Dessert

Divina Cucina Panna Cotta
6 Servings

4 cups heavy cream (or substitute half-and-half, or use half buttermilk)
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 packages unflavored gelatin, such as Knox

Soften gelatin over 6 tablespoons cold water.

Heat cream over low heat with the sugar and stir until dissolved. Do not boil. Remove from heat.
Stir in gelatin until melted. Add the vanilla. Pour into glass serving goblets or bowls.

Chill for at least 2 hours. Once firm, top with sweetened berries and aged balsamic vinegar, or lots of shavings of chocolate

Panna Cotta

3 cups (750 ml) whipping cream
½ cup (125 ml) whole milk
2/3 cups (150 ml) sugar
pinch of salt
1 tbsp (15 ml) powdered gelatin
3 tbsp (45 ml) water

In a saucepan, over medium heat, heat the milk and the cream until bubbles form around the edges. Add the sugar and the salt and mix to dissolve. Remove from heat.

In a small heat-resistant bowl mix together the gelatin and the water until soft. Place the bowl over another bowl of hot water to properly ensure the gelatin is dissolved and clear. Whisk the gelatin into the cream mixture. Cool mixture to just warm. Stir occasionally. Pour mixture into ramekins or custard cups and let set at least 6 hours in refrigerator.

To remove from the mold:
Run a small knife around the inside edge of the ramekins, invert them on a plate and remove the ramekins. They are now ready to be topped with your favourite topping mixture.

Chocolate Mousse

6 ounces very good dark chocolate (such as Valrhona, El Rey or Lindt), chopped
3 large eggs, separated
2/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted after measuring
1/4 cup double-strength espresso coffee or 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons Chambord or Cointreau (optional)
Directions:

Melt the chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave or in a saucepan over very low heat. Let cool to lukewarm.

In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the coffee and Chambord just to combine. Then stir in the melted chocolate. Add the olive oil and mix well.

Thoroughly wash the beaters so that they are free of grease. In another medium bowl, beat the egg whites until almost stiff. Gently fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and whisk until patches of white disappear. Repeat, whisking the remaining egg whites into the chocolate mixture, 1/3 at a time, until patches of white disappear. Do not overmix.

Transfer the mousse into a pretty bowl or individual dessert dishes, cover and refrigerate until ready to eat. Serve cold. Makes 6 servings.

Penzey’s Chocolate Pudding for Two or Three

1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup natural cocoa powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups whole, reduced fat or even skim milk (I use 2%)
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

In a heavy saucepan, melt butter and heat over medium just until it becomes fragrant and starts to turn brown. Turn off heat (or remove from heat if using an electric stove) and pour butter in a small cup set next to stove.

In same saucepan, combine all of the dry ingredients. Turn heat back to medium and slowly add the milk, stirring constantly with a wire whisk or a wooden spoon. Bring to a full boil over medium heat. Leave at full boil, stirring constantly for 2 minutes or until thickened . Turn off the heat and add the melted browned butter and vanilla.

Pour into a bowl or 3 individual small bowls. Let cool for about 30 minute at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill.

Serves 3

Note: If you have some waxed paper or parchment, you might want to lay it over the top to prevent a skin from forming. I didn’t have any of either, so I just let the skin form and peeled it off. It was kind of waste of pudding, but cheaper then running to the store for waxed paper.

Chocolate Orbit Cake with Crème Anglaise

One 9-inch cake; 12 - 14 servings

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

6 eggs

1 cup sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 by 2-inch round cake pan, and line the inside with a round of parchment paper.

2. Set a large heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water to create a double boiler. Put the butter and chocolate into the bowl to melt, whisking occasionally.

3. Whisk together the eggs and sugar in another bowl. Thoroughly whisk in the melted chocolate.

4. Pour the chocolate batter into the cake pan. Place it in a larger baking pan, and pour in warm water to reach halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the cake appears to have set and when you touch the center, your finger comes away clean.

5. Remove the cake from the water bath and cool completely before serving, plain or with creme anglaise and shaved chocolate.

Crème Anglaise
2 1/2 cups

1/2 vanilla bean, split

6 tablespoons sugar

2 cups milk

6 egg yolks

Pinch of salt

1. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the milk in a heavy saucepan. Add the vanilla bean pod and the sugar and heat until the milk is warm but not simmering.

2. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath--a bowl partially filled with ice, with another bowl nested inside it. Lightly whisk together the egg yolks in a separate bowl, then gradually add some of the warmed milk, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.

3. Cook over low to moderate heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, always scraping the bottom, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.

4. Immediately strain the cooked custard through a fine sieve into the bowl set in the ice. Stir the creme anglaise with a clean spatula to cool it down. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Crème anglaise will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Chocolate Idiot Cake
One 9-inch (23 cm) cakE

10 ounces (290 gr) ScharffenBerger bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
7 ounces (200 gr) butter, salted or unsalted, cut into pieces
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (200 gr) sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F (175 C).

1. Butter a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan* and dust it with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess. If you suspect your springform pan isn't 100% water-tight, wrap the outside with aluminum foil, making sure it goes all the way up to the outer rim.

2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler (or microwave), stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar, then whisk in the melted chocolate mixture until smooth.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and cover the top of the pan snugly with a sheet of foil. Put the springform pan into a larger baking pan, such as a roasting pan, and add enough hot water to the baking pan to come about halfway up to the outside of the cake pan.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

You'll know the cake is done when it feels just set, like quivering chocolate pudding. If you gently touch the center, your finger should come away clean.

5. Lift the cake pan from the water bath and remove the foil. Let cake cool completely on a cooling rack.

Serve thin wedges of this very rich cake at room temperature, with creme anglaise, ice cream, or whipped cream.

Storage: This Chocolate Idiot Cake can be wrapped and chilled in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Berry Cobbler

6 servings

For the fruit:

5 cups berries (any combination of raspberries, blackberries, sliced strawberries, blueberries, boysenberries or olallieberries)

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon flour

optional: a splash of kirsch or lemon juice

For the cobbler dough:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, chilled

1 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a 10- to 12-inch glass pie plate (or 2 quart baking dish), mix together the berries, sugar, flour and the kirsch or lemon juice, if using.

3. Bake the berries in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring once during baking.

4. After 30 minutes, remove the berries from the oven and make the biscuits.

5. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and sugar. Cut the butter into the mixture either with a food processor, a mixer or by hand (Tip: Try using the large holes of a cheese grater-it works great!) The butter should be the size of corn kernels.

6. Stir in the buttermilk just until the dry mixture is thoroughly moistened. With a big soup spoon, drop six large mounds of the dough over the fruit in various places. Brush with egg wash, if desired.

7. Bake for 20 minutes.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Note: One good thing about this cobbler is that you can taste the cooked berries for sweetness before adding the biscuits and you can mix in a sprinkle more sugar if the berries need it.

Apricot and Cherry

5 cups quartered apricots
10 cherries, halved and pitted
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
6 tablespoons sugar

Nectarine or Peach

5 cups sliced nectarines, or 5 cups peeled and sliced peaches
2 teaspoons flour
1-2 tablespoons sugar
(of course, you could add a handful of raspberries, blueberries or blackberries too!)

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

About 1 quart (1 liter)

French yogurt is astoundingly good and I suggest you use a good-quality, locally-produced yogurt for similar results.

1 pound (450 g) strawberries, rinsed and hulled
2/3 cup (130 g) sugar
optional: 2 teaspoons vodka or kirsch
1 cup (240 g) plain, whole milk yogurt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Slice the strawberries into small pieces. Toss in a bowl with the sugar and vodka or kirsch (if using) until the sugar begins to dissolve. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, stirring every so often.

Transfer the strawberries and their juice to a blender or food processor. Add the yogurt and fresh lemon juice. Pulse the machine until the mixture is almost smooth. If you wish, press mixture through a mesh strainer to remove any seeds.

Chill for 1 hour, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Quick Candied Cherries will keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator. Spoon them over vanilla ice cream, stir them into yogurt, and toss them with nectarines or peaches for a summer cobbler.

Quick Candied Cherries

1 pound (450 gr) fresh cherries, rinsed
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) water
1 cup (200 gr) sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Remove the stems and pit the cherries (I use a handheld cherry pitter.)

In a large non-reactive saucepan (at least 4 quarts/liters) bring the cherries, water, sugar, and lemon juice to a boil.

Reduce the heat so the cherries are cooking at a low rolling boil. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring frequently during the last 10 minutes of cooking to make sure the cherries are cooking evenly and not sticking.

Once the syrup is mostly reduced and a brilliant ruby-color (with the the consistency of maple syrup), remove the pan from the heat and cool the cherries to room temperature.

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