Ready for Dessert (41 page)

Ganache seems simple, but chef Philippe Givre taught us how to whip these three ingredients into a velvety paste that needed several days of rest before it was ready to be tasted. (It’s worth the wait!) It would take a whole book to explain his technique and a professionally equipped kitchen attached to a chocolate factory to try it out, so for this recipe, I’ve shortened the process a bit.

Of course, to make these truffles, it’s worth seeking out the best chocolate you can find, which, if you’re lucky like I was, might be right next door.

½ cup (125 ml) heavy cream

8 ounces (225 g) plus 5 ounces (140 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

3 tablespoons (1½ ounces/45 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces

3 tablespoons (45 ml) ruby or tawny port

¾ cup (75 g) unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder

In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and add the 8 ounces (225 g) chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute, then gently stir with a spatula until melted. Add the butter and port, then stir until combined.

Using
an immersion blender
, blend the ganache until completely smooth and glossy, about 1 minute. (You can use a whisk or a stand mixer on very low speed, but avoid incorporating air into the ganache; you simply want to make an emulsion, not whip it.) Pour the ganache into a shallow container, cover, and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.

Using a melon baller or two teaspoons, scoop out balls of the chilled ganache about 1 inch (3 cm) in diameter and place them on a large plate; you should have 25 to 30 balls. (If using a melon baller, to get the ganache to release, dip the tool in hot water between scoops and tap out excess water each time.) With your hands, roll each truffle into a not-quite perfect ball, return it to the plate, and refrigerate again until firm, about 30 minutes.

Sift the cocoa into a pie plate or a deep, wide dish with sides. Add the 5 ounces (140 g) chocolate to a small heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir occasionally until the chocolate is just melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.

Gather up some of the melted chocolate with your dominant hand. Pick up a truffle with your other hand and drop it into the chocolate in your hand. Coat the truffle with chocolate, then drop the truffle into the cocoa powder. Repeat with the remaining truffles and melted chocolate. When done, jiggle the dish of cocoa around until the truffles are well coated. Place the truffles in a mesh strainer and gently shake to remove any excess cocoa.

SERVING:
The truffles should be served at room temperature. If refrigerated, let them stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.

STORAGE:
The truffles will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Leftover chocolate and cocoa powder can be reused for another project.

VARIATIONS:
Replace the port with 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of your favorite liquor—whiskey, Grand Marnier, crème de cassis, or dark rum all work well.

You can skip the step of coating the truffles with chocolate and make traditional chocolate truffles that are simply ganache formed into lumpy rounds and rolled in cocoa powder.

MAKES ¾ POUND (350 G), 20 TO 25 PIECES

It was the name of this candy that first won me over, but it’s the taste of this easy-to-make treat that continues to make me smile. Both novice and intrepid candy makers will be happy because this simple confection doesn’t require a candy thermometer or any fancy equipment and it can be made in minutes.

Serve pieces of almond ding as part of a cookie or candy plate, chop it into bits and fold them into just-churned ice cream, or offer some alongside a favorite sorbet. (It goes particularly well with
Simple Cherry Sorbet
Be sure to use flaky sea salt which will provide dramatic bits of salty sparks when you crunch into the buttery caramelized almonds. This recipe is from Cindy Pawlcyn, chef-owner of Mustard’s Grill in the Napa Valley.

1 cup (125 g) blanched almonds (see Tips)

½ cup (100 g) sugar

2 tablespoons (1 ounce/30 g) unsalted or salted butter, cut into pieces

¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt

Lightly oil a baking sheet with nonstick spray or line it with a silicone baking mat.

In a medium saucepan or skillet, combine the almonds, sugar, and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring ever so gently as the mixture begins to darken (vigorous stirring encourages crystallization). Continue to cook, stirring gently, until the mixture is deep amber in color (similar to a cup of coffee with a touch of cream). Gently stir in the salt, then pour the mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet. Avoiding spreading out the almonds except to ensure that they’re in a single layer. Using a heatproof spatula, push any spreading caramel back toward the almonds. Let cool completely.

Once cooled, break into bite-size pieces.

STORAGE:
The candy pieces will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

MAKES ABOUT 1¼ POUNDS (565 G)

It was a happy day when an enterprising midwesterner decided that the surplus of sour cherries could be dried instead of left neglected on the trees. And thus, one of my favorite baking ingredients was born.

But this recipe is eminently adaptable and you can use any kind of dried fruit or toasted nuts that suits you. Diced apricot pieces and cranberries, walnuts and toasted pecans, and roasted cocoa nibs have all found their way into various batches of this bark. I even got really crazy once and crumbled candied bacon into a batch. That one met with a few raised eyebrows, but was gobbled up by all.

1¼ pounds (565 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

½ cup (65 g) almonds, toasted

¼ cup (35 g) shelled pistachios

¼ cup (30 g) dried sour (or sweet) cherries

Flaky sea salt (optional)

Stretch taut a sheet of plastic wrap across a baking sheet.

