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Theirs vs. Mine: Chocolate Caramel Cream Pie

partysugar — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 08:00:59 -0700

With its cookie crust, cool filling, and fluffy topping, who can say no to a slice of chocolate caramel cream pie? I should have taken advantage of Summer's glorious fruits, but honestly I prefer cream pies. Just writing the name makes my mouth water and entices images of pillowy whipped cream. The chocolate pudding filling is like a glossy pool, you can't resist diving in with your spoon.

As you can tell from my photo, patience is not one of my virtues. The pie needed more time to set, and although the flavor was pure, rich deliciousness, it was a tad soupy. To experiment with your own scrumptious pie, read more.

Chocolate Caramel Cream Pie
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Chocolate Pie Crust
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups whole milk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 61 percent to 70 percent cacao), finely chopped
4 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Caramel Whipped Cream, recipe below
1 thick block bittersweet chocolate, room temperature, for garnish

Directions

Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small bowl.
Heat milk and chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until chocolate melts.
Whisk 1 cup hot milk mixture into sugar mixture until smooth.
Whisk milk-sugar mixture into the remaining milk mixture in the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until bubbling and thick, 4 to 5 minutes total (about 2 minutes after it comes to a boil).
Whisk yolks in a medium bowl until combined. Pour in milk mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking until completely incorporated.
Return mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it just begins to bubble, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla. Let custard cool in saucepan on a wire rack, whisking occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
Pour custard into chocolate crust. Press plastic wrap directly on surface of custard. Refrigerate until custard filling is chilled and firm, at least 4 hours (or overnight).
Spread caramel whipped cream over pie. Using a vegetable peeler, scrape chocolate block at a 45-degree angle to make a small mound of shavings, and sprinkle over whipped cream. Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve within 2 hours.

Makes 1 pie.

Caramel Whipped Cream

1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon water
Salt
1 1/4 cups cold heavy cream

Prepare an ice-water bath.
Heat sugar, water, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Cook, without stirring, until mixture is amber. (Do not let caramel burn.) Carefully pour in 1/2 cup cream in a slow, steady stream down the side of the saucepan, whisking constantly, until smooth (caramel will bubble).
Remove from heat, and place saucepan in ice-water bath. Let caramel mixture cool, stirring occasionally, until cold, about 20 minutes.
Whisk remaining 3/4 cup cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Gently fold caramel mixture into whipped cream, and whisk until stiff peaks form. Use immediately.

Makes 2 cups.

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Theirs vs Mine: Crostini with Creamy Ricotta and Chorizo

partysugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:00:37 -0700

A couple weeks ago my dad surprised me with a gift of delicious Spanish chorizo. When he gave it to me, I knew exactly what dish I had to make: a crostini appetizer I saw in a recent issue of Food & Wine magazine. In the appetizer, a thick, crisp piece of sourdough is topped with pillows of creamy ricotta, spicy sautéed chorizo, and tangy balsamic red onion slices. Their version tops the hearty dish with frisee, but my local market didn't have any. No matter, it was still to die for! The recipe has you drain the ricotta overnight, but I didn't do that either. I simply drained it while I assembled the rest of the appetizer. The final dish is insanely good, next time I have to make it for dad! To take a look at how it's done, read more.

Crostini with Creamy Ricotta and Chorizo
From Food & Wine magazine

Ingredients

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Six 1/2-inch-thick slices of Italian peasant bread
2 small garlic cloves, 1 minced
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 small dry chorizo (about 3 ounces), thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 small head of frisée, tender white and light green leaves only*

Directions

Put the ricotta in a fine sieve set over a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Discard the liquid in the bowl.
Wipe out the bowl, add the thickened ricotta and stir in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat a grill pan. Lightly brush both sides of the bread slices with oil and grill, turning once, until toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer the toasts to a platter and rub them with the whole garlic clove.
In a small bowl, toss the red onion with 2 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar and let stand for 10 minutes; drain the onion, discarding the vinegar.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, boil the remaining 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar until reduced to 1 tablespoon, about 5 minutes.
In a medium skillet, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil with the minced garlic, chorizo, tarragon and parsley. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until warmed through, about 5 minutes.
Spread the ricotta on the toasts and top with the warm chorizo. Garnish with the frisée and pickled onions. Drizzle with the reduced balsamic vinegar and serve.

Serves 6.

*My local grocery store was all out of frisée, so I simply omitted it from the recipe.

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Theirs vs Mine: Quick Raspberry Charlotte

partysugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:13:33 -0700

After reading the French-themed March issue of Gourmet magazine, I could not stop thinking about this recipe for a quick raspberry charlotte. I finally got around to making this easy, tasty dessert last Friday night and it was deliciously rewarding!

Not-your-average dessert, this charlotte consists of ladyfingers, melted ice cream, and raspberries. The final result is refreshing and light. The hardest thing about this dessert was taking the picture. It may not have the prettiest presentation, but if you are looking for a lovely treat, I highly recommend this recipe. To check it out, read more.

