Guinness and Chocolate Cake

A Treat for Saint Patrick



Chocolate? Eh, it's ok but if I had to go the rest of my life without tasting chocolate I wouldn't even miss it. This is not to say I don't like chocolate on occasion and my favorite non-fruit-based dessert is brownies. I've even discovered the pleasures of a small piece of excellent bitter -sweet chocolate with a glass of red wine or beer as a light dessert. Even so, the last 4 oz bar I bought still has an ounce left and has been sitting in my pantry for at least four or five months.

It doesn't surprise me that chocolate is a good match for zinfandel or pinot noir, they contain some related compounds and the tannin in the wine complements the bitterness of the chocolate. What did surprise me when I discovered it was how good beer can be with chocolate — particularly a dark beer such as a porter or stout. Having made this discovery, I wasn't particularly surprised by the recipes I kept running across for Guinness and Chocolate Cake.

It doesn't surprise me that chocolate is a good match for zinfandel or pinot noir, they contain some related compounds and the tannin in the wine complements the bitterness of the chocolate.

Nevertheless, aside from bread I'm not much of a baker and as I said I'm not a chocolate fan. But I wrote an article on cooking with beer last summer and when I write articles focusing on an ingredient I like to feature it in a range of course to give readers an idea of how flexible most ingredients are and I wanted a beer dessert.

I could have done a beer-batter fried apple rings - which sounds really good - or a beer ice cream (another popular option), but I decided to do the cake. There are loads of recipes on the web most of which differ primarily in whether the ingredients are listed in European or American quantities. So I picked one and made it. Four tries later I'd made four delicious cakes all of whose centers fell somewhat. I finally gave up, the cake is just too moist. So I trimmed off the top and made extra icing to fill the dip left. By the way, those pieces you trim off the top? Dip them in Guinness.

Guinness and Chocolate Cake

Cake:
1 cup Guinness (or other stout)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder*
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (make sure it's less than 6 months old for maximum leavening power)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
Icing:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan, place a round of parchment paper on the bottom and butter it, then flour the pan.

Cake:
Place the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Whisk in cocoa powder until mixture is smooth.

Thoroughly combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in large bowl. In another bowl, beat together the eggs and sour cream until well blended. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed.

Finish mixing by folding batter with a spatula until completely combined. Pour batter in the springform pan and bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Place cake on a rack and cool for 10 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan and cool completely.

Icing:
Beat together the cream cheese and sugar. Add cream and vanilla and mix. Spread icing on top of cake to echo the appearance of a glass of Guinness and its head of foam.

*Dutch-process cocoa is acid neutral, if you use something like Hershey's cocoa (which is acid) the cake may not rise properly.

Try Guinness and Chocolate Cake with...
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Steak and Guinness Pie
Shepherds' Pie

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Zeppole

Fat Tuesday, Italian, Deep Fried



Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday this year. Apparently the tradition behind the name is to use up all your sinful ingredients (sugar, butter, spices) before beginning Lent. In England Fat Tuesday is often celebrated as Pancake Tuesday and a recent press blurb I received noted that beignets are the New Orleans' tradition on Fat Tuesday.

I'm not Catholic — at least not beyond being catholic in my tastes — but I do love food-oriented occasions and I often have pancakes on Pancake Tuesday. But the PR notice reminded me that as long as you have something suitably sinful you have indeed given the occasion it's proper due. (I have a masochistic friend who so enjoyed giving things up for Lent he had to give up Lent for Lent. Ba-da boom!)

I ended up eating half the batch I'd made one after another. By the time I went to bed that night all 30 were gone.

At any rate, when I read "beignet" my mind immediately leapt to zippole. I was teaching a class on cooking with cheese several years ago and needed something sweet using cheese — preferably not something as common as cheese cake. And in casting about I found a recipe for an Italian fritter named zeppole at AllRecipes and featuring ricotta cheese. I ended up choosing something else for the class that didn't involve deep-frying, but I just had to try zeppole myself.

So one morning I made up a batch and I haven't made them since. I ended up eating half the batch I'd made one after another. By the time I went to bed that night all 30 were gone. They were clearly highly dangerous. But that was four years ago so I'm thinking I'll make a batch tomorrow. Maybe they weren't as good as I remember. Maybe, even if they are, I'll have more resistance to them having eaten them once. But if you don't see a fresh post here tomorrow, then I OD'd on ricotta fritters. Send help.

Zeppole
Makes 24 - 30.

2 qt vegetable oil for frying
1 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 tbsp granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 c ricotta cheese
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 c powdered sugar for dusting

Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 375F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and nutmeg. In a small bowl thoroughly mix the eggs, ricotta cheese, and vanilla. Gently stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until a sticky, fairly thick, batter forms.

Drop by tablespoons into the hot oil a few at a time. Fry until golden brown, about 3 or 4 minutes — the Zeppole will turn over by themselves. Drain on paper towels and dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm. Or room temp, if they last that long.

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SG Archive:Raspberry Shortcake

Serendipity



Sunday I ended my soup marathon by making Cioppino for my mother's birthday. It turns out "cioppino" is a Genoese term for "fish stew" and the dish, no doubt, originated with Italian fishermen. The Italians loved California and we have them to thank not only for cioppino, but for the olive oil and wine that are such key ingredients in the soup.

Along with the soup I served a pear and beet salad that Stephen had posted on Stephen Cooks and a loaf of fresh sourdough bread — which for some reason was the best loaf I've yet made. We finished the meal off with a sort of raspberry shortcake.

I began by warming the mascarpone up to room temperature and then whipping it with, perhaps, a teaspoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of lime juice, and a pinch of lime zest.

I wanted something slightly sweet, with raspberries and mascarpone. This little number worked out beautifully. I began by warming the mascarpone up to room temperature and then whipping it with, perhaps, a teaspoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of lime juice, and a pinch of lime zest. I mashed most of the raspberries (which were quite tart) with a fork and added a dollop of Amaretto, some ground, roasted almonds; and just a little bit of sugar — preserving the essential tartness. Then I layered the mascarpone and raspberries on a piece of pound cake (that provided most of the sweetness) set on a red and blue plate. A few strips of lime peel for garnish, and voila!

It was absolutely delicious and only 10 minutes work. But there was something about its appearance that was tickling my mind. I didn't figure it out until that evening when I flipped on the TV and saw the Romanian flag flying at the Olympics — red, blue, and yellow.

Originally published on February 28, 2006.

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SG Archives:Pear and Frangipani Tart

Not at all Tart



I polished off the last bite of New Year's duck about 8:30 Sunday night, dumped the dishes in the sink, and made coffee to go with dessert: a pear tart. A few months ago I'd run across a recipe at myhouseandgarden.com that had immediately captured my taste buds. I'd been waiting for the right opportunity to try it and this seemed like the perfect meal for it.

The recipe is simple and straight forward and, as I thought when I first read it, the combination of pear and almond flavors is delicious. To carry through on the almond theme, I added Amaretto to unsweetened whipped cream for the topping.

The combination of pear and almond flavors is delicious.

Over all, it was too sweet for my taste, but I think I could reduce the sugar in the frangipane a good deal without affecting it's cooking characteristics too seriously. It's certainly good enough to make again.

