Peach Sorbet with Frangelico

See you guys, I told you I loved peaches. They were on sale this weekend so I picked up few too many pounds (as is my custom) with the intention of cooking up some ginger-peach butter, but then it got too hot and I couldn't muster the courage to stand in front of the stove stirring hot jam for a few hours. So sorbet it was! This refreshing sorbet has been my go-to dinner party dessert all summer, and as long as I've remembered to freeze the canister of my ice cream machine it is so easy to put together. I love using a little nip of booze in my sorbets and have somehow amassed a drawer full of little bottles (thanks mom!). This time I chose Frangelico which is a hazelnut liqueur but I imagine it would be mighty tasty with Amaretto, Chambord, Kirsch, or Bourbon.

Peach and Frangelico Sorbet
Adapted From David Lebovitz's, The Perfect Scoop
2lbs ripe peaches
2/3c water
3/4c sugar
1t lemon juice
2T Frangelico or other liqueur (optional, but tasty)

1. Pit and chop the peaches, but don't bother peeling them. Cook them with the water in a medium saucepan until they are soft and cooked all the way through.
2. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the sugar. Cool the mixture to room temperature then blend thoroughly in a blender or food processor, I used my immersion blender for this step. If there are any large bits of peel remaining, fish them out. Stir in the lemon juice and liqueur and chill thoroughly.
3. Freeze the chilled mixture in your ice cream machine, following manufacturer's instructions. Store in the freezer in an airtight container.

Notes:
- Try a scoop of this sorbet topped with champagne or prosecco for an amazing, Bellini inspired dessert.
- I've also made this with white peaches and they make the loveliest pink sorbet, as pictured here.

Individual Rhubarb Raspberry Galettes

These days I can't seem to walk by a pile of rhubarb at the market without tossing some rosy stalks into my basket. Maybe it's because I have a faint memory of an out of control rhubarb plant in the side yard of my childhood home, maybe because it has a short growing season, or maybe it's because I think it is just so damn tasty. These rustic little galettes were a perfect way to use up some of my stash and the addition of tart raspberries really makes the rhubarb shine. The original recipe calls for a traditional pate brise, but since I knew I was going to have to roll out eight, individual galettes I went ahead and used my favorite cream cheese dough because it's a bit more forgiving and easier to work with. I also added a bit of lemon zest and ginger because the flavors worked together so well in the rhubarb curd from a few weeks ago. Next I think I'll whip up some rhubarb syrup to make rhubarb sangria or champagne cocktails for my birthday this weekend!

Cream Cheese Pie Dough
adapted from Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts 
makes 8 galettes

2T cold water
2t cold cider vinegar
3c flour
2t sugar
pinch salt
1c cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
8oz cold cream cheese, cut into cubes

1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar and salt.
2. Add the butter and cream cheese, then pulse until there are lima bean sized lumps of cream cheese and butter.
3. Mix the water and vinegar together, then add to the butter flour mixture in a slow, steady stream while pulsing. Pulse until the mixture just begins to hold together. If your dough seems really dry, add a teaspoon or two more water.
4. Turn the mixture out onto a piece of plastic wrap, then use the wrap to gather the dough into a ball. Seal it up and press firmly into a disk. Refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling.

Rhubarb Raspberry Filling

1 1/2lbs rhubarb, cut into 1/4'' pieces
8oz raspberries
1/4c cornstarch
2c granulated sugar
zest of one lemon (optional)
1/2t grated fresh ginger (optional)
demerara or turbinado sugar for sprinkling

To assemble

1. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. On a floured surface, roll each dough ball into a 7'' round, 1/8'' thick. Transfer the rounds to two large, lined sheet pans, a few inches apart. Store in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
2. In a large bowl combine the rhubarb, raspberries, cornstarch, granulated sugar, lemon and ginger. Prepare an egg wash by beating an egg in a bowl with a tablespoon of water.
3. Remove the pastry from the fridge and divide the dough evenly between the 8 disks, leaving a 1'' border around the edges. Fold the edges of the rhubarb filling and gently brush the wash between the folds to seal. Chill the formed tarts until they are firm, 30-40min.
4. While the tarts are chilling, preheat your oven to 400. When the tarts are nice and cold, remove them from the fridge, gently brush the pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
5. Bake until the crusts are golden, about 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 and bake until the juices bubble and ooze and the pastry is a deep golden brown. Let cool completely before serving.

