cinnamon. Remove custard from heat. Place saucepan in a bowl of ice water for approximately 10 minutes to stop cooking process. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 24 hours. Bring just to room temperature to serve. *Note: Core fruit, if desired.

LEMON FLAN WITH AUTUMN FRUIT COMPOTE

Steps:

• For fruit compote:
• Bring grape juice to boil in heavy large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered 1 hour. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until fruit is tender and liquid is reduced and slightly syrupy, about 1 hour longer. Transfer compote to large bowl. Let stand at room temperature until cool, about 2 hours.
• For flans:
• Spoon 2 teaspoons liquid from fruit compote into each of six 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups. Place ramekins in 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Cover and refrigerate remaining fruit compote overnight.
• Combine milk, sugar, lemon peel, and salt in medium saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and let milk mixture steep at room temperature 1 hour. Return milk mixture to simmer. Strain into small bowl; discard lemon peel.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk eggs and egg yolks in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk warm milk mixture into egg mixture. Divide custard among prepared soufflé dishes. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of soufflé dishes. Bake custards until centers are set and thin knife inserted at edge of dish cleanly separates custard from dish, about 45 minutes. Remove flans from water. Cool 1 hour. Refrigerate flans uncovered overnight.
• Run small thin knife around flans to loosen. Invert each flan onto plate. Spoon fruit compote and syrup over and around flans and serve.