Boozy Fruit Cups

12/28/2016

No I haven't run away, been buried in an avalanche, kidnapped, or any other bizarre event. I have been sick. Yes, good ol' trusty gastroenteritis kind of sick. How nice. So, I kind of missed the entire Christmas period. Boohoo. I want a do over and I am not kidding. In the meantime I hope all of you had a lovely Christmas period with family & friends. Hopefully, lots of yummy food as well. Oh, how I miss food. Soon.

Here are some little fruit cups I made the other week before the sickness set in. These delicious Cointreau enriched fruit cups are a great way to see in the new year. They were going to be a great way to see in Christmas day, but that had to get time shifted.

Boozy Fruit Cups

Christmas is one of my absolute favourite times of the year. What I love even more than Christmas, is getting ready for it. I don't mean rushing around in crowded shops, I actually hate shopping, well unless it's for food. But I am not a huge fan of malls, crowds and all that stuff during December. However, I love taking my time at home baking, decorating, writing out Christmas cards, listening to the oldies, and enjoying all that December entails. I was doing just that this year, until I was struck down by some horrendous virus which kept me in bed through the entire festivities. I missed the last few days running up to Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day...shall I go on? So, I really do want a do over. As much as I want a do over, I don't think it will be very practical to take back all the kids presents, rewrap them and rewind to Christmas Eve. No, maybe not. But in my mind that would be nice. There is always next year, right?

Thankfully, the virus has passed and I can get back to enjoying life again. And one of the things I enjoy the most is, well, food. You probably kind of figured that one out by now.

These little fruit cups I made way back a few weeks ago for a dessert one Sunday lunch. They were a huge hit and don't leave you will all the guilt of cake. Not that cake is a bad thing. I could probably eat a cheesecake right about now. I have discovered that when you go so long without food, like about say 4-5 days, you start to go delirious. Like really delirious and then the anger sets in, big time! But rest assured, today there is a chicken pie with my name on it and I might just eat the whole thing.

Back to the fruit cups. These are elegant little fruit bites with just a hint of grown-upness (...and yes, I know that is not a word) from the Cointreau. I love that stuff and have sure been getting use out of it this December in baking.

I used golden delicious apples that were quite sweet and crunchy. The plums were not too ripe and the clementines sweet and juicy. It is important to let it sit in the fridge for the hour to let the fruit absorb the liquor. It is probably a good idea after about 1/2 hour in the fridge to toss the fruit again and cover it for the remaining 1/2 hour. This way you can ensure all the fruit soaks up the goodness.

Well dear friends, I hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas and I really will be back in a day or two with another recipe. Sorry for not being around with lots of goodies to share during the Christmas period, but I shall make up for it in the next week. Promise! Now, it's time to go and eat.

Boozy Fruit Cups

Serves 4 / Prep time: 15 minutes / Cook time: 5 minutes / Chill time: 1 hour

Ingredients

2 Apples, peeled, cored & cut into small slices
3 Plums, stoned and cut into small slices
3 Clementines, peeled and broken into segments
1 Cup/150 Grams fresh raspberries
Juice of two oranges
1/4 Cup/60 ml Cointreau liquor
Mint leaves
Shredded coconut

Method

In a large bowl combine the apples, plums and clementines. Stir well to combine and toss in the raspberries. Gently mix through. Set aside.

In a small saucepan set over medium to high heat add the Cointreau liquor and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and leave to reduce for about 2 minutes. Add the orange juice and bring back to a simmer. Leave to simmer for about 5 minutes and remove from heat. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.

Pour the syrup over the fruit and stir well to combine. Cover and refrigerate for an hour. Remove from fridge and spoon into individual cups, pouring over remaining juice in the bowl. Garnish with mint leaves an a sprinkle of shredded coconut.

Click the downloadable link below to print recipe!