Desserts, Confections, Preserves | One More Bite

Michigan Grape Tarts

Posted on September 9, 2017 by JDL

I rarely buy grapes in the supermarket. While they are sweet, they have no flavor. Occasionally I find Muscatel grapes at Whole Foods and those are wonderful. For the past few years I’ve found a Michigan variety of a petite, seedless grape with a lovely, delicate flavor. I believe the variety is called Candace. Each grape is the size of a hazelnut: rosy red with touches of pale green. Right now, I am finding these grapes in my Midwest farmers market. Go buy some and try this tart!

Julie

These little grapes make great tarts and provide a nice change from berries or stone fruits. You can make all of the components in advance and the assembled tart will hold up in the refrigerator for at least 10 hours.

Lemon Semifreddo with Strawberry Sauce

Posted on September 9, 2017 by JDL

The first time I ate a Semifreddo was at Vivoli Gelateria in Florence Italy many years ago. While the gelato was wonderful, the Semifreddo had a unique texture that was silky, light and completely captivating. Semifreddo means ” half cold ” and it feels less cold than ice cream or gelato. Personally I feel that I taste the flavors more intensely because there’s no numbing effect on your tastebuds as there is with colder confections.

Semifreddo consists of a flavored base folded together with Italian Meringue and whipped cream. The base can consist of a Crème Anglaise (yolks cooked with milk and sugar), Pâte à Bombe (a base of yolks beaten with cooked sugar syrup) or a base of puréed fruit. However, the key component which needs to be included for the best texture is Italian Meringue.

So, as I often do, I tried to find Semifreddo in my hometown to no avail. Then I began to collect recipes and try them, still without success. Finally I stumbed upon the answer to my failures in an article authored by Marino Marini titled ” More Perfect than a Parfait”. According to the article a semifreddo derives its origin from a French Parfait which is a Pâte à Bombe into which whipped cream is folded. The Semifreddo can be differentiated from a Parfait because it includes Italian Meringue, the missing ingredient in all the recipes that I had tried. Italian Meringue doesn’t freeze at zero temperature and has a silky mouth feel. Without it, you never get the correct texture. This history feeds nicely into my narrative that the Italians (me and my ancestors) taught the French (my husband and his ancestors) how to cook, which began when Catarina d’ Medici brought her pastry chefs to France when she married Henri II of France. Clearly the Italians continued to school the French into the early 20th century when the Italians transformed a very nice desert, the Parfait, into a spectacular dessert, the Semifreddo. Ha!

This is a dessert that you can definitely play with. An easy modification would be to do a raspberry coulis or a blueberry sauce. Other flavor combinations come to mind: lime Semifreddo with blackberry coulis, passion fruit Semifreddo with mango coulis, orange/Cointreau Semifreddo with candied walnuts or pine nuts and caramel sauce; grapefruit Semifreddo with, well, I leave that up to you. You can also forgo the daquoise and place the semifreddo directly on the plate or use a thin shortbread cookie, a ginger snap or cookie crumbs. Try different combinations and make this recipe yours.

A special thanks to blogger and author Grace Massa Langlois of gracessweetlife.com for inspiring the design of this dessert. Check out her book and her blog. Her recipes are well written and trustworthy.

Julie

Lemon/Limoncello Semifreddo Dessert Componants

Whipped Cream
Italian Meringue
Pâte à Bombe
Strawberry sauce
Limoncello bubble sugar

Lemon Lavender Poppy Seed Scones

Posted on August 20, 2017 by Daniel de Lara

The first recipe a cook masters holds a very special spot in their hearts. For me this spot is reserved for these lemon-lavender poppy seed scones. It was the first recipe I designed and remembered by heart and remains one of my specialties. A few years ago, I was flipping through Baking Illustrated when I saw a recipe for british cream scones. I became inspired and for the next month I spent any free time I had experimenting with scones. I love how scones are a great vessel for an infinite number of combinations. I must have made more than 15 batches of scones during that month ranging from classic plain to bizarre (but still yummy) strawberry with balsamic vinegar glaze. The lemon-lavender poppy seed stood out among the others, combining a classic flavor profile with a little twist. The top of these scones is crisp with a tangy and sweet glaze that has a tantalizing hint of lavender that keeps you coming back for more. The flaky crust is contrasted by a moist, buttery, cloud-like interior with a little bite from the poppy seeds and bright lemon zest studded into the crumb. These scones are without a doubt one of the best confections I make, and now you can make them too.

Daniel

INGREDIENTS

For Scones
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream
For Glaze
1 ½ cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons very soft warm butter
Juice of 2 lemons
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons dried lavender (optional)

Dream Bars (Potbelly)

Posted on August 20, 2017 by Daniel de Lara

I had been raving about the Dream Bars at Potbelly’s and finally my mom asked me to bring her one so she could try it. As per usual, after a few bites of the sugary oatmeal, caramel and chocolate chip confection she said, ” I think we can do better, or at least as good”. You can decide.

While Potbelly’s Dream Bars are soft, from being wrapped in plastic, ours have several distinct layers: crumbly oatmeal topping, creamy caramel and crunchy shortbread. Mom likes to add toasted walnuts or pecans to hers to cut the sweetness but for me and my friends, the sweeter the better so I don’t add nuts.

Originally we used the wonderful but pricey Knudsen caramels but many sheet pans of cookies later my mom put her foot down and told me if I wanted to keep on baking sheet pans of cookies for my swim team I’d have to make my own caramel and so she taught me. One day we’ll update the recipe to reflect our caramel recipe.

Daniel

Utensils:

½ sheet pan (18” by 13”)
Mixing bowls/tools
Measuring tools
Parchment paper

Ingredients:

- For Crust/Topping:
- 5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (25 ounces)
- 1 ⅓ cup granulated sugar (about 9 1/2 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 32 tablespoons unsalted butter (4 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and softened to cool room temperature ProTip: To soften butter but keep cool, beat it with a rolling pin while in the package before cutting.
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (6 ounces)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- For Filling:
- 26 ounces good quality caramels
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 8 ounces good quality chocolate chips (Ghirardelli is preferred)

Pear Galette/Crostata with Star Anise and Vanilla (with variations)

Posted on August 20, 2017 by Daniel de Lara

Galettes are delicious flaky free form french tarts. This galette dough, published by Alice Waters but which she attributes to Jacque Pepin is easy, delicious and versatile. You can fill the dough with nearly anything you want, sweet or savory, from apples to zucchini. For this particular recipe I’m sharing, I took a journey back into my childhood for inspiration.

This recipe really brings me back to when I was a child. My mom makes a lot of amazing desserts, but there is one in particular that always fills the house with a tantalizing sweet aroma: poached pears. I’m also a little sentimental about the pears because they were the only dessert with fruit I would eat until I was 10. I know poached pears doesn’t seem that exciting, but my mom made them in a unique way. She would poach the pears in a simple syrup with vanilla, lemon, and a hint of star anise and serve it with a homemade chestnut gelato. The 3 bold flavors perfectly blended with the sweet earthy flavor of the pears. This flavor is what I recreated for my galette filling.

Daniel

This galette is really versatile and I’ve done it with a variety of fruits. You’ll find pictures and suggestions at the end of this recipe.

Julie

INGREDIENTS:

For Galette Dough
130 grams, (4.5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon sugar
Pinch teaspoon salt
85 grams (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into ½ inch pieces
3.5 tablespoons ice water

For Filling and Topping Galette
1 tablespoon roasted ground almonds
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of pulverized amaretti
5 ounces galette dough, rolled into a 14-inch circle and chilled
1.5 pounds ripe pears
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Zest from ½ lemon
½ Vanilla bean scraped
1/8 tsp ground star anise
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons of sanding sugar (the larger crystals resist melting and add a nice crunch.
A little apple jelly (optional)

Best Red Velvet Cake

Posted on August 20, 2017 by Daniel de Lara

10372774_10204552244420897_9083352211704006813_n I’ve always been a person with a major sweet tooth. Whenever someone asked me what my favorite food was I would always reply with my favorite dessert of the time (usually ice cream). However, I really wasn’t much of a cake guy. I thought chocolate cake was too dense and rich, and vanilla was too dry and bland. I was the kid at birthday parties who ate more than their share of pizza, and then didn’t eat any cake. Every year for my own birthday, my mom tried a new version of cake that she hoped I would like. One year it was vanilla buttercream, the next marble cake, the next devil’s food cake. Each year, to her dismay, I took a bite, smiled, told her it was pretty good, then took a second bite and said I was done. Then, when I was 10 I fell head over heels in love with a cake. It was just any cake though, it was ruby red velvet cake with luscious fluffy cream cheese frosting.

My mom was at her friend Patty’s house (who now owns a cupcake store in Chicago) and whenever she goes out I always ask my mom to bring me something home. On this particular day she brought me a slice of red velvet cake. Looking back, it comes as no surprise that the first cake I ever liked came from Patty’s house because all good things come from her house like my first video games or tickets to Cirque du Soleil. Even though I didn’t like cake, I liked trying new things and the cake’s red crumb contrasted by snow white frosting was hypnotizing so I had to have some. After that first bit I sighed and my body melted as I entered cake nirvana for the first time. It was moist and delicate and the frosting was fluffy and just a little bit tangy. I found my perfect cake and every year since then, my mom has made me red velvet cake for my birthday.

There is a lot of confusion people have when it comes to red velvet cake. Many people think it is just a chocolate cake that’s dyed red, which is far from the truth. Traditionally a southern cake, it has it’s own unique flavor. There’s some cocoa powder in it, but also vanilla. The unique flavor can’t really be described in any other way than yummy and unique. The tangy cream cheese frosting that is a must for the cake perfectly complements the moist and flavorful cake. While my mom is the one who makes me the cake for my birthday, I make red velvet cake and cupcakes as often as I can. I’ll find any excuse to whip up a batch of red velvet bliss.

Daniel

INGREDIENTS

For Cake
2 ¼ cups (11 ¼ ounces) all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
pinch salt
1cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder (NOT DUTCH PROCESSED)
2 tablespoons (1 ounce bottle) red food coloring
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups (10 ½ ounces) granulated sugar
For Frosting
16 (2 sticks) tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 cups (16 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
16 ounces cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces, softened
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch salt

Italian Ricotta/Mascarpone Cheesecakes

Posted on August 18, 2017 by JDL

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On a trip to Manhatten a few years ago Daniel and I were taken to a neighborhood restaurant around the corner from a childhood friend who we were visiting. We fell in love with it and went there a few nights for dinner. The following year when we returned, we went back once again. There are two recipes on this blog from the restaurant: Veal and Ricotta Meatballs and this recipe for Mascarpone Cheesecake. Developing this recipe, as well as the one for the meatballs, took quite a bit of tinkering, since the restaurant refused to share, but in the end, both recipes are straightforward and easy to execute.

The recipe for the Mascarpone Cheesecake is particularly poignant for me. It was the last trip Daniel and would take together for the foreseeable future as he was in college and the remaining summers he would devote to lab work and internships. We spent our days looking for the the best bagel in NYC, looking for a cannoli to rival my grandmothers (didn’t exist in NYC or Brooklyn), and sampling a dozen pastry shops.

COMPONANTS

Cheesecake
Caramelized almonds
orange marmalata

Caramel and Whiskey Semifreddo

Posted on August 13, 2017 by JDL

Makes up to 10 servings

A few years ago my family and I were visiting Ville Franche, a lovely city built into a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean and very close to the Italian border. After sunbathing, swimming in the sea and marveling at the snap shot Daniel was able to take of an octopus, with his GoPro, we set off to find food. We settled on an Italian bistro on the boardwalk where we had a wonderful meal of fresh seafood linguini and pizza. The highlight was a caramel semifreddo with nougatine. Happily, the chef gave me his recipe although I added the whiskey and my own recipe for caramellized nuts. I hope when you taste this semifreddo it will transport you to Ville Franche were you can smell the salt water and feel the sun on your face.

