A few of the recipes here are monumentally rich and luscious, especially the cheesecakes, the voluptuous Sharlotka, and the chocolate cakes, which I lovingly dedicate to those friends for whom a day without chocolate is a day lost. But these are things I taste only in tiny servings, if at all, as others might nibble a candy. I don’t cook them for my own use at home, and I think they’re best enjoyed separate from a good meal—at midnight, for instance, with a dessert wine, or in the afternoon with tea or coffee.
To me the best desserts are light, sort of transparent, in that they don’t obliterate the dishes that preceded them. Fruit is my usual choice—but not with cheese necessarily (I like the two tastes separate). Today it’s hard to buy the zesty old-fashioned apples that were a common-place of my Oregon boyhood. Transport and storage take their toll. You can’t realistically ask a big market to give you a gold-and-amber Cornice pear just at its peak of honeyed ripeness, or strawberries picked just that morning, never chilled and still tasting of the sun. We didn’t have an orchard at home, but apples and cherries, the noble Lambert, grew in our garden. Fruit, fresh or home-preserved, cold or hot, was a year-round staple with us. Our taste in cakes ran to sponge or seed or pound cakes, and otherwise we lived almost dessertless and never felt the lack.
Never having developed a sweet tooth, I still prefer plain old-fashioned lard pastry for fruit pies. It has no sugar and doesn’t need it, while good lard gives a nutty flavor and a crisply flaky texture that contrast perfectly with the fruit. Rather than pastry, I sometimes enjoy the crunch of a shortbread cookie with fruit, a cool plum compote for instance, or a thin sugar cookie with a sorbet. Sherbets (or sorbets), in fact, are my current favorites, and here I’m giving you the results of a long series of recent experiments. Their very light texture and intense flavor are refreshing after a hearty dinner, and I enjoy their brilliant color. Sometimes I serve a selection, all together in a deep crystal dish.
Appearance is important to me, with desserts in particular; for instance, I like to serve pots de crème in majolica cups, with very small spoons for slow savoring. Or I’ll scatter a few tiny sprigs of mint over a bowl of raspberries, for their fragrance as well as their color. But I would never decorate a cake with sugar roses. Food should look like food. Plates and bowls should be beautiful in themselves—I love porcelain in bold shapes and exciting colors—but when you serve, think of enhancement, not distraction. And that’s really the point, for me, in choosing what to have for dessert. It shouldn’t wipe out your memory of a good meal, it should enhance it.
DESSERTS
Simple syrup (for sherbets)
Apricot sherbet
prune sherbet
Red-wine-pear sherbet
white-wine-pear sherbet
Champagne sherbet
Peach sherbet
orange
grapefruit
pineapple
ginger and lime
strawberry
apple
melon
lichee
lime and tea
cranberry
Praline ice cream
Raisin and chestnut ice cream
ginger and macadamia nut ice cream
Caramel ice cream
Brown bread ice cream
Cassis ice cream
Fruits (poached in heavy syrup, poached in light syrup, raw, canned)
Chocolate sauce
Cognac sauce
Brown sugar rum sauce
Butterscotch sauce
Apple pie (including lard pie crust)
rhubarb pie
Nutted pumpkin pie
Pineapple and apricot tart (including pâte sucrée)
Pear and chocolate tart
The Coach House quince tart
Tarte tatin
Thin pear tart
Compote of dried fruits
with cognac
with rum
Strawberries Teresa
glazed rhubarb
Gooseberry fool
strawberry fool
raspberry fool
rhubarb fool
fruit fool with yogurt
Chocolate ring
French chocolate cake
Austrian chocolate cake
Chocolate tweed cake
Sponge cake with apricot glaze
Orange and almond cake
Don Farmer’s fresh apple cake
fresh pear cake
Chocolate cheesecake
Hazelnut cheesecake
Sour cream cheesecake
Pound cake
with citron
with spices
Sharlotka
Bread-and-butter pudding
with raisins
with rum
with French bread
buttered-cake pudding
Apple tapioca
with apples and pears or quince
Vanilla pots de crème
with praline
Chocolate pots de crème
The vogue for simple food has increased the popularity—which was never minimal—of the mouth-tingling sherbets and sorbets and the related water ices. One of the great advantages of these desserts is that they may be quickly prepared before dinner, put in the freezer, and removed just long enough before serving to restore them to the softish texture at which they taste best—about half an hour in the refrigerator. Sherbets are easy to make from puréed fresh, canned, or dried fruits and fruit juices, and the variations of the theme are practically endless. You can freeze sherbet in an electric or hand-operated ice-cream freezer, turning it until just softly frozen (not as hard as ice cream); in the small electric sorbetières that fit into a freezer or freezing compartment; or in ice-cube trays. If frozen in trays, sherbet should be removed when mushy and partly frozen and beaten until smooth—for best results, 2 or 3 times during the freezing process.
Simple Syrup
This basic mixture of sugar and water cooked to a syrup serves two purposes—to sweeten the sherbet and to give it smoothness of texture. The usual ratio is 2 parts sugar to 1 part water, or slightly less sugar if you prefer—depending on your taste and the natural sweetness of the fruit purée. If you use canned fruits in syrup or poach the fruit in sugared liquid before puréing, the syrup from the can or the poaching liquid can take the place of the syrup. The usual proportion is 3 cups purée to 1 cup syrup; see details on pages 505–507.
Apricot Sherbet
Makes 6 servings
1 pound dried apricots
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons cognac, apricot liqueur, or kirsch
Soak the apricots in water to cover for 2 hours. Drain. Make a simple syrup with the sugar and water, see above. Add the apricots to the syrup and cook for 10 minutes. Purée until smooth in a blender or food processor, or put through a food mill. Stir in the cognac, liqueur, or kirsch.
If you have an electric or hand-operated ice-cream freezer, churn the sherbet in the freezer, packed with ice and coarse salt, until the mixture is just softly frozen; it should not be hard. Otherwise, pour the mixture into ice trays and put in the freezer until partially frozen. Remove, turn the sherbet into a bowl, and beat thoroughly with a whisk or a heavy fork until smooth, then return to the trays and freeze. Repeat this process once or twice, then freeze the sherbet until firm but not hard.
Prune Sherbet. Use 1 pound dried, pitted prunes instead of the apricots. Flavor with ⅓ cup Madeira or sherry, and the juice of 1 lemon.
Red Wine—Pear Sherbet
Makes 1 quart
2½ cups red wine
1½ cups sugar
1 lemon slice, plus 1 tablespoon juice
6 pears
4 tablespoons eau-de-vie de poire
Combine wine, sugar, and lemon in a heavy pan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Peel, core, and halve the pears, dropping each peeled half into a bowl of water acidulated with 1 tablespoon lemon juice to prevent discoloring. Reduce the heat so the syrup is simmering. Drain the pears, add them to the simmering liquid, and poach, turning them once, for 10 minutes, or until just tender when pierced with a fork, but not overdone (the time depends on the size and firmness of the pears). Purée the pears until smooth in a blender or food processor. Combine with ½ cup of the wine syrup and the eau-de-vie. Freeze as for apricot sherbet (see preceding recipe).
