Enhancing Mother Nature ; Aromatic Syrups Turn Fruit Into a Silky Dessert

Summary

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Many years ago, at the end of an extraordinarily complex and rich meal at the Restaurant l'Archestrate in Paris, I was served a simple dessert of beautifully cut tropical fruits in a flavored syrup with overtones of vanilla bean, coriander seeds, five-spice powder, lime zest, ginger, and mint. Of the entire meal of many courses, that is what I remember most vividly, for its elemental beauty and surprising flavors.

Syrups flavored with delicate and unusual combinations of spices, fruit peels, herbs, brandies, or flower waters can turn simple fresh- cut fruits into charming, memorable desserts that belie their ease of preparation. I also use these syrups to moisten plain un-iced cakes and as a poaching liquid for sturdy fruits such as pears, peaches, and apricots, or dried fruit.

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Extract

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Enhancing Mother Nature ; Aromatic Syrups Turn Fruit Into a Silky Dessert

Flavored syrups are often as much as 50 percent sugar. I've found, however, that a much lighter syrup, made with three tablespoons of sugar per cup of water, is sweet enough to carry the flavoring and enhance the fruits' flavors without being...

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