This is not the dessert for anyone trying to cut back on sugar. Even though I reduced the sugar, it still tastes rather sweet. It's the perfect rainy day treat to nibble on with a hot cup of tea.
Ingredients
1 lb sweet rice flour (1 box of Mochiko)
1 3/4 c. organic granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 (14 oz) cans unsweetened light coconut milk
5 large eggs
1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. In a large bowl, whisk together rice flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut milk, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms.
4. Pour batter into an ungreased 13" x 9" baking dish.
5. Bake for 1.5 hours. Let cool for 1.5 hours before cutting into squares and serving.
Source: Gourmet Magazine, May 2005
Showing posts with label desserts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label desserts. Show all posts
Green Tea Pound Cake
This recipe comes from the book Perfect Cakes by Chef Nick Malgieri. I made a few adjustments to the recipe, not much, but don't go broke buying matcha green tea powder when you can make it yourself using ordinary loose leaf green tea. Because I didn't use the bright green-colored matcha tea powder and used unbleached all-purpose flour, the cake itself had a green tea flavor and had a muddy-green color when I took it out of the oven. I also overfilled the loaf pan (the cake does rise by double its volume) and baked the cake for 15 minutes longer that what the original recipe calls for.
You don't need to buy the expensive matcha green tea powder for this recipe. If you have an electric coffee grinder, you can certainly make your own with any type of dried green tea. I used a combination of good quality green tea bags plus some Longjing loose leaf tea. The green tea powder that anyone can make is called konacha, or "powder tea". Since this is for a bread-based dessert, you don't need to get the green tea as finely milled as you can with a coffee grinder, as you might with a mochi or green tea ice cream recipe.
Ingredients
2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tbsp green tea powder
2 tsp baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, diced
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
5 large eggs, separated
a pinch of salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and line a 9" x 5" x 3" loaf pan with parchment paper.
1. Separate the eggs into yolks and whites. A small bowl for the yolks, and a 5-qt mixing bowl for the whites.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, tea powder, baking powder, and powdered sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or toss in all these ingredients in step 1 into a food processor and pulse until crumbs form). Gently fold in one egg yolk at a time with a rubber spatula.
3. Add the pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat with a balloon whisk (or use an electric mixer with a balloon whisk attachment) until medium peaks form. When you lift the whisk out of the eggs, the foam should mostly hold its shape and be white and opaque in color.
4. Gently fold the egg whites into the flour mixture until no white streaks remain.
5. Fill a prepared loaf pan with the batter half way, the cake will rise and double in volume. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a rack before slicing.
You don't need to buy the expensive matcha green tea powder for this recipe. If you have an electric coffee grinder, you can certainly make your own with any type of dried green tea. I used a combination of good quality green tea bags plus some Longjing loose leaf tea. The green tea powder that anyone can make is called konacha, or "powder tea". Since this is for a bread-based dessert, you don't need to get the green tea as finely milled as you can with a coffee grinder, as you might with a mochi or green tea ice cream recipe.
Makes 1 loaf (9" x 5" x 3")
Ingredients
2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tbsp green tea powder
2 tsp baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, diced
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
5 large eggs, separated
a pinch of salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and line a 9" x 5" x 3" loaf pan with parchment paper.
1. Separate the eggs into yolks and whites. A small bowl for the yolks, and a 5-qt mixing bowl for the whites.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, tea powder, baking powder, and powdered sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or toss in all these ingredients in step 1 into a food processor and pulse until crumbs form). Gently fold in one egg yolk at a time with a rubber spatula.
3. Add the pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat with a balloon whisk (or use an electric mixer with a balloon whisk attachment) until medium peaks form. When you lift the whisk out of the eggs, the foam should mostly hold its shape and be white and opaque in color.
4. Gently fold the egg whites into the flour mixture until no white streaks remain.
5. Fill a prepared loaf pan with the batter half way, the cake will rise and double in volume. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a rack before slicing.
Apricot Shortbread Cookies
These cookies came out softer instead of hard and crisp like typical shortbread, probably due to the moisture in the preserved apricots. I had to use a lot more flour for dusting to roll these out. Since the dough is going to go into the refrigerator after mixing, it's better to use chilled butter than room temperature butter.
Ingredients
2 c all purpose flour
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 c powdered sugar
1/2 c dried apricots, finely chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Directions
1. In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse briefly until combined. Add butter by the tablespoon and pulse into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form. Add vanilla extract and pulse to combine.
2. Take dough out and put it into a re-sealable container. Let dough chill in the refrigerator for an hour, or until firm.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
3. Lightly flour a sheet of parchment paper and roll out half the dough until it is 1/4" thick. Cut into shapes. Prick each shape with the tines of a fork.
These cookies will not expand much, so laying out the cookies half an inch apart will suffice.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are browned and the tops are lightly browned.
5. Let finished cookies cool on a baking rack before eating or storing.
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| apricot shortbread cookies, a perfect complement to tea |
2 c all purpose flour
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 c powdered sugar
1/2 c dried apricots, finely chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Directions
1. In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse briefly until combined. Add butter by the tablespoon and pulse into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form. Add vanilla extract and pulse to combine.
2. Take dough out and put it into a re-sealable container. Let dough chill in the refrigerator for an hour, or until firm.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
3. Lightly flour a sheet of parchment paper and roll out half the dough until it is 1/4" thick. Cut into shapes. Prick each shape with the tines of a fork.
These cookies will not expand much, so laying out the cookies half an inch apart will suffice.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are browned and the tops are lightly browned.