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To make the Semifreddo I use a 5″ x 9″ loaf pan, lined with plastic wrap and cut slices from the frozen loaf. You can also forgo lining the pan with plastic wrap (which can produce wrinkles on the final product but they are not very visible because they are on the sides, so really, who cares) but then you’ll have to either dip the mold in hot water for 10 seconds or heat the sides with a blow torch to release the semifreddo from the mold. You can of course use any other mold you like. Silicone molds are nice because they release the semifreddo easily.

Semifreddo is best served slightly softened. By the time you cut the slices and finish plating them they will be at the right consistency.

A note about the use of glucose in this recipe. If you can’t find glucose you can substitute light corn syrup but keep in mind that corn syrup is sweeter and has more water. The additional water might affect the texture. Honey or Golden Syrup might be an interesting substitution for the glucose with the same caveat. Glucose syrup has a neutral flavor and the lowest water content. It can be purchased on line.

This is one of those recipes you can play with. I think a pecan nougatine would be nice Instead of the hazelnuts. It might be fun to substitute some maple syrup for the glucose syrup and black walnuts for the hazelnuts. You can also substitute another spirit for the whiskey. Cognac or calvados or Couintreau.

Julie

Whiskey Caramel Semifreddo Components

Caramel Semifreddo
Caramelized Hazelnuts
Caramel sauce

Strawberry/Rhubarb Preserves

Posted on August 9, 2017 by JDL

Please read my page on Preserving Equipment and Technique before trying this recipe.

I love almost any kind of preserve but I rarely find a Strawberry Preserve that I like. They are almost always sickly sweet and/or overlooked and thus an ugly maroon color. However, there is nothing better on a scone slathered with Devonshire Cream and it is the favorite preserve of my oldest son After many kilos of strawberries I have one that I am proud to offer.

I prefer to use locally grown strawberries at the height of their season which is June in the Midwest. You can use strawberries from California and Florida but even they have a peak season so be sure to taste them. The strawberries should have red shoulders and should taste good eaten out of hand.

Julie Read More

Fig/Earl Grey Preserves

Posted on August 9, 2017 by JDL

Please read my page on preserving before attempting this recipe.

I used to limit my choice of fresh figs to the ones my Uncle grows in his back yard or those from a farmer who brings his locally grown figs, called “Chicago Hearty” to market in early September. My Uncle has several fig trees, all children of the fig tree that my Great Grandfather Ben Sala grew in his back yard in Chicago. Great Grandpa Ben grew his fig tree from a cutting he brought with him from Sicily when he immigrated to Chicago, Illinois in 1920. All of my uncles fig trees come from that tree that grew in my great grandpas back yard at Diversey and California. Lately, I’ve been able to find very nice Black Mission figs from California at our local Whole Foods or Trader Joe and they are making very good preserves. Make sure you taste one before you invest in making preserves. They should have some flavor although the flavor will intensify with cooking.

My family has a long standing love affair with Earl Grey tea. It’s one of my favorite teas to drink. My husbands favorite cake from his childhood was an Earl Grey pound cake from Dalloyau Patisserie in Paris. While they don’t make that pound cake anymore they do make an Earl Grey macaroon which my son loves. I created this preserve for the men in my life.

Julie

FIG/ EARL GREY PRESERVES

1000 grams fresh local figs
800 grams superfine sugar ( Depending on the sweetness of the figs you can reduce to 750 grams but don’t go below that or you’ll risk the integrity of the color and texture).
pinch of salt
60 grams fresh lemon juice ( save the rinds, seeds and membranes from the lemons for your pectin bag)
1 Tablespoon of premium Earl Grey tea. I use Earl Grey Royale from The Tea House that has real pieces of bergamot in the tea and not just oil.
You will also need:
A preserving pan
An unbleached, food grade muslin bag about 5″x7″.
six 6 oz glass jars with lug tops lined with Plastisol ( you will probably only get 5 but I always sterilize an extra one)
a 3 quart heat proof container
a piece of parchment paper cut to the size of the top of the 3 quart container
A heat proof measuring cup
a wood skewer
a lint free kitchen towel