Tipsy Fruit Food

DRUNKEN CHERRIES

Steps:

• Rinse the cherries and pick out any bruised, soft or damaged fruit.
• Use a pair of kitchen sheers to trim the stems to about 1/2" long.
• Pack the cherries into a jar, filling it tightly and to the top.
• Use a funnel to fill the jar about 1/3 of the way with sugar.
• Fill the jar to the top with vodka and seal the lid on tightly.
• Shake and roll the jar in your hands until the sugar has dissolved.
• Place the jar in a cool dark spot for at least two weeks or longer (My friend Nola goes a full six months). Shake or roll the jar every so often a few times if you're going with a shorter soak and at least once a month if you're going for longer.

FRUIT SALAD WITH LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• For the lemon yogurt topping, whisk together the yogurt, lemon curd, honey, and vanilla and set aside at room temperature.
• For the fruit salad, carefully toss together the strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, sugar, and limoncello. Allow them to stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes to let the berries macerate with the sugar and liqueur. Gently fold the banana into the mixture.
• Serve bowls of fruit with a dollop of lemon yogurt on top. Top with a sprig of fresh mint.

CHOCOLATE & TROPICAL FRUIT HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• Soak the sultanas, pineapple and mango in the rum for 1 hr.
• Mix the bread flour, yeast, sugar, cinnamon, oil, 2 tsp sea salt and 350ml warm water in a bowl with a spoon first, and then with your hands. Add the zest, chopped chocolate and soaked fruit and continue to knead (or use a mixer fitted with a dough hook) for around 10 mins until it feels less sticky. Shape into a ball, return to the bowl and cover. Leave to rise for about 1 hr or until doubled in size (or leave in the fridge overnight).
• Knock the air out of the dough. On a floured surface, shape into eight buns. Put the buns on a baking tray lined with baking parchment (no more than 2cm apart) and prove somewhere warm for 1 hr or until well risen.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Brush the bun tops with milk. Mix the plain flour with water to make a paste, transfer to a piping bag and pipe crosses on top. Bake for 25-30 mins or until golden and risen. Brush with the jam while still warm. Once cooled, drizzle with the melted dark chocolate.