Wow the crowd with a bowl of delightful, jewel-toned berries in a luscious zinfandel-spiced syrup, topped with Galliano almond cream and flecks of vibrant orange zest. Finish off this festive dish with almond, pink peppercorn, and rosemary biscotti that are crispy, piquant, and perfect for dipping in the syrup or maybe even a glass of Galliano.
Ingredients
- Zinfandel-Spiced Syrup:
- 1 orange, zested and juiced
- 3 cups (1 bottle) Zinfandel or red wine
- ½ – ¾ cup water
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 cardamom pod, smashed open
- Berries and Cream:
- 2 cups mixed raspberries, blueberries & blackberries
- 8 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon Galliano
- 1/4 teaspoon Almond extract
- Mint for garnish
Preparation
- 1 Peel one, 2- to 3-inch strip of zest from the orange. Using a fine rasp, remove the remaining zest from the orange then set the zest aside. Squeeze the juice from the orange.
- 2 In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the wine, water, sugar, orange juice and the orange strip, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add spices whole. Bring to a boil until the liquid is reduced to roughly 1 cup, about 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool then refrigerate for a few hours. Once chilled, strain into a bowl with the berries. Cover and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
- 3 For the Berries & Cream: In a food processor, combine the ricotta, Galliano, almond extract, and grated orange zest. Process until smooth.
- 4 Spoon the berries and syrup into 4 goblets and top each with a dollop of the ricotta mixture. Garnish with mint, and serve immediately.
