Tag: recipes

sweets

Blueberry Slab Pie

xoD

Welcome back my friends, I hope you haven’t all melted into puddles on the floor in this heat, I know I was certainly close. Leaving the house when it’s 100 degrees outside can be daunting, but if I was going to do it for anything, it would be for margarita ingredients you know? Yes, I realize that this recipe is about blueberry pie, but this is crucial. Last week, I somehow managed to injure my hand while juicing limes, which seems like an achievement even for me, so guess whose electric citrus juicer arrived on Saturday?? Naturally I had to test it out, and used this recipe, which is quite possibly the easiest and most foolproof of margarita recipes. It’s worth noting that my mom thinks this is a little too strong so we add some simple syrup to sweeten hers up, but I’ll leave that decision up to you.

But anyway, let’s talk about slab pies. For those who have no clue what that is, a slab pie is a pie baked in a large sheet pan (with raised sides, of course), resulting in a giant rectangular pie with all the buttery crust and jammy filling of a regular pie, but with THREE TIMES THE SERVINGS. If a regular 9″ pie can serve 8 people on average, a slab pie can serve up to 24 people depending on how big you slice it. If that isn’t your dream come true, then I don’t know what is! And, while we’re on the subject, this would be the perfect dessert for a July 4th BBQ- cut it into large squares, break out the vanilla ice cream, and  BOOM, you’re the star of the party.

This recipe uses my favorite pie crust recipe from Queen Ina Garten, and is filled with a blueberry filling so summery and perfect that it will bring tears to your eyes. While I am awaiting an August trip to Maine for my favorite blueberries, the ones at home worked out just splendidly. One word of caution that I have is in the transfer of pie crust from your rolling mat to your sheet pan. You’re maneuvering a large piece of dough, so I found it helpful to make sure it’s properly floured and folded in half twice to transfer, eliminating the risk of ripping the dough in too many places. Remember to breathe, stay calm, and know that rips, tears, and imperfections are ALSO beautiful! Let’s get baking!!

Serves: 16-24 people
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Bake Time: 1 hour
Total Time: ~2 hours

Pie Crust Ingredients (1 full recipe for top crust, 1 full recipe for bottom crust)
adapted from Ina Garten’s Perfect Pie Crust 

12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced into cubes
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbs white sugar
1/3 cup cold shortening
½ cup ice water

Pie Crust Steps

1. In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, salt, and sugar, then pulse 3-4 times to mix. Add in the cubed butter and shortening and pulse an additional 10 times or so, or until the butter is the size of peas and is evenly incorporated.

2. With the food processor on low, slowly add  in the ½ cup ice water and process until the dough comes together in a ball. Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, and flatten into a disk. Wrap tightly and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Repeat for the top crust.

 

Blueberry Filling Ingredients

5 pints blueberries
1¼ cups white sugar
½ cup flour
Kosher salt
Zest of one lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon


Blueberry Filling Steps

1. Easy-peasy, toss all the above ingredients together in a large bowl, set aside while you roll out the pie crusts.

 

Slab Pie Assembly Extra Ingredients

1 egg
1 tbs water
Demerara Sugar


Slab Pie Assembly Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 400ºF. On a large silpat mat or floured surface, roll out your first batch of pie crust into a large rectangle- make sure you have an extra inch on all sides compared to the size of your sheet pan, so that it can cover the sides. For reference, mine was roughly 10″ by 16″.

2. To transfer the bottom crust to the baking sheet, carefully fold the crust in half vertically, then again horizontally, and place in one corner of the tray. Unfold veeeeeeery carefully, and gently pull into place as needed so that the bottom and sides are covered. Pour in the filling.

3. Repeat the rolling and folding process for the top crust and place into position. Fold the bottom crust over the top crust and crimp all the edges using a fork or your hands. Cut several slits in the top of the pie to release the steam, and brush the entire top with egg wash (1 egg + 1 tbs water). Sprinkle generously with demerara sugar.

One…
Two…
Three!

4. Bake at 400ºF for the first 20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350ºF and bake for an additional 40 minutes, checking every 15-20 minutes or so to make sure the edges aren’t browning too much. If you find that the crust is getting too dark for comfort, cover the dark areas with tinfoil to prevent burning.

5. Cool completely to allow the filling to set, but it can be warmed again for serving! Serve with a scoop of ice cream and enjoy!

xoxoxoxoD

savories

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Caper Brown Butter Sauce and Roasted Vegetables

xoD

Hello! So as promised, I’ve returned with a recipe that’s NOT dessert.  This is one of those recipes that I tried on a whim a few years ago, and it worked out SO well that it keeps coming back. Believe it or not, it was inspired by a recipe from a cookbook we once bought in Disney World. The book is called Kitchen Magic With Mickey (hilarious, I know, but once you try this you’ll see they really weren’t lying!), and it features foods from the Disney locations. As a family in love with Disney World, buying this cookbook was a no-brainer, and it has paid off handsomely.

This dish is a perfect combination of flavors- slightly sweet from the potatoes and honey, savory and rich from the brown butter, with just a touch of acidic kick from the capers. It’s a full meal in just one dish and when you make this for your friends or family, I am telling you they’ll be so impressed.

This meal was much needed comfort food this weekend following the emotional hangover of seeing the love of my life (Harry Styles) in concert on Thursday night. For anyone who doesn’t know who that is, 10/10 would recommend looking him up. For those of you who do know who that is, you’ll understand why I needed to retreat into my pajamas and brown butter sauce to recover for two days straight after standing 20 feet from him!!!! But I digress, we’re here to talk about food and that’s what we shall do. Without further ado, let’s cook!!


Serves: 8-10 people
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Inactive Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes


Ingredients

4 sweet potatoes
2 egg yolks
4-6 cups all purpose flour
1½ tsp kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
2 tbs honey
4 tsp capers, drained
1 lb. brussels sprouts, halved
1 lb. mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste


Steps

1. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and cook until the potatoes are soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain, and allow the potatoes to cool completely before removing the skins. *If you have a potato ricer, this step isn’t necessary, just peel and dice your potatoes, steam them until soft, then put through the ricer until smooth.

2. For those not using a ricer (like me), pull the skins easily off the cooled potatoes and grate them using the smallest side on your cheese grater (I love this trick borrowed from Smitten Kitchen!!!) into a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the potatoes and add the egg yolks, the first 4 cups of flour, and salt.

3. Starting with a spoon, mix the dough until it starts to combine and get sticky, then, switch to your hands and begin kneading the dough until completely incorporated, adding the remaining 2 cups of flour as necessary. The dough should be soft but not sticky.

4. Working in sections, cut off pieces of the dough and roll into long, thin ropes. Slice the ropes into 1 inch pieces and toss with flour to keep the pieces from sticking together. Spread the gnocchi on flour lined baking sheets and chill for at least 1 hour.

5. While the gnocchi are chilling, preheat your oven to 425ºF. Spread the sliced brussels sprouts and mushrooms onto a sheet pan and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the veggies are roasted on the edges.

6. To make the sauce, melt the 2 sticks of butter in a pan on medium high heat. Stir, cooking for 5-10 minutes until the butter is golden brown and smells rich and nutty. Add the honey and capers, and toss in the cooked vegetables, turning the heat down to low to keep everything warm while the gnocchi cooks.

7. While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the gnocchi in batches for 5-6 minutes, then add them directly to the sauce. The beautiful thing about boiling gnocchi is that they rise to the top of the water and remain there when they’re done cooking, so there’s no guess work!

8. Once all the gnocchi are cooked and added to the sauce, toss everything together and serve immediately. Yum!!

xoxoxoxoxD

sweets

New York Cheesecake with Roasted Blueberry Sauce

xoD

Hello! I’m here to talk about cheesecake. Before this weekend, I’ll be honest, I had never made a cheesecake in my life. For some reason, I had it in my head that it would be so difficult and it kept me away for years. But then, after quite some begging from my sweet sister Clare (who’s favorite dessert is a good cheesecake), I obliged for her birthday weekend. I followed a recipe from my newly purchased “Vanilla Bean Baking Book” by Sarah Kieffer, and WOW how cute. There’s an entire page in the back for music to listen to while baking!! Anyway, I used her “Classic Cheesecake” recipe as my guide and got going. To my surprise, it was SO simple and SO rewarding. It bakes up smooth and creamy, with a crisp and buttery graham cracker crust, and it’s perfectly offset by the tart, citrusy blueberry sauce that I added. All in all, a perfect combination for a summery dessert, and I am quite pleased with myself.

I think we’re just about in summer now, and the idea of going to the farm and getting fresh corn and watermelon and greens is almost too much to bear. I feel some corn chowder in my future and I’ve never been more excited. But I’ve also hit a kind of inspirational roadblock, so if there’s anything that any of you feel like seeing, by all means, let me know!

But for now, I’ll keep it short and sweet, and let’s get to the baking!

Makes: 1 9″ cheesecake, serves 10-12
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour- 1 hour 15 minutes
Inactive Time: 5 hours (for chilling)
Total Time: 6.5 hours

Cheesecake Ingredients:
adapted from The Vanilla Bean Baking Book

For the crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (or 14 whole graham crackers, pulsed in the food processor)
¼ cup granulated sugar
5 tbs unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:
2 lbs cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 cups sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
2 tbs unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 egg yolk, at room temperature


Cheesecake Steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 325ºF. If you’re using whole graham crackers, pulse the pieces in the food processor until they resemble fine crumbs. Add to a medium mixing bowl. If starting with pre-made crumbs, start now!

2. Whisk together the crumbs and the granulated sugar until combined. Drizzle in the melted butter and mix until all the crumbs are coated and pack together if you squeezed them. Pour into a 9″ springform pan and pack down the crust firmly using the bottom of a measuring cup or other flat utensil. I spread most of the crust on the bottom and some up the side of the pan, but if you like a thicker crust, feel free to put less on the sides. Bake the crust for 10 minutes until slightly crisped and golden.

3. Once the crust has cooled, wrap the sides of the pan with aluminum foil (shiny side facing out) to keep the sides of the cake from browning during baking.

4. Meanwhile, whip the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl 2 or 3 times during the process to make sure that everything is completely smooth.

5. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed, scraping the bowl down 2-3 times as well. Then, add in the sour cream, vanilla, and salt, and beat until incorporated. Drizzle in the melted butter on low speed.

6. With the mixer running on medium, add the eggs and the egg yolk one at a time, mixing until combined after each addition. At this point, scrape down the bowl again to make sure that the bottom and sides are all evenly mixed.

7. Pour the filling over your cooled crust and smooth out the top if necessary. Tap the pan on the counter until all the air bubbles rise to the surface- it will take a few tries, there are a lot of bubbles!

8. To bake, place the tin foil wrapped pan in a large roasting tray. Create a water bath by pouring boiling water into the roasting tray so that it reaches about halfway up the springform pan. This will keep the cake moist and prevent any cracks during baking. *Tip- it’s easiest to place the roasting tray on the rack of the oven with the springform pan already in it, and pour the water in then, so that you’re not juggling a tray of boiling water and cheesecake batter into a hot oven!

9. Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour without opening the door. After 1 hour is up, check the cake. If the outer 3 inches or so are set and the middle is still slightly jiggly, then you’re finished. If this is not the case, bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. At this point, turn the oven off and open the door just slightly, and allow the cake to cool here for 30 minutes.

10. Remove from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack. Run a thin knife around the outside of the cake to loosen it from the pan before cooling, then allow to cool completely. Once the cake is cooled, cover the top with a piece of parchment paper and chill in the fridge for 5-6 hours or overnight.

11. To remove, run your knife around the edges once more, then carefully remove the outside ring of the springform pan. Slice the cakes into desired sizes and top with a generous portion of the roasted blueberries (recipe immediately below). Yay!


Roasted Blueberry Sauce Ingredients:

2 cups blueberries
3 tbs granulated sugar
Zest of ½ lemon


Roasted Blueberry Sauce Steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 425ºF. Place the blueberries in a shallow roasting dish and sprinkle the sugar and lemon zest over the top. Mix to combine.

2. Roast the blueberries for 15 minutes until they are just beginning to burst. Stir the berries around 2-3 times during the roasting to make sure everything is cooking evenly.

3. Allow to cool slightly before serving. This would also be delicious on top of ice cream, pound cake, cocktails, you name it!

xoxoxoxoxoD

 

 

sweets

Tart Cherry Clafoutis

xoD

Alright folks, I’m here to talk to you about clafoutis. If you’re not familiar with what that is, it’s a type of baked French dessert with a thin, eggy batter that bakes into a custard-y cake studded with the fruit of your choice. This was my first attempt at clafoutis and let me tell you, I am a changed woman. The recipe I followed, which you can find here, used pitted sweet cherries, but because I had 2 jars of tart cherries I decided to try those out instead and let me tell you I was not disappointed. A generous sprinkling of sugar caramelizes into a crisp, top layer, while the vanilla-almond scented batter is perfectly offset by the slight sourness of the cherries.


