Bon Appetit Desserts (113 page)
Read Bon Appetit Desserts Online
Authors: Barbara Fairchild
⅓ cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Apple Custard Sauce (see recipe)
TOPPING
: Whisk flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until moist clumps form.
DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
FILLING
: Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Place apples in large bowl. Mix in cranberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, cardamom, and nutmeg. Transfer fruit mixture to prepared dish, mounding slightly in center.
Sprinkle topping over fruit. Bake until apples are tender, about 45 minutes. Cool on rack until lukewarm, about 20 minutes. Serve with Apple Custard Sauce.
Apple Custard SauceA splash of apple juice concentrate gives traditional crème anglaise a new identity. If you like, add a cinnamon stick, a whole clove, and a pinch of nutmeg when cooking the sauce to enhance its fall flavor; strain the spices before cooling the sauce. You could churn the cold sauce in an ice-cream machine to make ice cream, an equally delicious accompaniment.
Makes about 2 cups
6 large egg yolks
⅓ cup sugar
1½ cups whole milk (do not use low fat or nonfat)
3 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Whisk egg yolks and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Bring milk to simmer in medium saucepan. Gradually whisk hot milk into yolk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 5 minutes (do not boil). Strain into bowl. Whisk in apple juice concentrate and vanilla. Chill until cold, about 3 hours.
DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
Technique Tip:
Perfect Custard
When making custard sauce it is crucial to follow three simple rules: Use medium-low heat to cook the sauce gently; stir the sauce constantly so that it cooks evenly and doesn’t overcook on the bottom of the pan; and never allow the sauce to simmer. Egg yolks give crème anglaise its thick, luxurious texture, but if the sauce is hotter than 180°F, the eggs in the custard will scramble. Use a thermometer to gauge the temperature, making sure it stays below 180°F.
Apricot CrispApricots are highly seasonal fruits, so you’ll want to make this crisp in June or July, when they are at their peak; ripe apricots have a fragrant scent and give slightly when pressed. The hazelnuts here should not be toasted or husked. The recipe calls for the topping to be mixed in a stand mixer, but a handheld electric mixer will work just as well.
8 servings
1 cup old-fashioned oats
¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour
½ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
¾ cup chopped hazelnuts
2½ pounds ripe apricots, halved, pitted, sliced (about 7 cups)
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
TOPPING
: Using stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, stir oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt in mixing bowl to blend. Add butter and blend until moist clumps form. Mix in hazelnuts.
DO AHEAD
:
Can be made up to 2 days ahead. Place topping in airtight container and chill.
FILLING
: Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 13-inch oval baking dish. Toss apricots, sugar, and tapioca in large bowl to blend. Let stand 15 minutes, tossing occasionally.
Transfer apricots and accumulated juices to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle topping evenly over apricots. Bake 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F. Bake until topping is golden brown, juices bubble thickly, and apricots are tender when pierced with small sharp knife, about 45 minutes. Let crisp cool 20 minutes.
Spiced Pear-Raspberry CrispPears and raspberries work together beautifully in this easy homespun treat. Not only do their flavors complement each other, but the creamy white pears take on a beautiful color from the raspberries. Make this crisp in the fall, when pears are juicy. Use frozen raspberries that have been picked at the height of summer, then quick-frozen to lock in their flavor and juices.
8 to 10 servings
¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour
⅔ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
⅓ cup slivered almonds
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
2¼ pounds Bosc pears, peeled, quartered, cored, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups frozen raspberries, thawed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon sugar
TOPPING
: Place flour, brown sugar, almonds, lemon peel, and cardamom in processor. Using on/off turns, process until nuts are finely chopped. Add butter Using on/off turns, process until moist clumps form.
DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
FILLING
: Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Butter 8×8×2-inch glass baking dish. Place dish on rimmed baking sheet. Mix sugar, flour, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt in large bowl. Add pears; toss to coat. Add berries and lemon juice; toss gently to coat. Transfer to prepared dish.
Sprinkle topping over filling. Bake until liquid thickens and topping is golden, about 55 minutes. Cool 30 minutes.
WHIPPED CREAM
: Beat cream, vanilla, and sugar in large bowl until soft peaks form. Serve crisp with whipped cream.
Crisp, Cobbler, Crumble
The familiar trio of homey fruit desserts—crisps, cobblers, and crumbles—have a lot in common: Each is a baked deep-dish dessert that pairs luscious fruit with some kind of sweet pastry topping, without a bottom crust. But subtle differences set them apart:
A
crisp
has a streusel-like topping that becomes crisp when baked. A
cobbler
traditionally has a biscuit-like topping that resembles cobblestones. A
crumble
is the British version of a crisp, sometimes with oats added to the topping.
Nectarine and Almond CrispThis crisp can be assembled in just 20 minutes. It would be luscious topped with whipped cream, ice cream, or lightly sweetened crème fraîche.
8 servings
¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour
¼ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
2 ounces almond paste (about ⅓ cup), crumbled
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
1½ cups sliced almonds
2½ to 2¾ pounds nectarines, halved, pitted, each half cut into 4 wedges (about 8 cups)
½ cup apricot preserves
¼ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground ginger
TOPPING
: Blend flour, brown sugar, cardamom, ginger, and salt in processor. Add almond paste and process until fine crumbs form. Add butter; using on/off turns, process until moist clumps form. Transfer to medium bowl. Mix in almonds.
FILLING
: Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 11×7×2-inch glass baking dish or deep-dish pie dish. Toss nectarines, apricot preserves, brown sugar, flour, cardamom, and ginger in large bowl to coat.
Transfer nectarine filling to prepared dish; sprinkle topping over. Bake crisp until topping is golden, nectarines are tender, and juices are bubbling around edges, about 40 minutes. Cool at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve crisp warm or at room temperature.