Food

Gougere

• 5 c nonfat milk
• 20 oz butter
• 4 t salt
• 22 oz all purpose flour
• 20 eggs
• 1# cheese
• 2 T black pepper
• chopped herbs

1. Crack eggs into a pitcher and set aside.
2. Bring milk, butter and salt to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir until it comes to a ball and pulls away from sides. Continue to dry the dough over heat, stirring vigorously, until a film forms on the inside of the pan.
3. Transfer dough to mixer and beat with paddle attachment. Add eggs slowly, holding a couple back to get the right moisture content. Add cheese, black pepper and chopped herbs and mix until fully incorporated.
4. Scoop onto parchment lined baking sheet, spacing out to allow for expansion. Brush with egg-wash and top with a little grated cheese.
5. Bake at 400° F to 450° F until fully brown.

Notes:

This is made just like pate à choux. It's really important to dry out the dough so you can incorporate as many eggs as possible for maximum lift. It is also good to beat the dough for a while once the eggs are added to insure that the glutens are formed and the dough is quite elastic.

When scooping out, we used to use the "big gray scoop," like for ice cream. It made fist sized gougere.

The egg-wash is important for shininess and browning. The extra cheese is for crunch. These were baked a shade less than mahogany, pretty brown. That made it nice and toasty outside, but kind of scrambled-eggy inside. Sometimes if we were really hungry, we would stuff them with ham and eat them as breakfast sandwiches.

Savory Bread Pudding Mixture

• 4c milk
• 4 c cream
• 20 eggs
• 1 ½ t salt
• 1 ½ t pepper
• ¼ t nutmeg
• 24 oz stale bread

1. Whisk all ingredients except for bread together. Toss bread with caramelized or sautéed onions, ham, cheese, veggies, etc and then stuff into baking vessels. Pour mixture over bread and let sit overnight. Top up with mixture again in the morning before baking.
2. Bake at 400° F until set.

Notes:

Use stale sour dough type or levain type bread. It has the most flavor and texture and is more absorbent when really stale. Just like the quiche, you can toss the bread with any kind of additional ingredients.

To test for doneness, poke into the middle with a knife and push back to see if there is still liquid mixture flowing in the center. Once the filling looks thickened like pastry cream, it is done. It will still cook a little from the carry-over. You don’t want it to be totally set in the middle like scrambled eggs.

We used to cook giant puddings in a big pot, but I think it takes too long to cook, the top gets burnt unless you cover it, etc, etc. Instead, you can cook it in ceramic bowls for individual servings. Bake it off in the morning and then reheat before serving.

Quiche Mixture

• 8 c crème fraiche
• 8 c whole milk
• 40 eggs
• 200 g flour
• 1 T pepper
• 2 t salt chopped herbs

1. Whisk all ingredients together.
2. Your shell should be pre-baked relatively pale.
3. Bake at about 400°F until still jiggly, but set.

Notes:

In the shell, we normally put down a layer of cheese, then the actual filling variations like stinging nettle, ham, mushrooms, green garlic and bacon, etc. then poured the mixture over it all, as full as it would go, without spilling, and then sprinkled a little more cheese on top. Get creative!

This filling should last almost a week in the refrigerator.

Scones

• 1 ½ # flour
• 4 oz sugar
• 1 T baking powder
• ¾ t baking soda
• 1 ¼ t salt
• 9 oz butter
• 1 ¼ c buttermilk
• lemon or orange zest
• ¾ c dried fruit

1. Combine all dry ingredients and zest. Cut butter into mixture, leaving ½" chunks of butter. (This will help keep them a little flaky.) Stir in buttermilk until just incorporated. Quickly mix in fruit.
2. Form scones by shaping the batter into a log, 1 ½" thick and 4" wide. Brush entire thing with egg-wash and then sprinkle liberally with coarse sugar. Cut log at angles width-wise to form vaguely trapezoidal scones. This should yield at least a dozen.
3. Bake at 325°F in convection oven or 350°F regular.
4. Scones should be slightly browned and just cooked through the center.

