DIVINE DESSERTS TO SUIT THE SEASON.Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor Visions of sugarplums and the holidays are synonymous. Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah or simply the spirit of the season, you have to at least sample the richness the food traditions offer. For something wonderful and unusual, turn to an array of fabulous ideas in the new crop of dessert cookbooks. Take your pick - chocolate, fruit, all-American - or whatever else strikes your fancy. If you're partial to chocolate, you're sure to love the cutting-edge ``Bittersweet bittersweet, name for two unrelated plants, belonging to different families, both fall-fruiting woody vines sometimes cultivated for their decorative scarlet berries. : Recipes and Tales From a Life in Chocolate,'' by Alice Medrich (Artisan; $35), the founder of Cocolat bakery in Berkeley and a chocolate connoisseur. She takes you on a journey of the sophisticated choices of imported and domestic specialty chocolates available today (from Guittard, Lindt, Valrhona, Callebaut, Scharffen Berger, El Rey El Rey, which means "The King" in the Spanish language, may refer to:
``There is no one best chocolate just as there is no one best wine,'' says Medrich. Taste and experiment. Many of the new chocolates have a percentage on the label indicating the amount of chocolate liquor Noun 1. chocolate liquor - the liquid or paste that is produced when cocoa beans are roasted and ground; the basis of all chocolate chocolate - a food made from roasted ground cacao beans . ``The higher the percentage, the stronger and more intense the flavor,'' notes Medrich during a recent Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. visit. ``For example, bittersweet chocolate marked 70 percent contains almost half again as much ground cocoa beans and more than a third less sugar than the traditional style of bittersweet chocolate.'' Focused on these new and varied high-percentage bittersweet and semisweet sem·i·sweet adj. Having a small amount of sweetening: semisweet chocolate. Adj. 1. semisweet - having a taste that is a mixture of bitterness and sweetness bittersweet chocolates, the book is designed to help people approach, cook with and understand them. Along with 150 new recipes and revised takes on old ones, Medrich decodes how to substitute one type of chocolate for another in favorite recipes to avoid ending up with dried-out cakes; dense, gummy gummy an old sheep that has lost all of its incisor teeth. mousses; or curdled cur·dle v. cur·dled, cur·dling, cur·dles v.intr. 1. a. To change into curd. See Synonyms at coagulate. b. ganaches. Particularly useful are her ``Dessert Maker's Guide to High Percentage Chocolate,'' a chocolate bar diagram bar diagram a method of presenting data in which frequencies are displayed along one axis and categories of the variable along the other, the frequencies being represented by the bar lengths. and conversion formulas. Detailed and precise recipes are written in a user-friendly style. Emily Luchetti, currently the pastry chef A pastry chef or pâtissier is a station chef in a professional kitchen, skilled in the making of pastries, desserts, and other baked goods. They are employed in large hotels, bistros, restaurants, and bakeries. at Farallon restaurant in San Francisco, organizes the 80 dessert recipes in her third cookbook, ``A Passion for Desserts'' (Chronicle Books; $35), by the four seasons - spring, summer, autumn and winter - each with its special fruits and flavors. ``To gain skill as a baker, you must get to know ingredients and how to maximize their flavors,'' says Luchetti, who designed the recipes for home cooks. Don't be intimidated. ``Relax, read the recipe, execute it, use common sense, and have a good time,'' she advises. Many beautiful color photos accompany the irresistible, straightforward creations with names like Apple-Caramel Bread Pudding, Espresso Cupcakes and Orange Marmalade Tart. In ``Ripe for Dessert: 100 Outstanding Desserts With Fruit - Inside, Outside, Alongside,'' (HarperCollins; $34.95) author David Lebovitz, a former pastry chef at Chez Panisse for 12 years, shares his passion for glorious fruits - from apples, pears and quince quince, shrub or small tree of the Asian genera Chaenomeles and Cydonia of the family Rosaceae (rose family). The common quince (Cydonia oblonga to pomegranates, oranges, lemons, rhubarb rhubarb: see buckwheat. rhubarb Any of several species of the genus Rheum (family Polygonaceae), especially R. rhaponticum (or R. rhabarbarum), a hardy perennial grown for its large, succulent, edible