It reminds me slightly of a more substantial Dutch Baby, and I am not joking when I say this was the easiest baking project I have ever undertaken. You have 50 minutes total? You can make this, and 45 of those minutes are spent baking anyway. It’s crucial that the batter is completely mixed without lumps, so the entire thing should be blended before baking, preferably with an immersion blender, but it can also be done in a regular blender as well, never fear!

I know this picture doesn’t do it justice, but i needed everyone to see how thin it baked up and the LAYER of custard it produces.

I think I’m finally off my rhubarb kick, so thank you all for sticking with me! I also realized that it’s been ages since I’ve posted a savory recipe and for that I apologize, I find myself cooking the same meals lately (I’ve been in a bit of a dinner rut), and branching out more into baked goods. The good news is that with the warm months comes fresh produce, so some new dishes will be coming soon, never fear! But until then, I really suggest that you bake this dish up at your earliest convenience, most fruits can be substituted for the tart cherries, and it becomes the easiest (but also still impressive) dessert.
Let’s get baking!

Makes: 10-12 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 50-60 minutes

Ingredients
Adapted from “David Lebovit’s Cherry Clafoutis” on Food52
2¼ cups (1¼ lbs) pitted cherries, I used tart, but sweet will also do! (Can also be done with berries, pears, peaches, etc.)
3 eggs, room temperature
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract
½ cup + 3 tbsp white sugar, divided- ½ cup is in the batter, remaining tablespoons go on top for baking
1 1/3 cups milk
Softened salted butter, for greasing the dish

Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 375ºF and generously grease a 2 quart baking dish (mine was roughly 9″x13″). When I say generously I really do mean it, I thought I had done enough and there was still some sticking in the corners.

2. If your cherries are fresh, wash and pit them, or if they are jarred in juice, drain. Spread the pitted cherries on the bottom of the dish evenly, but don’t obsess over it because they will shift when the batter is poured in.

As a side-note, look at this fun summer tablecloth!!!!

3. In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, flour, vanilla and almond extracts, white sugar, and milk. Using the aforementioned immersion blender (or regular blender), blend this batter thoroughly until smooth, so that all the ingredients are fully incorporated.

4. Pour the batter over the cherries and sprinkle the top with the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar.

5. Bake for 45 minutes until the top is brown and crisp, and a knife comes out ~mostly~ clean.

This can be served warm, room temperature, or cold, with ice cream, whipped cream, but it’s also perfect on its own!
xoxoxoxoD

 

 

sweets

Rhubarb Snacking Cake

xoD

HELLO! I bet you thought I was done with the rhubarb recipes, huh? Well, I’m sorry to report that since I have a combination of no self control and no concept of how much rhubarb is too much rhubarb, I bought about 12 stalks too many and they are currently taking up more of the fridge than is convenient. So, until such time as I find recipes for all of it, the winners will undoubtedly find their way here. Today’s recipe is a slightly adapted version of this one from The New York Times. That recipe uses the name “quick bread”, but in my opinion, this turned out with more of a cakey texture, hence my renaming it to a snack cake. In addition to the name change, I switched out lemon zest for the orange zest (I know that might be weird, but I don’t love the rhubarb and orange combo), and sprinkled the top with some turbinado sugar for a nice crispy lid.

The result is a wonderful mix of bright lemon, caramelized sugar, and tart rhubarb, which bakes into little pockets with an almost jam-like texture. It is delicious on its own with a nice cup of tea, served warm with some butter or a light confectioner’s sugar glaze, but could also benefit from a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream or a quick toasting. ALSO, this recipe can actually serve as a base for any number of other fruits, including blueberries, strawberries, or peaches.

Now I’d like to tell you that by this time next week I’ll be off my rhubarb kick, but I’m afraid to make that promise so I guess we’re just going to have to see. I hope you stick with me while I ride this out. Now let’s get to it!

 

Ingredients
(adapted from The New York Times “Rhubarb Quick Bread”)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus more for greasing the loaf pan
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tbs lemon zest (if you’re really tied to the orange zest, it can be substituted here)
1/3 cup whole-milk yogurt (this makes for SUCH a moist cake)
2 large eggs
1¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for coating the loaf pan
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp kosher salt
1¾ cups diced rhubarb (about 4 large stalks)
1 tbs turbinado sugar, for topping

 

Steps

1. Begin by preheating your oven to 350ºF. Generously butter and flour your loaf pan. Set aside.

2. In the larger of two bowls (you don’t even need a mixer for this one!), mix together the melted butter, sugar, lemon zest, and yogurt until smooth. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until combined. In the second bowl, combine your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. At this point, thoroughly wash your rhubarb and cut into roughly ½-inch pieces. Add the flour mixture and 1½ cups of the diced rhubarb (saving the last ¼ cup for the top) to the butter mixture and mix until just combined.

