Espresso Panna Cotta Saturday, Jun 14 2008 

Desert and Italian , , olga 1:38 am

ABOUT:

From Giada De Laurentiis

SERVINGS:

2

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 heaping teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1 small white chocolate bar, for garnishing
1 small dark chocolate bar, for garnishing

DIRECTIONS:

Place the milk in a heavy, small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over and let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin. Stir over medium heat just until the gelatin dissolves, but the milk does not boil, about 2 minutes. Add the cream, espresso powder, sugar, and salt. Stir over low heat, until the sugar dissolves, about 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Pour the cream mixture into 2 martini glasses, dividing equally. Cover and refrigerate, stirring every 20 minutes during the first hour. Chill until set, at least 6 hours and up to 2 days.

When ready to serve, use a vegetable peeler on the chocolate blocks to create about 1 tablespoon each of the white and dark chocolate shavings. Sprinkle the shavings over each panna cotta and serve.

 

Pear and Almond Cakes Thursday, Jun 12 2008 

Desert , , olga 8:15 pm

ABOUT:

From Bon Appetite Magazine

SERVINGS:

Makes 6

INGREDIENTS:

Pears:
1 750 ml bottle dry white wine
2 cups sugar
3 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tbs grated orange peel
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
8 whole cloves
6 firm but ripe Bosc pear, peeled and cored

Cake:
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 tbs sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole almonds, toasted
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp light corn syrup
6 large egg whites

Vanilla ice cream

DIRECTIONS:

For Pears:
Combine first 6 ingredients in large saucepan.

Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Add pears and bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered until pears are tender, turning occasionally, 30 – 50 minutes.
Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to platter. Boil liquid in saucepan until reduced to syrup, about 10 minutes. Reserve syrup.

For Cake:
Position rack in center of oven, preheat to 375 F.

Butter 6 ramekins.

Melt 3/4 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, cook until butter is golden brown, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Cool slightly.

Combine sugar, flour and almonds in processor. Blend until almonds are finely ground. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Whisk in baking powder. Add browned butter and corn syrup. Stir until mixture begins to clump together. Add egg whites, whisk until well blended.

Place 1 pear, stem end up, in center of each ramekin. Spoon scant 1/2 cup batter around pear in each.

Bake until cake is golden around edges and tester inserted into cake near center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes.

Brush pears with syrup.

Serve warm with ice cream.

 

Chocolate Peppermint Bar Cookies Thursday, Jun 12 2008 

Chocolate and Desert , , , , olga 8:03 pm

ABOUT:

From Gourmet Magazine

SERVINGS:

Makes 32

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)
1 cup coarsely crushed peppermint hard candies (1/4 lb)

DIRECTIONS:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 13- by 9-inch metal baking pan with 1 sheet of foil, allowing 2 inches of foil to hang over each end of pan, and butter foil (except overhang).

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.

Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg until combined. Reduce speed to low, then mix in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and candy.

Spread dough evenly in pan and bake until puffed and beginning to pull away from sides of pan, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack, then, lifting with foil, transfer to a cutting board. Cut into bars and lift off foil with a spatula.

Cooks’ note: Bars keep in an airtight container at room temperature 3 days.

 

Chocolate Mousse Thursday, Jun 12 2008 

Chocolate and French , , olga 7:58 pm

SERVINGS:

8

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups chilled heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
7 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped

Garnish: lightly sweetened whipped cream
Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 3/4 cup cream in a 1-quart heavy saucepan until hot. Whisk together yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a metal bowl until combined well, then add hot cream in a slow stream, whisking until combined. Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until it registers 160°F on thermometer. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and stir in vanilla.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in a glass bowl in a microwave at 50 percent power 3 to 5 minutes), stirring frequently. Whisk custard into chocolate until smooth, then cool.

Beat remaining 1 1/4 cups cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Whisk one fourth of cream into chocolate custard to lighten, then fold in remaining cream gently but thoroughly.

Spoon mousse into 8 (6-ounce) stemmed glasses or ramekins and chill, covered, at least 6 hours. Let stand at room temperature about 20 minutes before serving.

EXTRA:
To vary the flavor, you can replace the 1 teaspoon vanilla with 2 teaspoons instant-espresso powder (dissolve it in the hot cream) or 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or 2 tablespoons Cognac (either one whisked into strained custard).

 

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies Saturday, Apr 26 2008 

Chocolate and Desert , , , olga 3:39 pm

ABOUT:

Peppermint butter cream is sandwiched between homemade chocolate cookies; then the sandwiches are rolled in crushed candy canes. From Bon Appétit.

SERVINGS:

Makes 18

INGREDIENTS:

Cookies:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg

Filling:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 drops (or more) red food coloring

1/2 cup crushed red-and-white-striped candy canes or hard peppermint candies (about 4 ounces)

DIRECTIONS:

For cookies:
Whisk flour, cocoa, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in egg. Add dry ingredients; beat until blended. Refrigerate dough 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out dough by level tablespoonfuls, then roll into smooth balls. Place balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Using bottom of glass or hands, flatten each ball to 2-inch round (edges will crack). Bake until cookies no longer look wet and small indentation appears when tops of cookies are lightly touched with fingers, about 11 minutes (do not overbake or cookies will become too crisp). Cool on sheet 5 minutes. Transfer chocolate cookies to racks and cool completely.

For filling:
Using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar and butter in medium bowl until well blended. Add peppermint extract and 2 drops food coloring. Beat until light pink and well blended, adding more food coloring by dropfuls if darker pink color is desired. Spread 2 generous teaspoons filling evenly over flat side of 1 cookie to edges; top with another cookie, flat side down, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat with remaining cookies and peppermint filling.

Place crushed candy canes on plate. Roll edges of cookie sandwiches in crushed candies (candies will adhere to filling). (Cookie sandwiches can be made ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.)

 

Sour Cherry Clafouti Saturday, Apr 26 2008 

Desert and French , , olga 3:25 pm

ABOUT:

Clafouti is a custard-like baked French dessert that is typically made by baking fresh fruit (traditionally cherries) and a batter, somewhat similar to pancake batter, in a baking dish. This recipe came to me from one of chef Cheryl Vea from PCC class

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups pitted Sour Cherry
1/3 cup Grand Marnier
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups milk
5 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup sifted all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoons melted butter
Powdered Sugar
Caramel Sauce
Creme Fraiche

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 F
Combine cherries with Grand Marnier and 1/4 cup of sugar.
Let it sit while making the rest of the batter.
Place the rest of the sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla, salt, 2 Tablespoons of melted butter
and the flour in a blender and blend at top speed for about 60 secs.
Pour the remaining butter in the bottom of a 7 – 8 cup ovenproof pan and set the pan over a medium heat on your stove.
Pour in a thin film of batter and cook for about 1 – 2 mins or until it begins to set lightly.
Remove the pan from the heat and pour the cherry mixture over the surface of the batter, reserve the drained liquid. Pour the rest of the batter over the cherries and smooth out the top with a rubber spatula.
Bake until the top is puffy and golden, about an hour.
Heat caramel sauce to a liquid consistency.
Mix in together Cherry Liquid and Creme Fraiche.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve either hot or warm.
Drizzle the flan with caramel sauce and creme fraiche sauce.

 

Blueberry Lemon Cream Tarts Friday, Apr 18 2008 

Desert , , olga 6:44 pm

SERVINGS:

Makes 4 desserts

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1 1/3 cups blueberries (6 oz)
Confectioners sugar for dusting

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°F with a baking sheet on middle rack.

Stir together graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and butter in a bowl with a fork until combined well, then press mixture with your fingers and back of a spoon evenly and firmly onto bottom and up side of each tart pan. (If using ramekins, press mixture 3/4 inch up sides.)

Put tart pans on preheated baking sheet and bake crusts until slightly darker, about 10 minutes, then cool 10 minutes on a rack. (Ramekins will need to cool an additional 5 minutes in refrigerator.) Gently push bottom of each tart pan to loosen crust, then invert crust onto your hand and place on a serving plate. (If using ramekins, leave crusts in ramekins.)

While crusts cool, whisk together brown sugar, sour cream, and vanilla in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Beat cream cheese in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth, then add sour cream mixture and zest, beating until just combined well.

Divide cream cheese filling among tart shells, spreading evenly, then top with blueberries and dust with confectioners sugar.

