Some years ago, when my son, Ela, was home from college for the summer, he told me one day that Linda, a neighbor of his dad's with a reputation as a good cook, had challenged me to a dessert bake-off. I'm not sure that that's exactly how it was. I suspect that Ela had simultaneously told Linda that I had challenged her. Surely the wily boy anticipated that both Linda and I, spurred by the spirit of competition, would spend the summer baking desserts and trying new recipes—and seeking the opinions of a willing taste tester.
We decided on five categories: a pecan pie, a fruit pie, a cake, a cheesecake, and an exotic. From then on, the summer was counted in dessert trials—banana sour-cream pie, Albanian walnut cake, Westhaven cake, leche flan, Moroccan date cake.
"Your mocha pecan pie is awfully good," Ela would say, and then add cunningly, "but boy, that pecan pie de luxe that Linda made yesterday!" and I was back into the cookbooks for new recipes: black bottom pie, cappuccino cheesecake, marshmallow-fudge brownies, peach tatin, lemon-blueberry custard soufflé.
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| Albanian walnut cake |
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| Banana sour-cream pie |
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| Mocha pecan pie |
"Your mocha pecan pie is awfully good," Ela would say, and then add cunningly, "but boy, that pecan pie de luxe that Linda made yesterday!" and I was back into the cookbooks for new recipes: black bottom pie, cappuccino cheesecake, marshmallow-fudge brownies, peach tatin, lemon-blueberry custard soufflé.
The morning of the bake-off I was in the kitchen by dawn. My sister Sharon, visiting from Georgia and enthusiastically participatory in the spirit of the competition, sat at my desk creating prizes and making calligraphy identification placards for each entry. Meanwhile, the kitchen was turning into a barely contained chaos of pecans shelled, limes squeezed, orange peels zested, ginger grated, and flour, sugar, eggs, milk, honey, and butter whipped, beaten, blended, folded, and stirred. The house contained culinary aromas like a gallery of tangible olfactory objects: long, wavering fingers of acidic orange peels; light prickles of spicy ginger; warm, homey clouds of baked pie crust.
Around midday Ela arrived from his dad's and jumped in to help. Linda's daughter, Sunshine, who had come with him, offered assistance, too, but Sharon said, "Don't trust her; she's a spy."
Just when the frenzy of cooking had eased enough for me to concentrate on the decorative details, I discovered disaster: the cat had helped herself to the topping of the sour cream orange cake cooling on the back porch. Sharon tried to reduce my panic by suggesting we could save it by shoving the topping around a bit, but nothing would satisfy me except that I make another whole cake, and so I did.
Next week: Carberry Creek Dessert Bake-off, Part 2
Recipes from this post:
Mocha pecan pie
Banana sour-cream pie
Black-bottom banana cream pie
Albanian walnut cake with lemon glaze
Moroccan date cake
Sour cream orange cake
Cappuccino cheesecake
Lemon-blueberry custard soufflé
MOCHA PECAN PIE
1 9-inch pie
The crust
Ingredients
1/3 cup butter
1 cup unbleached white flour
3 tablespoons ice water (more or less)
To make
Cut the butter into the flour with two knives, a pastry cutter, or your fingertips until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add the ice water and combine until it forms into a ball. Chill at least one hour. Roll the dough and place into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim and crimp the edges.
The filling
Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
4 tablespoons coffee liqueur (or brewed strong black coffee)
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons unbleached white flour
3 large eggs
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup toasted pecans
Preparation
Brew the coffee, if that's what you're using. Toast and chop the pecans. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
To make
If you have electricity in your kitchen, purée everything except the pecans in a blender or mixer until smooth. If you don't have a blender, melt the chocolate chips and butter on very low heat. Cool the mixture and beat it with the other ingredients except the pecans. Now pour the filling over the pecans in a bowl and stir to coat the nuts. Pour the filling into the unbaked 9-inch pie shell. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes or until the filling is set but still moist.
To serve
Cut the pie only when it has cooled completely. Add a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream to each serving.
BANANA SOUR-CREAM PIE
1 9-inch pie
The crust
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
Preparation
Crush the graham crackers with a rolling pin between sheets of waxed paper to make 1 1/2 cups. Melt the butter with the honey. Finely chop the almonds. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
To make
Mix all ingredients together. Press into a 9-inch pie pan, building up the sides. Brown in an oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool completely.
The filling
Ingredients
12 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup honey
1 large, ripe banana
1 lemon or lime, for juice
Preparation
Mash the banana to a pulp. Juice the lemon or lime to yield 2 tablespoons.
To make
Beat everything together. Beat well. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and chill at least 3 hours.
To finish
Ingredients
The pie
1-2 bananas
1 lemon
To make
Slice the bananas. Juice the lemon and brush the banana slices with the juice. Decorate the top of the pie with the banana slices.
BLACK-BOTTOM BANANA CREAM PIE
serves 8
Crust
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 ounces semisweet chocolate
About 7 ounces chocolate wafer cookies
Preparation
Chop the chocolate. Crush the chocolate wafer cookies with a rolling pin between two sheets of waxed paper to yield 1 1/2 cups crumbs. Butter a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie dish.
To make
Stir the butter and chocolate in a heavy small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the cookie crumbs. Stir to blend. Press the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie dish. Chill well, about 30 minutes.
Chocolate ganache
Ingredients
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
Chop the chocolate.
To make
Put the cream and butter in a pan over medium heat and heat till hot. (Do not boil.) Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate and vanilla. Whisk till smooth. Put 2 tablespoons of the ganache in a small bowl and leave at room temperature. Pour the rest over the crust. Chill the crust till the chocolate ganache becomes firm, about 30 minutes.
Vanilla pastry cream
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
To make
Bring the half-and-half to a simmer. Whisk the sugar, eggs, egg yolk, and flour to blend in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the hot half-and-half. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Whisk over medium heat till the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. Boil 1 minute. Pour into a bowl and add the vanilla. Press plastic onto the surface of the pastry cream to keep a skin from forming. Cover the dish and chill well, about 4 hours.
The pie
Ingredients
Black-bottom crust with chocolate ganache
3 ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons chocolate ganache (reserved from above)
Vanilla pastry cream
Preparation
Slice the bananas thinly.
To make
Arrange the banana slices over the ganache. Take the vanilla pastry cream from the refrigerator and whisk it very smooth. Spread it evenly over the bananas. Drizzle the remaining chocolate ganache over the vanilla pastry cream. Then draw a toothpick through it to create a marbled pattern. Refrigerate at least 3 hours for the pasty cream to set.
Vanilla whipped cream
Ingredients
1 cup chilled whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
To make
Beat all the ingredients in a large bowl until stiff peaks form.
To finish
Ingredients
The pie
Vanilla whipped cream
1 banana
Preparation
Slice the banana.
To finish
Spoon the vanilla whipped cream in large swirls around the edge of the pie. You could also use a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Complete the pie by garnishing it with the banana slices.
ALBANIAN WALNUT CAKE WITH LEMON GLAZE
12-15 servings
The cake
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 cups unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 cup walnuts
Preparation
Butter and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan. Have the butter at room temperature. Beat the eggs slightly. Blend the yogurt and buttermilk. Sift together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon). Grate the lemon rind to yield 1 tablespoon. Toast and chop the walnuts. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
To make
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs. To this mixture add the yogurt mixture alternately with the sifted dry ingredients, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in the lemon rind and walnuts. Pour the batter in a 9x13-inch baking pan and bake at 350º for 30-40 minutes. The cake should be moist when it is done, but a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
The glaze
Ingredients
3/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 lemon, for juice
1 cinnamon stick (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Dash of ground cloves
Preparation
Squeeze the lemon to yield 1/4 cup juice.
To make
Simmer all ingredients, covered, for about 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick.
To assemble
When the cake comes out of the oven, pour the glaze over the hot cake and return it to the turned-off oven for about 10 minutes. Serve the cake warm or cool. Whipped cream or ice cream is a nice accompaniment.
MOROCCAN DATE CAKE
8-10 servings
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/4-1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground coves
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup walnuts
Whipping cream
Preparation
Chop the dates and the walnuts. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
To make
Cream together the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Combine the dry ingredients and add them to the egg mixture, beating well. Mix in the milk and the vanilla. Beat well again. Add the dates and nuts and stir well to blend. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until done. Serve with whipped cream.
SOUR CREAM ORANGE CAKE
Serves 10
Ingredients
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups butter
1 cup sugar
1 lemon
1 orange
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups unbleached white flour
1 1/2 cups sour cream
Preparation
Grate the lemon and the orange rinds. Separate the eggs and keep at room temperature. Sift together the dry ingredients. Butter and flour a large tube or bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To make
Beat egg whites till stiff. Set aside. Cream the butter. Add the sugar and continue creaming. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the citrus rinds and mix well. Fold dry ingredients into batter alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in the egg whites. Turn into prepared pan. Bake 60 minutes at 350º or until brown and pulling away from the sides of the pan. Cool.
The syrup
Ingredients
1 orange
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1/4 cup sugar
1 lemon
Preparation
Juice the orange to make 1/2 cup and the lemon to make 2 tablespoons.
To make
Bring all ingredients to a boil in a saucepan. Lower heat and cook 3-4 minutes.
The finished cake
Slowly pour hot syrup over cooled cake. Let stand 10 minutes. Top with a bright yellow marigold.
CAPPUCCINO CHEESECAKE
12 servings
Ingredients
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
9 egg yolks
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1 lemon for juice and peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Preparation
Have the butter and cream cheese softened. Crush graham crackers with a rolling pin to make 1/2 cup of very fine crumbs. Squeeze the lemon to yield 1 teaspoon juice. Finely grate or zest the lemon rind to yield 1/4 teaspoon peel. Dissolve the espresso powder in the cream. Melt the chocolate chips and toast the almond slices. Butter and flour a 10-inch springform pan. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
To make
Sprinkle the bottom of the prepared springform pan with the graham cracker crumbs. Combine the egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, salt, and lemon peel in a medium bowl. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the espresso powder and beat until it is well incorporated. Stir in melted chocolate and almonds. Combine the cream cheese, butter, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, sour cream, and flour in a larger bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the egg mixture to the cream cheese mixture, stirring constantly until just blended. Do not overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. It should come to within 3/4 inch of the rim. Set the pan in a baking dish and add enough warm water to come three-quarters of the way up the sides of the pan. Bake at 325º for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until set. Remove the baking pan from the water, and let the cheesecake cool completely before removing the springform. Refrigerate the cake for 24 hours. Remove it from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.
LEMON-BLUEBERRY CUSTARD SOUFFLÉ
serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup blueberries
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 lemon
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup light cream
Pinch of salt
Confectioner's sugar
Preparation
Separate the eggs. Squeeze the lemon to yield 1/4 cup juice, and zest or grate its rind to yield 1 tablespoon grated rind. Butter well your prettiest baking dish that has a 3 1/2-to-4-cup capacity and is about 1 1/2 inches deep. (Or prepare four individual 6-ounce soufflé dishes.) Set the prepared dish or dishes into a larger pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
To make
Spread the blueberries in the bottom of the prepared dish or dishes. Beat the egg yolks till light. Beat in the sugar and butter util the mixture is creamy and smooth. Beat in the lemon juice, grated rind, and flour. Whisk in the cream. Beat the egg whites with the salt until they are stiff but not dry. Fold them into the egg yolk mixture and pour the batter evenly over the blueberries. Pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the dish or dishes. Place the pan with its soufflés into the oven and bake about 40 minutes, when the top should be puffed and golden brown. Remove the custard soufflés from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature. Dust them with confectioner's sugar before serving.
Recipes from this post:
Mocha pecan pie
Banana sour-cream pie
Black-bottom banana cream pie
Albanian walnut cake with lemon glaze
Moroccan date cake
Sour cream orange cake
Cappuccino cheesecake
Lemon-blueberry custard soufflé
MOCHA PECAN PIE
1 9-inch pie
Ingredients
1/3 cup butter
1 cup unbleached white flour
3 tablespoons ice water (more or less)
To make
Cut the butter into the flour with two knives, a pastry cutter, or your fingertips until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add the ice water and combine until it forms into a ball. Chill at least one hour. Roll the dough and place into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim and crimp the edges.
The filling
Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
4 tablespoons coffee liqueur (or brewed strong black coffee)
4 tablespoons unbleached white flour
3 large eggs
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup toasted pecans
Preparation
Brew the coffee, if that's what you're using. Toast and chop the pecans. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
To make
If you have electricity in your kitchen, purée everything except the pecans in a blender or mixer until smooth. If you don't have a blender, melt the chocolate chips and butter on very low heat. Cool the mixture and beat it with the other ingredients except the pecans. Now pour the filling over the pecans in a bowl and stir to coat the nuts. Pour the filling into the unbaked 9-inch pie shell. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes or until the filling is set but still moist.
To serve
Cut the pie only when it has cooled completely. Add a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream to each serving.
BANANA SOUR-CREAM PIE
1 9-inch pie
The crust
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
Preparation
Crush the graham crackers with a rolling pin between sheets of waxed paper to make 1 1/2 cups. Melt the butter with the honey. Finely chop the almonds. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
To make
Mix all ingredients together. Press into a 9-inch pie pan, building up the sides. Brown in an oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool completely.
The filling
Ingredients
12 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup honey
1 large, ripe banana
1 lemon or lime, for juice
Preparation
Mash the banana to a pulp. Juice the lemon or lime to yield 2 tablespoons.
To make
Beat everything together. Beat well. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and chill at least 3 hours.
To finish
Ingredients
The pie
1-2 bananas
1 lemon
To make
Slice the bananas. Juice the lemon and brush the banana slices with the juice. Decorate the top of the pie with the banana slices.
BLACK-BOTTOM BANANA CREAM PIE
serves 8
Crust
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 ounces semisweet chocolate
About 7 ounces chocolate wafer cookies
Preparation
Chop the chocolate. Crush the chocolate wafer cookies with a rolling pin between two sheets of waxed paper to yield 1 1/2 cups crumbs. Butter a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie dish.
To make
Stir the butter and chocolate in a heavy small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the cookie crumbs. Stir to blend. Press the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie dish. Chill well, about 30 minutes.
Chocolate ganache
Ingredients
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
Chop the chocolate.
To make
Put the cream and butter in a pan over medium heat and heat till hot. (Do not boil.) Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate and vanilla. Whisk till smooth. Put 2 tablespoons of the ganache in a small bowl and leave at room temperature. Pour the rest over the crust. Chill the crust till the chocolate ganache becomes firm, about 30 minutes.
Vanilla pastry cream
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
To make
Bring the half-and-half to a simmer. Whisk the sugar, eggs, egg yolk, and flour to blend in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the hot half-and-half. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Whisk over medium heat till the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. Boil 1 minute. Pour into a bowl and add the vanilla. Press plastic onto the surface of the pastry cream to keep a skin from forming. Cover the dish and chill well, about 4 hours.
The pie
Ingredients
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Black-bottom crust with chocolate ganache
3 ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons chocolate ganache (reserved from above)
Vanilla pastry cream
Preparation
Slice the bananas thinly.
To make
Arrange the banana slices over the ganache. Take the vanilla pastry cream from the refrigerator and whisk it very smooth. Spread it evenly over the bananas. Drizzle the remaining chocolate ganache over the vanilla pastry cream. Then draw a toothpick through it to create a marbled pattern. Refrigerate at least 3 hours for the pasty cream to set.
Vanilla whipped cream
Ingredients
1 cup chilled whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
To make
Beat all the ingredients in a large bowl until stiff peaks form.
To finish
Ingredients
Vanilla whipped cream
1 banana
Preparation
Slice the banana.
To finish
Spoon the vanilla whipped cream in large swirls around the edge of the pie. You could also use a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Complete the pie by garnishing it with the banana slices.
ALBANIAN WALNUT CAKE WITH LEMON GLAZE
12-15 servings
The cake
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 cups unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 cup walnuts
Preparation
Butter and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan. Have the butter at room temperature. Beat the eggs slightly. Blend the yogurt and buttermilk. Sift together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon). Grate the lemon rind to yield 1 tablespoon. Toast and chop the walnuts. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
To make
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs. To this mixture add the yogurt mixture alternately with the sifted dry ingredients, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in the lemon rind and walnuts. Pour the batter in a 9x13-inch baking pan and bake at 350º for 30-40 minutes. The cake should be moist when it is done, but a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
The glaze
Ingredients
3/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 lemon, for juice
1 cinnamon stick (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Dash of ground cloves
Preparation
Squeeze the lemon to yield 1/4 cup juice.
To make
Simmer all ingredients, covered, for about 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick.
To assemble
When the cake comes out of the oven, pour the glaze over the hot cake and return it to the turned-off oven for about 10 minutes. Serve the cake warm or cool. Whipped cream or ice cream is a nice accompaniment.
MOROCCAN DATE CAKE
8-10 servings
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
4 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground coves
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup walnuts
Whipping cream
Preparation
Chop the dates and the walnuts. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
To make
Cream together the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Combine the dry ingredients and add them to the egg mixture, beating well. Mix in the milk and the vanilla. Beat well again. Add the dates and nuts and stir well to blend. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until done. Serve with whipped cream.
SOUR CREAM ORANGE CAKE
Serves 10
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| Cake made, beautifully, by Justine May |
Ingredients
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups butter
1 cup sugar
1 lemon
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups unbleached white flour
1 1/2 cups sour cream
Preparation
Grate the lemon and the orange rinds. Separate the eggs and keep at room temperature. Sift together the dry ingredients. Butter and flour a large tube or bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To make
Beat egg whites till stiff. Set aside. Cream the butter. Add the sugar and continue creaming. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the citrus rinds and mix well. Fold dry ingredients into batter alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in the egg whites. Turn into prepared pan. Bake 60 minutes at 350º or until brown and pulling away from the sides of the pan. Cool.
The syrup
Ingredients
1 orange
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1/4 cup sugar
1 lemon
Preparation
Juice the orange to make 1/2 cup and the lemon to make 2 tablespoons.
To make
Bring all ingredients to a boil in a saucepan. Lower heat and cook 3-4 minutes.
The finished cake
Slowly pour hot syrup over cooled cake. Let stand 10 minutes. Top with a bright yellow marigold.
CAPPUCCINO CHEESECAKE
12 servings
Ingredients
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
9 egg yolks
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1 lemon for juice and peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Preparation
Have the butter and cream cheese softened. Crush graham crackers with a rolling pin to make 1/2 cup of very fine crumbs. Squeeze the lemon to yield 1 teaspoon juice. Finely grate or zest the lemon rind to yield 1/4 teaspoon peel. Dissolve the espresso powder in the cream. Melt the chocolate chips and toast the almond slices. Butter and flour a 10-inch springform pan. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
To make
Sprinkle the bottom of the prepared springform pan with the graham cracker crumbs. Combine the egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, salt, and lemon peel in a medium bowl. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the espresso powder and beat until it is well incorporated. Stir in melted chocolate and almonds. Combine the cream cheese, butter, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, sour cream, and flour in a larger bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the egg mixture to the cream cheese mixture, stirring constantly until just blended. Do not overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. It should come to within 3/4 inch of the rim. Set the pan in a baking dish and add enough warm water to come three-quarters of the way up the sides of the pan. Bake at 325º for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until set. Remove the baking pan from the water, and let the cheesecake cool completely before removing the springform. Refrigerate the cake for 24 hours. Remove it from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.
LEMON-BLUEBERRY CUSTARD SOUFFLÉ
serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup blueberries
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 lemon
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup light cream
Pinch of salt
Confectioner's sugar
Preparation
Separate the eggs. Squeeze the lemon to yield 1/4 cup juice, and zest or grate its rind to yield 1 tablespoon grated rind. Butter well your prettiest baking dish that has a 3 1/2-to-4-cup capacity and is about 1 1/2 inches deep. (Or prepare four individual 6-ounce soufflé dishes.) Set the prepared dish or dishes into a larger pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
To make
Spread the blueberries in the bottom of the prepared dish or dishes. Beat the egg yolks till light. Beat in the sugar and butter util the mixture is creamy and smooth. Beat in the lemon juice, grated rind, and flour. Whisk in the cream. Beat the egg whites with the salt until they are stiff but not dry. Fold them into the egg yolk mixture and pour the batter evenly over the blueberries. Pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the dish or dishes. Place the pan with its soufflés into the oven and bake about 40 minutes, when the top should be puffed and golden brown. Remove the custard soufflés from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature. Dust them with confectioner's sugar before serving.
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