When we arrived with the five desserts at Ela's dad's and stepmother's home on Carberry Creek, where the contest was held, I, like Linda, was given a red hollyhock to wear. I pinned mine in the bosom of my white dress, Linda hers in her dark hair. Our desserts lay beautifully displayed on a white cloth down the center of the long tables set up in the yard.
Strawberries encircled my ginger brandy cheesecake; chocolate shavings dewed the whipped cream topping of my zuppa inglese; and a bright yellow marigold topped the new sour cream orange cake. Pinwheels of peach slices decorated Linda's peach pie; her eclairs swirled with chocolate; and purple pansies blossomed on the white icing of her lemon meringue cake. A large bouquet of flowers from Tracy's garden sat at one end of the table. Everything shone in late summer's evening light.
The guests—and judges—for the bake-off were the Carberry Creek neighbors, about twenty people, half of whom, my sister Sharon noted worriedly, were related to Linda. If family loyalty counted, I, flanked only by my son and my sister, was doomed.
 |
| This is I, with my desserts |
 |
| Linda, with her desserts |
Ela announced the rules. We would work by categories, he said. Linda and I would serve our respective desserts, which everyone was to rate on a one-to-ten scale. Ela would distribute and gather the ballots. Then we would move to the next category.
It all sounded organized and simple, but the ensuing hours were a kaleidoscopic chaos of milling people and beautiful desserts cut and served. The eager judges jostled in line, reached across the table, bunched up, held their plates out, said, "I only want a little piece," turned away, took a bite, said, "Mmm. That's delicious! Can I have another piece?" Linda and I cut desserts, filled plates, wiped spatulas and knives clean of whipped cream and sugar frosting, cut more pies, served more cakes. Ela's dad roamed through the crowd with his coffee pot.
"Coffee? Can I offer you some coffee?"
"Time for Category 3, exotics."
"Diana's zuppa inglese has got to be a ten."
 |
| Zuppa inglese |
"Have you tried Linda's eclairs yet?"
"Yeah. They're a ten, too."
"Do I have all the ballots in?"
"Coffee? Coffee?"
At first people felt a competition between friends was unfair and the judging part of the evening just an excuse for the event, but as the evening wore on, they got more serious. Linda was nervous. She served her desserts, then sat at a distance on the lawn, smoking a cigarette. I was a little nervous, too, but I was having too much fun to care a whole lot.
"Coffee?"
"Do you have any more of that peach pie?"
"I think the glazed plum cheesecake is one notch better than the ginger brandy cheesecake."
"Well, I think the lime tart wins for overall best dessert."
"Coffee?"
Finally, the table was a shambles. Empty plates smeared with whipped cream and littered with bits of chocolate and strawberry stems spilled over tables and benches; crumpled napkins lay on plates and on the ground; half-empty coffee cups grew cold in the evening air; forks cluttered the table like pick-up sticks; and the desserts were little more than crumbs and end pieces. The crowd was subdued, sprawled in lawn chairs and on benches and steps, replete, sated, glutted, grinning.
Ela counted votes. In the end it looked like no one had paid much attention to who had made what, only to what they were eating, so the unfair advantage of Linda's large family was inconsequential. Hardly a point or two separated one dessert from another, and the winner kept looking like first one of us and then the other—until we got to the pecan pies. Linda's pecan pie scored higher than mine.
Actually, it was better than mine. (So much for baking with honey to be more healthful, I thought ruefully.) And so the big bouquet of flowers and the first prize went to Linda.
 |
| Linda's pecan pie winner |
I only cared for a brief minute. After all, a tie would have indicated that the judges weren't serious and would have rendered the prizes meaningless. We had all had an evening like no other, so Linda and I were both victors. And the following year, when Linda was dying of cancer, I was especially glad she had won the prestigious Carberry Creek Dessert Bake-off, which has gone down in the annals of history as one of the most magical evenings of all time.
 |
| My honey pecan pie |
Next week: "Eating Alone"
Recipes from this post:
Linda's desserts
Pecan pie winner
Linda's blueberry pie
Sour cream gingerbread cake
Company cheesecake
Exotic éclairs
My desserts
Honey pecan pie
Zuppa inglese
Ginger brandy cheesecake
Lime tart
(The recipe for my cake entry, sour cream orange cake, is in last week's post.)
LINDA'S PECAN PIE WINNER
1 9" pie
The crust
Ingredients
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
6-8 tablespoons ice water
To make
Sift the flours and mix in the salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter until it is mostly pea-sized. Add water and toss with your hands, as though you were tossing a salad. Add more water until the dough clings together. Knead lightly and refrigerator one hour.
The filling
Ingredients
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
12 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup buttyer
1 cup dark or light corn syrup
1 cup pecan halves or broken pecans
Preparation
Melt the butter or margarine. Break the pecans if necessary.
To make
Beat the eggs, sugar, salt, butter, and syrup with a rotary beater. Stir in the nuts.
To finish
1 egg, plus pie dough and filling
Preheat the oven to 375º.
Roll out the pie dough to make two crusts for a 9" pie pan. Put one in the bottom off a 9" pie pan and pour the batter into it. Cover with the other crust. Pinch edges well together. Beat egg and brush onto top crust. Cut slashes decoratively into top crust with a sharp knife. Bake at 375º for 40-50 minutes or until the filling is set.
LINDA'S BLUEBERRY PIE
1 8" or 9" pie
The crust (same as for pecan pie winner, above)
Ingredients
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
6-8 tablespoons ice water
To make
Sift the flours and mix in the salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter until it is mostly pea-sized. Add water and toss with your hands, as though you were tossing a salad. Add more water until the dough clings together. knead lightly and refrigerator one hour.
The filling
Ingredients
1/3 cup sugar (1/2 cup for a 9" pie)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (1/3 cup for a 9" pie)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
3 cups fresh blueberries (4 cups for a 9" pie)
1 teaspoon lemon juice (1 tablespoon for a 9" pie)
1 tablespoon butter (2 tablespoons for a 9" pie)
Preparation
Line an 8- or 9-inch pie pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 425º.
To make
Stir together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Mix in the berries. Roll out the dough in two circles to fit the pan. Place one circle of dough in pan. Turn the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the pie with lemon juice, dot it with butter, and cover it with the top crust. Seal the edges and flute them. With a sharp knife, cut some slits in the top crust for escaping steam. Cover the edge of the pie with a 2-3" piece of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Bake 35-45 minutes at 425º, removing the foil for the last fifteen minutes of baking. When the pie is done, the crust will be brown and juice will be beginning to bubble through the slits in the top crust. Brush with milk or egg to brighten the crust, if you like.
SOUR CREAM GINGERBREAD CAKE
serves 10
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cube butter (8 tablespoons)
12 cups (packed) light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tablespoon sugar (or less), for dusting the pan
Preparation
Leave the butter out to soften. Grease a 9" springform baking pan. Sprinkle it with sugar, then shake out the excess. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
To make
Mix together the flour and soda. In a large bowl cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the spices and salt to the butter and sugar and blend until fluffy. Blend in the molasses. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the sour cream alternately with the flour and soda, beating just until smooth each time. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 30º until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes.
Let the cake cool 10 minutes on a wire rack, then loosen the edges with a spatula and turn the cake onto the rack to cool further. Serve warm or cool.
Notes
This cake can be enlarged by splitting it horizontally in half and putting whipped cream between the layers. To make the gingerbread contest-pretty, place a paper doily on top of the cake and sprinkle confectioner's sugar generously over all. Lift the doily carefully off the cake to leave a lacy pattern. Or decorate with slices of orange, for instance, or in any imaginative way of your choice.
COMPANY CHEESECAKE
12 servings
The crust
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 16 crackers)
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter
Preparation
If you haven't bought packaged crumbs, crush the graham crackers into crumbs with a rolling pin between two sheets of waxed paper. Melt the butter. Preheat the oven too 350 degrees.
To make
Stir together the graham cracker crumbs and the sugar. Thoroughly mix in the butter. Press the crust evenly in the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes and then let cool.
The cheesecake
Ingredients
11 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
Preparation
Have the cream cheese at room temperature. Grate the lemon peel. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.
To make
Beat the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating till fluffy. Add the grated lemon peel and the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well each time. Pour the batter over the baked pie shell. Bake 1 hour or until the center no longer wobbles.
To finish
Ingredients
1 cup sour cream
The baked cheesecake
Cool the cake to room temperature before spreading it with sour cream. Top with a lattice of melted chocolate or broken peppermints or your choice of fruit or flowers or ….