French Pear Tart

3 - 4 ripe pears
— peeled, cut into halves and sliced across, just before baking
Pastry ( pâte sucrée ):
6 oz all-purpose flour
3 oz unsalted butter -- softened
3 egg yolks
3 oz castor sugar
3 - 4 drops vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Frangipane:
6 oz (175g )ground almonds
6 oz (175g )unsalted butter, soft
5 oz caster sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
2 drops of almond extract
Glaze:
apricot jam
lemon juice

Pastry:
Sift the flour into your food processor then add all the other ingredients. Pulse until the pastry forms a ball. Wrap the pastry and place in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Roll out and put into greased a flan dish (with loose bottom is best). The pastry will be quite delicate and inclined to break up, just press together again, it will not spoil the end result. Return pastry to refrigerator again for 20 minutes

Line pastry with grease-proof paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Blind bake for 7-8 minutes. Remove the baking beans and paper and bake for another 5-7 minutes until golden brown.

Frangipane:
Cream together butter and sugar. Add the eggs, ground almonds, sifted flour, and almond extract. Stir it all together. Spoon frangipane into pastry until not quite full. Place the sliced pears evenly on top and bake at 350F for 30 - 40 minutes. When cool, remove from baking dish and brush the glaze over the top.

Glaze:
Heat the jam gently on the stove until it melts. Add the lemon juice and mix in. Push through a sieve.

Try this tart with...
Lamb Daube
Rum-and-cider-brined Pork Sirloin Roast
Canard au Vin

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SG Archives:Spiced Apple Cake

Don't Panic



A friend of mine celebrated his 6th Annual 42nd birthday this past fall. For those of you unfamiliar with Douglas Adams and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 42 is the answer to life, the universe, and everything. Bill, having achieved answerhood, decided to continue to be 42 forever — or at least until the Earth is destroyed to make way for a pan-galactic bypass.

Each year, beginning with his 1st Annual 42nd birthday, Bill has thrown a party and invited his programming buddies, his musician buddies, and any and all 4th dimensional beings who happen to be in he neighborhood. Although Bill has been kind enough to invite me every year, I've always managed to outsmart his blandishments by living somewhere else. Last fall I ran out of other places to be living and so I had to attend.

Each year, beginning with his 1st Annual 42nd birthday, Bill has thrown a party.

I left my towel in the trunk of my car (I like to be prepared for sudden exits) but a number of folks wore theirs and, as you would expect, a few people arrived in bathrobes.

I'm not sure what possessed me, but I decided to bake a birthday cake for the event.

Spiced-Apple Cake (From Williams-Sonoma "Thanksgiving")
Serves 12.

3/4 lb butter — softened
3 tbsp butter
2 3/4 c sugar
3 Braeburn apples — peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2" dice
3 2/3 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 c milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3/4 c unsweetened natural applesauce
6 eggs
Frosting:
6 1/2 c confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 lb cream cheese — softened
2 tbsp butter — softened
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp brandy

Have all ingredients at room temperature.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter and stir in 2 tablespoons of sugar. Add half of apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden — about 8 minutes. Reserve cooked apples. Add additional 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of sugar to skillet and cook remaining apples. Reserve.

Heat oven to 325F. Position rack in center, and grease and flour 2 9" cake pans.

Sift together flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl mix together milk, applesauce, and vanilla.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat remaining 3/4 lb butter until creamy and smooth. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes — stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down sides.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour in three additions, alternating with the milk/applesauce mixture and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat each addition until just incorporated, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. Remove from mixer and gently fold in apples.

Divide the batter between the two pans, spreading it evenly. Bake until the center of the cake springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean — 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack and allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the racks and cool completely, about 2 hours.

Frosting:
Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, ginger, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides. Add the vanilla and brandy and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and gradually add confectioners' sugar. Increase speed to medium-high ad beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.

Using a bread knife, make a cut halfway up on one side of a cake. Then, using a length of dental floss, carefully draw it through the cake cutting it in half. Repeat for second cake.

Place a large spoon-full of frosting in the center of a cake plate to keep layer from moving. Place a bottom layer, cut-side down, on the plate. Frost top of layer with 1/4 of frosting. Place top layer on top and frost. Repeat for remaining layers.

This is a killer cake with perfectly balanced flavors. And as you can see, it looks really nice too.

Try this cake with...
Boeuf Bourguignon
Lamb Chops a la Grecque
Milk-braised Pork Roast

Technorati: Food | recipe | kevin d weeks | seriously good | desserts | apples | cake

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Pear/Raisin Pie

Deliciously Odd



My cooking tasks for this year's Thanksgiving were a squash soup, rolls, and dessert. The pears seem to have been exceptionally good this fall, or perhaps I've just been in an exceptionally pear frame of mind. But whichever it is I've been eating a lot of them and as I considered desserts for Thanksgiving something involving pears was the first thing that popped into my mind.

I found this recipe at Epicurious and it was distinctly odd — mainly because it looked like it would be good but I couldn't figure out what it would taste like just by reading the recipe. Orange marmalade and vanilla extract? I just had to give it a shot. It was great!

The pears seem to have been exceptionally good that fall, or perhaps I had just been in an exceptionally pear frame of mind.

The marmalade and vanilla disappeared into the background while the brandy added a noticeable richness. The flavor of pear permeated the entire dessert like a blanket of snow on a landscape. If you, like me, are already considering Christmas dinner, I highly recommend it.

Pear/Raisin Pie
Serves 8.

Pastry for double-crust pie

6 tbls orange marmalade
1/4 c (packed) raisins
2 tbls sugar
2 tbls brandy
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 1/4 lb firm Anjou or Bosc pears -- peeled, cored, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 tbls cornstarch
1 egg yolk beaten with 2 teaspoons milk (for glaze)

Heat oven to 400F.

Heat marmalade and brandy in a small pan over low heat, stirring to blend. Mix marmalade mixture in a large bowl with raisins, sugar, vanilla extract, and spices. Add pears and cornstarch and mix.

Roll out dough for bottom crust, lay in a pie plate, and mound with pear mixture. Roll out dough for upper crust and cover pie, sealing edges. Brush the top of the pie with the egg glaze and cut slits in it to release steam.

Bake on the center rack of the oven for about 50 minutes; cool.

Try this pie with...
Lamb Daube
Osso Bucco
Austrian Pork Chops

Technorati: Food | recipe | kevin d weeks | seriously good | dessert | pear | pie

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Holiday Pies

Holiday Pies



My family isn't big on the traditional holiday fare. We'll occasionally have a turkey for Thanksgiving or a rib roast for Christmas, but that's the exception rather than the rule. In fact this year my mother likes the idea of having paella. If so we'll probably have a flan for dessert. But if a flan doesn't strike you as the best choice for a holiday dessert, here are a few other sweets you might consider.

Sweet Potato Buttermilk Pie: I got this recipe from the Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook and it's one of the best sweet potato pies I've ever eaten — and I think it's far superior to pumpkin pie. The buttermilk adds a nice, subliminal tang to counteract and set off the sweetness. It's also quite light because the egg whites are whipped before being folded into the pie.

Pear/Raisin Pie: A few years back my Thanksgiving cooking tasks were squash soup, rolls, and dessert. The pears that year were exceptionally good, or perhaps I was just in an exceptionally pear frame of mind. But whichever it was I'd been eating a lot of them and as I considered desserts for Thanksgiving something involving pears was the first thing that popped into my mind. I found this recipe at Epicurious and it was distinctly odd — mainly because it looked like it would be good but I couldn't figure out what it would taste like just by reading the recipe. Orange marmalade and vanilla extract? I just had to give it a shot. It was great!