5. Let finished cookies cool on a baking rack before eating or storing.
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
I can't say that zucchini is one of my favored vegetables, but it certainly tastes a whole lot better when it gets deep fried or baked up into a dessert bread.
Ingredients
1 1/2 c raw zucchini, grated
1 c all purpose flour
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c organic granulated sugar
1/2 c light brown sugar
1/2 c Ghirardelli sweet ground chocolate and cocoa
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Prepare a loaf pan by buttering it all, especially the corners and ridges, if using a Silpat loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together dry and wet ingredients.
3. Fill loaf pan with batter and bake for an hour, or use the toothpick method at 50 minutes to check if it is done.
Pan de los Muertos Bread Pudding
What to do with leftover bread? Why.. make bread pudding, of course. If it hadn't been shaped so oddly, I might have been able to make French toast out of it too. Because Day of the Dead Bread is a sweetened bread, there is less sugar in this bread pudding than what it traditionally calls for. The first batch just had added raisins, it also used two leftover egg whites plus one leftover egg wash and two whole eggs; the second batch had less bread to work with and used two whole eggs and six ounces of half-and-half cream with raisins and a random tart apple from the fridge.
I suppose I could have taken a picture of it. While bread pudding tastes good, it's just not that sexy to look at.
Ingredients
leftover bread cubes (do not use croutons)
4 large eggs
4 c whole milk (organic or rBST-free)
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c organic granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 organic tart apple, peeled, cored, and diced (optional)
1 tbsp rum (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Cube the bread. Depending on the size of your leftover loaf, you'll have plenty of bread to fill a 2-quart baking dish. You can nest an 8" x 8" baking dish inside a 9" x 13" baking dish for the water bath; but at the time the square dish was in use by another food item. I used a round baking dish inside a rectangular baking dish and that worked out all right.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, beat together sugar, melted butter, eggs, milk, spices, vanilla, and rum (if using).
3. Put the cubed bread inside the smaller baking dish. Add raisins (and chopped apple). Stir to combine. Make sure that the raisins are not on the top layer on top of the bread, otherwise they will burn to a crisp when the dessert bakes. If you don't have enough custard liquid to submerge the bread, then don't put all the bread in. Pour in the custard liquid. Let this sit for 10 minutes.
4. Bake using a water bath method for 45 minutes, up to an hour, or until the custard has set. At the 45-minute mark, you can test doneness by pressing on the bread with the back of a spoon. If liquid comes to the surface, the custard has not set yet.
5. Remove from oven. Serve warm or cold.
I suppose I could have taken a picture of it. While bread pudding tastes good, it's just not that sexy to look at.
Ingredients
leftover bread cubes (do not use croutons)
4 large eggs
4 c whole milk (organic or rBST-free)
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c organic granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 organic tart apple, peeled, cored, and diced (optional)
1 tbsp rum (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Cube the bread. Depending on the size of your leftover loaf, you'll have plenty of bread to fill a 2-quart baking dish. You can nest an 8" x 8" baking dish inside a 9" x 13" baking dish for the water bath; but at the time the square dish was in use by another food item. I used a round baking dish inside a rectangular baking dish and that worked out all right.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, beat together sugar, melted butter, eggs, milk, spices, vanilla, and rum (if using).
3. Put the cubed bread inside the smaller baking dish. Add raisins (and chopped apple). Stir to combine. Make sure that the raisins are not on the top layer on top of the bread, otherwise they will burn to a crisp when the dessert bakes. If you don't have enough custard liquid to submerge the bread, then don't put all the bread in. Pour in the custard liquid. Let this sit for 10 minutes.
4. Bake using a water bath method for 45 minutes, up to an hour, or until the custard has set. At the 45-minute mark, you can test doneness by pressing on the bread with the back of a spoon. If liquid comes to the surface, the custard has not set yet.
5. Remove from oven. Serve warm or cold.
Polvorones de Naranja (Orange "Dusts" Cookies)
These cookies aren't quite the same as Mexican wedding cookies and are somewhat more dense in texture. I adapted this recipe from the "Mexico the Beautiful Cookbook", and I must say, 25 minutes is far too long of a cooking time at 400 degrees F for any cookie, which is what the cookbook recommended. Made this for a Halloween/Dia de los Muertos potluck. It's not terribly scary nor is it made to look scary.
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| Orange Tea Cookies |
Ingredients
3 c. all purpose flour
1 c. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into chunks
1/2 c. organic granulated sugar
1/2 c. powdered sugar + more for sprinkling
1/4 c. fresh orange juice
2 large egg yolks
zest from 2 large oranges
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine egg yolks, orange juice, sugar, and zest. On low setting, add flour and unsalted butter. Mix until well combined and there aren't visible chunks of butter.
2. On a lightly floured surface (I used a bit of powdered sugar instead of flour), roll out dough to 3/4" thickness and cut out into 1 1/2" to 2 1/2" rounds.
3. Place cookie rounds on a greased baking sheet, parchment paper, or a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden brown.
4. Let cook on a rack before dusting with powdered sugar.
Lemon Pound Cake
...with six egg yolks. Yeah, so we had all these leftover egg yolks from that brown butter hazelnut cake (which, according to Smitten Kitchen's recipe takes six egg whites if using large eggs) from two weeks ago that I thought I'd toss into this recipe. This cake recipe ordinarily takes just four egg yolks, but I wasn't about to do fancy math with the dry ingredients to accommodate two more egg yolks. I'll soon find out in about an hour if the cake came out okay.
