Mostly Cherry Fruit Soup With Shortbread 'Croutons'
- Total Time
- 50 minutes, plus refrigeration
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Ingredients
- 1large peach
- 2cups sweet white dessert wine
- 2cups water
- ½cup sugar
- 1tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 13-inch-by- ½-inch strip of lemon zest
- 1bay leaf
- 4sprigs fresh thyme
- 13-inch cinnamon stick
- 2medium-size plums, halved, pitted and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2cups pitted sour cherries with their juice
- 1cup all-purpose flour
- ¼cup sugar
- 3tablespoons cornstarch
- ½teaspoon salt
- ½cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- ½teaspoon almond extract
The Soup
The Croutons
Preparation
- Step 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 ½-inch pieces. Set aside.
- Step 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.
- Step 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.
- Step 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.
- Step 5
To serve, ladle the soup among 4 bowls. Just before serving, garnish each bowl with shortbread croutons.
Private Notes