White Wine-Pear Sherbet. Use 2½ cups dry white wine instead of the red wine.
Champagne Sherbet
Makes 6 to 8 servings
1 cup sugar
4 cups water
1 bottle brut champagne
Juice of 1½ oranges
Grated rind of 1 orange
Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for 6 minutes. Add the champagne and heat to evaporate the alcohol. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange juice and rind. Cool, then freeze as for apricot sherbet (see above).
Makes 1 quart
3 cups peach purée, made with approximately 7 or 8 fresh peaches or drained canned peaches (reserve syrup)
1 cup simple syrup (see page 499)
3 tablespoons bourbon, brandy, or framboise
If using fresh peaches, peel, cut them in half and core. Purée the fresh or canned peaches in a blender or food processor until smooth. Combine the purée with the simple syrup and bourbon. (If using canned peaches, use syrup from the can instead of simple syrup.) Freeze as for apricot sherbet (see page 500).
Orange Sherbet. Combine 3 cups fresh orange juice, 1 cup simple syrup, and flavor with 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or Cointreau.
For a cream sherbet use 2 cups orange juice, ½ cup simple syrup, and 1 cup heavy cream, lightly whipped. Freeze.
Grapefruit Sherbet. Follow the recipe for orange sherbet, using 1 cup grapefruit juice and 2 cups orange juice (or use 3 cups grapefruit juice), and omit the liqueur. Freeze.
Pineapple Sherbet. Peel 1 very ripe pineapple, cut it into fingers, and process it to make 3 cups purée. Combine with 1 cup simple syrup and flavor with 3 tablespoons kirsch or rum. Freeze.
For a cream sherbet, use 2 cups pineapple purée sweetened with ½ cup simple syrup, 1 cup heavy cream, lightly whipped, and 1 cup yogurt.
Ginger and Lime Sherbet. Combine 2½ cups lime juice, 1½ cups simple syrup, ⅓ cup preserved ginger, cut into julienne strips, and 3 tablespoons of the syrup from the preserved ginger. Freeze.
Strawberry Sherbet. Use 3 pints fresh strawberries or 3 packages frozen to make 3 cups purée. Combine with ½ cup simple syrup, ½ cup orange juice, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, and ¼ cup Grand Marnier. Freeze.
Apple Sherbet. Peel and core 5 Golden Delicious or McIntosh apples and purée in a blender or food processor. You should have 2¾ cups purée. Combine with 1 cup simple syrup, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and ⅓ cup Calvados. Freeze. For a more textured sherbet, add ¼ cup finely chopped apple to the purée.
Melon Sherbet. Peel, seed, and quarter a melon (honeydew, Cranshaw, Hand melon, or Spanish melon) and purée in a blender or food processor. You will need 3½ cups purée. Combine with ½ cup simple syrup, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons port wine. Freeze.
For a cream sherbet, use 2¾ cups melon purée, ¼ cup simple syrup and 1 cup heavy cream, lightly whipped. Freeze.
Lichee Sherbet. Purée 2 eleven-ounce cans lichees with their syrup in a blender or food processor. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Freeze.
Lime and Tea Sherbet. Combine 2 cups strong tea (preferably an English tea, although for a flavor variation you could use the same amount of Earl Grey, jasmine, or mint tea) with 1 cup lime juice and 1 cup simple syrup. Freeze.
Cranberry Sherbet. Purée 3 cups fresh cranberries, cooked until just soft, and 1 small navel orange, quartered with the peel on, in a food processor or blender until smooth. Combine with 1 cup simple syrup and 3 tablespoons bourbon or Grand Marnier. Freeze.
Ice Creams
Also growing in popularity, like sherbets, are the homemade ice creams, rich in butterfat. Small specialty ice cream shops are doing spectacular business, but you’ll find making ice cream at home is both easy and rewarding, thanks to modern ice cream freezers. These range in size from 1 quart to 2 gallons and in type from compact little units that plug into an electrical outlet and are placed in the freezing compartment of a refrigerator to a very expensive Italian ice cream maker that works on freon tubes instead of the customary ice-and-salt mixture.
The two types of ice creams are those with a custard base, smooth, rich, and good for holding in the freezer, and the more delicate but definitely more caloric French or Philadelphia ice creams made entirely from cream and flavorings.
Praline Ice Cream
Makes about 2 quarts
6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
4 cups heavy cream
⅔ cup praline powder (see page 518)
2 tablespoons vanilla
Combine the yolks, sugar, and salt in a heavy 3-quart pan and beat until pale and creamy. Meanwhile, in another pan scald the milk and cream and slowly add to the yolk mixture. Cook over medium heat or in a double boiler until the mixture coats the spoon, but be careful not to heat it too much or it will curdle. If it does curdle, add a few tablespoons of boiling water and beat like crazy. Beat in the praline powder and vanilla. Cool the mixture and pour it into your ice cream maker or freezer, filling three-quarters full to allow for expansion, and freeze. Serve with chopped praline on top if you like.
Raisin and Chestnut Ice Cream
Makes about 2 quarts
6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
4 cups (1 quart) heavy cream
1½ to 2 tablespoons vanilla extract, or 2½ inches vanilla bean
1 cup raisins, soaked in Scotch to cover until plump
½ cup finely chopped freshly cooked or canned chestnuts
Combine egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a heavy 3-quart enameled cast-iron saucepan or the top of a double boiler, and beat together with a wire whisk, hand or electric beater, or wooden spatula until well mixed, pale, and creamy. Meanwhile, in another pan, heat the milk to the boiling point. Mix the hot milk into the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat or hot water (if using the double boiler), stirring constantly, until the custard is thick enough to lightly coat a wooden spatula or a spoon. Remove from the heat and cool. Strain the custard into a bowl. Stir in the heavy cream, vanilla extract (or slit the vanilla bean and scrape the tiny seeds into the custard), drained raisins, and finally the chopped chestnuts. Pour the mixture into the can of an ice cream freezer, filling it about three-quarters full to allow for expansion, put in the dasher, cover the can tightly with the lid, and freeze the ice cream until set.
Ginger and Macadamia Nut Ice Cream. Flavor the custard-cream mixture with 2 teaspoons vanilla and ¼ teaspoon ground ginger. Pour the mixture into the freezer and half freeze. Then add coarsely chopped preserved ginger and syrup from a 10-ounce jar (1 cup ginger, ½ cup syrup) and 1 cup coarsely chopped toasted macadamia nuts. Continue freezing until set.
