Tish Boyle Sweet Dreams

Homemade “Hostess” Orange Cupcakes

2012-01-28T15:28:00.001-05:00

My husband has a sterling pedigree, and claims that his family landed in America sometime before the Mohegans. I am a bit dubious, of course, and the truth is, I would’ve married him

if he had been a plumber named Manny, because I’m crazy about

him (and plumbers are so expensive), but that’s another story. Despite his Mayflower lineage, some of Dicky’s tastes can only be described as, well, low. VERY low. On one of our first dates, for example, he stopped at a newsstand to get some Chuckles after

dinner. Chuckles??? Who knew they even made those squashed gumdrops anymore, for Pete’s sake?? I tried to convince myself that they were really just commercially-made pates des fruits, but, deep-down, I knew better. And then there’s his unapologetic, misty-eyed

nostalgia for Swanson’s turkey T.V. dinners. What would the pilgrams say? They feed those to prisoners, don’t they? But nothing is more alarming than his occasional penchant for late-night trips to buy Hostess Orange Cupcakes. You, know, those chemically

enhanced yellow-orange numbers topped with neon-orange plaster and a squiggle of something that looks very suspiciously like Elmer’s Glue. It’s all quite shocking, particularly given my chosen occupation as a dessert and baking expert. But “in for a penny, in for a pound,” as they say, so I embrace all of Dicky’s low-brow preferences (Salisbury steak, anyone?) So here’s my homage to that icon of the chemically-enhanced dessert snack world, the Hostess Orange Cupcake, made with real ingredients. It’s an American classic, after all. Just like Dicky.

Note: I used Cara Cara orange zest and juice in this recipe. The Cara Cara is a sweet, low-acid navel orange which has the appearance of a common orange on the outside, but has a pinkish colored pulp as seen in the photo above.

Homemade “Hostess” Orange Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

Orange Cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups (6 oz/171 g) cake flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick/4 oz/113 g) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup (7 oz/200 g) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

3 tablespoons (1 ½ ounces/45 ml) freshly squeezed strained orange juice

1/3 cup (80 ml) whole milk

Cream Filling:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup 85 g) confectioners’ sugar

1/4 cup (58 g) heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Orange Glaze:

2 cups (113 g) confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons strained fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur

Orange food coloring

Royal Icing Squiggle:

2 ½ cups (284 g) confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons liquid pasteurized egg whites

1 tablespoon warm water

Make the cupcakes:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually add the sugar and beat at high speed for 3 minutes, until well blended and light. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, reduce the speed to medium, and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and mixing until blended. Beat in the orange zest and the orange juice until blended (the mixture will look curdled at this point). Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating it with the milk in two additions. Mix just until blended. Scrape the batter into the prepared muffin cups, dividing it evenly. Bake the cupcakes for 18 to 22 minutes, until they are a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan, set on a wire rack, for 5 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack and cool completely.

Make the filling:

4. In an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and beat at high speed until, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and beat for another minute. Scrape the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain or star tip.

Fill the cupcakes:

5. Use a paring knife to cut a small X in the center of the bottom of each cupcake. Hold a cupcake upside-down, letting your fingers rest on the top of the cupcake (which is now the bottom). Poke the pastry tip three-quarters of the way into the cupcake and squeeze in some filling, stopping when you feel a slight pressure on the top of the cupcake. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes. Set the filled cupcakes aside while you make the glaze.

Make the glaze and glaze the cupcakes:

6. Sift confectioners' sugar into a small saucepan and stir in orange juice and liqueur to make a smooth paste. Heat glaze over moderately high heat until just warm to the touch. Remove from heat and stir in some orange food coloring.

7. Leave the glaze in the saucepan on low heat. Dip each cupcake top in the glaze, letting the excess drip off. You may need to stir the glaze in between glazing each cupcake to ensure that it’s smooth.

Make the Royal Icing Squiggle:

8. Combine all the Royal Icing ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high for 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally (the icing should be fairly thick—if it seems too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth). Scrape some Royal Icing it into a small parchment cone or a pastry bag fitting with a writing tip. Pipe a row of curlicues horizontally across the center of each cupcake. Serve the cupcakes at room temperature or slightly chilled. They can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Roasted Banana Muffins

2012-01-21T16:57:00.002-05:00

Lately I’ve been doing a lot of roasting. Roasting is a good way to concentrate and intensify flavors in vegetables and fruits. I like to roast my carrots when making carrot soup, for example, and sliced

mushrooms for mushroom soup. And beets, of course, are lovely when roasted. Though most people don’t think of roasting bananas, it’s an excellent way to bring out their musky flavor, especially if

you sprinkle them with brown sugar and a bit of dark rum first. I recently came across a recipe for Roasted Banana Muffins, and decided to give them a go. The recipe comes from Eric Lanlard, a

London-based pâtissier and owner of Cake Boy pastry shop. Eric’s original recipe did not include a streusel topping – he called for topping with banana chips – but I added it because everything

tastes better with streusel, non? Eric has a book out now, Cake Boy: Home Baking from Master Pâtissier (Mitchell Beazely, 2011), and is working on another book on tarts, Tart It Up, which will be out in the fall. You’ll also be seeing him on t.v. soon, so stay tuned, because after meeting him I can tell you that he’s as charming as he is talented.

Roasted Banana Muffins

Adapted from Cake Boy by Eric Lanlard

Makes 12 muffins

Roasted Bananas:

2 large, ripe bananas

¼ cup dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons dark rum

Topping:
½ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup dark brown sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into chunks

Muffins:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 large eggs

3/4 cup whole milk

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ cup superfine sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

Roast the bananas:

2. Peel the bananas and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle them with the dark brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and rum. Wrap up the foil into a loose, but secure package, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until soft and very fragrant. Cool.

Make the topping:

3. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon and brown sugar. Add the butter pieces and, stir and mash the mixture with a fork until the topping is crumbly. Set aside.

Make the batter:

4. Melt the butter and allow it to cool. In a medium bowl, mash the roasted bananas and their roasting liquid well. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter and milk. Add the mashed bananas and mix well.

5. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Make a well in the center and add the egg and banana mixture, stirring roughly with a fork until it is a lumpy paste. Divide the batter among the muffin cups and top each one with some of the banana chips. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool.

François Payard’s Warm Chocolate Tart

2012-01-15T14:29:00.002-05:00

There are times when I want to make something really indulgent, and really simple. You know, a dessert that won’t mess up every pot, pan, bowl and whisk in my kitchen and leave me with bits of

meringue and melted chocolate in my hair. This warm chocolate tart, created by pastry chef François Payard, fits the bill perfectly. Years ago, I worked on François’ first book, Simply Sensational

Desserts (Broadway Books, 1999), rewriting and testing all the recipes, and this was one of my favorites. François’ tart dough, made in the food processor with flour, confectioners’ sugar, a whole

egg and lots of butter, is very easy to work with and doesn’t crumble when you slice it, which is a big plus. The filling is an unfussy combination of melted bittersweet chocolate (I used a good quality

60% variety), cream, milk and egg. It’s baked for a short time and should be served warm, with either ice cream or whipped cream. Thank you, François, it’s delicious.

François Payard’s Warm Chocolate Tart

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Sweet Tart Dough:

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (122 g) confectioners’ sugar

1 ¾ cups (254 g) all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

9 tablespoons (127 g) unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

Filling:

8 ounces (227 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

¾ cup (174 g) heavy cream

½ cup (121 g) whole milk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Make the dough:

1. Sift together the confectioners’ sugar, flour and salt into a bowl.

2. Place the butter in a food processor and process until smooth, about 15 seconds. Scatter the flour mixture over the butter, add the egg, and process just until the dough forms a mass; do not overmix. Turn the dough out onto the counter and divide it in two. Shape each half into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

3. Let the dough stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to soften. Lightly butter a 9 ½-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.

4. Dust a work surface lightly with flour. Dust one of the discs lightly with flour and roll it out to a rough 12-inch circle. Roll the dough up onto the rolling pin and gently unroll it over the prepared pan. Press the dough into the pan and roll the pin over the top of the pan to remove the excess dough. Prick the bottom of the tart shell all over a with a fork. Chill the tart shell for 20 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly butter a piece of aluminum foil large enough to generously line the tart pan. Line the tart shell with the foil, buttered side down, and fill with dried beans, rice or pie weights. Bake the tart shell for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking for 7 to 9 minutes longer, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

Make the filling:

6. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside.

7. Combine the cream and milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate. Allow to stand for 1 minute to the melt the chocolate, then whisk until smooth. Cool for 10 minutes.

8. Whisk the egg into the chocolate mixture. Pour the filling into the tart shell. Bake the tart for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges of the filling are set; the center will still be soft. Cool the tart on a wire rack for 10 minutes and serve warm with ice cream.

Note: you can make a the tart ahead and refrigerate it. Reheat it in a 200°F oven for about 10 minutes before serving.

Classic Tart Tatin with Rum Raisin Ice Cream

2012-01-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

There’s good reason that the classic Tarte Tatin is one of the most popular desserts in France, a country that is known for its great desserts: it’s really, really good. And it also happens to be pretty

easy to prepare, as long as you’re not queasy about intimate action with a little hot caramel. Created by Stephanie Tatin, one of the sisters who operated the Hotel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron, France,

in the 1880s, Tarte Tatin is an upside down tart that is made by cooking apples in a buttery caramel, topping it with a round of puff pastry and baking until it’s golden-brown, sweet and juicy. Then

the whole deal is flipped over onto a plate and served warm, au natural, or with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. My preference is for a quenelle of rum raisin ice cream, which has a

sweet, musky flavor that works so well apples and caramel. I like to use slightly tart Granny Smiths in my Tatin, but feel free to use any firm apple, such as Gala, Fuji or Honey Crisp.

Classic Tarte Tatin

Makes 8 servings

1 lb/454 g puff pastry (homemade or store bought)

½ cup (113 g/1 stick) unsalted butter

3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar

3 1/2 large apples (about 1 ¾ lbs), peeled, cored and quartered lengthwise*

Finely grated zest of ½ lemon

Rum Raisin ice cream, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to a thickness of 1/16 inch. Using a plate as a guide, cut a 10-inch circle out from the dough with a wheel cutter. Transfer the round to a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. In a 9 1/2-inch Tarte Tatin pan or ovenproof skillet (I used a Le Creuset Tarte Tatin Pan, which I love), melt the butter with the sugar over medium-low heat. Once the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved, turn the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Continue to boil, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar caramelizes and turn amber, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the apple quarters, arranging them in concentric circles in the pan, cut side up. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes, spooning the caramel mixture over the apples frequently so that they turn a nice golden-brown color and slightly tender. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

3. Sprinkle the lemon zest over the apples and place the dough circle on top, tucking the edges down onto the sides of the fruit, so that it is encased. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the dough has risen and is golden brown. Let the tart cool for 5 minutes.

