Bon Appetit Desserts (94 page)
Read Bon Appetit Desserts Online
Authors: Barbara Fairchild
1 cup water
3 tablespoons kirsch (clear cherry brandy)
¼ cup raisins
1½ tablespoons kirsch (clear cherry brandy)
3 medium Granny Smith apples (about 18 ounces), peeled, cored, cut into ⅓-inch pieces
½ cup plus 9 teaspoons gingersnap cookie crumbs
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
9 17×12-inch sheets or eighteen 14×9-inch sheets fresh or thawed frozen phyllo pastry
Powdered sugar
SAUCE
: Combine cranberries, sugar, 1 cup water, and kirsch in heavy medium sauce-pan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium and cook until most of berries burst, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly. Transfer to processor and puree.
DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over low heat before serving.
STRUDEL
: Combine raisins and kirsch in small bowl. Let soak 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine apples, ½ cup gingersnap crumbs, sugar, and raisin mixture in bowl. Brush large rimmed baking sheet with some of melted butter.
If using 17×12-inch phyllo, place 1 sheet on work surface with 1 long side parallel to edge of work surface (cover remaining phyllo with plastic wrap, then damp kitchen towel). Brush phyllo with melted butter; sprinkle 1 teaspoon gingersnap crumbs over. Top with second phyllo sheet. Brush with melted butter; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon gingersnap crumbs. Repeat with some melted butter, remaining phyllo sheets, and gingersnap crumbs. Spoon apple mixture in 3-inch-wide log along 1 long side of phyllo, leaving 2-inch plain border at long and short edges. Fold long side over filling, then fold in short sides and roll up jelly-roll style.
If using 14×9-inch phyllo, place 1 sheet on work surface with 1 long side parallel to edge of work surface (cover remaining phyllo with plastic wrap, then damp towel). Brush phyllo with melted butter; sprinkle with ½ teaspoon gingersnap crumbs. Top with second phyllo sheet. Brush with melted butter; sprinkle with ½ teaspoon gingersnap crumbs. Repeat with 7 more phyllo sheets, melted butter, and gingersnap crumbs. Spoon half of apple mixture in 2-inch-wide log along 1 long side of phyllo, leaving 2-inch plain border at long and short edges. Fold long side over filling [1], then fold in short sides and roll up jelly-roll style [2]. Make second strudel by repeating procedure with some melted butter, remaining 9 phyllo sheets, crumbs, and filling.
Carefully transfer strudel(s) to prepared baking sheet, seam side down. Brush top of strudel(s) with melted butter.
Bake strudel(s) 15 minutes. Brush with remaining melted butter. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Cool on baking sheet.
Lightly sift powdered sugar over strudel(s). Cut strudel(s) crosswise into thick slices. Transfer to plates. Spoon sauce around strudel(s) and serve.
Dried Cherry and Walnut Strudel BundlesThese flaky phyllo bundles can be made with either dried tart cherries or dried Bing cherries, which are sweeter. Both are available at most supermarkets and at specialty foods stores. Don’t brush melted butter on the tips of the phyllo bundles—the tips brown quickly on their own.
Makes 6
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dried cherries
¾ cup boiling water
¾ cup walnuts, ground
6 tablespoons apricot preserves
24 14×9-inch sheets or 17×12-inch sheets fresh or thawed frozen phyllo pastry
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, melted
6 6-inch-long pieces kitchen string
Powdered sugar
Place cherries in small bowl. Pour ¾ cup boiling water over. Let stand until cherries soften, about 30 minutes. Drain well. Pat cherries dry with paper towels. Mix cherries, nuts, and preserves in medium bowl.
Lightly oil heavy rimmed baking sheet. Stack phyllo sheets on work surface. Trim to 9-inch square if using 14×9-inch sheets, or 10-inch square if using 17×12-inch sheets (save scraps for another use). Cover phyllo stack with plastic wrap, then damp kitchen towel. Place 1 phyllo square on work surface. Brush lightly with melted butter. Arrange another phyllo square atop, with corners at slight angle. Brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat with 2 more squares, arranging corners at slight angle. Spoon ¼ cup cherry mixture in center of phyllo stack. Lift edges of phyllo and bring together around filling, forming bundle. With string, carefully tie bundle just above filling. Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining phyllo and filling, forming 6 bundles total. Brush phyllo on outside of filled portion (but not tops) of each bundle with melted butter.
DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover carefully and chill.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake until phyllo is golden, about 35 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to rack and cool phyllo bundles on sheet. Carefully cut string from each bundle. Sift powdered sugar over bundles and serve.
More to Try
Try using your favorite liqueur, such as amaretto, in place of half of the boiling water. And don’t hesitate to mix up the combination of nuts and fruit—hazelnuts and dried figs plumped in Port would make a tasty alternate filling.
Wondering what to do with all those phyllo trimmings? Toss them with melted butter, then cinnamon sugar; form them into mounds and bake until golden. Serve with fresh ripe peach wedges or poached pears and vanilla ice cream.
For something savory, toss trimmings with melted garlic butter and grated Parmesan cheese, then mound and bake. Serve with soup.
Chocolate Chunk and Apricot Cannoli“Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.” If a dessert is good enough to be immortalized in
The Godfather,
it’s worth making at home. And it’s easy to prepare these tube-shaped, cream-filled Italian pastries, since cannoli shells are readily available at Italian markets. Typically the ricotta and mascarpone cheese filling is studded with candied fruit, but we’ve used a winning combination of apricot preserves and chopped bittersweet chocolate.
Makes 6
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
¼ cup mascarpone cheese
½ cup apricot preserves
3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 purchased cannoli shells
Ground coffee beans
Powdered sugar
Puree ricotta in processor. Add mascarpone and process to blend. Add preserves; process until incorporated but some small chunks remain. Add chocolate. Using on/off turns, mix until just blended (do not puree).
Transfer filling to pastry bag without tip. Pipe into shells. Sprinkle ends of cheese filling lightly with ground coffee. Arrange cannoli on platter; chill until cold.
DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
Sift powdered sugar over cannoli and serve.
Market Tip:
Fresh Ricotta
For best results, use fresh ricotta cheese. Avoid packaged brands that include preservatives, as these can be watery and have a grainy or gelatinous texture. Fresh ricotta is sometimes available at well-stocked supermarkets; otherwise, buy the ricotta at an Italian market, where the cannoli shells can also be found.
Dried Cherry and Ginger CannoliServe these delicious and colorful cannoli for brunch or to end an Italian feast.
Makes 25
4 cups fresh ricotta cheese (2 pounds)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup minced crystallized ginger
¾ cup minced dried tart cherries
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
25 purchased cannoli shells
Chopped pistachios
Additional powdered sugar
Working in 2 batches, blend ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, mascarpone, orange peel, and vanilla in processor until smooth. Add ginger and cherries and process until well incorporated. Using on/off turns, mix in chocolate just until blended (do not puree). Transfer filling to large bowl.
DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before continuing.
Working in batches, transfer filling to pastry bag without tip. Pipe filling into cannoli shells. Sprinkle ends with pistachios. Chill at least 2 hours.
DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
Sift powdered sugar over cannoli and serve.
