Poached Fruit With Cornmeal Cookies

Ingredients

The cookies:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder Scant
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup raisins Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

The fruit:

• 1 bottle dry red wine
• 2 cups orange juice
• 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise
• 2 cloves
• 16 peppercorns
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½ cup sugar
• 4 small pears, peeled
• 4 plums, halved and pitted
• 8 ripe figs
• 1 pint blackberries

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    951 calories; 20 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 154 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams dietary fiber; 93 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 92 milligrams cholesterol; 416 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
  Powered by DiningAndCooking.com

Four servings

Preparation

1. To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Mix in the egg. Stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter mixture, mixing just to combine. Mix in the raisins.
2. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a scant 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out as many cookies as possible, using a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Place on the lined baking sheets. Reroll the scraps and cut out more cookies. Bake the cookies in batches until lightly browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool. Sift confectioners’ sugar over the tops. Set aside.
3. To make the fruit, combine the wine, orange juice, vanilla, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick and sugar in a large, nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the pears, lower the heat so the liquid barely simmers and poach until the pears are soft but not falling apart, about 20 to 30 minutes. Lift out the pears with a slotted spoon, place in a bowl and set aside.
4. Add the plums and poach until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Lift out the plums and add to the pears. Add the figs, make sure liquid is barely simmering and poach for about 8 minutes. Lift out the figs and add to the pear mixture. Raise the heat and simmer the poaching liquid until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Gently stir the blackberries into the fruit mixture and pour the hot syrup over all. Let stand 5 minutes.
5. Divide the fruit evenly among 4 bowls, spooning the syrup over the top. Serve immediately with the cookies, about 3 per person. You will have cookies left over.

About 2 hours