4. Put on potholders and place a large cake plate (or any plate this is larger than the Tatin pan) upside-down on top of the pan. Holding the pan and plate tightly together, quickly invert both, so that the plate is now on the bottom. Carefully remove the pan. Serve slices of the tart warm, topped with Rum Raisin ice cream.

Citrus Ricotta Cheesecake

2012-01-03T13:17:00.000-05:00

It’s a new year, and with it comes lots of good intentions and new resolutions. I usually make one or two, half-heartedly, but never seem to keep them. So this year, I’m going to be a realist. My 2012 resolutions are: 1) gain 15 pounds and 2) take up smoking. Okay, so

I’m not serious, but I’m also not planning on making any unrealistic resolutions that I don’t have a shot at keeping. I love good food, especially desserts, and I plan on eating them (in moderation, of course) throughout the year. Which brings me to cheesecake, one

of my favorite desserts. I love it in all forms and flavors, and this is one of my top picks, made with ricotta cheese. It’s a no-bake cheesecake that comes together in under an hour, and just needs to chill for at least 4 hours before serving. And because you blend the

ricotta in a food processor, the cake has a silky-smooth texture that contrasts nicely with the crunchy graham cracker crust. The citrus flavor of the cake is intensified by blending the sugar with orange and lemon zest, which releases the essential oils of the fruit. And just a touch of gelatin gives this cake its soft structure. Oh, one last resolution for me—I resolve not to eat this whole cake (I promise to give my husband a piece). Happy New Year to you all!!

Citrus Ricotta Cheesecake

Makes 10 to 12 servings

Crust:

1 ½ cups gingersnap or graham cracker crumbs

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Ricotta Cheesecake Filling:

1 cup milk, divided

2 ¼ teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin

1 cup granulated sugar

Grated zest of 1 navel orange

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1 ½ cups whole or part-skim ricotta (preferably fresh)

8 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes

¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the crust:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the cookie or graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the crust is set. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool completely.

Make the filling:

3. Place 1/3 cup of the milk in a small cup and sprinkle over the gelatin. Set aside to soften.

4. Combine the sugar and citrus zest in a food processor and process until the zest is finely ground and has released some its essential oils into the sugar. Set the sugar aside.

5. Place the ricotta cheese in the bowl of the food processor (no need to clean it first) and process until smooth, about 8 seconds. Set aside.

6. In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 2/3 cup milk and the cream cheese and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the milk begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and whisk until smooth. Scrape the softened gelatin into the pan and whisk until it dissolves. Whisk in the lemon sugar and orange and lemon juice. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.

7. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream, ricotta cheese and vanilla at medium-high speed to medium peaks. Fold one-third of it into the cooled cream cheese mixture, then fold in the remaining whipped cream mixture in two additions. If the mixture still has a few lumps in it, gently whisk it until smooth. Scrape the filling into the cooled crust. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours.

8. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

Rummy Eggnog Cookies

2011-12-16T20:12:00.000-05:00

The cookie baking season is upon is. Between the parties, cookie swaps and giving of homemade gifts, the opportunities to show off one’s cookie baking skills are ample. My own favorite Christmas

recipes include jam-filled Linzer cookies, snowy almond crescents, chocolate sandwiched butter cookies, and classic vanilla and chocolate checkerboard squares. And then there are my Rummy

Eggnog Cookies, which I consider to be the quintessential holiday treat. Nothing says the holidays like boozy eggnog, after all. These nutmeg-infused squares of shortbread are sandwiched together

with a creamy filling spike with dark rum (though they are equally delish flavored with brandy, Cognac or bourbon). They are a stellar addition to any cookie tray or assortment, and may just become a holiday tradition of your very own.

Rummy Eggnog Cookies

Adapted from a recipe in The Good Cookie

Makes 30 sandwich cookies

Storage: in an airtight container at room temperature or refrigerated for up to a week.

Eggnog dough:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour

Coarse sugar, for sprinkling

Rummy cream filling:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon dark rum

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish:

Freshly grated nutmeg

Make the eggnog cookies:

1. In an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add the egg yolk, vanilla extract, nutmeg, and salt and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Add the flour and mix at low speed until combined. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, pat it into a rectangle, and wrap it up. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour (or up to 3 days).

2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or foil.

3. Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle it lightly with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Using a 1 3/4-inch round flower cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as possible from the dough. Cut out the center of half of the cookies with a 1/2-inch aspic cutter (of any shape) or 1/2-inch plain pastry tip (these will be the tops). Carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, keeping the tops and bottoms on separate baking sheets (the tops will take a minute or so less to bake than the bottoms). Sprinkle the cookies with coarse sugar. Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom (but not on top). Transfer the cookies to wire racks and cool completely. Repeat the rolling, cutting, and baking procedure with the remaining dough and scraps.

Make the rummy cream filling:

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, rum, and vanilla extract and beat until blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl; increase the speed to high and beat until the buttercream is creamy, about 2 minutes.

Assemble the cookies:

5. Spread about 3/4 teaspoon of the filling onto the bottom of one of the whole cookies. Top with one of the cut-out cookies, with the bottom side against the filling, pressing the cookies lightly together. Grate a bit of fresh nutmeg on top of each cookie. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Serve the cookies at room temperature or chilled.

Pecan Raisin Bread

2011-12-04T13:01:00.001-05:00

In my younger days, when I had more time, I baked bread quite a bit. I love the process – the slightly sour smell of the yeast, the physical mixing and kneading of the dough, waiting for the dough to puff up, and finally, finally, that beautiful, fragrant golden brown

loaf of crusty fresh-baked bread. These days, I don’t bake bread very often; I consider it a treat, a small luxury that time allows. I have many bread books that I love and use, but my newest favorite is How To Make Bread (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2011) by Emmanuel

Hadjandreou. I’ve mentioned Hadjandreou on this blog before, when I shared his recipe for Pains aux Raisins. I like his method of repetitive short-duration kneading followed by a 10-minute rest. It’s doable, but still gives you the flavor development that’s so

crucial to good bread. This time I made Hadjandreou’s Pecan Raisin Bread, which contains a small amount of whole wheat flour along with chopped pecans and golden raisins. A little crushed fennel seed would also be a welcome addition, I think. The bread is delicious, with a beautiful crust and slightly sweet and nutty flavor. I soon realized that the small loaf the recipe yields was just not enough. It can easily be doubled, though, so I suggest you make yourself two small loaves. It’s also great toasted, slathered with European butter and a little spoonful of fig preserves.

Pecan Raisin Bread

Makes 1 small loaf

1/3 cup (35 g) chopped pecans

1/3 cup (35 g) golden raisins

1 2/3 cups (200 g) bread flour

1/3 cup (50 g) whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon (5 g) salt

¾ teaspoon (2 g) active dry yeast

¾ cup (180 g) warm water

1. In a bowl, mix together the pecans and raisins and set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, mix together the flours and salt.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast and water, stirring to dissolve the yeast. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon and then with your hands until the mixture forms a dough. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.

4. Add the pecan mixture to the dough and knead in the bowl by pulling a portion of the dough up from the side and pressing it into the middle. Turn the bowl slightly and repeat this process with another portion of the dough. Repeat another 8 times. Cover the bowl again and let stand for 10 minutes.

5. Repeat the kneading and standing twice, then knead the dough once more, cover and let it stand for 1 hour.

6. When the dough has doubled in volume, punch it down to release the air. Lightly dust a work surface. Transfer the dough to the work surface and fold one edge of the dough over into the middle. Fold the opposite edge over to the middle. Now roll the dough to make a sausage shape, making the ends tapered.

7. Sprinkle the flour over the bread. Score diagonal lines along the surface using a sharp, serrated knife. Place the loaf on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until slightly less than double in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.

8. About 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 475°F. Place a roasting pan at the bottom of the oven to preheat. Fill a cup with water and set aside.

9. When the dough has risen, remove the plastic wrap. Place the bread in the oven and pour the cupful of water into the hot roasting pan. Lower the oven temperature to 400°F. Bake the bread for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Warm Chocolate Soufflé with Pistachio Crème Anglaise

2011-11-29T21:31:00.001-05:00

No doubt about it, soufflés get a bad rap. They are generally regarded as fussy, temperamental and prone to failure, and home cooks avoid them like the plague. Most people wouldn’t dream of

making them for, say, an intimate dinner party for eight. In my mind, though, they are the ultimate dinner party dessert, for the following reasons:

ͻThey can made up a day in advance (up to the point of baking).

ͻThey are very easy to prepare.

ͻThey are served in their own ramekins, so no slicing or spooning out is required.

ͻTheir presentation is dramatic, and is bound to elicit lots of ‘wows’.

ͻAlmost everyone loves them.

Since dark chocolate and pistachio is a favorite flavor combo of mine, I opted to make a warm chocolate soufflé served with a pistachio custard sauce. The cold sauce is served alongside the

soufflé, and poured into its center at serving. The key to a successful soufflé is serving it straight out of the oven – dawdling to admiring your work is not recommended. Once served, the rich, warm center of the soufflé melds with the cold, fragrant sauce, creating an unforgettable texture and flavor. Make sure to use a high-quality chocolate here, as there’s quite a bit of it in this recipe.

Warm Chocolate Souffles with Pistachio Custard Sauce

Makes 6 servings

Pistachio Crème Anglaise:

1 cup (tk g) shelled pistachios

1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream

1 cup (240 ml) whole milk

1/4 cup (1.7 oz/50 g) granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

4 large egg yolks

Chocolate Soufflés:

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used a 68% chocolate), chopped

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 large egg yolks

Pinch of salt

6 large egg whites, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Make the crème Anglaise:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the shelled pistachios on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Let cool completely. Transfer the pistachios to a food processor and grind to a fine powder.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk with the cream and pistachios and bring to a boil. Cover, remove from the heat and let stand to infuse for 30 minutes.

