I have come out of my gardening strike in the last week and I'm well on my way to getting my garden back in order. I find it hard to believe I have neglected it for the past year like I have... weeding has consumed the last few days. I have planted tomatoes, peppers and re-vamped the herbs, but my most pleasant discovery was finding figs on my tree. I have a beautiful little fig tree in the backyard, which apparently did not mind the neglect. The tree has done just fine without me- bursting with figs. The challenge now is to harvest before the birds do, since they seem to like them as much or more than I do! The figs I used for the pizza are black mission, but any type or combination of fresh figs will work well. Figs are highly perishable and are best eaten soon after picking. Using them in a grilled pizza works well because they don't get much overhead heat and remain plump and juicy.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Recipe: Grilled Pizza with figs, freshwater mozzarella, goat cheese, balsamic onions and Arugula.
Monday, March 23, 2009
RECIPE: Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake
I think I am officially back. I know I keep saying that and then disappear for months at a time, but this time I really mean it! My life was turned upside down, but is now back together. Life is good.
This pound cake is one of my favorites. The recipe is easily adjusted to accommodate almost any flavoring you choose. I like the lemon blueberry combination, it is one of my best sellers at a local coffee shop. The cake comes together easily, but it is extremely important all ingredients be at room temperature. When creaming the butter and sugar beat the mixture until very very fluffy, I usually use a timer and set it to five minutes. Once the flour is added, take the bowl out of the mixer stand and fold. After the flour comes in contact with liquids, the gluten starts to form a chemical reaction and if stirred too much the cake will have a tough texture and uneven grain.
LEMON BLUEBERRY POUND CAKE WITH LEMON ICING
1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
zest of one lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
3 eggs at room temperature
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint fresh blueberries
juice of one lemon
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
12 cup bundt pan, buttered and floured.
preheat oven to 350
1. In bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add lemon zest. Add eggs one at a time, scraping bowl between additions. Making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt onto a pice of parchment paper. Add flour to butter mixture alternatively with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Remove bowl from mixer.
3. Fold in blueberries with a spatula. Scrape batter into bundt pan and smooth top.
4. Bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.Cake should be golden brown. Cool in pan 15 minutes, then invert onto serving platter.
5. Mix powdered sugar with juice of one lemon until a thick paste is formed. Spread on cake while still warm.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Key Lime Pie / Tart
I have successfully been making a version of this pie since I was ten years old, it has been a favorite in my family for as long as I can remember. When I first started making it I used a pre-made graham cracker crust, but then later discovered how simple graham crusts were to make so I made my own. The pie can be made in a pie or tart pan which makes for a nice presentation when serving it whole. For the restaurant, presentation can be a little trickier since I serve individual pieces so I double the recipe and make it in a springform pan, this makes nice tall pieces which are then individually garnished with lime slices and berries.
The pie is best made a day ahead so it can properly chill and set in the refrigerator. If you are pressed for time though, (which I always seem to be) place it in the freezer to speed up the cooling process. For the crust I use either gingersnaps or graham crackers, they both make a nice crust. I have found Eagle brand condensed milk to be the thickest, some of the other brands can sometimes have a runny consistency and are not as rich. When I was little I could eat it straight out the can with a spoon, I refrain from that little habit these days, but needless to say I like condensed milk a lot!
A note on the key lime juice- I only use Nell and Joe's brand key lime juice, it's available at most major supermarkets and is superior to all the other brands I have tried. When key limes are available, I use freshly squeezed juice. I roll and press the limes on the kitchen counter with the palm of my hand before juicing them to make the juicing process a little easier.
Key Lime Pie
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 - 14oz. cans condensed milk
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup key lime juice
1 teaspoon key lime zest
berries and key lime slices for garnishing
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1 vanilla bean, scraped
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Pre-heat oven to 350 F
1. In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar. Press cookie mixture into a 9 inch pie or tart pan. Pressing firmly all along the sides and making about a 1/4 inch thick crust. Place pie on a sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
2. In a large bowl whisk together condensed milk, egg yolks, key lime juice and zest until smooth and combined. Pour into pie crust and bake an additional 20 minutes. Remove pie from the oven and refrigerate until completely cooled. (up to 3 days)
3. Once the pie has completely cooled, whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the pie and garnish with key lime slices and fresh berries. Refrigerate pie until ready to serve.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Recipe: Lemon-Blueberry Shortcakes with Whipped Cream
This is what I do when I am stressed- I bake. I bake a lot. It relaxes me and keeps my mind off all the things which tend to stress me out since I must concentrate on the task at hand, everything must be perfectly measured and precise. I get to totally control the result- which of course gives me a great deal of satisfaction, I express a little creativity and I get a yummy sugar fix along the way- what more could I want? (actually, a great deal but I wont bore you with that today).