Ingredients
1 c. organic granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 1/4 c. unbleached all purpose flour, minus 2 tbsp flour
6 egg yolks
1/3 c. half and half (or whole milk)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract
zest of one lemon
pinch of kosher salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. In a stand mixer: cream butter and sugar together. Add vanilla and lemon extracts. Add lemon juice and lemon zest. Add egg yolks. Beat until pale and fluffy.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. While the stand mixer is running (on low), alternate while adding half-and-half and flour. Beat until well combined.
4. Butter a loaf pan and fill with cake mixture. Bake for 50 minutes or until edges of the cake are lightly browned and start to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Let cool on a rack before removing from loaf pan.
Ingredients
1 c. organic granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 1/4 c. unbleached all purpose flour, minus 2 tbsp flour
6 egg yolks
1/3 c. half and half (or whole milk)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract
zest of one lemon
pinch of kosher salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. In a stand mixer: cream butter and sugar together. Add vanilla and lemon extracts. Add lemon juice and lemon zest. Add egg yolks. Beat until pale and fluffy.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. While the stand mixer is running (on low), alternate while adding half-and-half and flour. Beat until well combined.
4. Butter a loaf pan and fill with cake mixture. Bake for 50 minutes or until edges of the cake are lightly browned and start to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Let cool on a rack before removing from loaf pan.
Apple Compote
This was made as part of a larger dessert, brown butter hazelnut cake (Smitten Kitchen recipe); which I had the opportunity of tasting at Trellis. This looks a lot like the process for apple sauce, except with a lot more water.
Ingredients
2 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split in half
1 tablespoon brandy
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch salt
6 Gravenstein apples, peeled, cored, and diced
Directions
In a large saucepan, combine water, sugar, vanilla bean, brandy, spices and salt. Bring to a boil, about 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Add the apples and simmer for 20 minutes until the apples are tender. It's okay if the apples start to disintegrate upon cooling. Let mixture cool to room temperature and remove vanilla bean halves. The mixture will thicken slightly as it cools.
Makes 12 half-cup servings.
Ingredients
2 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split in half
1 tablespoon brandy
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch salt
6 Gravenstein apples, peeled, cored, and diced
Directions
In a large saucepan, combine water, sugar, vanilla bean, brandy, spices and salt. Bring to a boil, about 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Add the apples and simmer for 20 minutes until the apples are tender. It's okay if the apples start to disintegrate upon cooling. Let mixture cool to room temperature and remove vanilla bean halves. The mixture will thicken slightly as it cools.
Makes 12 half-cup servings.
Lemon Pound Cake
I grew up eating the Sara Lee stuff and can probably still eat an entire loaf by myself. This ingredient ratio comes from Cooks Illustrated and becomes a pretty tasty dessert bread for guests who enjoy a more lemony than sweet flavor to this classic cake. The magazine would have you poke holes with a toothpick or skewer into the top side of the cake before drizzling on their lemon glaze, which really isn't quite a glaze at all but more like a lemon syrup. For a real glaze, you'd probably have to swap out the real granulated sugar with powdered sugar so that it sets up like a crust when it hardens.
If you don't stock cake flour, simply combine 1 cup all-purpose flour (minus 2 tbsp) with 2 tbsp cornstarch.
Ingredients: Cake
1 1/2 c. cake flour
1 c. (2 sticks; 16 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, diced
1 c. organic cane sugar
4 large eggs
2 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
Optional additions to step 4:
For lemon poppy seed pound cake, stir in 1/2 c. poppy seeds, or
For lavender pound cake, stir in 1 1/2 tbsp dried lavender flowers
Ingredients: Lemon Glaze
1/2 c. powdered sugar
juice of a lemon
lemon zest (optional)
Bring sugar and lemon juice to a boil in a small pot, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let cool and set aside until ready to use.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Prepare a 9" x 5" loaf pan by using unsalted butter or olive oil to grease the pan, dust it with some flour, and tap out the excess.
2. In a food processor, pulse together sugar and lemon zest. Add lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla extract. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
3. In the same food processor, pulse together flour, baking powder, salt, and butter.
4. Gently whisk flour mixture into wet ingredients. Pour batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees F and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until the surface is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool on a rack before storing or serving.
If you don't stock cake flour, simply combine 1 cup all-purpose flour (minus 2 tbsp) with 2 tbsp cornstarch.
Ingredients: Cake
1 1/2 c. cake flour
1 c. (2 sticks; 16 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, diced
1 c. organic cane sugar
4 large eggs
2 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
Optional additions to step 4:
For lemon poppy seed pound cake, stir in 1/2 c. poppy seeds, or
For lavender pound cake, stir in 1 1/2 tbsp dried lavender flowers
Ingredients: Lemon Glaze
1/2 c. powdered sugar
juice of a lemon
lemon zest (optional)
Bring sugar and lemon juice to a boil in a small pot, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let cool and set aside until ready to use.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Prepare a 9" x 5" loaf pan by using unsalted butter or olive oil to grease the pan, dust it with some flour, and tap out the excess.
2. In a food processor, pulse together sugar and lemon zest. Add lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla extract. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
3. In the same food processor, pulse together flour, baking powder, salt, and butter.
4. Gently whisk flour mixture into wet ingredients. Pour batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees F and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until the surface is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool on a rack before storing or serving.
Apple Coffee Cake
This particular recipe ratio is one of Emeril's and it is a good coffee cake recipe when you use a baking pan that allows the cake to bake evenly. I didn't make the brown sugar glaze since the streusel (crumb) topping was enough. I also managed to not do the ratio in order, but the recipe seemed to be very forgiving on that note. I added the butter last because I forgot to add it to the flour earlier. You can use any variety of apple for this. There is enough sugar to compensate for tart apples. Onto the recipe.