3. Strain the pistachio cream through a fine sieve into another medium saucepan. Add the sugar and salt. Whisk in the egg yolks and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the custard sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes. Do not let the custard boil, or it will curdle.

4. Pour the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium stainless steel bowl. Set the bowl containing the sauce into a large mixing bowl filled one-third of the way with ice water (be careful that the water doesn’t splash into the sauce). Stir the sauce frequently until it is slightly chilled, about 15 minutes. Cover the bowl of sauce and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Make the soufflés:

5. Butter the bottom and sides of six 6-ounce ramekins; sprinkle with sugar, tilting cups to coat completely and tapping out any excess. Arrange prepared soufflé dishes on large baking sheet.

6. Combine chocolate and cream in large metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Stir egg yolks and salt into chocolate mixture. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, beating until semi-firm peaks form. Using rubber spatula, fold 1/3 of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold remaining egg whites into chocolate mixture in 2 additions. Divide chocolate mixture among prepared ramekins, filling dishes completely. At this point you can refrigerate the unbaked soufflés for up to 24 hours before baking.

7. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Bake soufflés on baking sheet until puffed and tops feel firm, about 16 minutes if at room temperature and about 18 minutes if chilled.

Giving Thanks

2011-11-23T09:04:00.003-05:00

Ordinarily, I exercise restraint in self-promotion. Yesterday, however, I was honored by Cooking Light magazine (ironic, non?), and I feel compelled to share this exciting news. The Cake Book was included in Cooking Light’s top seven baking books of the past 25 years! Gads! Knowing there are so many great baking books out there, I recognize this as a great honor, indeed. Check out the article here, and read about the other six books – I am in very good company (congratulations to my dear friend Carole Walter, whose book Great Cookies also made the list). I sincerely thank the editors of Cooking Light, and wish them all – along with you, loyal readers of this blog – a wonderful, gluttonous, very happy Thanksgiving. ♥

Warm Chocolate Panettone Bread Pudding

2011-11-19T17:42:00.002-05:00

Though it might insult my Italian friends to say it, I’ve never been a huge fan of panettone, the sweet yeast bread from Milan that's so popular at Christmastime. It might have something to do with a press trip to Italy I went on years ago that was filled with endless

tours of panettone and biscotti factories. The low point of the trip was a long presentation in a stifling room by an executive from one of the largest panettone producers. His English was not perfect (though admittedly far superior to my Italian), and he repeatedly

pronounced the word “dough” like “dog” throughout his speech. One of my co-workers actually nodded off during the presentation, letting out a loud snort as he jerked himself back into consciousness. I still giggle at the memory. But back to the

panettone. Though I love its subtle orange flavor and richness, I find it a bit dry. It’s not bad when dunked into coffee, but I’ve found a better alternative: using it as the base for a rich chocolate bread pudding. Originally conceived as a frugal way of using leftover or

stale bread, bread pudding has since evolved into a sophisticated dessert. The basic bread pudding recipe calls for sliced or cubed bread, milk and/or cream, eggs and sugar. But I’ve gilded the lily by using panettone in place of plain bread, and added some melted

bittersweet chocolate to make a rich and very chocolaty version. If you’re a panettone purist, you’ll no doubt be rolling your eyes in horror after reading this post, but if you’re like me, you’ll be happy you found a great reason to go out and buy your own panettone. Ciao!

Warm Chocolate Panettone Bread Pudding

Serves 8

Softened butter, for preparing pan

1 pound panettone, dark crust removed and cut into 1-inch cubes

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, preferably 61% cocoa solids, chopped
3 ½ cups half-and-half

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ cup packed light brown sugar
8 large egg yolks

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 200°F. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 2-quart casserole or baking dish.

2. Scatter the panettone cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, until lightly golden and dried. Set aside to cool.

3. Place the chocolate in a medium stainless steel bowl and set the bowl on top of a pot of barely simmering water. Heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. In a saucepan, combine the half-and-half and sugars and bring to a gently boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat.

5. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cinnamon and vanilla extract until combined. Gradually add the hot half-and-half mixture, whisking until smooth. Whisk in the warm melted chocolate. Gently stir in the panettone cubes, making sure they are completely coated. Set aside for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Preheat oven to 375°F. Pour the panettone mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover the dish with a piece of foil, tenting the foil so that it doesn’t rest on the surface of the pudding. Place the baking dish into a larger roasting pan, and pour hot water into the roasting pan so that it comes halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake the pudding for about 45 minutes, or until set in the center. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

7. Serve the pudding warm with softly whipped cream.

Chocolate Macarons

2011-11-13T15:59:00.002-05:00

The Chocolate Show has been in New York for the past few days, so I thought it fitting to dedicate this week’s blog post to something that even chocolate purists would love: classic chocolate macarons. I don’t claim to be a macaron expert – I haven’t exactly

perfected my technique, and chocolate macarons can be especially tricky for some reason. I prefer to make a French (as opposed to Italian or Swiss) meringue for my batter, which is a bit less stable. A pastry chef who worked for Laduree for several years recently told

me to try making them with an Italian meringue, and to use it while the meringue is still hot. This, he explained, is very stable and gives you the added bonus of a shorter drying time for the piped macarons. I will try that next time, but for now, my slightly

imperfect macarons will have to do. I sprinkled the tops of each with cacao nibs, which are a slightly bitter counterpoint to the sweet macarons, and add a pleasant crunch. The filling is a classic ganache, and can be tailored to your taste by your choice of the cacao percentage of your dark chocolate. Because the macarons are sweet, a high percentage chocolate is ideal here (around 70%), particularly if you want to maximize the chocolate punch.

Chocolate Macarons

Makes about 24 macarons

Chocolate Ganache Filling:

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (61 to 70%, depending on your taste), finely chopped

½ cup (4 oz) heavy cream

1 teaspoon light corn syrup

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Chocolate Macarons:

4 tablespoons (25 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder (check gram amount)

2/3 cup (66 g) almond flour or meal

1 ¼ cups (150 g) confectioners’ sugar

4 large egg whites, at room temperature

7 Tbs (87 g) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cacao nibs for top of macarons

Make the ganache:

1. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside.

2. Place the cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate in the bowl. Let stand for 1 minute to melt the chocolate and gently whisk until smooth and emulsified. Whisk in the vanilla, then the butter pieces, until they are completely melted. Cover the surface of the ganache with plastic wrap and set aside until cool. (The filling should be spreadable when cool; if it’s a little soft, regrigerate it for 10 minutes or so before using.)

Make the macarons:

3. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

4. In a food processor, process the cocoa powder and almond flour with the confectioners’ sugar until well blended. Sift the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl.

5. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy. Very gradually add the granulated sugar and beat until stiff and glossy. Add the vanilla and beat until blended.

6. Add half of the sifted almond mixture and fold it in with a spatula. Add the remaining almond mixture and mix it in a light circular motion. Press and spread out the batter against the side of the bowl. Scoop the batter from the bottom of the bowl and turn it upside down. Repeat this motion about 15 times. When the batter becomes nicely firm and drips slowly as you scoop it with the spatula, it is ready to be piped.

7. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F. Fit a pastry bag with a .4-inch plain tip (Ateco #4). Scrape the batter into the bag. Pipe out 1-inch rounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them ½ inch apart. Rap the baking sheet firmly against the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Top each macaron with a few cacao nibs. Dry the batter at room temperature, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes. The batter circles should not stick to your finger when you touch them. If they do, let them dry a little longer.

8. Stack the baking sheet with the macarons on it on another baking sheet. Place both sheets, stacked, in the oven and bake the macarons for about 12 minutes, until slightly crisp (they will crisp more upon cooling). Cool completely on a wire rack.

Assemble the macarons:

9. Scrape the ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a .4 inch plain tip (Ateco #4, the same size as you used to pipe the macarons). Pipe a grape-sized dollop of ganache onto the underside of a macaron. Gently press the underside of another macaron against the ganache until it spreads almost to the edge. Repeat with the remaining macarons and ganache. Store the macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Carrot Cake Cookies

2011-11-06T18:10:00.001-05:00

Just in time for the holiday baking season, several new cookie books have hit the cookbook scene. I received a review copy of one of these recently, Cookies at Home With The Culinary Institute of America by Todd Knaster (Wiley, 2011; $34.99). It’s the latest in

the CIA’s ‘At Home’ series, which features recipes for the home cook. It’s a big, beautiful book, filled with lots of full-page color photos and almost 100 recipes. The recipes lean toward the home-spun – nothing too complex here – but many of the cookies feature

intriguing flavor combination (i.e. Pistachio Orange Biscotti and Sweet Potato-Pecan Pie Bars). The book includes all the classics, and even has a savory cookie chapter, which includes recipes such as Parmsan Taralles and Jalapeno Cheddar Zaliti. After flipping

through the book a few times, I kept coming back to one recipe, though: Carrot Cake Cookies. What a great idea! These oatmeal-based cookies are loaded with all the goodies that are found in carrot cake – grated carrots, walnuts, raisins and cinnamon. There’s

even some coconut thrown in for good measure. The cookies are sandwiched together with a lush and glossy cream cheese frosting, the icing on the proverbial cake. Or cookie. These cookies are quite delish, and may just be the star in your holiday cookie assortment this year.

Carrot Cake Cookies

Adapted from Cookies at Home With The Culinary Institute of America by Todd Knaster

Makes 2 dozen cookies

Cookies:

½ lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup (217 g) packed light brown sugar

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup (81 g) old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

1 cup (125 g) sweetened shredded coconut

1 ½ cups (155 g) grated carrots

1 cup (144 g) raisins

¾ cup (70 g) chopped walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 cup (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup (115 g) confectioners’sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Make the cookies:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, gently blend the butter, sugars, salt and vanilla on low speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

3. Stir the flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Add to the creamed mixture all at once and mix on low speed just until combined.

4. Stir in the oats, coconut, carrots, raisins and walnuts by hand. Chill the dough until firm, at least 30 minutes.

5. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

6. Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets using a #40 scoop and spacing them about 1 ½ inches apart.

7. Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes.

8. Allow the cookies to cool for a minute on the baking sheets then transfer, using a spatula, to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

Make the frosting:

9. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese, butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes.

10. Add the vanilla, salt and lemon zest and mix to combine.

Assemble the cookies
11. Use an offset spatula to spread a few tablespoons of frosting on half of the cooled cookies, then sandwich the cookies together.

