The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (103 page)

1 cup milk

¼ teaspoon salt

4 ounces crème fraîche (about ½ cup)

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Process 2½ ounces blackberries (12 to 15 berries), 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a food processor or blender until smooth. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a small bowl; discard the solids. Set the sauce aside.

2.
Butter the inner top inch of 6 6-ounce ramekins; set aside. Whisk together the egg yolks and ¾ cup sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in the flour and milk in two batches each, beginning with the flour. Whisk in the remaining ½ cup lemon juice, the salt, and the melted butter, and set aside.

3.
Put the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed until very frothy, about 1½ minutes. With the mixer running, add the remaining ¼ cup sugar in a slow, steady stream; beat until the whites hold stiff (but not dry) peaks, about 2 minutes. Whisk half the whites into the reserved lemon mixture until combined; gently fold in the remaining whites with a rubber spatula.

4.
Place the ramekins in a high-sided roasting pan or baking dish, and divide the batter among the ramekins, filling each almost to the top. Spoon a few drops of berry sauce onto the cakes, and use a toothpick or skewer to swirl the sauce into the batter. Transfer to the oven; pour boiling water into the pan, a bit more than halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

5.
Bake until the cakes are set and the tops are just starting to turn golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. With tongs, transfer the ramekins from the pan to a wire rack, and let cool 15 minutes.

6.
Meanwhile, beat the crème fraîche in a clean mixing bowl to soft peaks. Serve the cakes warm with crème fraîche and the remaining berries.

honey cake with caramelized pears

MAKES ONE 10-INCH CAKE

To make a dairy-free version of this recipe, substitute margarine for the butter and soy milk for the regular milk. The cake can be made (without the pears) 1 day ahead, and stored in plastic wrap at room temperature.

Unsalted butter, softened, for pan

1¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

¾ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon coarse salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 large eggs

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup packed light-brown sugar

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons best-quality honey

½ cup milk

½ cup vegetable oil

½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

Caramelized Pears (recipe follows)

Freshly whipped cream or nondairy whipped topping, for serving (optional)

1.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 10-inch springform pan. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl; set aside. Mix the eggs and sugars on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale and thick, about 3 minutes.

2.
Whisk together the honey, milk, oil, and zest. With the mixer on low, add the honey mixture to the egg mixture; mix until combined, about 1 minute. Add half the flour mixture; mix until smooth. Mix in the remaining flour mixture. Pour the batter into the pan.

3.
Bake until dark golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge of the cake; carefully remove the sides of the pan. Transfer the cake to a platter. Top with pears. Serve with whipped cream or topping, if desired.

caramelized pears

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

¼ cup sugar

1¾ pounds red Anjou pears, cut into ½-inch-thick wedges (or ¼-inch-thick wedges, if pears are firm)

¼ cup best-quality honey

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sugar; cook, stirring, until almost dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pears; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and just golden, 12 to 20 minutes. Pour in the honey; cook, stirring, until the pears are coated and very soft, 3 to 5 minutes.

lemon–poppy seed lady cake

MAKES ONE 8-INCH 4-LAYER CAKE

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for the pan

3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for the pan

1½ tablespoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1¾ cups sugar

1¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons poppy seeds, plus more for garnish

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1 cup milk

8 large egg whites, room temperature

Pinch of cream of tartar

1 cup chilled heavy cream

1½ cups Lemon Curd (Basics)

Seven-Minute Frosting (Basics)

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter 2 8 × 2-inch round cake pans, and line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment, and dust the bottoms and sides with flour, tapping out excess; set aside.

2.
Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt twice; set aside. In a mixing bowl, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter on low speed until soft. Increase speed to medium; beat until pale and fluffy.

3.
Gradually add 1½ cups sugar; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, poppy seeds, and lemon zest. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the milk; beat until thoroughly combined after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl; beat 10 seconds more. Set aside.

4.
In another mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar on low speed until foamy. Increase speed to medium-high; gradually add the remaining ¼ cup sugar until the peaks are just stiff. Gently fold in the whites; do not overmix.

5.
Divide the batter between the prepared pans; bake until golden and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. To remove the cakes, invert onto plates; peel off the parchment paper, and reinvert so the top side is up.

6.
Make the filling: In a small bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold in the lemon curd; cover with plastic, and refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 2 hours.

7.
Assemble the cake: Using a serrated knife, trim the tops of both cakes to make level, if desired. Slice each in half horizontally to make a total of 4 layers. Brush away crumbs from the tops of the layers.

8.
Place one of the bottom layers on a serving platter; spread with 1 cup lemon filling. Top with another cake layer; spread with 1 cup filling. Repeat with another cake layer and filling; top with the remaining cake layer. Cover the entire cake with plastic wrap, and carefully transfer to the refrigerator, steadying it with your hands to keep the layers from sliding. Chill until filling is firm, at least 2 hours.

9.
When ready to serve, frost the cake and garnish with poppy seeds.

pastiera with strawberry sauce

MAKES ONE 8-INCH CAKE

1 quart whole milk

¾ cup arborio rice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon coarse salt

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1¼ cups granulated sugar

Unsalted butter, for the pan

All-purpose flour, for the pan

3 pounds fresh ricotta cheese, drained 3 hours or, preferably, overnight

3 whole large eggs plus 3 large yolks, lightly beaten

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Strawberry Sauce (recipe follows)

1.
Bring the milk to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the rice, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla bean. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the rice is very tender and has absorbed all the liquid, about 30 minutes.

2.
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in ¾ cup granulated sugar. Cover; let cool, stirring occasionally. Discard the vanilla bean.

3.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour an 8-inch springform pan. In a large bowl, combine the rice mixture, ricotta, whole eggs and egg yolks, and remaining ½ cup sugar. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake until golden on top and almost set in the center, 65 to 70 minutes; cover with foil if starting to brown too much. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack.

4.
When the cake has completely cooled, run a knife around the edge to loosen. Gently remove the ring; transfer the cake to a serving platter. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, and serve with sauce.

strawberry sauce

MAKES 1½ CUPS

1 pint strawberries, hulled and halved

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Combine all the ingredients in a medium nonreactive saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries are soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ABOUT PASTIERA

Pastiera, a traditional Neopolitan Easter “pie,” is actually a type of cheesecake. Though no two recipes are alike, all contain ricotta cheese and a sweetened grain (usually rice or wheat berries), symbolizing spring’s fertility.

cheesecake with poached apricot halves

MAKES ONE 8-INCH SQUARE CAKE

Unsalted butter, at room temperature, for the pan

1½ pounds cream cheese, at room temperature

¾ cup sugar

½ cup sour cream, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

16 Poached Apricot Halves (Basics)

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter an 8-inch-square baking pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper; set the pan aside.

2.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the sugar, sour cream, and vanilla. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the lemon juice.

3.
Fill the prepared pan with the cream cheese mixture. Smooth the top with a spatula. Place the pan in a larger baking pan, and transfer to the oven. Pour enough hot water into the larger baking pan to come halfway up the sides of the smaller pan. Bake until the cake is just set in the center and lightly browned on top, about 35 minutes.

4.
Transfer the cheesecake from the water bath to a wire rack. While cake is slightly warm, after about 30 minutes (it will be harder to unmold once cake has cooled longer), invert onto a platter. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.

5.
To serve, arrange poached apricot halves, cut side down, on top of the cheesecake, allowing the juice to pool on the surface and drizzle down the edges.

hummingbird cake

MAKES ONE 9-INCH LAYER CAKE

Unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 large)

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained