Easy Homemade Yogurt: Plain, Chocolate &amp; Caramel

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Place the bread in the bottom of an 8- by 8-inch pan and distribute blobs of apple butter over the surface.

Beat together the remaining ingredients.

Pour the custard over the bread, dunking the bread to ensure it is soaked. Set the pan into a larger, 9- by 13-inch, pan and fill the outer pan with hot water, halfway up the sides. Do this near the stove to avoid sloshing and burning yourself.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes. Test for doneness with a knife inserted into the center. When it comes out clean, remove the pudding from the oven and let cool.

Cream Cheese & Jam Bread Pudding

Makes 8 servings

In my first book, Cafe Beaujolais, I included a recipe for a cream cheese and jam omelette. More than a few people told me they thought it was weird. All I can say is that one person’s weird is another person’s wonderful. So if this bread pudding sounds good to you, please make it, and use the best jam you can find.

3 slices dry, white bread

4 ounces (by weight) natural cream cheese

⅓ cup seedless raspberry jam

2½ cups whole milk

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

5 large eggs, beaten

½ cup white sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Spread the cream cheese, then the jam, over the bread slices. Cut into 1-inch squares. This is a sloppy procedure. Place the squares, cream-cheese-and-jam side down, into an 8-inch square pan. Whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over the bread. Push the bread into the custard mixture to soak.

Place the pan into a larger, 9- by 13-inch, pan and fill the outer pan with hot water, halfway up the sides.

Bake for about 50 to 55 minutes. Test for doneness with a knife inserted into the center. When it comes out clean, remove the pudding from the oven, and let cool on a rack for 1 hour.

Cherry Clafouti

Makes 4 to 5 servings

I think of clafouti as a very French version of a refined cobbler. Although I’ve never been a fan of cobbler (usually too bready and heavy), I love clafouti. Our kitchen staff used to call this “cherry clawfoot.” Properly pronounced, it comes out “claw-foo-tee.” It is especially good with cherries, but also lends itself to other pitted fruits, as well as to apples and pears. However, bananas or canned fruit cocktail are forbidden. Canned Fruit Cocktail Clafouti would definitely set already tenuous Franco-American relations back another forty years.

3 large eggs

½ cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1½ cups half-and-half

Pinch of salt

⅔ cup white flour (measured, then sifted)

1⅓ cups pitted cherries

3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

Powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 400°F (375°F, if you are using a glass baking dish).

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with a whisk until the mixture whitens, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla, half-and-half, salt, and flour and whisk until smooth. If lumps form, pour through a strainer and stir to blend.

Combine half of the batter with cherries in a separate bowl and stir gently to combine.

Pour the cherry mixture into a buttered 8-inch pie plate or 8-inch square pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the butter into the remaining batter. The butter will congeal, but don’t worry. Pour over the partially baked clafouti and return to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

Makes 8 servings

Strawberries and rhubarb are a classic combination, and the crumble topping adds a nice flavor-and-texture complement. Chris Kump introduced this recipe to Cafe Beaujolais, and it became a menu mainstay for several months each year.

Be sure to place the pie on the lowest rack of the oven, at least for the first half of the baking time, to prevent the topping and crust edge from burning. Use foil for protection, as needed.

1¾ cups strawberries, quartered

¼ to ⅓ cup white sugar, depending on the sweetness of the berries

1¾ cups Rhubarb Glop

3 large eggs, beaten

1 prebaked Pie Crust

1½ to 2 cups Crumble Topping

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Toss the strawberries with the sugar.

Add the Glop to the eggs and mix well. Stir in the strawberries. Pour into the pie shell. Sprinkle generously with Crumble Topping so that no filling is visible.

Bake for 1¼ hours, starting on the lower rack, until the center is set and the topping is golden brown.

Crumble Topping

½ cup dry bread crumbs

½ cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts, or walnuts, or a combination of the two

¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

⅓ cup brown sugar

⅓ cup white flour

⅓ cup butter, in ½-inch cubes

Mix together all ingredients, except for the butter. Blend in the butter by hand, or with an electric mixer, until the mixture holds its shape when you grab a handful.

