Wine Soaked Fruit With Mascarpone Snowman Food

FRESH FRUIT WITH HONEY VANILLA MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Combine the apricots, plums, kiwi and cherries in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the mascarpone, honey, vanilla and vanilla seeds. Add the heavy cream and stir until combined.
• Pour the mascarpone mixture over the fruit, and serve.

RED WINE-MACERATED WINTER FRUIT

Steps:

• Remove zest from lemon with a vegetable peeler and squeeze juice from lemon. In a saucepan bring water to a boil with zest, lemon juice, wine, sugar, and cinnamon stick, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Simmer mixture 15 minutes.
• While mixture is simmering, peel and core pineapple and cut into bite-size pieces. Halve figs if using. Pour hot syrup through a sieve into a bowl. Stir pineapple and dried fruit into syrup and cool. Chill fruit, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.
• Serve fruit with mascarpone or crème fraîche and biscotti.

EXTRA-FRUITY CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Put all the dried fruit, the mixed peel and citrus zests in a large bowl, the pour over the brandy. Stir, cover and leave to soak overnight.
• The next day, heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line the base and side of a deep 23cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment, so it comes a few centimetres above the rim.
• Beat the butter, sugar and treacle together in a large bowl using an electric whisk, until pale and creamy. Alternatively, use a stand mixer. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl every so often. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into a separate bowl, then stir this into the wet ingredients along with the ground almonds until combined.
• Stir in the rehydrated fruit along with the soaking liquid, then spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake for 2 hrs 25 mins-2 hrs 30 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.If the cake starts to darken too quickly, cover with foil.
• Leave to cool completely in the tin, then prick small holes all over the surface using a cocktail stick or skewer and brush over a little brandy. Wrap the cake in baking parchment, then a sheet of foil. Store in an airtight container and feed the cake with 1-2 tbsp brandy each week for three or four weeks, stopping the week before you want to ice it. Will keep in a cool, dry place for six months.

STRAWBERRY PARFAIT WITH VIN SANTO, MASCARPONE & BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Place the biscotti biscuits in a plastic bag and crush them lightly with the end of a rolling pin, leaving them slightly chunky. Tip the crushed biscuits into a bowl, drizzle over the Vin Santo and give it a stir. In small bowl, use a fork to slightly mash half of the strawberries with the sugar.
• Whip the mascarpone in a medium bowl, then fold into the whipped cream. If the mixture appears too thick fold through a little milk. In a 1-litre glass bowl, spread half of the soaked biscotti. Top with half of the mashed strawberries and then half of the mascarpone mixture. Repeat until you have used up everything. Slice the remaining strawberries and scatter over the top. Refrigerate, then pack into a cooler as this dessert should be served chilled.

HONEY-POACHED PEARS WITH MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Toss pears with lemon juice in large bowl. Set aside. Combine 1 cup water, wine and honey in medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Stir over medium heat until honey dissolves. Add pears. Cover mixture with round piece of parchment paper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pears are just tender when pierced, turning when half-way through cooking, about 15 minutes.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to large bowl. Boil poaching liquid until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Cool syrup. Pour syrup over pears. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours or overnight. Remove vanilla bean.
• Whisk mascarpone cheese, sugar and brandy in large bowl until smooth. Add 1/4 cup chilled poaching syrup and whisk until soft peaks form.
• Thinly slice each pear half lengthwise, leaving slices attached at stem end. Using metal spatula, transfer pears to plates. Gently press on pears to fan slightly. Spoon some syrup over pears. Spoon mascarpone cream alongside each pear half and serve.