Spice Infused Grapes

What are better than grapes? Spice infused grapes!

When I was at brunch at a local restaurant a while ago, I kept going back to fill my plate up with grapes, over and over again. It was something to do with the sweet scent that accompanied the grapes that made me eat so many grapes that it put my buffet eating in serious jeopardy.

This weekend I got a pound of Red Globe Grapes (try saying this five times in rapid succession!) and set out to replicate the spice infused grapes. I pretty much eyeballed ingredients and hit the right mix of flavors in the first shot.

I LOVED how the grapes smelled! The sweet smell of star anise and cinnamon shone right through. You could serve this for a festive party – they look especially pretty in a bowl with all the spices floating. It tastes lovely and impresses your guests – what more do you want?

Spice Infused Grapes

Yield: 2 servings

1 pound Red Globe grapes
2 cups water
½ cup sugar
1 star anise
a 2 inch stick of cinnamon
1 clove

Method:

1. In a saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil, and stir till all the sugar has been dissolved.
2. Add the spices to it, and cover the pan and let it simmer for a minute or two.
3. Turn off the heat and let the spiced syrup sit in the saucepan with the lid on.
4. While the syrup cools, wash and cut each grape into two lengthwise.
5. When the syrup reaches a temperature where you can dip your finger in without strong reflex actions, add the grapes in.
6. Let this sit for one hour for a subtle flavor and up to overnight for a more pronounced spicy flavor.

Nifty tip:

Don’t discard the spiced syrup! Instead, use it to moisten a layer cake instead of the plain ol’ sugar syrup.