Dessert-extravaganza... part 2 - Maple Walnut Ice Cream

So here is the part 2. Dinner Tuesday will have a dessert of Blondies (basically bar chocolate chip cookies) served with Maple Walnut Ice Cream (a batch was made without nuts for the kids in attendance):

(Adapted from The Keeper's House)

Yield: Makes about 1 1/2 quarts

1 cup Grade B maple syrup*

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Special equipment: an ice-cream maker

Boil syrup in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat until reduced to 3/4 cup, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in cream, milk, and salt and bring to a boil over moderate heat.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl, then add hot cream in a slow stream, whisking. Transfer to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F, 1 to 2 minutes (do not let boil).

Pour custard through a fine sieve into a clean metal bowl, then cool, stirring occasionally. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours.

Freeze custard in ice-cream maker until soft-frozen, then, with motor running, add nuts. Continue churning ice cream until frozen, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.

Cooks' notes:
·To cool custard quickly after straining, set bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stir until chilled.
·Custard can be chilled up to 24 hours.

Dessert-extravaganza... part 1 - Pumpkin Cake

So this week (Sunday and Tuesday) we are having dinners with old friends we haven't seen in quite some time. For Sunday we are heading to a friends but I offered to make dessert and made something that really turned out well and seemed quite seasonal:

Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake with Caramel and Cream Cheese Frosting

Bon Appétit | November 2008

by Sarah Patterson Scott

Yield: Makes 12 servings Cake: 3 cups all purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil 4 large eggs 2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel For cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides, tapping out any excess flour. Whisk first 9 ingredients in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat pumpkin, sugar, and oil in another large bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to incorporate between additions. Mix in orange peel. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed just to blend. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 33 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Invert onto rack, then turn top side up and cool completely. For frosting: 8 ounces cream cheese , softened but still cool 5 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, but still cool 1 tablespoon sour cream 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar (4 1/2 ounces) Process cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla in clean food processor workbowl until combined, about 5 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners' sugar and process until smooth, about 10 seconds. Assembly: Using long serrated knife, trim rounded tops from cakes. Place 1 cake layer on cake plate, cut side up. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over. Place second cake layer, cut side down, atop frosting. Cover top and sides of cake with remaining frosting, creating smooth surface. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome or large bowl and chill. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours before serving. Sprinkle candied orange peel over top of cake. Cut into wedges and serve. * Available seasonally at most supermarkets and year-round at specialty foods stores and from chefshop.com. NOTES: I made this as a 4 layer by cutting each of the cakes in half and doubling the frosting recipe. I also found a candied orange peel recipe online and made em myself...

National Pie Day The Sequel

So it has been a long time since I posted a recipe but I figure that pies for Thanksgiving is as good a time as any to post recipes. This year represented 2 new pies, one that I am pleased with in advance of tasting and one that I am skeptical about.

First here is the link to my post about the easiest and because of the ease and the fact that it is flaky and delicious I would say BEST pie crust recipe.

I will start with the pie I like (I have yet to taste either pie but this is the one I am more confident about):

Sweet Potato Pie with a Marshmallow Meringue Topping and Graham Cracker Crust:

This pie basically makes you prepare it over a couple of days (I did 3 - crust, custard then meringue).

Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue Bon Appétit | November 2007

