2 cans Coco Lopez
1 1/2 C filtered water
1 C fresh squeezed lime juice
Zest from two limes
Combine all ingredients in a pitcher. Using an immersion blender, process until smooth and well combined. A blender works well too. Chill mix for several hours or overnight before freezing in an ice cream maker.
Serve sorbet with a tropical fruit compote: diced pineapple, mango, kiwi, papaya. Fresh lime juice, zest, drizzle of honey and a couple squirts of dark rum. YUM.
(makes 16-18 cookies)
1 3/4 sticks butter, soft
2/3 c sugar
1 1/4 C flour
1/3 C sesame seeds
3/4 C shredded sweetened coconut
1/4 sliced almonds, toasted
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter and sugar. Using the paddle attachment, mix until well combined and lightened.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sesame seeds, coconut and almonds. Mix well with a whisk.
Add flour mix to the butter mix. Pulse mixer until combined. Finish incorporating by hand.
Place dough on a lightly floured board. Dust your hands with flour and shape dough into a rectangle approximatey 14” X 5”. Wrap in plastic and chill.
Remove dough from the refrigerator. Allow dough to “warm” slightly. Cut dough into bars about 1/4” thick.
Place cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake cookies in a preheated 325 degree oven. Cook for about 12 minutes, rotate pan, and cook for an additional 12 minutes or until edges are golden. Remove cookies and allow cooling.
Zest from three lemons
1 1/2 C sugar
1 stick butter, soft
4 eggs
1/2 C fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, place sugar and lemon zest. Process until well combined. Add butter and process to mix well. With machine running, pour eggs – one at a time – through the feed tube. Process until smooth. Add lemon juice and salt and process until a smooth mixture results. Place mix into a stainless, heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk constantly making sure mix is not sticking to the bottom edges of the pan. Careful to not use excessive heat. Gentle cooking here. A slight bubbling will occur and the mixture should, when whisked, “hold lines”. This is when you know to stop. Strain curd into a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on top. Refrigerate for several hours before using. Overnight cooling is best. Holds for several days. Dip shortbread in it, serve with berries, smear on a scone, use it as a mini tart filling or as a filling between layers of cake. Thanks to Ina Garten for the recipe. Easy, as most of her recipes are, and a winner. Don’t we all want to be her neighbor? Or Jeffery?
(recipe makes two large loaves or 12 mini cakes or 1 – 9″ cake round)
3 C flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 sticks butter, soft
2 C sugar
Zest from one large lemon
4 eggs
1 t vanilla
3/4 C buttermilk
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well with a whisk.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter. Mix until creamy using the paddle attachment. Add sugar and lemon zest. Mix until well combined and lightened in texture.
Place eggs and vanilla in a portable container. With mixer on medium speed, drop eggs – one at a time – into butter mix. Mix well after each addition.
With mixer on lowest speed, add flour mix and buttermilk alternately beginning and ending with the flour mix. Finish incorporating by hand.
At this point, I often let the batter rest. Press plastic directly on top of the batter and place it in the refrigerator. Portion out later for baking.
Use non-stick baking spray before filling molds. Check out the recipe for Lemon Blueberry Cakes to see the individual baking pans I used.
Place cakes into a preheated 325 degree oven. Individual sized cakes bake for about 24 minutes total. I rotated the cookie sheet after 12 minutes of baking for even cooking. Large loaves or cakes will require longer cooking times. Remember to use the “touch test.” Don’t wait for a golden brown color as this may result in overcooking and a dry texture. “Just set” on top is the key and a slight pulling away from the edges of your baking dish.
Mixed berries with lemon zest, lemon juice and a drizzle of honey. Allow some time to marinate.
Slice off the top of each cake. Spoon on lemon curd and add fresh berries. Place top back. Fresh whipped cream, mint and a dust of powdered sugar makes this cake a sweet treat.
(serves 4)
4 Bosc pears, firm but ripe
2 C dry red wine
1/3 C sugar
2-3 one inch wide strips of orange peel
Juice from one orange
1 cinnamon stick
6 black peppercorns
3 star anise
4 whole cloves
1 – 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into several slivers
Slice off about 1/4 inch of the base of each pear. Leave stem attached. Using a peeler, remove the skin from the pear.
