Ready for Dessert (13 page)

When ready to serve, sprinkle the remaining amaretti crumbs over the top. Cut the semifreddo into neat rectangles.

SERVING:
Set individual servings of semifreddo in a pool of
Raspberry Sauce
,
Blackberry Sauce
or
Strawberry Sauce
. Or, accompany with a mixture of your favorite berries, lightly sugared and left to sit for a while until juicy.

STORAGE:
The semifreddo is best served the next day, which gives the flavors time to meld. It will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. You can make the lemon curd up to 5 days in advance and keep it chilled until ready to use.

VARIATION:
You can use Meyer lemons, which are sweeter than regular lemons, but decrease the amount of sugar in the lemon curd by ¼ cup (50 g). If time-pressed, substitute store-bought ladyfingers for the sponge cake.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Here’s a superb dessert for highlighting summer peaches when they are at their peak of flavor and so juicy that you struggle to pick up the slippery slices that elude your grasp. This is an ideal dessert to bring to a summertime picnic or barbecue: it’s easy to assemble in advance and even easier to eat.

KIRSCH SYRUP

1 cup (250 ml) water

⅓ cup (65 g) sugar

⅓ cup (80 ml) kirsch

PEACH FILLING

6 to 8 peaches (about 2 pounds/1 kg), peeled, pitted, and cut into ½-inch (1.5-cm) dice

3 tablespoons (45 g) sugar

MASCARPONE FILLING

2 cups (450 g) mascarpone cheese

¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream, if needed to thin the mascarpone

¼ cup (50 g) sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sponge cake
, 12 by 18-inch (30 by 46-cm) sheet

3 peaches (about 1 pound/450 g), peeled, pitted, and cut into ½-inch (1.5-cm) slices

1 tablespoon sugar

¾ cup (75 g) crushed amaretti (about 25
cookies
)

To make the kirsch syrup, in a small saucepan, warm the water and ⅓ cup (65 g) sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, then stir in the kirsch. Let cool completely.

To make the peach filling, in a small bowl, toss the diced peaches with the 3 tablespoons (45 g) sugar and let stand until juicy.

To make the mascarpone filling, put the mascarpone in a medium bowl; if it is very thick straight out of the container, add the cream. Whisk until the mascarpone begins to hold its shape and has the consistency of buttercream frosting. Stir in the ¼ cup (50 g) sugar and vanilla. Set aside.

To assemble the semifreddo, remove the parchment paper from the sponge cake and cut out 2 pieces of cake that will each fit in the bottom of a 2-quart (2-liter) baking dish. (You will have extra sponge cake left over that can be frozen for future use.)

Spread ½ cup (125 ml) of the mascarpone filling evenly in the bottom of the baking dish. Place one of the cake pieces on top and brush evenly with about half of the kirsch syrup (it may seem like a lot, but it will all soak in).

Spread the peach filling over the cake. Spread 1¼ cups (310 g) mascarpone filling over the peaches. Add the second cake layer and soak it with the remaining syrup. Spread the remaining mascarpone over the cake and refrigerate, uncovered, for about 30 minutes to firm up the top layer of mascarpone. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.

Just before serving, in a small bowl, toss the sliced peaches with the 1 tablespoon sugar. Let stand until the sugar dissolves and the peaches are juicy. Scatter the peach slices over the semifreddo and sprinkle with the crushed amaretti. Cut the semifreddo into neat rectangles and serve.

STORAGE:
The semifreddo can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated.

VARIATION:
If you wish to make this dessert without the kirsch, add a teaspoon of almond extract to the syrup in place of the kirsch.

MAKES ONE 10-INCH (25-CM) CAKE; 10 TO 12 SERVINGS

I had a cake crisis at Club Med in the Bahamas. A round yellow tin was waiting in my room when I arrived, and when I pried off the lid, inside was a small rum cake. Curious, I sliced off a small wedge, and then another, and then another. It took every bit of willpower in me not the finish the entire cake right then and there. But I thought that I should I save half to share with my partner who’d gone for a swim.

We went to lunch, and when we returned to the room, the other half of the cake was missing, apparently the work of an overzealous housekeeper, or one who liked the cake as much as I did.

When I got home from that trip, I set to work recreating that lovely golden cake with island flavor courtesy of a little dose of coconut milk and a lot of dark rum. I added a tasty coconut-rum glaze for good measure, although you can skip it if swimsuit season is around the corner. If you make this cake, be sure to keep an eye on any leftovers.

CAKE

3 cups (420 g) all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup (8 ounces/225 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

¾ cup (180 ml) canned Thai coconut milk

COCONUT-RUM SYRUP

¾ cup (180 ml) canned Thai coconut milk

6 tablespoons (75 g) granulated sugar

½ cup (125 ml) dark rum

GLAZE

4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60 g) unsalted or salted butter, cut into pieces

6 tablespoons (90 ml) heavy cream

6 tablespoons (90 g) dark brown sugar

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon dark rum

½ cup (40 g) dried large-flake coconut (unsweetened or sweetened), toasted

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Coat a 10-cup (2.5-liter) Bundt cake or tube pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray, dust it with flour, and tap out any excess.