Deep-Dish Pumpkin-Pecan Pie

2011-10-30T12:58:00.003-04:00

When it comes to Thanksgiving dessert, I'm firmly in the pecan pie camp. And the pumpkin pie camp. And the lemon meringue and apple pie camp. A chocolate cream pie wouldn’t hurt, either – the

more, the merrier, I say. When I am cooking for Thanksgiving, I always offer a selection of several different pie varieties. But cooking Thanksgiving dinner can be fairly stressful, so I am offering a

solution for the time-consuming multi-variety pie predicament: Deep-Dish Pumpkin-Peca Pie. With it, you get the creamy traditional pumpkin filling and just enough sweet, crunchy pecan

topping to satisfy your pecan pie urge. The crust, possibly the most important part of a pie, is made with just enough shortening to make it flaky, and enough butter to give it a rich flavor, a happy

compromise. The filling is a standard pumpkin pie filling, and since the pie is made in a deep-dish pan, there’s plenty of it. The topping is a simple mixture of pecans, brown sugar, Lyle’s Golden Syrup and vanilla, and bakes up into thin layer of sticky deliciousness. I might just eat this whole pie…

Deep-Dish Pumpkin-Pecan Pie

Makes one 9-inch deep-dish pie, serving 8

Classic Flaky Pie Crust:

2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch chunks and frozen

½ cup vegetable shortening, frozen

6 to 8 tablespoons ice-cold water

Pumpkin Filling:

2 cups (500 g) unsweetened canned pumpkin puree (Libby's is best)

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger

Pecan Praline Topping:

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon Lyle’s Golden syrup or light or dark corn syrup

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the dough for the crust:

1. Place the flour and salt in a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade and pulse on and off until combined. Scatter the butter pieces and the shortening, in large chunks, over the flour mixture. Pulse the machine on and off until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 6 tablespoons of the ice water and process until the mixture just starts to come together. (If the dough seems dry, add the remaining 2 tablespoons water as necessary. Do not allow the dough to form a ball on the blade, or the resulting crust will be tough!)

2. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, divide it in half, and shape each half into a thick disk. Wrap the disks separately in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. (You will only need one disk for this recipe, so you can freeze the other disk for later use.)

Roll out the crust:

3. Lightly flour a large work surface. Allow the dough to soften at room temperature just until it is pliable (about 20 minutes). Place 1 disk on the floured surface and sprinkle some flour over it. Roll the dough from the center out in every direction, flouring the work surface as necessary to prevent sticking. You want a round about 1/8 inch or slightly less thick and about 3 inches greater in diameter than the pie pan you are using.

4. Transfer the crust to a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan (if you don’t use a deep-dish pan, there will be some filling left over) by rolling it loosely around the rolling pin and unrolling it carefully over the pan. Press the dough first into the bottom of the pan and then against the sides. Patch any holes or cracks with dough scraps. Trim the edges of the dough with scissors, leaving about 3/4 inch of overhang.

Par-bake the pie crust

5. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line the pie crust with a large sheet of lightly buttered aluminum foil, buttered side down, covering the edge of the crust so that it doesn't get too brown. Fill the lined crust with pie weights, dried beans, or raw rice. Bake the pie crust for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and foil. Prick the bottom of the crust well with a fork and bake the crust for another 7 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden, but the crust is not fully baked. Cool the pie crust on a wire rack while you make the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

Make the filling:

6. Whisk together the pumpkin, cream, sugar, flour, vanilla, salt and spices until smooth. Whisk in the eggs until well blended. Sprinkle the crystallized ginger over the bottom of the par-baked crust. Pour the filling into prepared crust and bake at 325° for 55 minutes, until the filling is almost, but not quite, set in the center.

Make the topping:

7. Combine the pecans, brown sugar, syrup, and vanilla, and stir well. Sprinkle pecan mixture over pie, and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until filling is set. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Momofuku Milk Bar’s Incredible Chocolate-Chocolate Cookies

2011-10-22T18:04:00.001-04:00

I generally don’t buy cookies – store- or bakery-bought ones almost always disappoint me, as homemade ones are so much better. Unless, of course, you are talking about cookies from Momofuku Milk Bar, where baking genius Christine Tosi whips up some pretty amazing treats. She has developed a

cult following for her desserts – particularly her Crack Pie – and is now sharing her recipes in a new book. Momofuku Milk Bar (Clarkson Potter, 2011; $35) is a collection of recipes for the bakery’s favorite items, from savory to sweet. The book includes recipes for Momofuku classics such

as the addictive Crack Pie, Compost Cookie, Cereal Milk Ice Cream and Kimchi and Blue Cheese Croissants. Christine Tosi’s road to baking fame began several years ago when Momofuku founder David Chang asked her to make a dessert for service at Ssäm Bar one night.

Just like that, the pastry program at Momofuku was born, and Christina’s lighthearted desserts helped Ssäm Bar earn three stars from the New York Times and Ko two stars from the Michelin Guide. Soon enough, Christina and company opened their own bakery, and the rest, as they say, is history.

One of my personal favorites among the Milk Bar repertoire is Tosi’s Chocolate-Chocolate Cookies, which are big, moist, really chocolaty and a bit salty. Like her Crack Pie, they are very addictive.

Chocolate-Chocolate Cookies

Adapted from Momofuku Milk Bar (Clarkson Potter, 2011)

Makes 16 cookies

Chocolate Crumbs

6 tablespoons (52 g) all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon (2 g) cornstarch

¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar

½ cup (32 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona

½ teaspoon (2 g) kosher salt on

3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, melted

Cookies:

16 tablespoons (225 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar

¼ cup (100 g) glucose or light corn syrup

1 large egg

¼ teaspoon (1 g) vanilla extract

2 ounces (60 g) 55% chocolate, melted

1 1/3 cups plus 2 tablespoons (200 g) all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups (100 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona

¾ teaspoon (3 g) baking powder

¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) baking soda

1 ¾ teaspoons (7 g) kosher salt

Make the Chocolate Crumbs:

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

2. Combine the flour, cornstarch, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and paddle on low speed until mixed.

3. Add the butter and paddle on low speed until the mixture starts to come together in small clusters.

4. Spread the clusters on a parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes, breaking them up occasionally. The crumbs should still be slightly moist to the touch at that point; they will dry and harden as they cool.

5. Let the crumbs cool completely before using in a recipe or eating. Stored in an airtight container, they will keep fresh for 1 week at room temperature or 1 month in the fridge or freezer.

Make the cookies:

6. Combine the butter, sugar, and glucose in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, vanilla, and melted chocolate, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes.

7. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. (Do not walk away from the machine during this step, or you will risk overmixing the dough.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

8. Still on low speed, add the chocolate crumbs and mix just until incorporated, about 30 seconds.

9. Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop (or a 1⁄4-cup measure), portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 week. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature—they will not bake properly.

10. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

11. Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pans. (I put 6 dough discs on a sheet at one time.) Bake for 18 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle, and spread. It’s tough (kind of impossible) to gauge if a cookie that is this dark with chocolate is done. If after 18 minutes, the cookies still seem doughy in the center, give them another 1 minute in the oven, but not more.

12. Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or an airtight container for storage. At room temp, the cookies will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.

Citrus Olive Oil Cake

2011-10-15T19:53:00.000-04:00

Having been to my share of olive oil tastings, I have come to appreciate the varying flavor characteristics of different extra-virgin olive oils, which can be as complex as the nuances in fine wines. They can range from peppery to pungent, or from bitter to fruity.

Like wine, they can also be described as floral, grassy, rich, delicate, buttery, vegetal, or nutty. Choosing the right extra-virgin olive oil for a particular use is very important, especially when using it in a cake. To showcase one of my favorite olive oils, I decided to make a

Citrus Olive Oil Cake, which uses 1½ cups of extra-virgin olive oil. I used a grassy, fresh-flavored oil, Galiga E Vetrice from O & Co, in my cake, which pairs well with citrus, but you may prefer a more fruity or floral oil, depending on your taste preference. The cake is

very moist and subtly flavored, with a citrus endnote. The olive oil flavor in the finished cake is soft and buttery, not heavy-handed. The recipe was adapted from Team USA’s plated dessert entry at the 2010 World Pastry Competition, and I think it’s just lovely. I hope you do, too.

Citrus Olive Oil Cake

Makes one 10-inch Bundt cake, serving 12

Cake:

2 cups granulated sugar

Zest of 3 lemons and 2 oranges

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups (338 g) Greek yogurt

1 ½ cups extra-virgin olive oil

6 large eggs, lightly whisked together

2 ¾ cups (364 g) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

Citrus Glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

Pinch of salt

Make the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan and dust it with flour.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, lemon zest and salt. Add the yogurt, eggs and olive oil and whisk until well blended. Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder and whisk into the mixture, one-third at a time, just until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake for about 40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into one of the peaks of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan, set on a wire rack, for 20 minutes.

3. Invert the cake onto the rack and cool completely.

Make the glaze:

4. Gently whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Ohio Shaker Lemon Pie

2011-10-08T16:41:00.000-04:00

I know it’s predictable and perhaps a little boring, but the fact is that The Joy of Cooking – the 1997 version, that is – is one of my favorite and most used cookbooks. You can find just about everything in it, the recipes always work (though there are a few

typos here and there) and they are generally very good. Many of my good friends worked on this book, either contributing recipes or performing the mammoth task of copyediting it (kudos to copyediting genius Judith Sutton). One of my interns even worked

on the book after leaving my dysfunctional nest at Chocolatier. Though there are plenty of good international recipes in The Joy, I find the American classics to be the best. Among them is the classic Ohio Lemon Pie, a.k.a. Shaker Lemon Pie. The Shakers are known

for their wonderful pies (and furniture). Back in the day, lemons were considered to be a valuable commodity, so those thrifty Shakers figured out how to use the whole fruit in a pie. I love the frugality of this, and it reminds me of one of my favorite French

desserts, Pradier’s Whole Lemon Tart, which he made for my cooking class during a demo one day, many years ago in Paris. But in Pradier’s version, the lemons are chucked whole, seeds and all, into the food processor and transformed to a puree. In the Shaker pie, they are sliced thinly and macerated in sugar. Like Pradier’s tart, the Shaker Lemon Pie is not for the feint of heart. It’s got a serious lemon kick, which is why lemon fanatics love it so. Encased in a flaky-yet-buttery crust (my own recipe), this pie is downright irresistible. And you don’t have to be a Shaker from Ohio, either, to love it.