Notes:

It is really important not to over-mix this dough or it will become tough and not as flaky. We used a Hobart with a cutting tool, but it can easily be done by hand. Cut the butter into large chunks and then "sable" into ½" chunks. This mixture might need a little more or a little less buttermilk, just to get all of the dry stuff incorporated.

The zest is best obtained with a micro-plane.

You can use dried or fresh fruit with the scones, but it is difficult to get the fresh fruit mixed in without squishing it all. Perhaps using frozen fruit instead of fresh fruit would be best.

To test doneness, pull a scone apart to see if the inside is cooked. It is best to catch it just as the center is cooked through.

This recipe was used at my tea party.

Sweet Bread Pudding

• 1 gallon milk
• 32 eggs
• 3.5 c sugar
• 2 t salt
• 2 T vanilla

1. Toasted white bread or brioche
2. Mix all ingredients except bread together until well blended.
3. Assemble toasted brioche slices standing vertically in a loaf pan. Pour mixture over bread to top of pan. Weigh down the bread with a piece of parchment and a sheet-pan. Bake at 400°F until center is set. Slice while hot.
4. Top with caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, sautéed fruit, etc

Notes:

This is just classic bread pudding but you can stuff bananas or chocolate or dried fruit between the slices of bread and then add the corresponding sauce on top.

My favorite during the summer was plain bread pudding, topped with strawberries, sautéed in butter and then mixed with caramel sauce. Banana and chocolate ganache was good too.

Chocolate Soufflé Cake

• 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate
• 8 oz bitter (unsweetened) chocolate
• 10 oz butter
• 2 c sugar
• 14 eggs, separated
• ¼ t salt

1. Melt chocolates and butter together and set aside to cool to room temp.
2. Divide eggs and whip each separately with half of the sugar. Add the salt to the whites.
3. Temper the chocolate with the whites and fold all together like for mousse.
4. Butter and line cake pans with parchment (bottom and sides). Fill and bake at 375°F for 10 minutes or until tops just lose shininess. Chill until set. Can be topped with ganache (provided you have the plastic cake band on the outside to prevent spillover.

Notes:

This cake can be luscious or just OK. It all depends on your chocolate. I like to use Vahlrona or Callebaut, but they are really expensive. It's good to do some experimentation to see which chocolate you like best. I changed the recipe to include bitter chocolate so the flavor was more pronounced and the cake was less sweet. This cake is very good with a tart fruit sauce or just whipped cream. It must be served cold.

And since this cake is really just a baked mousse, it will collapse a bit in the middle. Also, no flour! Perfect for Passover!

Devil's Food Cake

• 8 oz butter
• 1 ¼ # sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 t salt
• 10 oz flour
• 4 oz cocoa
• 1 t baking powder
• ½ t baking soda
• 1 ¼ c buttermilk

1. Cream first four ingredients together.
2. Sift all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
3. Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk to creamed mixture in thirds. Bake in a buttered and floured or parchment lined pan at 300°F until skewer comes out clean.

Notes:

This cake is a great base for all kinds of desserts. My favorite is when it's filled with caramel sauce and ganache and then iced with ganache. This particular recipe makes 2 8" rounds or 1 half sheet. It also freezes well.

This was one of the recipes I used at my tea party.

Caramel

• 1 c corn syrup
• 8 c white sugar
• 1 qt cream
• 1 # butter
• 1 vanilla pod
• salt to taste

1. Combine corn syrup, sugar and enough water to make a wet sand. Cook to a dark caramel but not burnt.
2. At the same time, heat cream and butter and vanilla until just simmering. Pour into caramel to stop coloration. This mixture will bubble and spit a bit, just use a pot larger than you think you will need. Once it stops bubbling and spitting, add salt to taste.

Notes:

This particular recipe is really easy, so it's really tricky to get right. No two batches will ever be exactly the same. The finished result should be an almost liquid caramel, or a somewhat stiff sauce. It's hard to get the color just right. You want to keep a spoon nearby so you can scoop some out to look at the color. It's also hard to keep it from getting a little burnt. But practice makes perfect and this caramel is really worth the effort.

