White Chocolate Bread Pudding

This extremely rich dessert came to be because a.) I needed something to take to Thanksgiving in Brooklyn. b.) My parents had sent me a ton of Jacques Torres white chocolate for Halloween and I needed for it to stop tempting me. c.) Bread Pudding is freaking delicious and the addition of white chocolate could only make it better! I have the luxury of working at a bakery and being able to basically "borrow" as much brioche as I "need." If you do not have access to brioche try using challah or a plain old french white loaf. This bread does not need to be fresh. The concept of bread pudding was born out of a recycling "waste not want not" mentality. You have stale hard crusty bread? Don't throw it away. Make bread crumbs, panzanella, put it in soup or even better, make bread pudding! I love white chocolate and raspberries and thus, wanted to make a little raspberry sauce to accompany the bread pudding. It also give adds a little color to the plate.

I used a recipe I found from Food & Wine online, however it is actually from a restaurant called the Palace Cafe in New Orleans.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/white-chocolate-bread-pudding

I had used a ring mold from work that is really easy to work with. It's just a metal ring. You simply cover one opening and up the sides in foil to make your "pan." Before I put my bread pudding mixture in though, I wanted to make a caramel sauce for the top of the pudding. In a sauce pan heat 3/4 cup of sugar and a little water, enough to just dissolve the sugar. When it turns a golden brown color add a little butter and stir fast! Caramel will go from perfect to ruined in about 20 seconds. Coat the bottom of the ring mold (the foil part) with the caramel. Just spray the sides with Pam spray and fill it up with the bread pudding. Once the bread pudding is done and cooled, if you have a ring mold, just flip the pudding over like an upside-down cake and take off the mold and foil.

I actually did not make the white chocolate sauce to go with it, but I might try that next time. Instead, I made a raspberry sauce out of good raspberry preserves and water. Put a 2:1 ratio of raspberry preserves to water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and strain the seeds out. Add a few fresh raspberries to the hot sauce and on top of the cooled bread pudding for color.

Apple Tarts

Nothing puts someone more in the fall mood than making apple tarts. These are super simple to make and yield a lot (that's a technical term.) The motivation to make these came from my desire to put my cute mini tart pans to good use. However, you don't have to use mini pans. A large tart can be very impressive as well. Whatever pan you decide to use make sure you are using something with a removable bottom. You want to show your creation off after all. Also, make sure you are using a more tart apple when making this. I used Granny Smith apples and while my taste testers thought they were very good I found them a bit too tart. I think I might try a Fuji apple next time, but use whatever apple is your favorite and which is also in season. I loved making the apple sauce for the tart. I had no idea how simple it was.**See fast and easy recipe at the bottom of the page to use up the rest of any leftover applesauce** Adding extra flavorings to it lessens the tartness of the apples. I also decided to try a new tart dough recipe. It's basically like a shortbread cookie. Make double of this and freeze half if you think you might want to make tarts for the holidays. It's very versatile and you can  make just about any type of tart with it.

Pate Sucree (Sugar tart dough)
Williams Sonoma: Essentials of Baking

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp. heavy cream

By Hand: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, confectioners sugar and salt. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture and toss with you fingers of a fork to coat with the flour. Using two knives, cut in the butter until the mixture forms large, coarse crumbs the size of large peas. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks with the fork, then stir in the cream until blended. Drizzle the egg mixture over the flour mixture and stir with the fork until the dough is evenly moist and comes together in a smooth mass.

Apple Tart
Julia Child- Mastering the Art of French Cooking

4 lbs. firm cooking apples (Golden Delicious- I used Granny Smith, but they were very tart)
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 Tb granulated sugar
1/3 cup apricot preserves, forced through a sieve
1/4 cup Calvados, rum, or cognac; or 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp. butter

Optional: 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and/or the grated rind of 1 lemon or orange

Quarter, core, and peel the apples. Cut enought to make 3 cups into even 1/8- inch lengthwise slices and toss them in a bowl witht hte lemon juice and sugar. Reserve them for the top of the tart.

Cut the rest of the apples into rough slices. You should have about 8 cups. Place in the pan and cook, covered, over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Then beat in the remaining  ingredients. Raise heat and boil, stirring until applesauce is thick enough to hold in a mass in the spoon.

Spread the applesauce in the pastry shells. Cover with a neat, closely overlapping layer of sliced apples.

**Apple Butter Recipe**

2 cups leftover applesauce
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice

Combine all of the above in a sauce pan and simmer until the liquid has reduced and been absorbed into the applesauce. It should be a deep reddish brown color. If you would like it more smooth just put it inside the food processor for a few seconds. You can either can it (it would make a great gift) or just put it inside a tupperware. It will of course spoil faster inside of a tupperware.

Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Ricotta

I know I know... this is not pastry, but it is fried and I got to get some field practice in foraging! While going apple and pumpkin picking with family in upstate New York we came across some pumpkin squash blossoms. While not the commonly used zucchini blossoms, we were still psyched to stuff and fry those babies up! Zach's aunt Heather, cousin Clementine and I foraged the pumpkin patch and stuffed as many squash blossoms into my purse as we could find. Heather found a great recipe online for the blossoms and she took me to the awesome Park Slope Co-op to get ingredients for dinner. The recipe we used came from epicurious.com. We used a ricotta cheese and mint mixture to stuff the blossoms. Stuffing the blossoms was a bit difficult. Be patient and treat them tenderly. They were a hit! I thought they looked and tasted great, but I think I may have just liked the fried cheese the most. Next time I would like to try zucchini squash blossoms as I've heard they have a more distinct flavor. 

Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Ricotta
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Squash-Blossoms-Stuffed-with-Ricotta-354966

For squash blossoms:

1 cup whole-milk ricotta (preferably fresh)
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup finely chopped mint
2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided
12 to 16 large zucchini squash blossoms
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup chilled seltzer or club soda
About 3 cups vegetable oil for frying

Prepare squash blossoms:

Stir together ricotta, yolk, mint, 1/3 cup parmesan, and 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Carefully open each blossom and fill with about 2 rounded teaspoon ricotta filling, gently twisting end of blossom to enclose filling. (You may have filling left over.)Whisk together flour, remaining 1/3 cup parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and seltzer in a small bowl. Heat 1/2 inch oil to 375°F in a 10-inch heavy skillet. Meanwhile, dip half of blossoms in batter to thinly coat. Fry coated blossoms, turning once, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes total. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain. Coat and fry remaining blossoms. (Return oil to 375°F between batches.) Season with salt. Serve with tomato sauce.

Clay's Honey Almond Pie

 Thanks to my good friend Clay, I was introduced to this magnificent recipe. His mom had made a variation of the pie for him before. Unfortunately, I was only motivated to make it for a farewell dinner party for him and his wonderful wife Ashley. We miss you tremendously! Clay made a delicious dinner of buffalo chicken sandwiches and the most insane macaroni and fontina cheese. While no one was actually able to save room for dessert, we're the sort of crowd that will make room where there may be none (we do live in New York after all). The recipe is super easy and has similar characteristics to a pecan pie. The nuts rise to the top, leaving a buttery honey goo beneath. Next time I think I would use a little less honey, as it is a very intense honey flavor. I love almond extract and probably used four times what it actually called for, but by all means alter to your own tastes.

Clay's Honey Almond Pie
http://www.grouprecipes.com/1291/honey-almond-pie.html

Yield: One 9-inch pie

3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup butter melted
1/4 cup honey
1/4 tsp. almond extract (I used a Tbsp.)
1 cup sliced almonds toasted

Using a whisk lightly beat eggs until just mixed. Stir in granulated sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, honey and 1/4 teaspoon of the almond extract. Mix well then stir in almonds. For the pie crust, you can use the same recipe I used for the Strawberry Tart, Pâte Sablée (Sugar Crust), or just use a store bought one. Pour the filling into pie crust and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Butter Pecan Custard Ice Cream

 
Warning: If you are on Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Atkins, or any other diet STOP reading now. If you are looking for a gluttonous, but moderately portioned scoop of bliss in a cone then please CONTINUE. This ice cream had great flavor! It was buttery, salty, sweet, crunchy and creamy. What else could you ask for in one dessert?  Of course, if you live in Indianapolis you should never attempt to make your own ice cream as you know it will never compare to Brics. However, if you live in other parts of the country and can't get there then this may be a fun and indulgent summer experiment to try. YOU DO NOT NEED AN ICE CREAM MAKER. I made this without one and while it may have been a little icy it was still delicious. Just ask Zach-Mo. He went out and bought us some cones in order to properly enjoy this classic summer treat.

Butter Pecan Custard Ice Cream
Gourmet's Best Desserts

Yield: Approximately 1 quart

3/4 cup chopped pecans
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup milk
2 cups well- chilled heavy cream
1/4 tsp. salt

In a skillet saute the pecans in 2 Tbsp. of butter for two minutes over moderately high heat. Stir until golden brown and fragrant. Transfer to paper towels to drain. In a mixer beat well the egg yolks, milk and sugar. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into another bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and add the remaining 2 Tbsp. butter. With the mixer beat the mixture for 7 to 10 minutes, or until thickened and double in volume. Set the bowl in a bowl of ice and cold water and with the mixer beat the mixture until cold. Beat in one cup of the cream, beating until the mixture is thickened and almost double in volume. Add the remaining 1 cup of cream and 1/4 tsp salt, beating, and beat for 30 seconds. Fold in the chopped pecans. Freeze.

The ice cream is very hard when you take it out of the freezer. Use a good ice cream scooper soaked in very hot water to work a good scoop out. Enjoy in a cone, dish or right out of your hands!

Strawberry Tart

This baby is my pride and joy! It was so impressive. I made this tart for a special dinner with my family and friends in Indiana. I had picked up the fresh strawberries with my mom from the farmers' market in Broad Ripple that morning. I used the complete recipe from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I know I know, this blog is starting to sound like a certain book and movie, but I promise to vary my recipe sources very soon! There were more components to this recipe than the desserts that I had made previously. Pastry cream and pastry dough are two fundamentals of french pastry. The first time can be a little scary, but now that I have one fairly successful attempt under my belt I will be more apt to put my own twist on it the second time around. I hope you enjoy this recipe and my beautiful pictures!

Tarte Aux Fraises (Strawberry Tart)

Julia Child- Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Pâte Sablée (Sugar Crust)

Yield: 9 to 10-inch shell

1⅓ cups flour

3 to 7 Tbsp.

1/8 tsp. double-action baking powder

7 Tbsp. fat: 5 Tbsp chilled butter and 2 Tbsp chilled vegetable shortening

1 egg beaten w/ 1 tsp water

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Place the flour, sugar, butter, vegetable shortening and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Rub the fat and dry ingredients together rapidly until it starts breaking into bits the size of oatmeal flakes. Blend in the egg and vanilla and knead the dough rapidly into a ball. Place the ball on a lightly floured surface and press the pastry down with the heel of your hand and smear out and away about 6 inches. This smearing technique blends the fat and flour. Note, the more sugar you have added to the dough the more sticky it will be. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in waxed paper and chill for several hours. 

After chilled, roll out the tart dough to fit the ring or tart pan you are using. Using a false bottomed pan, ring or spring form pan will make it much easier to remove the tart after baking. Press the pastry evenly into the side of the mold. Line the pastry with foil, pressing along the sides. Fill with beans and bake in the middle level of a preheated, 375-degree oven for 5 to 6 minutes until the dough is set. Remove the lining and prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork and bake 8 to 10 minutes more. The shell is done when it has browned slightly and has started to shrink away from the sides of the mold. Immediately remove the mold from the tart shell and slip onto a rack. Let cool. 

Helpful tip: Do not skip lining the pastry with foil. I know from personal experience it can be a messy task to pick the beans individually out of the sticky pastry.

Crème Patisserie (Pastry Cream)

Yield: 2½ cups

1 cup granulated sugar

5 egg yolks

1/2 cup flour

2 cups boiling milk

1 Tbsp. butter

2 to 3 Tbsp. kirsch or cognac (brandy in my case)

Gradually beat the sugar and egg yolks for 2 to 3 minutes with whisk until it is pale yellow and forms a dissolving "ribbon" when the whisk is drawn up from the mixture. Beat in the flour. While beating the yolk mixture, gradually pour on the boiling milk in a thin stream of droplets. Pour mixture into saucepan and set over moderately high heat. *This is the most sensitive part of the operation* Make sure to stir constantly with a whisk and reach all over the bottom of the pan. The custard will quickly scorch and brown on the bottom of the pan if not thorough in stirring. The sauce will be lumpy but some lumps will dissolve as you stir. When a boil is reached, beat over MODERATELY LOW heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and beat in the butter and kirsch or cognac. I actually used brandy and it was good, but I think I might just use vanilla beans added to boiling milk next time.

Helpful Tip: Strain the pastry cream through I fine mesh strainer. This will get rid of the lumps and will make your pastry cream very smooth. Also, if not using immediately place plastic wrap directly on the pastry cream, covering the entire surface and place in the refrigerator. This will prevent a skin from forming on top.

Currant Glaze

1 cup red currant jelly

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. kirsch or cognac (brandy in my case)
 

Boil all of the above in a small saucepan until a little sticky at room temperature or 228 degrees. 

Wash and hull the strawberries.

Now, it's time for all this hard work to pay off! With a pastry brush paint the interior of the cooled tart shell with the currant glaze. This will prevent the pastry cream from absorbing into the shell. After the glaze has dried fill the shell with the pastry cream and smooth the top. Next, top the cream with the strawberries, ends pointing up, or get creative. Finally, paint the top of the strawberries with the remaining glaze. This part really finishes everything off, creating a shiny coating for the strawberries. Ooh la la c'est magnifique!

Now that you have this basic recipe don't be afraid to play around. I think next time I might use raspberries or whatever fruit is in season. Cherries might be fun too w/ a little almond extract added to the pastry cream. Yummmm!!!