Ms. Desserts

It's the (post) holiday season, so I suppose that means it's time for me to share some dessert recipes. I did 5 desserts in 5 days this year; yes I'm fatigued. I let Poppers take care of the main courses and I came in for the big finish. 

Christmas Eve featured Bananas Foster Bread Pudding with Caramel sauce. What a treat! Compliments of Emeril, this wasn't too hard to make and is a real find if you like bananas. 

Christmas Day we had munched on Pumpkin Banana Mousse Pie (Ina Garten), which was already a hit at Thanksgiving. I also tried my hand at a Cranberry Upside Down  Cake from Baking Illustrated. Aside from being tasty, this is possibly the most festive looking dessert you could make for the Season.

In my family, we have an extra holiday on Dec 26: my grandmother's birthday. Since she loves Harry & David Pears so much, I did the Pear and Nutmeg Upside Down Cake. 

Last, but not least, I made Peanut Butter & Chocolate Shortbread for a family friend. I'll let you know how that one was received. I will say I snuck a corner and wouldn't have minded another spot of shortbread. 

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce

Emeril Lagasse

Serves 8-10

9 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 firm-ripe bananas, peeled and cut crosswise into 3/4 inch slices

1/4 cup banana liqueur

1/2 cup dark rum

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups heavy cream

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

6 cups (1/2-inch cubes) day-old French bread

Vanilla ice cream

Caramel sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10 by 14-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside. 

Melt the remaining 8 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup of the brown sugar and the cinnamon and cook, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add the bananas and cook on both sides, turning, until the bananas start to soften and brown, about 3 minutes. Add the banana liqueur and stir to blend. Carefully add the rum and shake the pan back and forth to warm the rum and flame the pan. (Or, off the heat, carefully ignite the rum with a match and return to the heat.) Shake the pan back and forth, basting the bananas, until the flame dies. Remove from the heat and let cool. 

Whisk together the eggs, remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, the cream, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the cooled banana mixture and bread and stir to blend thoroughly. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake until firm, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. 

To serve, scoop the pudding onto dessert plates. Top each serving with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzle with caramel sauce and serve immediately. 

Caramel Sauce

Makes a generous 3/4 cup

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup whole milk

Combine the sugar, water and lemon juice in a medium heavy saucepan and cook, stirring over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Let boil without stirring until the mixture becomes a deep amber color, 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely so it doesn't burn. Carefully add the cream (it may splatter), whisk to combine and remove the heat. Add the milk, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. 

Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature before serving. Sauce will thicken as it cools. 

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

Cook's Illustrated: Holiday Baking

Serves 8

Topping

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cups (12 ounces) cranberries fresh, or thawed from frozen

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake

1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs, separated

For the Topping

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9-inch round cake pan, line with parchment round, and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add cranberries, sugar and jam and cook until cranberries are just softened, about 4 minutes. Strain cranberry mixture over bowl, reserving juices. 

Return strained juices to empty skillet and simmer over medium heat until syrupy and reduced to 1 cup, about 4 minutes. Off heat, stir in vanilla. Arrange strained berries in single layer in prepared pan. Pour juice mixture over berries and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

For the Cake

Process almonds and 1/4 cup flour in food processor until finely ground, about 10 seconds. Add remaining 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, salt and pulse to combine. Whisk milk, vanilla extract and almond extract in liquid measuring cup. In stand mixer fitted with flat beater, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg yolks, 1 at a time, until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of milk mixture.

Using clean bowl, beat egg whites in stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Whisk one-third of whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites. Pour batter over chilled cranberry  mixture and bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool cake on wire rack 10 minutes, then run paring knife around cake and invert onto serving plate. Serve.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Shortbread Bars

Fine Cooking: Cookies

Yields 4 dozen 1 1/2-inch bars

Shortbread Crust

14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to just warm

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon table salt

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, finely chopped

Peanut Butter Filling

1 cup creamy peanut butter (such as Jif)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ganache

5 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped (about 1 heaping cup)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Make the Shortbread Crust

Line a straight-sided 13x9-inch metal baking pan with foil, letting the ends create an overhanging edge for easy removal. 

In a medium bowl, stir the butter, sugar and salt. Stir in the flour and peanuts to make a stiff dough. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. prick the dough all over with a fork. Refrigerate the pan for 30 minutes, until the dough is firm. 

Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake the dough for 20 minutes, then decrease the oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake until the crust is golden-brown all over and completely set, 20 to 25 more minutes. Let the crust cool completely before topping. 

Make the Peanut Butter Filling

Put the peanut butter and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add about half of the confectioners' sugar to the bowl, along with the vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon hot water. Beat on low speed until combined and then on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about another 1 minute. Beat in the remaining sugar and mix until the mixture is smooth and thick, about 1 minute longer. If the filling seems too stiff, add another 1 tablespoon hot water and beat for another minute. 

With a knife of metal offset spatula, spread the filling over the cooled crust. The filling may not spread, but worry; the ganache will cover it.

Make the Ganache

Put the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 3 minutes. Stir gently with a rubber spatula  until combined and smooth. 

Spread the ganache over the peanut butter filling with a metal offset spatula to coat evenly. Let the bars sit for at least 3 hours (or refrigerate for 1 hour) to allow the ganache to set before cutting.

Carefully lift the bars from the pan using the foil sides and transfer them to a cutting board. Separate the foil from the bars by sliding a spatula between them. Cut the bars into 1 1/2-inch squares. They will keep at room temperature for one week.