The cake:
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 c. braeburn and ginger gold apples, peeled/cored/chopped
1 1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 c. plain whole milk yogurt (can substitute sour cream)
2 large eggs
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened (or melted, if you forget)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
Crumb topping:
1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into chunks
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Directions
1. In a food prep, pulse to combine dry ingredients (flour, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon) and butter.
2. Add to food prep: yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
3. Pour out into a bowl and stir in chopped apples. Or, add the apples to everything in the food prep and pulse a few times. I did the latter because the food prep is fun to use.
4. Pour cake mixture into prepared (buttered) pans. For this ghastly experiment, I used a loaf pan (didn't cook through in the allotted time) and a round ring pan.
5. For the crumb topping, combine all the crumb topping ingredients in a mini food prep and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle on top of cake mixture evenly. If you like nuts, you can add a half cup of chopped nuts to this step.
Emeril's recipe calls for a 9" x 13" baking pan and a cooking time of 35-40 minutes.
I used an 8" round coffee cake pan which cooked evenly in 40 minutes. Since the crumb topping was browning faster than I liked for the 9" x 5" loaf pan, I turned the heat down to 325 degrees F and baked the loaf pan for an additional 20 minutes.
Reheat for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
The cake:
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 c. braeburn and ginger gold apples, peeled/cored/chopped
1 1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 c. plain whole milk yogurt (can substitute sour cream)
2 large eggs
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened (or melted, if you forget)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
Crumb topping:
1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into chunks
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Directions
1. In a food prep, pulse to combine dry ingredients (flour, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon) and butter.
2. Add to food prep: yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
3. Pour out into a bowl and stir in chopped apples. Or, add the apples to everything in the food prep and pulse a few times. I did the latter because the food prep is fun to use.
4. Pour cake mixture into prepared (buttered) pans. For this ghastly experiment, I used a loaf pan (didn't cook through in the allotted time) and a round ring pan.
5. For the crumb topping, combine all the crumb topping ingredients in a mini food prep and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle on top of cake mixture evenly. If you like nuts, you can add a half cup of chopped nuts to this step.
Emeril's recipe calls for a 9" x 13" baking pan and a cooking time of 35-40 minutes.
I used an 8" round coffee cake pan which cooked evenly in 40 minutes. Since the crumb topping was browning faster than I liked for the 9" x 5" loaf pan, I turned the heat down to 325 degrees F and baked the loaf pan for an additional 20 minutes.
Reheat for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Sweetened Cream Scones
Once you have a decent base recipe, making additions to it is easy enough. This particular recipe calls for a lot of sugar. While it isn't as ludicrously sweet as the scones you can get at a Starbucks, it has a noticeable amount of sugar that is more than what you'd get out of a standard cream-based scone at an English tea shop. It can easily be turned into a savory scone (aka a biscuit) with the omission of the sugar. It's the combination of cold butter and cold heavy cream that make these scones light and crumbly. Moisture is a big deal in a scone like this. Depending on your climate (here it is very humid during the winter), you may not need an entire cup of cream.
Basic Cream Scone Ingredients
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 c. organic granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, diced
up to 1 c. organic heavy cream
This batch's additions:
2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
strawberry jam
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
1. In a food prep, pulse together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter and any additional fresh herbs until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. With the food prep running, slowly add heavy cream until the dough comes together.
3. On a lightly floured surface, turn dough out and knead into a ball. Lightly dust a rolling pin with flour then roll out the dough to 1/2" thickness. Using a biscuit or cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes and place them at least an inch apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
4. If using a fruit jam, make an indent in the center of the scone and put up to a half teaspoon of jam in the middle. I used a wine cork for this step; but you could easily use a thumb or index finger too.
5. Bake scones for 18 minutes. Let cool before storing. If you're using jam in this recipe, you should store the scones in a sealable container in single layers separated by wax paper. That way the jam doesn't bleed onto other scones.
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| Sweet Cream Scones with Rosemary and Strawberry Jam |
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 c. organic granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, diced
up to 1 c. organic heavy cream
This batch's additions:
2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
strawberry jam
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
1. In a food prep, pulse together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter and any additional fresh herbs until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. With the food prep running, slowly add heavy cream until the dough comes together.
3. On a lightly floured surface, turn dough out and knead into a ball. Lightly dust a rolling pin with flour then roll out the dough to 1/2" thickness. Using a biscuit or cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes and place them at least an inch apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
4. If using a fruit jam, make an indent in the center of the scone and put up to a half teaspoon of jam in the middle. I used a wine cork for this step; but you could easily use a thumb or index finger too.
5. Bake scones for 18 minutes. Let cool before storing. If you're using jam in this recipe, you should store the scones in a sealable container in single layers separated by wax paper. That way the jam doesn't bleed onto other scones.
Pear Cobbler
Pears are probably my favorite winter time fruit after the apple. My favorite pear is the Bartlett because it is firm, crisp and very sweet; though they are too firm to be used in desserts or other cooked recipes. Pears can be eaten right off the core, baked into pies and cobblers, made into a chutney, soup, or turned into jam. If you store the fruits well, they'll keep for several months in the refrigerator. I store apples and pears in the fridge in the same plastic bag they came in, except I press out as much air as I can and spin the bag so that the opening is closed at the top. Even though aging fruit gives off nitrogen, what makes them rot faster in the fridge is the exposure to moisture and oxygen.
