Category Archives: Dessert

April 15, 2013 · 6:47 pm

One bright tart

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The weather in Chicago has been unforgivably bad in March and April. Last week, it rained every day and barely crawled out of the 40s. Then on Sunday the sun came out and the temperature reached almost 70. Everybody in the city was outside. So what did I do that day? I made this tart. (Yes, I also took a long walk with the Mister and the Peanut. But I really wanted to make this tart.)
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As with any baked thing that contains a liquidy filling set with just a couple of eggs, I fretted. I must have peeked at it every 30 seconds or so after minute 25 in the oven. I may have even cracked the oven door once or twice to prod at the middle to see if it was still jiggly. The tart took longer in my oven than the recipe called for, just over 30 minutes instead of 25. But the end product was a gorgeous blend of crisp, crumbly pate brisee tart shell; spongy, not-too-sweet ricotta filling; and crunchy, toasted almond topping.

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I added “lemon” to the recipe title (originally called ricotta and honey tart), since it feels a bit like an injustice to the lemons not to do so. The zest of four whole lemons goes into this recipe, divided equally between the crust and filling. It perfumes the tart with citrus-scented essential oils, giving it a wonderfully bright, springy flavor that’s not at all sour, since the juice is left out.

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Ricotta, lemon and honey tart
from Chow.com
Crust

    8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
    1/4 cup granulated sugar
    1 tablespoon loosely packed, finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
    1/4 teaspoon fine salt
    1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

Filling

    1 pound ricotta cheese, drained overnight (Place the ricotta in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and weigh it down with a heavy object.)
    2 large eggs
    1/2 cup clover honey
    1 tablespoon loosely packed, finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
    1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Prepare the tart shell:
Preheat the oven to 350F, and arrange a rack in the middle. Place the melted butter, sugar, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl and stir until combined. Add the flour and mix just until a soft dough forms.

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Evenly arrange small pieces of the dough over the bottom of a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom. Using your fingers, press the dough to form an even layer over the bottom and up the sides of the pan, flouring your fingers as needed. Cover the tart shell with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Take out the chilled shell and prick it all over with a fork. Bake it for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Prepare the filling:
Place the drained ricotta, eggs, honey, zest and cinnamon in a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Blend, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl often with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is smooth and combined, about 1 minute.

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Pour the filling into the warm tart shell, smoothing the top if needed, and evenly sprinkle the almonds over top.

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Bake until the center of the tart is just set, about 30 minutes. Cool the tart completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Makes 8 to 12 slices, depending on how large you like ‘em. This tart is superb with a cup of coffee, but my mother-in-law thinks it also would be delicious with a glass of chilled moscato. Can’t say I disagree with that idea.

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February 9, 2013 · 10:08 am

Lovely day for a Guinness (cupcake)

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I want to hate cupcakes, really I do. But they’re so cute and easy to eat. When I got married, we served cupcakes instead of a tiered cake because they were handheld, tasty and much less formal, though my editor will never let me live it down. “How could you possibly be an editor at a baking magazine and not have a cake at your wedding?! Shame on you,” she says.

Whenever I ask professional bakers for their opinions on cupcakes, their response is almost always the same (unless they own a cupcake-only shop). They would rather spend their time making a product that can’t be easily replicated at home by the consumer, which is why they are loath to sell cupcakes. Fair enough. But most if not all of those bakers have also admitted that not only have they added a line of cupcakes to their menu, but that they always sell like crazy. So there. The product we all love to hate and hate to love has finally made it onto my blog.

But I digress. Onto the Guinness cupcakes.

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What I love about these cupcakes is that the slight bitterness of the stout counters the rich sweetness in the cake and adds complexity (and all I have to do is pour some in with a little melted butter). And seeing how we’re a month away from St. Patrick’s Day and all…

This recipe came from my British friends over at BakingMad.com. This site has tons of baked product recipes (everything from Valentine’s Day recipes to pancake ideas) and video primers on practically everything to do with baking. While all their recipes use the metric system, they have a simple conversion tool built into the site. (I hear that we’ll be transitioning to an all-metric system stateside anyway.)

What I also love about their recipes is the language is just slightly more luxurious than our standard recipe style. Sometimes we add vanilla essence instead of vanilla extract. Batter is poured into paper cases, not liners. And we cool the cupcakes on wires, not racks. Nothing like injecting a little richness into the dry world of recipe writing.

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Guinness cupcakes
adapted from BakingMad
Cupcakes

    8 ounces Guinness (sip the rest while you bake)
    8 3/4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
    14 ounces granulated sugar
    1 1/2 ounces unsweetened cocoa powder
    2 large eggs
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    5 ounces buttermilk
    9 ounces AP flour
    2 teaspoons baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    1/8 teaspoon salt

Icing

    1 3/4 ounces butter
    10 1/2 ounces confectioners’ sugar
    4 1/3 ounces cream cheese (full fat)

For the cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 340F (depending on your oven, you might want to bump this up to 350F), and line a cupcake tin with 12 paper liners.

