Ready for Dessert (43 page)

A few things to keep in mind: Measure the ingredients carefully—too much liquid results in flat puffs. Dump in the flour just when the butter is melted; if you wait too long, too much of the water will cook off. The finished batter should be thick and shiny and should stick to the spatula when you lift it. Finally, be sure to bake the puffs until they’re deep golden brown all the way around. If they’re underbaked, they may collapse cooling; the darker color means the puffs will stay crisper, too.

PUFFS

1 cup (250 ml) water

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

2 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

GLAZE (OPTIONAL)

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon whole milk

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a medium saucepan, bring the water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring gently to encourage the butter to melt. As soon as the mixture begins to boil, add the flour all at once and stir rapidly with a spatula until the mixture forms a thick paste and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Remove from the heat. Wait for 2 minutes, stirring the paste a couple of times to cool it slightly, then vigorously beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each one is completely incorporated before adding the next. (I do this by hand, but some folks prefer to use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.)

Using a pastry bag fitted with a plain ½-inch (1-cm) tip, pipe the choux paste into mounds 1½ inches (4 cm) high on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 3 inches (8 cm) apart. Or, use 2 teaspoons to drop the paste into mounds.

If you want puffs with a shiny glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and milk and brush the tops of the puffs without letting the glaze drip down the sides, which will inhibit rising.

Bake until the puffs are golden brown on the tops and sides, 25 to 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and let them rest in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and poke each puff in the side with a paring knife so that it releases its steam. Let cool completely.

STORAGE:
Pâte à choux puffs can be stored at room temperature for several hours. I prefer not to freeze them because there is a noticeable difference in quality between fresh and frozen puffs, but if you have leftovers, you can freeze them for up to 1 month and recrisp them in a low oven before serving.

MAKES ONE 12 BY 18-INCH (30 BY 46-CM) SHEET CAKE OR ONE 9-INCH (23-CM) ROUND CAKE

This feather-light sponge cake recipe was given to me by the always-gracious food writer Shirley Sarvis. When I asked her the reason for adding water to sponge cake batter, she replied, “For moisture, of course!” It is indeed a wonderfully moist sponge cake, and I use it in many desserts, including
Coconut Layer Cake
,
Lemon Semifreddo
and
Coconut and Tropical Fruit Trifle
. The cake can be baked in a baking sheet with sides, often referred to as a jelly-roll pan, or in a 9-inch (23-cm) round springform pan.

1½ cups (195 g) cake flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

5 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

¼ cup (60 ml) cold water

1 cup (200 g) sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly butter just the bottom of a 12 by 18-inch (30 by 46-cm) rimmed baking sheet or 9-inch (23-cm) springform pan with sides at least 2 inches (5 cm) high. Line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper.

Into a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whisk together the egg yolks and water on high speed for 1 minute. Decrease the speed to medium, add the sugar and vanilla, then increase the speed to high and continue to whisk until the mixture forms a ribbon when the whip is lifted, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a clean, dry bowl and with a clean whip attachment, whisk the egg whites on high speed in the stand mixer until they form stiff peaks.

Using one hand, gradually sift the flour mixture over the beaten yolks, and using a whisk with the other hand, fold it in. (Setting the bowl on a damp towel will help steady it while you sift and fold.) When the flour is completely incorporated, use a rubber spatula to fold in one-third of the whipped egg whites to lighten the batter, then fold in the remaining whites.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet or springform pan and quickly spread it in an even layer. Bake until the cake is browned and the center springs back when gently pressed with a finger, 15 to 18 minutes in a baking sheet or 40 to 45 minutes in a cake pan. Let cool in the pan.

Run a knife around the sides of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Invert the cake onto a cutting board or large plate.

STORAGE:
The cake will keep at room temperature for 3 days, or in the freezer for 1 month.

VARIATIONS:
You can add the grated zest of 1 lemon or orange to the batter along with the egg whites. Instead of the vanilla extract, you can use ½ teaspoon almond extract.

MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP (250 ML), ENOUGH FOR ONE 12-INCH (30-CM) GALETTE

A thin layer of frangipane baked under a pinwheel of sliced fruit in a tart shell crust not only adds richness and the flavor of almonds to complement the sweet-tangy fruit, it also helps keep the tart shell crisp because it acts as a barrier between fruit juices and the pastry.

Almond paste is available in the baking aisle of supermarkets. It is not marzipan, which has more sugar and is usually used for modeling and shaping.

4 ounces (115 g) almond paste, crumbled

1½ teaspoons sugar

1½ teaspoons all-purpose flour

⅛ teaspoon almond extract

6 tablespoons (3 ounces/90 g) unsalted or salted butter, at room temperature

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 teaspoon rum, kirsch, or Calvados (optional)

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the almond paste, sugar, flour, and almond extract until the almond paste is in fine pieces. Add the butter and mix until completely incorporated, then add the egg and rum, kirsch, or Calvados, if using, and continue mixing until the frangipane is as smooth as possible. Don’t worry if there are a few tiny bits of almond paste; they’ll disappear with baking.

STORAGE:
Frangipane will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. For easier spreading, bring it to room temperature before using.

VARIATIONS:
To make
PISTACHIO FRANGIPANE
, substitute pistachio paste (see
Resources
) for the almond paste.

To make
BOSTOCK
(a snack made by frugal French bakers with leftover frangipane), spread slices of day-old eggy bread, such as brioche or challah, or a firm-textured sandwich bread, with a thick layer of frangipane—about ⅓-inch (8-mm) thick. Sprinkle with sliced almonds, and bake in a 425°F (220°C) oven until the frangipane is crusty and deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, alone or with a fruit compote.

MAKES ABOUT 2½ CUPS (625 ML)

One of the basics in any baker’s repertoire is
crème pâtissière,
or pastry cream. Though the word “cream” appears in its name, there is, in fact, no cream in pastry cream. Cooking egg yolks and milk with a bit of flour creates a smooth, rich custard that looks and tastes as if it were made with cream.

Pastry cream is used as the base for many soufflés. It can also be spread in a
prebaked tart shell
and topped with fresh fruit to make a seasonal fruit tart, or piped as a filling into
pâte à choux puffs
that are then smothered in warm
Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce
.

6 tablespoons (60 g) all-purpose flour

½ cup (100 g) sugar

Pinch of salt

2 cups (250 ml) whole milk

6 large egg yolks

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons (1 ounce/30 g) unsalted or salted butter

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.

In a medium saucepan, warm the milk until it begins to steam. Whisk in the flour mixture and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming, until the mixture is thick and beginning to bubble, 1 to 2 minutes.

In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks. Whisk in some of the hot milk mixture to warm them, then scrape the warmed yolks back into the thickened milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until the pastry cream just begins to boil.

Remove from the heat, whisk in the vanilla and the butter until melted, and pour the pastry cream through a mesh strainer into a shallow container. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

STORAGE:
Pastry cream will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

VARIATION:
Add 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, to the milk before warming it. After straining,
the pod
can be rinsed, dried, and used for another purpose).

To make
CITRUS PASTRY CREAM
, grate the zest of 2 lemons or limes into the warm milk and let steep for 15 minutes. Make the pastry cream as indicated (with our without the vanilla extract) and let cool. Stir 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice into the cooled pastry cream.

MAKES 2½ CUPS (625 ML)

I’ve seen fights break out among pastry chefs over what constitutes crème anglaise, so I’ll stick with the classic. This versatile custard sauce isn’t so rich that it overwhelms, but it is smooth enough to provide a creamy, luxurious component to desserts such as cakes and cobblers. Although not traditional, try a pour of crème anglaise in a bowl of fruit sorbet—the silken richness is a spot-on counterpoint to the icy scoop.

2 cups (500 ml) whole milk

6 tablespoons (75 g) sugar

Pinch of salt

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

6 large egg yolks

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Make an ice bath by nesting a medium metal bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice water. Set a mesh strainer across the top.

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, and salt. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add them to the saucepan, then drop in the pod. Warm the mixture, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks. Whisk in some of the warmed milk mixture, then scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the custard is thick enough to coat the spatula. Don’t let the mixture boil.

Immediately strain the custard through the mesh strainer into the chilled bowl. (The
vanilla pod
can be rinsed, dried, and used for another purpose.) Add the vanilla extract and stir the crème anglaise with a clean spatula to help cool it down. Once cool, cover and refrigerate.

SERVING:
Crème anglaise should always be served cold. I like to chill it in a pitcher, bring the pitcher to the table, and allow guests to help themselves.

STORAGE:
Crème anglaise will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

VARIATION:
Instead of infusing the milk with a vanilla bean, in its place, use 4 to 6 crushed cinnamon sticks, 1¼ cups (100 g) coffee beans, or the grated zest of 3 oranges or 4 lemons; omit the vanilla extract.

If you like, you can spike the cooled custard with 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) of spirits such as Cognac, rum, or Grand Marnier.

MAKES ABOUT 3½ CUPS (875 ML)