BAKED Sweet and Salty Brownies

I made these brownies a few weeks for a group of dudes headed to the woods for a Bucks Party (a bachelor party, for all you non Aussies). In contrast to the mini wedding cake I made for the other half of the lovely couple these brownies were dark, rich, and their only delicate quality was the perfect amount of saltiness that ran through the caramel. From what I hear, they were a very worthy accompaniment to a whole roast pig, lots of beer, and an impressive assortment of Scotch and Bourbon. Don't worry, I took them out of that pretty pink Pyrex before sending them on their way.

Sweet and Salty Brownies
adapted from BAKED: Explorations

For the Caramel

1c sugar
2T light corn syrup
1/2c heavy cream
1t fleur de sel
1/2c sour cream

1. In a medium saucepan combine the sugar, corn syrup, 1/4c water and stir together carefully. Cook this mixture over high heat until an instant read thermometer reads 350F OR until the mixture is dark amber in color (6-8min). Be careful guys, I almost burnt my caramel because my candy thermometer is a POS and I wasn't paying close enough attention.
2. Remove from heat and slowly add the cream, then the salt, then the sour cream. Set aside to cool.

Note: This recipe makes more than enough caramel for the brownie assembly. Use the extra to serve with the brownies or to make awesome brownie ice-cream sundaes.

For the Brownies

1 1/4c flour
2T unsweetened cocoa powder
1t fleur de sel
11oz dark chocolate, chopped (I used valrhona)
1c unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 1/2c sugar
1/2c packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs, room temp
2t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350, line a 9x13 baking dish with buttered parchment or aluminum foil

1. In a medium bowl whisk the flour, salt and cocoa powder
2. Put the chocolate and butter in the bowl of a double boiler set over simmering water and stir occasionally until chocolate and butter are melted. Take the bowl from the heat, add both sugars and whisk until thoroughly combined.
2. Add three eggs to the mixture and whisk until just combined, add the remaining eggs and vanilla.
3. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture and fold to combine, do not overbeat or your brownies will be cakey instead of fudgy.

To finish
1 1/2t fleur de sel
1t coarse sugar (demerara and turbinado sugar would work great for this)

To assemble

Pour half of the brownie mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Drizzle about 1/2c of the caramel over top while being careful to make sure the caramel doesn't come into contact with the edge of the pan. Gently spread the caramel into an even layer. Finish by topping the caramel layer with big dollops of the remaining brownie batter and gently smooth the top.

Bake the brownies for 30min, rotating the pan halfway through. The brownies are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Directly after removing the brownies from the oven, sprinkle with the fleur de sel and coarse sugar.

Cool completely before cutting and serving.

Pavlova with Gingered Rhubarb Curd and Strawberries

At long last, spring has sprung. It is finally warming up around these parts and you know what that means: rhubarb. Well, at least that's what I get excited about when the sun starts shining again after a long winter. I'm sorry to say that the barb I used for this recipe wasn't local, but I just could not wait any longer. As soon as I saw these greenhouse specimens at my favorite little produce stand I pounced. Then I sliced and simmered and enriched it with egg yolks and butter and was left with the dreamiest tangerine colored curd you ever did meet. I decided to use it to put my own spin on the Aussie classic, pavlova, so I lightened my curd with a bit of whipped cream before pouring it into a pillowy meringue shell and topping it with fresh, sliced strawberries. The end result is light and delicious and a wonderful way to welcome the season. If you don't feel like going the distance and making the whole pavlova do try to make this rhubarb curd at least once this spring, it is really fantastic and unlike any curd I've ever tried.

For the Meringue 
adapted from Gourmet

1c superfine granulated sugar
1T cornstarch
3 large egg whites at room temperature
3T cold water
1t distilled white vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 300 with rack in middle. Trace an approximately 7-inch circle on a sheet of parchment paper. Turn parchment over and put on a baking sheet.
2. Whisk together superfine sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.
3. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Add water (whites will loosen) and beat until whites again hold soft peaks.
4. Increase speed to medium-high and beat in sugar mixture 1 Tbsp at a time. After all sugar has been added, beat 1 minute more.
5. Add vinegar and beat at high speed until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes (longer if using hand-held mixer).
6. Gently spread meringue inside circle on parchment, making edge of meringue slightly higher than center (the “crater” is for curd and fruit). Bake until meringue is pale golden and has a crust, about 45 minutes (inside will still be marshmallow-like).
Turn oven off and prop door open slightly with a wooden spoon. Cool meringue in oven 1 hour.