EXOTIC ECLAIRS
12 éclairs
Cream puffs
Ingredients
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
Preparation
Crack the eggs into a bowl. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
To make
Bring the water and butter to a rolling boil in a small heavy saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat to stir in the flour, then return it to the burner and stir vigorously over low heat for about 1 minute or until the mixture forms a ball. Remove the pan from the heat, and beat in the eggs all at one time, beating until the mixture is smooth. Shape the dough by 1/4 cupfuls into "fingers," 4 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the fingers 3 inches apart onto an uncreased baking sheet and bake 35-40 minutes or until the puffs are puffed (and golden). Cool them in an area free of drafts.
Vanilla cream pudding
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3-4 egg yolks or 2 eggs and 2 yolks
Preparation
Thoroughly beat the egg yolks or whole eggs and yolks
To make
Scald the milk with the vanilla bean. Beat the sugar, flour, and egg yolks until the mixture is light. Remove the vanilla bean from the scalded milk, and add the milk to the sugar mixture. Blend well, then cook, stirring constantly, until the custard begins to thicken. At that point, remove pot from the heat, continuing to stir to release the steam and prevent crusting. Cool the custard thoroughly.
Chocolate icing
Ingredients
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons hot water (more or less)
To make
Melt the chocolate and the butter together over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add the confectioner's sugar and the hot water. Beat the icing till it is smooth.
To finish
When the cream puffs are cool, cut them open and remove any stringy filaments of dough. Fill them with Vanilla Cream Pudding and ice them with warm Chocolate Icing. Keep the éclairs refrigerated until serving time.
HONEY PECAN PIE
1 9" Pie
Cream cheese pastry shell
Ingredients
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
ice water
Preparation
Have the butter and cream cheese softened.
To make
Blend the cream cheese and butter. Cut in the flour. Bind with ice water. Chill one hour.
The pie
Ingredients
6 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
3 eggs
dash salt
1 1/4 cups honey
1 cup pecans
1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell
Preparation
Beat the eggs lightly. Break the pecans into pieces. Preheat the oven to 325º.
To make
Cream butter and flour. Add eggs, a dash of salt, honey, and pecan slices.
To finish
Pour the batter into the pie shell. Top with unbroken pecan pieces. Bake at 325º for 50 minutes.
Note
This recipe really does make a good pie, and wonderful little pecan tarts when baked in muffin tins or tart shells.
My sister says this is her favorite no-sugar recipe, but ever since the Carberry Creek Dessert Bake-off, it hasn't been mine.
ZUPPA INGLESE
serves 12
Sponge layers
Ingredients
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2-3 tablespoons water
Preparation
Line 2 8-inch cake pans with wax paper and grease with butter, or butter 2 8-inch nonstick cake pans. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
To make
Beat egg whites till stiff. Add half of the sugar, gradually, beating all the while to keep the mixture at the glossy stiff-peak stage. Beat egg yolks till thick. Add the rest of the sugar to the yolks, gradually, beating till thick. Then add almond extract and water gradually while beating. Fold in the egg whites very carefully. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and, using 1/3 of this mixture at a time, sift it into the egg mixture and fold in carefully—very carefully—with a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon. Air is the only leavening in this cake, so don't lose any. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 18 minutes at 375 degrees.
Filling
Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups scalded milk
4 egg yolks
1/2-1 tablespoon rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons creme de cacao or cocoa powder
Preparation
Scald the milk.
To make
Mix sugar, flour, and salt in a double boiler. Add milk, gradually, stirring. Cook over simmering water while stirring (don't let the top pan touch the water) till the mixture is thick. Beat the egg yolks till blended. Gradually add part of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks while stirring; then return the milk to the double boiler and gradually pour the milk-warmed egg yolks into the milk, stirring all the while. Cook over simmering water, stirring constantly till quite thick. Cool and chill. When the custard is cold and thick, divide it into three parts. To one part add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon rum, to a second 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and to the third 2 tablespoons creme de cacao or cocoa powder. (Or substitute any flavorings.)
Assemblage
Ingredients
2 sponge cakes
3 bowls of flavored custard filling
To assemble
split the sponge cakes in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Put a bottom layer on a serving platter and spread with one of the flavored custards. Put a second layer of cake over that and cover with a second custard. Repeat with a third cake and the last custard. Put the last layer of cake on top.
Frosting
Ingredients
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons candied fruits
To finish
Whip the cream with the sugar and spoon over the entire cake. Decorate with candied fruits or other items.
GINGER BRANDY CHEESECAKE
12 servings
The crust
Ingredients
2 cups finely crumbled ginger snaps
5 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
Preparation
Crumble the ginger snaps. A rolling pin works well.
To make
Melt the butter and honey together. Mix well into the ginger snap crumbs. Press firmly into a springform pan.
The filling
Ingredients
12 ounces cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sour cream
4 large eggs
5 tablespoons honey
1-2 tablespoons good brandy
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
dash of salt
Preparation
Grate the ginger root.
To make
Beat the cream cheese till fluffy. Gradually add the sour cream, then the eggs, one at a time, beating well all the while. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat extremely well. Or just throw everything into a mixer and blend well all at once.
The cheesecake
Ingredients
Ginger snap crust pressed into springform pabn
Cream cheese filling
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350º
To bake
Pour filling into the crust and bake at 350º for 40-50 minutes or util a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean.
The glaze
Ingredients
1 orange (or enough to yield 3/4 cup juice)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons good brandy
1/4 teaspoon orange rind
Candied ginger and strawberries for decoration
Preparation
Juice the orange to yield 3/4 cup juice. Grate or zest the rind.
To finish
Whisk cornstarch with orange juice in a small saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Still whisking, add remaining ingredients and whisk smoothly. Pour over cooled cheesecake. Decorate with strips of candied ginger and a few strawberries.
Linda's desserts
Pecan pie winner
Linda's blueberry pie
Sour cream gingerbread cake
Company cheesecake
Exotic éclairs
My desserts
Honey pecan pie
Zuppa inglese
Ginger brandy cheesecake
Lime tart
(The recipe for my cake entry, sour cream orange cake, is in last week's post.)
LINDA'S PECAN PIE WINNER
1 9" pie
 |
| Linda's pecan pie winner |
The crust
Ingredients
1 cup unbleached white flour
2/3 cup shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
6-8 tablespoons ice water
To make
Sift the flours and mix in the salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter until it is mostly pea-sized. Add water and toss with your hands, as though you were tossing a salad. Add more water until the dough clings together. Knead lightly and refrigerator one hour.
The filling
Ingredients
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
12 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup buttyer
1 cup dark or light corn syrup
1 cup pecan halves or broken pecans
Preparation
Melt the butter or margarine. Break the pecans if necessary.
To make
Beat the eggs, sugar, salt, butter, and syrup with a rotary beater. Stir in the nuts.
To finish
1 egg, plus pie dough and filling
Preheat the oven to 375º.
Roll out the pie dough to make two crusts for a 9" pie pan. Put one in the bottom off a 9" pie pan and pour the batter into it. Cover with the other crust. Pinch edges well together. Beat egg and brush onto top crust. Cut slashes decoratively into top crust with a sharp knife. Bake at 375º for 40-50 minutes or until the filling is set.
LINDA'S BLUEBERRY PIE
1 8" or 9" pie
The crust (same as for pecan pie winner, above)
Ingredients
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
6-8 tablespoons ice water
To make
Sift the flours and mix in the salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter until it is mostly pea-sized. Add water and toss with your hands, as though you were tossing a salad. Add more water until the dough clings together. knead lightly and refrigerator one hour.
The filling
Ingredients
1/3 cup sugar (1/2 cup for a 9" pie)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (1/3 cup for a 9" pie)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
3 cups fresh blueberries (4 cups for a 9" pie)
1 teaspoon lemon juice (1 tablespoon for a 9" pie)
1 tablespoon butter (2 tablespoons for a 9" pie)
Preparation
Line an 8- or 9-inch pie pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 425º.
To make
Stir together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Mix in the berries. Roll out the dough in two circles to fit the pan. Place one circle of dough in pan. Turn the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the pie with lemon juice, dot it with butter, and cover it with the top crust. Seal the edges and flute them. With a sharp knife, cut some slits in the top crust for escaping steam. Cover the edge of the pie with a 2-3" piece of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Bake 35-45 minutes at 425º, removing the foil for the last fifteen minutes of baking. When the pie is done, the crust will be brown and juice will be beginning to bubble through the slits in the top crust. Brush with milk or egg to brighten the crust, if you like.
SOUR CREAM GINGERBREAD CAKE
serves 10
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cube butter (8 tablespoons)
12 cups (packed) light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tablespoon sugar (or less), for dusting the pan
Preparation
Leave the butter out to soften. Grease a 9" springform baking pan. Sprinkle it with sugar, then shake out the excess. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
To make
Mix together the flour and soda. In a large bowl cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the spices and salt to the butter and sugar and blend until fluffy. Blend in the molasses. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the sour cream alternately with the flour and soda, beating just until smooth each time. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 30º until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes.
