Category: Dessert

Fraises glacées chantilly

Natalie Hanson

Serves 4

Fraises glacées

1 lb of firm ripe strawberries
1 package of frozen raspberries
1/4 cup of sugar
The juice of 1/2 lemon

  • Hull the strawberries, slice them lengthwise.
  • Refrigerate.
  • Melt the raspberries and purée in the food processor.
  • Add the lemon and strain the raspberry juice with a fine sieve to remove the pips.
  • Add the sugar and mix well.
  • Coat the strawberries with the raspberry purée. Refrigerate.

Crème Chantilly

2/3 cup of heavy cream
2 Tbsp of milk
1 tsp of sugar

  • Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
  • Whisk until the cream forms soft peaks.

Praline

1 cup of pecans or almonds
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of water

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Roast nuts on a cookie sheet for 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside.
  • Butter a 9 inch metal pan and set aside.
  • In a heavy saucepan mix the sugar and water to make the caramel.
  • Cook on high heat without stirring until golden brown.
  • Stir in the prepared nuts.
  • Pour into the buttered metal pan and let cool completely.
  • Return the pan with a hard rap on the counter to dislodge the caramel and pulverize the pieces in a food processor.

To serve

Set the strawberries in wide sherbet glasses, cover with a dab of Chantilly and sprinkle with praline.

Fraises bourdaloue

Natalie Hanson

Serves 6 to 8.

1 1/2 lb of strawberries
1/2 cup of sugar

1 1/4 cups of whole milk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup of sugar
1 Tbsp of flour
2 tsp of vanilla extract
3 Tbsp of orange liqueur (Cointreau or Grand Marnier)
1 cup of sliced, blanched almonds

  • Roast the almonds at 400°F oven for 3 minutes or until brown
  • Wash, drain and dry the strawberries, remove the stems.
  • Sprinkle with the sugar and let macerate for 2 or 3 hours.

Crème patissière

  • Assemble and measure all ingredients before starting. Work quickly.
  • Put flour in 2 quart mixing bowl. Add sugar and mix well. Add enough milk to make a paste without lumps.
  • In a small bowl, beat the eggs slightly with a fork.
  • In a 2 1/2 quart saucepan bring the rest of the milk to a boil.
  • Pour 1/2 the milk in the flour/sugar mixture and beat quickly until smooth.
  • Add the eggs and blend well.
  • Pour this mixture into the remaining milk (bring back to the boil if necessary) and cook for 30 seconds or until it thickens.
  • Cool by putting bottom of pan in cold water. Continue beating.
  • When just warm, add orange liqueur and vanilla extract.
  • Refrigerate until cold.

To serve

  • Divide the strawberries evenly in wide dessert glasses, pour the macerated juice over them, cover with the cream, sprinkle with roasted almonds.
  • Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Caramelized apples w pralin

Natalie Hanson

For 4 servings

8 Granny Smith apples peeled and quartered
1 Tbsp of sweet butter

  • Start cooking the apples on low heat in a large covered pan.
  • When tender, but not crumbling, increase the heat and cook until the apples are slightly caramelized.
  • Add the butter, let cool.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the pralin:

1 cup of almonds
1 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of water

  • Preheat oven to 400°F
  • Roast almonds on an ungreased cookie sheet for a few minutes. Set aside.
  • Butter a 9 inch metal pan and set aside.
  • Pour granulated sugar and water into a saucepan. Cook over high heat, without stirring, until golden brown.
  • Stir in the prepared almonds.
  • Pour in the metal pan and let cool for an hour.
  • Turn over the metal pan and bang hard on the counter to release the contents.
  • Pulverize the broken pieces of caramel in a food processor.
  • Serve the apples slightly warm or at room temperature with a sprinkle of pralin on top. A dab of whipped cream can also be added on top of the cooked apples before adding the pralin.

Flan aux poires

Natalie Hanson

4 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 pears (peeled and sliced)

Caramel

1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of water

  • Preheat oven to 350°F
  • In a large frying pan, cook the pears with 1 Tbsp of water and a sprinkling of sugar. Set aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and egg yolks lightly with the sugar.
  • Scald the milk and add the vanilla. Set aside.
  • Make the caramel:
    • In a small saucepan, put the sugar and the water.
    • Boil down until it becomes a rich golden color.
    • Spread this caramel around the dish that is going to be used for the flan.
    • Roll it around until it sets.
  • Save some of the caramel to pour on the cooked pears.
  • Put a layer of the cooked caramelized pears on top of the cooled caramel in the flan dish.
  • Refrigerate the rest of the pears.
  • Add the milk to the egg mixture and pour into the caramelized flan dish.
  • Cook at 325°F for 1 hour (bain marie) or until a knife inserted in the middle of the flan comes out clean.
  • Cool and refrigerate overnight before unmolding.
  • To unmold: detach the top of the flan from the side of the dish with a knife.
  • Gently rock from side to side before turning the whole flan upside down into a serving dish.
  • You can serve the extra pieces of caramelized pear with the flan.

Flan à l’ananas

Natalie Hanson

2 cups of milk
1 1/2 lb of canned pineapple cut into 1 inch wedges
3 large whole eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp of vanilla extract
2/3 cup of sugar
1 Tbsp of corn starch
2 Tbsp of heavy cream

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Scatter the pineapple wedges in a straight-sided 10 inch baking dish and bake them for 10 minutes or until dry.
  • Scald the milk over high heat. Cover and reserve.
  • Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, cornstarch and heavy cream.
  • Gradually add in the warm milk.
  • Pour the custard mixture over the pineapple wedges.
  • Bake until golden for about ?? hour.
  • Serve warm.
  • Praline can be sprinkled over the surface of the flan, about 10 minutes before the
  • end of cooking time, for additional flavor and decoration.

Flan

Natalie Hanson

4 whole eggs
4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla or vanilla beans

Caramel

1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of water

  • Preheat oven to 350°F
  • Beat eggs lightly and mix with the sugar.
  • Scald the milk and add the vanilla beans. Set aside.
  • Make caramel: In flan dish put ?? cup of sugar and the water. Boil down until caramel is formed. Spread it around the dish.
  • Add the milk to the eggs and sugar and pour into the caramelized flan dish.
  • Cook at 350°F for 1 hour (bain marie) or until a knife inserted in the middle of the flan comes out clean.
  • You can decorate the flan with chantilly made with whipped cream and sugar.

Crème Opéra

Natalie Hanson

Serve 8 to 10 people.

4 whole eggs
8 egg yolks
4 cups milk boiled
1/2 cup sugar + 2 Tbsps
1 vanilla bean

Caramel

1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water

  • Make caramel by boiling water and sugar together until golden brown.
  • Pour into a 8 cup ring mold and tilt the mold to coat the sides.

Decoration

1 cup of whipping cream
5 or 6 meringues, crushed
1 lb of large strawberries, sliced and macerated in rum

  • Preheat oven to 350°F
  • Warm the milk with the vanilla bean and leave to infuse for ?? hour.
  • Beat eggs and egg yolks lightly with the sugar
  • Add milk and strain, if necessary, into the caramel lined mold
  • Cook at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes (bain marie).
  • Cool completely, preferably overnight.
  • Turn the custard into a serving dish.
  • Whisk the cream until stiff and place half in a pastry bag with a small rosette tube.
  • Fold the crushed meringues into the remaining cream and put in the center of the custard.
  • Decorate with fresh strawberries and pipe stars of cream over the meringue and cream mixture.
  • Serve very cold.

Crème d’Homère

Natalie Hanson

Use a 6 inch charlotte mold or soufflé dish.

1/2 cup of sugar
4 Tbsp of water
1 1/2 cups of sweet white wine
Generous 1/3 cup of clear honey
Pinch of cinnamon, and a strip of lemon peel
6 eggs

  • Preheat oven to 325°F
  • Place the sugar and water in a small pan or directly in your charlotte mold if it can bear the direct heat.
  • Boil the syrup until it turns a rich brown.
  • Tilt the mold carefully to coat the sides. Be careful, as the mold gets very hot.
  • Put the wine in a pan with the honey, cinnamon and lemon peel.
  • Heat slowly until the honey has dissolved completely. Allow to cool slightly.
  • Beat the eggs lightly, then pour the honey mixture on to them whisking all the time.
  • Pour into the caramel lined mold.
  • Stand the mold in a bain marie and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
  • To test if the mixture is cooked, insert a knife that should come out clean.
  • Allow to cool in the mold and when completely cool, turn out into a serving dish

Crème brûleé

Natalie Hanson

Like just about everything in cooking, the success of this Burnt Cream depends on the quality of the ingredients. If you can, buy farm eggs and really good cream.

1 quart of heavy cream
1/2 cup of sugar
6 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp of vanilla extract (you can also used 1 vanilla bean)
1/2 cup of packed brown sugar

  • Preheat the oven to 300° F
  • Prepare a large tray or roasting pan that can accommodate 6 shallow baking dishes.
  • If vanilla bean is used, cut it lengthwise and scrape out the tiny black seeds and combine with the cream in a heavy saucepan.
  • Bring to a boil, remove from the heat and set aside to steep for 15 minutes.
  • If vanilla extract is used, mix it with the sugar in a medium-size bowl and combine with the egg yolks. Set aside.
  • In the meantime scald the milk. Add it slowly to the egg yolk mixture.
  • Pour the cream and egg yolk mixture into the shallow baking dishes.
  • After putting the tray in the preheated oven, add enough boiling water to the tray to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish. This is called a bain-marie.
  • Bake for ?? hour or until the mixture is set in the center but still trembling.
  • Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
  • Remove from the refrigerator; sieve the brown sugar evenly over the top of the baked cream.
  • Glaze under the broiler until the sugar forms a crust. Stay close to be ready to remove it as soon as needed.
  • Return the custards to the refrigerator for 15 minutes before serving.

Cigarettes

Natalie Hanson

5 Tbsp of butter softened
1/2 cup of sugar + 1 Tbsp
4 large egg whites
2/3 cup of flour
1 tsp of vanilla extract

  • Mix sugar and butter together
  • Slowly add the egg whites without beating
  • Sift the flour in the mixture
  • Add vanilla and refrigerate for 5 minutes
  • Prepare a pastry bag with the large tube and fill with the batter from the refrigerator
  • Preheat oven at 400 °F
  • Spread small circles on a greased cookie sheet leaving plenty of room for spreading.
  • Bang the cookie sheet on a hard surface to flatten the batter
  • Cook until brown around the edges