Sarah Patterson Scott

The secret to the delicious (and easy) meringue? Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme. Trust us. Yield: Makes 10 servings Crust: 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (made from about 7 1/2 ounces graham crackers, finely ground in processor) 3 tablespoons sugar 6 to 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Filling: 3 pounds medium red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams) 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 1/4 cup sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt Marshmallow Meringue: 1 7-ounce jar Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme 3 large egg whites 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup sugar For crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar in medium bowl. Add 6 tablespoons melted butter and stir until crumbs feel moist when pressed together with fingertips, adding 1 tablespoon melted butter if crumb mixture is dry. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish, building up sides 1/4 inch above rim of dish. Bake crust until set and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Cool on rack. DO AHEAD: Pie crust can be made 2 days ahead. Cover pie crust and let stand at room temperature. For filling: Preheat oven to 350°F. Pierce sweet potatoes all over with fork; place potatoes on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are very tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Cut potatoes open and scoop out pulp. Transfer pulp to processor and puree until smooth. Set aside 2 cups sweet potato puree for filling; cool completely (reserve any remaining puree for another use). DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine 2 cups sweet potato puree, sweetened condensed milk, and all remaining ingredients in large bowl; whisk until well blended and smooth. Pour filling into crust. Bake pie until puffed around edges and set in center, about 50 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool. Refrigerate pie at least 4 hours or overnight. For marshmallow meringue: Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Using rubber spatula, scrape marshmallow creme into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt in another large bowl until foamy. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff and glossy peaks form. Add 1/2 cup beaten egg whites to marshmallow creme and stir with rubber spatula or spoon just until incorporated to lighten (marshmallow creme is very sticky and will be difficult to blend at first, but blending will become easier as remaining whites are folded in). Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions just until incorporated. Spread meringue over top of cold pie, mounding slightly in center and swirling with knife to create peaks. Bake pie just until peaks and ridges of marshmallow meringue are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Let stand at room temperature until meringue is cool. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Let pie stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Pie Number 2: Caramel Apple Pie For this pie I really think I would have made a true caramel instead of the one in the recipe. I am pretty sure the recipe's caramel came to a soft or hard crack stage but we shall see when I taste it later. The Ultimate Caramel Apple Pie Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence Prep Time: 1 hr 20 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 50 min Level: Intermediate Serves: 4 to 6 servings Ingredients Caramel Apples: 1 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup for the top 3 tablespoons water 1/4 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup red wine 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped 1 lemon, halved 8 apples (recommended: Granny Smith and Gala) 1 tablespoon flour 1 cinnamon stick, freshly grated 1/4 cup unsalted butter Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. To make the caramel sauce: place the sugar and water in a small pot and cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until the sugar has melted and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the burner and add the cream and wine slowly. It may bubble and spit, so be careful. When the sauce has calmed down, return it to the flame, add the vanilla bean and heat it slowly, until the wine and caramel are smooth and continue to slowly cook until reduced by half. Remove from the heat and cool until thickened. Fill a large bowl with cold water and squeeze in the lemon juice. Peel the apples with a paring knife, cut them in half, and remove the core with a melon baller. Put the apple halves in the lemon-water (this will keep them from going brown). Toss the apples with the flour and cinnamon. Take the dough out of the refrigerator, unwrap the plastic, and cut the ball in half. Rewrap and return 1 of the balls to the refrigerator, until ready for the top crust. Let the dough rest on the counter for 15 minutes so it will be pliable enough to roll out. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Carefully roll the dough up onto the pin and lay it inside a 10-inch glass pie pan. Press the dough into the pan so it fits tightly. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice a couple of the apples at a time using a mandolin or a very sharp knife. The apples need to be thinly sliced so that as the pie bakes, they collapse on top of each other with no air pockets. This makes a dense, meaty apple pie. Cover the bottom of the pastry with a layer of apples, shingling the slices so there are no gaps. Ladle about 2 ounces of the cooled red wine caramel sauce evenly over the apple slices. Repeat the layers, until the pie is slightly overfilled and domed on the top; the apples will shrink down as the pie cooks. Top the apples with pieces of the butter. Now, roll out the other ball of dough just as you did the first. Brush the bottom lip of the pie pastry with a little beaten egg white to form a seal. Place the pastry circle on top of the pie, and using some kitchen scissors, trim off the overhanging excess from around the pie. Crimp the edges of doughtogether with your fingers to make a tight seal. Cut slits in the top of the pie so steam can escape while baking. Place the pie on a sheet tray and tent it with a piece of aluminum foil, so the crust does not cook faster than the apples. Bake the caramel apple pie for 25 minutes on the middle rack. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar with the freshly grated cinnamon. Remove the foil from the pie and brush the top with the remaining egg white. Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar and return to the oven. Continue to bake for another 25 minutes, until the pie is golden and bubbling. Let the apple pie rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour to allow the fruit pectin to gel and set; otherwise the pie will fall apart when you cut into it.

Camping Noodles?

In coordinating a menu with friends for camping I stumbled on this recipe. My friend was making short ribs (delicious I might add) so I decided to stay on the Asian end for an easy to take camping side dish. What follows is a quite good Asian Noodle Salad recipe.

INGREDIENTS

1 medium red bell pepper

1 medium cucumber

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup chunky peanut butter

2 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

5 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

2 tablespoons light brown sugar lightly packed

hot water

1 tablespoon table salt

1 pound fresh Asian noodles or 12 ounces dried spaghetti

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

4 scallions , sliced thin on diagonal

1 medium carrot , grated

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Core, seed, and cut into 1/4-inch slices 1 medium red bell pepper; peel, halve lengthwise, seed, and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices 1 medium cucumber. Toast sesame seeds in medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 tablespoon sesame seeds in small bowl.

2. In blender or food processor, puree remaining 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, and sugar until smooth, about 30 seconds. With machine running, add hot water 1 tablespoon at time until sauce has consistency of heavy cream, about 5 tablespoons; set blender jar or workbowl aside.

3. Bring 6 quarts water to boil in stockpot over high heat. Add salt and noodles to boiling water; boil noodles until tender, about 4 minutes for fresh and 10 minutes for dried. Drain, then rinse with cold running tap water until cool to touch; drain again. In large bowl, toss noodles with sesame oil until evenly coated.

4. Add bell pepper, cucumber, scallions, carrot, and sauce; toss to combine. Divide among individual bowls, sprinkle each bowl with portion of reserved sesame seeds and chopped fresh cilantro, and serve.

Best Dessert Ever? Maybe not but...

Had some friends over who were wheat/gluten intolerant so I sought out a recipe that would be friendly and really didn't want to do a chocolate dish. So I found this gem. One of the dietarily challenged kids made the declaration of "best dessert ever." I challenge that but it was quite good. So:

Mango Yogurt Mousse

Yield: Serves 4 1 envelope (1 tablespoon) unflavored gelatin 2 cups fresh mango purée (about 2 peeled and pitted mangoes) plus mango slices for garnish 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup plain yogurt 1 cup well-chilled heavy cream In a small saucepan sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water, let it soften for 1 minute, and heat the mixture over low heat, stirring, until the gelatin is dissolved. In a blender blend together the mango purée, the sugar, and the vanilla, add the gelatin mixture, and blend the mixture well. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the yogurt. In a chilled bowl beat the cream until it holds stiff peaks, fold it into the mango mixture gently but thoroughly, and divide the mousse among 4 dessert glasses. Chill the mousses for at least 4 hours or overnight. Garnish the mousses with the mango slices.