In Greek: φρούτα με κονιάκ, pronounced FROO-tah meh kon-YAHK
The tastes of these three fruits - strawberries, oranges, and kiwi - not only go wonderfully together with a dousing of brandy, but create a dessert that's a colorful way to end a great meal with something light.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound of fresh strawberries, stems removed, rinsed, cut in half
- 2 large oranges, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 kiwi fruits, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons of Metaxa or other brandy
- 2 tablespoons of water
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- whipped cream or non-dairy topping to serve
Preparation:
Combine the fruit in a bowl and toss with the brandy. Cover and refrigerate. (The fruit will soften in the brandy. If you prefer softened fruit, cut the strawberries in half before refrigerating, and chill the fruit in brandy for 3 hours. Then continue with the recipe.)
In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and vanilla extract, and heat to create a syrup, stirring constantly. When the sugar is fully dissolved, set aside to cool and thicken.
Pour cooled syrup over fruit, toss gently with a soft spatula (rubber or silicone) to coat, and chill for 30 minutes.
Serve in dessert bowls with a dollop of whipped cream.
Preparation tip: To cool syrup more quickly, pour into a room temperature cup. It will bring down the temperature of the syrup without crystallizing it.
Serving suggestion: If the fruit is left to soften in the brandy, this can be beautifully served in wine glasses, topped with the whipped cream.