Poached Fruit With Cornmeal Cookies Recipes

PERFECT POACHED FRUIT

Steps:

• Place the vin santo, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla bean, and zests in a large, shallow saucepan with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Peel the pears, leaving the stems intact, and scoop out the seeds from the bottom with an apple corer or melon baller. Lay half the pears on their sides in the poaching liquid and simmer for 20 minutes, carefully turning the pears once with a spoon. Remove with a slotted spoon. Poach the remaining pears in the same liquid. Snip off the hard stems from the figs with scissors. Add the figs, apricots, prunes, and the first batch of poached pears and simmer 5 to 10 more minutes, until the pears and the dried fruit are all tender.
• Chill the pears, dried fruit, zests, and poaching liquid. Remove the cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla bean before serving if you like.

NATIVE AMERICAN CORNMEAL COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 2. Cream together salt, sugar and margarine. Add vanilla, egg and one of the syrup type items, beat until well blended and creamy.
• 3. In separate bowl: mix together well the flour, cornmeal, and baking powder. Gradually add this dry mixture to the creamy mixture.
• 4. You can add any, all or none of the optional ingredients.
• 5. Either pat with your hands into small "patties" or drop the dough from a Tablespoon onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 - 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from baking sheet and cool. Store in air tight container in layers with wax paper between them.

CORNMEAL COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix softened BUTTER and sugar until creamy.
• Add the egg and vanilla and beat well.
• In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the cornmeal, Baking Powder, salt and flour.
• Add to the creamed mixture.
• Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven about 15 minutes or until lightly brown.

POACHED FRUIT

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine wine, sugar, cinnamon sticks, lemon peel, and 5 cups water. Place over medium heat, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Gently place nectarines in the liquid. Add more water if needed to cover nectarines. Place a square of cheesecloth over the fruit, and top with a small plate to keep fruit submerged.
• Increase heat to high, and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until nectarines are tender but not soft, about 5 minutes. Remove nectarines from liquid, and allow to cool
• Return liquid to a boil, and cook until reduced to a syrup that will coat the back of spoon, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool.
• Cut nectarines in half, and remove pit. Place two halves on serving plate. Drizzle with syrup. Top each half with a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprig of mint.

POACHED FRUIT

Steps:

• Peel and dice fruit. Place Riesling in saucepan, add sugar, basil and fruit. Simmer slowly until fruit is tender. Cool and serve over ice cream.

CORNMEAL SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add the powdered sugar and mix in. Add the vanilla extract and mix in. Add the dry ingredients and mix until blended.
• Roll into 1 1/2-inch logs and roll in cornmeal to coat. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least one hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Slice shortbread dough thinly and bake on a silpat or parchment paper for 12 to 15 minutes. The shortbread will still be blonde, and they will crisp once cool.

POACHED PLUMS

Steps:

• To prepare the plums: wash and cut them into quarters, then remove the stones.
• Tip the sugar into a pan with 225ml water, the cinnamon and vanilla. Gently heat until the sugar dissolves.
• Slide the fruit into the syrup. Bring the pan to the boil, then let it simmer for 5-10 mins - depending on the ripeness - until the plums are soft. Leave to cool slightly and serve as they are with something creamy.

SOFT CORNMEAL COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, 1/2 cup sugar, powdered milk, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter and cream cheese until crumbly. Add milk and, if desired, walnuts; stir until blended. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls. Place remaining sugar in a shallow bowl; roll cookies in sugar., Place cookies 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake 13-15 minutes or until edges are light brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

CORNMEAL COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
• Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, about 2 inches apart, onto two large baking sheets; flatten slightly with floured fingertips. Bake until edges are golden, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies immediately to a wire rack; let cool completely.

HEART-GLAZED CORNMEAL COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar on medium-high until creamy, 3 minutes. Add egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla and beat until combined. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat to combine.
• Place 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl; roll dough into 1-inch balls and coat with sugar. Transfer to 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. With the bottom of a glass, flatten balls to 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Press a 1-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter into each (do not cut through). Bake until cookies are golden at edges, 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cookies cool on wire racks.
• In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 3/4 teaspoons cold water. Whisk in food coloring. With a small spoon, spread glaze inside heart. Let set 15 minutes.

POACHED FRUIT WITH CLOVE GRANITE AND COOKIES

Steps:

• To poach the fruit, combine the wine, sugar and cloves in a large wide pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and add the pears and figs. Simmer until pears are soft but not falling apart, about 15 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, use a paring knife to remove all peel and pith from the oranges. Cut the sections out from between the membranes. Add the sections and simmer 1 minute. Remove the fruit from the liquid with a slotted spoon, place in a bowl and let cool. Cover and refrigerate.
• Let the syrup stand until cool and strain into a shallow, nonreactive pan. Place in the freezer until firm throughout, stirring from time to time. (The granite can be made a day ahead.)
• To make the cookies, pulse the hazelnuts in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add the flour, salt and sugar and process until nuts are ground and mixture is well mixed. Add the butter and pulse to combine. Add the egg and milk and process just until the dough begins to come together.
• Press the dough together and divide it in half. Shape into cylinders, about 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. If the dough is very cold, let stand at room temperature until firm but not too hard. Cut the dough across into 1/8-inch slices and place on the baking sheets about 1 inch apart. (Cookies must be baked in batches.) Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool.
• Melt the chocolate and dip half of each cookie in the chocolate. Set aside and let dry completely.
• To serve, arrange the pears, figs and oranges in 10 shallow bowls. Use a spoon to scrape the granite into mounds and place a mound in each bowl. Serve immediately, passing the cookies separately.

POACHED FRUIT WITH CORNMEAL COOKIES

Steps:

• To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Mix in the egg. Stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter mixture, mixing just to combine. Mix in the raisins.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a scant 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out as many cookies as possible, using a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Place on the lined baking sheets. Reroll the scraps and cut out more cookies. Bake the cookies in batches until lightly browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool. Sift confectioners' sugar over the tops. Set aside.
• To make the fruit, combine the wine, orange juice, vanilla, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick and sugar in a large, nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the pears, lower the heat so the liquid barely simmers and poach until the pears are soft but not falling apart, about 20 to 30 minutes. Lift out the pears with a slotted spoon, place in a bowl and set aside.
• Add the plums and poach until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Lift out the plums and add to the pears. Add the figs, make sure liquid is barely simmering and poach for about 8 minutes. Lift out the figs and add to the pear mixture. Raise the heat and simmer the poaching liquid until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Gently stir the blackberries into the fruit mixture and pour the hot syrup over all. Let stand 5 minutes.
• Divide the fruit evenly among 4 bowls, spooning the syrup over the top. Serve immediately with the cookies, about 3 per person. You will have cookies left over.