BRANDY-SNAP CUPS
This wafer-thin cookie-cup is a beautiful and delicious way to serve homemade ice cream, frozen yogurt, fresh berries, or mousse.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Seasonal Recipes Winter Recipes
Yield Makes 14 cookie cups
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan combine sugar, butter, molasses, zest, ginger, and cinnamon over medium heat. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Whisk in flour. Add cognac, and whisk until smooth.
- Drop batter, 1 heaping tablespoon at a time, onto a baking sheet lined with a Silpat baking mat. Prepare only 2 cookies at a time, as they harden quickly once removed from the oven and are difficult to shape.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Get several custard cups, about 3 inches in diameter and 2 1/2 inches deep, at the ready for molding. Remove snaps from oven, and let cool for 3 minutes. Run a thin spatula all around the perimeter of one snap at a time to loosen the bottom completely. Quickly place the snap, flat side up, over the bottom of a custard cup. Let cool. (If the snap becomes hard before removing from baking sheet, return briefly to the oven.) Repeat with remaining snaps.
BRANDIED FIGS
This preserving project is a fun and make-ahead friendly way to use up peak-season figs, and the payoff is great: Once the holidays roll around, you'll have an elegant fruit at your fingertips to serve with cheese platters, cookies, and pies. While this recipe from chef Scott Peacock is an easy one and mostly hands-off, it does take a couple of days to complete, so plan accordingly!
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking
Time 1h10m
Yield Makes 2 quarts
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Wash figs a few at a time by quickly dipping them in a bowl of cool water. (Do not soak.) Place in a single layer on a kitchen towel; drain. Sprinkle 3/4 cup sugar evenly in a wide nonreactive pot. Top with figs, then sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup sugar. Cover; refrigerate at least 12 hours and up to 2 days.
- Place pot over low heat, uncovered, and bring figs to a bare simmer. (Tilt pan from side to side or swirl a bit to help sugar dissolve, but do not stir, or fruit may get damaged.) Partially cover and simmer 10 minutes; remove from heat. Cover; let stand 4 hours.
- Repeat step 2 twice; figs should turn translucent in final simmering stage. (If necessary, allow to simmer longer than 10 minutes in final simmer, until they do.)
- Carefully spoon hot figs into hot sterilized canning jars (ideally pint-size or smaller). Bring syrup to a boil, skimming any scum that rises to surface. Turn off heat; stir in brandy. Taste; add more brandy as desired. Pour hot syrup over fruit to cover. Seal and process in a hot-water bath 10 minutes. Figs can be stored in a cool, dark place up to 1 year.
THE BEST FRUITCAKE
Fruitcakes have become the punchline of many a holiday joke, but this recipe will give the notorious seasonal gift a whole new reputation. Filled with loads of real dried fruit and nuts along with brandy, warm spices and citrus, this cake tastes like the holidays. The recipe makes two loaves so you can gift one.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories dessert
Time 14h30m
Yield 2 loaves
Number Of Ingredients 25
Steps:
- Combine the raisins, currants, apricots, figs, prunes, dates, walnuts, pecans, orange zest, lemon zest, candied ginger, pumpkin pie spice and cloves in a large bowl and toss to combine. Add 1 cup of the brandy, orange liqueur and molasses and stir to coat. Cover and set aside to macerate overnight. (Alternatively, cover the bowl and microwave 2 minutes, or until very hot. Leave covered and let sit until almost all the liquid has been absorbed into the fruit and nuts, about 2 hours.)
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Spray two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray and line each with 2 pieces of parchment, one lengthwise and one crosswise, leaving a 2-inch overhang on each side. Spray the parchment with cooking spray.
- Sprinkle 1/2 cup flour over the soaked fruit mixture and toss to coat. Whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
- Cream the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to medium-low and beat in the flour mixture until the batter is blended and smooth. Pour the batter over the fruit mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until all the fruit is coated in batter.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the two prepared pans, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake until the cakes begin to pull away from the sides of the pans, the tops spring back slightly when pressed and a cake tester comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer to a wire rack and brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons brandy. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 15 minutes. Carefully remove each cake from its pan using the parchment overhang and place on the rack to cool completely.
- To store, wrap each loaf tightly in plastic and then foil. The wrapped fruitcakes can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.
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