The Epicurious Cookbook (15 page)

Authors: Tanya Steel

BOOK: The Epicurious Cookbook

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MAKE LEMON ICE CREAM

1.
Transfer the ice cream to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 30 percent power in 10-second intervals, stirring, until softened, about 50 seconds total. Or allow the ice cream to soften at room temperature.

2.
Stir in the lemon zest and juice. Spread the ice cream thinly in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and freeze while making the compote and sandwich layers.

MAKE BLUEBERRY COMPOTE

1.
Cook the blueberries, sugar, and zest in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, thoroughly crushing the blueberries with a potato masher, until juices are released and sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.

2.
Stir together the lemon juice and cornstarch, then stir into the blueberry mixture. Boil, stirring, 1 minute; mixture will thicken.

3.
Transfer the blueberry compote to a bowl and chill until cold, about 1 hour. Discard the lemon zest.

MAKE SANDWICH LAYERS

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F, with rack in the middle. Butter 2 (8-inch) square baking pans and line with foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang on each side, then butter the foil.

2.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat together the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. At low speed, add the flour mixture in 2 batches, mixing until just combined.

3.
Divide the batter between the baking pans and spread in a thin, even layer with an offset spatula. Bake until golden brown but still tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely in pans, about 30 minutes.

ASSEMBLE SANDWICHES

1.
Let ice cream soften for 5 minutes, then dollop tablespoons of blueberry compote on it and swirl it gently through the softened ice cream with a spoon. Spoon all of the ice cream over one sandwich layer (in pan) and spread evenly using a clean offset spatula. Invert the second sandwich layer over the ice cream, pressing gently to form an even sandwich. Wrap the baking pan in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.

2.
Transfer the frozen sandwich to a cutting board using the overhang. Trim the edges if desired, then cut into 8 pieces.

“I turned the blondies into brownies with a few tablespoons of cocoa, used vanilla ice cream, and tossed a bunch of frozen raspberries into the middle as well. Make the brownies in a cookie sheet with parchment—it’s relatively simple. They get rave reviews.”

A cook, Canada

do ahead:

The
ICE CREAM SANDWICHES
can be made 1 week ahead and frozen in pan, wrapped in plastic wrap and then in foil. Cut before serving.

frozen lemon ginger snap pie

This mix of refreshing lemon and spicy ginger snaps in the form of a frosty, zesty pie is perfect for spring parties. The ginger snap crust is ridiculously easy. Consider topping the pie’s creamy citrus with a sweet dash of raspberry sauce.

YIELD: MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS

FOR CRUST

1½ cups finely crushed ginger snaps (6 ounces)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons sugar

FOR ICE CREAM

1½ cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest

⅛ teaspoon salt

6 large egg yolks

⅔ cup fresh lemon juice

Lemon slices, for garnish

Special equipment: 10-inch ceramic pie plate; ice-cream maker

MAKE CRUST

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.
Toss together the cookie crumbs, butter, and sugar with a fork until crumbs are moistened. Press evenly onto bottom and up the side of a 10-inch glass or ceramic pie plate. Bake the crust in the middle of the oven 7 minutes, then cool on a rack.

MAKE ICE CREAM

1.
Bring the cream, milk, sugar, zest, and salt to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Whisk the yolks in a bowl until blended, then add the hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Transfer the custard back to the saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat back of a spoon and mixture registers 175° to 180°F on an instant-read thermometer, 3 to 5 minutes (do not let boil). Immediately pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, then stir in the lemon juice.

2.
Cool the custard to room temperature, stirring occasionally, then chill, its surface covered with a round of wax paper, until cold, about 3 hours. Freeze the custard in an ice cream maker, following manufacturer’s directions.

3.
Spread the ice cream evenly in the crust and wrap the pie plate in wax or parchment paper, then in plastic wrap. Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.

4.
About 20 minutes before serving, put the pie in the refrigerator to soften.

“The ginger snap crust was a huge hit, and the lemon was just lemony enough. I would suggest making some extra crust and scattering that over the top of the pie.”

Jsaturley, Concord, New Hampshire

do ahead:

The
ICE CREAM
can be made 2 days ahead of assembling pie. Soften in refrigerator about 30 minutes before spreading in crust. Assembled pie can be frozen up to 3 days.

lemon curd tart
with olive oil

Even if you consider yourself a cook and not a baker, you can manage this recipe from Les Petits Farcis in Nice, France. The shortbread-like almond crust is a pleasingly rich base for the delicate custard. Try using Meyer lemons or adding minced rosemary to the crust.

