Candied Fruit Platter Recipes

CANDIED FRUIT PLATTER

Steps:

• Prepare fruit; pat dry with paper towels. Microwave unwrapped candies, one at a time, for 10 seconds each. Wrap softened candies around strawberries and pretzel sticks as desired., In a microwave, melt milk chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons shortening; stir until smooth. Repeat with semisweet chocolate chips and remaining shortening. Melt candy coating; stir until smooth., Dip fruit and pretzels into melted coatings; decorate as desired. Sprinkle with coconut and pecans if desired. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set.

HONEY CANDIED FRUITS

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch. Slowly add the beaten egg and ice water into the flour mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until smooth and evenly combined. Refrigerate batter for 20 minutes.
• Peel the apples and pear, cut into eighths, and cut away the cores. Cut each banana crosswise into 6 sections, about 1 inch thick. Squeeze the lemon juice over the fruit to prevent them from turning brown. Arrange the fruit, batter, oil, and caramel ingredients within easy reach. Set out a large bowl of iced water, and a large lightly greased serving platter. Heat a wok or large saucepan, add the oil, and heat to deep-fry temperature, 350 degrees F.
• Mix the honey and orange liqueur in a large bowl. Add the fruit slices and mix well to coat each piece. Drop some of the slices in the batter to coat, then lift out and let the excess batter drip away. Deep-fry a few slices at a time until batter crisps to pale golden, about 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with pear and banana slices, reheating the oil in between batches. When finished, reheat the oil to 425 degrees F.
• Place the 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan. Heat slowly, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar dissolves, do not stir. Continue cooking until light golden, brushing down the sides of the pan with a brush dipped in water. When ready, turn off the heat, and add the sesame seeds to the caramel.
• Quickly deep-fry all the fruit slices a second time until crisp and golden brown, about 1 minute. Remove the fruit with a slotted spoon, drain briefly on paper towels, then place in the caramel, tossing so the slices are evenly coated. Immediately dip the fruit slices in the bowl of ice water to harden the caramel, and serve immediately.

CANDIED FRUIT SLICES

Steps:

• Cream the butter. Gradually add the sifted confectioners' sugar, creaming well.
• Blend in the unbeaten egg and vanilla. Add the sifted flour; mix well.
• Stir in the pecan halves and cherry halves. (I like to substitute some yellow candied pineapple for a portion of the cherries to add more color to the cookies. Cut the pineapple into pieces about the size of the cherry halves.).
• Chill the dough 1 hour.
• Divide the dough into thirds. Shape into rolls 12 inches long. Wrap each roll in waxed paper or foil; chill at least 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cut each roll into slices 1/8th inch thick and place on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes or until edges are delicately browned.

CANDIED FRUIT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• If candied fruits are not already cut into small pieces, use knife to cut them into pieces about 1/4 inch in diameter. Put pieces of mixed fruit into small bowl and add Bourbon. Stir to blend. Set aside.
• Cheesecake batter may be made in bowl of food processor or electric mixer. If processor is used, it must have 12-cup capacity; otherwise it should be done in two steps using half the ingredients at a time. Place cream cheese, heavy cream, eggs, sugar and vanilla into container or bowl of food processor or mixer. Blend thoroughly.
• Add candied fruits with their liquid. If processor is being used, pulse mixture briefly. Do this only enough to blend fruit pieces without grinding them. Or blend them in electric mixer.
• Generously butter bottom and sides of cake pan measuring 8 inches wide and 3 inches deep. Do not use spring-form pan.
• Sprinkle pan inside with graham cracker crumbs and shake to coat bottom and sides. Shake out excess.
• Pour and scrape batter into prepared pan. Set pan inside a larger pan and pour boiling water around cake pan to depth of about 1 inch. Do not let edge of cheesecake pan touch sides of larger pan. Place pans thus arranged in oven and bake 2 hours. Turn off oven heat and let cake remain in oven one hour longer.
• Remove cake from water bath and place on a rack. Let stand two hours.
• Place a round cake plate over cake and carefully turn both upside down to unmold the cake. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature.