Lemon Flan With Autumn Fruit Compote Recipe Epicuriouscom Recipes

FALL FRUIT COMPOTE

Steps:

• Bring apple juice, sugar, zest, and spices to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and simmer 5 minutes. Add butter, pears, and dried fruit and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until pears are tender, about 25 minutes. Pour liquid through a sieve into another saucepan and boil until reduced to cup. Pour liquid back over fruit and stir in Calvados and lemon juice.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

LEMON POPPYSEED CAKE WITH FRUIT COMPOTE

Steps:

• Have ready fruit compote.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. and grease and flour an 8- by 2-inch cake pan, knocking out excess flour.
• In a bowl whisk together flour, sugar, cornstarch, poppyseeds, baking powder, and salt and with fingers blend in butter until incorporated. In a large measuring cup lightly beat together milk, zest, vanilla, and egg.
• Stir milk mixture into flour mixture until just blended and pour batter into pan. Bake cake 35 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Remove cake from pan and cool on a rack.
• Serve wedges of cake topped with fruit compote.
• In a small saucepan bring water with sugar, lemon juice, and thyme to a boil, stirring occasionally, and boil until sugar is dissolved. Cool syrup to room temperature and stir in vanilla. In bowl combine fruit and syrup and chill until cold. (Compote may be made 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered.) Makes about 4 cups.

TARTE AU FROMAGE WITH LEMON CREAM AND BLUEBERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Defrost the puff pastry slightly and unfold it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a paring knife to score a 1/2-inch border around the edge of the pastry. Brush the border with water and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Place the puff pastry (on the baking sheet) back in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Remove the pastry from the freezer and bake about 30 minutes, until it's golden brown and cooked through (if you underbake the pastry, the ricotta filling will make it soggy). Remove the pastry from the oven and let it cool.
• Turn the oven down to 325°F.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the ricotta, and stir in gently to incorporate, without overworking it.
• Remove the top layer of pastry from the area inside the 1/2-inch border. Press down the remaining pastry with your fingers, to flatten it. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the center of the tart. Use a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon to distribute the filling evenly just up to the 1/2-inch border.
• Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until the ricotta mixture is set (look for "Jell-O motion") and just starting to color on top.
• Cut the tart into six squares and garnish with dollops of the lemon cream and blueberry compote.
• Whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, sugar, and lemon juice in a small nonreactive pot. Cook over medium heat about 10 minutes, stirring constantly (alternating between a whisk and a rubber spatula), until the lemon curd has thickened to the consistency of pastry cream. It should coat the back of a spoon, and when you run your finger through the custard on the back of the spoon, it should leave a clean line that holds its shape even when you tilt the spoon. Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the butter. Season with a pinch of salt, and chill in a nonreactive dish.
• When the lemon cream has chilled completely, transfer it to a bowl. Whip the heavy cream until it holds stiff peaks and gently fold it into the lemon cream.
• Place the sugar in a medium pot. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and use a paring knife to scrape out the seeds and pulp into the sugar. Add 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil over medium heat, without stirring. Cook about 10 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture is an amber caramel color.
• Meanwhile, stir 1 tablespoon water into the cornstarch (this is called a "slurry" and will help thicken the fruit juices).
• When the sugar has reached an amber caramel color, add half the fresh blueberries and the brandy to the pot. The sugar will harden. Cook for a minute or two over low heat, stirring gently, until the berries release their juices and the sugar dissolves.
• Strain the mixture over a bowl, and return the liquid to the pan, whisk in the cornstarch slurry, and cook another minute, stirring often, until it comes to a boil. Transfer the cooked berries to the bowl and stir in the remaining fresh and the dried blueberries. Pour the thickened juices over the berries, and stir to combine.
• You can make the blueberry compote the day before. The lemon cream can be made ahead up to the point when you fold in the cream, which should be done right before serving.

FRESH FRUIT COMPOTE

Steps:

• Cut two 1-in.-long strips from lemon peel. Squeeze juice from lemon. In a large saucepan, combine the water, honey, lemon juice and lemon peel strips. Add the apples, peaches and pears. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until fruit is softened. , Remove from the heat; discard lemon peel. Using a slotted spoon, transfer fruit to a large bowl; discard poaching liquid. Stir in spreadable fruit, strawberries and grapes. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Serve with a slotted spoon. Top each serving with yogurt.

WARM FRUIT COMPOTE WITH LEMON VERBENA AND CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Scrape seeds from vanilla bean with point of a paring knife into a 5- to 6-quart wide saucepan (a wide pan minimizes breakage of apples) and add pod, sugar, water, and lemon verbena. Simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved, 10 minutes. Add apricots and a pinch of salt and simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 10 minutes.
• While apricots are simmering, peel and core apples and cut each into eighths. Add apples to syrup and simmer, uncovered, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted.

MIXED FRUIT COMPOTE

Steps:

• Combine sugar and water in heavy small saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into pan; add bean. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high; boil 1 minute. Cool syrup. Transfer to bowl. Discard vanilla bean. Mix juice into syrup. Cover; chill until cold, at least 1 hour or overnight. Mix in fruit.

OLD-FASHIONED FRUIT COMPOTE

Steps:

• Drain pineapple, peaches and oranges, reserving the juices; set drained fruit aside. In a Dutch oven, combine fruit juice, dried fruits, lemon zest strips and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until dried fruit is tender, about 30 minutes. Add reserved canned fruit and cherries; heat just until warmed through. Serve warm or at room temperature.