We used this caramel to fill cakes, to drizzle over bread pudding, etc. If I refer to a caramel filling for a recipe, chances are, this is the one. I've even filled molded chocolates with it. If you want a cutting caramel, you probably need to cut down on the cream a little, to make it stiffer.

This was the recipe I used to fill the devil's food cake for my tea party.

Crème Brulée

• 2 c cream
• ½ c sugar
• 5 yolks
• 2 t flavoring

1. Bring cream and sugar to boil. Whisk yolks in a bowl. Temper cream into yolks. Fill ramekins and bake in covered water bath for 25 minutes at 375°F or until just set but still jiggly. Chill. Once cold, sprinkle with sugar and torch.

Notes:

It seems to me that there are a number of ways to do this particular recipe and almost countless flavorings. The trick is to not over-cook them. Then they must be totally cooled down so they get that really good, creamy texture.

For instance, one of my favorites is Espresso Caramel. Take a half cup of whole coffee beans and steep them in hot cream 20 minutes. Make a caramel with the sugar and temper the hot cream into the caramel. Strain and then temper into the whisked yolks and make as normal.

The variations are endless and you can pretty much infuse the cream with whatever you want to make whatever flavor you want. Ginger, orange peels/star anise/cinnamon, black currant tea, etc. etc.

Crème Patissier or Pastry Cream

• 2 qt milk
• 1 pod vanilla
• 1 t salt
• 3.5 oz cornstarch
• 1 # sugar
• 8 eggs
• 8 oz butter

1. Bring milk to boil with salt and half of sugar. Whisk eggs with the other half of sugar, then add cornstarch and whisk until well blended.
2. Temper half of milk into eggs and then dump eggs into milk left on heat and whisk as if your life depended on it. Cook to first bubble.
3. Immediately strain into another container.
4. Once room temperature, use a stick blender to mount in butter cut into little chunks.

Notes:

I know you know how to make pastry cream. This one is nice because you don't waste any egg whites and if you over-cook it a little, it becomes silky smooth with the use of the stick blender.

We used this as a filling for all sorts of things, from éclairs to fruit tarts and folded extra butter and whipped cream into it for a beautiful Fraisier cake.

*Recently I substituted milk with buttermilk and made this incredible buttermilk custard. I paired it with a thick strawberry puree and almost died. It was very much like a light strawberry cheesecake but no crust. I guess you could put it in a crust, but just so it's easier to get into your mouth.

Chocolate Pudding

• 18 c milk
• 6 c cream
• 1 T salt
• 10 oz cornstarch
• 6 oz cocoa
• 3 # sugar
• 30 eggs
• 24 oz chocolate

1. Prepare as above with pastry cream.
2. While hot, jam in chunks of chocolate and then stick-blend when the chocolate is melted

Notes:

Use good chocolate. We served it in little cups with a dollop of whipped cream and a chocolate cookie. You can use it for éclairs or chocolate cream pie.

Lemon Cream

• 18 eggs
• 3 c sugar
• 1.5 c lemon juice
• all the zest from the lemons
• 1.25 # unsalted butter

1. Whisk all together and then cook over bain marie, whisking often, until thick like pastry cream.
2. Strain into container and cool. At room temperature, mount in room temp butter with stick blender and chill.

Notes:

This is the best lemon cream ever. Very rich and satisfying, but with that lemon tartness so you don't get overwhelmed with all the butter. Fantastic in tarts. Sets up really creamy when cold, so you have to warm it up just slightly to get it to pour to fill your tarts.

I used this recipe for the Lemon Blueberry Tarts for my tea party.

Flaky Dough

• 3 # flour
• 2 # butter
• 1 # water
• 1 T salt

1. Cut butter into 1" cubes and chill, preferably in freezer. Weigh out flour and chill.
2. Measure out water and chill. In large mixer with paddle or cutter attachment, mix flour, salt and butter. Mix until you have ¾" chunks of butter. Add water and mix just so that all dry ingredients are incorporated. (You may need a little extra water.)
3. Press dough into sheet pan and chill thoroughly. Once chilled, fold dough 3 times like for puff pastry. This gives the dough great flakiness. Allow dough to rest before rolling out.

Notes:

Great dough for any kind of tart, quiche, etc. Freezes well.

