Fromage Blanc Parfaits With Citrus Fruits And Caramel Sauce Recipes

FROMAGE BLANC PARFAITS WITH CITRUS FRUITS AND CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the parfaits, place the fromage blanc, mascarpone, almond paste, milk and sugar in a metal bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Heat until the sugar and almond paste are dissolved, whisking occasionally.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1 tablespoon of water. Pass the cheese mixture through a strainer into another bowl. Add the gelatin and place back over the water, whisking just until gelatin dissolves. Let cool. Stir in the amaretto.
• Refrigerate the mixture until it is chilled and beginning to set; do not let it get firm. Whip the cream to soft peaks. Stir in 1/3 of the cheese mixture, then fold in the rest. Spoon into 6 1/2-cup ramekins. Refrigerate for several hours.
• To make the sauce, squeeze the juice from 4 of the blood oranges and all of the navel oranges. Set aside. Working over a bowl to collect any juice, use a paring knife to remove all the peel and pith from the mandarin oranges and the remaining blood oranges. Cut the sections out from between the membranes. Thinly slice the kumquats crosswise, removing any pits. Set aside.
• Combine the sugar, water and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to wash down any sugar on the side of the pan. Cook until the sugar turns a nice caramel color. Quickly remove from heat and carefully add the orange juices. Return the sauce to the heat and simmer until reduced to a syrupy consistency. Remove from heat and stir in the orange sections and kumquats. Set aside.
• To serve, dip the bottoms of the ramekins briefly in hot water. Run the tip of a small knife around the edge of the parfaits to loosen. Unmold onto 6 dessert plates. Spoon some of the sauce and fruit beside each one and serve immediately.

HONEY VANILLA FROMAGE BLANC

Steps:

• Stir the fromage blanc, cream, honey, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and vanilla seeds together in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• To assemble, spoon the fromage blanc mixture into shallow bowls. Place the fruit artfully on top and drizzle the dessert with raspberry sauce. Serve with extra raspberry sauce on the side. I find that some people like it less sweet with just a drizzle of sauce while others prefer more sauce.

CARAMELIZED CITRUS

Steps:

• Using a small, sharp knife, cut off the tops and bottoms of the oranges and grapefruit, then slice the peel off them vertically, taking care to remove all the white pith below the skin of the fruit.
• Spoon the yogurt onto a platter or into a large bowl. Turn each fruit on its side, then slice it into rounds that are between 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch thick. Place the sliced fruit on top of the yogurt in an attractive pattern, then place the platter or bowl into the refrigerator.
• Make the caramel. Put the sugar in a large sauté pan set over medium heat, then add to it 1/2 cup or 125 milliliters of water, and swirl the pan to dissolve the sugar. Let the mixture come slowly to a boil, without stirring, then lower heat slightly, and cook until the syrup has gone a very deep amber color, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat, add the saffron to the caramel and swirl to mix it in.
• Pour the caramel over the sliced fruit. Return to the refrigerator for an hour or so, or serve right away.