Cristina Ferrare's Big Bowl of Love
Page 18
Crust
9 whole graham crackers
12 ginger snap cookies
½ cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
3 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into chunks
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
1 (15-ounce) can plain pumpkin
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Put an oven rack in the lower-middle part of the oven. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
To make the crust, in a food processor, combine the graham crackers, ginger snap cookies, pecans, sugar, ginger, and cinnamon. Process until evenly ground. Add the melted butter and process for 5 to 8 seconds. Turn the crumbs into the prepared springform pan, and spread the crumbs into an even layer using your hands and pressing gently. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
When the crust is cool, wrap the outside of the pan with two 18-inch square pieces of foil, and set the springform pan in a roasting pan.
To make the filling, in a food processor, process the cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, processing after each addition. Add the cream and pumpkin, and process until well blended. Add the vanilla and lemon juice. Pour the filling into the crust, and spread evenly. Tap the pan on the counter 4 to 5 times to remove air bubbles.
Place the cheesecake in the roasting pan, and place the roasting pan in the oven. Quickly fill the roasting pan with water halfway. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the top is set. To test, insert a toothpick; if it comes out clean, the cake is done. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, and place it on the counter to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight.
To release the cake from the springform pan, run a knife under warm water, and run the knife all around the cheesecake to loosen the sides. Release the sides of the springform, and gently lift it away from the cake. Slice and serve with fresh whipped cream.
PHYLLO CUPS WITH
GREEK YOGURT, FRESH
PEACHES, AND HONEY
6 SERVINGS
This is a very versatile dessert because you can use any kind of fruit you prefer in the recipe. I make mine with Greek yogurt and fresh peaches, but you can substitute your favorite ice cream, frozen yogurt, or sorbet.
Butter-flavored cooking spray
1 (3 ½-ounce) package phyllo dough
½ cup Greek yogurt
3 medium ripe fresh peaches, pitted, skinned, and cut into 1-inch pieces
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
12 small fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons honey
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 6-cup muffin tin generously with cooking spray.
Remove 6 sheets of phyllo from the package, and cover them with a kitchen towel to keep them from drying out. Store the rest of the phyllo in the refrigerator.
Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough on a work surface, and keep the remaining sheets covered with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out. Spray the sheet lightly with cooking spray. Cut the sheet into 5 (6-inch by 6-inch) squares. Place 1 square gently inside a muffin cup, and press the bottom to fit into the cup. Lay the other 4 squares in the muffin cup at different angles until all 5 have been gently pressed in. The ends of the phyllo dough will be taller than the cup and should overlap. Repeat the process for the other 5 muffin cups.
Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before trying to lift the cups from the muffin tins. Gently lift the phyllo cups and place on a platter. Fill each to the top with yogurt. Add half a peach, and sprinkle with teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of chopped walnuts, 2 mint leaves torn into small pieces, and 1 teaspoon of honey.
MELON MEDLEY WITH
LEMON SORBET, COOL
AND REFRESHING
6 SERVINGS
In the summer, there is nothing more satisfying than melons at the peak of flavor. I can eat melons all day long—and I do! I love to mix my melons together and serve them for breakfast, snacks, and desserts. I often eat cut-up melons with creamy Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey over the top for breakfast. I also like to puree it with ice, fresh orange juice, and frozen yogurt to make a great fruit smoothie. Kids love it!
Here is a recipe for a light and refreshing snack or dessert that’s very simple.
3 cups seedless watermelon
1 ripe cantaloupe, cut in half and seeded
1 crenshaw melon, cut in half and seeded
2 cups fresh orange juice
½ cup fresh mint
6 scoops lemon, lime, or orange sorbet
Cut up all the melons with a melon baller and place in a glass bowl. Add the orange juice, and mix well. Sprinkle with fresh mint, and mix. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Serve with lemon, lime, or orange sorbet or your favorite fruit sorbet. Frozen vanilla yogurt also works well.
STRAWBERRY
SHORTCAKE
4 TO 6 SERVINGS
When strawberries are in season, this is my family’s favorite dessert. Here are a few suggestions for tender shortcakes. First, make sure your butter is cold (after I’ve cubed the butter, I like to stick it in the freezer for 5 minutes). Second, don’t overwork the butter into the dry ingredients. Third, after adding the wet ingredients into the dry, mix just until the dough has come together (you will have a tough cake if you handle the dough too much). Finally, when you use the cookie cutter, do not twist it into the dough (twisting seals the edges, and the cake will have trouble rising; you want your shortcakes to be high, fluffy, and flaky).
Strawberry coulis and whipped cream
2 quarts fresh strawberries, hulled, washed, and sliced
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup water
2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Shortcake
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
½ stick (4 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cubed (keep in the refrigerator until ready to use)
½ cup heavy cream
cup plain yogurt
2 quarts fresh strawberries, hulled, washed, and sliced
1 tablespoon lemon or orange zest
10 to 12 fresh mint leaves
The coulis can be made 3 days ahead. To make the coulis, in a saucepan combine the sliced strawberries, orange juice, and sugar. Bring to a boil, and continue to cook until the sugar has melted, about 5 minutes. Strain through a wire mesh into a saucepan. Mix the cornstarch and water together until smooth. Heat the strained strawberries over medium heat. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Pour into an airtight container and place in the refrigerator to chill (the coulis should be served cold).
To make the whipped cream, combine the whipping cream and vanilla in mixing bowl of a mixer fitted with a wire whisk. Whip until stiff peaks form. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the shortcakes, have all of the ingredients ready. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry ble
nder, and keep cutting until the butter is the size of small peas.
Whisk the cream and yogurt together. Add it to the flour mixture and blend with a fork until the dough comes together. Do not overmix or the dough will be tough. Pat the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Using a 2 ½- or 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut (do not twist) as many shortcakes as you can from the rectangle. Place the shortcakes on the baking sheet. Gently press the scraps together and cut out more shortcakes. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
When ready to serve, slice the shortcakes in half horizontally. On the bottom half, pile on as many fresh sliced strawberries as you like. Pour 4 to 5 tablespoons of strawberry coulis over the top of the strawberries, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon lemon or orange zest, add a dollop of whip cream, and some fresh mint, and top with the other half of the shortcake.
COOK’S NOTE: You can use these shortcakes with blueberries, raspberries, and fresh summer peaches too.
BROWNIES,
RICH AND CHOCOLATY
12 BROWNIES (OR MORE IF YOU SLICE SMALLER)
In my quest to achieve the best results from my recipes, I experiment until I come up with dishes that I am completely in love with. I experimented with these brownies until I literally couldn’t stand the smell or taste of chocolate anymore (I’m okay now).
I don’t like brownies that are cakey, too dense, too intense, chewy, or dry. After many, many attempts, I have come up with the perfect combo—enjoy.
½ cup unsalted butter cut into cubes, at room temperature, plus additional for greasing the pan
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, slightly beaten, at room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup cake flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish with butter. Line the dish with parchment paper cut to fit the pan, and grease the top of the parchment paper.
In a saucepan on low heat, combine the ½ cup butter and unsweetened chocolate. Cook, stirring often, until all of the chocolate has melted. Stir in the sugar and salt. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix, blending well. Add the flour and mix just until blended. Add the semisweet chocolate chips and walnuts and mix to combine. Don’t overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Tap the dish on the counter three or four times to get rid of any bubbles in the batter and to further even it.
Bake the brownies until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean, about 30 minutes. Do not overbake. Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Using a butter knife, gently loosen the sides of the brownie from the baking dish. Invert the baking dish over a plate large enough to hold the brownies, and release them from the dish. Remove the parchment paper. Let cool completely before slicing into squares.
CHOCOLATE VALENTINE
FROM THE HEART
10 TO 12 SLICES
You don’t have to wait for Valentine’s Day to enjoy this smooth, rich, creamy, decadent piece of heaven. When you serve this bit of chocolate heaven, slice off a small portion—not your ordinary slice of cake, because it’s very potent, so be careful; a little goes a long way. I wash it down with an ice-cold glass of milk or on a chilly night with a cup of hot tea or a steamy latte.
Cake
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
cup water
5 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
cup whipping cream
Bittersweet chocolate glaze
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Place a roasting pan large enough to hold the cake while it’s baking on the middle rack (you are going to bake this cake in a water bath). Fill the pan almost halfway up with hot water.
Grease the bottom and the sides of a 9-inch heart-shaped baking pan. Place the baking pan on a piece of parchment paper and trace around the bottom with a pencil. Cut the heart shape out of the parchment and place inside the pan. Grease the top of the parchment paper.
To make the cake, bring a small amount of water to a simmer in a pot that you will use as the bottom of a double boiler. Combine the chocolate and water in a stainless-steel bowl small enough to fit in the pot but large enough that it does not touch the simmering water. Place the bowl over the rim of the pot, and stir frequently until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat, set aside, and allow to cool.
In a stainless-steel bowl small enough to fit in the pot with the simmering water but large enough that it does not touch the water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and salt until blended. Set the bowl over the pot with the simmering water to warm the eggs, for about 1 minute. Whisk constantly; you want to just warm the eggs. Be careful not to let the water touch the bottom of the bowl—you don’t want to make scrambled eggs!
Transfer the egg mixture to a mixing bowl. Using a wire whisk attachment, beat at high speed until the mixture has tripled in volume (about 3 minutes).
In the meantime, using a hand mixer whip the heavy cream until firm and peaks just start to form. Gently fold the cooled chocolate into the eggs completely; then fold in the whipped cream.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and place the pan in the prepared hot-water bath. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack, and let it cool for 25 minutes. Invert the cake onto the wire rack, remove the pan, and gently peel off the parchment paper. Let the cake cool completely; then, using a metal spatula, carefully and gently transfer it from the cooling rack to a plate. Cover with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
To make the glaze, place the chocolate in a food processor and process until finely ground. Pour the chocolate into a ceramic bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. If necessary, place the ceramic bowl over a pan of simmering water to further melt the chocolate and bring the mixture to a smooth and creamy consistency. Add the vanilla and stir.
When you’re ready to glaze the cake, lift it off the plate gently and place it on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Pour the warm glaze over the top of the cake, and spread it evenly all over the top and sides with a knife or rubber spatula, covering the cake completely. The excess chocolate will drip onto the baking sheet. Let the cake set for 10 minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer from the wire rack to a cake plate. Press whole pecans around the outside, or sprinkle chopped nuts over the top and drizzle on your favorite chocolate sauce.
FLOURLESS
CHOCOLATE CAKE
8 TO 10 SERVINGS
This cake is insanely delicious and extremely rich, smooth, and extra chocolaty—a chocolate lover’s dream!
Chocolate cake
¾ cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter cut up into pieces plus 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter for greasing the pan
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
5 large egg yolks, at room temperature (set 3 egg whites aside; save the other 2 for an egg-white omelet)
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon instant espresso, dissolved in ½ cup hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
Chocolate glaze
½ cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
2 tablespoons lig
ht corn syrup
Use half of the 1 ½ tablespoons of butter to grease the inside of an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan. Line the pan with parchment paper; grease the paper with the other half of the 1 ½ tablespoons of butter. Dust with the cocoa powder.
In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, combine the chocolate and ¾ cup of butter, and melt completely. Mix together well and set aside to cool, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Using a mixer with a wire whisk on medium-high, beat the egg yolks, ¼ cup of the sugar, 1 tablespoon of the coffee, the vanilla, and the salt for 3 minutes, until the mixture is pale and thick. With the mixer on medium-low, slowly add the cooled chocolate mixture; beat until well incorporated.
In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites using the wire whisk until foamy. Gradually add the 2 tablespoons of sugar, beating until medium-firm peaks form. Gently fold half of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining egg whites just until no streaks remain.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Spread the batter in the pan. Bake for 40 minutes, until the cake puffs slightly and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out moist. Do not overbake. Cool on a rack for 30 minutes.
Run a butter knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake; then invert it onto a flat plate. Gently lift off the pan and peel off the paper. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour; refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.