Arborio Rice Pudding

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Arborio rice pudding with Calvados and cinnamon caramel
A lovely, comforting treat, which boasts a risotto-like consistency but requires minimal effort.

3 1/2 cups milk/cream mixture (I used 2 3/4 cups milk and 3/4 cups 10% cream, but use whatever is on hand or what suits your tastes)
1/2 cup Arborio or other short-grain white rice
1 vanilla bean
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons Calvados
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
Cinnamon caramel sauce (recipe follows)

Combine the milk and cream (if using) and rice in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape in the seeds into the liquid, drop in the pod as well. Bring the milk to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Simmer until the rice is tender, stirring frequently, about 20-25 minutes. Discard the vanilla bean. Add the sugar, Calvados and heavy cream (if using), stirring well to dissolve. Cook until the mixture thickens to your desired consistency, about 5 to 10 minutes longer.

Spoon the rice pudding into bowls. Cover and refrigerate until cold (preferably overnight if you can wait that long, but 3-4 hours should suffice). Serve with the warm caramel sauce.

Cinnamon caramel sauce

Caramel sauce
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (or to taste)

Reduce the vanilla in the recipe to 1/2 teaspoon. Make the sauce as per instructions, adding the cinnamon at the same stage as the vanilla. If the cinnamon is added too soon, the heat from the caramel will toast the spice, adding a slightly bitter note.

Notes:
• Alternatively, omit the caramel sauce entirely and simply sprinkle the pudding with a bit of cinnamon sugar (Demerara works especially well here). To gild the lily so to speak, you can lightly torch the cinnamon sugar for a brûléed effect – I love the contrast between the crisp spiced sugar and the almost custard-like pudding below.
• Other flavour and spice combinations work well in the method, such as Grand Marnier and ginger.
• To prevent a skin from forming while chilling, make sure to press down a layer of cling film against the top of the rice pudding.

from: http://sevenspoons.net/2005_10_01_sevenspoons_archive.html

Mixed Berry Ricotta Fool

Mixed berry ricotta fool



My own creation. Luscious, yet light, this recipe delivers a perfect balance of flavours and texture.

Blame it on lack of sleep (an infant will do that to you), but while I have the photo, I have no recollection of where I put the exact recipe. The following are estimations.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup of mixed berries
3 tablespoons ricotta
Honey, I believe I used about 1/2 teaspoon, but go with your taste depending on the tartness of the fruit
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
A few grates of lemon zest (optional)

Crush the berries with the back of a fork or in a mortar and pestle to form a coarse purée.

In another bowl, combine ricotta, honey, vanilla and nutmeg (if using). Fold the berry mixture through the ricotta, until marbled well but not completely blended. Check for sweetness and adjust honey if needed.

Spoon on slices of baguette, scones or to top waffles and pancakes.

Serves 1.

Notes:
• Omit the lemon zest and use a few grates of nutmeg for a background note of spice.
• Alternatively this fool can be mounded on split strawberries for a quick snack, multiplied to fill prebaked tart shells, in a napoleon of puff pastry, or between layers of sponge cake. It also makes a simple summer dessert when served in a cup with shortbread or sugar cookies alongside.

from : http://www.sevenspoons.net/

Key Lime Mousse on Honey Tuile Crust

Key Lime Mousse on Honey Tuile Crust

Incidentally, this pâte à bombe recipe is modified from a Gordon Ramsay recipe. His book, Just Desserts is one of the most useful and exquisite books in my library. Chef Ramsay calls for an Italian meringue to be added to his mousses (I think for texture), so I'll have to try that sometime, but I think this recipe is just fine on its own. The mousse needs to be chilled at least 3 hours, but honestly, it was good to go after two hours. I also stuck an extra ramekin into the freezer to make a Key lime parfait. We'll see how that comes out.

Key Lime Mousse on Honey Tuile Crust

Pâte à Bombe

3/4 cup sugar
4 T fresh squeezed Key lime juice (about 12 key limes)
3 T water
6 egg yolks

Bring sugar, Key lime juice and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Insert a candy thermometer into the pan. Bring another pot of water to boil.

Beat eggs until to the ribbon stage (they will be thick and pale in color, and fall in a heavy "ribbon" when you lift the beaters) in a large glass bowl, about 10 minutes. When the syrup hits 250 degrees F, carefully pour the syrup down the sides of the bowl, beating on high speed. Make sure not to pour the hot syrup on the beaters as it could splash. The mixture will double in volume and airy after continuous beating for about 7 minutes. Place the bowl over the hot water and continue beating about 3 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and let the pâte cool. This makes about 2 cups of pâte à Bombe

Honey Tuile Crust

8 T unsalted butter (1 stick)
4 large egg whites
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cups all purpose flour

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Sift the flour and sugar together. In a separate bowl, combine the butter and honey until pale. Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Slowly add the egg whites, making sure each egg white is fully incorporated before adding more.

Using an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of batter on a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat mat or parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 7 minutes, or until cookies are firm. Remove from the tray and allow the baked tuile sheet to cool, about 15 minutes.

You can also use this recipe to make tuile cookies. Simply use a spoon and spread the batter into circles. Bake for the same amount of time, but when you remove the tuile cookies from the oven, drape them immediately over a rolling pin for the characteristic tuile shape. To make a tuile cup, drape the warm cookie over an upended custard cup, hold the shape in place with your hand. It will cool and harden quickly.

Another variation is a chocolate tuile -- simply add 1/4 cup of cocoa powder to the dry ingredients.

Key Lime Mousse

1 cup Pâte à Bombe
1 cup heavy cream
1 t Key lime zest
Crushed honey tuile cookies (enough to line 8 ramekins)

Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the zest and whip an additional minute. Don't overbeat the cream; you want as much volume in the whipped cream as possible.

Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the pâte to lighten the egg-syrup mixture. Fold in remaining cream and mix well.

Using your hands, crush the tuile cookies and crumble loosely into ramekins. For a finer crust, pulse in a food processor and combine with melted butter. Press into the bottom of the ramekin. Frankly, I'm much fonder of the broken cookies for a crust rather than a fine crust bound together with butter.

Spoon the mousse into 8 individual ramekins. Chill for at least 3 hours. Or freeze overnight for a light parfait.

http://www.ablithepalate.com/2005/10/key_lime_mousse_1.html

Frangelico Honey Panna Cotta

Frangelico Honey Panna Cotta

based on a recipe by Martha Stewart

2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup wildflower honey
1/2 cup whole milk
3 T Frangelico

Place six ramekins (3 inches in diameter, 1 1/2 inches deep) in the refrigerator until cold.

Put 3 tablespoons cool water into a medium bowl. Sprinkle in the gelatin; let stand until gelatin has softened, about 5 minutes. Stir together cream and honey in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve honey, until bubbles form at edges, about 2 minutes. Pour cream mixture into bowl with gelatin; whisk until gelatin has dissolved. Stir in milk. Pour cream mixture into chilled ramekins. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

Run knife around edge of ramekin. To serve, dip 1 ramekin in a bowl of hot water for 20 seconds, making sure water does not reach rim. Invert panna cotta onto a dessert plate, gently shaking and tapping ramekin to unmold. If unmolding is difficult, return the ramekin to hot water briefly. Repeat to unmold the remaining panna cottas.

Top with chopped hazelnut and serve.

http://www.ablithepalate.com/2006/04/shf_18_frangeli.html#more