Pumpkin Pie with Rum: Some people insist on pumpkin pie, however much you try to convince them that sweet potato is a better idea. This recipe is one I developed a few years ago, although my original recipe wasn't perfect, the recipe listed here was tweaked to make up for the original's flaws — and I've made it to great success since that first attempt. The rum is really a nice addition and complements the pumpkin.

Dutch Apple Pie: It just occurred to me that I haven't made an apple pie this year and I do love apple pies. My favorite form is the Dutch Apple Pie with it's streusel top. I suspect that a Dutch apple pie isn't really Dutch, but instead was developed by the so-called Pennsylvania Dutch who were actually of German (Deutch) extraction. But whatever the origin, this version is excellent an includes my secret apple pie ingredient.

Buttermilk Pie with Lemon Mint Sauce: When I was researching buttermilk pie one of the blogs I ran across said that the vanilla-flavored version was more Southern while the lemon-flavored version was Northern. The lemon intrigued me because when I'd had it at Miss Bobo's I'd been vaguely reminded of Shaker Lemon Pie, but I figured I should go with the Southern style an use vanilla. Nevertheless, I couldn't get that added lemon bite out of my head, so I decided to make a lemon sauce as a topping.

Technorati: Food | recipe | kevin d weeks | seriously good | dessert

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SG Archive: Bourbon Cake

Christmas TK



In the copy-editing business there are lots of funky spellings and abbreviations. These are all intended to set off the editors' internal alarms so they won't be mistaken for anything except attention grabbers to other editors. For instance "header" is spelled "HEDR," "side bar" SIDBAR," and "to come" "TK." I've even seen "title" labeled as "TIT." The use of all-caps helps when shouting out in print and also reinforces the idea these are terms are not meant for inclusion in the finished piece. And hopefully someone who's name is "Hedr" won't get replaced with "Obscure Nazi Found," unless Hedr really is an obscure Nazi. And hopefully no one hoping for press coverage is using TK as an initialism.

Christmas 2009 is TK and as all Christmases are, it's worth preparing for. So I'm preparing for this coming Christmas this coming Thanksgiving weekend by making my grandmother's Bourbon Cake as I have almost every year since my mother quit making it.

I haven't been reposting this recipe quite that long, but each year a few new folks discover it and add it to their Christmas repertoire. Featuring raisins, pecans, and spices, in a pound cake style batter it has all the benefits of fruit cake with none of the drawbacks. Oh, and it's loaded with bourbon.

Recipe here...

Technorati: Food | recipe | kevin d weeks | seriously good | christmas | dessert | cake

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Irish Bread Pudding

Dessert with a Dram of Whiskey



Bread pudding is one of those old dishes. It has certainly been around in some form or another since bread was invented. Take some stale bread, an egg or two, a bit of milk, sugar, and a fire and cook the mixture. It's just bread baked in a sweetened custard. What could be simpler?

Bread pudding with raisins and whiskey is a traditional Christmas treat in parts of Ireland. The apples are my addition as is the whiskey/cream topping.

Recipe here...

Technorati: Food | recipe | kevin d weeks | cooking for two | dessert

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Fall Desserts

Harvest Fruits



Fall is here, as of today, and so it's time to change up our dessert choices. The peaches and berries have pretty much given out, but apples and pears are in full swing so it's time to think about apple pies, pumpkin pies, pear tarts, and assorted crisps and betties. I also think fall and winter are the best time for desserts like buttermilk pie and sweet potato pie (which I like better than pumpkin pie anyway). And what better way to celebrat the advent of fall than with a collection of desserts?

Pear/Raisin Pie: I found this recipe at Epicurious and it was distinctly odd
— mainly because it looked like it would be good but I couldn't figure out what it would taste like just by reading the recipe. Orange marmalade and vanilla extract? I just had to give it a shot. It's not the prettiest pie crust I ever made (that's my fault) But the pie was great!

Dutch Apple Pie: The fruit season comes to a close with the reds, greens, yellows, and golds of apples and pears. The fruit reflects the colors of the hillside and it's flavors of sweet and tart somehow reflect the fluctuating temperatures, the lows and highs, of the fall. This recipe is fairly standard but does include a secret (not so secret anymore, I guess) ingredient.

Buttermilk Pie with Lemon/Mint Sauce: A few years ago I had lunch at Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Miss Bobo's is no longer a boarding house although it is a lovely old two-story ante-bellum mansion that began life as a hotel before becoming a boarding house in 1908. There were three or four desserts available and I tried the only one I'd never had: Buttermilk Pie.

Pumpkin Pie: Although my mother taught all her children to cook, I don't recall anything of my siblings' efforts — with one exception. When Loren was 11 or 12 he decided one Halloween to make pumpkin pie from the Jack-o-Lantern. I've no idea what prompted him. And I vaguely recall my mother trying to talk him out of it (at 11 he'd have needed a lot of help). But he was determined. I don't recall the results of his efforts either, but I suspect that given the fact that it wasn't a cooking pumpkin it wasn't very good. This one is.

Spiced Apple Cake: I almost never make cakes — perhaps once a year if that. But several years ago a friend invited me to his annual 42nd birthday party (42 is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything) and I decided to bake a cake. I found this one at William-Sonoma and it turned out every bit as good — and good looking — as it sounded. Hmm, I should probably make it again.

Sweet Potato Pie: I got this recipe from the Lees Bros. Southern Cookbook. As I commented in my review of it they look more like New York Jews or Bostonian Episcopalians than Southern Bubbas. But the boys are indeed Southern and this recipe for Sweet Potato pie with it's slightly tart back-taste is the best sweet potato pie I've ever had.

Technorati: Food | recipe | kevin d weeks | seriously good | dessert

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Peach Cake

Eighty-five and Still Counting



Last Sunday was my father's 85th birthday and I went out to their house for a birthday dinner. Dad smoked a pork loin and some short ribs and my brother Kerry (who was down for a visit) made a corn salad that had too much cilantro in it (but, given that I detest cilantro any cilantro is too much). I fixed Potatoes Parmigiano and a blueberry gastrique for the pork, and I made a peach birthday cake.

A month or so ago I wrote an article for NPR's Kitchen Window on cooking with peaches and, as usual, had way too many recipes to include and the cake was one of those that didn't make the cut. But I love peaches and I hadn't made a cake this year (something I typically do about once a year) so I made it for the birthday party.

Both peach seeds and almonds have a distinct flavor of prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide — yes, cyanide, the poison.

Peaches arrived early this year, and their flavor isn't particularly intense. We had a lot of rain in the spring and I suspect that the peaches' flavor is literally watered down. So I made peach conserves to top the cake and add a boost in peachy goodness. I also made whipped some cream with Amaretto.

Almonds and peaches are related and it you look at a peach seed it looks a lot like an almond. In fact, although we think of almonds as nuts they aren't a true nut but instead the seed of a fruit Also both peach seeds and almonds have a distinct flavor of prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide — yes, cyanide, the poison), as a result almonds and by extension Amaretto are a good flavor match for peaches.

So I baked a cake, which, as my 11-year-old nephew noted, was "actually quite good."

Peach Cake
Serves 12.

Cake:
1 c unsalted butter — softened
2 1/2 c granulated sugar
6 lg eggs
2 2/3 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c lightly-packed almond flour*
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 c peaches (about 4 medium) — peeled and chopped
1/2 c sour cream
1 ts. vanilla extract
Conserves:
3 md peaches — peeled and chopped
1/4 c Amaretto
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp corn starch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water

Cake:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a standard bundt pan. Using a stand- or hand-mixer, cream butter and sugar until light, fluffy and a pale lemon color. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.

