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Cooking For Fun's
Fun with Fruits


Easy Fruit Cobbler
2 Cups sliced fresh fruit (your choice)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
Topping:
1 cup sugar 
1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 374 F. Place fruit in the bottom of a well-greased and fairly deep baking dish. Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, flour baking powder. salt and milk. Pour this thin batter evenly over the fruit. Sprinkle the cup of sugar over the top and pour the cup of boiling water over all. Do not stir. Bake till top is crusty and delicately brown, about 1 hour, but time will vary with the shape of the dish used. Serve with additional milk, whipped cream or ice cream.

CFF Shared by Carole


Baked Pears
4 firm but ripe pears, preferably Bartlett
3 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup pecan pieces
Vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt

Heat the oven to 350 F. Peel and halve the pears. With a small spoon or melon baller, scoop out the seeds from the pear halves.

Lightly butter a baking dish and put in the pear halves flat side up.
Sprinkle the pears with brown sugar. Place small pieces of butter on top of the pears and scatter the pecan pieces on top.

Bake the pears on the top shelf of the oven until hot and bubbling--should take about 20 minutes. Serve immediately with the ice cream on top!

CFF Shared by Jo


Banana Fritters with Caramel-Pecan Sauce
Recipe By: Cook's Magazine May 1990
Caramel-Pecan Sauce -- (see recipe)
Banana Fritters:
1 1/2 qts vegetable oil -- for frying
1 cup self-rising flour
OR
1 cup white flour and
1/2 tbsp baking powder and
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans -- toasted
2 lg bananas cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
Caramel Pecan Sauce:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp light corn syrup
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans -- toasted
To Cook: Prepare Caramel-Pecan Sauce recipe.

For the fritters, heat oven to 200°F. Heat oil to 365°F in a 4-quart saucepan. Mix next 6 fritter ingredients in a bowl. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, dip banana pieces into this batter, then carefully lower them into the hot oil. Fry in batches, 4 to 6 pieces at a time, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain fritters on paper towels; transfer to a heatproof platter and keep them warm in the oven until ready to serve. (Can be kept warm in the oven up to 1/2 hour.)

To Serve: Dust fritters with confectioners' sugar. Spoon a portion of Caramel-Pecan Sauce onto each dessert plate. Arrange 3 fritters in each pool of sauce and serve immediately.

Caramel-Pecan Sauce:

To Cook: Bring sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water to boil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Simmer until the sugar mixture is amber colored, about 10 minutes. Off heat, carefully stir in 1 tablespoon hot water, then the cream. Return mixture to boil over low heat; simmer, stirring constantly until sauce thickens, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla extract, and pecans. (Can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 weeks.)

To Serve: Spoon a portion of Caramel-Pecan Sauce onto each dessert plate. Arrange fritters in each pool. Or spoon a portion of the sauce over ice cream or cake.

CFF Shared by Stacia

NOTES : An extravagantly rich dessert. These fritters are sweet and satisfying enough to enjoy with merely a dusting of confectioners' sugar; the sauce is an added luxury.


Apple Dumplings
Recipe By: Indianapolis Star 9/25/96
2 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup butter -- or margarine
1 cup biscuit mix
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups apples -- peeled and chopped
1/2 cup milk

Put water in a shallow 2/3 quart casserole that can be used on the stove top.  Stir in mixture of sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, make dumpling dough by combining biscuit mix, sugar, and apples.  Stir in the milk to form a stiff dough.  Drop dough by large spoonfuls (making about six dumplings) into the boiling syrup.

Bake uncovered in a moderately hot oven (375 degrees)  for 30 minutes or until dumplings are nicely browned.  Serve warm in indivdual dishes and spoon the sauce over them.


German Blueberry Kuchen
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soft shortening (I use Crisco)
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 egg
1 cup fresh blueberries
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp grated lemon peel

Sift together  four, baking powder, salt and 3/4 cup sugar. Add shortening, milk vanilla and 1/2 tsp lemon peel. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed 3 minutes or 300 strokes by hand. Add egg and beat with mixer 2 minutes longer (or 200 strokes). Turn  into greased 8x8x2 inch pan. Lightly stir together blueberries, 3 T sugar and 1 tsp grated lemon peel. Sprinkle over batter in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool slightly in pan. Cut into squares and serve fairly warm. Yields 9 servings. Hope these are something a little different.

CFF Shared by Mary


Spiced Maple Pears
Recipe By: Camp Maple Syrup (Quebec, Canada)
6 ripe pears--peeled with stalks in place
6 cloves
8 cracked cardamom seeds
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tbsp sugar
6 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 cup medium/sweet white wine

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Push a clove inside each pear and lay it on their sides with cinnamon sticks in an oven-proof dish.  Scatter cardamom seeds on top of pears.  Gently heat white wine, maple syrup and sugar until dissolved and pour over pears, ensuring they are half covered.  Cover pears with foil and poach for approximately 1 hour or until tender, basting occasionally.  Remove cloves, cardamom seeds and cinnamon before serving. Serves 6.

CFF Shared by Sherilyn


Blueberry Flip
1 cup blueberries
1 cup sliced peaches
2 bananas -- sliced
Vanilla ice cream
Ginger ale

In a medium bowl combine all the fruit. Spoon 1/2 of the fruit into 4 tall glasses. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Add the rest of the fruit and another scoop of ice cream. Fill the glasses up with ginger ale and serve. Makes 4 servings.

CFF Shared by Keri


Ginger Peaches
Recipe By:  Elizabeth Powell
4 fresh peaches
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
1 cup dry peach wine
1/4 cup candied ginger root -- finely chopped

Blanch peaches for one minute. Peel, cut in half, and remove stone. In a large saucepan, combine sugar, water, and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer. Add peach halves and ginger and simmer until peach halves are tender, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or allow to cool in juice and serve chilled.

Serving Ideas : Serve in a meringue shell with whipped cream.


Grapes and Walnuts with Lemony Sour Cream Sauce
Topping:
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups red seedless grapes
1 1/2 cups green seedless grapes
3 tbsp chopped walnuts

Topping: In a small bowl, combine fat-free sour cream, powdered sugar, lemon peel, lemon juice and vanilla. Cover and chill for several hours before serving.

Divide grapes equally among six stemmed dessert glasses or bowls. Add 2 tablespoons of lemony topping to each dish. Sprinkle each serving with 1/2 tablespoon of chopped walnuts. Serve.

CFF Shared by dac


Pear Tatin
For the Caramel:
1/4 cups sugar
3 tbsp water
3 Bosc pears (about 1 1/2 lbs)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2/3 cups water
2 tbsp sliced almonds
2 tbsp golden raisins
For the Dough:
1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp milk

Caramel: Place the 1/4 cup sugr and the 3 tablespoons water in an ovenproof 10-inch skillet. Cook over medium to high heat for about 5 minutes, until the mixture turns a light caramel color. Remove from the heat and swirl the caramel in the skillet to cool and harden it. (If the caramel darkens too much as it continues to cook in the pan's residual heat, plunge the base of the skillet in cool water to stop the cooking.)

Peel the pears, cut them in half lengthwise, and core them. Arrange the per halves, cut side up, on the caramel, so the pointed ends of the pears meet in the center. Add the 2 tablespoons butter and the 2/3 cup water. Bring to a boil (the caramel will melt).  cover the skillet with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and cook gently for about 20 minutes, checking occasionally, until all the water has evaporated and the mixture in the pan has caramelized again. (By then, the pears should be partially cooked.)

Meanwhile, for the dough: In the bowl of a food processor place the flour, the 2 tablespoons butter, and the sugar. Process for about 10 seconds. Add the milk and process for another 10 seconds. Transfer the unformed dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press on it until it forms a cohesive ball. Place another piece of plastic wrap on top of the dough and roll it with a rolling pin between the two plastic sheets to create a circle about the diameter of your skillet (10 inches). Refrigerate the dough (still encased in plastic) to firm it slightly.

After the pears have cooked for 20 minutes, fill their hollow centers with the almonds and raisins. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, peel off the top sheet of plastic wrap, and invert the dough on top of the pears. Peel off the remaining plastic sheet. Place the skillet in a pre-heated 400 F oven for about 30 minutes. (By then, the dough should be nicely browned on top and, when you tilt the pan, there should be a rich layer of caramel in the bottom.) Set the skillet aside until serving time.

If the pear tatin has cooled beyond lukewarm at serving time, rewarm it on top of the stove until the caramel is soft again (the whole mixture will move in the pan when you shake it.) Not more than 1/2 hour before serving, invert a serving plate on top of the dough and turn the warm tart out onto the plate.  Slice into portions, serving half a pear per person and serve.

CFF Shared by Jenny


Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar & Black Pepper
1 qt strawberries -- washed and hulled
3 tbsp cane or brown sugar -- (3 to 4)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1) Halve strawberries if large. Cut in thirds or quarters if very large. Put in a mixing bowl and sprinkle with sugar. Toss and set aside for 30 minutes.

2) Sprinkle vinegar and pepper on berries and toss again.

CFF Shared by Mary


Tropical Crumble
Recipe By: Dallas Morning News
1/2 lg pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into -- 1/2 inch cubes
4 lg seedless oranges, peeled, white pith cut -- off, sectioned
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, -- divided
3/4 cup granulated sugar -- divided
1 cup flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter -- softened

Preheat oven to 350 F. Generously butter an 8-inch square or oval pan or baking dish. Toss the pineapple and orange with the lemon juice and half of the coconut. Heap into the buttered dish. Sprinkle 1/4 cup granulated sugar over all.

Mix the remaining coconut with the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Add the flour and brown sugar and use your fingers to rub in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Pat onto the fruit.

Bake until the top begins to turn golden, about 45 minutes. Serve with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

CFF Shared by Leilani


Caramel Apple Salad
1 container frozen whipped topping thawed -- (8-0z.)
1 pkg instant butterscotch pudding
1 can crushed pineapple -- (8-0z.) undrained
3 cups diced apples
1 cup dry roasted nuts
1 cup mini marshmallows

Mix whipped topping, pudding, and crushed pineapple with juice.  Add apples, roasted nuts, and marshmallows.  Keep in refrigerator.

CFF Shared by Dee


Chopped Fruit Salad
Dressing:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
Salad:
1 ripe mango -- peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
6 oz fresh pineapple -- coarsely chopped
2 kiwifruit -- peeled and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries -- stemmed and coarsley chopped
1 banana -- peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup honey-roasted almonds
Flaked coconut
Leaf lettuce

Make Dressing: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until thickened and well-combined. Transfer to jar or serving container, cover and refrigerate until serving time. (Can be made in advance and will keep 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator.)

Make Salad: In medium bowl, combine fruits and almonds. Sprinkle with coconut. Add dressing to taste and toss to lightly coat. Place salad on individual plates lined with lettuce leaves. Makes 3-4 servings.

CFF Shared by Leilani



 

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