Bourbon-Pecan Tart

Courtesy Bon Appétit | November 2009

* 1 12-inch round Pie Crust
* 3 large eggs
* 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
* 3/4 cup dark corn syrup
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
* 2 tablespoons bourbon
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups pecan halves or pieces

Place crust in 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom; press crust into pan. Trim overhang. Chill crust 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans. Bake until crust is set and pale golden, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake crust until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Place pan with crust on rimmed baking sheet.

Meanwhile, using electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar in medium bowl. Beat in corn syrup. Add butter, bourbon, vanilla, and salt; beat until blended. Stir in pecans.

Pour pecan filling into hot crust. Bake until center of filling is set, about 25 minutes. Cool tart on rack 1 hour; remove pan sides. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Rewarm slightly before serving, if desired.

A Day of Recipes – Apple Pear Crisp and Pork Chops

We headed to Nevermore Farm today to visit our CSA and see where our weekly food box comes from. They were having their yearly party for their boxholders and we signed up to bring cut up fruit. I creatively took that to include bringing a crisp and used a recipe I’d seen Ina Garten make on “Amy’s Cooking Show” (A’s name for “Barefoot Contessa”).

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/apple-and-pear-crisp-recipe/index.html

I used half as much sugar with the fruit as it called for, and it could honestly even go lower.

Apple and Pear Crisp
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time:55 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 8 servings

2 pounds ripe Bosc pears (4 pears) (I used Bosc and Asian)
2 pounds firm Macoun apples (6 apples) (I used Ladysomethings and some other baking apples from the CSA)
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar (I used half)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I didn’t use any)

For the topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Peel, core, and cut the pears and apples into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and add the zests, juices, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch oval baking dish. (I used a 9×13 rectangular.)

For the topping:
Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.

Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm.

After the various farm activities – chasing turkeys, picking pumpkins, looking at the gardens, eating fresh pomegranates) we headed home, stopping at Costco on the way home for various groceries and picked up some pork chops.

I put rice into the microwave (very complicated – #5 magic cook :)) and heated up a skillet with some oil. Once it was hot, I tossed in 3 chops seasoned with salt and pepper. Once they had browned on that side, I turned them over. I realized I had put too much oil in to do a good pan sauce, so once they were done, I put in a few tablespoons of flour and mixed in the oil and browned bits. Once it had cooked a minute or two, I slowly added a can of chicken broth, stirring constantly. Then I took out the recycling while it heated to a boil. 🙂 Served with aforementioned rice and some steamed yard-long green beans, cut to bite size.

Vanilla Sauce

Gourmet | November 2006

ingredients

1.5 – 2 cups milk (whole or % with cream)
4 large egg yolks (or 2 eggs)
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer

preparation

Bring milk with a pinch of salt to a simmer in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Whisk together yolks and sugar in a bowl until combined, then add hot milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Transfer custard to same saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats back of a spoon and thermometer registers 170 to 175°F. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and stir in vanilla. Cover surface of custard with a round of wax paper and chill until cold, at least 1 hour.

Apple-Raisin Bread Pudding

Bon Appétit | April 2001

yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

ingredients

2 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar (I used half, as indicated in comments)
4 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 slices crustless white bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups) (I used leftover whole wheat dinner rolls to make 4 cups)
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I used 2)
2/3 cup raisins
Additional ground cinnamon

Vanilla ice cream

preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 11×7-inch glass baking dish. Whisk first 6 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Fold in bread, apple, and raisins. Pour batter into prepared dish. Bake pudding 30 minutes. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon. Bake pudding until top is golden and center is set, about 35 minutes longer.

Spoon pudding into bowls. Top with vanilla ice cream and serve.

Key Lime Cheesecake

My sister’s favorite, from an old Usenet post.

3 8-oz pkgs cream cheese (room temp)
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup plus 3 Tbsp key lime juice
1/4 cup sour cream
zest of one regular lime
1 tsp vanilla
dash salt

Beat cream cheese until smooth and add sugar. Blend well and add eggs, one at a time – blend in sour cream, vanilla, and salt. Slow (at low speed) add key lime juice and blend until smooth. Add zest.

Pour onto prepared crust. (Either graham cracker or animal cracker crust – 1 cup cracker crumbs, 1 1/2 T melted butter, 1 T sugar. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes.

Wrap the cheesecake pan in a double layer of aluminum foil and put in larger shallow pan and add boiling water to a 1″ level in pan, being careful not to get any water in cheesecake.

Bake at 325 for an hour, turn the oven off and let it rest in the oven for another hour.

Remove from oven and cool for about 1 hours before refrigerating overnighe.

Giant Chocolate-Toffee Cookies

Bon Appétit | March 2000
Recommended by Robin, sent to her by her mom. Cookies are unbelievably amazing. SO good.

Terrific with cappuccino or ice-cold milk.
Makes about 18.

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
13/4 cups (packed) brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 1.4-ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars (such as Heath), coarsely chopped
1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; whisk to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool mixture to lukewarm.
Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, then toffee and nuts. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto sheets, spacing 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to touch, about 15 minutes. Cool on sheets. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Giant Espresso Chcolate Chip Cookie

Totally addictive! You won’t be able to walk by without breaking off a piece. To make a heart shape I print it off from the computer, place the printout under a sheet of parchment paper, and form the cookie on that. The less obsessive can feel free to wing it. Here’s the graphic.

It’s really more shortbread than traditional chocolate chip cookie, which is probably why it holds it shape so well.

The original recipe is from the Washington Post, circa 1990something.

Here is an ideal cookie to make and have on hand for nibbling with fresh berries, ice cream, or frozen yogurt, or just as good, freshly brewed coffee. To serve the cookie, present it whole and let each person break away his or her own piece.

1.5c (7 oz) flour
.25 tsp baking powder
.25 tsp salt
12 tbs (6 oz) butter
.25 cup brown sugar
2 tbs sugar
1 tbs instant espresso powder
2 tsp vanilla
.75 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray an 11″ removable-bottom tart pan with nonstick spray (or use parchment as per above.)

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

Cream the butter and sugars for 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the espresso powder and vanilla. Add the flour ingredients, beating just to combine. Stir in the chips.

Press the dough into the pan, or onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 35 minutes, or until set. Cool in the pan, on a rack, or carefully slide the parchment to a cooling rack.

The original recipe calls for a caramel-pecan topping, but I didn’t manage to clip out that part of the article. Use common sense, create your own!

I decorated with melted chocolate. Melt chips (semi-sweet or white) with a splash of oil in the microwave, then drizzle with a fork or from a ziplock or pastry bag.

Cappuccino Brownies

From the Gourmet cookbook. They take some time to make since they have to chill between layers, but they’re not difficult and well worth the time.

For brownies
4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder, dissolved in 1/2 tablespoon boiling
water
3/4 cup sugar (5.5 oz)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

For cream cheese frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted (2.75 oz)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For glaze
3 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 1/4 teaspoons instant espresso powder, dissolved in 1/2 tablespoon boiling water

Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan, knocking out excess flour.

Make brownie layer:
In a large bowl, microwave butter and chocolate for two minutes. Stir to melt chocolate. Cool mixture to lukewarm and whisk in sugar, espresso, and vanilla. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking well until mixture is glossy and smooth. Stir in flour and salt until just combined and stir in walnuts.

Spread batter evenly in pan and bake in middle of oven 22 to 25 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it. Cool brownie layer completely in pan on a rack.

Make cream cheese frosting:
In a bowl with an electric mixer beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon and beat until combined well. Spread frosting evenly over brownie layer. Chill brownies 1 hour, or until frosting is firm.

Make glaze:
In a small bowl, microwave chocolate, butter, cream and espresso mixture, for two minutes. Stir until smooth. Cool glaze to room temperature.

Spread glaze carefully over frosting. Chill brownies, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours.

Cut chilled brownies into squares and remove them from pan while still cold. Serve brownies at room temperature. Brownies keep, covered and chilled, in one layer, 5 days.

Tiramisu Italiano

The original recipe (pictured) calls for cocoa powder on top, but my sister’s favorite is made with shaved chocolate. All I had was chips so we ground them in the food processor, and even that was superior to the cocoa, it had a much nicer mouth feel. Shaved would be even better!

7 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup sweet marsala, plus 2 tablespoons
8 ounces mascarpone, softened to room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup brewed espresso coffee
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate
1/4 cup coffee liquor
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
48 ladyfingers
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, shaved.

Cream together egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Add 1/3 cup of the marsala and continue to whisk (or beat with a hand-held mixer) until mixture is thick and doubled in volume. This is basically a zabaglione. Remove from heat. Stir in the mascarpone until completely blended.

In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture, to lighten.

In a small saucepan, combine espresso, chocolate, coffee liquor, vanilla, and remaining 2 tablespoons marsala. Heat gently, and stir to dissolve the chocolate. Then, chill the mixture to cool it down, about 15 minutes. Arrange 24 ladyfingers in a single layer on a 9 by 13-inch glass baking pan. Brush with 1/3 of the chilled coffee mixture. Spread 1/2 the mascarpone cream evenly with a spatula on top of the dipped ladyfingers. Repeat with a second layer of ladyfingers, remaining 2/3 coffee mixture (the extra will drip down to the bottom layer–an even split causes the bottom layer to be over-soaked) and remaining mascarpone cream. Sprinkle top with shaved chocolate. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Outrageous Brownies

Copyright 1999, The Barefoot Contessa CookbookThis was adapted from a recipe for chocolate globs in the Soho Charcuterie Cookbook.
Show: Food Network Specials
Episode: All Star Desserts

(half recipe amounts in parenthesis)

1 pound unsalted butter (8 oz)
2 pounds plus 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips, divided (1 lb, 1 oz)
7 eggs (3 + 1 yolk)
3 tablespoons instant coffee powder (1.5 Tbs)
2 tablespoons real vanilla extract (1 Tbs)
2 1/4 cups sugar, 1 lb (8 oz)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 6.5 oz (3.25 oz)
1 tablespoon baking powder (.5 tbs)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (.5 tsp)
3 cups diced walnut pieces (1.5 c)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan or two 9×13 cake pans.

Melt together the butter and 1 pound 6 oz (11 oz) chocolate chips in microwave. Cool slightly. Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 (6(ounces of chocolate chips with 1/4 cup flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Do not over-bake! Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares.