This dessert is my own version of a deconstructed (or reconstructed, as it were) gingersnap cookie dipped in bittersweet lemon curd. It's a ginger cookie crust, filled with homemade lemon curd, and topped with a molasses whipped cream.
It's been awhile since I've made a tart, but every time I do, I think about "Queen of Tarts"--a gorgeous little food and pastry shop in Cape Town, SA that's more than worth a visit (or two).
The Felice Brothers have a new album coming out, "Favorite Waitress," and it features a pretty excellent song I heard about a year ago on a recording from Asheville's Orange Peel. Here's that acoustic version of "Cherry Licorice."
...All she wants to drink is lemon spritzer/ she don't care if the image fits her/ Who wants to spend their time/ choking on lemon rind
Ingredients:
*Adapted from Ina Garten's "Lemon Curd Tart"
Ginger Cookie Crust:
--12 tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and chopped
--1/2 c. dark brown sugar
--1 3/4 c. flour
--1/2 tsp. salt
--1 tsp. ground ginger
Lemon Curd Filling:
--5 lemons
--1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
--8 tbsp. butter, softened at room temperature
--6 eggs
--pinch of salt
Molasses Whipped Cream:
--1 pint heavy whipping cream
--1/2 c. granulated sugar
--2 tbsp. molasses (you could add more or less depending on taste)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
First make the crust. In a food processor, combine butter, dark brown sugar, flour, salt, and ginger. Pulse until the mixture begins to form a crumbly dough. Form into a ball and press into a 10" tart pan. Press dough from the center outward until the interior of the tart pan--bottom and sides--are covered. Cover the crust with aluminum foil and bake for 18 minutes. Remove tart crust from the oven and remove the foil. Poke fork holes throughout the dough and continue to bake uncovered for another 20 minutes, or just until the crust begins to turn a light golden color. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
While your crust is cooling, it's time to make your lemon curd filling. Zest all five lemons.
Then cut the lemons in half and juice them. You should have just about one cup of lemon juice. Pour through a sieve and set aside.
Combine the zest and the 1 1/2 c. sugar in a food processor, and pulse for about 2 minutes. You'll want the zest to be extremely finely ground and completely incorporated into the sugar. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the zest and sugar mixture with the butter until smooth. Add your eggs one at a time and mix at a low speed. Drop in a pinch of salt. Slowly add the fresh lemon juice, continuing to mix at a low speed until all ingredients are combined.
Transfer your curd mixture to a medium saucepan and heat over low for approximately 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until the curd has thickened. Remove it from the heat, allow to cool just slightly, then pour into the cooled crust. Allow the mixture to set for 30 minutes at room temperature and then transfer to the refrigerator.
When you're ready to serve, make the molasses whipped cream. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, combine heavy whipping cream, sugar, and molasses until you have your desired thickness. I like to whisk mine until medium-stiff peaks form. Top your ginger lemon tart with the molasses whipped cream and serve.
Tiramisu is one of those desserts that looks really complicated, but it's actually a treat you can make with relative ease as long as you have a little bit of time on your hands. And it's one of my favorite "desserts served cold." (You know what I mean--cookies and pies often seem best when they're still warm from the oven, but tiramisu is at its most delicious around 38 degrees F.)
Sometimes this sweet treat has raw eggs in it. And while those varieties--like Giada's version, for instance--are delicious, I like to make mine with zabaglione (an Italian custard) instead. In other words, no raw eggs.
This dish takes some time to put together and also needs some time to chill in the refrigerator, so be sure to give yourself a good 6 hours before you want to serve it. Since this dessert is all about the coffee flavor, here's Mississippi John Hurt singing "Coffee Blues."
Ingredients:
--1 package Savoiardi ("ladyfinger" cookies, and you'll need about 30)
--6 large egg yolks, separated
--1/3 c. granulated sugar
--1/3 c. brandy
--16 oz. mascarpone (usually two small tubs)
--1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
--2 tsp. vanilla extract
--2 c. very strong coffee, brewed and cooled
--1/4 c. cocoa powder
--1/2 c. shaved dark chocolate
(Note: you'll need to brew and cool your coffee ahead of time so it's ready to go. You can substitute strong coffee for espresso, but I like to use a French press to make a really strong and flavorful coffee for the tiramisu.)
In a double boiler, whisk egg yolks and granulated sugar constantly until the mixture just begins to thicken. Slowly add the brandy, whisking constantly, until it's combined. Continue to heat mixture, whisking, until you have a creamy, medium-thick custard (about 4 or 5 minutes). Now you've got yourself "zabaglione," or an Italian custard. Cover with plastic and allow to cool in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the mascarpone, vanilla, and whipping cream until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly add the zabaglione to the mixture on low speed until it's combined. Set aside.