So enough about that- let's move on to the lemon-blueberry shortcakes. I adjusted my biscuit dough a bit by adding a little sugar to it, but they are as flaky as ever. The blueberry compote was quickly put together with a little lemon juice and sugar. I used a pint of blueberries, cooked 1/2 of them in the sauce then added the rest after the removing it from the heat. I added the berries in two additions in order to have more texture, while I wanted a sauce, I also wanted the flavor and texture of fresh berries. I always cut my biscuits with a small cutter, but you may make these as large as you wold like. I think it's hard to tell in the photo, but they are only 2" in a diameter, quite a bit smaller than usual- this of course is to justify eating more than one!
Shortcakes
2 -1/4 cup flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar, plus extra for sprinkling tops
1/4 lb. butter (1 stick) cold and cut into 1/4" pieces
1- 1/4 cups buttermilk
Blueberry Compote
1 pint fresh blueberries/ divided
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 cup heavy whipping cream (very cold)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 450 F
Compote:
1. In a small non-reactive pot, combine 1/2 pint blueberries, 1/2 cup sugar, lemon zest and juice. Cook over medium heat stirring, just until sugar is completely melted. Do not overcook. Remove from heat and add remaining berries mix and set aside.
Shortcakes
1. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter and mix in with a pastry blender until the butter resembles the size of small peas. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. Add buttermilk to flour mixture and mix with a fork until just combined. Scoop dough out of bowl and lay on a floured surface. (it will be quite sticky)
3. With floured hands pat dough into a 1" thick rectangle. Sprinkle a little flour over the dough and fold over from short end three times. Repeat this process three times. Cut out biscuits with a floured cutter and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle shortcakes generously with sugar and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Whipped Cream:
1. In a large bowl, whisk cream, sugar and vanilla together until soft peaks form.
Assemble shortcakes by splitting in half, spooning blueberry compote and topping with whipped cream. Garnish with additional lemon zest curls if desired.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Blackberry Hand Pies
There just has not been enough dessert around here lately! Which also means I have not had enough dessert- life gets crazy sometimes. We all know what a priority sweet stuff is to me so today we are back on track with these little blackberry hand pies. I know it's not quite summer yet- actually it even isn't quite spring yet, but in 80 degree weather blackberries seem quite seasonal. A friend gave me a basket of berries and I knew exactly what I would do with them as soon as I tasted one. The recipe was inspired by one I had spied in an old Gourmet magazine, I remember thinking what a great idea the addition of grated apple was. The pastry recipe is a good one- it allows for re-rolling of the dough, it is one of the flakiest pie doughs I've had. Let the dough rest a little while before the second roll so it wont be too elastic and want to shrink back. Allow the filling to cool well before assembling the hand pies, this will keep the butter in the pastry from melting before they go in the oven. Parchment paper is a must-have for this recipe, the filling sometimes runs out of the pies making a big sticky mess. The recipe yields 8 hand pies and can be easily doubled.
Blackberry Hand Pies
1 cup fresh blackberries (1/2 pint)
1/2 cup grated apple
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
milk for brushing tops
additional sugar for sprinkling tops
1. In a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat cook blackberries, apple, sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 375
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Hand Pie Pastry Dough
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoon unsalted butter, cold, cut in small cubes
2 tablespoons shortening
pinch salt
3-4 tablespoons ice water
1. In food processor or by hand, blend flour, butter, shortening and salt until the mixture resembles a coarse meal and has some pea sized pieces of butter left in it.
2. While pulsing add water a little at a time until dough comes together when pinched in your hand. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 1 day.
