Get ready for Autumn - Winter!

August and September are the perfect months to get ready for Autumn/Winter desserts. Mince pies, Christmas Puddings and preserving summer fruits.
So here is a list of all the awesome ingredients that can be done in advance with great results:

Griottines:

Wondering what to do with so many Summer Cherries. Kirsh is the answer. Pack a jar with de pitted cherries. For a Kilo of Cherries make a syrup of 200 g water to 200g sugar, bring to a boil and pour over the cherries. Top up to the top with Brandy or Kirsh, let it cool down, cover and forget about them until winter!

• Black forest
• Cherry Trifle
• Chocolate Fondant and Griottine Ice Cream
• White Chocolate Cheese cake and Griottine
• Cherry Souffle with Kirsh Anglaise

Soak raisins in rum

To make very intense and different add some orange and lemon zest or spices like a cinnamon stick!

• Rum & Raisin Ice Cream
• Rum Baba with raisins
• Raisin Brioche
• Raisin &Oatmeal Cookies
• Honey and raisin Bread loaf
• Rum & Raisin Cup cake
• Coconut & Raisin Cake
• Raisin Financier
• Mince Pies

Christmas Pudding Mix

• Get soaking those beautiful dry fruits in alcohols for an intense flavour

Poached & Confit Fruits 

Poaching  & Confit Fruits is a way of preserving fruit. For best results use firm and under ripe fruit.

The amount of sugar can go from 20 to 200 % Sugar. To the syrup can be add spices like Vanilla, cinnamon, lemon or orange zest or leave it plain.

 Confit:

• Orange or Lemon: Blanch 20 times. Cook in a 200% sugar with plenty of water. Recommended temperature is 80 C for 7 to 11 hours until skin looks translucent. Can be confit whole or sliced.
• Exotic Fruits: Pineapple, Mango, Kiwi or Guava are fantastic to Confit. They can be use as garnish or decoration. Can be confit until translucent then dried. 

Poach:

• Stone Fruits: Halve it and remove stone, leave skin in. In a gastro pan cover with a syrup. Cover the gastro. Cook at 80 C for 30 min. to 1 hour, until cooked. At this point you can decide if the skin stays in or it can be remove easily by lifting it. 
• Nectarine and Peach: I love poaching Nectarine or Peach, the skin pinks the syrup and can be use for jellies, sorbet base or sauces. Before poaching, wash the Nectarine or Peach under cold water. Peel and keep the skin. All the skin place it in a cheese cloth, and hang it inside your poaching liquid. This will turn your fruit pink. 
• Dry Fruit: I love add some lemon peels to my poaching liquid. Lemon zest cleanse the intense sweetness, brings a bit acidity. Ginger and Cinnamon are great for Autumn and Winter Flavours.
• Carrot and Beetroot: Fantastic with Orange, Mandarin, Kumquat or Grapefruit.

Vanilla Sugar:

Gather all the Vanilla skins possible. Dry them before adding to sugar. Add a couple of whole Vanilla pods and blend. For 1 kilo of sugar add 10% corn flour. 

• Use it to sweet your coffee
• Hot Chocolate with Vanilla Sugar
• Dust on shortbread
• Pavlova
• Meringues
• Brownie

I hope this post have inspire you and help you. Enjoy cooking!!!