Category: Desserts & Cookies

Panforte Recipe

This is a very Christmas-feeling sweetmeat, but can really be enjoyed any time of year. I’ve drastically reduced the amount of spice to make it more of an anytime treat. To give it the full-on yuletide treatment, triple the cinnamon and double the cloves. For those who like theirs spicy — and the original version of this dish were quite spicy — add a teaspoon or so or fresh ground black pepper. You can even spike it with a little cayenne if you want!

16 ounces (3 cups) blanched whole almonds
9 ounces (1 3/4 cups) whole hazelnuts, skinned or unskinned
12 ounces (2 cups) diced candied orange peel
6 ounces (1 cup) dried apricots, diced
5 ounces (1 cup) dried figs, diced
5 ounces (1 cup) bleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
16 ounces ounces (2 1/4 cups) sugar
16 ounces honey (1 1/3)
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) butter
powdered sugar for dusting

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Making a Frozen Bombe

A classic bombe is made from pig iron and gunpowder ice cream and sponge cake. However the filling need not be ice cream to still qualify as a frozen bombe. Here I’m using frozen mousse for the interior which is an easier thing for the home cook to produce, even though it is a little extra rich. (Not always a bad thing).

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Making Financiers

I tell you, the more time I spend making these sorts of ultra-simple preparations the more I wonder if I’ll ever truly enjoy fancy pastry again. I took these to a get-together last evening and had a ball watching people react to them. The pattern was the same with everyone: they picked one up off the buffet table, took a bite, chewed for a moment, then stopped, held it up and stared incredulously. What the heck ARE these things???

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Financiers Recipe

Financiers are a terrific way to use up leftover egg whites. These days it’s popular to use silicone molds for financiers, and indeed that is probably the most convenient and least expensive way to go. Should you decide to use silicone, however, make sure to butter the form nonetheless as the extra butter will create the much-desired crispy outer crust. If you don’t want to use tart or financier molds, you can make them in muffin tins, just be sure to only put in about half an inch of batter. You’ll need:

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Hangin’ with the Peeps

The thing I love about piping peeps is, every one ends up with a different attitude. Some are elegant and swan-like, some aloof, some have deep, deep self-esteem issues. It’s my piping inconsistency that does it, but what I lack in piping skill I make up for in the diverse cast of characters I create. You can almost make up a play with them right there at the dinner table.

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Marshmallow for Peeps

The thing about a Peep is, it needs to be able to stand up. The head of a Peep needs to stand fairly tall and the beak needs to stick out without drooping too much. Thus standard marshmallow isn’t really up to the task…the egg white and corn syrup make it just a bit too fluid. This one is pretty much just sugar and gelatin, which makes for a more erect Peep.

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Simple Vanilla Custard (Pudding)

Everyone should have a simple stirred custard recipe handy. In America we call this sort of cornstarch-thickened mixture “pudding.” It’s terrific for eating just as it is, but it can also be used as a thick sauce for, well, whatever. This recipe is sort of a “pastry cream light.” It’s not as sweet as most pastry creams, nor as rich in cream or egg yolks, but it does have a dab of butter for sheen.

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Making Floating Islands

My daughters, my neighbors’ daughter, my neighbors and my wife were all stunned at how good this dessert was. On the face of it, it just doesn’t sound all that interesting. Meringue poached in milk? Oh, yippee. You really have to try this to understand how remarkable it is. With your caramel sauce and crème anglaise at-the-ready, start making your islands. Pour the milk into a saucepan and set it on to simmer.

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