Special Tiramisu: rich, creamy, and delicious

For a party today, Darren and I made tiramisu, as we were asked to bring a dessert.  Tiramisu is a wonderful party dessert as it is beautiful, delicious, easy to serve, and relatively easy to make.  This is no ordinary tiramisu, though, it is particularly beautiful,and delicious.  With 3 different liquors and homemade espresso, this tiramisu is a definate 'pick me up'.  If you want to make this recipe in a trifle dish, it will be particularly beautiful as you can see each of the beautiful layers through the sides of the glass. It can also be made in a baking dish.  This amount will serve 10-16 people.

Chocolate Decoration Directions:
Melt 1 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each 30 second interval until the chocolate is melted.  Let this cool for a few minutes.  Drizzle the chocolate onto a piece of waxed paper in a decorative fashion. Let this sit to harden while you make the rest of the tiramisu. (or, alternatively, just sprinkle the top of your completed tiramisu with cocoa powder).

Custard Ingredients:

2/3 cups water

2 tablespoons cup dark rum

2 tablespoons brandy

6 large egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese 

2 cups chilled whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Finishing Ingredients:

1 cup espresso

7 tablespoons Kahlúa or other coffee liqueur

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 6.15-ounce or four 3.5-ounce boxes Champagne biscuits or Boudoirs (about 60 crisp ladyfinger cookies)

Custard Directions:

Whisk 1 1/3 cups sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup rum, 3 tablespoons brandy, yolks, and nutmeg in metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk constantly until mixture thickens and candy thermometer inserted into mixture registers 140°F for 3 minutes, about 5 minutes total. Remove bowl from over water. Whisk mascarpone, 1 container at a time, into warm custard until blended.

Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream, vanilla, 1 tablespoon brandy, and 1 teaspoon rum in large bowl until cream holds peaks. Fold in cream cheese mixture.

Finishing Directions:
Add 2 tablespoons sugar to the espresso while it is hot; stir to dissolve. Mix in liqueur and cream. Submerge 1 biscuit in espresso mixture, turning to coat twice; shake excess liquid back into pan. Place dipped biscuit, sugared side facing out, around bottom side of 14-cup trifle dish, pressing against side of dish (biscuit may break). Repeat with enough biscuits to go around bottom sides of dish once. Dip more biscuits and arrange over bottom of dish to cover.

Spoon 2 cups mascarpone mixture over biscuits; spread to cover. Sprinkle 1/4 cup ground chocolate over, making chocolate visible at sides of dish. Repeat with more biscuits dipped into espresso mixture, mascarpone mixture, and ground chocolate in 2 more layers each. Cover with 1 more layer of dipped biscuits and enough mascarpone mixture to reach top of trifle dish. Sprinkle remaining ground chocolate over, covering completely. Cover and chill overnight.

Decorate the top of the tiramisu with the chocolate decorations.  (Can be made 8 hours ahead; chill.)

Peach Cobbler: A Taste of Southern Summer

Imagine this....Denver in June.  Days are dry and hot, evenings, stormy.  Last night, I made the sides for a boneless leg of lamb my brother, Amir, lovingly cooked on the his grill for Darren and I, his wife, Renee, their friend, Mark, and Darren's sister, Sandra, who was in from a conference from Boston.  Along with this boneless roast I made the most decadent of potatoes gratin with gorgonzola and fontina cheese, roasted asparagus with thinly sliced garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and a splash of 18 year old balsamic vinegar, and these delicious popovers.  For dessert, to end this feast, we had this peach cobbler.  This recipe is a hi-bred.  The recipe for the peaches themselves come from Cooks Illustrated. I liked the fact that they suggested macerating the peaches as oftentimes, peach cobbler I have had has been too runny.  The topping is an altering of a recipe I found on Food Network's site.  I lessened the amount of sugar in the recipe overall, particularly in the crust, and further added to the crunch by adding unrefined sugar (such as Turbanado) to the top before baking. I also cut back a bit on the amount of butter.   The result was sublime.  This amount served 6 with leftovers, but remember, this was after a pretty decadent feast.  I served the cobbler with a dollop of whipped cream that was scented with a bit of sugar and vanilla.