Makes 1 quart
CARAMEL SYRUP
1 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water
FOR THE CUSTARD (SAUCE ANGLAISE)
4 cups heavy cream
½ cup sugar
6 lightly beaten egg yolks
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup caramel syrup
Toasted almonds
Cook the sugar in a heavy metal skillet until it melts and becomes golden. Carefully add the boiling water, standing back to make sure the caramel does not splash on you. Stir until the caramel is dissolved, then bring to a boil and cook 9 to 10 minutes, until it becomes a rich, thick caramel syrup.
Scald the heavy cream in a heavy saucepan, and add the sugar, mixing thoroughly. Pour this very slowly over the lightly beaten egg yolks, stirring constantly. Pour into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until thickened. Add a pinch of salt, vanilla extract, and ¾ cup of the caramel syrup. Blend thoroughly, then pour into the ice-cream-freezer can and freeze. Serve with remaining caramel syrup and toasted almonds on top.
Brown Bread Ice Cream
Makes 1½ quarts
1½ cups dried whole-wheat bread crumbs
6 cups heavy cream
1¼ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons vanilla
Soak the crumbs in 4 cups of the heavy cream for 15 minutes. Add the sugar, salt, vanilla, and remaining 2 cups of cream. Chill. Freeze in a hand-cranked or electric ice cream freezer.
Cassis Ice Cream
Makes 8 servings
2 cups black currant preserves
1 cup crème de cassis liqueur
Juice of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 cups light cream
2 cups heavy cream
⅛ teaspoon salt
Purée the preserves by putting them through a fine sieve, or purée in a blender or food processor with some of the crème de cassis. Add lemon juice, remaining crème de cassis, and vanilla. Mix the light and heavy cream together, add salt, and stir in the currant purée. Pour into an ice cream freezer packed with ice and rock salt and freeze.
Poached Fruits
I have always been extremely fond of poached fruits, either hot or cold, for desserts. Naturally each fruit requires a different cooking time, so I’ve given you a time chart here for the various poachable fruits and the type of syrup that should be used.
To make the syrup, put sugar and water in a heavy pan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then cook at a low boil for 10 minutes. Cool syrup before adding to purée and freezing.
Fruits
FRUIT |
TIME |
SERVE WITH |
Fruits to be poached in a heavy syrup, made with 2 cups sugar to 1 cup water
Kiwi |
3–4 minutes |
Heavy cream or sauce anglaise (see page 504) |
Gooseberries |
Until soft |
Sauce anglaise (see page 504) |
Kumquats |
20 minutes |
Plain or with mixed fruit |
Blueberries |
5–6 minutes |
Heavy cream, kirsch, or mirabelle |
Blackberries (a rosé geranium leaf may be added to the syrup) |
5–6 minutes |
Heavy cream, crème fraîche, blackberry brandy |
Strawberries |
2 minutes |
Kirsch, heavy cream, yogurt |
Pineapple (peeled, cored, and sliced) |
5–6 minutes |
Rum, framboise |
Fruits to be poached in a light syrup, made with 1 cup sugar to 1 cup water
Lichee nuts, shelled |
3 minutes |
Serve plain |
Rhubarb (green tops removed, stalks cut into 1-inch slices) |
5 minutes |
Heavy cream, yogurt, sauce anglaise (see page 504) |
10 minutes |
Kirsch, cognac | |
Quince |
20–25 minutes |
Heavy cream, Calvados |
Pineapple (peeled, cored and sliced) |
5–6 minutes |
Rum, framboise |
Dried figs |
15–20 minutes |
Yogurt, heavy cream, crème fraîche, cognac |
Dried prunes |
15 minutes |
Heavy cream, crème fraîche |
Fresh prunes, halved and pitted |
12 minutes |
Heavy cream, crème fraîche |
Plums |
15 minutes |
Mirabelle, cognac, port |
Peaches, halved and pitted |
10–15 minutes |
Bourbon, brandy, framboise |
Pears (may be poached in red wine or port) |
20 minutes (or until tender) |
Brandy, cassis, eau-de-vie de poire |
Fresh apricots |
10 minutes |
Kirsch, brandy, apricot brandy |
Dried apricots |
15–20 minutes |
Rum, apricot liqueur |
Apples (peeled and sliced) |
10–15 minutes |
Calvados, brandy, sauce anglaise (see page 504) |
Oranges (peeled and sliced thick) |
35–40 minutes |
Cointreau, Grand Marnier |
FRUIT |
SERVE WITH |
Raw fruit |
|
Apples |
Serve with cheese: Cheddar, fontina, or blue |
Peaches |
Brandy, framboise, maple syrup, kirsch, brown sugar and cream |
Blueberries |
Maple syrup and heavy cream, yogurt |
Strawberries |
Confectioners’ sugar, orange juice, port, kirsch, framboise, Grand Marnier, whipped cream, sugar and cream, yogurt, crème fraîche |
Bananas, sliced |
Rum, or combine with other fruits such as strawberries, lichees, pineapple |
Grapes |
Yogurt and brown sugar |
Raspberries |
Kirsch, heavy cream, yogurt |
Blackberries |
Heavy cream, yogurt |
Kirsch | |
Mangoes |
Serve plain |
Papaya |
Lime juice |
Pears |
Cognac. Serve with fontina, Gorgonzola or other blue, Gruyère, goat cheese |
Canned fruit |
|
Nectar peaches |
Serve plain |
Bartlett pear halves |
Cognac, sauce anglaise, chocolate sauce |
Apricots |
Toasted almonds and heavy cream |
Cherries |
Kirsch, cognac, cherry heering |
Lichees |
Bourbon |
Sauces
Chocolate Sauce
Makes 1¼ cups
12 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
½ pint heavy cream
2 tablespoons cognac or Grand Marnier
In top of double boiler, melt the chocolate over hot water. Stir in heavy cream gradually, stirring constantly, then add the cognac or Grand Marnier.
Cognac Sauce
This sauce adds great contrast to steamed puddings and very rich desserts. It is one of the sauces used for the traditional Christmas pudding.
Makes 2 cups
6 tablespoons butter
⅔ cup confectioners’ sugar
2 egg yolks
¾ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons cognac or brandy
Cream the butter with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Pour the mixture into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir in the cream. Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats a wooden spoon. As soon as the mixture coats the spoon, remove it from the heat and pour into a bowl. Flavor with the cognac or brandy.
This sauce complements cooked fruits and baked and steamed puddings.
Makes 1 cup
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup water, plus 2 tablespoons
Pinch of salt
½ teaspoon cornstarch
¼ cup dark rum
Put the brown sugar and ½ cup of water in a saucepan with the salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Blend the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons more water and stir it into the brown sugar mix, stirring and cooking until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and add the dark rum.
Butterscotch Sauce
This is lusciously good with ice cream and cake-based puddings, like cottage pudding. A sprinkling of toasted almonds is delicious with it.
Makes 1 cup
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup butter
¼ cup heavy cream
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix the sugar, butter, cream, and salt together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook gently over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes or until rich and mellow. Remove from heat and add the vanilla.
Pies and Tarts
Apple Pie
The old-fashioned method of using lard in pie crust instead of butter is one I favor, as the result is much flakier and tenderer. The purer the lard, the better. If you can, buy leaf lard (pork kidney fat); this is the best lard you can use. Cut up a 3- or 4-pound piece of the leaf lard and render it (let it melt slowly) in a shallow pan in a 300° oven, pouring off the fat as it melts and transferring it to a jar. When all the fat is rendered and only the crispy bits of crackling remain, chill the fat in the refrigerator until firm and set.
LARD PIE CRUST
2½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup lard
6 to 7 tablespoons cold water
FILLING
8 tart apples, cored, peeled, and cut into ½-inch-thick slices
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
⅓ cup bread crumbs (optional)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cream)
To make the pastry, mix the flour and salt in a bowl and cut in the lard with 2 knives or a pastry blender. Combine lightly just until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal; the texture will not be uniform but will contain crumbs and bits and pieces. Sprinkle water over the flour mixture, a tablespoon at a time, and mix lightly with a fork, using only enough water so the pastry holds together when pressed lightly into a ball. Refrigerate 30 minutes or more.
Preheat the oven to 425°. Combine the apples, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and nutmeg in a bowl, and toss well.
Divide the chilled dough into 2 balls. Roll out one to make a bottom crust 2 inches larger than a 9-inch pie pan. Ease it into the pan, fitting it in loosely but firmly. Sprinkle the bottom of the pie shell with bread crumbs. Fill the crust generously with the apple mixture, spooning it in with a slotted spoon so as to drain off excess liquid which would otherwise make the crust soggy. Dot layers of apple with the butter, cut into small pieces. Roll out the remaining pastry for the top crust. Brush the rim of the pie shell with cold water, put on the top crust, and trim, seal, and crimp the edges. Prick in several places with a fork or cut vents in the crust to allow the steam to escape. Brush with egg wash and bake at 425° for 45 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and the pie is baked through.
Rhubarb Pie. Mix 4 cups rhubarb stalks cut into ½- to ¾-inch pieces with 1½ cups sugar, 3 tablespoons arrowroot, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon grated orange rind. Turn into the prepared pastry-lined pan. Dot with butter. Trim the edge of the pastry and moisten it. Top with remaining pastry, trim the edge, and crimp the top and bottom edges together. Cut slits in the top for steam to escape. Bake at 450° 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 350°, and bake about 25 to 30 minutes longer. Cool on a rack. Serve warm or cold.
Makes 1 nine-inch pie
1¾ cups strained pumpkin
1 cup brown sugar
1½ cups heavy cream
½ cup bourbon
6 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon mace
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped toasted almonds or hazelnuts
½ recipe for lard pie pastry crust (see preceding recipe)
Combine all the ingredients except pastry in the order given. Turn into a prepared 9-inch pastry-lined pan. Bake in a 375° oven for 35 minutes or until the filling is set. Cool on a rack.
Pineapple and Apricot Tart
Makes 6 servings
PÂTE SUCRÉE
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons frozen butter, cut in 1-tablespoon pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon cold water
⅛ teaspoon salt
FILLING
1 small pineapple, or 1 large can sliced pineapple
12 to 15 apricots, or 1 large can apricots
2 cups sugar (if making syrup)
1 cup water (if making syrup)
10-ounce jar apricot preserves, preferably without pectin
2 tablespoons bourbon
Whipped cream (optional)
Place the flour in the beaker of the food processor. Add the butter, sugar, egg yolk, water, and salt to the beaker. Process, turning on and off rapidly, for 5 seconds. Continue processing until a ball of dough forms on the blades. Chill until ready to use.
If using fresh pineapples and apricots, poach them in a simple syrup of 2 cups sugar to 1 cup water (see page 499). First, peel the pineapple and cut into slices, removing the core. Halve the apricots and remove the pits. Bring the sugar and water to a boil and add the pineapple slices. Poach until just tender. Poach the apricot halves in the same manner. Cool and reserve.
Remove the pastry from the refrigerator, roll it out, and fit into an 8- or 9-inch flan ring set on a cookie sheet. Preheat the oven to 425°. Prick the bottom of the shell, then line it with foil or wax paper and weight it down with raw rice or beans. Bake the shell for 14 to 16 minutes, until the bottom is set and the edges lightly browned.
After the initial baking, remove the shell from the oven, remove the lining, and return to the oven for 2 minutes. This seals the bottom and prevents a soggy crust. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
Put the apricot preserves into a small, heavy saucepan and stir over medium heat until the preserves come to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until liquid. Add the bourbon and cool.
Brush the bottom of the tart shell with the apricot glaze and arrange slices of pineapple over the glaze. Arrange the halved apricots on top of the pineapple and mask the entire tart with the remaining apricot glaze. Serve with whipped cream if you desire.
Pear and Chocolate Tart
Makes 8 servings
1 recipe pâte sucrée (see preceding recipe)
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1-inch piece vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 to 6 pears, peeled, halved, and cored (a small melon-ball cutter may be used to remove cores)
6 squares (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
APRICOT GLAZE
1-pound jar apricot preserves (preferably without pectin)
2 tablespoons cognac
Roll out the pastry and fit into a 9-inch flan ring set on a cookie sheet. Prick bottom of pastry, line with foil, and weight down with beans or rice. Bake in a 375° oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans and cool shell.
Meanwhile, bring the water, sugar, and vanilla to a boil in a heavy skillet, and cook for 5 minutes to make a syrup. Poach the pears in the syrup until just cooked through but still firm. Do not overcook. Cool in the syrup, remove, and drain them on paper towels. (The syrup may be reserved for poaching other fruits.)
Melt chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat, or in a low-temperature oven. Brush the bottom of the flan shell with the chocolate mixture and let it cool. Arrange the poached pear halves in the flan shell and prepare apricot glaze.
Melt the apricot preserves in a pan and bring to a boil, stir in the cognac, and boil down for 2 minutes. Brush the hot glaze over the pears. Leave to cool before serving.
Makes 12 servings
PASTRY
2½ cups flour
½ pound unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
3 egg yolks
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Grated zest of 1 lemon
FILLING
6 large quince
3 cups water
3 cups sugar
Juice of 1 lemon, strained
1 stick cinnamon
2 whole cloves
2 tablespoons chopped almonds, roasted lightly
HAND METHOD FOR PASTRY: Place the flour in a large bowl. Make a well and add the butter, cut into small pieces, sugar, egg yolks, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Knead well until well mixed and the dough forms a ball. Chill until firm.
FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD: Put the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon zest in the work bowl, add the butter, and process until the mixture is the consistency of cornmeal. Then add the egg yolks and process until the dough forms a ball. Chill until firm.
For the filling, peel and core the quince, saving the seeds. Cut the quince into julienne strips. Meanwhile, in a heavy skillet or enamel pan, boil together the water, sugar, and lemon juice, then add the strips of quince along with the cinnamon, cloves, and quince seeds tied in a cheesecloth bag. The pectin in the seeds acts as a thickener. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 1½ hours, or until the juice is thickened. Stir the mixture from time to time, being careful that it doesn’t stick or burn. Discard the bag with the seeds and spices and let the mixture cool. (At this point the filling can be poured into sterilized glass jars and sealed with paraffin, if you wish to use it for preserves rather than a tart filling.)
Preheat the oven to 375°. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry between 2 pieces of wax paper, and fit into a 12-inch round cake or quiche pan with a removable bottom. Bake for 10 minutes.
Fill the shell with the quince mixture, and use the remaining pastry to make a latticework top. Place the tart in the oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the preserves are bubbling. Remove the tart from the oven and sprinkle the almonds on top. Let cool at least 2 to 3 hours, or overnight, but do not refrigerate. Serve with whipped cream, crème fraîche (see page 548), sour cream, or vanilla ice cream.
Makes 1 ten-inch tart
CORNMEAL PASTRY
1 cup flour
½ cup cornmeal
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup shortening
¼ cup water
APPLE FILLING
½ to ¾ cup sugar plus 2 or 3 tablespoons
5 to 8 apples, cored, peeled, and cut in quarters or sixths
4 to 6 tablespoons sweet butter, cut in tiny pieces
Nutmeg or cinnamon (optional)
Combine flour, cornmeal, salt in a bowl, add the shortening and cut into flour mixture until it looks like coarse meal. Sprinkle the water over, and stir with a fork. Pat into a ball and wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Melt ½ to ¾ cup sugar, depending on how sour your apples are, in a heavy iron or aluminum 8- or 9-inch skillet over medium heat until it turns a delicate brown. Remove pan from heat. Arrange the apples on the melted sugar and mound up in the center. Sprinkle them with 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar, and dot with butter. If you wish, sprinkle with a few grains of nutmeg or cinnamon.
Carefully roll out the chilled pastry to a size that will fit inside the skillet. Lay it over the apples, tucking it down inside the skillet. Make about 3 holes in the top with a skewer or sharp knife. Bake in a 350° oven from 1 to 1½ hours, until the crust is brown and firm to the touch and the apples possibly bubbling up a bit around the edge. Remove from the oven and let it stand 2 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the edge of the tart and invert it onto a plate rather larger than the skillet. Do this quickly and deftly so the apples don’t fall off. Should they shift position, push them back into place with a spatula. Cut into wedges and serve warm or tepid.
Thin Pear Tart
Makes 1 ten-inch tart
½ recipe basic lard pie crust (see page 509)
5 or 6 firm ripe pears, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced
Granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Confectioners’ sugar
Preheat the oven to 425°. Roll out the pastry and fit into a 10-inch round flan ring, placed on a baking sheet. Arrange the sliced pears on the pastry, sprinkle with granulated sugar and vanilla extract and dot with butter. Bake for 30 minutes or until nicely brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, then place under the broiler just long enough to glaze the top—watch carefully so that the top does not burn.
Compote of Dried Fruits
While dried fruits are hardly inexpensive these days, they do make a most delicious compote at times when fresh fruits are not at their best and ripest. I like to use a mixture of dried fruits, but you may use just 2 or 3, according to preference, increasing the amounts accordingly.
Makes 8 servings
½ pound each dried prunes, apricots, peaches, figs
3 to 4 cups water
6 thin slices lemon, seeds removed
1½ cups sugar
¼ to ⅓ cup bourbon
2 cups sour cream, heavy cream, or whipped cream, or a mixture of ½ whipped cream and ½ yogurt
Put the fruits in a 4-quart saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Add the lemon slices and sugar, reduce heat, and simmer fruits for 15 to 20 minutes, or until puffed. Add the bourbon. Turn off heat and let the fruit remain in the pan for a few minutes to absorb the flavor of the spirit. Transfer to a serving dish and allow to cool slightly. Serve with desired type of cream.
Dried Fruit Compote with Cognac. Substitute cognac for the bourbon.
Dried Fruit Compote with Rum. Substitute dark rum for the bourbon.
Strawberries Teresa
Makes 6 to 8 servings
4 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 quart strawberries
¼ cup rum
Boil 2 cups sugar and water in a saucepan until the syrup spins a thread, 232° on a candy thermometer. Add remaining 2 cups sugar and strawberries. Watch carefully, and the minute the berries start to boil, time them, giving them about 18 minutes. Shake the pan back and forth—do not stir. Cool the berries slightly, add the rum, and refrigerate overnight. They are best eaten cool, not chilled, with freshly made brioche or light hot biscuits and cream—either sour cream, whipped cream, or very thick heavy cream.
Glazed Rhubarb. Trim rhubarb, cut in 2-inch pieces, and blanch in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove and dry. Add to the 232° syrup and cook 3 minutes. Cool.
Fruit Fool
One of the simplest and loveliest of all summer fruit desserts is the English fool, merely a purée of berries with lightly whipped heavy cream stirred into it in a marbleized design, which looks quite beautiful served in a glass bowl. Traditionally, this was made with tart gooseberries, which are often hard to find these days, but if you do find them, or can grow them, here is the basic recipe. Rhubarb, strawberries, and raspberries also make delicious fools. You can use frozen raspberries, which need no sweetening.
Gooseberry Fool
Makes 4 servings
1 pound hard green gooseberries
¾ cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
Cook the gooseberries and sugar over very low heat until they are quite soft—you may need to add a few drops of water to start the sugar melting. When they are very soft and mushy, put them through the finest screen of a food mill or force them through a sieve. Taste to see if they are sweet enough; if not, add a little more sugar or sugar syrup to the purée. Let the purée get quite cold, then lightly whip the cream and fold it into the purée with a rubber spatula. Chill until very cold. Serve in small glass bowls with thin crisp cookies, shortbread fingers, or thin slices of pound cake.
Strawberry Fool. Hull 1 to 1½ pints ripe strawberries and sieve them (there is no need to cook them). Stir about ½ cup sugar (or to taste) into the purée, and add a drop or two of lemon juice to accent the flavor. Combine with the whipped cream.
Raspberry Fool. Substitute 1 pound ripe raspberries for the strawberries. If using frozen raspberries, pour off some of the syrup from 4 packages thawed raspberries. Sieve 3 cups of the raspberries—they need no sweetening; just add lemon juice to taste.
Rhubarb Fool. Cook 1 pound rhubarb cut in ½-inch pieces with 1 cup sugar over very low heat until it is quite soft. Proceed as for gooseberry fool.