This is a simple pear cobbler recipe. If you would like to add a variety of other colors and textures, then up to 1/4 unsweetened dried cranberries or raisins, raw or lightly toasted pumpkin seeds can be added to the filling or the streusel-like topping. If you don't care what color the pears are after baking, you may add lemon juice to the pears
Ingredients
2-3 lbs ripe anjou pears, chopped into 1/2" slices
up to 2 tbsp organic granulated sugar
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (optional)
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened or cut into chunks
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine chopped pears, granulated sugar, nutmeg, and optional items. Mix well so that the pears are evenly coated with sugar and spice and everything nice.
2. In another bowl, combine oats, flour, butter, and brown sugar. Cut the butter into the flour so that it resembles coarse crumbs, or something.
3. In an 8" x 8" baking pan, add pear mixture and top with the oat mixture.
4. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.
This is a simple pear cobbler recipe. If you would like to add a variety of other colors and textures, then up to 1/4 unsweetened dried cranberries or raisins, raw or lightly toasted pumpkin seeds can be added to the filling or the streusel-like topping. If you don't care what color the pears are after baking, you may add lemon juice to the pears
Ingredients
2-3 lbs ripe anjou pears, chopped into 1/2" slices
up to 2 tbsp organic granulated sugar
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (optional)
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened or cut into chunks
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine chopped pears, granulated sugar, nutmeg, and optional items. Mix well so that the pears are evenly coated with sugar and spice and everything nice.
2. In another bowl, combine oats, flour, butter, and brown sugar. Cut the butter into the flour so that it resembles coarse crumbs, or something.
3. In an 8" x 8" baking pan, add pear mixture and top with the oat mixture.
4. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
It was debatable between Martha Stewart's or Alton Brown's recipe for this, about which method to use. Frankly, while the number of eggs I would have to sacrifice for a quart of delicious ice cream would be about the same, Alton Brown's would have had me hatch open a jar of peach preserves for two tablespoons of the stuff. The closest to preserves (not jam) that I have is peach marmalade which I picked up from Portland Nursery's apple tasting event last fall. While I am tempted to make the AB version, it wouldn't couple well with other uses of ice cream such as in rootbeer floats or ice cream sandwiches. And, the way June is looking at the moment (very cold and wet), it doesn't look like there'll be locally grown peaches at the farmer's markets any time soon.
Since I wasn't about to sacrifice two beans for this, I used one vanilla bean plus one tablespoon of vanilla extract. Also, refrigerating the "custard" overnight didn't seem to make the ice cream churn any faster in the ice cream maker. Leftover egg whites freeze really well and can be used later in other recipes.
Don't toss the vanilla bean pod parts after you finish making the cream base. Wash the bean pod clean and set aside to air dry. When the pod is completely dry, immerse it into honey or sugar to make vanilla honey or vanilla sugar.
Ingredients
1 vanilla bean
2 c. whole milk, chilled
6 egg yolks
3/4 c. organic granulated sugar
2 c. heavy cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Directions
1. Pour milk and cream into a heavy-bottomed pot. Split the vanilla bean down the middle and use a knife blade to scrape out the tiny black seeds. Add the seeds and the pod to the milk/cream mixture. Bring to a boil then turn off heat and let the pod steep for 30 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until the yolks become thick and pale yellow.
3. Temper the egg mixture by gradually adding 1/4 cup of the hot cream and whisk to combine. Repeat until the cream mixture is thoroughly incorporated into the egg mixture. Whisking or beating with an electric mixer with a balloon whisk attachment.
4. Pour liquid back into the pot and heat until it thickens. When the liquid is able to coat the back of a spoon, turn off the heat and let cool on the stove.
5. Using a fine mesh sieve, pour the cream mixture into a container large enough to accommodate it all. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator until the liquid temperature is 40 degrees F, or chill overnight.
6. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Since I wasn't about to sacrifice two beans for this, I used one vanilla bean plus one tablespoon of vanilla extract. Also, refrigerating the "custard" overnight didn't seem to make the ice cream churn any faster in the ice cream maker. Leftover egg whites freeze really well and can be used later in other recipes.
Don't toss the vanilla bean pod parts after you finish making the cream base. Wash the bean pod clean and set aside to air dry. When the pod is completely dry, immerse it into honey or sugar to make vanilla honey or vanilla sugar.
Ingredients
1 vanilla bean
2 c. whole milk, chilled
6 egg yolks
3/4 c. organic granulated sugar
2 c. heavy cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Directions
1. Pour milk and cream into a heavy-bottomed pot. Split the vanilla bean down the middle and use a knife blade to scrape out the tiny black seeds. Add the seeds and the pod to the milk/cream mixture. Bring to a boil then turn off heat and let the pod steep for 30 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until the yolks become thick and pale yellow.
3. Temper the egg mixture by gradually adding 1/4 cup of the hot cream and whisk to combine. Repeat until the cream mixture is thoroughly incorporated into the egg mixture. Whisking or beating with an electric mixer with a balloon whisk attachment.
4. Pour liquid back into the pot and heat until it thickens. When the liquid is able to coat the back of a spoon, turn off the heat and let cool on the stove.
5. Using a fine mesh sieve, pour the cream mixture into a container large enough to accommodate it all. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator until the liquid temperature is 40 degrees F, or chill overnight.
6. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Blueberry Sorbet
With less than two months until peak blueberry picking season, I managed to turn about half of my frozen cache into a tasty dessert. This would be a delightful alternative to ice cream if the gods of global warming would turn on the sun this weekend. I don't own a blender, so I used a 7-cup Cuisinart food prep for this and I didn't bother straining the seeds from the frozen blueberry pulp.
