Roasted Cherries (from Stacey Adimando's PIATTI Cookbook)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon honey ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt freshly ground black pepper 24 sweet red cherries Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt, and black pepper. Stir vinegar/oil mixture with a fork, then add the cherries, toss well to coat. Place the cherries on a parchment lined baking sheet, reserving the vinegar/oil mixture. Roast the cherries until juicy and the fruit has collapsed slightly, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Oven Roasted Nectarines Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 2 nectarines, (about 5 oz. each) rinsed, halved, pitted, sliced in quarters lengthwise 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 tablespoon honey Place the nectarine slices in a medium bowl, drizzle with the olive oil and honey, tossing to coat. Transfer the fruit to a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, just until tender. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Olive Oil Cornmeal Cake (makes one 9” cake) (from Stacy Adimando's PIATTI Cookbook) 1 cup cornmeal 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1½ tsp. kosher salt ½ tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. baking soda 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (optional) 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter 5 Tbsp. fruity extra-virgin olive oil ⅓ cup sugar 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. honey 3 large eggs ¼ tsp. pure vanilla extract ¾ cup whole milk ½ cup buttermilk For the garnish- 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil Fresh rosemary (2 Tbsp.), or crumbled chive flowers or fresh thyme Flaky sea salt Freshly ground black pepper (my black pepper cupboard was bare- I used pink peppercorns) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. (If using the pine nuts, add them to the cornmeal mixture.) In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 4 Tbsp. butter. Pour the butter into a large heat-proof bowl and let cool slightly. Add 4 Tbsp. of olive oil, the sugar, and honey. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until incorporated. Whisk in the milk and buttermilk until incorporated. Gradually add the cornmeal mixture, stirring the batter with a spatula until mostly smooth. Place a 9” cake pan in the oven with the remaining 1 Tbsp. each of butter and olive oil in it. Once the butter melts, remove the pan and tilt it until the bottom and a little of the sides are greased. Stir the cornmeal batter well and pour it into the hot pan. Spread to fill evenly. Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 22-25 minutes. Garnish- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Fresh rosemary (about 2 Tablespoons) Freshly ground black pepper Flaky sea salt Roasted cherries and nectarines Brush the cake with the olive oil and sprinkle with the rosemary, a few grinds of black pepper, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Serve the cake with the roasted fruit. Cover any leftover cake tightly with plastic wrap and place in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Cover and refrigerate any leftover fruit.
0 Comments
makes 1 cup
½ cup heavy cream 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces ⅓ cup granulated sugar ⅓ cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed pinch of salt ½ cup strained Dutch-process cocoa powder Place the cream and butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over moderate heat. Stir with a heat-resistant spatula until the better is melted and the cream just comes to a low boil. Add both sugars, stirring for a few minutes until they are completely dissolved. Reduce the heat. Add the salt and cocoa and stir briskly with a whisk until glossy and smooth. Remove from the heat. Serve immediately or cool and reheat in the top of a double boiler over hot water. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. (Maida recommends storing the sauce in the refrigerator in a straight-sided jar or container that flares out at the top because the sauce becomes too firm when chilled.) makes 18-20 depending upon the depth of your mini muffin pan
(I use a heavy weight mini muffin pan- each opening measures 1” deep by 2¼” across.) It’s best to make the peach butter first so you can serve it alongside the popovers when they exit the oven. For the Honey Peach Butter- 1 large ripe peach, peeled, pitted, and diced 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice 2 teaspoons sugar 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces ¼ teaspoon cardamom 1 teaspoon orange zest ⅛-¼ cup wild flower honey, depending upon your sweetness preference Place the peeled, pitted, and diced peach in a small heavy bottomed saucepan with the orange juice and sugar. Simmer until the peach softens and the orange juice and sugar become syrupy. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl to cool completely. (You can speed things along by placing the peach mixture in the fridge.) When the peach mixture is completely cool, place the butter pieces in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Add the cardamom, orange zest, and honey processing just until smooth. Add the cooled peach mixture, pulsing just a few times to combine it with the butter. Transfer the peach butter to a serving bowl. Serve with piping hot popovers. Cover and refrigerate any leftover butter. For the Popovers- softened butter for greasing the pan(s) 2 eggs 1 cup whole milk ⅓ cup fresh corn kernels, lightly mashed with a fork 1 tablespoon sugar ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¾ cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup cornmeal 2 tablespoons melted butter for the batter Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Butter a 2 dozen mini-cupcake pan (or two single dozen mini-cupcake pans) and place the pan(s) in the oven while you prepare the batter. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, and corn kernels. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, black pepper, flour, and cornmeal. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, whisking until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the melted butter. Carefully remove the mini-cupcake pan(s) from the oven using oven mitts (remember-the pan is hot!) and fill the buttered mini-muffins cups almost to the top with batter. Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees F, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake until puffed and golden brown, about 10 minutes more. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR WHILE THEY’RE BAKING! Serve the popovers immediately with peach butter. inspired by Haven in Lenox, Mass.
This began as a bar cookie recipe that happily stepped into a tart pan. Garnished with ganache and fresh apricot slices, it's a perfect summer dessert. (It also works beautifully swapping the dried apricots for dried cherries and garnishing with fresh cherries.) makes one 13” x 9” tart Tart Dough ¾ cup (6 oz.) dried apricots, diced 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice 1¼ cups all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt ¾ cup dark brown sugar ¾ cup (6 oz.) unsalted butter, cut into pieces ½ cup desiccated coconut, unsweetened ½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped ¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats ½ teaspoon orange zest ½ cup (4 oz.) uncrystallized candied ginger, diced In a small bowl, combine the dried apricots and orange juice; set them aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, salt, and brown sugar on low speed. Add the cubed butter and mix until the consistency is similar to cookie dough. With mixer on low, add the coconut, walnuts, oats, orange zest, candied ginger, and the apricots/orange juice. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter and flour a fluted rectangular tart pan (mine measures 11” long x 8” wide.) Press the dough into the tart pan, using a sheet of parchment paper to pat it smoothly. Place the tart pan on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, until golden in color. Let cool completely and glaze with ganache. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set and garnish with fresh apricot slices. Ganache 4 oz. heavy cream 4 oz. dark chocolate, coarsely chopped Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, bring the cream just to a boil. Pour the scalded cream over the chocolate and let it stand for 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until shiny and smooth making sure the chocolate is completely incorporated into the cream. Garnish 8 ripe but firm apricots, rinsed, halved, pitted, thinly sliced and patted dry on paper towels |
Archives
January 2025
|