In another bowl, whisk together flour, almond flour*, baking soda and salt. And in a third medium-sized bowl combine sour cream, peaches, and vanilla.

Add 1/3 of flour mixture to egg mixture. Beat well. Add half of peach mixture and beat well. Repeat, ending with last third of flour. Pour batter into bundt pan.

Bake for 75 to 80 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool for 10 minutes and invert on a wire rack. Turn top up and cool thoroughly before slicing.

Conserves:
While cake is cooking, place all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for 15 minutes then stir in corn starch slurry until thickened. Allow to cool.

Serve cake topped with peach conserves and, if you wish, cream whipped with a couple of tablespoons of Amaretto.

*Note: I typically make my own almond flour by chopping blanched almonds in a mini food processor or blender. Be careful not to process too long or you'll end up with almond butter.

Try Peach Cake with...
Pulled Pork
Lamb Steak with Gremolata
Pork Chops Florentine

Technorati: Food | recipe | kevin d weeks | seriously good | dessert | cake | peaches

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Blood Orange Granita

Opportunity Lost



As I mentioned in Monday's post, I spent a week in Italy in 1999. My parents were in Europe while my father attended a couple of conferences (he's a master at getting other people to pay for him to travel) and they'd decided to tack a week on to the end of their trip in Italy. They invited me to join them and when I agreed they rented a villa in the middle of Tuscan nowhere - it was a gorgeous place.

The villa was a bit ram-shackle and run-down - what's often called shabby elegance - and the kitchen wasn't particularly well-equipped, but it had a few striking trompe l'oeil paintings on the wall, executed by the owner and the beds were decent. Shabby or not, il-equipped or not, the place was on the whole comfortable.

The villa was a bit ram-shackle and run-down - what's often called shabby elegance - and the kitchen wasn't particularly well-equipped.

We would make day trips to see the sites each day - searching for things we hadn't seen on previous trips. As I recall went took the train the 40 or 50 miles into Rome only a couple of times and for the rest (we'd done Rome) and mostly hit the roads in our rented car. But one thing we missed on that trip that we had seen before was good food.

Sure, when we hit a grocery store before returning to the villa each evening and cooking our own dinner the food was excellent, but we only had two good restaurant meals while we were there. In this country I'm used to having to do research in order to find good places to eat when I travel, but in Italy I assumed good food would be commonplace. Nope.Nevertheless, there was something I wish I'd tried while I was there but didn't even know about 10 years ago: granita.

It wasn't until about four years ago that I discovered these Italian ices and fell in love with them. I've posted my recipes for Coffee Granita and Sangria Granita, but my Blood Orange Granita is the oddest in flavor, and yet, perhaps, the best one I've come up with. Their season is over with (sorry for the delay), but ordinary oranges work as well.

Orange Granita with Grand Marnier and Lavender
Makes 6 servings.

1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried lavender (you can probably find this at a store such as Whole Foods)
6 tablespoons Grand Marnier or Triple Sec
3 cups orange juice (8 to 9 oranges)

Bring water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat as soon as it begins to boil and add lavender. Cool to room temperature then strain into a 9 x 13 pan. Add orange juice and Grand Marnier then place in the freezer. Follow directions for freezing and serving in General Methods.

Try this granita with...
Lamb Blade Steak
Pork Chops Florentine
Chicken Breasts with Herbs and Bacon

Technorati: Food | recipe | kevin d weeks | seriously good | dessert | oranges | italy

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Blackberry Ice Cream

Beautifully Luscious



The rich color of this blackberry ice cream recipe is matched by its rich, creamy and slightly tart flavor. Here in Tennessee we won't see fresh local blackberries until at least the middle of July, but there are a couple of local supermarkets that carry blackberries "imported" from elsewhere, and even frozen blackberries will work. If you wished, you could substitute raspberries for the blackberries — although I don't like them as well.

Recipe at Cooking for Two...

Technorati: Food | recipe | kevin d weeks | cooking for two | dessert | ice cream

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Rhubarb-Apple Crisp

A Beautiful Marriage



This rhubarb/apple crisp is an even better combination than rhubarb and strawberries because apples can handle rhubarb's tartness with more aplomb than strawberries. It only took me 10 minutes to make and 45 minutes to cook because I already had streusel topping in the freezer waiting for just such a quick, weeknight dessert. Topped with plain whipped cream it was a light and not-too-sweet ending to the meal. The leftovers make a great breakfast the next morning.

Recipe here...

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Espresso Ice Cream with Nutella Swirl

Nutella Novice



I always thought Nutella was just a fancy European chocolate sauce and as someone who's not passionate about chocolate I wasn't particularly interested. In fact, although it's frequently found on breakfast tables throughout Europe I was never even tempted to try it during my travels. Breakfast is bread, cheese, maybe some ham, coffee, and a cigarette. Breakfast is decidedly not chocolate

So I was surprised to learn a couple of months ago that Nutella is actually hazelnut butter flavored with chocolate. That put a whole new complexion on things and I added it to my current grocery list - I wanted to try it and see what the fuss was about. It took a month (and several grocery lists) before I was in a store that sold Nutella and I bought a jar. When I got home it went into my pantry and I forgot about it for another month before noticing it and trying a bite. It was pretty good - nothing to write home about, but then I was already at home - and I forgot about it again. Until I made a batch of lavender ice cream.

Breakfast is bread, cheese, maybe some ham, coffee, and a cigarette. Breakfast is decidedly not chocolate.

The ice cream was good, but needed something. But what? I remembered the Nutella and decided to add a spoonful. Delicious, and then I realized the perfect use for the Nutella was swirled into espresso ice cream. So I picked an ice-cream custard recipe (from David Lebovitz's Fine Cooking article, "Scooped," June/July 2009), added some espresso powder, and swirled in the Nutella. Woo hoo! This is some good stuff, and if you really want to kick it over the top, drizzle it with some Fra Angelica, for another hazelnut kick with a brandy back.

Espresso Ice Cream with Nutella Swirl
Makes 1 1/2 quarts.

2 c heavy cream — divided
1 c whole milk
2/3 c sugar
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 tbsp Espresso powder
5 egg yolks — lightly beaten
2/3 c Nutella

Heat 1 cup heavy cream and milk with sugar, salt, and Espresso powder over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves, small bubbles begin to form and temperature is about 175 degrees.

Slowly add half of hot cream mixture to beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly and vigorously to avoid curdling. Then whisk egg mixture back into the cream. Place pan back over medium heat and cook, stirring, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. You should be able to draw your finger through the custard and leave a trail.

Pour custard through a sieve into a 2 quart bowl. Whisk the 2nd cup of heavy cream.

Place this bowl in a larger bowl, add ice and cold water and chill until ice melts. Cover medium bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Add to ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's directions. Scoop ice cream into a plastic container, drizzle in Nutella, and swirl with a knife (this will be easiest if the bowl is on a moist kitchen towel). Freeze for at least a couple of hours to harden.

