Zinfandel Pears

Zinfandel Pears

Serving Size : 6
Preparation Time :0:35

Ingredients:
6 pears
1 small bunch fresh basil -- plus leaves
2 cups zinfandel wine
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:
1. Peel pears. Core pears by cutting a cone-shaped wedge from the bottom of
each. Leave stems intact. Discard seeds and cores. Wash and julienne a bunch
of basil.

2. Place wine and sugar in a medium nonaluminum saucepan. Add julienned
basil and bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Place pears upright in
poaching liquid, reduce heat, and simmer until pears are tender and do not offer
resistance when pierced with a sharp knife (about 20 minutes).

3. Remove fruit with a slotted spoon to a serving dish. Return syrup to a boil and
reduce by half to about 1 cup (about 10 minutes). Pour syrup over pears and cool
for 3 hours in refrigerator.

4. To serve, place pears in stemmed glasses, spooning some of the cooking
juices over each fruit. Garnish with basil leaves.

Zinfandel Peaches: Follow recipe for Zinfandel Pears; substitute 6 peaches for
pears. Peel peaches with a sharp knife, or dip in a pan of boiling water for about
1 minute to loosen skin and peel by hand. Halve and remove pit. Place in
poaching liquid and cook until tender (15 to 20 minutes). Proceed with recipe.
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NOTES : Pears, peaches, apples, and quince are among the many fruits that
taste sensational when poached in red wine. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla
ice cream melting over the fruit; chilled in a wineglass; as the filling of a fruit tart; or warm with Chocolate Fudge Sauce. Mint is in the same herb family as basil
and may be substituted for the basil in the recipe.

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Frozen Raspberry and Macaroon Souffle

Frozen Raspberry and Macaroon Souffle

Serving Size : 12
Preparation Time :1:30

Ingredients:
1 pound white chocolate
8 ounces butter
8 ounces egg yolks
10 ounces powdered sugar
4 ounces raspberry liqueur
12 ounces egg whites
2 pounds cream -- whip to soft peaks
4 ounces toasted coconut
2 ounces Coco Lopez
12 ounces raspberries

Directions:
STEP ONE:
In a large saucepan, melt butter and white chocolate and cool.

STEP TWO:
In bain marie, cook egg yolks, powdered sugar, and raspberry liqueur until thick.
Add to melted butter-chocolate mixture. Flavor with juice and pulps of raspberries.

STEP THREE:
Beat egg whites till stiff and whip cream to soft peaks. Combine and flavor with coconut and Coco Lopez.

STEP FOUR:
Combine equal portions of each mixture in 12 souffle dishes. Freeze and serve with raspberry coulis and whipping cream.

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Chocolate Frosting

Chocolate Frosting

Serving Size : 12

Ingredients:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate square
2 tablespoons light olive oil

Directions:
In the top pan of a double boiler placed over gently boiling water, melt chocolate. Slowly add oil, stirring until mixture is blended and of a consistency that can be poured.
NOTES : Yield: 1 cup.

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Frosted Mocha Cake

Frosted Mocha Cake

When creating the Mocha Snack Cake, our Test Kitchen used a combination of sugar and sugar substitute for the best taste and texture while still cutting calories and carbs. They also used fruit puree, in this case prune baby food, in place of some of the oil in the cake. This savings allowed them to use full-fat whipped topping in the frosting.

SERVINGS: 24
METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep: 20 min. Bake: 30 min. + cooling

Ingredients:

* 3/4 cup sugar blend
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1/4 cup canola oil
* 1 container (2-1/2 ounces) prune baby food
* 3 teaspoons white vinegar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup fat-free milk
* 1 cup cold strong brewed coffee
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/3 cup baking cocoa
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt

FROSTING:
* 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
* 1 teaspoon hot water
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 cups whipped topping

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the first seven ingredients; beat until well blended. In a small bowl, combine milk and coffee. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into egg mixture alternately with milk mixture.

Pour into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, dissolve coffee granules in hot water. Stir in vanilla. Place whipped topping in a large bowl; gently fold in coffee mixture. Frost cake. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 24 servings.

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