Let the cake cool 10 minutes on a wire rack, then loosen the edges with a spatula and turn the cake onto the rack to cool further. Serve warm or cool.
Notes
This cake can be enlarged by splitting it horizontally in half and putting whipped cream between the layers. To make the gingerbread contest-pretty, place a paper doily on top of the cake and sprinkle confectioner's sugar generously over all. Lift the doily carefully off the cake to leave a lacy pattern. Or decorate with slices of orange, for instance, or in any imaginative way of your choice.
COMPANY CHEESECAKE
12 servings
The crust
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 16 crackers)
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter
Preparation
If you haven't bought packaged crumbs, crush the graham crackers into crumbs with a rolling pin between two sheets of waxed paper. Melt the butter. Preheat the oven too 350 degrees.
To make
Stir together the graham cracker crumbs and the sugar. Thoroughly mix in the butter. Press the crust evenly in the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes and then let cool.
The cheesecake
Ingredients
11 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
Preparation
Have the cream cheese at room temperature. Grate the lemon peel. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.
To make
Beat the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating till fluffy. Add the grated lemon peel and the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well each time. Pour the batter over the baked pie shell. Bake 1 hour or until the center no longer wobbles.
To finish
Ingredients
1 cup sour cream
The baked cheesecake
Cool the cake to room temperature before spreading it with sour cream. Top with a lattice of melted chocolate or broken peppermints or your choice of fruit or flowers or ….
EXOTIC ECLAIRS
12 éclairs
Cream puffs
Ingredients
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
Preparation
Crack the eggs into a bowl. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
To make
Bring the water and butter to a rolling boil in a small heavy saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat to stir in the flour, then return it to the burner and stir vigorously over low heat for about 1 minute or until the mixture forms a ball. Remove the pan from the heat, and beat in the eggs all at one time, beating until the mixture is smooth. Shape the dough by 1/4 cupfuls into "fingers," 4 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the fingers 3 inches apart onto an uncreased baking sheet and bake 35-40 minutes or until the puffs are puffed (and golden). Cool them in an area free of drafts.
Vanilla cream pudding
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3-4 egg yolks or 2 eggs and 2 yolks
Preparation
Thoroughly beat the egg yolks or whole eggs and yolks
To make
Scald the milk with the vanilla bean. Beat the sugar, flour, and egg yolks until the mixture is light. Remove the vanilla bean from the scalded milk, and add the milk to the sugar mixture. Blend well, then cook, stirring constantly, until the custard begins to thicken. At that point, remove pot from the heat, continuing to stir to release the steam and prevent crusting. Cool the custard thoroughly.
Chocolate icing
Ingredients
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons hot water (more or less)
To make
Melt the chocolate and the butter together over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add the confectioner's sugar and the hot water. Beat the icing till it is smooth.
To finish
When the cream puffs are cool, cut them open and remove any stringy filaments of dough. Fill them with Vanilla Cream Pudding and ice them with warm Chocolate Icing. Keep the éclairs refrigerated until serving time.
HONEY PECAN PIE
1 9" Pie
 |
| Honey pecan pie |
Cream cheese pastry shell
Ingredients
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
ice water
Preparation
Have the butter and cream cheese softened.
To make
Blend the cream cheese and butter. Cut in the flour. Bind with ice water. Chill one hour.
Ingredients
6 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
3 eggs
dash salt
1 1/4 cups honey
1 cup pecans
1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell
Preparation
Beat the eggs lightly. Break the pecans into pieces. Preheat the oven to 325º.
To make
Cream butter and flour. Add eggs, a dash of salt, honey, and pecan slices.
To finish
Pour the batter into the pie shell. Top with unbroken pecan pieces. Bake at 325º for 50 minutes.
This recipe really does make a good pie, and wonderful little pecan tarts when baked in muffin tins or tart shells.
 |
| Honey pecan pie with tart |
ZUPPA INGLESE
serves 12
Sponge layers
Ingredients
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2-3 tablespoons water
Preparation
Line 2 8-inch cake pans with wax paper and grease with butter, or butter 2 8-inch nonstick cake pans. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
To make
Beat egg whites till stiff. Add half of the sugar, gradually, beating all the while to keep the mixture at the glossy stiff-peak stage. Beat egg yolks till thick. Add the rest of the sugar to the yolks, gradually, beating till thick. Then add almond extract and water gradually while beating. Fold in the egg whites very carefully. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and, using 1/3 of this mixture at a time, sift it into the egg mixture and fold in carefully—very carefully—with a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon. Air is the only leavening in this cake, so don't lose any. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 18 minutes at 375 degrees.