Darren suggests having a small layer of crust on the bottom of the cobbler.  If you like that kind of thing, make 1 1/2 times the crust, put 1/3 of the resulting dough into the bottom of the buttered dish, pressing it down firmly before adding the peaches.  Top with the remaining crust and bake as described below.

Peach Cobbler

SERVES 6-8

INGREDIENTS

Filling  

                 

2 ½ lb. peaches, ripe but firm (about 6-7 medium)

¼ c. sugar

1 t. cornstarch

1 T. lemon juice                                    

½ t. cinnamon (optional)

¼ t. table salt

                                   

Topping

1/3 cup sugar plus ¼ c. raw sugar for sprinkling

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into ¼ inch dice

1 egg, slightly beaten

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Peel peaches (if firm, with a peeler, if soft, by plunging in boiling water for 30 seconds then into ice water) and cut in half.  If you are using cling peaches, you’ll need to cut the flesh off the pit.  If using no cling peaches, take a spoon and scoop out the spiky flesh that attaches to the peach pit.  Cut each half into 4 slices.  Put the peach slices in a medium bowl with ¼ c. sugar (or more to taste).  Let this rest for ½ hour.  After ½ hour, pour the peaches into a colander that is in a bowl and mix ¼ cup of the drained juices with the cornstarch, lemon juice, and if desired, cinnamon. Pour peaches into a lightly buttered 8 x 8 inch glass or ceramic baking dish.  In medium mixing bowl, mix 1/3 c. sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder. Cut in butter it is incorporated and add beaten egg. Mix until crumbly and sprinkle over fruit, covering all exposed fruit. Sprinkle on raw sugar and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden.  I would suggest you bake your cobbler on a baking sheet lined with foil to protect your oven in case of a spillover.  Serve with whipped cream scented with a bit of sugar and vanilla, or vanilla ice cream.

Bring on the Tang: Raspberry and Goat Cheese Tart

I know this may sound like a weird combination, but trust me, it's delicious (Naseem, you may even like it, I promise it tastes nothing like goat.)  I found this recipe on line when I was looking for a lower sugar, lower fat recipe for my friend Debbie's birthday.  I found the original recipe at the site called, Tastebook.  I have made this recipe 4 times now, today being for Jenny and Dick for an anniversary party they are having this afternoon.  I have also made this recipe with sliced strawberries, and another with sliced pears.  This dessert is perfect if you don't like super sweet, sweets.  It is like a thin cheesecake that is slightly tart (from the goat cheese) baked with raspberries.  You may want to try this for your next special event.  I've adjusted the recipe from the original slightly.  You can find the original at http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/982076-Raspberry-Goat-Cheese-Tart

Raspberry and Goat Cheese Tart

• • Sable Pastry
  • 1 cup  all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup ground almonds
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ t.  finely grated lemon rind
  • Pinch salt
  • ⅓ cup unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 egg
    
    
    Directions
    Place blanched almonds in a food processor along with sugar.  Pulse the almonds until ground (don't go too far, or you'll make almond butter--tasty, but not for this purpose).  Add the flour, salt and lemon rind.  Pulse to mix.  Cut cold butter into 1/2 inch pieces.  Place this in the processor and process in 10, 1 second pulses or until the mixture is about the texture of coarse cornmeal.  Beat the egg and add it on top of the dough.  Pulse until the mixture barely comes together.  At this point, take a pinch of the dough. If it does not hold together, add a tablespoon of vodka (yes, vodka--it will help you get the tart shell together and as it bakes, the alcohol will evaporate).  
    
    
    Place your dough in a 9 inch tart pan (this is a pan with fluted sides and a removable bottom.  Press the dough out with your fingertips, up the sides of the pan.  This is a bit of a pain, but is worth doing well.  If it is sticking to you, dampen your fingertips.  Make your crust as even as possible.  Refrigerate for 1/2 hour while you make the filling.  Place a rack on the lower 1/3 of your oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
    
    
    Blind bake the tart.  To do this, place a piece of foil on top of the crust and fill it with pie weights.  If you don't have pie weights, you can sacrifice a pound of dried beans. You won't be able to cook with them, but they can be reused over and over if you cool them down when done with use and place in a clean jar. I've had mine for 20 years.  Place your weight filled tart shell on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Remove the foil and beans and bake an additional 5 minutes.  Take out the tart shell and lower the temperature of the oven to 325.  Open the oven door for 10 seconds to drop the temperature.
    
    
    Filling
    ⅔ cup goat cheese (chevre), softened
    ⅓ cup cream cheese, softened
    ¼ cup  granulated sugar
    2 eggs
    ½ cup  whipping cream
    ½ t.  finely grated orange rind (I used clementines as they are in season) 
    ¼ t.   vanilla extract
    1/2 t. salt
    12 oz  raspberries (red, golden and/or black)
    
    
    Directions
• Mix the cheese, sugar and eggs in the food processor.  Process until smooth.  Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the raspberries.  Process until smooth.  Pour this mixture into the tart pan and lovingly arrange the raspberries as you wish on the top.  Bake for 23-28 minutes until the center no longer giggles.  Remove and chill at least 2 hours.  It may be made up to 2 days in advance.
  
  
  Enjoy!

• Note:  February 19, 2011  I made this tart today with blueberries rather than raspberries.  They looked so lovely in the store.  It was amazing (and easier as you can just scatter the blueberries rather than lovingly placing the raspberries.)  Definitely worth trying.  Folks went nuts over this tart.  I even heard one person comment, "this is the absolute best dessert I've ever had."  My friend Bob looked me in the eyes and said, "perfect." Perhaps you should give it a try.

Silky Mousse

After taking my dear friend Carolyn to see The King's Speech for her birthday, I made her a dinner of steak au poive, baked potatoes, and baked tomatoes that I stuffed with onions, garlic, oregano, wheat bread crumbs, and chevre.  We ended the evening eating a silky smooth mousse while watching President Obama give his State of the Union speech.  The mousse was a take on one done by chocolateer, Jacques Torres.  The mousse lacked the characteristic grittiness of other mousse recipes I have used before. This is due to the technique of adding soft-crack stage sugar to the eggs as they are beating.  This was a bit of trouble, so when I need to make another mousse, I will try making a simple syrup and adding that to the eggs instead.

Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse

250 grams bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Callabaut Bittersweet)

1 large egg

5 large egg yolks

Scant 1/4 cup (2 ounces; 60 grams) water

Scant 1/2 cup (3.7 ounces; 105 grams) granulated sugar

1/4 t. fine sea salt

1 2/3 cup (14 ounces; 400 grams) heavy cream
Shavings of bittersweet chocolate

 Directions:  Beat the heavy cream to soft peak stage and set aside.  Add eggs to stand mixer and beat on medium until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes.  While the eggs are beating, boil the water and sugar.  Bring this to soft crack stage (250 degrees).  Melt the chocolate either in your microwave, checking and stirring every 30 seconds, or in a double boiler, being careful not to let any moisture in the chocolate.  Turn the standmixer on to low,  carefully pour the sugar down the side of the bowl.  Turn back up to medium and let beat for 2 minutes.  Fold whipped cream into the egg mixture along with the salt.  Once without streaks, carefully fold in the melted chocolate.  Place into individual ramikins (about 6) and top each with shavings of chocolate.  Top with plastic wrap for refrigeration. 

The King's Speech is still on my mind today.  Even more than our lovely meal.  Colin Firth's performance was nothing shy of moving.  I don't normally attend movies, but am very glad I went to see this one.