For the Gingered Rhubarb Curd

3/4 pounds rhubarb (about 6 stalks)
1 inch piece of peeled ginger
1/4c water
1/4c sugar
4 egg yolks
1/2c sugar
zest from one lemon
2t lemon juice
3T butter, cut into chunks

1. Wash rhubarb and trim as little off the ends as possible. Cut rhubarb and ginger into 1-inch chunks.
2. In a small saucepan, heat rhubarb, ginger, 1/4c sugar, and water. Cook on medium heat until the rhubarb falls apart and there are no whole pieces left, adding water by the tablespoon if rhubarb sticks to the bottom of the pan.
3. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture, then put through a fine mesh sieve over a clean bowl
4. Put egg yolks, butter, remaining sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in the bowl of a double boiler and whisk to combine. When the sugar has dissolved, add the rhubarb puree by the spoonful, to temper the eggs. Continue stirring the mixture with a rubber spatula over the double boiler until it thickens, about 5 min.
5. Remove from heat and strain the curd to remove any lumps. Cover the curd with plastic wrap and chill completely before using.

yield about 2 cups, you may want to make extra because it is crazy good

To Assemble the Pavlova

1lb washed, hulled and sliced strawberries
1 c heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks

1. Fold about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the rhubarb curd, then fill the meringue with the mixture and top with sliced strawberries. Serve additional whipped cream on the side.

Carrot Cake

I've never really felt one way or another about carrot cake. I mean, I recognize it as a classic and all but I wouldn't really say that it was in my repertoire until I was challenged to a carrot cake cook off over a game of cards last spring. Well friends, I love a good competition and I really love hanging out with other folks who like to bake so I immediately accepted and imagined a big blue ribbon pinned to my chest. When the time came I tested and labored and fretted over the cake then over the frosting. I settled on a dairy and egg free cake (wacky I know) that was the moist, slightly spicy cake of my dreams. For the frosting, I knew that I wanted to go a little non-traditional because I've never really been a fan of the extreme sweetness of traditional cream cheese frosting. I turned to my favorite swiss buttercream with hopes that it's smooth texture and subtle sweetness would lend itself to the addition of cream cheese. I whipped up a batch and enriched it with some tangy cream cheese and the tiniest bit of lemon zest and my goodness. I had created a buttercream that tasted like fluffy whipped cheesecake, victory was mine! The day of the Carrot Caketacular came and I packed up my prize winner in a wicker basket, hopped on the subway and hoped for the best. Five cakes were offered up to the masses, votes were cast, fingers were crossed and no one was more shocked than me when my cake fetched second place. What?! Second Place?! It was a pretty narrow margin between me and #1, so I blame the raisins. I was the only one who used 'em and I guess there were a lot of raisin haters there that day. Not even my revolutionary frosting could save me.

You see that last photo up there? The hosts lovingly tied a frilly topped carrot to their buzzer to mark the spot, so cute!

Vegan Carrot Cake (Don't knock it til you try it)

2 1/4c flour
1c packed brown sugar
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1t ginger
1/2t freshly ground nutmeg
3/4t salt
1 1/2t baking soda
1/2t baking powder
1c plus 2T orange juice (room temp)
1/2c canola oil
1 1/2T apple cider vinegar
1T vanilla extract
1/2c golden raisins (or not, if you don't like em)
1c toasted and chopped pecans
2c peeled, grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350, grease and line 2 9'' pans with parchment paper

1. Add raisins to room temperature orange juice to soak while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in the pecans
3. In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Then stir in the orange juice with raisins, and carrots
4. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture all at once and fold gently to combine.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for 20-25min or until a cake tester comes out clean.
6. Let the cakes cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then invert on a rack to cool completely before assembly.


Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream (not vegan)
makes about 4 cups (enough for your cake, plus a little extra)

5 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
8oz unsalted butter, room temp
8oz cream cheese, room temp
1T vanilla extract
1/2t lemon zest

1. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese until no lumps remain, then blend in the vanilla and lemon zest.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk continuously until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch (5-7min).
3. Using your whisk attachment, beat the egg white mixture until stiff glossy peaks form and the mixture has cooled completely (up to 10ish minutes). If you get ansty and don't let the mixture cool completely you will end up with frosting soup and no one wants that. Don't get antsy.
4. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter/cream cheese mixture about 1/4c at a time and beat until smooth.

During this last step it is VERY possible that your frosting will 'break" and you will think you messed something up. Good news! You didn't! Mine breaks almost every time I make it too. All you have to do is turn up the speed on your mixer for a moment, until the mixture comes back together and then keep adding the butter mixture until your buttercream is smooth and creamy.

Did I mention that this frosting requires patience? It does, I really mean it, but most really good things require a little patience.

For a more traditional cream cheese frosting (that requires less patience), try this or for maple cream cheese frosting, check here. You really can't lose, anyway you shake it, cream cheese frosting is delicious.

To assemble the cake:

Peel the parchment paper from the layers and place one onto your serving platter or pedestal, domed side down. Scoop about 1 cup of frosting onto the cake layer and spread evenly. Place the other cake on top, domed side up for a more homestyle look, domed side down for a cleaner look. Cover the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting (a crumbcoat) and refrigerate for about 30 min. Pull the cake out and spread another, thicker layer of frosting on the top and sides. Put it back into the fridge if the frosting is really soft, but make sure to serve the cake at room temperature.

Lemon Meringue Pie

A few weeks ago, totally out of the blue, an old friend contacted me with a very exciting proposition. She was planning a quick trip to New York and had magically procured tickets to a taping The Martha Show (!) and was wondering if I was free to join her. It took me about .5 seconds to draft a reply that included many, many yeses, thank yous, and exclamation points. I was more than a little excited to see Martha in person and when we arrived and found out the theme of the show that day was Pies and Tarts, I just about died. Martha's new Pies and Tarts book was about to be released and Martha and her crew spent the whole hour demoing recipes, like coffee cream pie and raspberry rhubarb gallettes, but the best part was when the show generously gave everyone in the audience a copy of the book, along with some other goodies (thanks Martha). On my train ride home, I immediately tore open the book and started dog-earing pages, I dog-eared a lot of pages. Even though the temps today are in the 30's I am hopeful for a Spring and Summer full of raspberry slab pies and lemon poppy-seed curd tarts of tomato basil pies and panna cotta tartlets, and this lemon meringue beauty that I will definitely be making again.

Lemon Meringue Pie
adapted from Martha Stewart's Pies & Tarts

For the Crust (makes 2 crusts)

2 1/2c all purpose flour
1t salt
1t sugar
1c cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/4-1/2c ice water
1t apple cider vinegar

1. Pulse the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor.
2. Add butter and pulse until the butter is the size of large peas.
3. Combine the ice water and vinegar in a measuring cup and while pulsing, slowly drizzle the liquid down the feed tube. Pulse until the dough starts to hold together a bit, there should still be visible hunks of butter in the dough
4. Dump the contents of the food processor onto a piece of plastic wrap and use the wrap to press the dough together. Separate dough into 2 pieces, form into disks, and chill for at least 30min before rolling.
5. For one pie, remove one dough disk from the fridge and roll out to a 13'' circle. Place the dough in a 9'' pie dish, then fold and crimp the edges to form a decorative rim. Freeze the formed crust for 30min before baking.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line the frozen shell with parchment paper and fill with beans or pie weights. Bake the crust for 15 min, remove the paper and weights, then bake until the crust is golden brown. Set aside to cool completely.


For the Filling

1/4c cornstarch
1c sugar
1 1/2t finely grated lemon zest plus 1/2c fresh lemon juice (organic or unsprayed if you can swing it)
1/4t salt
2c water
4 large egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue topping)
4T unsalted butter, room temp

1. In a saucepan, combine cornstarch, sugar, zest and salt. Whisk in the water. Cook over medium hear, stirring constantly, until bubbling and thick. About 7 min (2 min after it comes to a boil).
2. In a medium bowl whisk the egg yolks, then pour the hot cornstarch mixture in a slow steady stream. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes back up to a boil, 1-2 min.
3. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, then add butter 1T at a time. Let the custard cool for about 10 min.
4. Pour custard into prepared crust and place plastic wrap directly on the surface. Refrigerate until custard is firm (6 hours or overnight).
5. When you are ready to serve, prepare meringue filling below.

For the Meringue Topping, double for a Mile High topping

4 large egg whites
1/8t cream of tartar
6T sugar
1/4t vanilla extract

1. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy.
2. Gradually add sugar, increase speed to high and whisk until glossy and forms stiff peaks, stir in the vanilla.
3. Spoon meringue onto the surface of the pie until it reaches the crust, then use a spatula to create a swirly, peaked pattern.
4. Gently brown the topping under your broiler, or with one of those fun kitchen torches. Be Careful! It only needs to be under the broiler for about 45 seconds so keep an eye on it the whole time.

A Special Cake for a Special Lady

One of my nearest and dearest is getting hitched in just a few short months and I have been given the honorable task of making the wedding cake. Needless to say, I am pretty excited to be part of the big day! She is marrying her betrothed on her family's ranch just outside of Austin, TX and it is shaping up to be a boot-scootin' good time. When her lovely aunts and cousin decided to throw her an engagement tea I immediately offered to make a mini wedding cake so I could test my recipes with some folks in my target audience. The bride requested a vanilla cake with vanilla frosting, so I turned to the incredible pound cake from Saveur that I have made loads of times and my standby vanilla buttercream that I know she loves. Then I filled the cake with a thin layer of raspberry preserves mixed with fresh raspberries to cut the sweetness and add a pretty pink surprise in the middle. Well, it was a big hit and all of the ladies at the party told me they can't wait to eat it again at the wedding!

If you aren't feeling ambitious enough to make a layer cake, this pound cake is great on its own or with fresh fruit and whipped cream or maybe even a little chocolate sauce if that's what you're in the mood for. Use the best butter, eggs, and vanilla you can afford, this cake is so simple that quality ingredients really do make a difference.


Vanilla Pound Cake
adapted from Saveur

12 oz softened butter
3c flour
1t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1c milk, room temperature
1T vanilla extract
3c sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature

1. Heat oven to 325 and generously butter and flour a 10'' tube pan*. Pat out any excess flour and make sure the entire inside surface of the pan is covered, no one likes a stuck, broken cake
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a measuring cup
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer cream butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on med-low speed, gradually pour in the sugar, scrape down the bowl and beat until smooth, light and fluffy, about 3 more minutes.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter and sugar mixture beating for 15 second before adding another and scraping down the bowl often.
5. Reduce the speed to low and alternately add the flour and milk mixtures in three batches, beginning and ending with the flour. When there are still a few streaks of flour left in the batter, take it from the mixer and finish the mixing by hand.
6. Pour into the prepared pan and firmly tap to remove any air bubbles. Bake until light golden, about 75 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 30min, then invert onto a rack to cool completely before slicing.

This cake is awesome the next day, or even two or three days after you bake it. I baked my cake on a Friday and served it on a Sunday and it was still moist and delicious. It also really doesn't need any frosting, but if you would like to make a layer cake as I did, I have provided a great simple vanilla bean buttercream below.

*I multiplied this recipe 1.5 times and baked 3, 7'' layers and 4, 6'' layers to make my two tiered mini wedding cake

Simple Vanilla Bean Buttercream

1 lb softened butter
2 lbs sifted confectioner's sugar
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1t vanilla extract
1/4-1/2 cup room temp milk
big pinch salt

1. Cream the butter, salt and sugar together until very light and fluffy, about 5 min.
2. Add the vanilla bean and extract, then slowly stream in the milk until you reach your desired consistency

Here is a great photo tutorial on putting together a layer cake from my girl Martha.

Chouquettes

I'm a big time sucker for specialty baking ingredients and edible souvenirs so when I saw this sugar in a little Parisian shop I knew I had to have it. It wasn't until I returned from my trip that I learned what it was for, and my goodness chouquettes are good. All it takes is a bit of choux pastry coated with crunchy pearl sugar and baked until golden brown and crunchy. There are quite a few recipes to be found for these guys, but I used one from a favorite blog of mine, Chocolate and Zucchini.

p.s. You can find pearl sugar in many online stores and at IKEA in their Swedish food market.