leafstalks. , prunes, cranberries, kumquats, assorted berries and more. Although his goal is to lift desserts to new levels with beautiful fruits, he hopes cooks will ``use their imaginations and start to make connections of their own.'' Splashed among the colorful pages are tempting-sounding creations like Blackberry and Lemon Gratin gra·tin n. A top crust consisting of browned crumbs and butter, often with grated cheese. [French, from obsolete grater, to scratch, scrape, from Old French; see grate1.] and Chocolate Bread With Sauteed Cherries. Although some recipes appear more complex and time-consuming than others, all can be made with accessible ingredients from supermarkets or farmers markets, he says. If you prefer showcasing American desserts on your table, there are plenty of recipes on the theme in ``American Desserts: The Greatest Sweets on Earth,'' by Wayne Harley Brachman This Article needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. (Clarkson Potter; $27.50), and ``All-American Desserts: 400 Star-Spangled, Razzle-Dazzle Recipes for America's Best Loved Desserts,'' by Judith M. Fertig (The Harvard Common Press; $18.95). ``American desserts are truly a national treasure,'' writes Fertig. She weaves stories and historical notes throughout the cookie, cake, custard, ice cream, candy and fruit recipes in this hefty tome. Enamored en·am·or tr.v. en·am·ored, en·am·or·ing, en·am·ors To inspire with love; captivate: was enamored of the beautiful dancer; were enamored with the charming island. of American desserts, Brachman, a Food Network program co-host and former restaurant pastry chef at Mesa Grill in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , views them as ``just the best in the universe!'' He's reworked and modernized some classics in addition to reviving almost extinct traditional ones like Vinegar Pie, Applesauce Pie and Benne Wafers. Natalie Haughton, (818) 713-3692 natalie.haughton(at)dailynews.com NEW YORK CHEESECAKE CLASSIC GRAHAM CRACKER CRUMB CRUST: 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup granulated sugar CHEESECAKE BATTER: 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch cornstarch, material made by pulverizing the ground, dried residue of corn grains after preparatory soaking and the removal of the embryo and the outer covering. It is used as laundry starch, in sizing paper, in making adhesives, and in cooking. 1 cup sour cream 1/4 cup cream sherry OR sweet Marsala 2 teaspoons vanilla 4 large eggs TOPPINGS: Strawberry, Blueberry blueberry, plant of the large genus Vaccinium, widely distributed shrubs (occasionally small trees) of the family Ericaceae (heath family), usually found on acid soil. They are often confused with the related huckleberry. OR Cherry OR all three Make Classic Graham Cracker Crust: Arrange a rack in middle of oven. Brush an 8x4-inch springform pan or an 8x4-inch cake pan with 1 tablespoon melted butter. If you're using a springform pan, wrap outside with foil. Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl. Add remaining 6 tablespoons melted butter and mix thoroughly. Pat mixture evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 7 minutes, or until lightly colored at edges. Transfer to a rack while you prepare filling. Set a rack in bottom third of oven and reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Make Cheesecake Batter: In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, sugar and cornstarch at medium speed until just blended (take care not to mix too much air into batter). Beat in sour cream, sherry and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until each is incorporated. Pour batter into crust-lined pan. Place pan in a large roasting pan and pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come about 1 inch up sides of springform pan. Cover roasting pan with foil. Bake at 300 degrees 1 hour. Remove foil and bake 15 to 30 more minutes, until very lightly tanned, slightly puffed and barely firm. Cool to room temperature in water bath. Remove from bath and refrigerate re·frig·er·ate tr.v. re·frig·er·at·ed, re·frig·er·at·ing, re·frig·er·ates 1. To cool or chill (a substance). 