 

Raspberry Marzipan Tarts Friday, Apr 18 2008 

Desert , olga 6:38 pm

SERVINGS:

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
Crust
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling crust
4 fluted 3-inch tart pans
4 tablespoon uncooked rice or dried beans

Filling
1 tablespoon butter, softened
2 teaspoon sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup almond flour (or almond meal)
2 tablespoon 2 percent milk

Fruit
1 tablespoon apricot preserves
2 ounces fresh raspberries (about 28 berries)

DIRECTIONS:
Crust:
Combine butter, sugar and salt in a bowl. Beat in egg, then flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until you get a shaggy dough (it holds together loosely, but it’s not smooth or elastic). Dust a surface with flour, transfer dough to surface and, with lightly floured fingers, knead once or twice until a sticky dough forms. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 40 minutes. Heat oven to 350°F. Divide remainder into 4 pieces. With lightly floured fingertips, press 1 piece into each tart pan, working dough up the sides evenly. (If dough tears on bottom, smooth dough over hole to close it up.) Prick pastry along bottom with a fork several times. Gently press a small square of foil into each pastry shell (do not press down hard). Top each with 1 tablespoon uncooked rice or dried beans (to prevent pastry from puffing up). Place on a baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. Remove foil and rice from each crust; discard. Return crust to oven; cook until golden, about 5 minutes more. Keep oven on.

Filling:
Combine butter and sugar. Beat in yolk, followed by flour, until combined. Beat in milk until incorporated. Divide filling among tart shells and bake until puffed, about 15 minutes.

Fruit:
Heat preserves with 1 tablespoon water in a small sauté pan over low heat until melted, about 3 minutes. Press through a sieve into a bowl. Let cool. Arrange about 7 raspberries on top of each tart. Brush glaze onto raspberries and drizzle remaining glaze over raspberries until covered. Serve immediately.

 

Apricots with Amaretto Syrup Friday, Apr 18 2008 

Desert and Italian , , , olga 6:38 pm

SERVINGS:

Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

10 firm-ripe large apricots
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup Disaronno Amaretto liqueur
6 amaretti (Italian almond macaroons; if paper-wrapped, use 3 packets), crumbled (1/3 cup)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped pine nuts for sprinkling (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Peel apricots with a vegetable peeler, then halve and pit. Finely chop 2 halves and set aside.

Heat butter in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat until foam subsides, then cook sugar, stirring constantly, until golden brown. Stir in Amaretto (be careful; syrup will spatter) and simmer, stirring, 2 minutes.

Working in 2 batches, poach apricot halves in syrup at a low simmer, turning, until almost tender, 5 to 10 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer apricots, hollow sides up, to a platter.

Add crumbled amaretti to syrup and cook over low heat, crushing cookies with back of a wooden spoon, until melted into a coarse purée.

Stir in reserved chopped apricot and gently simmer, stirring, until syrup is deep brown and slightly thickened. Cool syrup slightly.

Spoon syrup over apricots and sprinkle with pine nuts (if using). Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Raspberry, White Chocolate and Almond Trifle Thursday, Apr 17 2008 

Desert , olga 9:30 pm

ABOUT:

A dream-come-true holiday dessert: so easy to assemble, yet so very impressive (and delicious, too). From Bon Appétit Magazine

SERVINGS:

Makes 16 servings

INGREDIENTS:

3 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
12 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped
1 1/4 teaspoons almond extract, divided

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
7 ounces Boudoirs or Champagne biscuits (crisp ladyfinger cookies), divided

1 cup raspberry jam, melted, divided
1 1/2 12-ounce packages frozen unsweetened raspberries, partially thawed, divided
2 6-ounce containers fresh raspberries
3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

DIRECTIONS:

Bring 1 cup cream to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add white chocolate; whisk until smooth. Cool to barely lukewarm, about 10 minutes. Beat 2 1/2 cups cream and 1/2 teaspoon extract in large bowl to soft peaks. Fold in white chocolate mixture.

Stir sugar and 1/2 cup water in small saucepan over medium heat until sugar melts. Mix in 3/4 teaspoon extract; remove syrup from heat. Quickly submerge 1 biscuit in syrup; shake excess back into pan. Place dipped biscuit in bottom of 14-cup trifle dish. Repeat with enough biscuits to cover bottom of dish.

Spread 1/3 of melted jam over biscuits in dish. Top with 1/3 of partially thawed berries with juices. Spread 1/3 of whipped chocolate cream over. Repeat layering with dipped biscuits, melted jam, partially thawed berries, and whipped chocolate cream 2 more times. Mound fresh berries in center of trifle. Sprinkle almonds around edge. Cover and chill at least 5 hours and up to 24 hours.

 

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