Try Espresso Ice Cream with...
Mititei (Romanian Sausages)
Lamb Steaks with Gremolata
Cuban Braised Pork

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Lavender Ice Cream

Edible Flowers



This recipe proved to be quite a challenge. I found a recipe (from a usually dependable source) that used honey as the sweetener, but two separate attempts failed - the ice cream simply wouldn't set so I ended up with two batches of lavender and honey flavored soup. Upon subsequent investigation I discovered that honey is only suitable as an addition, not as the primary source of sugar. So I reworked the recipe to use sugar and added a bit of honey for flavor. It worked and is really quite good - and try adding a dollop of Nutella to it when you serve.

Recipe here...

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Pineapple/Lime Tart

An Odd Combination



About four years ago I entered an online dessert cookng contest and came up with this Pineapple/Lime Tart.

I decided almost immediately on a lemon or lime tart in order to keep the sweetness down, but traditionally tarts display fruit on top and I didn't want to take the time to candy slices of lemon or lime. That meant the citrus had to go in the filling. Which brought up another constraint — I refused to use crème anglaise as the filling. Clichés become such by being overused. Crème anglaise is an overused cliché.

For the filling I decided on something cheesecake-like because it would support and moderate the citrus flavor. Then I went back to thinking about the topping and decided pineapple would combine nicely with lime.

The last order of business was the pastry itself. For some reason puff pastry seemed, without question, the proper base. So I didn't question.

Pineapple/Lime Tart

8 oz mascarpone
3 oz cream cheese — room temperature
1 egg
1/4 c lime juice
1 tbsp lime zest
1/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
12 oz peeled and cored fresh pineapple
2 sheets puff pastry
3 oz pineapple juice
1 tsp corn starch

Heat oven to 425F.

In a bowl, thoroughly mix first seven ingredients.

Slice pineapple into 1/4" rings and cut each ring in half.

Unfold pastry and place on parchment paper on cookie sheets. Dock center of sheets, leaving a 1/2" border. Spread filling on pastry sheets leaving border uncovered. Arrange pineapple slices, interlocking half rings in a chain-like pattern.

Bake on middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes until edges are puffed and brown.

Meanwhile, simmer pineapple juice until reduced by half. Combine corn starch with a couple of tablespoons of cold water and stir into pineapple juice to thicken. Brush glaze on tarts after removing from oven.

Try this Pineapple/Lime Tart with...
Beef Stroganoff
Lamb Steak with Gremolata
Saltimbocca

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Rhubarb Ice Cream

Chilling in the Spring



The idea of making Rhubarb Ice Cream occurred to me last summer — just after rhubarb season. And so I've had to wait an entire year to try it out. One word - Yum! Rhubarb and cream go together well and rhubarb has a lovely tartness. The ice cream was actually an extremely pale yellowish pink, so I added some red food coloring to make it darker. I based this recipe on my friend David Lebovitz's article, "Scooped," in the June/July 2009 Fine Cooking magazine. David is also the author of The Perfect Scoop - highly recommended.

Recipe here...

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Rhubarb/Apple Crisp

This rhubarb/apple crisp is an even better combination than rhubarb and strawberries because apples can handle rhubarb's tartness with more aplomb than strawberries. It only took me 10 minutes to make and 45 minutes to cook because I already had streusel topping in the freezer waiting for just such a quick, weeknight dessert. Topped with plain whipped cream it was a light and not-too-sweet ending to the meal. The leftovers make a great breakfast the next morning.

You can find my recipe here.

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Bread Pudding

A Trusty (and Crusty) Friend



Bread pudding is one of those old dishes. It has certainly been around in some form another since bread was invented. Take some stale bread, an egg or two, a bit of milk, sugar, and a fire and cook the mixture. It's just bread baked in a sweetened custard. What could be simpler?

For many people it's also a major comfort food bringing back memories of childhood and family dinners. But I'm not one of them. I don't think my mother ever made it and though I've had it a few times I was never particularly impressed with what was typically a soggy mess. Neither was Q.

Whole wheat adds a nutty sweetness and a degree of substance not found in most breads recommended for bread pudding.

Q is one of my closest friends and an excellent cook. Even better, his taste buds seem to be near duplicates of my own. Whether sending me a recipe or recommending something in a restaurant, his sense of what I will especially like never fails.

A few days ago he got an urge for bread pudding but, like me, was unimpressed with most recipes. So, again like me, he came up with his own. His description of it sounded mighty good so I gave it a try. We're talking seriously good here.

Whole wheat adds a nutty sweetness and a degree of substance not found in most breads recommended for bread pudding. When well-toasted, as Q recommends, it stands up well to the custard and manages to absorb the flavors of the egg mixture without losing it's own character either texturally or in terms of flavor.

Apples are a common ingredient, but Q's use of cider takes it just a bit further and again adds sweetness without adding sugar. Ditto the raisins. The result is sweet but more a fruit sweetness than a sugar sweetness.

Lastly, the sherry in the sauce is a perfect complement to the flavors of the pudding.

Bread Pudding
Recipe By: Q Correll

6 slices whole wheat bread
1 apple — peeled and diced
4 tbsps unsalted butter
4 eggs
1/3 c dark brown sugar
1/2 c milk
1 c half and half
1 c cider
1/2 c raisins
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Sherry Sauce:
4 tbsp sweet butter — softened
1/4 c sugar
1 egg — beaten
1 1/2 oz amontillado sherry
1 c whipping cream

Toast bread on both sides until well browned and cut into 3/4" cubes. You should have 6 - 7 cups.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced apple (should be about the same size as raisins) and cook for five to seven minutes.

Heat oven to 350F. Lightly whip egg and brown sugar together in a large bowl. Mix in milk, cider, half & half, vanilla, and spices. Add bread, apples, and raisins and stir. Pour into a shallow casserole such as a 9 x 13 rectangular Pyrex dish.

Place casserole in a larger pan in the middle of the oven and add enough boiling water to large pan to come half way up the sides of the casserole. Cook for 70 minutes, checking toward the end to be sure water doesn't boil away.

Sauce:
Cream butter and sugar together; blend in the beaten egg. Put mixture in top of a double boiler over gently boiling water and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in sherry. Cool to room temperature.

Whip cream until stiff. Gradually whip in egg sauce. Serve over warm pudding.

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Buttermilk Pie withLemon/Mint Sauce

Country Eats



A few years ago I had lunch at Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Miss Bobo's is no longer a boarding house although it is a lovely old two-story ante-bellum mansion that began life as a hotel before becoming a boarding house in 1908 when Mary Bobo and her husband, Jack, took over. Today the place is owned by Jack Daniels Distillery and serves traditional Southern fare such as fried chicken, turnip greens, fried okra, and stewed apples. Meals are served family style - there were 12 of us at my table - and as in most families bowls of food are passed around the table. There were three or four desserts available and I tried the only one I'd never had: Buttermilk Pie.

One of the blogs I ran across said that the vanilla-flavored version was more Southern while the lemon-flavored version was Northern.

I'd heard of buttermilk pie before, a custard pie featuring buttermilk, but this was the first time I'd run across it. Frankly, it was too sweet for my taste, but I figured the sugar could be toned down and I really liked the buttermilk tang. So I made a mental note to find a recipe and try it again. A few days ago I finally got around to it.

As usual, I looked up a lot of recipes and found they all fell into two basic categories, one flavored with vanilla and the other with lemon. One of the blogs I ran across said that the vanilla-flavored version was more Southern while the lemon-flavored version was Northern. The lemon intrigued me because when I'd had it at Miss Bobo's I'd been vaguely reminded of Shaker Lemon Pie, but I figured I should go with the Southern style an use vanilla. Nevertheless, I couldn't get that added lemon bite out of my head, so I decided to make a lemon sauce as a topping.