Pour the Guinness into a large saucepan and add the butter. Heat gently over medium low and stir until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and add the cocoa powder and sugar, stirring until well mixed.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract and buttermilk then add this to the mixture in the saucepan.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Slowly add the contents of the saucepan to the dry ingredients and mix by hand or with a hand mixer until the ingredients are all well combined.

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Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 of the way. Bake the cupcakes for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Leave the cakes on a cooling wire to cool completely.

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For the icing:
Mix together the butter and confectioners’ sugar until there are no lumps, then add the cream cheese and mix until light and fluffy.

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Spoon the icing onto the cupcakes and smooth over using the back of a spoon to create a frothy, Guinness-like topping.

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September 23, 2012 · 9:23 am

Little kid things

This recipe for coconut almond macaroon bars is the convergence of two wonderful pieces of my childhood: Girl Scout cookies and Hershey’s chocolate. I was a Girl Scout for a few years, like pretty much everyone else my age. I never liked selling the cookies, but I sure loved eatin ‘em. Samoas (aka Caramel deLites) were always my favorite. Chewy, sweet coconut cookies with ribbons of hard chocolate streaked over the top. Luckily, my sister liked Thin Mints and Tagalongs best, making this one of only a handful of things we didn’t bicker about.

Hershey’s chocolate has a special place in my heart because my dad worked for the company for 25 years. This meant a few things for my sister and me: Halloween was our most popular season, since my parents always gave out king-size Hershey, Kit-Kat and Reese’s bars; and every few months, we’d get to tag along with Dad to the office on a Saturday (it didn’t dawn on me till later that working on a Saturday is not something to be happy about), where we’d get free rein of The Walk-In Chocolate Closet. This was pure, giddy heaven for a couple of 8- and 9-year-olds. We’d take turns racing into the chilled storage room, filling our arms with old favorites like Whatchamacallits for me and Reese’s peanut butter cups for Mad, along with flavors that were still being tested, like Nutrageous and Hugs.

I’m not much of a dessert person nowadays, but I can always save room for a good piece of dark chocolate, which just so happens to be the topping on these dense, chewy bars reminiscent of the best parts of being a little kid.

Ironically, there were no Hershey’s semi-sweet chocolate chips to be found at the crumbly Jewel down the street from my work when I was buying the ingredients for the bars, so I settled for Ghirardelli. Sorry, Dad.

Coconut almond macaroon bars

    3 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs (I crushed chocolate wafers in a big freezer bag)
    1/2 cup melted butter
    1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
    1 1/2 cups sweetened condensed milk
    5 cups sweetened coconut flakes
    1 3/4 cups toasted almond slices, divided
    1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
    1/4 cup whipping cream

Method: Heat oven to 350F. Line a 12- by 18-inch half sheet pan or 9- by 9-inch pyrex baking dish (for thicker bars) with parchment or lightly grease.

Combine cookie crumbs, melted butter and confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl. Firmly press crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Stir together sweetened condensed milk, coconut flakes and 1 1/2 cups of the almond slices in a large bowl, mixing well. Carefully drop the mixture in heaping spoonfuls over the crust; spread evenly.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until coconut edges just begin to brown. Cool.

Place chocolate chips and whipping cream in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes, then stir. If necessary, microwave an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth when stirred.

Cool until the ganache has slightly thickened, and spread over the cooled bars. Sprinkle the remaining almond slices over the top.

Cover, and refrigerate for several hours, or until thoroughly chilled. Cut into bars.

Makes 16 to 24 bars, depending on the pan size.

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July 6, 2012 · 7:01 am

A very American dessert

A friend asked me if I could meet him for lunch on Tuesday downtown. “I can’t,” I replied. “My office is closing early for the 4th and I am going home to make strawberry shortcakes.”

“A very American dish for this 4th of July,” he joked.

The truth is, turning down lunch with a fellow pork lover to make strawberry shortcakes is not something I would typically do. But what can I say? I like to trot out my otherwise well-hidden Martha Stewart side for those patriotic summer holidays. And sometimes there’s nothing like an individually portioned, downright pretty dessert.

Shortcakes are essentially sweetened buttermilk biscuits, so I kept all the ingredients cold throughout my prep and was careful not to overmix the dough (almost to a counter intuitive degree). The end result was a tender and slightly sweet biscuit, and I loved the warmth imparted by just a dusting of cinnamon.

The freshness of the lightly sweetened whipped cream got a bright little zip from the addition of orange zest, and the just ripe berries were perfectly tart-sweet.

I got the recipe (and some coupons to boot) from Driscoll’s Berries, thanks to the lovely Driscoll representatives who were at Camp Blogaway in May. This recipe makes about eight strawberry shortcakes, with a few shortcakes leftover.

Strawberry shortcakes with orange-scented whipped cream

Shortcakes

    2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    1/2 cups plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    1/2 teaspoons baking soda
    1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    1/4 teaspoons salt
    8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
    1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk, chilled
    1 large egg yolk
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling

    3 cups Driscoll’s Strawberries
    3 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided
    1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
    1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
    2 teaspoons grated orange zest, plus 8 small orange peel twists, for garnish

For the shortcakes

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. It’s okay if there are a few large chunks of butter in the mixture. In a separate bowl whisk together 1 cup buttermilk, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Stir into flour mixture until just moistened.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times with floured hands until it just comes together. It will look quite raggedy, but that’s okay. Gently pat dough to 3/4-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch-round biscuit cutter (or a buttered 3-inch tumbler glass), cut out 8 shortcakes, gathering scraps and patting out again if necessary, and transfer them to the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Brush the tops of shortcakes with remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for about 14 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on top. Remove, and let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Carefully split them horizontally using a serrated knife. Note: If you are baking the shortcakes ahead of time, you can store them pre-sliced in an airtight container on the counter for a few hours until you’re ready to assemble.

For the filling

Hull and chop about 1 cup of strawberries and toss in a bowl with 2 teaspoons sugar; set aside. Hull and vertically slice 10 strawberries. Cut any remaining strawberries in half for garnish or reserve for another use.

Vibrant red berries

Combine the cold heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and orange zest in a bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer (or by hand, like I did, if you want a serious workout for the ole arms) until stiff peaks just form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Assembly

Place the bottom halves of shortcakes, cut side up, on eight serving plates and spread each with 2 tablespoons whipped cream. Arrange 4 strawberry slices, with the pointy ends around the edge of each shortcake. Spoon chopped strawberries into the center.

Spoon another 2 tablespoons of whipped cream on top, smoothing it out carefully with the back of the spoon. Place the shortcake lid on top and press lightly. Top with a small dollop of whipped cream, and arrange two small strawberry halves along with a twist of orange peel on top. Serve immediately with lots of napkins (or give guests the appropriate confidence boost to lick their fingers freely).

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March 5, 2012 · 7:05 pm

Salty caramel

Awhile back, I promised the recipe for my salted caramel apple pie. Since my slightly crippling defeat at the Bucktown Apple Pie Contest, I’ve taken a bit of a break from dessert pies. But as promised, here is the recipe for salty caramel. I’ll post the rest of the pie recipe soon.

If you have a wooden spoon (I like these beechwood spoons), a Dutch oven, sugar, cream and butter, you can make caramel from scratch. It is really nice to have around for drizzling on ice cream or in coffee. And, of course, it’s great for salty caramel apple pies. This recipe makes about 2 cups.

Sea salty caramel

    2 cups sugar
    1 2/3 cups heavy cream
    2 tablespoons salted butter
    1/3 teaspoon fleur de sel or coarse sea salt (you might want a bit more once you taste it)

Method: Spread the sugar in an even layer in a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottom pot. Turn the heat up to medium and cook without stirring, until the sugar just starts to melt around the edges of the pan.

With a wooden spoon, start gently stirring the melted sugar toward the middle of the pot. It will start to clump together into little sugar pebbles, but keep going…

..until it melts completely and achieves an almost rusty brown color and starts to smoke a little.

Now comes the exhilarating part. Remove the pot from the heat and immediately stir in about half the cream. It will bubble up furiously for a minute or two, which is why it’s so important to use a large pot.

Whisking constantly, stir in the remaining cream until the mixture is smooth. Add the butter and salt and stir to combine.

Taste and add more salt if desired. After it cools, put the caramel in an airtight container and store it in the fridge. It should keep for about 2 months.

Note: If you want foolproof tips on how to make perfect caramel, see the following post on David Lebovitz’s website: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2008/01/how-to-make-the/.

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December 22, 2011 · 3:18 pm

The joy of holiday baking

I have inherited a massive recipe box from my husband’s mom, most of which is filled with dessert recipes–her specialty. Every holiday season, we’d get at least two large tins filled with nearly a dozen varieties of cookies–Swedish cinnamon shortbread, Lithuanian mushroom-shaped cookies, mini pecan pie bars, tea danies, orange rolls and nut penuche. Each cookie was unique and had an interesting history of its own, which made opening the tins such a joy because you never knew what you were going to get and there was always a story to go along with each cookie.

Although I wasn’t born with the baking gene like she was, I am determined to carry on the lovely tradition of showering family and friends with cookies at the holidays–even if it takes me a few years to work up to her level of finesse. So here is the first of what I hope will become an impressive arsenal of Christmas cookie recipes in the years to come.

Resources used: Epicurious.com posted this recipe from Gourmet magazine. Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies have always been one of my favorites–I love the slight grittiness of the oats playing off the moist, chewy center of the cookie. The semi-sweet chips add just enough indulgence. I’ve named them for Sean’s mom in honor of her love of all things sweet and the joy she found in working so hard on her Christmas cookies just to give almost all of them away.

Betsy’s chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

    2 cups all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
    2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
    1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
    1/4 cup granulated sugar
    2 large eggs
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1 bag semisweet chocolate chips

Method: Preheat oven to 350°F. In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and oats. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition, and add the vanilla. Carefully add the flour mixture, and mix until combined. Note: It’s important throughout the mixing process to stop and scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything’s incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the chocolate chips with a large spatula.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silpat.

Bake the cookies in batches in the middle of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool cookies on racks–all except the one you absolutely must taste to ensure it’s just right. Betsy wouldn’t have it any other way.

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