Filling
Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups scalded milk
4 egg yolks
1/2-1 tablespoon rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons creme de cacao or cocoa powder
Preparation
Scald the milk.
To make
Mix sugar, flour, and salt in a double boiler. Add milk, gradually, stirring. Cook over simmering water while stirring (don't let the top pan touch the water) till the mixture is thick. Beat the egg yolks till blended. Gradually add part of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks while stirring; then return the milk to the double boiler and gradually pour the milk-warmed egg yolks into the milk, stirring all the while. Cook over simmering water, stirring constantly till quite thick. Cool and chill. When the custard is cold and thick, divide it into three parts. To one part add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon rum, to a second 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and to the third 2 tablespoons creme de cacao or cocoa powder. (Or substitute any flavorings.)
Assemblage
Ingredients
2 sponge cakes
3 bowls of flavored custard filling
To assemble
split the sponge cakes in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Put a bottom layer on a serving platter and spread with one of the flavored custards. Put a second layer of cake over that and cover with a second custard. Repeat with a third cake and the last custard. Put the last layer of cake on top.
Frosting
Ingredients
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons candied fruits
To finish
Whip the cream with the sugar and spoon over the entire cake. Decorate with candied fruits or other items.
GINGER BRANDY CHEESECAKE
12 servings
The crust
Ingredients
2 cups finely crumbled ginger snaps
5 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
Preparation
Crumble the ginger snaps. A rolling pin works well.
To make
Melt the butter and honey together. Mix well into the ginger snap crumbs. Press firmly into a springform pan.
The filling
Ingredients
12 ounces cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sour cream
4 large eggs
5 tablespoons honey
1-2 tablespoons good brandy
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
dash of salt
Preparation
Grate the ginger root.
To make
Beat the cream cheese till fluffy. Gradually add the sour cream, then the eggs, one at a time, beating well all the while. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat extremely well. Or just throw everything into a mixer and blend well all at once.
The cheesecake
Ingredients
Ginger snap crust pressed into springform pabn
Cream cheese filling
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350º
To bake
Pour filling into the crust and bake at 350º for 40-50 minutes or util a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean.
The glaze
Ingredients
1 orange (or enough to yield 3/4 cup juice)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons good brandy
1/4 teaspoon orange rind
Candied ginger and strawberries for decoration
Preparation
Juice the orange to yield 3/4 cup juice. Grate or zest the rind.
To finish
Whisk cornstarch with orange juice in a small saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Still whisking, add remaining ingredients and whisk smoothly. Pour over cooled cheesecake. Decorate with strips of candied ginger and a few strawberries.
LIME TART
serves 8
The pastry
Ingredients
7 tablespoons butter
1 1/3 cups unbleached white flour
pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
3-4 tablespoons very cold water
To make
Cut the butter into the flour and salt with a pastry cutter or two knives. (Or use a processor.) Mix in the vanilla and sugar, and then use just enough water to make the dough clump together. Press dough into a 9-inch springform pan, making it crawl up the sides. Chill.
The filling
Ingredients
4 limes
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
5 eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
Squeeze the limes to yield 1/2 cup fresh juice. Beat the eggs well. Preheat even to 425 degrees.
To make
Line the chilled crust with waxed paper or parchment paper and fill it with dried beans or pie weights. Bake at 425º for 15 minutes. Take the pie from the oven and remove the beans and the paper. Lower over temperature to 350º. Heat the lime juice, butter, and sugar over low heat until the butter melts. Pour the beaten eggs slowly into this mixture, whisking constantly. Continue to stir on low heat until the mixture thickens into a pudding. Stir in the vanilla extract. Pour this custard into the baked crust and bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes, until the custard is set.
To finish
Ingredients
The baked pie
1 banana
1 lime
unsweetened flaked or shredded coconut (optional) or whipped cream
Preparation
Slice the lime and the banana. Sprinkle the banana slices with lime or lemon juice to prevent browning.
Decoration
Decorate the edge of the pie with coconut or whipped cream, if desired. Garnish pie with circles of lime and banana. Chill.
No comments:
Post a Comment