The Essential James Beard Cookbook (64 page)

Candied violets, for garnish

Put the strawberries into a bowl, taste, and sweeten with 1 or 2 tablespoons of the sugar, if necessary. Add the orange juice and the liqueur and let the strawberries macerate for 1 hour. Transfer the berries to a chilled serving dish, draining off some of the liquid. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a medium bowl until stiff. Spread the cream over the berries and decorate the dish with candied violets. Serve chilled.

DRUNKEN WATERMELON

MAKES ABOUT 12 SERVINGS

Cut a deep plug about 2 inches square out of the top of
a ripe watermelon.
Remove the plug and slowly pour in as much
light rum, brandy, or champagne
as the melon will absorb. Replace the plug and seal with masking tape. Refrigerate the melon for 24 hours, turning it 4 or 5 times to allow the liquor to seep through the pulp. Serve in slices, like ordinary watermelon.

HOT, COLD, AND FROZEN DESSERTS

Soufflé Fritters (Beignets Soufflés)

Raspberry Sauce

Chocolate Soufflé

Ginger Soufflé

Grand Marnier Soufflé

Five-Day Plum Pudding

Apple Tapioca

Flan

Cognac Sauce

Chocolate Mousse

Irish Whiskey Trifle

Ice-Tray Apricot Ice Cream

Frozen Lemon Mousse

Frozen Mocha Parfait

Raisin and Chestnut Ice Cream

Ginger and Macadamia Nut Ice Cream

Frozen Zabaglione

SOUFFLÉ FRITTERS

(BEIGNETS SOUFFLÉS)

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Beignets are simply tablespoons of sweetened and flavored cream puff dough (
pâte à choux
) fried in deep hot fat until they rise into air-filled puffs—the eggs in the dough are the leavening agent. Serve with
Crème Anglaise
or
Raspberry Sauce
.

1 cup water

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon plain salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

2 tablespoons golden rum or brandy

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Combine the water, butter, granulated sugar, and salt in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat the water is just until boiling and the butter is melted. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Dump in the flour all at once and beat vigorously with a wooden spatula until well blended. Return the saucepan to the burner over medium heat and beat the mixture with a wooden spatula or spoon for about 1 minute, or until the mixture forms a mass that clings to the spatula and comes away from the sides and bottom of the pan.

Remove the pan from the heat and let it stand for 5 to 6 minutes. (If you have an electric stand mixer, transfer the dough to a bowl.) The dough should have time to settle and cool slightly before the eggs are added, or the eggs will curdle when added.

Make a well in the center of the dough with the spatula; drop in one egg and beat into the dough until thoroughly absorbed. Beat in the other eggs in the same way, one at a time, until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely absorbed. When adding the last egg, also beat in the rum. (Or, with the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, then, as the eggs become absorbed, increase to high speed, and add the rum with the last egg. Beat only until the dough is smooth and glossy—it should not be overbeaten.)

Heat the oil in a deep fryer with a basket to 370°F. Drop the dough into the hot oil by tablespoons, a few at a time, and fry for about 3 minutes, or just until the beignets puff up and brown. When one side browns, the beignets will turn themselves over. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Just before serving, sift the confectioners’ sugar through a fine sieve over the beignets. Serve hot.

Raspberry Sauce

Makes ¾ cup

Editor: Vibrant red raspberry sauce adds color and flavor to many desserts. Superfine sugar works best, as it dissolves quickly.

Purée in a blender, or push through a fine wire sieve,
two 6-ounce baskets of fresh raspberries
. (If you use a blender, strain the purée through a sieve.) Taste and add
sugar,
if necessary.

CHOCOLATE SOUFFLÉ

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Like the
Grand Marnier Soufflé
, this is made without flour. It is much lighter and more delicate than a chocolate soufflé made with a béchamel base. [See Editor’s Note,
here
.] The basic mixture may also be baked as a
Chocolate Roll
or as “fallen soufflé.”

Editor: As Beard notes, “fallen” is a convenient way to serve this dessert, because you don’t have to rush it into the dining room before it deflates. Let the soufflé cool slightly and deflate for about 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the inside of the mold, and invert and unmold the fallen soufflé onto a serving dish. Sift confectioners’ sugar on top. The soufflé won’t look very impressive, but with the addition of whipped cream, it will taste fantastic.

For the Soufflé

Softened butter and sugar, for the soufflé dish

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon plain salt

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

For the Whipped Cream

1 cup chilled heavy cream

2 tablespoons sifted confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon Cognac, Grand Marnier, dark rum, or 2 tablespoons kirsch

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 1-quart soufflé dish. Sprinkle with sugar, tilt to coat the inside, and tip out the excess sugar.

To make the soufflé: Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot water. Remove the boiler top from the bottom and let the chocolate cool slightly.

Beat the yolks in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until light and lemon-colored, then gradually beat in the granulated sugar and salt until the mixture is very thick, pale yellow, and ribbony, about 3 minutes. Beat the chocolate and vanilla into the egg yolk mixture.

In a clean bowl using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until foamy; add the salt and cream of tartar and continue to beat until they hold soft, unwavering peaks. Fold into the chocolate mixture, first folding in one-fourth of the egg whites to lighten the mixture and then lightly folding in the rest. Pour into the prepared soufflé dish. Bake for 45 minutes—this soufflé needs a longer baking time because of the density of the chocolate.

To make the whipped cream: Just before the soufflé is ready to come out of the oven, beat the cream in a chilled bowl until it has doubled in volume and holds its shape when the beater is lifted. Gently fold in the confectioners’ sugar and Cognac. Put in a serving bowl and serve with the soufflé as a sauce.

GINGER SOUFFLÉ

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Editor: Preserved ginger in syrup was often used in desserts in the days before fresh ginger was available at every supermarket in our nation. If you wish, substitute chopped crystallized ginger, but not fresh ginger, which is too tough for this recipe. Note that this soufflé does not require a collar on the baking dish.

Softened butter and sugar for the soufflé dish

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¾ cup whole milk, heated

Pinch of plain salt

5 large eggs, separated, plus 1 large egg white, at room temperature

½ cup sugar

½ cup drained and finely cut preserved ginger in syrup

Whipped Cream
, for serving

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 1½-quart soufflé dish. Sprinkle with sugar, tilt to coat the inside, and tip out the excess sugar.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour, and cook for a minute without browning. Slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk until the sauce comes to a boil. Cool slightly. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a small bowl, then whisk into the sauce. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce is lightly thickened. Stir in the ginger, and cool slightly again. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Stir one-fourth of the whites into the sauce, then fold in the remaining whites. Pour into a the prepared soufflé dish. Bake at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Serve the soufflé with whipped cream.

NOTE:
If you wish, prepare the soufflé before dinner, except for beating and adding the egg whites. Butter and sugar the dish; have the oven heated to the proper temperature. Then take time to clear the table and prepare it for the dessert course while the soufflé cooks.

Editor: This made-ahead advice applies to all soufflés, including the
Grand Marnier
and
Chocolate
versions. Also, note that this soufflé uses a larger dish than the other two recipes, and therefore does not need a waxed paper or aluminum foil collar.