To make the cake, into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt, and the nutmeg.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the 1 cup (8 ounces/ 225 g) butter and 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla. With the mixer running, slowly dribble the egg mixture into the butter mixture, stopping the mixer and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the eggs are completely incorporated. (The mixture may look curdled, which is normal.) Gently stir in one-third of the flour mixture, then about half of the ¾ cup (180 ml) coconut milk. Mix in about half of the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining coconut milk. Finally, gently stir in the remaining flour mixture just until combined.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the cakes feels just set in the center, 55 to 60 minutes.

While the cake is baking, make the coconut-rum syrup. In a medium saucepan, warm the ¾ cup (180 ml) coconut milk and the 6 tablespoons (75 g) granulated sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and add the ½ cup (125 ml) rum.

When the cake comes out of the oven, leave it in the pan and poke it with a wooden skewer about 60 times. Spoon about two-thirds of the coconut-rum syrup over the cake, letting it soak in gradually. Let the cake cool completely.

Invert the cake onto a cake plate. Brush or spoon the remaining coconut-rum syrup over the cake.

To make the glaze, in a small saucepan over high heat, bring the 4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60 g) butter, the cream, brown sugar, and pinch of salt to a boil. Cook, stirring to dissolve the sugar, for 1½ minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the 1 tablespoon rum, and let cool completely. Once cool, stir in the toasted coconut.

Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, encouraging it to run down the sides of the cake (if the glaze seems too thick, rewarm it slightly).

STORAGE:
The cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days, preferably under a cake dome.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

I’ve found that as I get older, I tend to forget about the things that aren’t all that important to me, like paying bills, what day it is, and so on. But I never, ever forget a dessert. A few decades ago, some friends who had lived in Brazil for a few years invited me for dinner and served
bien me sabe,
a moist concoction of sponge cake and coconut cream. And I never got it out of my head how fantastic that simple combination tasted. Years later, when I was the pastry chef at a restaurant that specialized in Asian cooking, I had the opportunity to seek out and use all sorts of tropical fruit, many of which I hadn’t ever seen before. And I thought
bien me sabe
would be the perfect backdrop for a jumble of exotic flavors.

Although I’ve used the types of tropical fruit that are the most widely available, feel free to add or use others in place of what I’ve suggested. But just be sure to heat them through, as most tropical fruits contain a heat-sensitive enzyme that causes custards to break down. I learned this the hard way.

I like the way large shreds of fresh coconut look on top of this dessert. If you have the inclination, crack one open, shave off large shards, and toast them to use as garnish.

COCONUT CUSTARD

1¼ cups (310 ml) whole milk

½ cup (100 g) sugar

½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise

3 tablespoons (25 g) cornstarch

½ cup (125 ml) canned Thai coconut milk

4 large egg yolks

1 cup (70 g) dried unsweetened shredded coconut (see Tip)

FRUIT FILLING

1 pineapple, peeled, eyes removed, cored, and cut into 1-inch (3-cm) pieces

2½ cups (1 pound/450 g) strawberries, hulled and sliced

1 medium mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into ½-inch (1.5-cm) cubes

6 tablespoons (75 g) sugar

Juice of ½ lime

½ cup (125 ml) dark rum

Sponge Cake
, 12 by 18-inch (30 by 46-cm) sheet

Fresh or dried unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted, for garnish

To make the coconut custard, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk with the ½ cup (100 g) sugar. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add them to the saucepan, then drop in the pod.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and coconut milk until completely smooth. In another small bowl, whisk the egg yolks until combined.

When the milk mixture is hot, stir the cornstarch mixture to recombine, then whisk it into the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. While whisking constantly, pour about one-third of the hot thickened milk into the egg yolks, then scrape the yolk mixture into the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, just until the mixture begins to boil (it will be very thick). Remove from the heat and strain into a clean bowl. (The
vanilla pod
can be rinsed, dried, and used for another purpose. Stir in the 1 cup (70 g) coconut, and refrigerate until chilled. (To speed up the chilling, you can set the bowl containing the custard in a larger bowl filled with ice water.)

To make the fruit filling, in a nonreactive skillet, gently cook the pineapple until it is heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool completely.

Add the strawberries, mango, 6 tablespoons (75 g) sugar, lime juice, and rum to the pineapple and toss gently.

To assemble the trifle, use a 2-quart (2-liter) rectangular baking dish with at least 3-inch (8-cm) sides. Remove the parchment paper from the sponge cake and cut out 2 pieces that each fit in the bottom of the baking dish. (You’ll need the cake trimmings, so don’t eat them!)