Buttermilk Pie with Lemon/Mint Sauce
Serves 8.

1 1/4 c buttermilk
4 eggs
3/4 c sugar
2 tbsp flour, plus a little for dusting
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 c melted butter
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
Lemon/Mint Sauce:
1 c water
1/2 c sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
dash salt
1 c water
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp finely grated lemon peel
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp mint extract
2 or 3 drops yellow food coloring (optional)

Heat oven to 325F.

Lightly beat eggs then whisk in sugar and flour. Add buttermilk, nutmeg, and vanilla and mix. Whisk in melted butter.

Dust the unbaked pie shell with a little bit of flour. Pour batter into shell, and then sprinkle a little more flour on top. Bake until the custard is set, 60 - 70 minutes. (The pie is set when the center no longer jiggles.)

Cool on a wire rack.

Lemon/Mint Sauce:
In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in water and cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Stir until butter is melted and mixture is well blended.

Try these buttermilk desserts too:
Buttermilk Pudding
Buttermilk/Pineapple Sherbet

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Lemon Chiffon Pie

Light and Luscious



A couple of weeks ago I posted a photo of one of my "goto" desserts - a quick and easy icebox lime pie. I refused to publish the recipe on Seriously Good - it isn't. I wrote the recipe off as having, "no art, no style, and not a smidgeon of self-respect," and promised to post my recipe for Key Lime Chiffon Pie.

Jackie, a friend of mine, wanted to know what the difference is between the Icebox Lime Pie I pictured and the chiffon pie I promised to post a recipe for. In fact, the difference is art, style, and self-respect. A proper chiffon pie doesn't contain sweetened condensed milk. It's body comes from a sauce made using egg yolks. This sauce is then lightened with whipped egg whites and cream. Genuine fresh key limes are used instead of the bottled stuff and the mixture sets because of gelatin instead of the canned milk. It is light, even etheral, and one of the best things on earth.

A proper chiffon pie is light, even etheral, and one of the best things on earth.

Sadly, I've been having trouble finding fresh key limes. They're not an ingredient I can rely on around here, and so I elected to do a Lemon Chiffon Pie instead. I prefer the darker pungency of key limes to lemons, but this is still an excellent recipe and is essentially my Key Lime Chiffon Pie recipe.

Lemon Chiffon Pie
Serves 8.

Crust:
1 1/4 c graham cracker crumbs
2 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp grated lemon zest (or key lime zest)
4 1/2 tbsp butter — melted
Filling:
1 c water
1/2 c sugar
Zest from 1 lg. lemon (or one Persian lime)
1 (1/4 oz) envelope unflavored gelatin
1/3 c fresh lemon juice (or key lime juice*)
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs — separated
1 tbsp grated lemon zest (or key lime zest)
1 c whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

Crust:
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Thoroughly combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, grated zest, and butter in a medium bowl. Press into the bottom (only) of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Set the crust on a wire rack to cool.

Once completely cooled, gently remove springform side, line side with plastic wrap (to minimize later sticking), and re-attach to base.

Filling:
Peel a lemon with a vegetable peeler removing only the zest.

Combine the water and 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan and heat to a simmer. Stir in the lemon zest and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and reserve.

Place lemon zest on a piece of aluminum foil and sprinkle lightly with sugar (I used a coarse decorative sugar).

Cool syrup to about 90 degrees (noticeably warm, but not hot) and sprinkle the gelatin over the syrup. Let it soften for 1 minute. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and the 2 egg yolks. Stir over low heat until the mixture is thick and frothy (10 minutes). Transfer to a large bowl and cool to room temperature.

Beat the egg whites and 2 tablespoons of the sugar with an electric mixer until stiff.

In another bowl, whip the cream, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons sugar until thick. Mix 1/3 of the whipped cream into the lemon sauce mixture to lighten.

Add remaining whipped cream and egg whites to bowl and fold into until the mixture is smooth (don't overwork it though). Spoon it into the prepared crust and chill, uncovered, until firm (2 to 3 hours).

Garnish with sugared lemon peel and a light sprinkle of finely minced mint.

*Note: The best way to juice key limes is to cut them in half then use a garlic press to squeeze out the juice.

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Lime Icebox Pie

Dirty Secret



There isn't a chef, cook, or foodie alive who doesn't have a few dirty secrets. It might be a love affair with Velveeta, a hunger for White Castles, or a even a fondess for fried Spam on Wonderbread with Miracle Whip. There's no accounting for taste - even educated taste - and I'm no better than anyone else. I recently posted a recipe for one of my dirty secrets on CookingForTwo.About.com.

I'm not proud of it, not least because I seldom want desserts, but, just as with that Rotel Tomato/Velveeta Dip I mentioned not so long ago (and which I'm happy to say I probably last made about 10 years ago) because this is a dessert with no art, no style, and not a smidgeon of self-respect. I dressed it up as best I could for the photograph, but it's still a pig in lipstick. Nevertheless, I make it more often than I'm willing to admit. I'm sure Donna Hays would love me for it.

You'll have to get the recipe from my About site for the recipe (I won't post it here - it's good, but not seriously) nevertheless I promise to post my recipe for Key Lime Chiffon Pie in the not-too-distant future because just having made this, I want something Seriously Good to recalibrate my palate. The chiffon pie everything this recipe isn't.

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Paisano: Peach Cobbler

Peachy Keen



I'm not a big dessert person, in fact I'm not big on sweets in general. Oh, I eat them when offered but, aside from the occasional pan of brownies, I seldom make them myself. The exceptions are seasonal fruit desserts - particularly in the form of pies, tarts, and crisps.

My year-round, go-to dessert is key lime pie because you can usually find decent limes throughout the year. I have a really simple quick and easy recipe I often use, but for special occasions I'll do something like a lime chiffon pie or lime meringue pie.

I use tapioca as the thickener, it doesn't have the slimy mouth-feel of cornstarch and it doesn't dull the fruit color and taste buds like flour.

So every year I do one or two strawberry desserts, a blueberry pie or crisp, something with blackberries, something with apples and then pears, and now that I can usually find figs some sort of fig dessert. But my absolute favorite fruit dessert is almost anything made with peaches. I may do as many as two peach desserts in season and one of them is always peach cobbler.

Cobblers are one-crust pies and that crust can be a pie-style crust, puff pastry, or biscuit/shortbread. My mother always used the latter, in fact she used Bisquik for the crust. The great thing about this crust is the way it absorbs juice, which means you need relatively little thickener - just mash it all up in a bowl with some heavy cream and pig out.

Two tricks here. First, I use tapioca as the thickener, it doesn't have the slimy mouth-feel of cornstarch and it doesn't dull the fruit color and taste buds like flour. I run the tapioca through my food-grinder to eliminate the little buds of tapioca you otherwise end up with.

Second, I cook the filling in the oven for 15 minutes before adding the topping. If you add the topping at the beginning the underside gets soggy, but once the filling is hot the underside cooks quickly.

Peach Cobbler
Serves 6.

Filling
5 lb. peaches (about 6 large)
2 tbsp fine tapioca (run ordinary tapioca through a food grinder)
4 - 6 tbsp sugar (depending on how sweet the fruit is)
2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp Fra Angelica (optional)
3 tbsp salted butter - cold, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
Crust
2 1/3 c Bisquick mix
3 tbsp unsalted butter - melted
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cardamom
1/2 c milk

Heat oven to 425F. Taste a few bites of different peaches to determine sweetness.