YIELD: MAKES 6 SERVINGS

FOR TART SHELL

2 tablespoons almonds with skins, toasted and cooled

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

Pinch of fine sea salt

½ stick (4 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 large egg yolk

3½ tablespoons fruity olive oil, preferably French

FOR LEMON CURD

3 large lemons

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 large eggs plus 2 large yolks

½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

2 tablespoons fruity olive oil, preferably French

Special equipment: 9-inch round tart pan with removable bottom; small offset spatula

MAKE TART SHELL

1.
Pulse the almonds with the flour, sugar, and salt to a fine powder in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.

2.
Add the yolk and oil and pulse until just incorporated and a very soft dough has formed. Spread the dough evenly over the bottom and up the side of a 9-inch round tart pan with an offset spatula. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

3.
Preheat the oven to 425°F, with the rack in the middle.

4.
Line shell with foil or parchment and weight it with dried beans or pie weights. Bake the shell until golden brown all over, about 13 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

MAKE LEMON CURD

1.
Grate enough zest from the lemons to measure 1 tablespoon, then squeeze ¾ cup juice from the lemons.

2.
Whisk together the lemon zest and juice, sugar, cornstarch, and whole eggs and yolks in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, and boil, still whisking, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and oil until smooth.

ASSEMBLE TART

Pour the lemon curd into the cooled shell and chill until set, at least 2 hours.

do ahead:

The
TART SHELL
can be made 1 day ahead and kept, loosely covered, at room temperature.

The
ASSEMBLED TART
can be chilled up to 4 hours.

Lattice-Topped Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

lattice-topped
strawberry-rhubarb pie

When strawberries and rhubarb are at the peak of freshness, buy some, if only to make this pie. Be mindful of adding water slowly to the dough to achieve flaky perfection. Depending on the room temperature and humidity, the dough may need less or more water than the recipe calls for.

YIELD: MAKES 8 SERVINGS

FOR CRUST

3 cups all-purpose flour

2½ teaspoons granulated sugar

¾ teaspoon salt

⅔ cup chilled vegetable shortening, cut into pieces

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

About 10 tablespoons ice water

FOR FILLING

3½ cups (½-inch-thick) sliced trimmed rhubarb (1½ pounds untrimmed)

1 (16-ounce) container strawberries, hulled, halved (about 3½ cups)

½ cup (packed) light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

1 large egg yolk, beaten to blend with 1 teaspoon water, for glaze

MAKE CRUST

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Using on/off pulses, cut in the shortening and butter until coarse meal forms. Blend in enough ice water 2 tablespoons at a time to form moist clumps. Gather the dough into a ball; cut in half. Flatten each half into a disk. Wrap separately in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

MAKE FILLING

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the fruit, sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Toss gently to blend.

2.
Roll out one dough disk on a floured work surface to a 13-inch round. Transfer to a glass pie dish. Trim the excess dough, leaving a ¾-inch overhang.

3.
Roll out the second dough disk on a lightly floured surface to a 13-inch round. Cut into 14 (½-inch-wide) strips. Spoon the filling into the crust. Arrange 7 dough strips atop the filling, spacing evenly. Form a lattice by placing the remaining dough strips in opposite directions atop the filling. Trim the ends of the dough strips even with the overhang of the bottom crust. Fold the strip ends and overhang under, pressing to seal. Crimp edges decoratively.

4.
Brush the glaze over the crust; transfer the pie to a baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake the pie until golden and the filling thickens, about 1 hour 25 minutes. Transfer the pie to a rack and cool completely.

“I baked this pie for my husband’s birthday and used leftover rhubarb, strawberries, and (1½ cups) apricots. It was absolutely delicious.”

do ahead:

The
CRUST
can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling.

key lime pie
with almond crumb crust

Squeezing a half-cup of fresh Key lime juice is quite the upper-arm workout, but the hard labor is worth it. In this recipe the traditional graham cracker crust gets a dose of lightly toasted ground almonds. If you don’t have a food processor, purchased almond flour works just as well. Go with the meringue topping, or replace it with whipped cream for a silky bite.

YIELD: MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

FOR CRUST

1 cup zweiback crumbs or graham cracker crumbs

⅔ cup blanched almonds, toasted lightly, cooled completely, and ground fine in a food processor

½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

¼ cup sugar

FOR FILLING

3 large eggs, separated, the whites at room temperature

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

½ cup Key lime juice (available bottled at specialty food shops) or fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)

⅓ cup sugar

Special equipment: 10-inch pie plate