Tropical Fruit In Ginger Syrup Food

TROPICAL FRUIT IN GINGER SYRUP

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring ginger, sugar, and 1 cup water to a boil over medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
• With a sharp knife, slice off ends of oranges. Following curve of fruit, cut away peel and white pith; cut fruit crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. In a large bowl, combine oranges, mango, and banana. Pour ginger syrup over fruit and let sit 10 minutes. Serve fruit with a little syrup and toasted coconut if desired.

GINGER SIMPLE SYRUP FOR FRESH FRUITS

Steps:

• Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan over moderate heat. Add ginger and reduce heat to simmer. Stir until sugar dissolves and ginger infuses syrup, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and take out ginger. Cool and pour over chunks of pineapple, sliced kiwi, sliced bananas, or any of your favorite fruit combinations.

YOGURT WITH GRANOLA, TROPICAL FRUIT, AND CRYSTALLIZED GINGER

Steps:

• Mix fruit, honey, and 1/3 cup crystallized ginger in medium bowl. Spoon 1/2 cup yogurt into each bowl. Top each with 1/2 cup granola, then 3/4 cup fruit mixture. Spoon remaining 1/2 cup yogurt in dollops over fruit. Garnish with more chopped crystallized ginger and serve.
• *A thick yogurt; sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Greek markets.

TROPICAL FRUIT TART

Steps:

• For crust:
• Mix flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk egg yolk, cream and vanilla in small bowl. Add to flour mixture; process until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball. Flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 4 hours.
• For Filling:
• Pour milk into heavy medium saucepan. Bring just to simmer. Whisk yolks, sugar and cornstarch in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot milk. Return mixture to same saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to boil. Boil 1 minute. Pour pastry cream into medium bowl. Stir in minced ginger. Press plastic onto surface of pastry cream. Cover; chill until cold, about 4 hours. (Dough and pastry cream can be made 1 day ahead. keep chilled separately. Let dough soften slightly before pressing into pan.)
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of 11x7 1/2-inch rectangular or 11-inch round tart pan with removable bottom. Line crust with foil. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until sides of crust are set, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake until crust is golden, piercing with fork if bubbles form, about 15 minutes. Transfer pan to rack and cool completely. Remove sides from pan.
• Combine preserves and Cognac in small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until preserves melt and mixture is thick, about 2 minutes. Strain syrup into another small saucepan; discard solids. Brush half of syrup onto bottom of crust. let stand at room temperature until set, about 5 minutes. Spread pastry cream evenly over. Arrange fruit over pastry cream. Rewarm ginger syrup. Brush over fruit. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill.) Garnish tart with mint.

TROPICAL FRUIT WITH LEMON GINGER SYRUP

Steps:

• Combine syrup ingredients in a medium saucepan.
• Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves.
• Simmer for 5 minutes longer to infuse flavors.
• Let syrup cool, then strain and discard solids.
• Chill until ready to use.
• Peel papaya, cut in half, and scoop out seeds. Cut papaya into cubes and place in a large bowl with mango, banana, kiwi fruits, and ginger.
• Drizzle about 1 cup of the syrup and stir gently to coat.
• Serve chilled with a scoop of ice cream.

TROPICAL FRUITS IN LEMONGRASS SYRUP

Steps:

• Drain the lychees juice into a pan and put the lychees in a large serving bowl. Add the lemongrass and sugar to the pan, heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then boil for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and set aside - the lemongrass will add flavour as it cools.
• Strain the syrup over the lychees and tip in the fruits. Chill. Serve with macaroons.

TROPICAL FRUIT CAKES

Steps:

• Grease and lightly flour eight 1-cup fluted tube pans or six 4-1/2x2-1/2x1-1/2-inch individual loaf pans and set pans aside.
• In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
• In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds, add brown sugar; beat until combined.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed until combined (The batter may appear curdled).
• Combine 1/4 cup rum or pineapple juice, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, the corn syrup, ginger, and vanilla.
• Add flour mixture and rum mixture alternately to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
• Fold in fruit bits and nuts.
• Spread batter in prepared pan.
• Bake in a 325 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes for fluted tube pans or 30 to 35 minutes for loaf pans or until a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean.
• Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool at least 1 hour on racks.
• Poke holes in cakes using a wooden toothpick or bamboo skewer.
• Soak eight or six 8-inch-square pieces of double thickness 100-percent cotton cheesecloth with the 1/3 cup rum or pineapple juice and wrap each cake in rum- or juice-soaked cheesecloth.
• Wrap each cake tightly in foil or seal in a plastic bag.
• Chill in refrigerator for 24 hours.
• Remove foil or remove cakes from bags; drizzle with 1/4 cup rum or pineapple juice. Rewrap with foil or return to plastic bags and refrigerate at least 24 hours.
• Remove cheesecloth before serving.
• If desired, sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar. Makes 6 or 8 cakes (24 servings).
• Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare Tropical Fruit Cake as directed through until the 24 hr chill, except refrigerate up to 5 days. (Or prepare Tropical Fruit Cakes as directed through up to 24 hr chill, except do not sprinkle with powdered sugar. Place in self-sealing freezer bags. Seal, label, and freeze up to 3 months.)
• To serve, thaw frozen cakes in freezer bags in the refrigerator overnight. Serve as directed.