Mostly Cherry Fruit Soup With Shortbread 'Croutons'

Ingredients

The soup:

• 1 large peach
• 2 cups sweet white dessert wine
• 2 cups water
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 3-inch-by- 1/2-inch strip of lemon zest
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 3-inch cinnamon stick
• 2 medium-size plums, halved, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cups pitted sour cherries with their juice

The croutons:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• ½ teaspoon almond extract

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    651 calories; 23 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 94 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 57 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 61 milligrams cholesterol; 305 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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Four servings

Preparation

1. To make the soup, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the peach and boil for 1 minute. Place immediately in a bowl of cold water to refresh, and slip off the skin. Halve and pit the peach and cut it into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.
2. Place the wine, water, sugar and lemon juice in a large saucepan over medium heat. Tie the lemon zest, bay leaf, thyme and cinnamon stick together with a string and add to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat so the liquid simmers and add the peach, plums and cherries. Simmer until the fruit is tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the spices.
3. Place 1 cup of the soup in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Stir the mixture back into the soup. Refrigerate until cold.
4. To make the croutons, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, sugar, cornstarch and salt together into a medium-size bowl. Rub in the butter. Add the almond extract and use your hands to gently work the mixture until it comes together to form a dough. Butter an 8-inch baking pan. Place the dough in the pan, lightly flour fingertips and press dough into the pan in an even layer. Bake until the dough is very lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. While the shortbread is still warm, cut it into 1-inch squares. Let cool.
5. To serve, ladle the soup among 4 bowls. Just before serving, garnish each bowl with shortbread croutons.