In an 8x8 baking dish, place approximately 10 ladyfingers (just so the bottom of the dish is covered). Using a teaspoon, drizzle the coffee over the ladyfingers until they're wet with coffee (you don't want them dripping, but you want them soft).
Next, using a spatula, spread about 1/3 of the cream mixture onto the lady fingers.
Then top with about 1/3 of the cocoa powder and 1/3 of the dark chocolate shavings (by the way, if you like a little less chocolate, you could just use either the cocoa powder or chocolate shavings). Repeat two more times until you have tiramisu! Chill covered in the refrigerator for about 2-3 hours.
Store leftovers in the fridge. This won't keep for more than about 48-72 hours, so eat up!
Have you had the most delicious shortbread in the world? Here's the recipe! Millionaire's shortbread is a popular British treat, and this recipe is adapted from Jennifer Yee's "Billionaire's Shortbread" featured in Food and Wine. In short, it's more decadent than the classic millionaire's shortbread with amber caramel, a rich dark chocolate ganache, and a sea salt topping.
This recipe is more than a little time intensive, so make sure you have several hours to spare if you're going to make it. No doubt, it's worth it. You'll end up with one of the most deliciously rich shortbread confections you've ever tasted. Since it's topped with a thick layer of ganache, it's gotta be served chilled and stored in the refrigerator (don't take it to a picnic).
Do you know the Cleveland bank Rocket from the Tombs? I discovered them on CD in college and found the same collection on vinyl at Normal's in Baltimore a year or two ago. (Rocket from the Tombs was a very short-lived but amazing punk band.) If you don't know them, you should. Here's "So Cold" from a "posthumous," if you will, collection of live and demo recordings from 1974-75 on The Day the Earth Met the Rocket from the Tombs.
Ingredients:
*Adapted from Jennifer Yee's Billionaire's Shortbread
Shortbread:
--1 stick unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
--3/4 c. all-purpose flour
--1/4 c. corn flour
--1/3 c. granulated sugar
--pinch of salt
Caramel:
--1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
--2 tbsp. unsalted butter
--1/2 c. heavy cream
--pinch of salt
Chocolate Ganache:
--16 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
--3/4 c. heavy cream
--1 tsp. vanilla
--coarsely ground sea salt (for topping)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Make the shortbread first. Combine butter, flour, corn flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until a dough forms. Now line an 8" square baking pan with aluminum foil so that the foil comes up over the edges (take two sheets of foil and cross them in the pan). Then line the bottom with a square of parchment paper. Press the shortbread dough into the pan with the palm of your hand and smooth it until it's even. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or just until the edges are slightly golden. The dough will still be slightly soft when it's done. Don't overcook it! Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Now make the caramel. Jennifer Yee makes a wet caramel, but I prefer to make a dry one. Dry caramels (or those made with *just* sugar and no water) are a darker amber color, and I think they go really nicely with dark chocolate and sea salt.
In a medium saucepan, add 1 1/2 c. sugar over medium heat (on the lower side of medium). Let the sugar sit until it begins to caramelize. Don't mix it. Instead, using a spatula, just continue pushing the edges of the sugar down into the pan. You'll see the sugar begin to caramelize and turn an amber color. Fight the urge to mix it! The rest of the sugar will incorporate and caramelize, too. But watch it very closely--once all he sugar has incorporated, it's done--don't let it burn. Turn the heat to low and add 2 tbsp. unsalted butter. Swirl in the butter until it has melted. Now add the heavy cream (be careful when doing this--it splashes) and mix continuously for about 3-4 minutes, or just until you've have a beautifully textured caramel. Swirl in the pinch of salt and remove from heat.
Immediately pour over the chilled shortbread and place in the refrigerator to cool down for about an hour.
Finally, make the chocolate ganache! Place 16 oz. chopped dark chocolate in a medium-sized bowl. In a small saucepan, heat 3/4 c. heavy cream over low-medium heat until it reaches a simmer. Pour over the chocolate and add 1 tsp. vanilla. Let it sit until the chocolate melts almost completely. Then stir until you have a smooth, creamy ganache. Pour over the shortbread/caramel and smooth with a spatula. Top with some coarsely ground sea salt. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours.
Once the ganache has chilled, remove the shortbread from the pan (the foil and parchment should allow you to just lift it up) and cut into squares.
Serve chilled, and store any extra squares covered in the refrigerator.