If you prepared the blueberries before freezing, they should already be picked over, washed, and clean. No idea what vanilla extract does to the taste, but I imagined that it would smooth out the sweetness between the simple syrup and the blueberries.
Ingredients
2 quart-sized bags of frozen blueberries
1 tbsp vanilla extract (optional)
1 c. water + 3/4 c. organic granulated sugar
Directions
1. In a small pot, heat water and sugar together until it boils; then let it simmer for a couple minutes. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
2. With a chopping blade in the food prep, add frozen blueberries and chop until the mixture looks like a thick slushy gone wild. No extra chilling is required before adding this mixture (minus the blade) to the ice cream maker. As it churns, add the vanilla extract.
3. The blueberry sorbet is pretty much done, but you want a smoother consistency to it than what the food prep can do. Add blueberry slushy mixture to the pre-chilled bowl of the ice cream maker. When done, transfer sorbet to quart-sized containers. Store in freezer.
This batch made just under 2 quarts. Enjoy.
If you prepared the blueberries before freezing, they should already be picked over, washed, and clean. No idea what vanilla extract does to the taste, but I imagined that it would smooth out the sweetness between the simple syrup and the blueberries.
Ingredients
2 quart-sized bags of frozen blueberries
1 tbsp vanilla extract (optional)
1 c. water + 3/4 c. organic granulated sugar
Directions
1. In a small pot, heat water and sugar together until it boils; then let it simmer for a couple minutes. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
2. With a chopping blade in the food prep, add frozen blueberries and chop until the mixture looks like a thick slushy gone wild. No extra chilling is required before adding this mixture (minus the blade) to the ice cream maker. As it churns, add the vanilla extract.
3. The blueberry sorbet is pretty much done, but you want a smoother consistency to it than what the food prep can do. Add blueberry slushy mixture to the pre-chilled bowl of the ice cream maker. When done, transfer sorbet to quart-sized containers. Store in freezer.
This batch made just under 2 quarts. Enjoy.
Lemon Sorbet
These lemons had been sitting around on the kitchen counter for almost a month, so it was time to do something with the fruit. They were the average lemon you'd get at a grocery store, except these were extra sour. I suppose that if they were used when fresh, the lemons wouldn't have been as fibrous to squeeze and might have held more juice. This recipe used five lemons.
In the US, a sherbert contains dairy and a sorbet has no dairy content. Think of this recipe, like a frozen lemonade, though more on the sour side and a palate cleanser, than a sweet dessert. Also, the colder the ingredients, the faster it'll turn into sorbet in the ice cream maker.
Makes 1 pint.
Ingredients
1 c. fresh lemon juice, chilled
1 c. simple syrup, chilled
Directions
1. Squeeze lemons for the juice and remove any seeds or pith bits. Mix the simple syrup and lemon juice together in a bowl before adding to the right-from-the-freezer bowl of the ice cream maker.
2. After 20 minutes, or until the mixture has fluffed up a bit and formed the sorbet. Use a rubber spatula to empty the ice cream maker bowl into a 1-pint container. Store sorbet in the freezer until ready to serve.
In the US, a sherbert contains dairy and a sorbet has no dairy content. Think of this recipe, like a frozen lemonade, though more on the sour side and a palate cleanser, than a sweet dessert. Also, the colder the ingredients, the faster it'll turn into sorbet in the ice cream maker.
Makes 1 pint.
Ingredients
1 c. fresh lemon juice, chilled
1 c. simple syrup, chilled
Directions
1. Squeeze lemons for the juice and remove any seeds or pith bits. Mix the simple syrup and lemon juice together in a bowl before adding to the right-from-the-freezer bowl of the ice cream maker.
2. After 20 minutes, or until the mixture has fluffed up a bit and formed the sorbet. Use a rubber spatula to empty the ice cream maker bowl into a 1-pint container. Store sorbet in the freezer until ready to serve.
Chocolate Chip Scones
The sweetness of the semi-sweet chocolate chips just overpowers the overall flavor of this scone, and the addition of the sugar is a bit much. These aren't as rich tasting as when using heavy cream.
Ingredients
2 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
3/4 c. buttermilk (can also use cream, yogurt, or buttermilk substitute)
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted cold butter, cut into pieces
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. organic granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
1. In a food processor, combine one cup of the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, salt, and butter. Pulse until it resembles fine crumbs.
2. In a large bowl, add the butter/flour mixture to the remaining cup of flour. Stir in chocolate chips and dried cranberries until combined.
3. Gradually add in buttermilk and fold into batter until just combined. You may not need the entire amount of buttermilk.
4. Drop by rounded scoops onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. These spread out and rise a bit, so space scones out at least 1" apart. Bake for 20 minutes until lightly golden brown.
5. Let cool on a wire rack.
Buttermilk substitute
up to 1 cup of whole milk
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Add the lemon juice to the milk and let stand for about 5 minutes. Use as you would buttermilk.
Ingredients
2 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
3/4 c. buttermilk (can also use cream, yogurt, or buttermilk substitute)
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted cold butter, cut into pieces
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. organic granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
1. In a food processor, combine one cup of the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, salt, and butter. Pulse until it resembles fine crumbs.
2. In a large bowl, add the butter/flour mixture to the remaining cup of flour. Stir in chocolate chips and dried cranberries until combined.
3. Gradually add in buttermilk and fold into batter until just combined. You may not need the entire amount of buttermilk.
4. Drop by rounded scoops onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. These spread out and rise a bit, so space scones out at least 1" apart. Bake for 20 minutes until lightly golden brown.
