Winter Fruit Bowl With Almond Cream Food

STRAWBERRY ALMOND CREAM

Steps:

• In a small bowl, fold strawberries into sour cream. Fold in yogurt. Gently stir in almond extract and sugar.
• Chill in the freezer for 20 minutes then move to the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Serve with fluffy pieces of angel food cake and/or mixed berries.

WINTER FRUIT BOWL

Steps:

• To section grapefruit, cut off the ends of the grapefruit, then use a long, thin-bladed knife to cut out the core.
• Resting one end of the grapefruit on a cutting board, cut off the peel in strips.
• Peel the grapefruit apart and simply lift or pull each segment off the membrane, working over a bowl to catch juices.
• Set grapefruit sections aside (should have about 3 cups).
• Add enough water to the reserved grapefruit juice to measure 1 cup.
• In a medium saucepan combine the 1 cup grapefruit juice, sugar, and marmalade.
• Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar; reduce heat.
• Add cranberries; cook and stir for 5-8 minutes or until skins pop.
• Remove from heat; cool.
• Add grapefruit sections.
• Cover and chill.
• Just before serving, slice bananas and stir into chilled grapefruit mixture.
• Garnish with fresh mint, if desired.

APPLE & ALMOND CRUMBLE PIE

Steps:

• First, make the crumble. Tip the flour, ground almonds, sugar and a pinch of salt into a bowl, then rub in the butter with your fingers until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the flaked almonds and chill until needed. Can be prepared up to two days ahead and chilled.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a baking tray inside. Peel, core quarter and slice the apples, then tip into a bowl with the sugar, mixed spice and flour. Toss well and set aside. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface until it's large enough to line a 20-22cm pie dish. Line the dish with the pastry, then trim and crimp the edge. Alternatively, re-roll the pastry trimmings into an 80cm-long strip, then cut into three thin, long strips, and arrange into a 1cm-wide plait. Arrange the plait around the edge of the dish, and brush with some beaten egg.
• Spoon the apples into the base, then scatter over the crumble. Bake on the hot tray for 35-40 mins until the topping is toasted and the pastry is deep golden. Leave to stand for 10 mins, then serve warm with cream, custard or ice cream.

FRESH FRUIT TART WITH ALMOND PRESS-IN CRUST

Steps:

• Crust:
• Place a rack in the middle of oven; preheat to 350°F. Whisk egg yolks and 1 Tbsp. cold water in a small bowl to combine.
• Whisk all-purpose flour, almond flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter and rub and smash into dry ingredients with your fingers to create large, shaggy pieces (you want some pieces that are flat and thin and some that are large and irregular).
• Drizzle egg yolk mixture over flour and, using a fork or your fingers, toss into dough to incorporate. Knead dough in bowl until it starts to come together (it will still look a little dry; although, if it looks too dry and doesn't come together, add 1-2 Tbsp. more water, but only if needed).
• Turn dough out onto a clean work surface and knead 1 or 2 more times. Divide dough in half, stack pieces, and press down firmly to smash together. Repeat process until dough is well combined and becomes slightly sticky, 2-3 more times. Press dough into bottom and 1" up sides of pan and prick all over with a fork. Freeze until very firm, 20-30 minutes.
• Bake crust until deep golden brown all over, 35-40 minutes. Let cool.
• Do Ahead: Crust can be baked 2 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.
• Custard and assembly:
• Bring milk and vanilla paste to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl, starting slowly-it won't want to combine easily at first-then vigorously whisk until mixture is very pale yellow and very thick, about 1 minute (the sugar should be nearly dissolved at this point). Whisking constantly, gradually add hot milk mixture. Return custard base to saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly. Simmer, still whisking constantly, until custard is thickened and has no cornstarch taste, about 3 minutes.
• Remove custard from heat and add butter a couple of pieces at a time, whisking until fully melted before adding more, until all of the butter is incorporated. Transfer to a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly against surface. Let cool.
• Vigorously whisk custard until smooth and slightly loosened. Scrape into crust and smooth surface. Top with berries.
• Do Ahead: Custard can be made 4 days ahead. Keep chilled.

CHOCOLATE CREAM PUFFS WITH ALMOND CREAM

Steps:

• ALMOND CREAM: In a nonreactive saucepan, combine the almond paste, 1 cup half-and-half and sugar. Whisk to dissolve. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
• In a small bowl, combine the egg yolks, cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup half-and-half. Whisk well.
• Remove the milk from the heat and add some of the hot liquid to the egg mixture and mix well. Add the egg mixture back to the simmering milk and place over the heat.
• Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Pour into a bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pastry cream. Cool completely before using.
• CHOCOLATE PUFFS: Preheat oven to 400°F and lightly coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, combine water, butter, sugar and stir until butter is melted.
• Add flour and cocoa powder all at once; stir vigorously until mixture pulls away from side of pan. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Place or pipe 1/4 cup of mixture onto prepared baking sheet, spacing 2" apart. Bake for 30-40 minutes until puffed and firm. Allow to cool to room temperature before proceeding.
• ASSEMBLY: Using a pastry bag with a star tip, fill bag with Almond cream. Using the tip, pierce the side of a chocolate puff and begin squeezing almond cream into the center, slowly removing the tip and ending with a swirl as it exits the puff. Repeat with remaining puffs. (You can also opt to cut them in half horizontally and fill with the almond cream, then replace the tops like a sandwich).
• Place on a silver platter (metal will help keep them cool), cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Remove plastic wrap and dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

MIXED FRUIT ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Make the crust: Grease the sides and bottom of a 9-inch tart pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place the nuts into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until nuts are finely ground. Add remaining butter and sugar and pulse until the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Use your fingers and the flat bottom of a drinking glass to press the dough into an even layer in the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake until the tart is firm and golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Set aside.
• Make the almond cream: Whisk the sugar, flour and egg yolks until thick and smooth in a medium bowl. Bring the milk and almond extract to a gentle boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Pour about 1/2 of the milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, then pour the whole mix back into the pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens, 5-8 minutes. Stir this mixture constantly, scraping the bottom as you stir, so the flour doesn't stick to the bottom and burn. Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap and cover it with a coating of plastic wrap so that it doesn't form a "skin". Refrigerate until completely cooled.
• Assemble the tart: Place the tart bottom on a serving platter. Spoon the pastry cream on top. Arrange the kiwi slices, raspberries and blueberries on top of the pastry cream and brush with the jam until the fruit is coated with it. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of sliced almonds.
• Note: You can use a 9-inch springform pan in place of the tart pan, if desired. Build the crust so that it is one inch high on the sides of the pan.