Category Archives: Desert

Apple Cake

12 Monday Dec 2011

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Ingredients

FOR THE APPLES:

  • 1 1/2 pounds Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

FOR THE BATTER:

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

Directions

Special equipment: Bundt pan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix the apples with the lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and let stand while you make the batter.

Lightly whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil, melted butter, sugar, vanilla and water and whisk until smooth. In a separate mixing bowl combine the flour, salt, and the baking powder. Use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients together. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture and stir just until incorporated. Do not overmix.

Grease and lightly flour a Bundt pan. Pour 1/4 of the batter into the pan, and then arrange a 1/3 of the apples around the top of the batter. Make 2 more layers of apples, smoothing the batter over them after each addition. Top off with the last of the batter and smooth.

Bake about 1 hour 10 minutes, until risen, the top is nicely browned, and a sharp knife inserted in the middle of the cake comes out dry.

Tarte Tatin

12 Monday Dec 2011

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Ingredients

·         Soured Cream Shortcrust Pastry, recipe follows

·         4 Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples
·         4 1/2 ounces caster sugar (superfine)
·         3 1/2 ounces water
·         2 tablespoon butter
·         1 egg, beaten
·         Serving suggestion: Whipped cream, ice cream or whipped cream with a little confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon
·         Special equipment: 8 to 8 1/2-inches ovenproof saucepan or cast iron skillet
·         Soured Cream Shortcrust Pastry
·         7 ounces all-purpose flour, sifted
·         Pinch of salt
·         7 tablespoons chilled butter, cubed
·         2 tablespoons of sour cream or creme fraiche

Notes

Tarte tatin is an absolute classic, created in 1889 at a French hotel run by the sisters Stephanie and Caroline Tatin. This spectacular upside-down tart is rumored to have been created accidentally by Caroline when she was making an apple pie. Finding that the pan of apples cooking in butter and sugar were beginning to burn, she quickly covered them with pastry and placed the whole thing in the oven. Turning it out once the pasty was cooked, she found to her surprise that the tart was a huge success with the guests. It then became the signature dish of the hotel. Tarte tatin can be made with other fruits such as pears (as in the variation below), pineapple and stone fruit such as peaches (still firm), or even as a savory dish with onions, shallots or tomatoes.

Directions

Make the Soured Cream Shortcrust Pastry, recipe follows and allow to chill.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

To prepare the apples: Peel the apples with a vegetable peeler to keep them in a nice rounded shape, and then cut into quarters. Remove the core from each quarter, and set aside. Don’t worry if they go brown, and don’t cover in water or they will be too wet.

Place the sugar and water in an ovenproof saucepan set over a low-medium heat, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat, and boil the syrup until it starts to caramelize around the edges, about 5 minutes. Do not stir once it has come to the boil, otherwise the syrup will crystallize. Once the syrup starts to turn golden, you may need to swirl the pan slightly to even out the caramelization.

Once the syrup is golden caramel in color, add the butter, and swirl the pan again to distribute it throughout the caramel.

Remove the pan from the heat, and arrange the apple quarters in a concentric circle around the outside of the pan, and any remaining pieces in the centre, keeping in mind that the tart will be flipped over when serving. The apples must completely cover the base of the pan; you may need an extra apple!

Place the pan back over a medium heat, and cook for 10 minutes, to slightly caramelize the apples, while you roll out the pastry.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll the pastry out to a round about 3/4-inch wider in diameter than the pan. Remove the pan from the heat, and place the pastry on top of the almost cooked apples. Using the base of a spoon or a fork, tuck the pastry in around the edges of the apples. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg, and then using a skewer or fork, prick a few holes in the pastry.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the apples feel cooked when you insert a skewer through the centre.

Remove from the oven and allow to stand for just a few minutes before placing a plate on top of the pan and carefully (it is hot!) but quickly flipping it out. Use a plate with a slight lip to catch the delicious juices. Cut into slices to serve. Serve with whipped cream, ice cream or whipped cream with a little icing sugar and cinnamon or Calvados mixed in.

Variation

Pear and ginger tarte tatin: Use 4 to 5 pears of medium ripeness, instead of the apples and add 1 teaspoon of grated fresh gingerroot in with the butter.

Variations:

Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the pastry.

You can also make this with puff or sweet shortcrust pastry.

If you wish, use golden caster or granulated sugar, but it is a little trickier to see when it is caramelized, so keep watching the pan. The mixture will go a shade darker than the original golden color and should take about 5 minutes in total over a medium-high heat. If it burns, I would suggest cutting your losses and starting again!

Place the flour, salt, and butter in a food processor and whiz or pulse briefly. Add half the sour cream and continue to whiz. You might add a little more sour cream, but not too much as the mixture should be just moist enough to come together.

If making by hand, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Then, using your hands, add just enough egg to bring the dough together. With your hands, flatten out the ball of dough, until it is about 3/4-inch thick, and then wrap in plastic wrap or place in a plastic bag and leave in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or, if you are pushed for time, in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.

OLD-FASHIONED SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY

12 Monday Dec 2011

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This pastry is perfect for making apple and other sweet pies. Even if you’ve never made pastry before, as long as you stick to the correct measurements for the ingredients and you follow the method exactly, you’ll be laughing. The one place where you can experiment is with flavoring. If you don’t fancy using lemon zest, try another dry ingredient like orange zest instead. Or a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg or cocoa powder. Vanilla seeds are great too. Just remember to be subtle and don’t go overboard with any of these flavors! Try to be confident and bring the pastry together as quickly as you can – don’t knead it too much or the heat from your hands will melt the butter. A good tip is to hold your hands under cold running water beforehand to make them as cold as possible. That way you’ll end up with a delicate, flaky pastry every time. PS. You can also make this pastry using a food processor.



Ingredients

·         3 1/2 cups organic all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

·         1 cup icing sugar, sifted
·         1 cup plus 2 tablespoons good-quality cold butter, cut into small cubes
·         1 lemon, zested
·         2 large free-range or organic eggs, beaten
·         Splash milk
·         All-purpose flour, for dusting

Directions

Sift the flour from a height onto a clean work surface and sift the icing sugar over the top. Using your hands, work the cubes of butter into the flour and sugar by rubbing your thumbs against your fingers until you end up with a fine, crumbly mixture. This is the point where you can spike the mixture with interesting flavors, so mix in your lemon zest. Add the eggs and milk to the mixture and gently work it together until you have a ball of dough. Flour it lightly. Don’t work the pastry too much at this stage or it will become elastic and chewy, not crumbly and short. Flour your work surface and place the dough on top. Pat it into a flat round, flour it lightly, wrap it in plastic wrap and put it into the refrigerator to rest for at least half an hour.

Chocolate Gelato Baguettes

12 Monday Dec 2011

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Ingredients

·         2 cups chocolate gelato or ice cream
·         16 store-bought sponge ladyfingers
·         1/2 cup nutella
·         10 strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
·         32 fresh mint leaves

Directions

Using a melon baller, scoop the gelato into 48 (1-inch) balls. Transfer the balls of gelato to a small tray and keep the gelato in the freezer until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, cut the ladyfingers in half lengthwise. Spread the nutella on both sides of the split ladyfingers. Place 3 scoops of gelato on the bottom half of the ladyfinger. Top with slices of strawberry and mint leaves. Place the top ladyfinger over to make a sandwich. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve immediately.

Banana Cream Pie

12 Monday Dec 2011

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  • 4 cups heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 1/2 cups plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1 recipe Graham Cracker Crust, recipe follows
  • 3 pounds (about 9) firm but ripe bananas, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Caramel Sauce, recipe follows
  • Chocolate Sauce, recipe follows
  • Shaved chocolate, for garnish
  • Confectioner’s sugar, for garnish

Combine 2 cups of the cream, the milk, 1/2 cup of the sugar, the vanilla bean, and the vanilla seeds in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat.

Combine the egg yolks, eggs, cornstarch, and 1 cup of the sugar in a medium bowl, and whisk pale yellow in color. Set aside.

Whisk 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks. Gradually add the egg mixture to the hot cream, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly with a large wooden spoon to cook out the cornstarch and the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. (The mixture may separate slightly. If so, remove from the heat and beat with an electric mixer until thick and smooth.) Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for about 4 hours.