Fruit Fool with Yogurt. For a low-calorie version, use 1½ cups yogurt instead of the whipped cream. You may find this needs additional sugaring of the berries, unless you like a tarter fool.
Chocolate Desserts
It would be impossible to estimate the number of chocolate freaks in this country, but to many people a day without chocolate is a day lost. For those to whom chocolate desserts are close to a passion, I’ve chosen one of the more luscious examples, a type of soufflé. Then in the cake section that follows, you’ll find several good rich chocolate cakes—a French, an Austrian, and a tweedy American cake as well as a splendid chocolate cheesecake.
Chocolate Ring
Another easy dessert for chocolate lovers.
Makes 6 servings
8 ounces semisweet chocolate bits
½ pound butter
2 teaspoons vegetable shortening
1⅛ cups sugar
8 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
Melt the chocolate with the butter and vegetable shortening in the top of a double boiler over hot water. Stir in the sugar and remove from the heat. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla and cool the mixture for a few minutes. Beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff but not dry. Turn the chocolate mixture into a bowl and fold in the whites. Pour into a buttered and sugared 8-cup ring mold, and bake in a 300° oven for 2 to 2½ hours. Serve warm with whipped cream.
French Chocolate Cake
This chocolate cake is very rich and gooey, and the center will appear to be undercooked. Don’t worry, that’s how its meant to be—hence the soft texture and exceptional flavor. The cake both refrigerates and freezes perfectly, but should be brought to room temperature before serving so the glaze will become shiny again. It will be easier to cut if refrigerated before serving.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
¼ pound (1 stick) butter, softened
1½ cups (6 ounces) blanched almonds or filberts
¾ cup chocolate pieces or 4 ounces semisweet chocolate
⅔ cup sugar
3 eggs
Grated rind of 1 large orange
¼ cup very fine bread crumbs (about 1 slice firm white bread)
GLAZE
2 ounces (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate
¼ cup butter, softened and cut up
2 teaspoons honey
GARNISH: Toasted slivered almonds or whole filberts
Use some of the butter to butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with kitchen parchment or wax paper; if you use wax paper, butter it too.
Grind the nuts as fine as possible in a food processor or blender. Melt the chocolate for the cake in a double boiler over hot—not boiling—water. Cream the remaining softened butter with an electric beater or in an electric mixer until very soft and light. Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly. When all the sugar has been added, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. At this point the batter will look curdled, but it will all come together when the remaining ingredients are added. Stir in the melted chocolate, ground nuts, orange rind, and bread crumbs thoroughly with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in a preheated 375° oven for 25 minutes. Cool the cake on a rack for about 30 minutes, then run a spatula around the edge and turn it out onto a cake rack. Remove and discard the paper. Cool completely before glazing.
For the glaze, combine the chocolate, butter, and honey in the top of a double boiler, and let the mixture melt over hot water. Take the pan off the heat and beat the chocolate mixture until cold and beginning to thicken. Place the cooled cake on a rack over wax paper and pour the glaze over it. Tip the cake so the glaze runs evenly over the top and down the sides. Smooth the sides, if necessary, with a metal spatula. Garland the rim of the cake with the nuts, placed fairly close together.
Austrian Chocolate Cake
This is somewhere between a cake and a pudding, heavy and rich, with an unbelievably unctuous texture, and wonderful after a light main course.
Makes 10 servings
2 cups milk
1½ cups sugar
½ pound butter
½ pound unsweetened chocolate
4 eggs, separated
2⅓ cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
PRALINE POWDER
1 cup sugar
½ cup almonds, toasted and finely chopped
½ cup filberts, toasted and finely chopped
PRALINE BUTTER CREAM
¼ pound (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup praline powder (recipe above)
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
GARNISH: Toasted almond halves
Combine the milk, sugar, butter, and chocolate, and bring to the boiling point over medium heat. Let cool slightly, and beat in the egg yolks and the flour sifted with the baking powder. Beat for 5 minutes by hand, or 2 minutes with an electric beater at medium speed. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry, and fold them into the chocolate mixture. Pour into a well-buttered 10-inch ring mold. Bake in a 325° oven for 50 minutes. This should not be baked until dry and too firm—it should be rather moist in the center when it is removed from the oven. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes in the mold before turning it out.
To make the praline powder, melt the sugar in a heavy 10-inch pan, and when it is melted and lightly colored, add the finely chopped nuts. Pour into a buttered flat pan to cool. When cool and set, crush to a powder with a rolling pin or in a food processor.
For the praline butter cream, cream the butter in an electric mixer and gradually work in the praline powder and the sugar, beating until smooth and creamy. Cut the cake in half horizontally and spread with the butter cream. Put the halves back together and decorate the top of the cake with the toasted almond halves.
Chocolate Tweed Cake
The old American custom of incorporating potatoes into a cake to give it a different texture and a certain lightness can be updated by using instant mashed potatoes. This cake gets its unusual name from the speckled, tweedy look given by chocolate that has been grated on the shredding side of a grater.
Makes 12 servings
Instant mashed potatoes (the amount for 2 servings)
¾ cup (6 ounces) soft butter or margarine
2¼ cups sugar
3 eggs
1¾ cups all-purpose flour, unsifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup milk
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, shredded on a grater
GLAZE
2 cups unsifted confectioners’ sugar beaten with 3 tablespoons water
Prepare the mashed potatoes, using the liquid called for on the package but omitting the butter and salt. Let cool. Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Beat in the potatoes and then the eggs, one at a time, until fluffy. Sift the flour with the baking powder, salt, cream of tartar, and spices. Add the flour mixture and the milk alternately to the potato mixture, blending after each addition. Stir in the chocolate. Spoon the batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan with a removable bottom or a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
Bake in a 350° oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes (or 50 minutes for the baking pan), or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake for 10 minutes. Loosen the tube cake from the pan sides with a knife, lift the cake out by pushing up the removable bottom, then loosen the cake bottom. Turn out onto a rack and drizzle with glaze. Or spread glaze over warm cake in the baking pan. Cool.
Sponge Cake with Apricot Glaze
A simple light sponge cake makes a very pleasing dessert, either plain with fruit or ices, or bathed in an apricot glaze, which makes it rather special.
