tiny food day 2

Well it's time. Time for another tiny food recipe. I love inventing tiny foods if, for nothing else, just to look at the adorableness of them. Here is how to make today's tiny food:

Citrus Apple Lychee Cups

Gather 4 apples: 2 Granny Smith and 2 crisp red apples such as Braeburn or Fuji, raisins, 1 lemon, 10 lychee,6 tangerines or mandarin oranges, sugar, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar ( I used fig balsamic), salt and vanilla, 1 cup walnuts, mint leaves.

Take 1/2 cup of raisins, mix with 1/2 cup of water and set aside to plump.Chop the apples to about almond size and put into a medium pan. Slice 5 of the tangerines in half and squeeze the juice over the apples. 

Now you can carefully peel the pithy membranes out of the tangerine halves. Discard the filling you have removed and set the empty peel cups aside. 

Take the lychees and slice off the tops, then, with a knife work the filling loose, keeping the peel in tact to use as a serving cup. Set the cups aside with the citrus peel cups. 

Remove the seeds from the fruit. Now, take a wire strainer and set it over the pot with the apples, and, working in batches, smoosh the lychee fruit into the mesh to release the juices over the apples. Clean the last tangerine, then grate the zest and add it to the apples. Add 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to apple mixture. Bring it to a boil. Take off the heat, add 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar and 1 Tablespoon vanilla. Return to heat and simmer till apples are tender, but still hold their form. While the apples cook, chop the walnuts and lightly toast them in the oven. Cool apples a bit. If desired, you can cool all the way and serve cold, or serve warm or room temp. Now you are ready to assemble. Scoop the apples into the citrus and lychee shell cups, sprinkle the walnuts and plump raisins on top with a little brown sugar. 

This can be an appetizer or side dish, or  light dessert. For the dessert version, you can add a dollop of ice cream, creme fraiche, or whipped cream if desired. Enjoy!

I brought these to my friend Monica's house warming party. Here is the spread of yummy snacks. Below are some plates. I confess that mine is the full one at the top. Hey, it was dinner, people. A girl's gotta keep her strength up in this Texas heat.