Ohio Shaker Lemon Pie (adapted from The Joy of Cooking)

Makes one tangy 9-inch pie

Lemon Pie Filling:

2 large lemons

2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 tablespoons (22 g) all-purpose flour

Classic Flaky Pie Crust:

2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch chunks and frozen

½ cup vegetable shortening, frozen

6 to 8 tablespoons ice-cold water

Coarse sugar, for sprinkling

Make the filling:

1. Remove the zest from the lemons and set it aside. Using a mandoline or Benriner (or, if you have the patience of a saint, a sharp knife), slice the zested lemons paper-thin, removing any seeds. In a bowl, combine the lemon slices with the zest, sugar and salt. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 2, and up to 24, hours.

Make the dough for the crust:

2. Place the flour and salt in a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade and pulse on and off until combined. Scatter the butter pieces and the shortening, in large chunks, over the flour mixture. Pulse the machine on and off until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 6 tablespoons of the ice water and process until the mixture just starts to come together. (If the dough seems dry, add the remaining 2 tablespoons water as necessary. Do not allow the dough to form a ball on the blade, or the resulting crust will be tough!)

3. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, divide it in half, and shape each half into a thick disk. Wrap the disks separately in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.

Roll out the crust:

4. Lightly flour a large work surface. Allow the dough to soften at room temperature just until it is pliable (about 20 minutes). Place 1 disk on the floured surface and sprinkle some flour over it. Roll the dough from the center out in every direction, flouring the work surface as necessary to prevent sticking. You want a round about 1/8 inch or slightly less thick and about 3 inches greater in diameter than the pie pan you are using.

5. Transfer the crust to a 9-inch pie pan by rolling it loosely around the rolling pin and unrolling it carefully over the pan. Press the dough first into the bottom of the pan and then against the sides. Patch any holes or cracks with dough scraps. Trim the edges of the dough with scissors, leaving about 3/4 inch of overhang. Roll out the second disk in the same manner and place it on a baking sheet. Cut some decorative holes out of the crust using small cutters, if you like. (Otherwise you can vent it with a paring knife later.) Chill the crust for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

Continue making the filling:

6. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Whisk in the melted butter and flour. Stir in the lemon mixture. Pour the filling into the pie crust, leveling it with a spoon. Drape the chilled top crust over the filling and trim it to allow a 3/4-inch overhang. Press the edges of the two crusts together to seal them. Tuck the dough underneath itself, pressing it onto the rim of the pan. Flute the edge. Use a paring knife to vent the top crust, if you haven’t made any cutouts in it, and sprinkle with some coarse sugar. Bake the pie for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes more. Let cool completely on a rack. The pie can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, but it should be served at room temperature.

Chocolate "Pan" Cake with Silky Chocolate Frosting and Cacao Nib and Almond Nougatine

2011-10-01T17:29:00.000-04:00

There are times when a quick, no-fuss-no-muss chocolate cake is just the ticket. My version, what I like to call a Chocolate “Pan” Cake, is frosted and served right from the pan. You can’t get much

simpler than that (unless you use a mix, and that’s obviously to be avoided at all costs). This cake is also quite versatile—you can either swirl the frosting on top with a spatula, for a down-home, simple

look, or dress it up by piping on the frosting and topping it with some flashy-looking almond nougatine. The cake itself is a moist one; sour cream and butter make it so, and brown sugar gives it a

complex, musky sweetness. I like to top it with a classic chocolate Swiss buttercream, which has a silky mouthfeel that is a perfect match for this moist, chocolaty cake. A chopped Cacao Nib and

Almond Nougatine adds a touch of bitterness and some contrasting crunch. If you find Swiss buttercream to be too complex, top it with the frosting of your choice--peanut butter frosting is delish—and simplify things by substituting cookie crumbs or toasted nuts for the nougatine.

Chocolate “Pan” Cake with Silky Chocolate Frosting

Makes one 9-inch square cake, serving 9

Sour Cream Fudge Cake:

1 1/2 cups (170 g) cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 ounces (57 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped (I like to use Scharffen Berger, though it’s a bit pricey!)

1/2 cup (1 stick/113 g) unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar

¾ cup (163 g) firmly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup (121 g) sour cream

1/2 cup (120 ml) hot water

Chocolate Buttercream:

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3 tablespoons (45 ml) water, divided

½ cup (100 gr) granulated sugar

2 1/2 large (75 gr) egg whites

1 cup (2 sticks/227 g) unsalted butter, slightly softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cacao Nib and Almond Nougatine:

¾ cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons water

½ cup cacao nibs

½ cup toasted slivered almonds (toast for 7 minutes at 350°F)

Make the cake:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan. Dust the pan with flour and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.

3. Put the chocolate in a medium stainless steel bowl and place the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the bowl from over the pot and set the chocolate aside to cool until tepid.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugars and beat at high speed until well blended and light, about 3 minutes. At medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Beat in the vanilla extract until blended. Add the chocolate in two additions, mixing until blended. At low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating it with the sour cream in two additions and mixing just until blended. Add the hot water, one-third at a time, mixing until blended. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and, using a rubber spatula, mix the batter a few times to ensure that it is evenly blended. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

5. Bake the cake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake completely in the pan, set on a wire rack.

Make the nougatine:

6. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or piece of parchment paper. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and place over medium heat. Swirl the mixture just until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil the mixture until it turns a deep golden brown, about 7 minutes, occasionally brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to remove any sugar crystals.

7. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cacao nibs and almonds and cook for another minute. Pour the mixture into the center of the pan and place the pan on a wire rack. Let cool completely.

8. Slide a metal spatula under the nougatine to remove it from the pan and transfer it to a cutting surface. Chop the nougatine finely using a chef’s knife (a food processor will not give you as good a result, so avoid using it here). Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

Make the buttercream:

9. In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the water over a pot of barely simmering water. Stir until smooth. Let cool.

10. Pour enough water into a skillet so that it comes 1/2-inch up its sides. Bring the water to a simmer; reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer.

11. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar, egg whites, and remaining 1 ½ tablespoons water. Place the bowl in the skillet of water and whisk gently until the mixture registers 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.

12. Transfer the bowl to the mixer stand and, using the whisk attachment, beat at medium-high speed until the meringue is cool and forms stiff, shiny peaks, about 5 minutes.

13. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Beat in the vanilla. Beat at high speed until the buttercream is smooth, about 1 minute. Mix the cooled melted chocolate into the finished buttercream at low speed. Stir the buttercream by hand with a rubber spatula until completely blended.

Frost the cake:

14. Frost the top of the cake with the buttercream (you can either pipe it on or swirl it with a small spatula, as you prefer). Serve the cake from the pan, cutting it into squares and sprinkling each piece with some Cacao Nib and Almond Nougatine.

Caramel Apple Tart

2011-09-24T17:37:00.001-04:00

It’s fall, my favorite time of year, which means its also apple season. The farmers’ markets are full of baskets brimming with crisp, colorful varieties including Braeburn, McIntosh, Honey

Crisp, Gala and Fuji. My favorite apple dessert is a streusel-topped apple pie, but a little variety is nice, so I decided this week to make a simple, caramel apple tart, a riff on the classic Tarte Tatin. After

blind baking the crust, peeled apple wedges are cooked in caramel and then arranged on top of the crust. The caramel is made into a custard with the addition of cream, eggs, Calvados, and a touch of

cinnamon and vanilla, and then poured over the apples and baked at a low temperature. Delicious. Serve this tart warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and rejoice that fall is here.

Caramel Apple Tart

Makes 8 servings

Tart Crust:

1 ¼ cups (150 g) all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (3 oz) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and frozen for 20 minutes

2 tablespoons shortening

2 tablespoons ice water

Tart Filling:

¾ cup (150 gr) granulated sugar

1 ½ pounds apples (about 3 large or 4 medium—I used 3 Honey Crisp), peeled, cored and each cut into 12 wedges

¾ cup heavy cream

3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons Calvados (optional)

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Make the tart crust:

1. Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse few times to combine. Add the butter pieces and shortening and toss lightly with a spoon to coat them with flour. Blend the fat and flour with about five 1-second pulses or until the mixture is the texture of coarse meal with some of the butter pieces the size of peas. Sprinkle the water over the flour mixture and process continuously until the dough begins to clump together. Do not over-process; the dough should not form a ball. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and shape it into a thick 4-inch wide disc. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm enough to roll, about 30 minutes.

2. Place unwrapped dough on a work surface that has been lightly dusted with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into an 11-inch circle, lifting and rotating the dough often, while dusting the work suface and dough lightly with flour as necessary. Roll the dough up on the rolling pin and unroll it over a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Gently press the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Roll the pin over the top of the pan to trim off the excess dough. Refrigerate the crust for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven.

Make the filling:

4. In a heavy skillet, heat the sugar with 3 tablespoons water over medium-high heat, shaking the pan and washing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush occasionally, until it caramelizes. Carefully add the apple wedges and cook, turning them occasionally, for about 3 minutes, until they are softened. Remove the pan from the heat and, using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the apples to a bowl. Return the skillet to the heat and gradually whisk in the cream (it will bubble up vigorously, so be careful). Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the caramel mixture to another bowl. Let the caramel mixture cool enough so that it will not cook the egg yolks when you add them. Drain the apples, adding any juice to the caramel, and arrange the wedges in the tart crust, in a spiral pattern. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Whisk the egg yolks, Calvados, cinnamon and vanilla into the caramel mixture. If you like, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Pour the filling into the tart pan, over the apples. Bake the tart for 30 to 40 minutes, until the custard is just set in the center. Cool the tart on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

2011-09-18T12:55:00.000-04:00

Sticky Toffee Pudding is a British classic that’s been around for at least 50 years. Its provenance is not clear, but it is often associated with the Sharrow Bay Country House in the Lake District, where it

was being served in 1960. In the past decade, Sticky Toffee Pudding has also become relatively popular here in the U.S., and was even featured as an ice cream flavor by Haagen Daaz. I’ve seen it sold at

gourmet stores as an over-priced frozen product, but it’s very simple to prepare at home, and will doubtless be better than any prepared product. It’s a sweet dessert – very sweet – but because it’s made

with dates, it has a musky, complex flavor that’s very appealing. The toffee sauce that it’s doused in is made with a generous amount of butter, brown sugar and cream, and transforms the simple date

cake into something extraordinary. Make sure you serve this cake warm, along with extra toffee sauce, and vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Makes 6 servings

Date and Ginger Puddings:

Softened butter and granulated sugar for coating ramekins

¾ cup finely chopped pitted dates (about 5 ounces)

¼ cup finely chopped candied ginger

1 ½ cups (195 gr) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoons baking soda

8 tablespoons (113 gr) unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup (162 gr) firmly packed light brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

3 large eggs

Toffee Sauce:

12 tablespoons (170 gr) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

1 1/3 cups (289 gr) firmly packed light brown sugar

¾ cup (6 liq oz) heavy cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Make the cake:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the insides of six 5- or 6-oz ramekins with softened butter, then coat them with granulated sugar, tapping out the excess. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and set aside.

