Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens (27 page)

2 cups buttermilk

1 pinch sea salt

1 pint fresh berries

1
Add the milk to your 1-quart saucepot, and sprinkle in the gelatin. Allow this to sit for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin. Put this mixture over medium heat, and whisk in the sugar. Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved.

2
Add the lemon, buttermilk, and pinch of salt, whisk to combine, and take it off the heat. Carefully strain the mixture into a large measuring cup. Pour this into 4 soufflé or coffee cups, cover them with small squares of plastic wrap, and set them on a level shelf in the refrigerator to chill.

3
After a minimum of 4 hours (preferably overnight), run your paring knife around each panna cotta and invert each dish over a small dessert plate. Scatter plenty of fresh berries on top of the panna cotta as well as around the plate, and serve immediately.

Bread Pudding with
Bourbon Crème Anglaise

Serves 12

No fall or winter family gathering would be complete without this rich and classic dessert.

2 one-pound loaves brioche

½ cup dried cherries

½ cup golden raisins

1 cup Kentucky bourbon

¼ cup pecan pieces, toasted

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, scraped

4 egg yolks

¼ cup sugar

Sugar in the raw, as needed

1
Preheat the oven to 350°. Slice your brioche into ¼-inch slices, and lay them out on sheet trays to toast in the oven for 15 minutes. While it toasts, cover the cherries and raisins with the bourbon for 15 minutes. Strain them and reserve the bourbon.

2
Make 1 layer of toasted brioche in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with a few of the cherries, raisins, and toasted pecans. Continue layering like this until you run out of bread. Use any leftover fruit or nuts to garnish the finished dessert.

How to Remove the Seeds from Vanilla Beans

Use your chef's knife to cut a vanilla bean lengthwise from end to end. Scrape the inside of the bean with the edge of your knife to remove the tiny black seeds inside.

3
Add the milk, heavy cream, and vanilla bean to your 1-quart saucepot. Put this over medium to low heat and wait for it to simmer.

4
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Then set the bowl on top of a damp towel to secure it and free up both of your hands. When the milk begins to simmer and rise up the sides of the pot, slowly drizzle it into the bowl of sugar and eggs while you whisk it vigorously. If you pour the scalded milk in too quickly or don't mix your eggs while pouring, it could overheat and scramble the eggs, which would be crappy.

5
Evenly pour all but ¼ cup of the custard over the dish of toasted brioche layers. Place another 9 x 13-inch baking dish (disposable is fine, but you'll want to fill it ¼ of the way up with dried beans to create weight) over the bread and custard to help weigh it down, and place the whole thing in the oven. While this bakes for 45 minutes, add 2 tablespoons of bourbon into the reserved custard, making your bourbon crème anglaise.

6
After 45 minutes, remove the weight from the pan, sprinkle the raw sugar over the bread pudding, and continue baking for 15 minutes, allowing the top to brown. Once the pudding is golden brown, remove it from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm slices with a drizzle of the bourbon anglaise and a sprinkle of cherries, raisins, and pecans.

Butterscotch Crème Brulee

Serves 6

I love bananas or fresh strawberries with this custard, but use whatever fruit looks freshest or that you enjoy the most.

1½ cups whole milk

1½ cups heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, scraped

8 egg yolks

½ cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons dark molasses

3 tablespoons Scotch

1 pinch sea salt

1 banana, thinly sliced

Sugar in the raw, as needed

1
Preheat the oven to 350°. In your 1-quart saucepot, add the milk, heavy cream, and vanilla bean. Put this over medium to low heat and wait for it to simmer.

2
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, brown sugar, molasses, Scotch, and sea salt. When the milk begins to simmer and rise up the sides of the pot, slowly drizzle it into the bowl of sugar and eggs while you whisk vigorously.

3
Carefully pour the incorporated mixture into a large measuring cup. Place 6 soufflé or coffee cups in a large baking dish and add hot tap water until it reaches ½ way up the sides of the cups. Fill the cups ¾ full with the brulee mixture, and place the entire baking dish into the oven.

4Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the custard has set (when jiggled gently the custard should not wiggle). Carefully use your tongs to remove the cups from the hot water, and place them in the refrigerator to chill. After the custard has cooled (about an hour), arrange a single layer of sliced bananas over each brulee, then sprinkle on a thin layer of raw sugar. Fire up your torch, keeping the flame about 2 inches from the banana slices, and melt the sugar.

Coconut Poached Pears
with Burgundy Sauce

Serves 8

Crisp and juicy fall pears, a vibrant color combination, and ease in preparation make this dessert a chic addition to an autumn dinner party.

2 cups burgundy wine

1 cinnamon stick

cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 cups coconut milk

1 vanilla bean, scraped

4 ripe pears, peeled with stem attached

4 fresh mint sprigs

1
In your 1-quart saucepot, add the wine, cinnamon stick, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place this over high heat, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Allow this to come to a boil and cook until reduced by half.

2
Place your 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat and add your coconut milk, vanilla bean, and . cup of sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Allow it to come to a simmer, but watch it carefully to properly regulate the temperature so it doesn't boil or it will separate. Cut each of the pears in half vertically straight through the stem, leaving the stems halves intact. Scoop out the cores, and place the pear halves core-side down into the coconut milk to simmer for 15 minutes.

3
Once the wine has reduced by half, remove the cinnamon stick and lower the heat to medium. Continue simmering until it becomes a thick syrup, then remove from the heat.

4
Turn the pears over and slowly simmer on the other side for 10 minutes. Remove them from the poaching liquid. Place one pear half into a shallow dish and spoon over some of the coconut poaching liquid. Drizzle with the wine sauce and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Fig and Lavender Honey
Yogurt Pie

Serves 10 to 12

Summertime begs for cool, no-bake desserts, and this is one of the best, with no mixer or special equipment required.

1
cups graham cracker crumbs

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

½ cup quick cooking oats

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 pinch sea salt

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

3 tablespoons cold water

1 cup Greek-style yogurt

½ cup lavender honey

1½ cups heavy cream, chilled

12 purple mission figs, quartered lengthwise

1
Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, oats, brown sugar, and salt until moistened. Press into the bottom of a 6-inch springform pan and halfway up the sides, packing it tightly with your fingertips so it is even and compacted.

2
Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a small sauté pan and let soften for 2 minutes. Whisk together the yogurt and honey in a medium-size bowl. Set the small sauté pan over the lowest flame possible while stirring constantly, just until it melts. Whisk the melted gelatin into the yogurt mixture until smooth.

3
Whip the heavy cream until it holds stiff peaks. Gently fold half of the whipped cream into the yogurt mixture, taking care not to deflate the cream. Now fold the last of the whipped cream into the yogurt mixture. Gently spoon the mixture into the prepared springform pan, then cover the pan with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it until completely set, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.

4
Hold a small knife under hot tap water, and then run it along the sides of the pie to help release it from the pan. Open the spring, and slice the pie into wedges. Serve each slice on a dessert plate. Place 2 pieces of fig on top of each slice, and scatter a few fig pieces on the plate. Serve ice cold.