In a stainless steel sauce pan, add remaining ingredients. Place pears into pan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. While simmering, carefully roll the pears around in the poaching liquid for even flavoring. A paring knife easily inserted into the thickest part of the pear indicates readiness. Remove pears to a plate for cooling. Several hours in the fridge or overnight is fine. Strain poaching liquid and store in the fridge too.
For service, place poaching liquid in a sauce pan and reduce over medium high heat until a “syrupy” consistency is achieved. Gently warm the pears in 200 degree oven for 15 minutes or so. Spoon reduced sauce over pears. Serve with a side of Greek yogurt flavored with orange zest and honey.
Serve these pears with “Ultimate Ginger Cookie.” Recipe available on Ina Garten’s website. They are delicious. Careful not to overcook. Here’s a pic to whet your appetite!
(recipe makes 32 medium-sized cookies)
2 1/2 C flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 C brown sugar
1 C sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
1 C crunchy peanut butter
1 1/2 C Heath Bar Toffee Bits
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, soda, powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter, brown sugar and sugar. Mix well using the paddle attachment.
Combine eggs and vanilla in a pourable container.
Pour eggs, one at a time, into sugar/butter mixture and blend well.
Add peanut butter to butter mix and blend until well mixed.
With mixer on low, spoon flour mix into butter mix. Blend until well combined. Add toffee bits and blend in slowly. Finish incorporating with a spoonula.
Using a 1/4 C ice cream scoop, portion dough onto a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick baking spray. Place dough portions into the refrigerator for chilling.
Once dough has firmed up, place the portions onto another prepared cookie sheet for baking. Place into a preheated 325 degree oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove cookie sheet and “thwack” it on the counter. Nice cracks will form. Place the cookies back into the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes. For a chewier cookie, reduce final cooking time by 5 minutes.
Remove cookies and place on a cooling rack. Once cookies have firmed up, place them directly on the rack for further cooling.
Unused dough portions can be frozen for baking later.
(7-8 portions, depends on size of ramekins)
4 C heavy cream
1 t vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out
12 egg yolks
1 C sugar
In a saucepan, add cream, vanilla and vanilla bean (seeds and bean) and bring to a simmer. Bubbles around the edges…no need to boil. Remove from heat and allow to steep for about 15 minutes.
In a bowl combine egg yolks and sugar with a whisk until smooth ribbons form. Careful not to over beat.
Slowly drizzle cream mix into yolk mix while stirring and carefully blend together. Through a fine mesh strainer, pour the custard mix into a pitcher. Place into the refrigerator for a few hours or until cooled. There will be a film on top. Scrape off the film. Pour custard mix into ramekins for baking.
Ramekins need to be placed in a towel-lined Pyrex baking dish. (13 X 9 or larger) Add enough hot water that it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Larger ramekins will yield seven portions. Carefully place into a preheated 300 degree oven and bake for 27 minutes. Carefully rotate the baking vessel and bake for another 27 minutes or until there is a very tight “jiggle”. Remove baking pans to the counter and allow creme brûlée to remain in the water bath. Wait until the water is room temperature before removing ramekins. Place ramekins on a cookie sheet and refrigerate. Once the creme brûlée is cooled, cover them with plastic wrap.
These are best made a day or two ahead.
For burning off, follow instructions in the recipe for Maple Pumpkin Creme Brûlée.
(makes 12-14 servings, depending on the size of ramekins)
Gourmet neighbor to the rescue. Vanilla infused maple syrup. Regular maple syrup is just fine.
3 ½ C heavy cream
1 ½ C maple syrup
1 C pumpkin
1 t vanilla
14 egg yolks
1 t cinnamon
½ t nutmeg
COLOR!
In a sauce pot, combine cream, maple syrup, pumpkin and vanilla. Stir to blend. Place pot on stove over medium heat. While this is warming, combine yolks, cinnamon and nutmeg in a separate bowl and whisk to combine. Once cream mixture is warmed through, remove from heat. (No boiling…just steam rising!) Ladle a small amount of warm cream mixture into the egg mix to temper. Once eggs have been tempered, pour remaining cream mix into yolk mix. Whisk gently to combine. You do not want to incorporate air into the custard mix by vigorously whisking. Just blend well with a gentle hand. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain your custard mix into a pitcher. This takes some patience as the pumpkin pulp slows the straining process down. Just keep stirring the strainer basket to allow the custard to flow through. At this point, the custard can be refrigerated for use later. I have held it for 2 days before cooking.
For baking, custard cups need to be place in a towel-lined baking dish. (Two 9” X 13” Pyrex baking dishes work well.) Pour equal amounts of custard into each cup. (Your choice here on what to use: shallow, deeper, porcelain, Pyrex.) I actually used two different sizes. Just make sure to group same sizes together for baking. Using a toothpick or the tip of a paring knife, pop any air bubbles which come to the surface. Pour enough warm water into the baking dish so that it comes up halfway on the sides of your ramekins. Carefully place baking dish into a preheated 300 degree oven. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate and bake for an additional 20 minutes. At this point, you will be getting close to completion. I pulled out one baking dish, but left the other for an additional 10 minutes. You are looking for the slightest jiggle. I call it a “tight jiggle.” In other words, the custard is almost set. Cooking to the “set” stage in the oven risks over cooking. The “tight jiggle” stage is the point at which the custard should be removed to the counter. It will finish setting up as it cools down in the water bath. Once the water bath feels room temperature, remove custard. Allow for additional cooling (15-20 minutes) on the counter before chilling in the refrigerator. Cover with plastic wrap once custard has chilled.
These hold well for several days. For serving, blot the tops of the custard with a paper towel to remove any surface moisture that has accumulated. Place an even layer of raw sugar on top of the custard. Pour off excess. Torch the sugar evenly until sugar has melted and is a dark caramel color. Allow it to harden for a minute or two before eating. Fanning aides in the hardening process too.
A broiler is another option. Not my favorite. But works. Keep a close eye. For the torch, purchase one at a hardware store. They are inexpensive and the propane canister will last you forever – unless you weld on the side. Avoid “Barbie” torches from fancy cooking stores. Useless.
I apologize for the wordiness of the recipe. Many of you have cooked using a bain-marie or water bath. However, I approach each recipe assuming you have no prior knowledge of the technique described.
Now we’re talkin’.
This did not make it to my neighbor. SO GOOD.
(recipe makes one 10 inch tart)
Crust:
1 C graham cracker crumbs
1 C ginger snap crumbs
¼ C sugar
½ t cinnamon
1 stick butter, melted
Place ginger snaps into a food processor fitted with the steel blade. It will sound like you are grinding rocks. Be patient. Stubborn chunks can be broken by hand.
Filling:
1 – 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
1 can condensed milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 ½ t cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1 t nutmeg
½ t salt
Zest of half an orange
½ t orange extract
½ t vanilla extract
For crust:
Combine both crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Stir to mix well. Add melted butter and continue to mix well. Break apart any clumps. Press crust mix into a 10 inch tart pan that has been sprayed with non-stick baking spray. Use a ½ C measure to press crust into pan. Make sure crust is evenly pressed. Place crust into a preheated 300 degree oven and bake for 12 minutes. (Place tart pan on a cookie sheet to catch butter drips.) Rotate pan and bake an additional 12 minutes.
For filling:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and gently whisk until well blended. Pour filling into prepared crust. Place in a preheated 300 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate and bake for an additional 20 minutes. At this point, turn off the oven. Leave the tart in the oven, door closed, for an additional 20 minutes.
Remove and let cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator.
A dollop of cinnamon whipped cream and you’re set. Thanks to my neighbor for the best cinnamon. Potent, fragrant…wow!
(recipe makes 16 large cookies)
2 ¼ C flour
2 t soda
½ t salt
1 ½ t cinnamon
1 t ginger
¾ t cloves
¼ t allspice
1 ½ sticks butter, softened
½ C brown sugar
½ c sugar
Zest from half an orange
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1/3 C molasses
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and allspice. Use a whisk to mix well.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, brown sugar, sugar and orange zest. Beat well with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Add molasses and continue mixing until well combined.
Spoon flour mix into sugar mix while machine is running on lowest speed. Finishing combining by hand.
Using an ice cream scoop, portion dough onto a cookie sheet for chilling. Once dough portions have firmed up, place them onto a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick baking spray. Place into a preheated 325 degree oven and bake for 12 minutes. Rotate and bake for an additional 12 minutes. Remove to a rack for cooling. Once cooled, glaze away.
Great holiday cookie.
Orange Glaze:
½ C powdered sugar
1 T orange juice, plus a smidge
Combine sugar and juice in a small bowl and stir until a smooth consistency forms. If it’s too loose add more sugar. Too tight, add more juice. It should drizzle nicely off the tip of your spoon.
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