Peel the peaches (see note) and cut into bite-size pieces. In a 9 x 9 inch baking dish, mix peaches with tapioca, sugar, 1 tsp cardamom, lemon juice, and sugar.

Dot with cold butter and place in center of oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the crust according to Shortcake recipe on package but whisking in cardamom first.

Spoon crust onto cobbler (not too thick - try to mostly, but casually, cover the peaches) and cook until crust is browned - about 15 minutes.

Note: Peeling peaches (and tomatoes, and apricots, and nectarines…) is a pain in the butt, unless you have a Messermeister serrated peeler. For six dollars this little device is the best gadget I've bought in years.

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Blackberry Ice Cream

Chillin' Out



I grew up on a farm named Direenfinhilid, a Gaelic word roughly meaning "pretty little oak grove." And in fact, the house my parents built was surrounded by oaks ranging from 50 to 150 years old. Behind the house was a field belonging to someone else that hadn't been maintained, as a result it had become a solid acre of wild blackberry bushes — blackberries that ripened mid-summer.

Every year my father would organize three or four berry-picking expeditions, out-fitting us with empty paint cans to collect the berries in. Each expedition would last until we were sated on berries and stained blue, our hands and arms were covered with scratches (despite long pants and long-sleeved shirts), and our complaints about the heat finally exceeded Dad's desire for more berries. Then we'd make our way back to the house where we'd sort the berries from the twigs and leaves that also ended up in the buckets.

Back in those halcyon days ice cream was easy for adults to make when they had kids to do the cranking.

Dad or Mom would make a blackberry cobbler that night and they'd freeze the rest of the berries. Often the end of the berry season would coincide with the first of the peach season and we'd have a blackberry/peach cobbler — a pairing made in heaven. But one thing I don’t recall eating as a child is blackberry ice cream.

We certainly made ice cream throughout the summer. Back in those halcyon days ice cream was easy for adults to make when they had kids to do the cranking — childless couples didn't eat homemade ice cream back then, too much work. I recall peach ice cream (a favorite of mine), strawberry ice cream, chocolate and vanilla for sure, and lemon (not a favorite of mine), but I don't recall blackberry ice cream. So, although my first thought was "cobbler" when I saw blackberries at the farmers' market, my second was ice cream.

I'm not actually an ice cream fan, but thanks to Dave Lebovitz pointing to a sale at Amazon a few weeks back I now own a Cusinart ice cream maker and I'm exploring it. So blackberry ice cream seemed like a great idea. Turns out, it was.

Blackberry Ice Cream
Makes 1 1/2 quarts.

1 pint (12 oz.) blackberries
1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup milk
2 cups half-and-half
4 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Heat milk, half-and-half, and 1/3 cup sugar in a 1 qt. sauce pan over medium heat until almost simmering (175F) stirring frequently. (A few bubbles begin to appear.)

In the meantime: Puree the berries and strain through a fine-mesh sieve, stirring and pressing with a spoon to eliminate seeds, then whisk egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar, salt, and cardamom in a medium bowl.

When milk is hot, slowly pour half into egg mixture, whisking vigorously. Then whisk milk and egg mixture into remaining milk. Heat over medium-low heat until almost simmering (175F). At this point a few bubbles begin to appear and the mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon.

Pour custard (milk and egg mixture) through a sieve into a clean bowl and cool to room temperature. Add berry puree and chill for four hours.

Churn according the ice cream-maker directions, then scoop into a plastic container and freeze for another 2 - 4 hours before serving.

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Coffee Granita

An Italian Morning



My laptop has always had battery problems and so I've relied on the AC adapter. However, years of reliance on it has resulted in the connection to the computer loosening and so the plug often falls out.when I shift the machine on the couch (where it lives). But the battery finally reached the point where it couldn't keep the computer running long enough to go into hibernate mode when the plug fell out.

I hadn't replaced the battery because 1) batteries for this sucker are way expensive and 2) I've seldom needed the battery — there's usually an AC outlet available. Nevertheless, when it got to the point where I was losing work it was time to accede gracefully to the inevitable and buy a new battery. This morning that investment really paid off.

Cool, very light, and richly flavored, a granita is an outstanding summertime treat.

I awoke at 8:00 to beautifully clear day thanks to yesterday's thunderstorms. And, also thanks to the thunderstorms, it was neither too hot nor too muggy to sit outside on the balcony, check my email (because I now have a working battery) and eat a bite of breakfast.

It was wonderfully nostalgic and in gestalt reminded me of a morning in Italy. Partially this was because of the nature of my breakfast — coffee granita and a croissant.

Although they're a pain to make (requiring minimal, but frequent attention) I'm fond of granitas. Cool, very light, and richly flavored, a granita is an outstanding summertime treat. You can make them with wine, champagne, fruit juice, or — my favorite — coffee.

I've been planning on this post for a couple of weeks and finally made the granita a couple of days ago. The fact that this morning was perfect for really enjoying it was pure serendipity.

Coffee Granita
Serves 6.

4 cups hot, very strong, brewed coffee (a dark roast made at double strength or espresso is best)
1 cup sugar
lightly sweetened whipped cream

Dissolve sugar in hot coffee and cool to room temperature. Pour into a 9 x 13 pan and place in the freezer.

Every 30 minutes, stir the mixture with a whisk, scraping the sides, and return to freezer. When mixture is about 80 to 90 percent frozen, use a fork instead of the whisk.

Use a fork to stir the granita again just before serving. This produces mounds of loose crystals. The ultimate texture is up to you and how often and thoroughly you stir. I think the best have the mouth-feel of snow — as though flakes of coffee have formed high in the heavens and then drifted to earth. Whatever the texture, chill the serving bowls or glasses in the refrigerator to avoid having the granita melt too quickly. Serve topped with whipped cream.

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Blueberry Ice Cream

Summer Treat



You can find the recipe at Cooking for Two.

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Bourbon Cake

Marvelous Stuff!



This article was originally posted in 2006.

Thanksgiving is America's best holiday. It's unencumbered with gifts and cards and similar commercial holiday paraphernalia. There is no long, drawn-out prelude to the holiday beginning after Labor Day. And although the point is giving thanks to whichever deity one believes in, it doesn't harp on the issue — a shared prayer at the dinner table is generally regarded as sufficient. Following that prayer is the high point and main point of the holiday — an over-the-top feast shared with family and friends. What more could one ask for? And why, if this is the way I feel, am I bringing it up a month early?

Bear with me.

Growing up, everyone in my house contributed something to the feast whether it was making cranberry relish or baking a pie. Lots of focused, shared activity and good smells. Around four in the afternoon, if it wasn't raining, my father would organize a walk. We'd tramp through the sere fields and bare woods of our farm. Often it was cold, but if it wasn't cloudy as well Dad would take pictures of us. (Something I particularly hated.) Then we'd return to a waiting fire and the last minute organization of the meal.

Like many families, the day after Thanksgiving marked the beginning of the Christmas season. Unlike most families this didn't mean shopping. Instead Mom and Dad would begin preparing the Christmas feast. Dad made his eggnog base (which then aged for a month) and a fruit cake. Mom made her mother's (Mummo's) Bourbon Cake.

With an electric mixer, she'd beat the butter and sugar together in a large stainless steel bowl and then mix in the eggs, flour, and bourbon producing an unremarkable cake batter. Then Dad would haul down "the big bowl" for the final step.

