Wine Fruit Cup

A sophisticated little starter (or dessert, if you’d rather) that trades whipped toppings and cherries for fresh stone fruit swimming in a lightly spiced wine syrup. Dry white wine simmered briefly with sugar, lemon, cinnamon and anise creates an aromatic poaching liquid that cools to a silky, fragrant syrup.

Golden raisins, sliced plums, and nectarines go into a bowl raw, then the warm syrup strains over them, capturing the spices’ flavor while leaving the texture of the fruit intact. A few hours in the fridge lets the plums and nectarines soak up the wine’s acidity and the anise’s licorice warmth.

Use an enameled or stainless pan as directed. Aluminum reacts with the wine and lemon juice, pulling a metallic tang into the syrup.

Kitchen Tips

• Strain the syrup to keep the whole spices out of the serving bowl, they’ve done their job.
• Use firm-ripe stone fruit, too soft and the slices fall apart in the syrup.
• Serve in chilled glass coupes or small bowls to show off the colors.
• Spoon over vanilla ice cream or pound cake for an easy dessert twist.

Variations

• Swap white wine for rosé or a fruity Beaujolais for a pink or red-tinted syrup.
• Add a strip of orange zest to the syrup for citrusy depth.
• Fold in fresh raspberries or blackberries at the end for bright color and tart contrast.