My annual dessert buffet was 8/13. Will list sweets I fixed in order of disappearance.

REC: Chocolate Raspberry Almond Torte--been making this since it first was published in Gourmet mag

1989 Chocolate Raspberry Almond Torte (On page 213 of BEST OF GOURMET)

1/2 cup blanched almonds, toasted lightly
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon framboise or other raspberry brandy
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raspberries plus additional for garnish and as an accompaniment

For the glaze
1/3 cup raspberry jam (I use seedless.)
1 tablespoon sugar

For the ganache
1/4 cup heavy cream
6 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

For garnish
lemon leaves (available at most florists)


Preparation: In a food processor grind the almonds, scraping the bowl occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until they are the consistency of a nut butter, and reserve the mixture. In a bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt the chocolate and the butter, stirring occasionally, and remove the bowl from the pan. In the large bowl of an electric mixer beat the eggs until they are pale, add the sugar gradually, beating, and beat the mixture until it is very thick and pale. Beat in the chocolate mixture, the framboise, and the reserved almond butter and beat the mixture until it is combined well. Into the bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, and the salt, beat the mixture until it is combined well, and fold in 1 cup of the raspberries gently. Turn the mixture into a well-buttered 8 1/2-inch springform pan, spreading it evenly and smoothing the top, and bake the torte in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. let the torte cool in the pan on a rack and remove the side of the pan.

Make the glaze:
In a small heavy saucepan combine the jam and the sugar, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring, and boil it, stirring, for 3 minutes. Force the mixture through a fine sieve into a small bowl, pressing hard on the seeds, and discard the seeds.

Invert the torte onto the rack, set over wax paper, remove the bottom of the pan, and spread the glaze on the top and side of the torte. Let the torte stand at room temperature for 2 hours or chill it for 30 minutes, or until the glaze is set. The torte may be prepared up to this point 1 day in advance and kept on the rack, covered with an inverted bowl, at room temperature.

Make the ganache:
In a small heavy saucepan bring the cream to a boil and remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the chocolate, stirring until the mixture is smooth, and let the ganache cool for 3 minutes.

Pour the ganache over the torte, smoothing it with a spatula and letting the excess drip down the side, and let the torte stand for 1 hour, or until the ganache is set. Transfer the torte carefully to a serving plate, garnish it with some of the additional raspberries and some of the lemon leaves, and serve the remaining raspberries, garnished with the remaining lemon leaves, separately.

Note from Wigs: Torte freezes well so can make ahead and defrost and glaze & frost w/ ganache right before serving.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/1989-Chocolate-Raspberry-Almond-Torte-11037

 
REC: CI's BEST BLUEBERRY PIE WITH FOOLPROOF PIE DOUGH as posted by deb-in-MI

This pie was superb! It was in my July/August 2008 annual Cook's Ill. volume, but I never got around to trying it until I saw deb's posting.

Guests were amazed that the crust had vodka in it which made it especially flaky and tender.

I only needed to use half the amounts of vodka & ice water listed when making my pie dough. I found this crust easy to roll between 2 sheets of waxed paper, but a bit tricky to move to my pie plate because it was so fragile so I left my rolled-out dough in between the 2 pieces of waxed paper and slid everything onto a big cookie sheet with no sides which I then popped into the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes and that did the trick and made both top & bottom crusts lots easier to transfer.

I used about 8 cups of frozen blueberries (put up last summer) so I increased the sugar to 1-1/4 cups and added 2 Tablespoons of ground pearl tapioca. All other amounts of filling ingredients remained the same.

I did not use the egg wash, but brushed a thin coating of whole milk onto my top crust. I did have to cover the edges of the pie crust with foil during my final 50 to 60 minutes of baking at 350 degrees.

http://www.eat.at/swap/forum/index.php?action=display&forumid=1&msgid=90110

 
REC: Bailey's Irish Cream Cheesecake

Bailey's Irish Cream Cheesecake (from a cooking class at Cooks and Company taught by Donna Brooks Turner)

Chef's Cheesecake Crust recipe:
1-1/2 cups toasted pecans, walnuts, almonds, or a mixture
4-5 whole graham crackers
1/2 cup brown sugar, or less to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted (may need more)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2-3/4-inch high sides. Finely grind crackers, pecans and sugar in food processor. Add melted butter and blend using on/off turns. Press crumbs onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of prepared pan. Refrigerate 20 minutes.

Filling:

1-1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup Bailey's Original Irish Cream liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ounces imported white chocolate, melted

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Whisk eggs, Bailey's and vanilla in medium bowl until just blended. Beat egg mixture into cream cheese mixture. Add melted white chocolate and stir in.

Transfer filling to crust-lined pan. Bake until edges of filling are puffed and dry looking and center is just set, about 50 minutes. Cool on rack.

Topping:
1-1/2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1-1/2 ounces imported white chocolate, grated
24 pecan halves

Mix sour cream and powdered sugar in small bowl. Spread topping onto cooled cake. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 6 hours. Sprinkle grated chocolate over cake. Place pecans around edge and serve.

May use foil circle on bottom of pan. Do not butter.

Note: I bake this cheesecake in a water bath. Wigs

 
REC: Black Forest Cake

I made a Black Magic layer cake posted by Meryl. (See link)

I used the cherry filling posted by GayR at the EPI forum. I frosted the cake with a Hershey's recipe==>

FROSTING: Beat together with electric mixer until smooth:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2-2/3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/3 cup Hershey's unsweetened cocoa, sifted
1/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

I frosted the bottom cake layer and then covered it with half to 2/3 of the cherry filling. I covered this with the top cake layer, and I then frosted the top & sides of cake. I piped stabilized whipped cream around the top edge of the frosted cake and put the remainder of the cherry filling into the center. I placed a stemmed fresh cherry in the center of each whipped cream rosette.

Cherry Filling from GayR's Classic Black Forest Cake recipe at EPI recipe swap:

1/2 cup sugar, 3 Tbsp. cornstarch, 1 can (16 ounces) pitted red tart cherries, well drained (reserve liquid), 1/4 cup kirschwasser; few drops of red food coloring (optional--I used).

Mix sugar and cornstarch in 1-quart saucepan. Add enough water to reserved cherry liquid to measure 3/4 cup; stir into sugar mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in kirsch and food color. Cut cherries into halves; stir into filling. Refrigerate until completely chilled. Recipe from "Betty Crocker's International Cookbook"

http://www.eat.at/swap/forum/index.php?action=display&forumid=1&msgid=48090

 
REC: Tropical Rum Trifle from Southern Living--I made 2 of these. Guests ate 1-1/2

I added some red maraschino cherries, drained & halved and put a handful of those on top of each custard layer. I thought this trifle needed some color + these maraschino cherries added great flavor, too.

I also sprinkled all the banana slices (coins) with Fruit Fresh so they would not turn black as quickly as they do normally.

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=434939

 
Thx, deb! I got lots of compliments. There were 150 guests so I was into intensive baking last week

 
Thx 4 all the help frm posters at this site; I made & served very good RECs frm U. Guests loved all!

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top