The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (82 page)

fruit desserts

crêpes suzette

MAKES ABOUT 14; SERVES ABOUT 6

Beer, traditionally found in this dish, ferments the batter and adds flavor.

for the batter

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup beer (not dark)

for the filling

1½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur

Finely grated zest of 1 orange

for the sauce

2 cups orange juice

¼ cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

for the garnish

2 oranges, peel and pith removed, flesh cut into segments

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1.
Make the batter: Whisk together the milk, sugar, butter, eggs, and oil. Sift together the flour and salt. Whisk the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Pour the batter through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Whisk in the beer. Refrigerate, covered, 6 hours (or overnight).

2.
Let the batter stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Heat a crepe pan or a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour ¼ cup batter into the pan, swirling to cover the bottom. Cook, flipping once, until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat.

3.
Make the filling: Stir together the butter, sugar, liqueur, and zest. Spread 2 teaspoons over 1 crêpe. Roll up; place on a baking sheet, seam side down. Repeat until all the crêpes have been rolled.

4.
Make the sauce: Bring the juice and sugar to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat; skim the foam. Whisk together the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water; add to the pan. Whisk in the liqueur. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in the butter, 1 piece at a time.

5.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover the crepes with foil; heat in the oven 10 minutes. Transfer to plates. Top with sauce and oranges. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

blood-orange pavlovas with grand marnier

MAKES 12

6 blood oranges, peel and pith removed

7 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur

4 large eggs, separated

1¼ cups sugar

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teaspoon salt, plus a pinch

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ cup orange juice

½ cup heavy cream

1.
Preheat the oven to 225°F. Cut the oranges into segments. Toss with 3 tablespoons liqueur; refrigerate until ready to use.

2.
Make the meringue: Put the egg whites, 1 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a pan of simmering water; whisk constantly until the sugar is melted and the mixture is hot.

3.
Using the whisk attachment, beat the egg white mixture on medium speed until soft peaks form. Raise speed to high; beat until cool, and stiff, glossy peaks form. Beat in the vinegar and vanilla.

4.
Using a rubber spatula, mound the meringue into 12 3-inch-wide rounds on parchment-paper–lined baking sheets. Swirl the edges and make a well in the center of each meringue. Bake until crisp and just set in the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool on the sheet on a wire rack. When the meringues are cool enough to handle, peel off the parchment. Let cool completely.

5.
Make the custard: Stir together the yolks, orange juice, remaining ¼ cup each sugar and liqueur, and
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teaspoon salt in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; whisk until thickened and a spoon leaves a wake, about 4 minutes. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.

6.
Beat the cream to soft peaks; fold into the custard. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 4 hours (rewhisk before using).

7.
Just before serving, mound custard in each meringue. Top the custard mounds with orange segments and their juices.

baked pears with vanilla mascarpone

SERVES 4

Bosc pears must be very ripe; Anjou, which are juicier, can be slightly firm. Avoid enamel baking dishes, as they cause the syrup to burn.

4 Anjou or Bosc pears

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup red wine

4 sprigs thyme (optional)

Vanilla Mascarpone (recipe follows)

Store-bought biscotti

1.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Slice off the bottom of each pear just enough so it will stand upright. Using a melon baller or small spoon, remove the seeds from the bottom. Peel the upper half, leaving the stem intact; pat dry with a paper towel. Rub butter over the peeled part of each pear; stand the pears in a small baking dish (about 7 × 11 inches). Sprinkle with the sugar.

2.
Pour the wine into the baking dish; add the thyme sprigs, if using. Bake until the pears are soft when pierced with a paring knife and well browned, about 45 minutes; using a small spoon, baste the pears occasionally with the wine, adding a bit of water as needed to prevent the liquid from evaporating. Remove from the oven.

3.
Spoon some of the pan juices into each serving dish, and place a pear on top. Serve with a dollop of mascarpone and several biscotti on the side.

vanilla mascarpone

MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP

For the creamiest results, allow the mascarpone to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

½ vanilla bean, split and scraped

8 ounces mascarpone cheese

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, and stir together with a wooden spoon.

watermelon and raspberry salad

SERVES 4

Easy to prepare, this vibrant pink fruit salad can be served on its own or spooned over a scoop of vanilla ice cream or your favorite sorbet.

1 4½-pound piece watermelon, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 4 cups)

1 pint fresh raspberries

Juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup sugar

Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

Place the watermelon in a large bowl, and add the raspberries, lemon juice, and sugar; toss to combine. Let stand at least 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until all the sugar is dissolved. Serve chilled or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

pear pavlova

SERVES 6

for the pears

1 750-ml bottle dry red wine, such as Cabernet or Zinfandel

3 cups water

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

3 dried bay leaves

2 cinnamon sticks

3 to 6 ripe Bosc pears

for the meringue base

4 large egg whites

Pinch of salt

¾ cup packed light-brown sugar

¼ cup superfine sugar

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

for the topping

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons superfine sugar

1.
Poach the pears: Combine the wine, water, sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.

2.
Carefully peel the pears, leaving the stems intact. Place in the pan; cover, and cook, rotating occasionally, until the bases of the pears are easily pierced with a paring knife, 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the ripeness of the fruit. Meanwhile, prepare an ice-water bath.

3.
Using a large slotted spoon, carefully transfer the pears to a large metal bowl set in the ice bath. Pour the poaching liquid through a fine sieve into the bowl with the pears; let cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight to let the pears absorb the poaching liquid.

4.
Preheat the oven to 300°F, with the rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an overturned bowl or cake pan as a guide, trace an 8-inch circle on the parchment; turn the parchment over, marked side down.

5.
Make the meringue base: Place the egg whites, salt, and light brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed until well combined and no lumps of sugar remain. Increase speed to medium; beat until soft peaks form, about 9 minutes. With the mixer running, gradually add the superfine sugar. Continue beating until the peaks are stiff and glossy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vinegar and vanilla.

6.
Using a rubber spatula, spread the meringue into the marked 8-inch circle on the baking sheet; form peaks around the edge and a well in the center.

7.
Bake the meringue until crisp around the edge and just set in the center, about 1¼ hours. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack until the meringue is cool enough to handle. Carefully peel off the parchment; cool meringue completely on the rack.

8.
Make the topping: In a small bowl, whip the heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to use.

9.
Slice the pears in half lengthwise; remove the seeds and stems with a spoon or melon baller, and discard. Cut the pears into ¾-inch pieces, and place in a bowl; cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.

10.
Bring 3 cups poaching liquid to a boil in a medium saucepan; reduce heat, and simmer until syrupy and reduced to about 1 cup, 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare another ice-water bath. Pour the syrup into a clean bowl set in the ice bath; stir frequently until cool and thickened.

11.
To assemble, carefully place the meringue on a serving platter. Spoon the whipped cream on top, and then add the pears. Serve, sliced into wedges and drizzled with syrup.

LEFTOVER EGG YOLKS

When recipes such as meringues call for egg whites only, don’t toss out the yolks. Instead, keep them for recipes that need only the thick and fatty yolk to make them complete. Egg yolks are the key ingredient for fruit curds and custard, for example; yolks serve as thickening and binding agents in both of these creamy dishes. Or use the yolks to make spaghetti carbonara, or a rich hollandaise sauce to serve with eggs Benedict or over fish and vegetables. You could also combine the yolks with vegetable oil, lemon juice or vinegar, and seasonings for a simple homemade mayonnaise. Unlike commercial mayonnaise, this kind lasts only 3 to 4 days when refrigerated in an airtight container, so plan to use it within that time.

If you don’t want to use the yolks right away, they can be saved for later. Yolks can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 4 months. When refrigerating, cover the yolks with a little water to keep them from drying out, and remember to drain the water before use. To prevent them from becoming gelatinous when frozen, add either
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teaspoon salt or 1½ teaspoons sugar (use salt if you plan to use the yolks in savory dishes and sugar for making desserts) to each ¼ cup yolks (about 4). Beat the yolks lightly before mixing in the salt or sugar. Label the container with the date and number of yolks. You will need 1 tablespoon thawed yolk for each large yolk called for in a recipe.