2016 Desserts Galore

Fresh Peach Gelato

Milk-cream mixture:

1 ½ cups whole milk

1 ½ cups cream

 

Custard:

3 egg yolk

½ cup milk- cream mixture

7 tablespoons sugar

 

Fruit blend:

2 ½ cups milk-cream mixture

2 cups peaches, peeled pitted and chopped

1 Tablespoon confectioner’s sugar

 

Pour the milk and cream into a 4-cup measuring glass. Set a medium saucepan of water to boil. In a metal mixing bowl, whisk the eggs yolk, ½ cup milk-cream mixture and sugar until smooth. When the water boils, set the bowl over it. Cook gently, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. This happens right before boiling. Don’t let it boil. It only takes about 3 minutes to thicken.

 

In a blender, combine the rest of the Milk-Cream mixture, the peaches, confectioner’s sugar and cognac* if using. Blend until smooth. Chill the cooked custard and the peach- cream mixture. In the fridge until the custard is cold. Then combine custard and peach mixture and freeze in your ice cream maker. Start 2 or 3 hours ahead to serve on the same day, or plan for thawing time if serving the following day.

 

*A tablespoon of liquor can be used to keep the gelato soft after storing.

Serves 6 to 8

 

Black Forest Cookies

(adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)

 

Yield 8 dozen cookies

 

Ingredients:

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

16 oz. bittersweet chocolate (60-72% cacao)

10 tablespoons butter

6 large eggs

1 ¼ cup granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup (6 oz.) white chocolate chips

2 cups dried cherries

 

  1. In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt.
  2. In a medium bowl over a double boiler, melt butter and bittersweet chocolate together, stirring until smooth. Or, microwave using low power at 15-second intervals, stirring between, until melted.
  3. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugars together until mixture looks thick and pale, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and vanilla to the eggs and stir until combined.
  5. Add the flour mixture and stir until flour is just incorporated.
  6. Fold in the semi-sweet and white chocolate chips and dried cherries.
  7. Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight.
  8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  9. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop by rounded tablespoons. Place baking sheet immediately into oven and keep the remaining batter refrigerated between batches.
  10. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies look set and a few cracks appear.
  11. Let cookies cool slightly before transferring to a rack.

 

 

Pear Sorbet

Ingredients:

5 large pears (about 3 pounds), peeled, cored and chopped into chunks. (4 heaping cups.) use only perfectly ripe, fragrant pears for best results.

1 cup granulated sugar

1 lemon

 

  1. Squeeze juice of half the lemon into a bowl of water.
  2. As you work, place chopped pears in the acidulated water to avoid browning.
  3. In a large saucepan, place the granulated sugar and 2 cups of water.
  4. Simmer until sugar is dissolved, stirring often.
  5. Add drained pears and the juice from the other half of the lemon (about 1 tablespoon). Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
  6. Cool slightly.
  7. Whirl pear mixture in blender until smooth.
  8. Pour into a gallon freezer bag, cool and chill in the refrigerator.
  9. At this point, the mixture can be frozen in an ice cream maker or by the following method.
  10. Freeze the mixture by laying the bag on a cookie sheet.
  11. Using a fork, break up the frozen mixture into small chinks.
  12. In a food processor, pulse small batches in 5-second intervals until smooth.
  13. Scoop into a shallow container and freeze.