Ready for Dessert (19 page)

FILLING

½ cup (70 g) flour

⅓ cup (70 g) packed light brown sugar

3 ounces (85 g) almond paste, crumbled

¼ cup (20 g) sliced unblanched or blanched almonds

4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60 g) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch (1.5-cm) pieces and chilled

12 to 14 fresh apricots (about 1¼ pounds/565 g)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar

To make the dough, in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse the 1 cup (140 g) flour, ½ cup (40 g) sliced almonds, ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, and the salt until the nuts are finely ground. Add the chilled butter pieces and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg yolk and process until the dough comes together.

Transfer the dough to a 9-inch (23-cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. (There’s no need to wash the bowl of the food processor—you’ll need it again to make the filling.) Using your hands, press the dough as evenly as possible into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate the dough-lined tart pan until the dough is firm, at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Set the tart pan on a baking sheet and prick the dough about a dozen times with a fork. Bake the tart shell on the baking sheet until deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. If it puffs up during baking, press it down with the back of a metal spatula. Let cool while making the filling. Decrease the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C).

To make the filling, in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse together the ½ cup (70 g) flour, brown sugar, almond paste, and ¼ cup (20 g) sliced almonds until the almond paste is broken into fine pieces. Add the 4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60 g) chilled butter and pulse until the butter pieces are about the size of corn kernels. Set aside.

Halve, pit, and cut the apricots into ½-inch (1.5-cm) slices. In a large bowl, toss the apricots with the cornstarch and ¼ cup (50 g) sugar. Distribute the apricot slices in the tart shell and sprinkle them evenly with the almond mixture. Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Serve the tart warm or at room temperature.

VARIATIONS:
For
RASPBERRY, APRICOT, AND MARZIPAN TART
, add 1 cup (5 ounces/135 g) raspberries to the apricots. To make
PLUM-MARZIPAN TART
, substitute plums for the apricots and increase the cornstarch to 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon.

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

My friend Cindy Meyers, who tested many of the recipes in this book and my two previous ones, wrote me, excitedly, that this dessert was her favorite of all that she tested. “The almond topping is so fluffy!” she commented. Considering she’s someone that I look to for criticism, when praise comes forth, I’m flattered.

FILLING

6 cups (2¼ pounds/1 kg) sweet cherries, pitted

2 tablespoons (30 g) sugar

Juice of ½ lemon

TOPPING

1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

7 ounces (200 g) almond paste, crumbled

⅓ cup (65 g) sugar

½ cup (4 ounces/115 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 large egg, at room temperature

½ teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

½ cup (125 ml) whole milk

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

To make the filling, in a shallow 2-quart (2-liter) baking dish, toss the pitted cherries with the 2 tablespoons (30 g) sugar and the lemon juice.

To make the topping, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the almond paste and ⅓ cup (65 g) sugar on medium speed until the almond paste is broken into fine pieces. Beat in the butter, then the egg and vanilla or almond extract. Add half of the flour mixture, followed by the milk, then the remaining flour mixture, mixing just until combined.

Spoon the batter evenly over the cherries in the baking dish. Bake until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the topping comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

SERVING:
Serve the cobbler warm or at room temperature with
whipped cream
,
Vanilla Ice Cream
or
White Chocolate-Ginger Ice Cream
.

VARIATIONS:
For
MANGO, BLACKBERRY, AND ALMOND COBBLER
; make a filling with 5 pounds (2.5 kg) mangoes, peeled, pitted, and cubed; 2½ cups (12 ounces/340 g) blackberries; 2 tablespoons (30 g) packed light or dark brown sugar; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; and the juice of 1 lemon. To Make
MIXED BERRY-ALMOND COBBLER
; substitute 6 cups (about 1¾ pounds/795 g) mixed berries for the cherries. For
CHERRY, APRICOT, AND ALMOND COBBLER
; substitute 1 pound (450 g) apricots, pitted and cut into eighths, for half of the cherries.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

I’m a big fan of fruit crisps. When I worked at Chez Panisse, I learned I wasn’t alone—they were more popular than our signature dark chocolate cake. But I’m not entirely convinced that I’d choose a fruit crisp over chocolate cake. Maybe I’d order both in the name of research.

This fruit crisp topping, made with crunchy polenta, stands up well to the juiciest mélange of fruits. Here, I mix apples and pears, and it may seem like a lot of fruit when you’re doing all that peeling and slicing, but it cooks down considerably during baking. Use a good baking apple, such as Gravenstein, Winesap, Pippin, Northern Spy, or Cortland.