To assemble, spread 1/2 cup of the custard over the bottom of the prepared crust, smoothing with the back of a large spoon or rubber spatula. Arrange enough banana slices (not quite one-third) in a tight, tiled pattern over the custard, pressing down with your hands to pack them firmly. Repeat to build a second layer, using 3/4 cup of the custard and enough bananas to cover, smoothing down the layer evenly. For the third layer, spread 3/4 cup of custard over the bananas and top with the remaining bananas, starting 1-inch from the outer edge and working toward the center. Spread 1 cup of custard evenly over the bananas to prevent discoloration. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

In a medium bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar and the vanilla extract and whip until stiff peaks form.

Remove the pie from the refrigerator. With a sharp knife dipped in hot water, cut the pie into 10 equal slices. Transfer the slices to dessert plates. Fill a pastry bag with the whipped cream and pipe onto each slice. (Alternately, spread the whipped cream evenly over the pie before cutting.)

Drizzle each slice with the caramel sauce and chocolate sauce, sprinkle with the chocolate shavings and confectioners’ sugar, and serve.

Graham Cracker Crust:

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl and mix well. Add the butter and mix well. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan. Top with aluminum pie tin and with a circular motion, press the crust tightly into the pan. Bake until browned, about 25 minutes. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Yield: 1 (9-inch) crust

Caramel Sauce:

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup whole milk

Combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Let boil without stirring until the mixture becomes a deep amber color, 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely so it doesn’t burn. Add the cream, whisk to combine, and remove from the heat. Add the milk, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature before serving with the pie. (The sauce will thicken as it cools.)

Yield: generous 3/4 cup

Chocolate Sauce:

3/4 cup half-and-half

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 pound semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Scald the half-and-half and butter in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat.

Place the chocolate and vanilla in a medium, heat-proof bowl. Add the hot half-and-half and let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Serve slightly warm. (The sauce can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for several days, but it must be returned to room temperature before serving.

Yield: generous 3/4 cup

Microwave Lemon Curd

12 Monday Dec 2011

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“This is a delectable lemon curd recipe with the added attraction of being quick and easy to make. It is particularly useful when entertaining and short on time.”
Original Recipe Yield 2 cups 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 3 lemons, zested
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions

  1. In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest and butter. Cook in the microwave for one minute intervals, stirring after each minute until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the microwave, and pour into small sterile jars. Store for up to three weeks in the refrigerator.

Tips
If you over cook the mixture a little, or forget to stir, you can pass the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the bits of cooked egg.

Butter And Lard Pie Crust

10 Saturday Dec 2011

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This crust is based on one I found elsewhere, except the original did not use lard. Try making 2 pies, one with lard and the other with shortening. You’ll notice the difference then, and will henceforth be a lover of lard. One reason lard is so great is because it tastes better than shortening, which tastes like a cross between Vaseline and plastic. Lard tastes good. It also melts at a lower temperature than shortening does. In fact, like butter, the other great animal fat, it melts on the tongue, at body temperature. Shortening does not. This means that shortening users never get to experience that crumble then melt in the mouth texture we get from using lard. It may be light, and it may be flaky, but it will not melt in your mouth.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
  • 3/4 cup (6 ozs. or 11Ž2 stick) Unsalted Butter , chilled and cubed
  • 3/4 cup (6 ozs.) Lard, chilled and cubed
  • 4-5 Tbs. (~1/3 c.) Iced Water

Directions

  • The best way I have found to make a perfect pie crust is with a food processor. Put the dry ingredients in the bowl and mix well. Add the chunks of chilled butter and lard on top and pulse the food processor until it looks like coarse meal. Do not overmix this, and make sure the fats are cold ! Dump this into another bowl. It should still have large chunks of fat in it, ranging in size from the size of a pea to the size of shelled walnuts. Add the water and mix it with a fork until it comes together. 
  • Stir with a fork until it gathers together. It should still be crumbly.
  • Divide this in two and dump it onto a piece of waxed or parchment paper (or plastic wrap) and flatten it to a disk, about 4-6 inches in diameter. 
  • Divide into two piles, and dump each onto some parchment or waxed paper (or plastic wrap)
  • Gather the pile together gently with your hands. DO NOT KNEAD THE DOUGH !
  • Wrap the dough in the parchment, waxed paper, or plastic wrap and flatten it. Chill in the refrigerator, or freeze for later use.
  • Cover the disks well and let them chill until very cold. The dough should not be wet at all. In fact, it should be somewhat dry and crumbly and difficult to work with at this point. As it cools in the refrigerator, the flour will absorb the water, and solidify. You do not want to knead this at all. Kneading this will form gluten, which is the enemy of pie crust. Gluten makes a pie crust very tough.
  • You can also freeze these disks of pie crust for a very long time. I am not really sure how long, but I know I have gone a year (hey, it got buried in the freezer) and the crust was perfectly fine. Just make sure it is tightly wrapped.
  • Once your crust is very cold, it is time to roll. Flour your work surface and take out the crust. Place it on the flour and roll it gently from the center outward. Roll it a bit larger than the pie tin you will be using. If you made this correctly, you will see the chunks of fat in the dough, and as you roll the dough these will flatten, and THAT IS WHAT MAKES THE FLAKES. You cannot do this with oil. Nope !
  • Gently press this into your pie tin, and proceed with your pie of choice. If you want to bake this “blind” (empty), chill the finished crust in the pie tin and then poke holes in the bottom with a fork. Place some baking parchment paper or foil inside the crust and add some beens or rice to weigh down the crust. Bake this at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 15 minutes. Let the crust cool and remove the beans or rice. Bake the crust again for another 10 minutes, or until a nice golden brown. If you bake the crust without the beans or rice in it, the crust may shrink while it bakes. If you bake the crust completely with the beans or rice in it, then the inside of the crust will not bake.
  • Remember, when baking a pie where the filling is cooked in the crust, set the oven rack low and start with a high temperature (around 400 Fahrenheit) and then turn the temperature down after about 10-15 minutes. This will assure the bottom crust does not end up raw and soggy. A metal pie pan is better than glass for insuring a properly cooked crust. Glass pie pans take too long to transfer heat to the crust, and the pie top sometimes gets overdone while the bottom crust stays raw. Glass pie pans are okay for baking blind crusts, because you can just bake it longer to get it done. Foil pie pans are great, but do not look as nice. I like to flip my pies out of the foil for serving, and the foil pans can be washed and reused. Hey ! Every penny counts these days.
  • Note: Some recipes call for oil. This does melt in the mouth, but cannot make a flaky crust. Flaky means crumbly and tender, and that is a good thing in a pie crust. But how do we get these flakes ? What is the secret to flaky pie crust ? The answer lies in the mixing technique. Butter is great because it is butter. No need to explain. Lard, on the other hand, is nothing short of miraculous in pie crust. Lard is the secret. Truly, this is a shame, since you CANNOT make a perfect pie crust without butter and lard. So go get some right now.

Richest Spritz Cookies

10 Saturday Dec 2011

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Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 c Confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 c Butter, softened
  • 2 Egg yolks -OR 1 Egg
  • 1 t Vanilla extract
  • 1/2 t Almond extract (opt)
  • 2 1/2 c All-purpose flour
  • 1/2 t Salt Food color (opt)

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400’F.
  • Cream confectioners’ sugar and butter in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed.
  • Beat in egg yolks, vanilla and almond extracts.
  • Combine flour and salt.
  • Add to butter mixture; mix well.
  • Tin dough with food color, if desired. Place dough in cookie press.
  • Press onto ungreased baking stones about 2″ apart.
  • Decorate as desired.
  • Bake 6-8 minutes or until very slightly browned around edges.
  • Remove to wire racks to cool.
  • Makes about 6 1/2 dozen cookies.

Zabaglione with Cream

10 Saturday Dec 2011

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Ingredients

  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • 6 tablespoons Vin Santo wine or Marsala
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Directions

  • Put the egg yolks in a stainless steel bowl. Whisk in the sugar, and Vin Santo wine or Marsala.
  • Cook’s Note: A good rule of thumb is a tablespoon of each ingredient per yolk.
  • Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Lower the heat and place the steel bowl over but not touching the water. Whisk the yolk mixture for 8 minutes, or until it becomes light and creamy. Monitor the heat, otherwise you’ll end up with scrambled eggs. Set aside and let cool.
  • In another bowl, whip the cream with a hand mixer.
  • Gently fold the zabaione into the whipped cream with a rubber spatula, and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, or until ready to serve. Serve in glasses with blueberries on top.