Makes 8 servings
1¼ cups sifted cake flour
1½ cups sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup egg yolks (6 or more, depending on size)
¼ cup cold orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon almond extract or 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
½ cup egg whites (about 4, depending on size)
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
APRICOT GLAZE
1 cup sieved apricot jam
2 to 4 tablespoons cognac, kirsch, or applejack (optional)
Sift the flour with 1 cup of the sugar, the salt, and the baking powder. If using an electric mixer, sift into the small bowl. Add the egg yolks, orange juice, and flavorings, but do not stir the mixture at this time. Put the egg whites in the large bowl of the mixer, or into a good-sized mixing bowl, and beat them until fluffy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating, then gradually beat in the remaining ½ cup sugar and continue beating until very stiff peaks are formed. With a rotary beater or the electric mixer on low speed, beat the flour, egg yolk, and flavoring mixture until well blended, about 1 minute. Gently fold—do not stir—this mixture, about a quarter at a time, into the egg whites. When the batter is smooth, turn into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 40 to 50 minutes. If the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center, it is done. It should also have begun to shrink from the sides of the pan. Immediately invert it and allow it to cool before removing it from the pan. Heat the sieved apricot jam in a saucepan until boiling. Stir in the preferred flavoring, if used, and pour the hot glaze over the cake.
Orange and Almond Cake
A very unusual cake from the Middle East with a moist, dense consistency that makes an utterly delicious dessert. It will not rise very much, and you may wonder if it will ever bake firm. Don’t worry, it will.
2 large oranges (preferably the seedless navels)
6 eggs
1½ cups ground almonds
Pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
GARNISH: Thin slices of peeled orange sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar and a touch of cinnamon, or fresh raspberries. Serve with whipped cream.
Wash the oranges and boil them in water to cover, without peeling, until very soft, about 30 minutes. Drain, cool, cut into quarters, and remove the seeds, if any. Process the oranges to a fairly fine purée in a blender or food processor or by putting them through a meat grinder. Don’t make it too fine. The little bits of skin, which will not be at all bitter after the long boiling, are pleasant to bite on. Beat the eggs in a bowl until thick, then add the ground almonds, salt, sugar, baking powder, and orange purée, and mix well. Pour into a deep 9-inch cake pan that has been buttered and floured, and bake in a 400° oven for 1 hour or longer, until firm to the touch when pressed with the tip of your finger. Remove the pan to a rack, allow the cake to cool, then turn it out of the pan onto a serving dish. Serve garnished with orange slices or berries, and whipped cream.
Don Farmer’s Fresh Apple Cake
With the crunch of the raw apple and an almost puddinglike texture and spiciness, this has a distinction not often found in cakes.
Makes 12 servings
1½ cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups diced tart raw apples (preferably Pippins or Greenings)
1 cup black walnut or regular walnut meats
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
GLAZE
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream mixed with ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine the oil and sugar in a bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. Blend very well. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Sift these into the oil-egg mixture and combine thoroughly. Add the diced raw apples and the walnuts. Mix well with a spoon or spatula, then add the vanilla. Pour the batter into a buttered and floured 9- or 10-inch tube pan. Bake in a 325° oven for 1¼ hours, or until the cake tests done when pierced with a skewer or toothpick. Remove from the oven and let rest in the pan while you prepare the glaze.
For the glaze, melt the butter, sugars, and heavy cream mixed with vanilla in a heavy pan. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and spoon over the warm cake. Let it cool in the pan before removing.
Fresh Pear Cake. Instead of apples, use 3 cups firm Anjou or Bartlett pears. Proceed as above.
Chocolate Cheesecake
Alice Petersen, long the food editor of the New York Daily News, perfected this cheesecake, which is almost overpoweringly rich. It’s well worth the trouble to shop the health-food stores for a light, natural cream cheese without additives when you make cheesecake, as the gummy commercial, supermarket version is a travesty.
Makes 8 servings
CRUST
2 cups graham-cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
½ cup (4 ounces) butter, melted
FILLING
4 eggs, separated
⅔ cup sugar
1 pound cream cheese, cut into cubes
2 six-ounce packages semisweet chocolate bits
½ cup hot strong coffee
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
TOPPING
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
GARNISH: Chocolate curls
Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring-form pan. Blend crust ingredients in a bowl and pat the crumb mixture onto the bottom and sides of the pan. Set aside while preparing the filling.
Beat the egg yolks and ⅓ cup sugar in an electric mixer until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in the cream cheese and continue beating until smooth. Melt the chocolate bits in the top of a double boiler over hot but not boiling water and blend in the hot coffee, rum, vanilla, and salt. Beat this mixture into the cream cheese mixture.
Beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks, then gradually beat in the remaining ⅓ cup sugar until you have a rather stiff meringue mixture, with glossy, upright peaks. Fold this gently into the chocolate mixture and pour into the prepared crumb crust. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, but leave the cake inside until it is completely cooled. Remove the cake to a rack. When ready to serve, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan.
Whip the cream, flavoring it with the sugar. Spread the whipped cream on the cheesecake and decorate with chocolate curls, shaved from a block of chocolate with a heavy knife. To facilitate making the shavings, either slightly warm the chocolate or dip the knife in hot water.
Hazelnut Cheesecake
The nuts give a pleasing crunchiness to the smooth texture of the cheesecake. To prevent the cake mixture from leaking from the springform pan, cover the outside of the pan with heavy aluminum foil. The cake will also cool more slowly and will be less likely to crack.
Makes 8 servings
1½ cups hazelnuts, blanched
2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1¾ cups sugar
4 eggs
⅓ cup graham-cracker crumbs
Butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan, 3 inches deep, and set aside. Arrange the rack on which the cake will bake one-third up from the bottom of the oven, which has been preheated to 350°.
Spread the hazelnuts in a shallow pan and bake for about 15 minutes, stirring them occasionally, until lightly browned. Cool the nuts, then grind them in a blender or food processor. It doesn’t matter if they are not evenly ground.
Place the cheese in the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until absolutely smooth. During the beating stop the machine occasionally and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to keep the cheese evenly blended. When smooth, beat in the sugar, and mix well. Then add the eggs, one at a time, being careful not to beat any more than necessary to thoroughly mix all the ingredients. Stir in the nuts with a rubber spatula.
Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and level the top by briskly rotating the pan, first in one direction, then in the other. Cover the outside with heavy aluminum foil to prevent leakage. Place the springform pan inside another larger pan, so that the cake pan does not touch the sides, but no more than 3 inches deep (a roasting pan is a good choice). Pour 1½ inches of hot water into the larger pan, place in the oven, and bake for 1½ hours, or until the top is a rich, golden brown and feels dry to the touch. The cake should still be soft inside. Remove the cheesecake pan from the water bath and place on a rack for a few hours, until completely cool. Do not cool the cake in the refrigerator. When cool, remove the sides of the springform pan very carefully, and sprinkle the top of the cake with the graham-cracker crumbs.
Sour Cream Cheesecake
Makes 8 servings
3 eight-ounce packages cream cheese, cut into cubes
1½ cups sugar
6 eggs, separated
1 pint sour cream
⅓ cup flour, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
CRUST
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter
GARNISH: Confectioners’ sugar (optional)
Beat the cheese until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and mix thoroughly. Blend in the egg yolks one at a time until well blended. Add the sour cream, flour, vanilla, and lemon zest and juice, and mix well. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Stir one-third of the whites into the cheese mixture, then fold in the remaining whites very gently.
