Pineapple Lime Pate De Fruit Food

FRUIT JEWELS (PATE DE FRUIT)

Steps:

• Place the applesauce, apricots, and sugar into a non-reactive 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Mix together, then add the raspberries. The raspberries will dominate the flavor. If you want apricot-flavored Pate de Fruit, omit the raspberries. Using a hand-held immersion blender or whisk, combine all of the ingredients until smooth and homogenous. As the mixture cooks, the natural pectin in the fruit will cause the mixture to thicken. Continue to cook until it is thick, mixing constantly. To test for the correct consistency, dip a whisk in the mixture and hold horizontally in front of you. Watch as the mixture drips off the whisk and back into the pan. If the mixture stays on the whisk and beads up into small balls, like pearls, it is ready. If it drips back into the pan in thin strands, it needs to be cooked a little longer.
• When the mixture is a bit thicker than jam, pour it into a spouted container. Fill either a half-dome or triangle shaped flexipan, depending on the desired design of the jewels and let rest for 4 hours at room temperature. When the mixture has set, remove and roll each jewel in sugar. If you do not have a flexipan, you can pour the Pate de Fruit into a 10-inch bottomless tart mold or cake ring placed on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Let the Pate de Fruit cool and set, about 3 hours at room temperature. When the mixture has set, remove and roll each jewel in sugar. To unmold, run a sharp paring knife between the fruit and the mold and lift off the mold. (At this point the Pate de Fruit can be stored, well wrapped in plastic and in an airtight container, for up to 2 months.) Sprinkle the top of the Pate de Fruit with a thin layer of sugar and flip it onto another sheet of parchment paper. Remove the parchment that is now on top. Sprinkle this side with more sugar. Using a wet chef's knife or cutter, cut the Pate de Fruit into any shapes. Roll each piece completely in sugar and serve. Do not store in the refrigerator, as the humidity will make the sugar melt.

PINEAPPLE-LIME PATE DE FRUIT

Steps:

• Grease an 8-inch square casserole dish with the vegetable oil and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the pectin with 1/4 cup of the sugar and set aside.
• Place the pineapple in a food processor and puree until very smooth. Transfer the pineapple puree to a 3-quart saucepan and add 1 3/4 cups of the sugar, the lime juice, and lime zest. Bring the contents of the pan to a boil over high heat, stirring with a spoon to dissolve the sugar. Once the fruit has come to a boil and the sugar is dissolved, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Sprinkle the pectin mixture over the pineapple mixture and whisk to blend. Raise the heat to medium-high and return the pan to a boil. Cook the candy, whisking constantly, until the liquid has evaporated, the consistency is very thick and syrupy, and the volume is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into the prepared casserole dish. Place the casserole dish on a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Let stand at least 12 hours, and up to 24 hours, until candy has firmed up.
• Once the candy has firmed up, cut into 1-inch squares. Place the sanding sugar in a medium size bowl, and toss the candy cubes in the sugar to evenly coat. Serve immediately.

PINEAPPLE LIMEADE

Steps:

• Mix sugar and juices in large plastic or glass pitcher. Pour half of mixture into another pitcher.
• Just before serving, stir sparkling water into juice mixture. Serve over ice. Garnish with lime slices.

TEQUILA AND LIME BAKED PINEAPPLE

Steps:

• Stir together tequila, lime juice, and sugar until sugar is dissolved.
• Peel pineapple with a large sharp knife, keeping crown of leaves attached. Trim bottom.
• Remove eyes from pineapple in spiral channels with a sharp paring knife: Cut along each side of diagonal row of eyes that spirals down pineapple, forming a V-shaped channel. Cut out channel and eyes and repeat procedure with remaining rows of eyes.
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Lay pineapple on its side, then, beginning at base and moving upward, carefully cut pineapple lengthwise in half through leaves, keeping leaves attached. Cut out core from each half and pull out some of long innermost leaves so no leaves are longer than about 7 inches.
• Arrange pineapple halves, flat sides down, in a glass or ceramic 13- by 9-inch baking dish, then pierce all over and all the way through with a skewer.
• Stir tequila mixture and spoon over pineapple. Lay a sheet of wax paper over pineapple and bake in middle of oven, basting with juices every 10 minutes, until pineapple is tender and slightly caramelized, about 50 minutes. Halve pineapple halves lengthwise and serve with any juices remaining in baking dish.