The big bowl, cut from a single block of mahogany, was about 20" in diameter and about 7" deep. It needed to be big to accommodate the exertions required to incorporate a pound of nuts and a pound-and-a-half or raisins in a single bowl of batter. I can see Mom, in faded shirt, dark curley hair disarrayed, sweating slightly, wielding a wooden spoon to incorporate the nuts and raisins into the batter. Once mixed, the cake went into a tube pan and then baked for 3-1/2 hours, filling the house with the most wonderful odors. This cake is a serious investment in time and effort. But, oh, how the investment paid off.

When the cake had cooled it was doused with more bourbon, wrapped in aluminum foil, and sealed in a cake tin. Then, once a week until Christmas, the cake would be uncovered and doused with more bourbon. Although potent, even as kids we were permitted a thin slice of it when it was finally served. We loved it. In fact, everyone who tried it loved it. The cake was rich, moist, spicy, chewey, and pungent with bourbon. Marvelous stuff!

I've posted the recipe before, but I wanted to post it again — and do so in time, for those of you interested in a holiday cake recipe dating back to the early 1900s (or earlier), to make it. Note: a good stand mixer obviates the need for "the big bowl."

Mummo's Bourbon Cake

1 c butter — softened
2 c sugar
4 c flour — sifted
4 ea eggs
1 lb pecan pieces
1 1/2 lb white or golden raisins
1 c bourbon
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp soda
1/2 tsp salt

Heat oven to 275F. Sift 1 cup flour and mix with nuts and raisins. Sift remaining flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and soda together. Grease a tube pan and line bottom with parchment paper.

Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure each is incorporated before adding the next one. Alternately add bourbon and flour. Add nuts and raisins.

Pour into tube pan and bake 3 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and cool thoroughly.

Sprinkle generously with additional bourbon, wrap it in aluminum foil with a couple of apple wedges to keep it moist, and place in an air-tight container. Each weekend leading up to Christmas, unwrap cake and sprinkle again with additional bourbon.

My mother no longer makes the cake, but I have her tube pan and her recipe and I'm trying to make it every year and share it with my parents and siblings. Fortunately, it's pretty much immune to spoiling so mailing it to Vermont or Virginia isn't a problem. And given that I made it almost a month early this year, it should be particularly well-seasoned.

Technorati: Food | dessert | cake | bourbon cake | holiday

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Granitas

Granita by Any Name Would Taste as Sweet

During my childhood, one of my father's summer specialties was pineapple-buttermilk sherbet. Put aside thoughts of a creamy, citrus dessert combining a tart tropical taste with the refreshing cool of mountain snow: This was a pan of frozen buttermilk with rock-hard chunks of pineapple embedded in it.

You can read the complete article on Kitchen Window.

Technorati: Food | recipe | kitchen window | granita | dessert

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Blood Orange Granita

Technorati: Food | photos | blood orange | granita | dessert

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Paisano: Strawberry Shortcake

Paisano: Strawberry Shortcake



There was a large patch of gravel in front of the rickety, boarded-up roadside stand, a plywood structure smaller than my closet that it seemed would fall apart if you looked at it closely. I drove by it each day going to and from work when I lived in California and never gave it much thought – just part of the landscape. Then spring arrived and one day I noticed the stand was open. There was no sign indicating what they had, but there was someone in the shadows of the hut, so I pulled in to see what they had.

Inside there was an old oriental man somewhere between 40 and 104 years old and a woman somewhere between 18 and 40. In front of them were trays of strawberries. Small berries, the size of the end of my thumb, perfectly ruby red and ripe. And now that I could look, I noticed that the field behind the stand – perhaps two acres in size – was filled with strawberry plants. I bought a container and, back in the car and headed home, ate a berry, then another, then a third. They were the sweetest, most intense strawberries I'd ever had in my life. Unbelievably good. I had plain strawberries for dinner than night.

They were the sweetest, most intense strawberries I'd ever had in my life.

For a week they were open every other day and I bought a container every other day. For the next week they were open every day and I exercised great will-power and still only bought them every other day, for a final week they were again only open every other day. And then they were gone, the season over, the gravel lot deserted.

I mourned, but this is what seasonal eating is about. You get while the getting's good. And I got good.

A year later the Paisano dropped by while the stand was operating and I had the pleasure of introducing him to these glorious gems. He was suitably impressed – and impressing him isn’t easy to do. I bought two quarts and told him I was going to make him strawberry shortcake. He was horrified.

He asked me how, as someone who loved food, who understood respecting the food, as a person he had taken under his wing and taught to eat (conveniently forgetting the 40-odd years I'd been eating before meeting him) I could make that… and he lapsed into Hungarian or Romanian or whatever language it is he uses when he's cursing. (He won't tell me and I can't figure it out beyond it being Central European.)

Anyway, I finally got him calmed down and determined his experience with strawberry shortcake had involved commercial angel food cake and that nasty gloppy strawberry jelly the grocery stores sell. I told him this wasn't what I was making. I told him I was making strawberry shortcake like my momma made – but even better.

We got back to my place and capped then halved the berries. I added just enough sugar to bring out the juices, and a healthy dollop of Fra Angelica. Strawberries pair beautifully with nut flavors and the Fra Angelica (as well as Amaretto) highlights them delightfully. While I was prepping the berries, I put Paisano to work skinning a handful of hazelnuts.

We let the berries macerate for about three hours.

When I was growing up my mother made strawberry shortcake using the shortcake recipe on the back of the Bisquik box. I confess I still do that myself sometimes, but for this occasion I wanted to convince the Paisano that this was a truly worthy dish. So I used a scone recipe and, after grinding the hazelnuts into flour substituted them for part of the flour. So now I had hazelnuts in the berries and the shortcake.

I placed a warm biscuit on each plate, added berries, and then unsweetened whipped cream. Paisano, took a bite. Chewed it slowly. Then another bite. He raised his glass of wine to me and said, "Bella." This is the word he uses to say something is as beautiful as a woman, it's a special complement.

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberries:
2 quarts strawberries – capped and halved or quartered, depending on size
2 - 4 tbsp sugar – depending on berries sweetness
3 tbsp Fra Angelica
Shortcake:
1 3/4 c all purpose flour
1/4 cup hazelnut flour
1/4 c sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp butter – melted
1 c buttermilk

Prep the strawberries at least three hours in advance and as long as six hours before eating. Taste a couple of berries to get an idea of how sweet they are, then add the Fra Angelica and as much sugar as seems necessary. (Note: You do want to add some sugar because it draws the juices out of the berries.) Cover with plastic, and allow to macerate on the counter-top (refrigerating them will slow down the maceration and dull the flavor).

When ready to eat, heat oven to 450F.

To make the shortcake, place the flour, hazelnut flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the buttermilk and butter and stir in. You’ll end up with a sticky dough. Flour your hands and turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. Using your hands gently pat out into 6 by 9 inch rectangle. Using a 3 inch biscuit cutter, cut out as many rounds as you can (you should end up with six). Place rounds on an ungreased cookie sheet, shape remaining dough into a round and add it to the sheet.

Bake until well-browned on top (if you wish, you can melt some additional butter and brush the tops) – 12 - 15 minutes. Cut hot cakes in half and set on plates. Drizzle with strawberry juices then distribute strawberries and top with whipped cream. Eat immediately.

And the Paisano? He was delighted. In fact he actually made me write down the scone recipe.

Technorati: Food | recipe | Paisano | desserts | strawberries | shortcake | gather

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