Merlot Poached Figs With Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Recipes

WARM TROPICAL FRUIT AND BUTTERMILK TORTE WITH VANILLA FROZEN YOGURT

Steps:

• Grease and flour the cake pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cream the butter with 1/2 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. Add another 1/2 cup of sugar and beat until incorporated. Gradually add in the buttermilk, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg whites in 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• In a separate bowl stir together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mix into the batter with the vanilla and mix together until well incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and arrange the mango, pineapple, and banana decoratively on the top. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
• Let the torte cool slightly and slice. Serve each slice warm with a small scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt, 2 caramelized banana slices and 2 tablespoons of raspberry sauce.
• Slice the bananas on the diagonal into 24 slices and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the sugar and caramelize under a broiler for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Place raspberries, sweetener, and lemon juice in a blender and process until smooth. Strain and set aside.

CUMIN-ROASTED CARROTS WITH GREEK YOGURT

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the carrots on a baking sheet and drizzle with the oil. Sprinkle with the cumin and salt and toss well. Spread out in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast until tender, about 40 minutes, shaking pan halfway through the cooking time.
• 2. Place the carrots on a platter, sprinkle with the parsley and top with the yogurt.

ALMOST-FAMOUS FROZEN YOGURT

Steps:

• Whisk both yogurts, the sugar and corn syrup in a bowl until combined. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• For a soft consistency, serve right out of the ice cream maker. For a firmer texture, transfer the frozen yogurt to a covered container and freeze for up to 2 hours. Serve with assorted toppings.

FIGS WITH HONEY-YOGURT CREAM

Steps:

• For figs:
• Using vegetable peeler, cut off peel from 2 oranges (orange part only) and from 1 lemon (yellow part only). Place peels in heavy large saucepan. Juice oranges and lemons. Add 1 cup orange juice and 1/4 cup lemon juice to same pan (reserve any remaining juices for another use). Add red Zinfandel, sugar, honey, and spices and bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add dried figs; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until figs are tender and mixture is reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about 1 hour. Transfer to bowl; cover and chill at least 6 hours. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
• For yogurt cream:
• Whisk plain whole-milk yogurt and orange blossom honey in medium bowl to blend; set aside. Place 1/4 cup chilled whipping cream in small cup; sprinkle unflavored gelatin over. Let stand until gelatin softens and absorbs all of whipping cream, about 15 minutes.
• Bring 1/2 cup whipping cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add softened gelatin mixture and stir until gelatin dissolves completely, about 1 minute (do not boil). Remove from heat. Gradually stir in remaining 3/4 cup whipping cream. Whisk cream mixture into yogurt mixture. Divide yogurt-cream mixture among six 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins. Refrigerate yogurt creams until set, at least 4 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and keep yogurt creams refrigerated.)
• Cut around yogurt creams to loosen. Turn out onto plates; surround with figs and syrup and serve.

HONEY-AND-THYME-POACHED FIGS

Steps:

• In a saucepan bring the wine and the apple juice to a boil with the honey, the thyme, and the vanilla and simmer the mixture for 3 minutes. Add the figs and simmer the mixture, covered partially, for 5 minutes, or until the figs are very soft. Serve the figs warm with the syrup in stemmed glasses topped with the mascarpone and the zest.

POACHED APPLES WITH VANILLA YOGURT

Steps:

• Combine wine, sugar, orange juice, orange peel, lemon peel, cinnamon stick, star anise, and 2 cups water in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add apples; reduce heat to low and simmer, occasionally rotating apples, until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 25-30 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer apples to a plate and set aside. Strain poaching liquid in pan into a small saucepan, discarding solids in strainer. Set saucepan over medium-high heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until poaching liquid is syrupy and reduced to about 3/4 cup, 10-15 minutes (syrup will thicken as it cools).
• Combine yogurt and honey in a small bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; whisk until the yogurt sauce is smooth and well blended.
• Divide yogurt sauce among plates. Place warm apples on top. Drizzle syrup over.

RED-WINE-POACHED FIGS WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a 1 1/2-quart saucepan combine all ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Simmer figs, covered, until tender, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer figs with a slotted spoon to a bowl and boil syrup until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Strain syrup through a fine sieve into another bowl. Add syrup to figs and cool to warm.
• Serve fig mixture spooned over ice cream.

POACHED FRESH FIGS

Steps:

• Spread the sugar in the bottom of the pan, and pour in 1/2 cup water and the lemon juice. Set the figs in the pan, stem up, in one layer. Nestle the strips of lemon zest and the bay leaves in between the figs.
• Set the pan over low heat, and cook slowly until the sugar melts and the figs release their juices. As the juices rise in the pan, gradually raise the heat to keep them bubbling (and "galloping"). When the figs are soft and the liquid level comes halfway up their sides, in 30 minutes or more, turn off the heat, and let the figs rest in the pan for an hour or longer, to reabsorb some of the juices.
• Slowly heat the figs and juices until they're bubbling again, and cook for 30 minutes or so, until the figs are very soft (but still intact) and the juices have become thick and syrupy.
• Let the figs cool before serving. Arrange them in a serving dish if you like, with the syrup all around. Enjoy the fruit and syrup on their own, or atop vanilla ice cream, or with a soft, creamy cheese such as Taleggio or Robiola.