Chris’s Butterscotch-Walnut Pie

Makes 1 pie that serves 9 to 10

Granted, I am a pushover for desserts with caramel. You may ask, “Is this morning food?” Don’t ask. It’s just too good to omit. Besides, some of the gooey breakfast treats, such as bear claws and sticky buns, come from the same family tree as this pie.

Break down the steps of this recipe so you can make it as you have time. The sauce and the crust can be made ahead, then you can throw everything together at the last minute.

2 cups Butterscotch Sauce

½ cup heavy whipping cream

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup walnut pieces, toasted

1 tablespoon white flour

1 prebaked Pie Crust

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Combine the sauce, cream, eggs, and vanilla.

Toss the walnuts with the flour and sprinkle over the bottom of the pie shell. Pour the filling over the walnuts, which will rise to the top.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until set in the center. Allow to cool on a rack.

Butterscotch Sauce

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup dark brown sugar

⅔ cup light corn syrup

⅓ cup heavy whipping cream

Boil the butter, sugar, and corn syrup together over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Watch the pot carefully. It will want to boil over but you let it know who’s boss by reducing the heat as needed. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then stir in the cream.

The sauce will keep quite a while in the refrigerator. If it should crystallize (like honey), scoop it into a saucepan and boil gently for 2 minutes.

Pie Crust

Makes one 9-inch crust

All too often, pies with great potential end up being submerged under (and over) a soggy crust. After testing countless recipes, we discovered Richard Sax’s marvelous book, Old Fashioned Desserts (Irena Chalmers Cookbooks, Inc., 1983), a must for anyone who is serious about baking delicious desserts. The method of forming the shell may sound a bit complicated, but you will surely get the hang of it after one or two tries.

1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons white flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon white sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, and frozen

1½ tablespoons shortening, frozen

1 tablespoon ice water

Place the flour, salt, and sugar into a food processor and combine. Add the butter and shortening and pulse until they are cut into the flour, about 3 seconds. Add the ice water and process for another 2 or 3 seconds, the less the better, since pie dough becomes tough when handled excessively.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured board and press into a flat disk, about 4 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours, or freeze for use later.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured board. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough, hitting down and toward the center of the circle. Move the dough in quarter turns during this step. When the dough is ½ inch thick, roll it out and continue to turn in order to ensure an even surface. Add as little extra flour as possible. Use a brush to dust flour onto the surface, if needed.

When the dough is ⅛ inch thick, lift, and place into a pie pan. Crimp the edges, trimming any excess dough. Prick with a fork, then freeze for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a large piece of foil over the surface of the dough, then place beans or rice on the foil to weigh down the dough. Keep the foil from touching the crimped edges. Bake for 10 minutes on the top shelf of the oven until the top border is set and looks more like crust than dough. Carefully remove the weight, then the foil, and lower the heat to 375°F. Return the pie shell to the bottom rack in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the entire crust is a light golden brown. If the edges start to brown too much, cover with foil. Remove from the oven when done and let cool briefly on a rack.

Brown Sugar Thins

Makes about 8 dozen cookies

I try to have this dough on hand in the freezer at all times, ready to whip out, and bake to order. It’s fun and easy to make with kids.

1½ cups unsalted butter, softened

1½ cups firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

2½ cups white flour

Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs and beat to combine. Mix in the flour, salt, and vanilla. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Drop 12 scant teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, until the edges are brown.

Cool for 30 seconds before removing from pan. Using a metal spatula, lift each cookie off the pan carefully and place on a cooling rack. Let cool thoroughly, then transfer to an airtight container, and/or your mouth.

Read This Quietly

Although it is a cliché that one does not disturb or distress a soufflé while it is cooking, it is a cliché that’s actually true. This is not the time to practice your folk dancing or knife juggling in the kitchen. In fact, when my mom used to make soufflés, she grew nearly hysterical if anyone closed a door in the house. Okay, they may not be that delicate, but why take the chance? A fallen soufflé will still taste good, but it is rather dense and, well, unsoufflélike.

Calas

Makes 25

Peter Kump, my former father-in-law, once told me that calas used to be sold on street corners in New Orleans, where deep-fried foods are famous. Experiments to lighten the recipe created something I really like. Be sure to use a candy thermometer to determine, and monitor, the correct oil temperature.

6 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

⅓ cup cornstarch

⅓ cup cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

⅓ cup white sugar

⅓ cup beaten eggs

Canola oil for frying

Extra cinnamon for sprinkling

Extra sugar for sprinkling

Bring water to a boil. Add salt and the rice. Boil, uncovered, over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, or until very tender. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Set aside.

Sift together the cornstarch, cake flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until pale yellow, about 1 minute, and stir in the rice to coat well. Gradually whisk in the flour mixture.

In a deep, heavy pot, heat about 2 inches of oil to 375°F. Use a candy thermometer to determine the temperature. Do not let the oil overheat! Use a spoon to scoop a heaping tablespoon of the batter and carefully slide it into the hot oil. Take care not to drop it in or the hot oil will splatter. Fry for about 25 seconds, or until golden brown all over, turning as necessary. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and serve immediately.

Ginger Shortbread

Makes 12 pieces

Shortbread seems to be a cookie that everyone likes. Buttery and flavorful, what’s not to like? Here’s a variation that incorporates another delicious flavor, the spiciness of ginger. Traditional shortbread is a pale yellow, but I prefer it delicately browned on the edges. This is another dough you can freeze and then bake when needed.

2 ounces (by weight) candied ginger

⅔ cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup powdered sugar (sifted, then measured)

⅔ cup white flour (sifted, then measured)

¾ cup cornstarch (sifted, then measured)

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a food processor, place the ginger and butter and process until the ingredients are well blended, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on the firmness of the ginger.

Transfer to a medium-sized bowl and add remaining ingredients with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until thoroughly combined.

Pat the dough evenly into an 8-inch round pan, using a rubber spatula to scrape the dough off your hands. It should be soft and messy.

Using a fork held vertically, divide the circle into 12 wedge-shaped sections. Then use the fork tines to press a pattern of lines around the outside of the circle, about half an inch long.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, shifting the pan if necessary to prevent uneven baking.

When done, remove from the oven. Use a fork to re-score the lines as they will have partially fused during baking. Cool on a rack. If you can hide them quickly enough, these cookies keep well in an airtight container.

Apricot-Pecan Caramel Shortbread

Makes 20 rich pieces

Sometimes you want to eat something with no redeeming social or nutritional value. In this book (with no shortage of such recipes), this is the absolute “something.” Another recipe from the caramel-encrusted kitchen of Barbara Holzrichter, sugar sorceress.

1⅔ cups Caramel Sauce

1 cup chopped moist dried apricots (not the leathery kind)

1 cup chopped, lightly toasted pecans

⅔ cup unsalted butter, softened

¼ cup white sugar

1¾ cups white flour

Pinch of salt

In the top of a double boiler, or over very low heat, warm the caramel sauce and when melted, stir in the apricots and pecans. Set aside.

In a bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until light. Then mix in the flour and salt to combine. Press the dough evenly into an 8-inch-square pan. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and pour the caramel mixture over the top. Return to the oven and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes. Remove, let cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the outside of the “cookie” to prevent the caramel from gluing itself to the side of the pan, making removal impossible. When cooler, cut into a great many pieces.

Almond-filled Butter Cake

Makes 1 cake that serves 12 to 16

This authentic Dutch recipe is from Jocelyn Kamstra Sugrue, whose role as kitchen manager was, for many years, crucial to the restaurant’s smooth operation. She also is a magnificent cook.

Don’t expect a light and fluffy cake from this recipe. It is anything but. Rather, the texture is dense and the cake rich, best served in thin slices with a cup of full-bodied coffee. Store unrefrigerated for up to a week, although the odds are slim any will still be left by then.

Butter Cake Crust

2⅔ cups white flour

1⅓ cups white sugar

1⅓ cups cold unsalted butter

1 cup finely chopped almonds

1 large egg

Almond Filling

½ cup white sugar

2½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

1 large egg, slightly beaten

12 whole almonds for garnish

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Grease a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan. Combine all the crust ingredients in a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer or food processor, blend until dough forms. Chill for 10 minutes. Divide the dough in half. Spread one half on the bottom of the prepared pan. Refrigerate the other half.

In a small bowl, combine all the filling ingredients, except for the whole almonds. Spread the filling over the dough in the pan to within ½ inch of the edge. Between two pieces of waxed paper, press or roll the remaining dough into a 9-inch or 10-inch circle. Remove the top layer of waxed paper and turn the dough over the filling. Remove the remaining waxed paper and press the dough into place. Garnish with 12 almonds in a pleasing pattern.

Place in the oven with a cookie sheet on the lower rack to catch any spillage. Bake in the center of the oven for 60 to 70 minutes, until evenly browned. Be careful not to underbake. Remove from oven and cool on a metal rack for 15 minutes, then remove sides from pan and cool completely. Keep tightly covered, but do not refrigerate.

Mutti’s Marble Cake

Makes 1 cake that serves 10 to 12

For years, I had kept a scrap of paper in my recipe file. On it were the ingredients for a cake written in a faded European script, with no instructions. This “recipe,” from Elsa Kent, was given to me by her daughter, Laura Katz, who said, “You’re the great cook—you figure it out.”

Daunted by this challenge and overwhelmed at a certain point by recipe-testing for an earlier version of this book, I gave the crumpled piece of paper to pastry wizard Chris Kump, and a few hours later he emerged with a delicious, elegant, and refined marble cake. I have since tweaked it a bit more and discovered that the flavor is enhanced by letting the cooled cake sit, well wrapped in plastic wrap for a few hours or overnight, before serving.

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa (I use Scharffen Berger)

3 tablespoons milk

1⅔ cups white sugar, divided

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

4 large eggs

Grated zest of 1 lemon

¼ cup light rum

1 tablespoon baking powder

2¼ cups white flour

½ cup warm milk

⅓ cup semisweet chocolate chips (I use Guittard), whirled in a blender or food processor about 20 to 30 seconds, until chopped fine

Warm the cocoa, milk, and ¾ cup sugar together to dissolve the cocoa and sugar. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and the remaining sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, followed by the lemon zest, rum, vanilla, and salt. The mixture may look curdled at this point.

Sift the flour and baking powder together and, with a rubber spatula, quickly stir into the egg mixture, in three batches, alternating with the ½ cup warm milk, beating only enough to combine after each addition. Please do not overbeat the batter or the cake will be tough.

Divide the batter and add the cocoa mixture to one-third, along with the chocolate chips, stirring just enough to combine.

Fill a buttered and floured 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with three alternating layers of the two batters, starting and ending with the white. Use a knife to swirl the batters together. Resist overblending. I make a wide W to create a marbled effect.

Bake for 75 to 80 minutes, until the cake tests done. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then gently unmold the cake. Let cool for at least 1 hour, or even better, overnight, before cutting. A serrated knife works best.

Anne Fox’s Fabulous Pumpkin Pie

Makes 1 pie that serves 8

A slice of this pie at the end of Thanksgiving dinner, and one for breakfast the next morning, collectively define Thanksgiving for me. Without both, I feel thoroughly cheated for the next 12 months.

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin

¾ cup brown sugar

¾ teaspoon powdered ginger

1¼ teaspoons cinnamon

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon dark rum

1½ tablespoons dark molasses

1¾ cups evaporated milk or half-and-half

1 prebaked Pie Crust, cooled

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Mix together all the ingredients. Pour into the cooled crust. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until mixture is set. You can test by inserting a knife into the center. The knife will come out clean when the pie is done. Cool and serve with brandied and lightly sweetened whipped cream.

A Universal Rule

Your recipe is only as good as your ingredients. Don’t stint when it comes to buying the real thing: full-flavored real chocolate, for example, rather than a chocolate-flavored preparation. You will know the difference and, since you put in the same amount of time whether you use real vanilla or imitation vanilla, I would advise you to use the finest available and make the time spent worthwhile.

Mom’s Almost-Unbearably-Delicious Chocolate Fudge

Makes 1 serving for those who regard a 9- by 9-inch slab as a single serving

Now here’s a recipe with almost nothing in it that is good for you; no oat bran, no yogurt. That being the case, it has an obligation to taste as good as it possibly can.

If you do not already eat fudge in the morning, you are hereby granted permission to do so. Think of it as a very delicious cup of superb hot chocolate that has somehow cooled and congealed. If you’re not ready to eat it straight, you might want to crumble it into either hot or cold cereal.

