Chocolate Custard with Poached Summer Fruits
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6
750ml bottle apple cider
2 cups caster sugar
cinnamon stick
3 peaches
3 nectarines
250g fresh cherries, pitted
90g packet macaroons
Custard:
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp Cocoa
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
100g Cooking Chocolate, broken into squares
1. Place apple cider, sugar and cinnamon into a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Bring to boil, turn heat down and allow to simmer 8-10 minutes without stirring or until syrup thickens slightly. Add peaches and nectarines, simmer 5 minutes. Remove fruit, cool slightly before removing skin. Cut into thick wedges and chill.
2. Add cherries to syrup and allow to simmer 3-5 minutes or until just tender, remove, chill in fridge with peaches and nectarines.
3. Cream egg yolks, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add Cocoa and beat well.
4. In medium saucepan bring cream and milk to the boil, remove from heal and add slowly to egg mixture whisking continuously. Return mixture to the pan, stir constantly over low heat until custard thickens slightly. Remove from heat, add squares of Cooking Chocolate and stir until chocolate has melted and custard is smooth. Refrigerate until cold.
5. Place a layer of macaroons into the base of 6 individual glasses, top with fruit and a spoonful of chocolate custard, repeat layers finishing with chocolate custard. Decorate with whipped cream and chocolate curls if desired.
Note: Custard is also great served hot over Christmas pudding. To reheat: place in a heatproof jug, cover and heat in the microwave 3-5 minutes on Medium stirring every minute.