Assembling Hand Pies:
1. Roll chilled pastry out on a lightly floured surface into a 1/8 inch thick rectangle. Cut 5 inch squares or circles with pastry wheel. Place the circle in your hand and fill with about a mounded tablespoon of filling. Seal shut pressing the edges well with your fingers. Fold edges over in a decorative shape or seal with the tines of a fork. Re-roll dough scraps to make up to eight circles or squares, allowing it to rest about 10 minutes between rolling.
2. Place hand pie on parchment lined cookie sheet. When all the pies are on the cookie sheet brush with a little milk and generously sprinkle with sugar.
3. bake about 20-25 minutes until golden brown, rotating cookie sheet half way through baking. Store at room temperature.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Moist and Light Blueberry Muffins
What can I make for a Saturday morning breakfast when there is only one lonely egg in the house? Blueberry muffins! These are my most favorite muffins- not too dense, not too sweet and full of fresh plump blueberries. I used almost all the eggs last night for the dogs dinner- yes, I cook for my babies every night. After the dog food scare last year, I just felt uneasy feeding them the store bought stuff. Since then, both the goldens have just blossomed, all the paw licking stopped (usually caused by allergies), their coats are shinnier and all around they seem more energetic and happy. I read up on all the do's and don'ts about dog food and have not looked back since.
Back to the muffins. I use cake flour because I find it makes the muffins lighter. I gave both the weight and measurement for the flour, if you have a scale use it- I find when measuring flour specially, it is essential. I have a small inexpensive one ($30 or less), it is the most used tool in my kitchen when I bake. The scale converts grams into ounces, which comes in quite handy when I make recipes found in European cookbooks or web sites. I coat the blueberries in a little (about a tablespoon) of flour mixture before adding them to the batter, I find that step keeps them all from sinking to the bottom.
When making muffins, do not overbeat the batter, I whisk the ingredients together separately then combine them and stir just a few times to incorporate the dry and wet ingredients together. After adding the dry ingredients to the flour, use a wooden spoon not a whisk to stir together briefly. Finish combining the ingredients once the blueberries are added- and I know I will sound a little nutty by telling you this, but you should not stir more than 15-20 strokes; it is more like folding than beating and doing this will keep the muffins light and moist. I use a topping of large sugar crystals, this makes the tops of the muffins a little crunchy. When I have it, I use vanilla infused sugar (see photo). I have also used regular sugar which has been infused with vanilla. To make vanilla sugar, fill a jar with sugar, insert a vanilla pod and let it infuse for at least a week; it's great for sweetening coffee too.
Blueberry Muffins
12-1/2 ounces cake flour (3 cups)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup sour cream (can be substituted with yogurt)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups blueberries, (1 pint)
1/4 cup vanilla sugar for sprinkling tops
paper liners or buttered muffin tins
Makes 18 muffins
Preheat oven to 350 F
1. Sift all dry ingredients into a large bowl and set aside. In a small bowl toss blueberries with about 1 tablespoon of flour mixture and set aside.
2. Whisk all wet ingredients together and mix well.
3. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until just barely combined. add blueberries and mix lightly. Do not over mix.
4. With an ice cream scoop fill muffin pan almost all the way to the top. top with sugar generously and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove muffins from pan as soon as they are cool enough to handle. They will keep for 3-4 days covered at room temperature.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Brandied Apricot Beignets
A few weeks ago I noticed Peabody and Tartelette were holding a donut event called- Time to make the Doughnuts. Doughnuts usually have yeast and since yeast and I are not really very well aquainted, (that is one of my resolutions this year though- to end the fear of yeast!), I figured I really did not have much to contribute. But then, the March issue of Bon Apettit arrived and it changed everything. I saw a recipe for Brandied Apricot Beignets- I altered it a little by adding more fruit and brandy, not serving them with chocolate sauce and instead showering the golden little fritters with lots of powdered sugar. They turned out delicious, Jack proclaimed I was the best mom ever- after eating about 5 of them. (yup- ever!)
The beignets are not the traditional French variety- you know, the ones that require yeast; instead they have a choux paste as the base for the dough. They remind me of the Bunuelos of my childhood which were drizzled with an orange flower infused honey syrup. The recipe came together quickly, next time I will probably double it though because it only yielded 12 beignets, half of which were gone before I took the first photo.
If you have a fryer, by all means use it for the frying, I used a heavy pot with a clip-on thermometer and constantly adjusted the heat to keep the temperature where it needed to be. If the oil is too hot the beignets will brown very quickly and not cook all the way through; while if the oil is too cool, the beignets will be greasy. The beignets will start out like a dense little dough ball, then as they cook they will expand and puff. A good beignet should have a hollow inside. I fried one beignet by itself to test things out and I pulled it out too early, it was browned on the outside, but had not puffed and the inside was still doughy and raw. For the rest of them, I watched the thermometer very closely and let them fry until they were puffed and golden brown. Keep a pan lined with paper towels in a warm (200 F) oven to keep the beignets warm. The choux paste can be made ahead of time and kept at room temperature up to 4 hours.
Brandied Apricot Beignets
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
vegetable oil for frying (at least 4 cups)
powdered sugar
1. Bring apricots, sugar, 1/4 cup water and brandy to a boil in a maduim saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and steep, covered for 30 minutes. Drain the apricots and set aside.
2. In a medium heavy sauce-pan over high heat combine 1/2 cup water, butter and milk and bring to a boil. Stir until the butter melts, then remove from heat. Add flour; stir briskly until dough gathers into a ball. Reduce heat to medium and place pan back on heat. Stir constantly until a film forms on the bottom of the pan, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, cool for 5 minutes.
3. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat in eggs one at a time. Add apricots and beat to combine.
4. Preheat oven to 200F. Line a large baking sheet with paper towels.
5. Pour oil in a large deep saucepan to a depth of 1-1/2 inches. Attach a deep-fry thermometer to the side of the pot. Heat oil to 330-340 F. Working in batches, drop 5 rounded spoonfuls of dough (I use a small ice cream scoop). Cook beignets until golden brown, adjusting heat to maintain correct temperature.(specially after each addition) Turn the beignets after a couple of minutes, they should fry for about 8 minutes total and be golden and puffed. Using a slotted spoon, trandfer to baking sheet in oven and keep warm while you fry the rest.
6. Serve generously sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Triple Chocolate Raspberry Triffle
I made this triffle for the Culinate Chocolate Contest which was held last week. It was fun entering an online contest and I always love a challenge.
Triple Chocolate Raspberry Triffles- They are mini triffles (ok, not so mini- large enough to be shared by two). The layers start chocolate sponge cake drizzled with Framboise, filled by fresh raspberries topped with white chocolate pastry cream. The fourth layer is a yummy Chocolate Mousse-then cake, raspberries, pastry cream and mousse again topped with white, milk and dark chocololate curls.
All of the parts of the triffle require some folding. The sponge cake does not have any leavening in it, it rises because of the whipped eggs so you must be careful to whip when required and gently fold at the end when combining the ingredients. This is a good explanation I found online to explain folding. ( Just in case someone doesn't have much experience with this technique- I was having a hard time putting it into words!)
Triple Chocolate Raspberry Triffle
Chocolate Sponge Cake
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
4 large eggs, separated (room temperature)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1- 9" cake pan or springform pan, buttered and bottom ined with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 350F
1. Sift together flour, cornstarch and cocoa onto a piece of parchment paper and set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk egg yolks and half of the sugar until combined. Whip on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to another large bowl and set aside.
3. In a clean, dry mixer bowl, whip the egg whites and salt on medium speed until they hold a soft peak. Continue to whip while slowly adding the remaining half of the sugar and vanilla. Whip until the whites hold stiff peaks.
4. Gently fold the whites into the yolks. (they do not have to complately incorporate to one another at this point, because you will continue to fold when adding the flour).
5. Sift the flour mixture over the eggs, slowly and gently fold everything together. (the batter should be thick and foamy). Spread batter into prepared pan and smooth top with a rubber spatula. bake for 25-30 minutes or until firm to the touch. Set aside to cool.
Chocolate Mousse
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Framboise
3 eggs, separated, (room temperature)
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks and chilled.
1. Heat water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. In a heat proof bowl (or bain marie) combine chocolate, butter and franboise. Stir until melted and combined then remove bowl from heat and set aside.