Quick Raspberry Charlotte
From Gourmet magazine

Ingredients

7 ounces savoiardi (crisp Italian ladyfingers)
1 tablespoon Cognac or other brandy
1 pint premium vanilla ice cream, melted
10 ounces frozen raspberries (not in syrup)
1 cup water
Rounded 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup chilled heavy cream
a 7- to 8-inch soufflé dish

Directions

Layer ladyfingers in soufflé dish.
Stir Cognac into melted ice cream and pour evenly over cookies. Let stand 10 minutes.
Purée, raspberries with water, sugar, and lemon juice in a blender until smooth.
Beat cream with an electric mixer or a whisk until it just holds stiff peaks, then add 3/4 cup raspberry sauce and continue to beat until mixture holds soft peaks.
Lightly press on cookies with a spatula to compact slightly, then drizzle 1/2 cup raspberry sauce over them.
Spread raspberry cream evenly on top and chill, covered, in freezer 30 minutes.
Serve charlotte with remaining raspberry sauce.

Serves 6-8.

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Theirs vs. Mine: Buttermilk Cookies

YumSugar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:01:56 -0800

The January issue of Gourmet magazine has been sitting on my counter for weeks. More accurately, the recipe for buttermilk cookies has been on my counter for weeks. They just looked so simple and charming, I knew I'd have to make them some day. Well, thankfully that day finally arrived. The cookies, which are inspired by Edna Lewis, have a slight lemon taste to them and are coated with a simple vanilla glaze. When I made my batch, I coated some in vanilla glaze and some in chocolate. These cookies were spongy and delicious, and they're definitely working their way into my regular cookie repertoire. To check out the recipe for yourself, read more.

Buttermilk Cookies
From Gourmet, January 2008

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk

For Glaze
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter 2 large baking sheets.
Whisk together flour, zest, baking soda, and salt.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Mix in flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in batches at low speed, beginning and ending with flour mixture, until smooth.
Drop level tablespoons of dough about 1 1/2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until cookies are puffed and edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes per batch. Cool cookies on sheets 1 minute, then transfer cookies to racks.
Whisk together all glaze ingredients and brush onto tops of warm cookies. [Note, you should sift the confectioners sugar first.]
Let stand until cookies are completely cooled and glaze is set.

Note: After I glazed 2/3 of the cookies with the vanilla glaze, I whisked cocoa powder in to the glaze (you can do this to taste) and used that on the rest of the cookies.

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Theirs vs. Mine: Beet and Cheddar Risotto

partysugar — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:28:31 -0800

A couple of weeks ago, my girlfriend told me about a gorgeous red beet risotto she had seen in a magazine. Inspired, we decided to make one for dinner. We chose this recipe because it pairs the beets with sharp cheddar cheese. The vibrant color of the risotto would be perfect for any Valentine's Day meal - especially when served in a heart-shaped dish. The flavor is rich, creamy, and was even well-liked by my beet-hating father. It's not difficult to make, so take a look at the recipe when you read more.

Beet and Cheddar Risotto
From Food & Wine magazine

1 medium beet, peeled and quartered
2 cups loosely packed beet greens, stems trimmed
2 cups water
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 cup arborio rice
8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

Place the beet in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the beet greens and pulse until finely chopped.
In a medium saucepan, bring the water and vegetable broth to a simmer.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, 3 minutes.
Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the beets and beet greens and cook for 1 minute.
Add the broth to the large saucepan, 1 cup at a time, and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the liquid is nearly absorbed between additions, 20 minutes.
Add the cheddar; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until the risotto is creamy and thick, 3 minutes longer.
Serve in deep bowls, passing the Parmigiano-Reggiano on the side.

Serves 4.

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Theirs vs. Mine: Potato Latkes With Watercress Salad

partysugar — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 10:18:31 -0800

Recently my best friend asked me to help her make potato pancakes. She came to me, Bon Appétit magazine in hand, and said, "I want to make these." Their picture displayed a delectable dish with crisp, flaky potato pancakes.

In our version the pancakes were chunkier because we ran into food-processing problems. Instead of serving the latkes on the side, we plated the pancakes on top of the salad. Although the picture might not have been as artistic, the salad was delicious, and it was something I would definitely make again. To experiment with your own version, get the recipe; read more.

Potato Latkes With Watercress Salad
From Bon Appétit magazine

Latkes:
2 cups finely chopped onions, divided
1 large egg
1 1/4 tsp. coarse kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Vegetable oil (for frying)
Salad:
6 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. sherry wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
2 large bunches watercress, thick stems trimmed (about 8 cups)
1 large avocado, pitted, peeled, diced
4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut into strips

For latkes: line colander with kitchen towel.
Stir 1 1/2 cups onions, egg, salt, and pepper in large bowl.
Place remaining 1/2 cup onions in processor; add potatoes. Blend until potatoes are very finely chopped and some of mixture is pureed; transfer to prepared colander. Wrap towel around potatoes, squeezing out as much liquid as possible.
Scrape into bowl with egg mixture. Stir in all purpose flour and baking powder.
Heat 4 tablespoons vegetable oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.
Drop potato mixture by scant 1/4 cupfuls into skillet; flatten each latke to 2 1/2-inch round with metal spatula. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to large rimmed baking sheet. Repeat, adding more oil to skillet as needed. Latkes can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake latkes until crisp and deep brown, about 6 minutes per side.
For salad: whisk oil, vinegar, and dry mustard in small bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper.
Combine watercress, avocado, and salmon in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat.
Arrange 2 latkes on each plate. Mound salad alongside. Alternately mound salad on a plate and place 2 latkes on top of the salad.

Serves 8.

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