Muscat Macerated Fruit Food

VANILLA BEAN POUNDCAKE WITH MUSCAT-MACERATED FRUIT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a loaf pan. Using an electric mixer, cream butter, shortening and sugar until very fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk together eggs, vanilla extract and vanilla bean scrapings (reserve bean for fruit sauce). Gradually add egg mixture to butter mixture, beating well.
• Sift together flour and salt. Add half the flour mixture to batter, and beat to combine. Add remaining flour, gently folding it in with a spatula. Scrape batter into prepared pan, and smooth the top.
• Bake cake until a tester inserted into middle comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. If top of cake seems to be getting overly browned before center is set, cover with foil, and continue baking. Let cool on a rack before inverting.
• Serve slices of poundcake topped with macerated fruit.

MUSCAT-MACERATED FRUIT

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients with 3/4 cup water. Bring mixture to a simmer, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to dissolve sugar.
• Turn off heat, and let mixture cool. Remove vanilla bean and spices before serving.

MACERATED FRUIT

Steps:

• Combine your ingredients of choice in a medium bowl and toss together until the fruit is evenly coated. For inspiration, try some of my favorite fruit, herb and spice combinations, such as Peach and Ginger, Blackberry and Mint, Cherry and Cinnamon and Strawberry and Vanilla.
• Cover the bowl with reusable or regular plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours, stirring about halfway through and gently pressing the fruit with a rubber spatula until the liquid completely covers the fruit.
• After the 24 hours, strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, gently pressing on the fruit with a rubber spatula to extract as much juice as possible. Reserve both the fruit and the liquid. Discard any other solids, such as herb sprigs, whole spices or aromatics.
• Serving suggestions for the macerated fruit: Serve immediately on top of yogurt with granola, or desserts, such as grilled pound cake or ice cream. You can also muddle the fruit into cocktails or add it to sangria. The fruit can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days or frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw before serving.
• The macerated liquid can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week or frozen in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, cover with reusable or regular plastic wrap and freeze for up to 6 months. You can use a small offset spatula to help remove individual cubes from the tray, then thaw the macerated liquid as needed.
• Serving suggestions for the macerated liquid:
• Homemade soda: For 1 serving, pour 1/4 cup macerated liquid in a tall glass filled with ice, top with 12 ounces sparkling water and serve.
• Fruit shrub: For the shrub base, combine 1 part macerated liquid with 1 part apple cider vinegar (for example, 1/2 cup of each). Mix to evenly combine. For 1 serving, pour 1/4 cup of the shrub base into a tall glass filled with ice, top with 12 ounces sparkling water and serve.
• Fruit vinaigrette: Turn your shrub base (see above) into a vinaigrette. Whisk 1 part shrub base with 1 part neutral oil (such as canola, grapeseed or vegetable oil; for example, 1/4 cup of each) in a bowl until emulsified. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Fruit syrup: Bring the macerated liquid to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until reduced by half and thickened to the consistency of maple syrup-it should coat the back of a spoon without running off very quickly. Let the syrup cool completely, then serve over ice cream, pancakes, oatmeal, or yogurt and granola. The syrup also makes for a great gift when poured into a jar. It can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.