Sable Dough

• 667 g bread flour
• 270 g butter
• 2 eggs
• 200 g sugar
• 1 1/8 t salt

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut butter into mixture until it resembles sand or fine crumbs. Mix in the eggs quickly to not over-work the dough.
2. Press dough into sheet pan and chill thoroughly.
3. Before forming dough, work slightly to render pliable.

Notes:

Due to the bread flour in this dough, it is amazingly resilient, but great care must be taken not to work it more than necessary. It is possible to roll it very thin without tearing and trimmings can be reclaimed to roll out again.

I used this recipe for the shells of my Lemon Blueberry Tart for my tea party.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip

• 1 c butter
• 2 c brown sugar
• 2 t baking soda
• 1 t salt
• 2 t vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 c flour
• 1/2 c cocoa (sifted)
• 1 - 2 cups chocolate chips

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix thoroughly. Add rest of dry ingredients except for chocolate chips and mix until fully incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Drop walnut size balls on a nonstick cookie sheet and squash down a bit. Bake until set and tops lose shininess.

Notes:

Tea party recipe.

Maple Sugar Cookies

• 1 1/2 c butter
• 2 c sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c maple syrup
• 4 t baking soda
• 1 t salt
• 1 t vanilla
• 4 c flour
• 1/2 c coarse sugar (Sugar in the Raw)

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and syrup and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Add the baking soda, salt, vanilla and flour and mix until just incorporated, but do not overwork the dough.
2. Chill dough for 4 hours in refrigerator (or for shorter period in freezer). At this point, dough can be kept for a month, rolled in logs in the freezer.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll into balls and roll in coarse sugar before putting on sheet pan. Be sure to leave at least 2" of space between cookies as these spread like mad. Bake for 12 minutes or golden brown. (A little more will result in a crisp cookie; a little less, a more chewy cookie.)

Notes:

I got this recipe from a favorite mystery author. This recipe easily yields 10 dozen cookies depending on size.

I used this recipe for my tea party.

Lunettes

• 400 g flour
• 1 pinch baking powder
• 200 g powdered sugar
• 200 g butter
• 4 egg yolks
• 20 ml water
• vanilla
• salt
• cinnamon
• strawberry jam or your favorite flavor

1. In a bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Cut in butter or gently rub in to produce a coarse meal or sand. Make a well in the butter crumb mixture and add wet ingredients, mixing the dry mixture in a little at a time until a dough is formed. (At this point, you can smear little handfuls of dough on your work surface to insure that the dough is uniform, without kneading it and developing gluten.)
2. Shape dough into a flat disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until the dough is firm enough to roll and not stick.
3. Roll out on a lightly floured board, to 1/8" thickness. Cut with cookie cutters.
4. Preheat oven to 325ºF and bake for 10 minutes or until set and only bottom is lightly golden.

Notes:

A tea party recipe

Madeleines

• 4 eggs
• 170 g sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 10 g honey
• 5 g baking powder
• 180 g flour
• 200 g butter, melted

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Add eggs to the bowl, whisking slowly to fully incorporate. Melt honey with butter and add to the mixture. Mix well and refrigerate.
2. Butter and flour your molds well or else the madeleines will not release. Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Pipe or spoon the batter into the molds. Do not fill the molds completely as the batter will spread and rise accordingly. Once the molds are in the oven, turn down the heat to 320ºF. Bake for approximately 5-6 minutes and then turn the oven off. Let cakes stand for an equal amount of time (this causes the madeleines to have their characteristic mound in the middle and not get too brown). Turn the cookies out of the mold at once.

Notes:

This is one of my favorite recipes and one I made for my tea party.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 # butter
• 4 c brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 2 t salt
• 1 T baking soda
• 5 c flour
• chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 450ºF.
2. Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla. Add all dry ingredients except chocolate chips and stir until combined. Add chocolate chips and stir well.
3. Drop dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, etc. etc. (Full sheet of 13 cookies, tangerine sized balls of dough, takes about 9 minutes to bake.)

Notes:

Misty and I made up this recipe while in college. Must have made it a thousand times. Did it once at Chez Panisse.