Southern California Cooking from the Cottage (27 page)
The Wolfes tell of one woman who stopped in for a late breakfast one day while she was shopping up and down the streets of La Jolla looking for just the right gift to give to the eleven members of her bridal party. They were coming from all around the country to an oceanside wedding, and by the time breakfast was over, the woman's quest was finished. She bought eleven bags of Cottage granola.
In fact, granola may be the single most requested recipe from the Cottage repertoire, and while all the ingredients are listed on the label, it is the one recipe that remains the Wolfes' secret. That's fine with us. Whenever we need a few bags, we just go to
www.cottagelajolla.com
and order it, and like Delyn's desserts in the bakery case of the restaurant, its appearance at our house is a near-magical event.
DELYN'S RASPBERRY WHITE
CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING
T
his is our most popular dessert. People from all over the country have asked about it and come in just to eat it. We have very rarely given out the recipe, but now here it is for all to enjoy. What sets it apart from other bread puddings is that we start with pound cake. However, if you are in a pinch and can't make pound cake, try Texas egg bread: thickly sliced bread with a soft crust that is usually a bit sweet. The Grandmother Sauce (page 208) on top is “killer” and mustn't be forgotten.
4 plus 1 slice pound cake or ½ loaf
pan or 5 slices of Texas egg bread
4 ounces white chocolate squares,
broken up into small pieces
2 cups frozen or fresh raspberries
5 eggs
5 egg yolks
1
cups sugar
1cups heavy cream
1cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Raspberry sauce:
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen raspberries,
thawed
½ cup sugar, more or less
½ cup orange juice
Preheat the oven to 350
o
F. Spray a 10-inch round pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Crumble 4 pound cake slices and place on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the chocolate pieces on top. Layer the raspberries over the chocolate. Crumble the remaining pound cake slice over the raspberries. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar. Add the cream, milk, and vanilla. Mix well and then strain. Gently pour the mixture over the cake. Bake for 1 hour or until set, bubbly, and brown.
To make the raspberry sauce, blend the raspberries, sugar, and orange juice in a food processor until smooth. Strain if the raspberry seeds are not wanted. Keep refrigerated. Serve over the bread pudding.
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
BLUEBERRY STRUDEL
T
his is an easy recipe and comes out looking like you have fussed. I make it at home for company, and I'm always asked for the recipe.
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 plus ½ cup sugar
2 plus ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 plus 1 egg yolk, beaten
1½ cups blueberries (frozen works nicely)
2 tablespoons butter, softened
½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 375
o
F. Defrost the puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet and keep cool. In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese, ½ cup of the sugar, 2 teaspoons of the vanilla, and 1 of the egg yolks. Gently fold in the blueberries. Spoon the filling down the long side of the puff pastry. Brush the edges of the pastry with the remaining egg yolk (saving a little for the top). Fold over and seal well. Make 3 or 4 slashes on top of the pastry to allow air to escape. Brush the top with egg yolk. In a small bowl combine the butter, the remaining 1 cup sugar, and almonds until the mixture is crumbly. Press the topping into the dough. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Cool. In a second small bowl combine the remaining ½ teaspoon vanilla, the confectioners' sugar, melted butter, and lemon juice. The icing should be runny (if not, add a little milk); drizzle it over the strudel.
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
Note:
Make sure you seal the sides of the pastry very well. And when putting the crumb topping on, press firmly so the pastry is encased in the sugar topping.
ROCKY ROAD BROWNIES
W
hen we came to the Cottage, there were no brownies. I was determined to go on a cooking quest to make the best possible brownies I could imagine and bake them on a daily basis. Here is the recipe I came up with. We serve them with whipped cream and drizzle a little bit of Fantastic Hot Fudge Sauce (page 206) over the top. But to make them truly decadent, heat them up and scoop ice cream on top.
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup chopped walnuts
Confectioners' sugar
Preheat the oven to 350
o
F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch pan. Melt the chocolate squares and butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Beat in the sugar. Remove from the heat and let cool. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the flour, salt, and vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips, marshmallows, and walnuts. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes. When cool, dust with confectioners' sugar.
MAKES 20 BROWNIES
STRAWBERRY TRIFLE
W
e used to serve this heavenly dessert all the time before Delyn's Raspberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding (page 200) stole its thunder. In Carlsbad, California, which is about thirty minutes north of La Jolla, there are huge fields that grow strawberries. In the summertime, when they are ripening, the entire area smells sweet. Some of those strawberries make it to our restaurant, and some of those to this dessert. We have customers who have told me that if they go to heaven, they expect strawberry trifle will be served. I totally agree. It looks especially pretty displayed in a glass bowl that shows the layers.
2 cups whole milk
½ cup sugar
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups whipping cream
1 recipe Italian Pound Cake (page 187)
2 pints strawberries, cleaned and sliced
1 recipe Grandmother Sauce (page 208)
In a small pot scald the milk and set aside to keep warm. In a medium pot stir the sugar and flour together. Whisk in the milk and cook until it lightly coats a spoon. Add the egg yolks and stir, cooking until the spoon is heavily coated. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Cool. In a bowl beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold the whipping cream into the custard mixture. Crumble the pound cake into 2-inch pieces, and cover the bottom of a large glass bowl or 8 to 10 individual glasses with one-third of the cake pieces. Layer one-third of the pastry cream over the cake, then one-third of the strawberries. Repeat the layers two more times. Top with the Grandmother Sauce. Refrigerate until chilled. This is best served the day it is made, but the components can be made a day ahead.
MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
W
e like to frost our Banana-Nut Cake (page 183), Apple Cake (page 188), and Carrot Cake (page 184) with this frosting.
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3
cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
In a bowl with a mixer, beat the cream cheese for 1 minute. Add the confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes or until the frosting is smooth and light.
MAKES 2 CUPS OF FROSTING, ENOUGH TO FROST TWO LAYER CAKES OR ONE 13 X 9-INCH CAKE
CARAMEL FROSTING
W
e use this frosting on Banana-Nut Cake (page 183) and Chocolate Cake (page 185).
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
cup whole milk or half-and-half
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
In a double boiler heat the butter, brown sugar, salt, and milk over simmering water. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Cool slightly. Beat in the confectioners' sugar until the mixture is spreadable. Stir in the vanilla and pecans.
MAKES ABOUT 2½ CUPS FROSTING, ENOUGH FOR A DOUBLE-LAYER CAKE
FANTASTIC HOT FUDGE SAUCE
D
elyn, our dessert fairy, swears by her hot fudge. She says it's the best ever, and so do our customers. End of story!
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