FILLING

¾ cup (120 g) raisins

3 tablespoons (45 ml) grappa

4 medium apples (about 2 pounds/1 kg)

6 medium ripe pears (about 2 pounds/1 kg)

⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

TOPPING

¾ cup (110 g) all-purpose flour

½ cup (50 g) walnuts, almonds, or pecans, toasted

½ cup (120 g) packed light brown sugar

⅔ cup (100 g) polenta or stone-ground cornmeal

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup (4 ounces/115 g) unsalted or salted butter, cut into pieces and chilled

To make the filling, in a large bowl, combine the raisins and grappa and let stand until most of the grappa has been absorbed, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Peel and core the apples and pears and cut them into ⅓-inch (8-mm) slices. Add the apple and pear slices to the grappa-soaked raisins along with the granulated sugar and vanilla. Toss well, then pack the mixture firmly into a 2-quart (2-liter) baking dish.

To make the topping, in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse the flour, nuts, brown sugar, polenta or cornmeal, and cinnamon a few times to combine. Add the butter pieces and pulse until the butter is finely broken up. Continue to pulse until the mixture just begins to clump together.

Scatter the topping evenly over the fruit. Bake until the topping is nicely browned and the fruit is tender (a sharp paring knife inserted into the center meets no resistance), about 50 minutes.

SERVING:
Serve the crisp warm with a pitcher of cold heavy cream or scoops of
Vanilla Ice Cream
.

STORAGE:
The polenta topping can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 2 months.

VARIATIONS:
If you’re avoiding alcohol, you can skip macerating the raisins. You can substitute dried cranberries or diced prunes for the raisins.

To make an
APPLE-BLACKBERRY CRISP,
in place of the grappa-soaked raisins, use 1¼ cups (6 ounces/ 170 g) blackberries; increase the apples to 8 medium (4 pounds/2 kg); omit the pears; and use ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

With such a strong almond-like flavor, it makes sense to think that authentic Italian amaretti cookies are made with almonds. But, in fact, it’s apricot kernels that give them their robust, nutlike bite. Whatever the source of their flavor, amaretti cookies have a remarkable affinity for stone fruits such as peaches. I often double (or triple) the recipe for this topping and freeze the leftover in a zippered plastic bag. That way, I have some on hand and can bake up a crisp at a moment’s notice.

FILLING

8 medium peaches (about 3 pounds/1.5 kg)

2 tablespoons (30 g) granulated sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon almond extract

TOPPING

¾ cup (110 g) all-purpose flour

¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar

½ cup (120 g) packed light brown sugar

¾ cup (90 g) crushed amaretti (about 16
cookies
)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup (65 g) almonds, toasted

½ cup (4 ounces/115 g) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch (1.5-cm) pieces and chilled

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

To make the filling, peel, pit, and cut the peaches into ½-inch (1.5-cm) slices. In a large bowl, toss the peaches with the 2 tablespoons (30 g) granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, and vanilla or almond extract. Transfer the peaches to a shallow 2-quart (2-liter) baking dish. Set aside.

To make the topping, in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse together the ¾ cup (110 g) flour, ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, brown sugar, amaretti crumbs, cinnamon, and almonds until the almonds are in small bits but with chunks still visible. Add the chilled butter pieces and pulse until the topping no longer looks sandy and is just beginning to hold together.

Distribute the topping evenly over the peaches. Bake until the filling is bubbling around the edges and a sharp paring knife inserted into the center of the cobbler meets no resistance, 40 to 50 minutes.

SERVING:
Serve warm or at room temperature with
Vanilla Ice Cream
or just a pour of fresh, cold cream.

VARIATION:
For a
MIXED BERRY CRISP
, make the filling using 6 cups (1¾ pounds/795 g) mixed berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and quartered strawberries) with ⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons (15 g) all-purpose flour, and 2 teaspoons kirsch or lemon juice.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

I was in line at an outdoor market in Paris and
une dame d’un certain âge
in front of me was getting a lesson on preparing rhubarb from
la vendeuse,
who insisted that rhubarb absolutely, positively had to be peeled before cooking. Having prepared quite a bit of rhubarb, often in a professional capacity, I figured I could add my
deux centimes,
so I spoke up, telling them that I’d never done that and that it really wasn’t necessary. Immediately, the line of French housewives erupted, insisting that yes, you simply must peel rhubarb. Seeing as I was outnumbered, I decided to not argue the point.

Safely back at home, I’ll admit with confidence that I’ve never found the need to peel rhubarb for a recipe, but I have experimented with using it in unconventional ways and found that it has a remarkable affinity for pineapple and raspberries, a mix that makes a delicious fruit cobbler—which no one should have any quibbles with.

FILLING

7 cups diced rhubarb (2 pounds/1 kg stalks)

2 cups (300 g) cubed pineapple (from ½ pineapple, peeled, eyes removed, and cored)

2½ cups (12 ounces/340 g) raspberries

¾ cup (150 g) sugar

2 tablespoons (15 g) all-purpose flour