2. To preserve (food) by chilling. overnight. To release cake, pop into a 350-degree oven 2 minutes. If using a springform pan, snap catch to release sides. For a regular pan, invert in·vert v. 1. To turn inside out or upside down. 2. To reverse the position, order, or condition of. 3. To subject to inversion. n. Something inverted. it onto a plate covered with plastic wrap or foil. Give it a shake. Now turn it right side up onto a serving platter and peel off foil or plastic. If you are having any trouble, run a thin knife blade around sides of cake to help loosen it. This cake will last for 4 days, covered, in refrigerator. Serve with Toppings of your choice. Makes 1 (8-inch) cake. STRAWBERRY TOPPING: Arrange 1 pint strawberries, rinsed,dried and hulled on top of cake. In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup strawberry or red currant currant, northern shrub of the family Saxifragaceae (saxifrage family), of the same genus (Ribes) as the gooseberry bush. The tart berries of the currant may be black, white, or red; the white gooseberry becomes purple when mature. jelly and 1/4 cup water to a simmer. Whisking continuously, cook over medium heat until all jelly has melted and blended in. Drizzle hot glaze over berries in a nice, thick coating. BLUEBERRY TOPPING: In a small saucepan, whisk together 1 cup port wine, 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/2 cup sugar. Whisking continuously, cook over medium heat 1 minute, until thickened thick·en tr. & intr.v. thick·ened, thick·en·ing, thick·ens 1. To make or become thick or thicker: Thicken the sauce with cornstarch. The crowd thickened near the doorway. 2. . Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1 pint blueberries. Spread on top of cake. CHERRY TOPPING: In a medium saucepan, whisk together juice from 1 (12-ounce) package frozen cherries, thawed, 1 tablespoon brandy, 2 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons cornstarch. Let rest 1 minute and whisk again. Whisking continuously, cook over medium heat until mixture is thick and fairly clear and bubbles continuously 10 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in cherries. Spread on top of the cake. NOTE: If you don't have a 4-inch deep 8-inch springform or cake pan, use a 9-inch springform pan. From ``American Desserts,'' by Wayne Harley Brachman. WARM MOCHA Mocha (mō`kə), town (1990 est. pop. 2,000), S Yemen, a port on the Red Sea. It was noted for the export of the coffee to which it gave its name but declined as a trading port in the late 19th cent. with the rise of Hodeida and Aden. TART (On the cover) TART CRUST: 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted 1/4 cup sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup all-purpose flour FILLING: 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (natural OR Dutch-process) 1 cup heavy whipping cream Noun 1. heavy whipping cream - cream with a fat content of 48% or more double creme cream - the part of milk containing the butterfat 1 1/4 teaspoons instant espresso powder (such as Medaglia d'Oro) OR 1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee crystals 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 large egg, lightly beaten Position a rack in the lower third of oven. To make Tart Crust: Mix butter, sugar, salt and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add flour and mix just until well blended. Don't worry if dough seems too soft. Press all of dough very thinly and evenly into bottom and up the sides of a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is a deep golden brown. Meanwhile, make Filling: Place butter, sugar, cocoa powder and cream in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture is blended and smooth and begins to simmer around edges. Remove from heat and stir in espresso powder and vanilla. Just before crust is ready, whisk egg thoroughly into hot chocolate mixture. Pour filling into hot crust and turn off oven. Leave tart in oven until it quivers like tender Jell-O in center when pan is nudged, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a rack. Serve tart warm or at room temperature. Dust top of cake with sifted cocoa powder. Lightly lay a stencil stencil, cutout device of oiled or shellacked tough and resistant paper, thin metal, or other material used in applying paint, dye, or ink to reproduce its design or lettering upon a surface. or paper cut-out (design desired) over cocoa and dust with sifted powdered sugar. Remove stencil. Makes 8 to 10 servings. CHOCOLATE NOTE: Either natural or Dutch-process cocoa works well here. The former has a livelier, more complex, fruity flavor, while the latter has a cozy old-fashioned flavor reminiscent of chocolate pudding. You choose. From ``Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate,'' by Alice Medrich. CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER TRUFFLES 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, ground Warm cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until hot and bubbling around edges, about 3 minutes. Put chocolate in a medium bowl and pour cream over it. Let stand 30 seconds, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in peanut butter. Spread chocolate cream in a 9-inch pan or pie plate. Refrigerate until hard, at least 1 hour or overnight. Place ground peanuts on a plate or in a pie dish. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or wax paper. Using a measuring teaspoon or melon baller, scoop out 30 heaping spoonfuls of truffle truffle (trŭf`əl) [Fr.], subterranean edible fungus that forms a mutually beneficial (symbiotic) relationship with the roots of certain trees and plants. The part of the fungus used as food is the ascoma, the fruiting body of the fungus. mixture. Place in a single layer on one of prepared baking sheets. Lightly roll them between palms of your hands to give them a nice round shape. If at any point chocolate gets too warm, making truffles difficult to roll, refrigerate chocolate 30 minutes until it firms up. Roll truffles, a few at a time, in ground peanuts. You may need to gently press peanuts into truffles to get them to stick. Place in a single layer on second baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Before serving truffles, let stand at room temperature to soften slightly, 15 to 30 minutes. This will make them a little creamier. Makes 30 (1-inch) truffles. NOTE: Truffles can be made a week in advance and kept refrigerated re·frig·er·ate tr.v. re·frig·er·at·ed, re·frig·er·at·ing, re·frig·er·ates 1. To cool or chill (a substance). 2. To preserve (food) by chilling. . From ``A Passion for Desserts,'' by Emily Luchetti. CHOCOLATE CHERRY FRUITCAKE fruit·cake n. 1. A heavy spiced cake containing nuts and candied or dried fruits. 2. Slang A crazy or an eccentric person: "a fruitcake under the delusion that he was Saint Nicholas" CAKE: 1 1/2 cups dried cherries 1/4 cup plus 6 tablespoons kirsch kirsch n. A colorless brandy made from the fermented juice of cherries. [French, short for German Kirschwasser; see kirschwasser. OR rum 1 cup walnuts, pecans OR almonds, toasted 3/4 cup bittersweet OR semisweet chocolate chips 1 1/4 cups flour 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda baking soda: see sodium bicarbonate. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 cups granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 large egg yolk yolk (yok) the stored nutrient of an oocyte or ovum. yolk n. The portion of the egg of an animal that consists of protein and fat from which the early embryo gets its main nourishment and of 1 teaspoon vanilla 2/3 cup buttermilk buttermilk residual fluid after removal of fat from milk in butter manufacture; a protein-rich supplement fed to pigs. OR plain low-fat yogurt GLAZE: 2 tablespoons kirsch OR light rum 1 cup powdered sugar To make Cake: Soak dried cherries in 1/4 cup kirsch OR rum for at least 4 hours. Position oven rack in center of oven. Butter a 10-cup bundt or tube pan. Dust with flour and tap out any excess. Chop nuts relatively fine, mix with chocolate chips and set aside. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In bowl of an electric mixer or by hand, beat together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. In a small bowl, lightly mix together eggs and egg yolk. Slowly beat egg mixture into butter and sugar. Mix in vanilla. Stir in 1/2 of dry ingredients, then add buttermilk and finally mix in remaining dry ingredients. Gently stir in nuts and chips and cherry mixture. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan 15 minutes. Poke 50 times with a toothpick toothpick, n a wood sliver used to cleanse the interdental space. toothpick, balsa wood, n a triangular wedge of balsa wood used to clean the teeth interproximally and stimulate the interdental gingival tissues. , then slowly drizzle remaining 6 tablespoons kirsch over cake. Let cool 30 minutes, then invert cake onto a large serving plate and cool completely. To Glaze cake: Stir together kirsch and powdered sugar. Spoon glaze over top of cake, allowing it to run freely down sides. Makes 1 bundt cake. From ``Ripe for Dessert: 100 Outstanding Desserts with Fruit - Inside, Outside, Alongside,'' by David Lebovitz. CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) WARM MOCHA TART From ``Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales From a Life in chocolate,'' Artisan (2 -- color) New York Cheesecake From ``American Desserts: The Greatest Sweets on Earth'' Clarkson Potter Publishers (3 -- color) Chocolate-Peanut Butter Truffles From ``A Passion for Desserts,'' Chronicle Books |
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