Chinese Dessert Recipes: Spun Fruits
Often called toffee fruits, this sweet consists of fruit fried in batter and coated with a thin, crisp caramel glaze. TIME: Preparation takes about 25 minutes, cooking takes from 10-15 minutes. VARIATION: Litchis may be used. Organisation is very important for the success of this dish. Have the batter ready, syrup prepared, fruit sliced and ice water on hand before beginning. WATCHPOINT: Watch the syrup carefully and do not allow it to become too brown. This will give a bitter taste to the dish.
Ingredients
- #Batter#
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted Pinch salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup water and milk mixed half and half Oil for deep frying
- #Caramel Syrup #
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tbsps water
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 large apple, peeled, cored and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 banana, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces Ice water
Instructions
- To prepare the batter, combine all the batter ingredients, except the oil for deep frying, in a liquidizer or food processor and process to Wend. Pour into a bowl and dip in the prepared fruit.
- In a heavy-based saucepan, combine the sugar with the water and oil and cook over very low heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and allow to cook rapidly until a pale caramel color.
- While the sugar is dissolving heat the oil in a wok and fry the batter-dipped fruit, a few pieces at a time.
- While the fruit is still hot and crisp use chopsticks or a pair of tongs to dip the fruit into the hot caramel syrups. Stir each piece around to coat evenly.
- Dip immediately into ice water to harden the syrup and place each piece on a greased dish. Continue cooking all the fruit in die same way.
- Once the caramel has hardened and the fruit has cooled, transfer to a clean serving plate.