5. Let cool on a wire rack.
Buttermilk substitute
up to 1 cup of whole milk
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Add the lemon juice to the milk and let stand for about 5 minutes. Use as you would buttermilk.
Single Crust Apple Pie with Streusel Topping
Happy Pi Day!
Made this beautiful apple pie on Saturday but didn't gobble up the first slice until today. The apples that went into the filling were just what was on hand: gala and fuji, two varieties that I enjoy eating a lot. With a streusel topping, this pie can easily accommodate twice as many chopped apples as what the recipe calls for. I really don't care for the salty taste in the crust, so I may omit it next time.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Single crust ingredients
1 1/4 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp organic granulated sugar
4 oz unsalted cold butter, cut into cubes
1/3 c. ice water (or chilled vodka)
Crust directions:
1. In a food processor, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarsely ground cornmeal. Gradually add the water, pulsing after each addition. You may not even need the entire 1/3 c. of water.
2. Form the dough into a ball and gently roll out to a 1/4" thickness on a lightly floured surface until it is large enough to fill a 9" pie plate. Roll crust onto rolling pin and unroll it on top of the pie plate. Use a unserrated knife to cut away the excess dough from the edge of the plate.
3. You can use the leftover dough crust to make decorative shapes for the top of the pie. I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter for this pie.
4. Put pie plate into the refrigerator until ready to use.
Streusel topping ingredients
1 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
In a bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add melted butter and mix ingredients with a fork until mixture forms crumbs.
Pie filling ingredients:
4 c. apples, peeled and cored, cut into 1/2" chunks
1/2 c. organic granulated sugar
1 tbsp all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
In a bowl, combine apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Pour filling into the pie plate. Add remaining tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle streusel on top of apples. Arrange cookie cut-outs on top of the streusel in a decorative pattern.
Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack before serving.
Made this beautiful apple pie on Saturday but didn't gobble up the first slice until today. The apples that went into the filling were just what was on hand: gala and fuji, two varieties that I enjoy eating a lot. With a streusel topping, this pie can easily accommodate twice as many chopped apples as what the recipe calls for. I really don't care for the salty taste in the crust, so I may omit it next time.
 |
| Apple pie fresh from the oven |
 |
| A slice of apple pie |
Single crust ingredients
1 1/4 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp organic granulated sugar
4 oz unsalted cold butter, cut into cubes
1/3 c. ice water (or chilled vodka)
Crust directions:
1. In a food processor, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarsely ground cornmeal. Gradually add the water, pulsing after each addition. You may not even need the entire 1/3 c. of water.
2. Form the dough into a ball and gently roll out to a 1/4" thickness on a lightly floured surface until it is large enough to fill a 9" pie plate. Roll crust onto rolling pin and unroll it on top of the pie plate. Use a unserrated knife to cut away the excess dough from the edge of the plate.
3. You can use the leftover dough crust to make decorative shapes for the top of the pie. I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter for this pie.
4. Put pie plate into the refrigerator until ready to use.
Streusel topping ingredients
1 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
In a bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add melted butter and mix ingredients with a fork until mixture forms crumbs.
Pie filling ingredients:
4 c. apples, peeled and cored, cut into 1/2" chunks
1/2 c. organic granulated sugar
1 tbsp all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
In a bowl, combine apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Pour filling into the pie plate. Add remaining tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle streusel on top of apples. Arrange cookie cut-outs on top of the streusel in a decorative pattern.
Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack before serving.
Simple Lemon Bars
This is the simplest lemon bar recipe that I know of. Its crust is for an 8" x 8" baking pan.
For the crust:
1 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
2/3 c. organic, granulated sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
3 tbsp lemon juice
zest of one medium lemon
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. In a bowl, whisk together flour and powdered sugar with a fork. Stir in melted butter until small crumbs form. Empty into an 8 x 8 baking pan and press crust down with a fork.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and lemon juice until ingredients are mixed well. Add in eggs and whisk to combine.
3. Bake crust for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly golden on top. Remove from oven and add the filling.
4. Bake lemon bars for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and not dark brown. Let cool before cutting into squares.
To add extra zing to the crust, you can split the lemon zest between the filling and the crust. And, to make it more tart, an additional tablespoon of lemon juice can be added to the filling.
 |
| Lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar |
1 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
2/3 c. organic, granulated sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
3 tbsp lemon juice
zest of one medium lemon
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. In a bowl, whisk together flour and powdered sugar with a fork. Stir in melted butter until small crumbs form. Empty into an 8 x 8 baking pan and press crust down with a fork.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and lemon juice until ingredients are mixed well. Add in eggs and whisk to combine.
3. Bake crust for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly golden on top. Remove from oven and add the filling.
4. Bake lemon bars for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and not dark brown. Let cool before cutting into squares.
To add extra zing to the crust, you can split the lemon zest between the filling and the crust. And, to make it more tart, an additional tablespoon of lemon juice can be added to the filling.
Panna Cotta with Vanilla and Honey
Since the first version didn't quite come out as expected, I am attempting this recipe again with the hopes of creating a more delicate texture to a dessert that is supposed to not make you pass out after dinner from caloric overload. If you are going to pair a wine with this, I suggest a sweet dessert wine like moscato, port, or a dry Riesling. This particular ingredient ratio comes from Martha Stewart's recipe site. I figure, if she can cater this, it is probably a good one to make.
I buy my raw honey locally, either from the farmer's market or directly from a farm. Prices here range from $10-15/quart, the latter pricing is typically during peak summer season at the farmer's market.
