Tipsy fruit and all things sweet and delicious

I rarely eat an apple a day, but when I do, it’s submerged in sauce and blanketed in a buttery crust. Here are my three sneaky ways of including fruit in your diet – the adult way (sshh, we’ve added brandy to the ingredient lists).

Strawberry Jubilee

Ingredients

• 2 cups ripe strawberries, hulled and halved
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup good quality brandy, such as Richelieu
• ½ cup whipped cream
• Vanilla ice cream

Method

1. Heat a pan to medium heat and melt the butter.
2. Add the brown sugar to the melted butter and mix until dissolved, then add the vanilla essence.
3. Add the strawberries to the sugar and butter mixture and simmer for ten minutes or until soft.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in brandy. Place it back on the heat for a few more minutes.
5. Pour the strawberry sauce over a bowl of vanilla ice cream, and top with whipped cream.

Tip: You can use a straw to hull the strawberries.

Brandy-soaked cherries dipped in chocolate

Ingredients

• 12 fresh, pitted cherries with the stem intact
• Enough brandy to submerge the cherries
• ½ cup quality dark chocolate
• Butter or coconut oil

Method

1. Cut a tiny slit into each cherry.
2. Submerge the cherries in a bowl of brandy. Place them in the fridge overnight.
3. Drain the cherries and place on a paper towel to soak up the excess brandy. The cherries need to be completely dry before dipping them in the chocolate.
4. Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals on medium heat. Stir every now and then to prevent lumps.
5. Holding the stem, dip each cherry into the melted chocolate then place on a sheet of wax paper.
6. Refrigerate until the chocolate has set.

Tip: If the melted chocolate is too thick, add some butter or coconut oil to thin it out.

Brandied Peaches

Brandied peaches is a favourite dessert among South African households, especially if you serve them with cream or ice cream (actually, I fish them out the jar and eat them as a TV snack).

Ingredients

• 4 medium ripe peaches
• ½ cup brandy
• 3 cups water
• 3 cups sugar

Method

1. Cut an “x” into the bottom of each peach.
2. Add the peaches to a pot of boiling water and simmer for one minute. Then remove the peaches from the heat and plunge them into ice water immediately.
3. Peel the fruit, remove the pip and slice into quarters.
4. In a different pot, combine three cups of water with the sugar and bring to a boil.
5. Add the peaches and simmer until soft.
6. Use a straining ladle to scoop the peaches and gently pack them in large jars. NB: Be sure to sterilise jars beforehand.
7. Boil the leftover peach juice until it turns into a syrup. Pour it into the jars until about ¾ full.
8. Pour the brandy in next and tighten lid.
9. Place the jars in a large pot and bring to a boil. After reaching boiling point, lower the heat and allow the jars to simmer in the water for 20 minutes.
10. Once the 20 minutes have passed, take the pot off the heat and leave it for five minutes before removing the jars.
11. Allow the jars to cool for a few hours before storing in a cool, dark place.
12. The brandied peaches can be stored for up to a year.

For refreshing cocktails using brandy, take a look here.

Image credits

http://www.allinonechef.net
http://www.foodhighs.com
http://4.bp.blogspot.com
http://www.amynewnostalgia.com