The recipe comes from my mom’s highly esteemed collection. It was written in her unique style: illegible and unintelligible. Fortunately, she was at my side, interpreting as we went along. The faded index card stated: “Beat till thickens.” So I’m beating and beating and beating and, finally, I ask her how long I am supposed to do this. She says, “Oh, for a long time; it could be 15 minutes more. Everybody knows that.” And when it finally did begin to thicken, she cried, “Be careful! It can turn grainy any second.” This hair-raising experience yielded the most delicious fudge. I think my directions are sufficiently clear so that I won’t have to include the 1-800-call-mom-for-help number in the book after all.

The necessity to beat 15 minutes with a wooden spoon may seem onerous, but I strongly recommend doing it by hand, at least the first time, so that you can clearly observe the physical changes: The sheen disappears quickly, and the fudge “grabs” the spoon. Neither grainy nor sugary, it is dark and rich and smooth. I intentionally don’t specify the kind of nut, because any kind will do, and each one—from the traditional walnuts and almonds to the exotic hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, and macadamias—gives this fudge a different personality. In the unlikely event that any is left over, it can be frozen.

3 cups white sugar

1 tablespoon gelatin

1 cup milk

½ cup light corn syrup

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1¼ cups butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup chopped toasted nuts (any kind)

In a large pan, mix together the sugar and gelatin. Add the milk, corn syrup, chocolate, and butter. Cook to a soft ball stage, 236°F.

Pour into a large bowl. Cool for 15 minutes, add the vanilla, then beat like crazy with a wooden spoon until the fudge thickens. It could take 15 minutes. The glossy appearance on the surface will dull, and the fudge will thicken suddenly and grab the spoon. When this happens, quickly add the nuts while still stirring and pour into a lightly buttered 9-inch square pan. If you dawdle at this stage the fudge may turn grainy.

Cool, cut, and insert a piece in your mouth as quickly as you can.

Chocolate Sin

Makes one 8-inch springform pan

Chocolate Sin first made its appearance on the Cafe’s dessert menu in the late 1970s. It is a variation of a recipe I came across in a magazine, the original name of which had nothing to do with anything biblical or wicked. But when I tasted the finished product, the attention-getting name popped into my mind and I knew both name and dessert would be irresistible.

½ pound semisweet chocolate (Guittard)

¾ cup unsalted butter

2 large eggs

6 tablespoons white sugar

½ pound almonds or hazelnuts, coarsely chopped, toasted, and cooled

¼ cup brandy or brewed coffee

1 package Carr’s Wheatmeal biscuits, coarsely crushed

Butter an 8-inch springform pan and line with parchment or waxed paper; butter again.

Melt together chocolate and butter in a double boiler over low heat.

Meanwhile, beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until very light. Then add the still-hot chocolate-butter mixture and beat on high for another 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Stir in the nuts, brandy/coffee, and biscuits.

Pour into the prepared pan and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Unmold. Cut into thin wedges to serve. Add a dollop of whipped cream. Delightful with fresh or dried fruit.

Crema Catalana

Makes about 5 cups

When it comes to custard, I never get bored. This recipe is yet another Catalonian specialty from the late Joana Bryar-Matons.

3 large eggs

1 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

4 cups whole milk

Zest from 2 lemons (use a vegetable peeler and remove only the yellow part)

2 cinnamon sticks (be sure these are fresh and aromatic)

1 vanilla bean, split down the middle

Place the eggs, sugar, and cornstarch in a blender, add milk, and blend for 5 to 10 seconds.

Pour into a medium-sized pot, and add the lemon zest, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla bean. Stir constantly over medium heat about 10 minutes until thickened. When the foam disappears, pay close attention because the custard is done, or will be shortly.

Remove from the heat and pour through a sieve.

Scrape the inside of the vanilla bean and stir the seeds into the custard. Rinse the vanilla bean, let dry, and store for future use.

Refrigerate the custard and serve when chilled.

Clay’s Almond Cake

Makes one 8-inch cake

The late Clay Wollard, hair stylist and pastry chef par excellence, gave me this recipe years ago, scribbled on the back of an old Beaujolais menu. When I finally got around to making it, I was delighted at how delicious it is and how well it keeps (if you can just stop people from eating it). Its moist, macaroon-like texture and flavor make it a perfect accompaniment to a cup of aromatic tea or coffee.

10 ounces almond paste

5 ounces unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

6 tablespoons flour

6 tablespoons cornstarch