If you're still looking to count calories with this one, you may be able to shave off a few by using low fat yogurt instead of whole milk yogurt. I don't recommend mucking up this recipe using fat-free yogurt.
Ingredients
2 c. organic heavy cream
2 tbsp unbleached, organic granulated sugar
1 tbsp raw honey
1 vanilla bean
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (1/4 oz; 1 tbsp) + 1/2 c. water
1 c. plain organic whole milk yogurt
pinch of sea salt
1/4 c. raw honey, warmed
Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, add cream, sugar, 1 tbsp honey, and a vanilla bean (split lengthwise with its seeds scraped out and added to the cream as well as the pod). Boil until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cover with a lid. Let the vanilla bean infuse the cream for about 10 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, add unflavored gelatin powder to half a cup of water. Let gelatin soften for a few minutes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt and salt.
4. Bring cream to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in gelatin. Use a strainer when pouring the cream into the yogurt to remove the vanilla bean fragments. Mix until well combined.
5. Pour combined liquid into ramekins, depending on whatever sizes you have on hand. This batch made it evenly into eight 4oz ramekins. Chill for 2 hours, up to 2 days.
6. Warm 1/4 c. raw honey in a heat-proof bowl in the oven on its lowest setting for 15 minutes. In my oven this heat setting is 170 degrees F. This will allow you to pour the honey easily on and around the plated panna cotta.
7. To serve: unmold each panna cotta by running a straight paring knife around the inner edge of the ramekin. Set the ramekin in a bowl of boiling hot water for a few seconds, then invert the ramekin onto a serving plate. Hold these two together, firmly shake to release the panna cotta. Drizzle with honey before eating.
I buy my raw honey locally, either from the farmer's market or directly from a farm. Prices here range from $10-15/quart, the latter pricing is typically during peak summer season at the farmer's market.
If you're still looking to count calories with this one, you may be able to shave off a few by using low fat yogurt instead of whole milk yogurt. I don't recommend mucking up this recipe using fat-free yogurt.
Ingredients
2 c. organic heavy cream
2 tbsp unbleached, organic granulated sugar
1 tbsp raw honey
1 vanilla bean
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (1/4 oz; 1 tbsp) + 1/2 c. water
1 c. plain organic whole milk yogurt
pinch of sea salt
1/4 c. raw honey, warmed
Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, add cream, sugar, 1 tbsp honey, and a vanilla bean (split lengthwise with its seeds scraped out and added to the cream as well as the pod). Boil until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cover with a lid. Let the vanilla bean infuse the cream for about 10 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, add unflavored gelatin powder to half a cup of water. Let gelatin soften for a few minutes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt and salt.
4. Bring cream to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in gelatin. Use a strainer when pouring the cream into the yogurt to remove the vanilla bean fragments. Mix until well combined.
5. Pour combined liquid into ramekins, depending on whatever sizes you have on hand. This batch made it evenly into eight 4oz ramekins. Chill for 2 hours, up to 2 days.
6. Warm 1/4 c. raw honey in a heat-proof bowl in the oven on its lowest setting for 15 minutes. In my oven this heat setting is 170 degrees F. This will allow you to pour the honey easily on and around the plated panna cotta.
7. To serve: unmold each panna cotta by running a straight paring knife around the inner edge of the ramekin. Set the ramekin in a bowl of boiling hot water for a few seconds, then invert the ramekin onto a serving plate. Hold these two together, firmly shake to release the panna cotta. Drizzle with honey before eating.
Panna Cotta with Blueberry Sauce
Panna cotta is an eggless custard. There are a variety of ways to make it, but the key ingredient is heavy cream or creme fraiche. Sometimes plain yogurt is blended in so that it has a lighter flavor to it. The dessert is also not for those skimping on calories because heavy cream is heavy with calories (1 cup heavy cream = 400 calories), and this is before a fruit compote, sauce or chocolate is added. It's a minimum of 200 calories per serving.
I first had this at Tutta Bella's in Seattle and it was served up with a mixed berry pureé on top. Tutta Bella adds milk to the cream for their rendition of it, which is probably more accurate than the ingredient ratio below. Mine came out rather heavy texture, whereas a professional chef would have made it to have a delicate texture. Nonetheless, it all tastes pretty good to me.
Ingredients
1 1/2 c. organic heavy cream
2 tbsp organic granulated sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp cold water
1 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin
Directions
1. In a small bowl, dissolve gelatin in cold water. I use Knox unflavored gelatin because it is readily available here in the US.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the cream, sugar, and vanilla extract until boiling. Add the gelatin and stir for two minutes. Remove from heat and pour into serving bowls or short juice glasses.
3. Let chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, or until the panna cotta has set.
4. Add the blueberry sauce to the top of the panna cotta and serve.
Makes 3 half-cup servings.
I first had this at Tutta Bella's in Seattle and it was served up with a mixed berry pureé on top. Tutta Bella adds milk to the cream for their rendition of it, which is probably more accurate than the ingredient ratio below. Mine came out rather heavy texture, whereas a professional chef would have made it to have a delicate texture. Nonetheless, it all tastes pretty good to me.
Ingredients
1 1/2 c. organic heavy cream
2 tbsp organic granulated sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp cold water
1 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin
Directions
1. In a small bowl, dissolve gelatin in cold water. I use Knox unflavored gelatin because it is readily available here in the US.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the cream, sugar, and vanilla extract until boiling. Add the gelatin and stir for two minutes. Remove from heat and pour into serving bowls or short juice glasses.
3. Let chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, or until the panna cotta has set.
4. Add the blueberry sauce to the top of the panna cotta and serve.
Makes 3 half-cup servings.
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