2. Place the dates in a small saucepan and add 1 cup (8 liq oz) water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, add the chopped candied ginger and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and set aside.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar at high speed until light, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs, mixing well after each addition. Add the flour mixture at low speed, mixing just until combined. Drain the dates and ginger and add them to the batter, stirring gently with a rubber spatula to combine. Scrape the batter into the prepared ramekins, filling them between half and two-thirds full. Bake the puddings for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool slightly while you make the sauce.

Make the sauce:

5. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar and bring to a boil. Stir in the cream and vanilla and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.

6. Invert each pudding onto a dessert plate. Pour a generous amount of the warm sauce on top, and serve with either whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Pains aux Raisins, By the Book

2011-09-09T22:51:00.002-04:00

You can’t judge a book by its cover, right? Right. And when it comes to cookbooks, you can’t necessarily judge them by the pretty pictures inside, either. I’ve come to realize that a talented food stylist and photographer duo can transform a mediocre collection of recipes into

an irresistible display, with the unsuspecting consumer getting stuck with what amounts to a doorstop in the end. The other day I received a review copy of a book called How to Make Bread (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2011; $27.95) and immediately thought, “Oh, great. Another

bread book.” The beautiful photos on the book’s cover and inside, however, soon seduced me into thinking that maybe this book wasn’t all that bad and I started thinking that maybe, just maybe, I might make something from this book. After poring over each recipe, I finally

settled on the French classic Pains aux Raisins, made from croissant dough. It’s sort of a complex recipe, just because croissant dough is by nature a little tricky to make, but, again, the photos lured me in. Halfway through the recipe, during one of the many periods of letting the dough

rise, I read the author’s bio on the jacket flap. His name is Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, and he’s a South African who learned how to make bread in a German-style bakery in Cape Town. Eventually he landed in Britain, where he worked for Gordon Ramsay and several high-profile bakeries.

His current gig is teaching at The School of Artisan Food in Nottinghamshire (isn’t that where Robin Hood hung out?). He has won several awards for his bread along the way. Ok, so maybe I was impressed, but that still didn’t mean his cookbook was good. And then,

suddenly, the pastries were done. I had followed each step meticulously, mirroring the photos in the many step shots, and the dough was beautiful, and the pastries were perfect – buttery dough encasing a creamy vanilla custard and lots of sweet raisins. I haven’t made pains aux raisins since I was a cooking school student in Paris, and I forgot just how wonderful they are. Especially when you use an excellent, detailed recipe that works. So what’s the moral? Sometimes you can judge a book by its pretty pictures. Nice job, Chef Hadjiandreou, you’re a superstar in my book.

Pains Aux Raisins

Makes about 19

Croissant Dough:

2 cups (250 g) bread flour

1 ½ tablespoons (20 g) superfine granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt (5 g)

10 g fresh yeast or 1 ½ teaspoons (5 g) active dry yeast

½ cup (125 g) warm water

10 tablespoons (150 g) unsalted butter, slightly softened

Custard:

2 ½ tablespoons (20 g) all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons (10 g) cornstarch

1 cup (250 g) whole milk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Assembly:

1 cup (150 g) black raisins

Smooth apricot jam, for glazing

Confectioners’ sugar, for glazing

Make the croissant dough:

1. In one (smaller) mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt. This is the dry mixture.

2. In another (larger) mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water. This is the wet mixture.

3. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix until it comes together. Cover with the bowl that had the dry mixture in it. Let stand for 10 minutes.

4. After 10 minutes, the dough is ready to be kneaded. Leaving it in the bowl, pull a portion of the dough up from the side and press it into the middle. Turn the bowl slightly and repeat this process with another portion of dough. Repeat another 8 times. The whole process should only take about 10 seconds and the dough should start to resist. Cover the bowl again and let stand for 10 minutes.

5. Now repeat Steps 6 and 7 twice. Repeat Step 6 one last time. Cover and let rest in the refrigerator overnight. If you are using active dry yeast, let the dough rise for another 30 minutes at room temperature before putting it into the refrigerator overnight. This will give the yeast a kick start.

6. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Pull the dough outward from the edges until you have a rough 5-inch square. Cut the butter to achieve a rectangle roughly half the size of your square of dough. Make sure the dough is about the same thickness as the rectangle of butter. Place the butter diagonally across the middle of the square of dough. Fold the corners of the dough toward the middle so that they envelop the butter and you get a neat package. Stretch the dough if necessary to completely encase the butter. Press down on the dough using a rolling pin to distribute the butter evenly through it inside the envelope. Start rolling the dough lengthwise until you have a long rectangle about ½-inch thick. Fold the bottom third of the rectangle over. Fold the top third over. You should now have 3 rectangular pieces of dough piled on top of each other.; this is your first turn. Make a small indentation in the dough with your fingertip to remind you that you’ve made one turn. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

7. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and repeat Steps 17-21 twice. You will now have given the pastry 3 turns and should have 3 indentations. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 40 minutes.

Make the custard:

8. In a small mixing bowl, mix the flour and cornstarch with about ¼ of the milk and whisk until smooth. Add the egg to the flour mixture.

9. In a saucepan, put the remaining milk, sugar and vanilla and heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil. Add the flour mixture and whisk vigorously. Keep whisking over the heat until it starts to thicken, then cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the custard to a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool and refrigerate until needed (up to 24 hours).

Make the Pains aux Raisins:

10. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out to a rectangle about 10 x 15 inches. Whisk the custard to make it smooth, then spread it over the dough using the back of a spoon. (You may not need all the custard.) Sprinkle the raisins over the custard. Roll the dough up from a long side to make a long log. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

11. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, discard the plastic wrap and cut the dough into ¾-inch slices. You should have about 19 slices. Lay each pastry flat on a parchment-lined baking sheet (you will need 2). Tuck the end of each swirl of pastry underneath to help it retain its shape during baking. Allow a little space between them so that they have room to rise. Let rise until you see the folds in the pastry separating.

12. Preheat the oven to 475°F. Place a roasting pan in the bottom of the oven. Fill a cup with cold water.

13. Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven, pour the cupful of water into the hot roasting pan and lower the oven temperature to 425°F. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

14. While the pastries cool slightly, warm the apricot jam in a small saucepan. Brush the warm jam over each warm pastry.

15. To make the icing, mix 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar with a small amount of cold water until smooth. When the pastires are cool, drizzle the icing over them.

Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

2011-09-03T13:55:00.001-04:00

My apologies for neglecting my blog – my excuses include preparing for an over-hyped hurricane, recovering from a bout of food poisoning, and completing an over-due recipe project that has

consumed much of my time for the past two months. Sometimes life just gets in the way. But I’m back this week with some home-style cupcakes that combine two of my favorite flavors, chocolate

and peanut butter. The base is a simple devil’s food cupcake, the same recipe I used for my Brooklyn Blackout Cupcakes, which I filled with a creamy chocolate ganache and topped with a sweet peanut

butter frosting. I use some of the cupcake crumbs for garnish, along with toasted cocktail peanuts. I know bake sales are quickly going out of fashion (and anything made with peanut butter is

considered virtual poison at many schools), but in the old days these little gems would have been a guaranteed best-seller.

Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Makes 22 cupcakes

Deep Dark Chocolate Cupcakes:

1 3/4 cups (7.5 oz/212 g) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

11 tablespoons (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons/5.5 oz/156 g) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups (10.5 oz/300 g) granulated sugar

2/3 cup (2.1 oz/61 g) Dutch-processed (alkalized) cocoa powder

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups (320 ml) warm water

Creamy Chocolate Ganache Filling:

3 ounces (85 gr) dark chocolate (60 to 64%), chopped

3 ounces (85 gr) high quality milk chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup heavy cream, warmed in the microwave

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, at room temperature

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Frosting:

3/4 cup (7 oz/200 g) creamy peanut butter (not sugar-free or natural)

4 tablespoons (2 oz/57 g) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups (12 oz/345 g) confectioners’ sugar

1/3 cup (80 ml) whole milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the cupcakes:

1. Position 2 racks near the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients until well blended and set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed for 1 minute, until creamy. Gradually add the sugar and beat at high speed for 3 minutes, until mixture is pale and well blended. Add cocoa powder and beat at medium speed for 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Beat in the egg(s), one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. At low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating it with the warm water in two additions. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and mix at low speed for 30 seconds. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pans and smooth the tops.

4. Bake the cupcakes minutes for t 25 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the center cupacakes comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan, set on a wire rack, for 15 minutes.

5. Remove the cupcakes from the pans onto the rack and cool completely.

Make the ganache filling:

6. Melt the chocolates in a bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Remove the bowl from over the pot and let the chocolate cool for 2 minutes. Using a spatula, stir in the warm cream. Gently whisk in the very soft butter just until combined. Stir in the vanilla. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.

Make the frosting:

7. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the peanut butter and butter at medium speed until well blended. Add the vanilla extract and mix until blended and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. At low speed, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar in three additions, alternating it with the milk in two additions. Mix in the vanilla extract. Beat at low speed until creamy, about 1 minute.

Assemble the cupcakes:

8. Using a paring knife, cut a cone-shaped piece from the center of each remaining cupcake and remove it. Save the cupcakes pieces. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip (such as Ateco #4) with the ganache. Pipe some ganache into the center of each cupcake, and then replace its top.

9. Spread the top of each cupcake with a generous amount of the frosting (you can pipe it on if you prefer). Sprinkle with toasted peanuts, if you like. Place the reserved cupcake pieces in a food processor and process until fine crumbs form. Sprinkle some crumbs on top of each cupcake.

