Apricot, Blackberry, Basil, Hazelnut
caramelized apricot pudding
350 gr apricots
189 gr sugar
237 ml heavy cream
156 gr yolks
67 gr. cornstarch
1 vanilla bean
macerated blackberries
75 gr black berries
1 tbsp. sugar
1 lemon, juiced and zested
basil syrup
25 gr basil
80 gr water
80 gr sugar
hazelnut crunch
105 gr hazelnut
80 gr water
80 gr sugar
32 gr honey
50 gr frangelico
My oven not working has somehow sparked creativity and I managed to create my third dessert within 7 days. I have some Taylor’s Gold Pears snugged in my refrigerator from an organic farm called Frog Hollow Farm in Brentwood California, introduced to me by my chef. Frog Hollow Farm has the best stone fruits available and they are hard to get by retail. They list distributors that sell their product on their website, however, the closest one to my area is not close at all. They do ship and I’ve coughed up $50 for 5 wonderful pounds of Emerald Beaut Plums. A little pricey, but luckily I’m now able to buy them cheap, sans shipping and handling costs, from the forager that provide the restaurant I work for the best available produce. These particular pears are so good, even the skin and stems are sweet. I don’t know how I managed to keep my hands off these pears for this long, but not today. Hands, ALL OVER.
Pear, White Wine & Honey Ice Cream
Pear, White Wine & Honey Ice Cream
4 pears (450 grams/ 1 lb)
1/2 lemon juice
2 tbsp. sugar
1 cup sugar
12 egg yolks
1/2 cup white wine (and the rest of the bottle for yourself)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
pinch of salt
1/4 cup honey
Skin pears, take out the seeds and cut in 1 inch sizes. Place in a pot with a splash of water, lemon juice and 2 tbsp of sugar. Cook until the pears are soft, blend until smooth and run through a sieve. Let cool.
Whisk in 1 1/4 cup of sugar with yolks. Stream in white wine while continuously whisking. Whisk in the pear puree.
In a pot mix milk, cream, 1/2 a cup of sugar, vanilla bean, salt and bring to a simmer.
Temper the yolks with the milk mixture and place back in the pot. Cook until nappant.
Let the mixture cool and follow directions of your ice cream machine. Fold in the honey and freeze.
I am making more desserts with a broken oven than with a working one. 2 posts in a week, strange.
My sister was craving a “black and white” pudding, a layered chocolate/vanilla dessert my mom last made when she was 7. When we moved a few years back, My mom’s recipe book where the “black and white pudding” resided, along with old golf trophies, somehow got lost in the move. My mom can’t seem to remember how to make it and here I am, 11 years later, trying to figure it out.
I bestowed myself a lot more creative access than I should. It wasn’t the “black and white” pudding my sister was looking for, but she wasn’t complaining.
Chocolate and Milk Budino
I also had sodium alginate and calcium chloride hanging around, I thought I’d play around with spherification for old time’s sake. I made a Rum Honey Syrup Sphere. When you cut into the sphere, the rum syrup should gush out. (I have to say, I enjoy my sizzurp in spherical form)
Cocoa Hazelnut Crumb + Vanilla Creme + Rum Honey Sphere
Chocolate Budino
33 grams cocoa
153 grams condensed milk
490 grams whole milk
30 grams yolks
13 grams cornstarch
cold water
salt
On a medium flame, whisk cocoa, condensed milk and whole milk. temper the yolks and add to the mixture. Mix cornstarch and water and add to the mixture, whisking continuously until it thickens.
Milk Budino
490 grams whole milk
300 grams condensed milk
12 grams gelatine
16 grams cornstarch
cold water
Heat whole milk and condensed milk. Hydrate gelatin and cornstarch with cold water. Add paste to the milk mixture and whisk until it thickens. pour over cooled chocolate budino.
Cocoa Hazelnut Crumb
120 grams butter
125 grams sugar
35 grams AP
65 grams hazelnut flour
20 grams cocoa
Mix all ingredients, lay evenly on a sheet tray and bake at 325 until golden.
I put on my apron with rushing creativity (& the new hipstamatic foodie snappak itching to be used) and ended up with…….
