January 2012 COTM: Essential Pepin: Puddings, Sweet Souffles and Crepes; Cakes, Cookies and Candies; Tarts, Pies and Pastries
Please use this thread to discuss and review recipes from the chapters about puddings, sweet soufflés, and crepes; cakes, cookies and candies; and tarts, pies, and pastries.
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mirage
Jan 16, 2012 05:56 AM
Chocolate Souffle Cake w/Raspberry Rum Sauce, p. 541
Last week a friend who has recently gone gluten-free came over. I had previously noticed this recipe and decided to give it a whirl. It is a very basic, flour-free, cake with 2 Tbsp potato flour taking the place of the usual ground nuts. I had a little bit of a problem inverting it out of the pan - some part stuck to the bottom. But I just squished that bit into where it belonged and the cake incorporated it so well that nobody could tell, even after cutting into it.
The "sauce" is 1/2 c raspberry preserves, a Tbsp of rum and a Tbsp of water. It didn't say to do so, but I melted it all together. Because it really didn't stay melted (my house is probably way too cold) I wound up icing the cake with it. I might add a splash more rum if I make it again.
I thought it was just fine, but my friends loved it, and the gluten-free friend asked to take the remainder home with her. So, it was a hit.
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Cheesecake with Apricot-Blueberry Sauce, p. 551.
http://blogs.kqed.org/essentialpepin/...
This is soooooo good! A sumptuously creamy cheesecake, brightened with lemon juice and zest, and topped just before serving with a delicious, easy sauce of apricot preserves stirred with 2 TBS of water and 3 TBS of apricot brandy, combined with fresh blueberries. The directions say "serves 8 - 10" but it is rich enough to serve up to 12 - 16 with slimmer slices. I served eight ladies and have half the cake left over. (Oh darn.
)You bake the cheesecake mixture in a deep (3-4 inch) 8-inch cake or soufflé pan (lightly coated with butter and graham-cracker crumbs). The baking directions are precise: bake in a water bath "a least 2/3rds of the way up the cake pan." Bake at 350 F for 1 hour; do not let the water ever come to a boil--if it does, add a few ice cubes to lower the temperature. Then turn off the oven and allow the cake to remain in the oven for an hour. This works perfectly, with nary a crack in the surface of the cheesecake, nor an air- bubble in the inside.
You can serve the cake once it is cool, or refrigerate it for up to several days. If refrigerated like mine, the cake may resist being unmolded upside down onto a platter. Mine did, so I ran hot water carefully on the sides of the soufflé pan and ran a knife around the edge. Out it came. Then I poured some of the pretty sauce on the top of the cake and served the rest over the slices.