Plum Good Torte

2011-08-20T14:46:00.000-04:00

Because my childhood neighbors had two big Italian plum trees, our family was gifted a large supply of plums sometime every August. No one really knew what to do with the plums, and so my father inevitably stewed them and ate them on top of ice cream. Not an appealing memory, those plums.

But I’ve grown up since then, thankfully, and have a new-found appreciation for Italian plums. In fact, I was quite surprised to find out just how delicious they can be, particularly when baked into a simple cake. This torte, which was adapted from a recipe by my friend (and La Varenne buddy) Mary

Schaaf. It originally ran in the December 2002 issue of Chocolatier Magazine, and I remember it well. The halved plums are arranged on top of the batter, and they gradually sink into the cake during baking and become jammy and intensely flavored. I used red Italian plums from the farmers’

market in my torte, but any red or black plum will work nicely, as long as they’re ripe and juicy. Serve this torte warm, if possible, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

Plum Good Torte

Makes one 8-inch torte, serving 6

1 cup (125 gr) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

8 tablespoons (113 gr) unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup (150 gr) granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

2 large eggs

8 to 10 Italian plums, halved and pitted or 5 red or black plums, cut in quarters and pitted

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour an 8-inch springform pan.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger; set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light, about 3 minutes. Beat in the lemon zest and eggs, one a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the dry ingredients and mix at low speed until blended. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and give it a few turns with a rubber spatula to make sure it’s well blended. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

4. Arrange the plum halves, cut-side-down on top of the batter, fitting in as many as you can. Sprinkle the plums with about 1 tablespoon of sugar and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake (avoid a plum area) comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan set on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove the side of the pan and serve the torte warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Peach, Ginger and Almond Galette

2011-08-13T13:38:00.001-04:00

August is prime peach season, the time to make that perfect peach pie. But August is also a lazy month, and I tend to take my share of shortcuts in the kitchen to leave more time for reading and relaxing. So instead of making a classic, state fair type of peach pie with

perfectly crimped crust edges, I’ve been known to go the rustic route, and make a simple, freeform galette instead. Yes, you still have to make the pastry, but it doesn’t require rolling out two crusts, nor does it require a long baking time. Since peaches pair so

well with almonds and ginger, I sprinkled the pastry with a combination of ground almonds and toasted breadcrumbs (they also help to mop up some of the peach juices, so they don’t spill out), and tossed the sliced peaches with freshly grated ginger and

finely chopped crystallized ginger. The result, I must say, is nothing short of spectacular—in the flavor department, at least. But I do love the rustic, countrified look of this pie, though it probably will never win a blue ribbon at the state fair. Assuming you could find one around here.

Peach, Ginger and Almond Galette

Makes 6 servings

Galette Crust:

2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

9 tablespoons (127 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

2 egg yolks

2 to 4 tablespoons ice-cold water

Peach Filling:

2 lbs ripe peaches

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3/4 cup light brown sugar, divided

2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces

1 egg, whisked lightly

2/3 cup finely ground almonds

1/2 cup breadcrumbs, made from white toast

Sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish

Make the dough for the crust:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest. Add the butter cubes, tossing to coat them with flour. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg yolks and process just until combined. Add 1 tablespoon of the water and process just until the dough starts to come together. If the dough feels dry, add more, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is no longer dry. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to a 12-inch round. Refrigerate the pastry while you make the filling.

Make the filling:

3. Cut each peach in half, remove the stone, and slice them into ½-inch wedges.

4. Place the peach slices in a bowl and toss them with the lemon juice, ½ cup of the brown sugar, crystallized ginger and grated ginger.

Assemble and bake the galette:

5. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the dough round from the refrigerator and place it on a baking sheet. Brush 1 inch around the edge of the circle with the whisked egg. In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and ground almonds and sprinkle them inside the circle, leaving the eggwashed rim bare. Sprinkle with half of the remaining ¼ cup brown sugar. Top the inner, breadcrumbed circle with the peach filling. Fold the pastry up over the edge of the fruit filling. (Don’t worry if it cracks a bit, this dessert is supposed to look rustic.) Brush the edge with eggwash. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoon of the sugar over the fruit, dot it with the butter pieces and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are just golden.

6. Sprinkle the galette with the almond slices and serve immediately with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. (The galette is delicate, so if you want to transfer it to a serving plate, carefully slide a cardboard cake round or tart pan base under the galette after it’s cooled for a bit, then transfer it and slide it off the round onto the plate.)

Classic Vanilla Cheesecake with Red Berry Topping and Strawberry Whipped Cream

2011-08-06T14:25:00.002-04:00

As a cookbook author and professional recipe developer, my inclination when creating a recipe is to be creative, to try new flavor combinations and, occasionally, new techniques. New twists on old classics, thinking outside the box, blah, blah, blah. But there’s a

reason that some dessert recipes are considered classics, and why they remain so popular: they’re really good. And sometimes, only a classic will do. This past week I’ve been craving cheesecake, and I don’t mean blueberry, mocha, blackberry swirl or double chocolate

cheesecake. I mean plain old vanilla cheesecake, creamy and rich, just like Mom used to make (or somebody’s Mom made, anyhow). So, that’s exactly what I made: a simple, rich, vanilla cheesecake flavored with vanilla bean seeds. As for accompaniments, well, I did

add a couple (just couldn’t help myself). The saucy Red Berry Topping and Strawberry Whipped Cream turn this classic into something extraordinary. They are, of course, optional.

Classic Vanilla Cheesecake

Makes one 8-inch round cheesecake

Graham Cracker Crust:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar

3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake:

1 ¼ lbs (567 g) cream cheese, at room temperature

¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 vanilla bean pod, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Red Berry Topping:

1 pint fresh strawberries, washed and hulled

1 6-ounce container fresh raspberries

2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or water

Strawberry Whipped Cream:

¾ cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons (37 g) superfine granulated sugar

¼ cup pureed strawberries (from Red Berry Topping)

Make the crust:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Wrap the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil (the heavy-duty foil is a larger size than regular aluminum and will protect the crust from water seeping in and making it soggy). In a bowl, combine the crumbs, sugar and melted butter until well blended. Pat the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for about 8 minutes, until just beginning to brown in spots. Cool completely on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

Make the cheesecake filling:

2. Place the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix at medium speed until very creamy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add the sugar, mixing until blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary to make the batter homogenous. Add the cream and vanilla bean seeds and continue to beat at medium speed for another 5 minutes. Scrape the batter into the cooled crust and place the pan in a roasting pan. Pour hot water into the roasting pan so that it comes about 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, until the center is set and the top of the cheesecake is just beginning to turn very light golden brown. Cool the cake completely in its pan set on a wire rack.

3. Chill the cake for at least 2 hours before serving.

Make the Red Berry Topping:

4. Place one-third of the strawberries in the bowl of a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Set aside ¼ cup of the puree to use in the Strawberry Whipped Cream. Quarter the remaining strawberries and combine them with puree, orange liqueur and raspberries.

Make the Strawberry Whipped Cream:

5. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cream, reserved strawberry puree and sugar and whip at high speed until medium-firm peaks form. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Serving:

6. Serve a slice of the cheesecake with a dollop of the Strawberry Whipped Cream and the Red Berry Topping.

Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Muffins

2011-07-31T11:34:00.001-04:00

I just returned from a wonderful week at a beach in North Carolina—beautiful weather, warm water, soft sand and a chance to forget about just about everything for a while. That’s my kind of vacation, and I loved every second of it. My husband and I rented a house on

the beach, and I mostly cooked at home, buying really fresh shrimp and seafood, along with produce from the local farmers’ market. We ate out occasionally, though, and I marveled at how fatty the food is down South—pork, in all its glorious forms, reigns supreme (boy, is

their sausage good!), as do biscuits and fried chicken with gravy and heavily buttered potatoes. How on earth do people make a steady diet of this food and live to talk about it? I must admit, it can be quite delicious, but I feel like I’ve gained five pounds in just a week.

Anyhow, now I’m back up North, and ready to get back to work and do some baking. This morning I decided to make something simple and delicious: crumble-topped blueberry muffins, with a just hint of lemon. They are tender and full of juicy blueberries, with a buttery

crumble topping. I love them because they are so easy to make, which is important if you’re making them early in the morning when the brain is not functioning at its highest level, as mine isn’t. Serve them with soft, salted butter, and maybe even some herby Southern sausage. A little fat is good for the morale.

Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Crumble Topping:

1/2 cup (60 g) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup (108 g) firmly packed light brown sugar

4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, slightly softened and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Blueberry Muffins:

2 cups (238 g) all-purpose flour

2/3 cup (132 g) granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, melted

1 1/4 cups (50 g) fresh blueberries

Make the topping:

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon and brown sugar. Add the butter pieces and, stir and mash the mixture with a fork until the topping is crumbly. Set aside.

Make the muffins:

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter twelve muffins cups.

3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Make a well in the center.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk until combined. Whisk in the lemon zest, vanilla and melted butter. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the well. Begin stirring the liquids, gradually drawing the dry ingredients into the well until they are almost, but not quite, combined. Add the blueberries and fold in just to distribute evenly. Do not overmix. Evenly divide the batter among the prepared muffins cups. Evenly divide the crumble topping among the muffins, sprinkling it on top.

5. Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 10 minutes then carefully turn out onto the rack. Serve warm, or let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Lemon Cupcakes with Almond Buttercream and a Bit of Raspberry

2011-07-16T12:52:00.006-04:00

The other day I had lunch with a friend at a charming country-style restaurant on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Square Meal. It’s owned by Yura Mohr, a lovely and incredibly talented woman who has had a take-out shop for the past twenty years and does catering for many high-profile NYC clients. Before that she had a luncheonette in Brooklyn Heights and cooked for The Heights

Casino, a private club to which I belong (primarily so I can play tennis, a feeble attempt to burn some calories). People at the club still reminisce about the ‘Yura Burger’, possibly the best burger known to mankind, served with housemade ketchup. Her newest venture is Square Meal, a restaurant adjacent to her take-out shop. The food here is unpretentious and amazing. Little cheddar cheese and rosemary biscuits arrive when you are seated, and, like most of

the food at this restaurant, they are attention-grabbing in their simplicity and deliciousness. I moved on to a fabulous chicken salad sandwich and a salad with minty pickled zucchini strips. But it’s the dessert that I keep thinking about—a Shaker Lemon Cake with Toasted Almond Whipped Cream and Lemon Sorbet. This cake was a simple lemony Bundt cake, but unbelievably tender and buttery. A light-as-air toasted almond whipped cream and tart

lemon sorbet brought this dessert into the realm of the spectacular. I wanted the recipe, but I didn’t ask—I thought it would’ve been presumptive of me and didn’t want to put the waiter or Yura’s chef, Buddy, on the spot. So I decided to use Yura’s combination of flavors in my own down-home cupcake: Lemon Cupcakes with Almond Buttercream and a Bit of Raspberry. I deviated a little with the raspberry, but felt the cupcake needed another layer of flavor, and it worked beautifully. Perhaps not as good as that Lemon Shaker Lemon Cake (aren’t the Shakers known for their pies, not their cakes?), but I can only try. Anyhow, next time you’re in New York, stop in at Square Meal for lunch or dinner, and make sure you order dessert, whatever it is—you’ll be very happy you did. www.squaremealnyc.com

Lemon Cupcakes with Almond Buttercream and a Bit of Raspberry

Makes 12 cupcakes

Lemon Cupcakes:

1 ½ cups (171 g) cake flour

1 ¼ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup plus 2 Tbs (170 g) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

2 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup whole milk

Lemon Syrup:

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup water

6 Tbs (72 g) granulated sugar

Almond Buttercream:

½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar

2 ½ (75 g) large egg whites

1 ½ Tbs water

1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, slightly softened

¼ tsp almond extract

Raspberry layer:

2 Tbs raspberry jam

Garnish:

Finely ground toasted almonds

Make the cupcakes:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.

4. Bake the cupcakes for 22 to 25 minutes, until they are golden brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans, set on wire racks, for 15 minutes.

5. Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack and cool completely.

Make the syrup:
6. While the cupcakes are baking, combine the lemon juice, water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When the cupcakes come out of the oven and are still hot, brush them with some of the syrup.

Make the buttercream:

7. Pour enough water into a skillet so that it comes 1/2-inch up its sides. Bring the water to a simmer; reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer.

8. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar, egg whites, and water. Place the bowl in the skillet of water and whisk gently until the mixture registers 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.

9. Transfer the bowl to the mixer stand and, using the whisk attachment, beat at medium-high speed until the meringue is cool and forms stiff, shiny peaks, about 5 minutes.

10. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Beat in the almond extract. Beat at high speed until the buttercream is smooth and emulsified, about 1 minute.

Frost the cupcakes:

11. Spread about ½ tsp raspberry jam on each cupcake, leaving a ½-inch border around the edge.

12. Scrape the buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip (or plain, if you prefer). Pipe a generous spiral of buttercream on top of each cupcake, and then sprinkle with some of the toasted ground almonds.

Chocolate Wafer Cookies with Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream

2011-07-07T17:41:00.002-04:00

Recently I received an adorable cookbook in the mail, courtesy of Chronicle Books: Miette: Recipes From San Francisco’s Most Charming Pastry Shop (Chronicle Books, 2011; $27.50) by Meg

Ray. I immediately lusted after the cake on the cover, a tall, really

moist-looking chocolate layer cake with raspberry buttercream peaking out from its bare layers, with a single precious pink icing rose in the center. Meg Ray of Miette calls is the Tomboy Cake, because it’s “a little rough around the edges—a bit of a tomboy with

a little rose on top.” But, ultimately, after flipping through the book, it was another recipe that stole my attention and spurred me into action: Chocolate Wafer Cookies. These simple, round, flat wafers with scalloped edges looked like a glamorized version of Nabisco

Famous Chocolate Wafers, the cookie of choice for making chocolate crumb crusts for pies. I’ve always found that for such a plain looking cookie, Nabisco Wafers are unbelievably good and downright addictive. One day I looked at the ingredient list on the

package, and saw that palm oil was there, front and center. Now, I’m no nutrition nut (it would put a damper on my field of choice: full-fat desserts), but palm oil doesn’t sound all that great for you, so if I can avoid it, all the better. The Miette wafers were made with all-

natural ingredients, including a touch of honey for a soft, fragrant finish. I love these simple, chocolaty cookies, and on impulse decided to pair them with homemade Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream, inspired by the color pairing of the Tomboy Cake on the cover. The ice cream was equally delicious, with a fresh-picked strawberry flavor and mild peppery finish that doesn’t hit you over the head. Just perfect for those simple, yet bold, chocolate wafers. This pairing also makes an excellent ice cream sandwich.

Chocolate Wafer Cookies with Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream

Chocolate Wafer Cookies:

From Miette: Recipes From San Francisco’s Most Charming Pastry Shop (Chronicle Books, 2011; $27.50) by Meg Ray

Makes about 24 3 ¼-inch cookies

1 ¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (51 g) brut or natural unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ teaspoons kosher salt

1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

2 tablespoons (20 g) lightly packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons (63 g) honey

1. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, granulated and brown sugars and honey and beat until fluffy, about 4 minutes.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions, beating just until combined after each. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for up to 2 days.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

5. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to about ¼”thick. Using a 3 ¼-inch round cookie cutter with a scalloped edge, cut out the chocolate wafers. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet, placing the cookies about 1/2 inch apart. Sprinkle each cookie with granulated sugar. Bake until firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

6. Gather up the dough scraps, reroll, and cut out to make more cookies. Bake as directed and let cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream

Yield: about 2 quarts

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided

4 large egg yolks

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pint strawberries, washed, hulled and chopped

1 tablespoon pink peppercorns, ground (I used a mortar & pestle)

1. In a large saucepan, combine the milk, cream and 1/2 cup sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring just to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat. In a bowl, whisk the yolks with 1/2 cup sugar and the salt. Whisk in about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture. Return this mixture to the remaining milk/cream in the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and reaches 180°F. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and stir in the vanilla. Chill over an ice bath and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

2. Place the strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Stir to coat, then cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes.

3. Drain strawberries and add to the chilled custard along with the ground peppercorns. Blend with an immersion blender (or in batches in the blender) until strawberries are pureed. Process in ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. This ice cream is best served the day it's made--it gets a little icy the next day.

Lemon Tart in a Cornmeal Crust with Mascarpone Cream and Fresh Raspberries

2011-06-29T08:59:00.002-04:00

Though chocolate is unquestionably my favorite flavor, lemon is a close second, and I love to create new lemon desserts or variations on old classics. I have a favorite lemon tart that I make throughout

the year, and I simply change-up the crust and topping to suit the season. Since summer provides an opportunity to showcase wonderful fresh berries—strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and

blackberries—I decided to top my vibrant tart with a rich Mascarpone Cream and a sprinkling of fresh-picked farmers’ market raspberries. This time I chose to encase the filling in a

cornmeal crust, which has a nutty flavor that complements the tart filling and sweet-tart berries. If you like, you can spread the Mascarpone Cream over the tart right before serving and top it with

the berries. Any fresh berry—especially wild blueberries—will make a wonderful summertime topping.

P.S. Though I don't often get personal in this blog, I feel obliged to tell you all that my beloved cat Jemal died last week, and life has lost some of its luster. He was my best friend for 13 years, and stuck by me like glue. In the morning he would wait patiently for me to get dressed, so that he could help me put on my shoes and engage in some roughhousing—his favorite part of the day. Jemal was also a

gourmand—he loved to eat more than just about anything. Jemal loved the taste of cheese-flavored popcorn, in particular, and would wait until I finished eating it so that he could lick my fingers. One terrible day, he ate a bunch of pistachio shells, unbeknownst to me, and stopped eating entirely. The vet was stymied and, in the meantime, Jemal’s liver began to fail. Specialists, surgery, a feeding tube and $9,000 later, my boy was back to his old self, and he lived happily for another seven years. Life was always an adventure with Jemal, as in the time he somehow managed to disable a bird and bring it into our apartment as a new play-friend. Or when he got pinned behind the hot water heater at a relative’s house for 45 minutes before we could get him free. He was a real character and lived life to the fullest. His spirit will always dwell in my heart. In the meantime, we still have Jemal's sister, Emily, who seems to be thrilled with his demise. After all these years, she's now Top Cat, and she couldn't be happier. Life goes on.

Lemon Tart in Cornmeal Crust with Mascarpone Cream and Fresh Raspberries

Makes one 9-inch tart

Cornmeal Crust:

1 cup (135 g) all purpose flour

1/2 cup (68 g) fine-ground yellow cornmeal

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (4 oz/1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

2 large egg yolks

1 egg white (for brushing on tart crust)

Lemon Filling:
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed and strained lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

Mascarpone Cream:

6 ounces (2/3 cup) mascarpone cheese

3/4 cup (174 g) heavy cream

2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

Fresh raspberries for serving

Make the tart crust:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal and salt. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until blended. Beat in lemon zest and egg yolks. Add dry ingredients and beat just until blended. Shape dough into a disk.

2. Place the dough on a work surface that has been lightly dusted with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into an 11-inch circle, lifting and rotating the dough often, while dusting the work suface and dough lightly with flour as necessary. Roll the dough up on the rolling pin and unroll it over a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Gently press the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan (the dough is delicate—if it tears, simply patch the torn spots with more dough). Roll the pin over the top of the pan to trim off the excess dough. Lightly prick the bottom of the dough with a fork at 1/2-inch intervals. Refrigerate the tart shell while you preheat the oven.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Right before baking, line the dough with aluminum foil or parchment paper and cover with pie weights or dried beans. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Carefully lift the foil (along with the weights) out of the tart pan and bake the crust for 8 to 10 minutes longer, until lightly golden. Transfer the tart pan to a wire rack. Leave the oven on, but reduce the temperature to 325°F. Place the egg white in a small bowl and whisk it with a fork a few times. Brush the bottom of the hot tart shell with the egg white and let cool.

Make the filling:
4. Fill a medium saucepan one-third full with water and bring to a simmer. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and lemon juice and zest. Place the bowl over the barely simmering water (the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl). Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened and light in color, about 4 to 6 minutes. Turn the heat off, but leave the bowl over the pot of hot water. Whisk in the butter one piece at a time, whisking until is is completely melted. Pour the filling into the cooled tart shell. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the center is set and the tart is slightly puffed. Transfer the tart pan to a wire rack and cool completely.

Make the Mascarpone Cream:

5. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat just until soft peaks form –don’t overbeat or it will become grainy.

Serve the tart:

6. Serve a slice of the tart with a dollop of Mascarpone Cream and some fresh raspberries on top.