4. Spread the batter evenly into your loaf pan and artfully top with the remaining rhubarb and a sprinkling of the turbinado sugar.

5. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the edges are crisp and golden, and a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. And, technically you’re supposed to cool it completely then before slicing, but I was so impatient and it was 10pm and I cut it almost immediately. While I wouldn’t ~really~ recommend doing this because the cake tends to crumble, I have to say nothing really beats the taste of cake still warm from the oven. I’ll leave the choice up to you!

Enjoy!!

xoxoxoxoxoxoD

sweets

Strawberry (and Rhubarb) Shortcakes

xoD

OKAY so I know it’s been ages and I’m terribly sorry. Time once again got away from me and I found myself making some of the same things over again without the motivation to write about them, but we are BACK. I hope everyone’s extended weekends were relaxing and full of guacamole, because mine sure was! I don’t know about you guys, but I love a weekend where I don’t have a single plan lined up. Maybe that’s the grandma in me, but I love waking up on a Saturday and having a leisurely breakfast and taking a stroll around some gardens without worrying about what’s coming next, you know? With the weather being pretty disappointing all weekend, I actually found myself being able to sleep late, spend some time with my sisters, and do some low-maintenance cooking, I truly wish all weekends were like this.

srb10.jpg
Now anyone who knows me knows that I have been obsessing over rhubarb for weeks now, but I’ve been drawing a blank on what to use it for (I’ll gladly take suggestions below, btw). I made a pie, which came out pretty good, but then after that I felt lost as to what should come next. Enter this recipe. I’ve always associated Memorial Day with strawberry shortcake, so when the time came to make dessert for our barbecue it was the first thing that popped into my head. But, since I can never leave anything alone I HAD to change it up, so I reduced down some of my rhubarb and strawberries into a thick, sweet and slightly tart compote and I will probably never make plain strawberry shortcake again.


I used my most trusted biscuit recipe for these shortcakes from the cookbook of the incredible Joanna Gaines because they are truly the flakiest biscuits I’ve ever made, so technically I guess these are more Strawberry Rhubarb Biscuits, but let’s all be real, biscuits and shortcakes are almost identical. Anyway, now that I’ve said biscuits five times in two sentences, let’s just get to it.


Flaky As Heck Biscuit Ingredients
(adapted recipe from Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines)

4 cups self-rising flour
2 tbs baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbs white sugar
3 sticks salted butter, grated (I’m telling you, grating the butter is the KEY)
2 eggs, beaten
1½ cups Buttermilk
*1 egg + 1 tbs buttermilk + turbinado sugar for topping the biscuits

Flaky As Heck Biscuit Steps

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar. Add in the grated butter and mix with your hands or a pastry blender until the butter is about the size of peas and is evenly incorporated throughout the flour mixture.

2. Add the beaten eggs and mix with a wooden spoon until the egg is entirely mixed in.

3. Next, add the buttermilk and carefully mix the entire dough together with your hands until a single large ball can be formed; it should be relatively sticky. If the dough seems too dry, add more buttermilk a tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to overnight.

4. To roll out, generously flour your rolling surface (I use a silicone mat), and roll your dough into a wide rectangle about ½ inch thick. Using a large cookie cutter, cut 20-24 biscuits and lay them side-by-side on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, it’s okay if they’re touching!

5. Before baking, brush with the beaten egg and buttermilk, and then sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown and slightly crisp. Allow to cool full before cutting in half and filling.


Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

Roughly 2 cups (about 6 large stalks) Rhubarb, chopped
¾ cups white sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
1 tsp cinnamon (if desired, this is optional)
2 lbs. (about 2 cups) strawberries, chopped if large, halved if small

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote Steps

1. In a large saucepan, add the chopped rhubarb, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, and cinnamon, and mix to combine. Cook on medium heat until the rhubarb begins to soften and break down into a sauce, about 5-7 minutes.

2. Once the rhubarb is almost cooked, add in half the chopped strawberries (use the rest to garnish the shortcakes with) and cook for 5 more minutes, until the strawberries become slightly soft. Set aside to cool until serving.


Whipped Cream Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
2 tbs white sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Whipped Cream Steps

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, whip together the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract until thick but still scoop-able, about 1-2 minutes on medium speed.