Add the chocolate to a large heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir frequently until the chocolate is almost melted.

Remove the bowl from the heat, wipe off the bottom of the bowl, then stir the chocolate until completely melted and smooth. Mix in the almonds, pistachios, and dried cherries.

Scrape the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and use a spatula to spread it to the desired thickness. Flick bits of salt, if using, across the top. Refrigerate the baking sheet until the chocolate sets.

Once the bark is firm, break it into pieces.

STORAGE:
The bark should be stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve or it may turn gray and streaky. Remove it about 30 minutes before you plan to enjoy it. It will keep for 1 to 2 weeks.

VARIATION:
To make
ALMOND AND CANDIED BACON BARK
, chop the almonds and replace the pistachios and dried cherries with candied bacon. To make candied bacon, lay 5 strips of bacon on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil (shiny side down) or parchment paper. Sprinkle each strip with about 2 teaspoons light brown sugar. Bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping the strips over midway through baking, and dragging them through any melted sugar that’s collected on the baking sheet. They’re done when they’re mahogany colored. Cool on a wire rack until crisp, then crumble and mix into the chocolate along with the almonds. It’s best to make the candied bacon the same day you plan to use it. Candied bacon bark should be eaten within 3 days.

MAKES 4 CUPS (400 G)

If there’s an easier candy out there, I haven’t found it. When I worked as a pastry chef, I think I made a batch of these every day. And since they’re so easy, why not? (Actually, I pretty much had to since I discovered all the other cooks in the kitchen couldn’t resist dipping into the container when I wasn’t looking.)

Great nibbled on their own, these nuts are also good used in place of the toasted nuts in
Chocolate Chip Cookies
and
Robert’s Absolute Best Brownies
or in place of the almonds in
Pistachio, Almond, and Cherry Bark
. They can be chopped and folded into just-churned ice cream, or sprinkled on top of scoops of ice cream that are sauced with a ladleful of warm
Rich Caramel Sauce
.

1 large egg white

½ cup (120 g) packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon cayenne or pure chile powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups (14 ounces/400 g) pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150° C). Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or oil it lightly.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy, about 10 seconds. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cayenne or chile powder, salt, vanilla, and pecans until the nuts are well coated.

Distribute the nuts in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake until the pecans are well toasted and the glaze is dry, about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Let cool completely, separating the pecans as they cool.

STORAGE:
The nuts will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

VARIATION:
You can substitute walnut halves for the pecans.

MAKES SIXTY 1-INCH (3-CM) SQUARES

With all the recent interest in Spanish cuisine, it’s no surprise that membrillo—Spanish quince paste—has become a global hit. Anyone who has tasted it paired with Manchego cheese and a glass of sherry understands why it’s become so popular the world over.

But that popularity doesn’t come easy: it takes at least 30 minutes of almost-constant stirring to make quince paste. I always wear an oven mitt while stirring with a wooden spatula because the hot mixture occasionally pops and sputters as it thickens.

4 medium quinces (1½ pounds/675 g)

½ lemon, preferably organic

4 cups (1 liter) water

3 cups (600 g) sugar

Wash and rub the quinces to remove any fuzz and leaves and cut them into quarters.

In a medium saucepan, combine the quince pieces, lemon half, and water and cook over medium heat, covered, until the quince is tender, about 1 hour. Remove from the heat and discard the lemon half.

With a melon baller or spoon, scoop out the quince seeds and discard them. Pass the quince pieces and the cooking liquid through a food mill or press them through a coarse-mesh strainer. You should have 3 to 4 cups of purée.

Put the quince purée and the sugar in a large heavy-duty saucepan or wide skillet and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture forms a thick, shiny, solid mass, 30 to 40 minutes. (Be careful as you stir because the hot mixture will sputter and pop.)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or oil it very lightly. Spread the quince paste into a layer ½ inch (1.5 cm) thick on the prepared baking sheet and let cool slightly. Once cooled enough to touch, wet your hand and smooth the surface of paste, then let cool completely.

Using a sharp knife, cut the paste into 1-inch (3-cm) squares. If the paste is sticky, dip the knife in hot water and wipe it dry between each cut.

SERVING:
Serve the quince paste by itself, or with slices of a dry, sharp cheese, such as Manchego or Cheddar.

STORAGE:
Stored in a container in a cool, dry place, quince paste will keep for at least 3 months. Do not store it in a very tightly sealed container or it will become soggy. Some folks layer a bay leaf between squares of the quince paste, which gives it a unique flavor.

VARIATION:
You can make
APPLE PASTE
by using 3 large baking apples (about 2 pounds/1 kg). Cook the quartered apples in 1 cup (250 ml) water until soft, purée them, then cook the purée down to a paste with 2 cups (400 g) sugar and ¼ vanilla bean, split lengthwise.