There are many recipes that involve pre-soaking raisins in a variety of liquids, from plain water to aromatic alcohol. Brandy-soaked raisins are an indispensable ingredient in Christmas puddings, "rum raisins" are great with ice cream, and in the Netherlands there is a special festive dish - boerenjongens - a cognac infused with raisins.
It is necessary
- Boerenjongens
- - 250 g brown sugar;
- - 250 ml of water;
- - 1 lemon;
- - 500 g of small "golden" raisins (raisins)
- - 1 teaspoon of honey;
- - 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract;
- - 1 stick of cinnamon;
- - 1 carnation bud;
- - 1 liter of cognac.
Instructions
Step 1
Whatever you are going to soak raisins, first of all, you will have to process them with hot water. You can skip this step only if you have the freshest batch of soft and aromatic dried fruit.
Step 2
Sort out the raisins, free them from litter, dried cuttings. Place the dried fruit in a colander and rinse with boiled water. Then transfer the raisins to a bowl and cover with boiling water. If you are going to further soak the raisins with alcohol, it is enough to hold them in hot water for 10-15 minutes, and then drain the water. If you need soft raisins for casseroles, cookies, cereals, pies, fruit mixtures, leave them in the bowl until they swell a little. Very old, dried raisins can be soaked in water overnight.
Step 3
If you are going to use raisins in baking, then you should dry them before use and roll them in flour - so it does not stick together and is evenly distributed in the dough.
Step 4
To use "drunken" raisins in ice cream or baked goods, it is enough to drain the water and soak the berries in brandy, cognac, gin or rum for several hours. If you want to pour ice cream with aromatic alcoholic raisin syrup, leave it for several hours in rum or orange liqueur, add the same amount of fruit juice as you pour in alcohol and heat over low heat. This syrup can be poured over not only ice cream, but also a cupcake.
Step 5
For traditional Christmas pudding, several types of raisins are mixed - large dark and small golden raisins (raisins), candied fruits, glazed cherries, almonds are added, put in a jar with a wide mouth and poured with alcohol. It is best to leave this mixture to infuse for several weeks.
Step 6
Boerenjongens
This second name is bruidstranen ("tears of the bride"). They drink it from a glass, and then take out and eat the raisins with a small silver fork or spoon.
Step 7
Pour water into a saucepan, add sugar and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Remove the zest from the lemon with a fruit knife, in long strips. Put zest and raisins in sugar syrup, add honey, vanilla and spices. Simmer until the raisins soften.
Step 8
Increase heat and bring to a boil, then immediately use a slotted spoon to spread the raisins into sterilized jars. Boil the remaining liquid until thick, take out the cloves and zest and pour the raisins with the syrup. Add brandy, close the jars, shake and set in a cool dark place for 3 months. Previously, when preparing for the wedding leisurely, boerenjongens insisted up to 1 year.