Mix 1½ cups of the crumbs with the sugar and butter, and use this to line the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Pour the cheese mixture into the prepared crust and bake in a preheated 350° oven for 1 hour. Turn off the heat and allow the cheesecake to remain in the oven for an additional hour. Remove to a rack and cool to room temperature. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup crumbs on top of the cake. Chill overnight. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving, if desired.
Makes one 9-inch loaf
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Large pinch of salt
1 pound unsalted butter, softened
1¾ cups granulated sugar
7 extra-large or 8 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons cognac
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
Sift the flour onto wax paper, then spoon it gently into a measuring cup. Spoon it back into the sifter, add the baking powder and salt, and sift twice more, each time spooning it very lightly into the measuring cup.
In a large bowl, cream the butter with a wooden spoon or a hand mixer until it is very light and fluffy. Then beat in ¾ cup of the sugar. Beat in the egg yolks until the mixture is light and lemon-colored, then add the cognac and lemon zest. Gradually fold in the sifted flour mixture. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks, then very gradually beat in the remaining 1 cup sugar—about 2 tablespoons at a time—beating thoroughly after each addition. Gently fold the whites into the batter until completely smooth, being careful not to overmix.
Pour the batter into a buttered and floured 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan, and bake in a preheated 350° oven for 1 hour. Test with a cake tester to see that it is thoroughly baked. The edges of the cake should begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove cake from the oven and cool on a rack for at least 12 to 15 minutes. A few more minutes won’t hurt. Loosen the sides very gently with a spatula and invert the cake onto the rack to finish cooling completely.
Pound Cake with Citron. Place thin strips of citron on top just before baking.
Pound Cake with Spices. Blend into the batter one or more of the following: 2 tablespoons caraway seeds, 1 teaspoon mace, 1 tablespoon nutmeg, or 1½ teaspoons ground ginger.
Puddings and Custards
Sharlotka
This moist and flavorful Polish pudding is best made with black bread, although store-bought pumpernickel will serve. A lovely and economical winter dessert, it might be served instead of the customary Christmas pudding.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
1 loaf stale dark bread, preferably Jewish-style pumpernickel
¼ pound butter
½ cup sugar
½ cup red wine
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Pinch of salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
10 Pippin apples, or other tart cooking apples, peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup tart jelly, melted
Remove the crusts from the bread and crumble the bread into tiny pieces. Melt the butter in a skillet and fry the crumbs lightly. Remove from the heat and mix in the sugar, wine, lemon juice, orange zest, and salt. Add the vanilla and mix well. Cook the apples in very little water until they just turn soft, but don’t let them get mushy. Butter a 2-quart mold and sprinkle it lightly with some of the crumb mixture, then alternate layers of crumbs and apples, sprinkling each apple layer with cinnamon. Cover the last layer of apples with the jelly, and top this with the remaining crumbs. Bake in a 350° oven for 1 hour. Serve at once.
Bread-and-Butter Pudding
This traditional, perfectly plain baked custard is a great favorite of mine—and of many others.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
10 thin slices white bread, crusts removed, buttered on one side
4 large eggs
½ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
4 cups milk, or half milk and half cream
Sherry-flavored whipped cream (optional)
Butter a 2-quart baking dish well. Arrange the slices of bread, buttered sides down, in the dish. In a mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs and add the sugar, salt, and milk. Heat the mixture slightly, strain it over the bread slices, and allow to stand for 30 minutes so the bread absorbs the liquid. Cover the dish with foil, place it in a larger baking pan, and add enough water to the large dish to come halfway up the sides of the pudding dish. Place in a 325° oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 30 minutes more, or until the top of the custard is a delicate golden brown. Remove from the oven and chill the pudding. Serve it with sherry-flavored whipped cream, if desired.
Bread-and-Butter Pudding with Raisins. Plump ¾ cup raisins in sherry or cognac to cover. Drain the raisins and sprinkle them between the slices of bread.
Bread-and-Butter Pudding with Rum. Flavor the custard with 2 tablespoons Jamaica rum, and use rum in the whipped cream instead of sherry.
French-Bread-and-Butter Pudding. Instead of other white bread, use 14 thin slices of French bread, buttered on one side. Float the slices on top of the custard, buttered side up, instead of arranging them in the baking dish.
Buttered-Cake Pudding. Instead of the white bread, use buttered thin slices of stale sponge cake or pound cake. Arrange, buttered side down, and proceed as in basic recipe.
Apple Tapioca
Often damned, this rather gelatinous pudding is sometimes referred to as fish eyes. To those who, like me, love it, it is indeed a treat.
Makes 6 servings
¾ cup small pearl tapioca
2 cups boiling water
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
6 tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons plus butter
½ cup fresh bread crumbs (preferably pumpernickel or whole wheat)
⅓ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
Soak the tapioca in water to cover for 2 hours. Drain. Put the tapioca in the top of a double boiler over simmering water and add the boiling water and salt. Cover and cook until tapioca is transparent, approximately 50 minutes.
Place the sugar in a heavy iron skillet over moderate heat and caramelize. Add the sliced apples and cook until the apples are soft. Stir in the vanilla and butter.
Alternate layers of apples and tapioca in a buttered 9-by-7-inch baking dish, ending with apples. Combine the bread crumbs with the brown sugar and sprinkle over the top. Dot with butter and bake for 30 minutes in a preheated 350° oven. Serve hot with heavy cream or ice cream.
Tapioca with Apples and Pears (or Quince). Use half apples and half pears (or half apples and canned quince).
Makes 6 to 8 servings
3 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Heat heavy cream with granulated sugar in the top of an enamel double boiler over boiling water. Beat the egg yolks until lemony in color. Add the hot cream gradually to the eggs, stirring well; then flavor with vanilla. Strain into 6 to 8 small custard cups. If you have little cream pots with covers, so much the better.
Put the cups or pots in a pan of hot water and place in a preheated 325° oven to bake slowly until an inserted knife comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Cool, and then place in refrigerator. Serve well chilled in the cups in which they were baked.
Pots de Crème with Praline. After custard is partially set, sprinkle ¼ cup praline powder (see page 518) over the top.
Chocolate Pots de Crème
Makes 6 to 8 servings
2 cups heavy cream
¼ cup granulated sugar
1⅓ cups semisweet chocolate morsels
6 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Put heavy cream in top of a double boiler. Add granulated sugar. Place over boiling water and scald (i.e., heat almost to boiling). Remove from heat and add the semisweet chocolate morsels and stir until completely melted. Beat egg yolks and gradually beat them into the hot chocolate cream. Place top of double boiler over boiling water again and cook, stirring constantly, until well thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from fire, stir in vanilla, and then pour into 6 or 8 small custard cups (½-cup size). When cool, place in refrigerator to chill before serving.