Coconut Semifreddo + Corn Custard + Spice Crumb
A creamy coconut semi-freddo with a savory sweet corn custard, a spice crumb made of cinnamon, cloves and molasses, and the most amazing part; the fried coconut milk solids that go on top of the corn custard. (I wanted so bad to add fried coconut milk solids to the title but how do you make fried coconut milk solids sound sexy? fried coconut milk solids. fried coconut milk solids. fried coconut milk solids. Can’t be done.) It’s the process of boiling coconut milk until the fat and solids separate, & the coconut fat fries the coconut milk solids to toasty perfection. I’ll do a separate post on the subject. In the meanwhile, I have this to enjoy (Did I mention it’s only noon?) It’s going to be a good Wednesday.
The Recipe:
Ginger Brittle with Toasted Coconut
5 tbsp butter
2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup frangelico
1 tbsp. ground ginger
1/4 cup toasted sweetened coconut flakes
Place butter, granulated sugar and frangelico in a pot, then cook on medium high until dark amber in color. Turn off the heat and add the ground ginger before pouring the brittle unto a silpat. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut.
PHYLLO SHELLS
phyllo dough
granulated sugar
clarified butter
CREAM CHEESE CUSTARD
4 egg yolks
1/4 cups sugar
1 vanilla Bean
1/2 cup cream
8 oz cream cheese; room temperature
BLUEBERRY COMPOTE
2 cups frozen blueberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 orange, juiced and zested
1 cinnamon stick
1. thaw the phyllo dough. Lay a sheet and brush with clarified butter and lightly sprinkle with granulated sugar. Top with a second layer, and repeat 5 times. mold into a muffin cup and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Dock the bottom of the pastry and bake at a 375*F oven for 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown.
2. combine egg yolks, sugar, vanilla bean and cream. Place over a double boiler. Cook the custard until thick in consistency, whisking often. Let cool. Whip the cream cheese to lighten and fold in the cooled custard.
3. To make the compote, place the blueberries, sugar, orange juice, zest and cinnamon stick in a pan. Put over medium heat and cook until the sugar is dissolved, let cool
4. pipe the cream cheese mixture in the phyllo shells and top with the compote, serve immediately.
At the farmer’s market, I found plump orange-colored fruits that almost looked like an overly ripe Roma tomato. With the hustling and bustling, sharp turns of baby strollers and hungry for samples customers, I decided to take a few rounds around the farmer’s market. As people started to subside, I had a turn to finally try my very first Hachiya. The jelly-like texture and syrupy flavor immediately reminded me of Sugar Apples I used to pluck out of our neighbor’s tree as a kid. Nostalgia.
The fruit is very delicate, and its paper thin skin barely defends its flesh.It develops its sweetness when fully ripened. Once ripened, the texture becomes almost fluid and gelled.
With California’s unpredictable weather lately, I am crossing my fingers for sunshine so I may enjoy these babies:
Hachiya Persimmon and Orange Granita
4 ripe Hachiya persimmons, skinned (about 4 cups of flesh)
1 cup orange juice
1 tbsp. orange zest
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup vodka
Pour orange juice in a pot along with the sugar. Once the sugar dissolves, add the Hachiya persimmon. Remove from the heat once the fruit breaks down and add the orange zest and vodka. Place in a freezer-safe container. Once frozen, scrape with a fork. Ta-Daaa!
As a kid, I ate maiz con hielo (It’s a Filipino version of a snow cone that consists of sweet corn, milk, crushed ice and sugar), maja blanca, (a coconut panna cotta with yes, sweet corn). I know what you’re thinking, just when you thought corn and milk was peculiar, corn and sugar is just lunacy. In my seven years of living and breathing, I didn’t accept corn as a vegetable. I knew corn as a fruit because I always had it in dessert form.
I was seven years old, on vacation with my parents in Baguio when I discovered the wonderful world of corn and salt. Grilled, slightly charred, lightly brushed with butter and salt. My seven year old brain understood.
Corn Pastries
6 oz. bacon, chopped
1 tbsp. butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 shallot
2 ears of corn
1 lime, juiced
salt, pepper
1 tsp paprika
chives
1 package puff pastry dough, thawed
egg wash
Cook the bacon until crisp. Set the bacon aside, leaving the fat in the pan. Add the butter and sweat the garlic and shallots on medium heat. Add the corn kernels and cook until the corn is done, about 6-8 minutes. add the lime juice, paprika, salt and pepper. Take off the heat and add the bacon and chives. Cool completely before assembling.
Lay out your puff pastry, cut in 4 inch squares. Fill with the for mixture, brush the sides with egg wash and fold into a triangle. Refrigerate before baking.
Brush with egg wash, and score the top of the pastry. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven. Bake until golden brown (15-20 minutes).