2. Over the same simmering water, combine egg yolks, 3 tablespoons water and 3 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl. (I use a copper mixing bowl). Whisk together until pale and fluffy- it should have the consistency of marshmellow cream and should take about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a the bowl of an electric mixer, whip egg whites until foamy, add 1/4 cup sugar slowly and increase speed to medium high. Whip until stiff peaks appear.
4. Combine egg yolks and choclate mixtures by gently whipping together. Add about half of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture and gently FOLD together, adding the whites in two stages will make them easier to incorporate. Add remaing whipped egg whites and fold again, do not over mix. Add whipped cream and fold together until just incorporated.
White Chocolate Pastry Cream
1/2 lb. white chocolate, chopped
3 cups whole milk
2 vanilla beans, scraped
8 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons unsated butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1. In a medium heavy saucepan over medium low heat, bring milk and vanilla beans to a simmer. While milk is heating, whisk together sugar and cornstartch in a small bowl. Add sugar and cornstarch to milk and whisk to combine. Whisk constantly- specially around the edges of the pot so it doesn't start to stick.
2. Put egg yolks in a small bowl and lightly whisk, then temper egg yolks by adding 1/2 cup of milk mixture. Slowly add egg yolk mixture to milk and whisk constantly. Continue to whisk until boling- after a few bubbles appear, remove from heat.
3. Add chopped white chocolate and butter and stir until the chocolate is melted and all ingredients are combined. Add vanilla, stir to mix well then cover with plastic wrap (lay the plastic directly on the cream to prevent a skin from forming). Set aside to cool.
To assemble the triffle you will need additional Framboise and fresh raspberries.
Cut the sponge cake to fit your triffle bowl, layer cake then drizzle with framboise, layer with berries, white cholate pastry cream, and choclate mousse until you reach the top- ending with mousse and raspberries. Garnish with shaved chocolate and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Banana Tarte Tatin with Rum Whipped Cream and Dulce de Leche Caramel Sauce
Banana Tarte Tatin is my interpretation of this French Classic. I like drizzling dulce de leche caramel over the top, it makes a great combination with the bananas and rum spiked whipped cream. I have sometimes made caramel for it, but in the interest of time I used some store bought dulce de leche and heated it in the microwave to soften it a bit. The dish comes together in under 40 minutes, including baking.
A note about store bought puff pastry- not all brands are alike. Check the ingredient label and be use to purchase the type made with 100% butter. Some of the puff pastries available commercially, have vegetable oil instead and there is just no comparison, specially in a dessert like this one. The brand I prefer is from Whole Foods, it's a little pricier than others at $10 for a one pound sheet, but well worth the extra dollars because of the remarkable results it yields. I try to use Bananas which are just beginning to speckle, if they are too ripe they will fall apart.
I used a shallow copper 10 inch skillet, but any large skillet with an oven prof handle will work fine. The tatin is best served warm, or at room temperature, it could also be served with dulce de leche ice cream. I have also made it with peaches and caramel sauce- quite yummy for the summer time when peaches are at their best.
Banana Tarte Tatin with Dulce de Leche Caramel Sauce and Rum whipped Cream
5 bananas, sliced lengthwise
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 lb frozen puff pastry (defrosted in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight)
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 jar dulce de leche caramel
1. In a large skillet, melt butter and mix with 1/2 cup sugar. Remove from heat, spread sugar mixture evenly and layer bananas face down over sugar.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to approximately a 14" square or circle. Transfer dough to skillet, lay over bananas and tuck in ends. Brush 2 tablespoons melted butter over dough. bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown, puffed and crispy around the edges. let cool for a few minutes.
3. Whip cream until soft peaks, add sugar, vanilla, and rum. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
4. Flip the tart onto a large cake patter and serve with whipped cream and caramel.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Mixed Berry Triffle
I really enjoy eating a good triffle, so pretty to look at yummy to eat. While a large triffle is beautiful to look at, the individual portions don't look all that great. At home, that doesn't matter as much, but at the restaurant it just doesn't work. So when I found these mini triffle bowls, I knew they would be perfect. Since local berries are out and beautiful, I made a berry triffle. I layered with cream cheese pound cake, pastry cream, whipped cream and berries. The triffle came together rather quickly, in under 30 minutes (excluding the making of the pound cake). You could if in a pinch, purchase a good quality store bought pound cake instead. The recipe would work for a large single triffle is you prefer. In the summer, I might add peaches and blueberries as well.
Notes: This pastry cream is very versatile and can be used to fill a cake, fruit tarts, or as I have used it here. It can be flavored with anything you like, this time I used Grand Marnier and vanilla. I have used vanilla beans before when making something delicate, almond extract also works well. Make sure to use a stainless-steel pan, if you use aluminum the cream with turn a grayish-brown color. The cream cheese pound cake can be found here.
Vanilla Pastry Cream
3 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
6 egg yolks
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons Grand Marnier
Whipping Cream
2 cups heavy whipping cream whipped to stiff peaks with 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/3 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar. (depending on how sweet you would like the cream- I don't like it too sweet).
3 pints mixed berries
1. In a heavy stainless steel pot over medium heat, bring the milk to a simmer. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the cornstarch and sugar together then add to the milk whisking occasionally.
2. In the same bowl, whisk egg yolks and about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture. Mix together until incorporated then pour egg mixture into the pot. Whisk constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Making sure to stir well around the corners of the pot so nothing sticks.
3. Once the mixture reaches a boil, cook for 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and mix in butter, vanilla, and Grand Marnier. Once all ingredients are incorporated and butter has melted place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream. (this will keep a skin from forming). Refrigerate cream until ready to use or up to 4 days.
Assemble triffles:
layer cubes of pound cake, pastry cream and berries until full, ending with whipping cream and berries on the top. You may brush a simple syrup on the pound cake while layering.
(1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier. Heat in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves, then brush over cake).
A large triffle bowl can be used instead of the mini ones, the recipe makes one large or 6 mini.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Strawberry Panna Cotta
Panna Cotta should be very smooth, the strawberries here do give it a little texure, but the flavor completely compensates for the lack of perfect smoothness. If your strawberries are very ripe, you may want to decrease the amount of sugar. When unmolding them dip into hot water for a few seconds, pull it away from the edge a bit if needed then invert onto the serving plate. They will keep covered in the refrigerator for about 5 days, after that I find they no longer taste fresh. This is a great dessert for a dinner party, it comes together quickly. I make it in the morning before work, leave them to chill in the refrigerator all day and unmold right before serving.
To make the compote: slice 1 lb. strawberries and place in a medium bowl. Add about 1 cup superfine sugar and about 3 tablespoons Port. Let the strawberries marinate for about 20 minutes, they will weep a bit and make a beautiful sauce with the port.
Louisiana berries...sweet and ripe (no white tops!)Strawberry Panna Cotta
1 lb strawberries, (3 cups, sliced) In addition to the strawberries for the compote.
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup sugar
5 gelatin sheets
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1. remove stems from strawberries and place in blender, add buttermilk and sugar and blend until completely pureed.
2. Strain mixture using a fine sieve, discard solids. Place 1/2 cup milk in a small bowl. Bring cream to a gentle boil, add to milk, combine with a whisk. Add gelatin sheets and allow to sit for a few minutes. Whisk gelatin mixture until combined then add to strawberry mixture and whisk together.
3. Pour mixture into six 6oz molds. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
4. To unmold, dip mold into hot water a few seconds then invert onto serving plate. Puddle a little strawberry sauce and some fresh strawberries around each Panna Cotta.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Maple Roasted Pears and French Vanilla Ice Cream
I say, one can never eat too much cake! This dish was born out of a search for new desserts...yes, that's how I spend my free time. The brown sugar pound cake is an old favorite and the maple roasted pears I had previously eaten filled with Gorgonzola cheese. (over field greens with balsamic vinaigrette- yum!) With the first bite of that pear (so very long ago), I knew it would be delicious with cake- and I was right!
I think the brown sugar pound cake, the French vanilla ice cream and the maple roasted pears make a delightful combination. The ice cream starts melting a little and mixes with the pear juices and maple syrup which then make a really nice sauce for the cake. Obviously I have thought this out a bit and you now know I am dessert obsessed!
The pears are best warm, the cake at room temperature and of course the ice cream rather frozen. The brown sugar pound cake can be made up to three days in advance, kept at room temperature wrapped in aluminum foil. I hope you enjoy my new dessert as much as I have!
Brown Sugar Pound Cake
