desserts (les desserts)

Mother’s Day 2013 and cherry granita

May 12th, 2013

chef mrogan cherry ice 12

 Mother’s Day 2013 

speak carefully and carry a positive message 

 cherry granita

This week I had my first taste of an “empty nest.” My eldest, now a “tween,” visited Boston with her fifth grade class for a week. Her healthy separation from me and her eagerness to see the world and rely on her peers in a new way is bittersweet. Every year I write a Mother’s Day personal “recipe” for them. This year’s recipe was not only inspired by their rapid coming of age, but by two recent events. The first was the passing of our family matriarch (this year was the first time in our lives we did not celebrate her birthday and Mother’s Day jointly (at least, with her present)). The second was our Spring Break trip to Washington D.C. Both events reminded me of the importance of words, spoken, and unspoken. This week’s simple pleasure, and my annual Mother’s Day recipe for them, is a humble recipe for speaking with a little cherry granita on top (recipe below).

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vanilla bean Madeleines

February 5th, 2013

vanilla bean Madeleines for valentines day

vanilla bean Madeleines

makes 2½ dozen

what you need:
9 tablespoons (4.5 oz) unsalted butter, melted 
1 cup (7.5 oz) granulated sugar
4 large eggs (7 oz.), room temperature
1½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup 2 % milk, room temperature
1½ teaspoon lemon zest Read the rest of this entry »

 

holiday eggnog crème brûlée

December 15th, 2012

 DSC00250

holiday eggnog crème brûlée

 serves 4

what you need:

custard

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup lowfat eggnog 
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
½ cup (4 ounces) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon brandy
5 fresh egg yolks Read the rest of this entry »

 

pear frangipane tart with vanilla bean and orange

December 15th, 2012

chef mrogan pear fragipane tart

pear frangipane tart with vanilla bean and orange 

makes one tart

what you need:

shell
½ pound (8 ounces) unsalted butter, plastic state
4 ounces granulated sugar
2 egg yolks, room temperature
1 egg, room temperature Read the rest of this entry »

 

chocolate holiday tree (sapin de Noël au chocolat)

December 6th, 2012

chocolate christmas tree

chocolate holiday tree 
(sapin de Noël au chocolat)

 makes one 1 tree

what you need:

1 pound bittersweet chocolate (or milk chocolate)
4 cups cereal (corn flakes or puffed rice) 
~ 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted (as needed)
powdered sugar (as needed) Read the rest of this entry »

 

kabocha pie with flaky chestnut crust

November 15th, 2012

 

kabocha pie with flaky chestnut crust

THANKSGIVING TIP:
Try to make your desserts the day before Thanksgiving (use Thanksgiving day to cook/finish the things that have to be done that day…gravy, the turkey). In fact, to spread out your workload,
the pie crust and the filling can be made separately at least two days before Thanksgiving and stored in the refrigerator.
Combine the crust and filling and bake the pie the day before Thanksgiving. 

serves 4
makes 1  pie crust large enough for a 12” tart pan

what you need:

flaky crust
½ ounce chestnut flour, sifted

11 ounces unbleached all-purpose King Arthur flour, sifted Read the rest of this entry »

 

cinnamon-sugared baked apples on crispy, caramelized ghost toasts

October 26th, 2012

 

  

cinnamon-sugared baked apples on crispy, caramelized ghost toasts

stats:

serves 4

active time: 10 minutes
oven time: 30 minutes Read the rest of this entry »

 

fresh figs with balsamic caramel, fleur de sel and pomegranate seeds

October 3rd, 2012

 

 

fresh autumn figs with balsamic caramel,  fleur de sel and pomegranate seeds   

fresh figs with balsamic caramel, fleur de sel and pomegranate seeds

 

 serves many happy people

(makes approx. 11 ounces caramel sauce)

  

fresh autumn figs with balsamic caramel,  fleur de sel and pomegranate seeds

 

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melon and honey-ricotta cannoli (with raspberry coulis)

August 20th, 2012

melon and honey-ricotta cannoli (with raspberry coulis) chef morgan

melon and honey-ricotta cannoli
(with raspberry coulis)

serves 4-5

what you need:

cannoli
1 sweet, ripe cantaloupe, cut/sliced as indicated 
1 cuplow fat ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons quality honey, room temperature

sauce
5 ounces raspberries (fresh or frozen)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
water (as needed)

garnish
fresh mint leaves (as needed)
toasted pine nuts (as needed)
granny smith apple, julienne (as needed)  Read the rest of this entry »

 

peach and tarragon clafoutis (clafouti aux pêches et estragon)

August 20th, 2012

 

peach and tarragon clafoutis (clafouti aux pêches et estragon)

peach and tarragon clafoutis
(clafouti aux pêches et estragon)

Clafouti is a custard fruit dessert made popular in Limousin, France (central southwest area of France). Clafouti aux cerises is made with cherries, which are plentiful in Limousin, and the dessert always signals the beginning of summer and the warm months to come. The pits are left in the cherries imparting an almond flavor to the cherry custard. 

Here, we are cherishing the end of summer (but keeping the almond flavor). In this recipe we use end of the summer peaches with a little fresh tarragon and almond extract (which pairs well with the peaches and buttermilk). If you do not have almond extract (or do not care for almonds) use Kirsch (typically used in Clafouti) or vanilla extract instead. Also, you can swap the buttermilk out for whipping cream or fromage blanc if you prefer. However, there is little sugar in this recipe (less than typically used) so make sure to use flavorful, sweet peaches because if you use flavorless ingredients your clafouti will be flavorless as well (and who wants that?)

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