Serving Suggestion

1. To serve, cut each biscuit in half and top with the compote, fresh strawberries, and a heaping spoonful of whipped cream. Repeat 2 or 7 times. YUM.


xoxoxoxoxoxD

 

 

 

sweets

Creme Brûlée with Rhubarb Coulis

xoD

Hello! Let me start of this post by wishing all the moms a very happy belated Mother’s Day, I hope your days were full of flowers and good food! It was a gloomy day here, I’m talking chilly and on/off rainy all afternoon, so it was a perfect day to stay in and take on some big cooking endeavors. My mom does so much for me and my family that the least I could do was make a fancy dinner, right? That’s how I best express my love, in slow-cooked french stew and desserts. Our menu was Beef Bourguignon, a recipe that can be found here, and these gorgeous creme brûlées. For those of you know have been keeping tabs (I know everyone is SO interested), I finally got some butane for my kitchen torch and this was the first recipe on my list.


Now I have ALSO been awaiting the arrival of rhubarb at the local farm for ages, and yesterday morning I showed up prepared to fight off anyone who tried to take more than me. As luck would have it, there was a table FULL of it and I confidently grabbed two large bunches, some for this recipe, and some for a pie later this week- I am on rhubarb lockdown here you guys!! So anyway, when brainstorming how to somehow use rhubarb and also make creme brûlée, I came across a recipe that used raspberry coulis on the bottom and custard on top, and I knew immediately that this was it. Substitute the raspberry for rhubarb, and the tartness is a perfect compliment to the richly sweet custard.

In all seriousness, I was crazy proud of how these came out, and they’re surprisingly easy to do. It’s mostly assembling the parts, and the hardest part will be using the kitchen torch. I found that some came out better than others, but it’s a learning process and you’ll soon be able to tell what amounts of sugar feel right and the height of the flames, etc. But I believe in you and this is going to go great! Let’s get to it!

*Recipe adapted from this recipe from Food Network*

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes- 1 hour
Total Time: ~1 hour 30 minutes

Rhubarb Coulis Ingredients

Approximately 4 cups (about 6 stalks) rhubarb, chopped
½ cup water
2/3 cup sugar

 

Rhubarb Coulis Steps

1. In a heavy-bottom saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Add in the rhubarb and turn the heat down to medium-high.

2. Cook until the rhubarb softens and the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.

3. Transfer to a glass bowl and allow to cool completely. While this is cooling, let’s make the custard!

 
Vanilla Bean Custard Ingredients

4 cups heavy cream
2 cups half-and-half
½ tsp kosher salt
1 tbs vanilla bean paste (or 2 vanilla beans, scraped + the pods, or 1 tbs vanilla extract)
16 egg yolks (I know, I’m sorry- make sure to save the egg whites for THESE!)
1 cup granulated sugar

Vanilla Bean Custard Steps

1. In a large saucepan, add the cream, half and half, salt, and vanilla (plus the pods if you’re using whole vanilla beans). Bring this mixture to a boil over medium heat, then remove and cover while you prepare the eggs.

2. In a large glass bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar until the mixture is pale yellow in color.

3. Slowly drizzle the hot cream into the egg mixture, whisking the whole time to make sure the eggs don’t cook! Strain the mixture through a sieve into another glass bowl.

 

Creme Brûlée Assembly

1.  Begin by preheating your oven to 300ºF, and make sure you position the rack in the center position. Place your ramekins in a large tray or roasting pan with sides.

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2. Start by filling each ramekin with 2 tablespoons of the rhubarb coulis (or enough to evenly cover the bottom). Carefully ladle the custard on top, filling almost to the top.

3. Next, create a bain-marie by filling the roasting pan around the ramekins with boiling water, but be careful not to get the custards wet! The water should reach about two-thirds of the way up on each.

4. Bake the custards for 55 minutes to 1 hour, until the custard is set but still slightly jiggly. When finished, remove from the roasting pan and allow to cool completely, at least 3 hours.

5. When the time comes to brûlée them, evenly coat the top of each custard with a scant tablespoon of white sugar- you don’t want too much sugar on top because it will burn more easily, but you do want enough to make that classic crunchy top.

6. Using a kitchen torch, brûlée the sugared top of each custard until it turns an even golden brown. Allow to cool for a minute so that the sugar can harden completely before eating. When the time comes, prepare your spoons and crack those perfect shells.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxD