The following recipe makes 120 cookies. Any excess raw dough may be kept, frozen, 3 weeks. You'll find these delicate wafers so delicious that they'll disappear in no time.
Makes 2 logs; each log makes 60 crisps.
INGREDIENTS
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh lemon thyme or regular thyme leaves
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
1 large egg
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh gingerroot
confectioners' sugar for dusting
DIRECTIONS
Into a bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and salt and stir in thyme. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter, granulated sugar, and zest until light and fluffy. Add egg, beating until combined well, and beat in lemon juice and gingerroot. Add flour mixture, beating until just combined.
Halve dough and on separate sheets of wax paper form each half into a 14- by 1 1/2-inch log, using wax paper as a guide. Freeze logs, wrapped in wax paper and foil, about 20 minutes, or until firm, and up to 3 weeks. If frozen solid, bring logs to cool room temperature for ease of slicing.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Cut 1 log diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick ovals and halve each slice diagonally. Arrange cookies about 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets and bake in batches in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, about 12 minutes total. Immediately transfer crisps with a spatula to racks to cool. Make more cookies with remaining log if desired. Dust cookies lightly with confectioners’ sugar.
Panna cotta, a molded chilled dessert popular throughout Italy, is easy to make and can be prepared in advance. It looks and tastes wonderful with ripe red fruits such as raspberries, strawberries, or sweet cherries.
Serves 8.
INGREDIENTS
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons cold water
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half and half
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
DIRECTIONS
In a very small saucepan sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand about 1 minute to soften. Heat gelatin mixture over low heat until gelatin is dissolved and remove pan from heat.
In a large saucepan bring cream, half and half, and sugar just to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring. Remove pan from heat and stir in gelatin mixture and vanilla. Divide cream mixture among eight 1/2-cup ramekins and cool to room temperature. Chill ramekins, covered, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Dip ramekins, 1 at a time, into a bowl of hot water 3 seconds. Run a thin knife around edge of each ramekin and invert ramekin onto center of a small plate.
This dessert is based on an old-fashioned Russian kissel—traditionally a sweetened fruit purée thickened with potato starch, which gives it a puddinglike consistency. We've left the berries whole in order to achieve a more interesting look and texture and substituted cornstarch for the thickener as it's more readily available in the States.
Makes 6 servings.
INGREDIENTS
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups sweet muscat such as val d’orbieu st.-jean-de-minervois
5 cups picked-over blackberries
4 cups picked-over raspberries
1 1/4 cups packed fresh basil sprigs
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
accompaniment: crème fraîche or sour cream
DIRECTIONS
Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds into a bowl, reserving pod for another use. Whisk in sugar, cornstarch, and salt until combined well.
In a saucepan simmer Muscat and 1/8 cup each type of berry 2 minutes. Drain mixture in a sieve set over a bowl, reserving liquid. Transfer cooked berries to a large bowl and stir in remaining fresh berries. Coarsely chop basil.
Gradually whisk reserved hot liquid into sugar mixture until smooth. Transfer mixture to pan and stir in basil. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking, and simmer, whisking, 3 minutes. Immediately pour mixture through sieve into berries, discarding basil, and stir until combined well. Stir in lemon juice. Divide kissel among 6 bowls. Chill kissel, covered, at least 2 hours, or until cold, and up to 2 days.
Serve kissel with crème fraîche or sour cream.
This recipe was created to accompany Grilled Shellfish and Potato Salad with Avacado Salsa, Scallion Oil, and Plum Coulis.
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Makes 2/3 cup.
INGREDIENTS
2 ripe large red or purple plums (about 1/2 pound)
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon sugar to sweeten plums if desired
freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Pit plums and coarsely chop. In a blender purée plums with water and pour through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids. Discard solids. Coulis may be made 2 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Bring coulis to cool room temperature before serving.
Just before serving, add sugar, pepper, and salt to taste.
This recipe was created to accompany Grilled Shellfish and Potato Salad with Avacado Salsa, Scallion Oil, and Plum Coulis.
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Makes 3 cups.
INGREDIENTS
2 large shallots
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
10 medium tomatillos (about 1/2 pound)
2 firm-ripe california avocados
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or to taste
DIRECTIONS
Finely chop shallots and mince garlic. In a bowl toss shallots and garlic with coriander. Discard husks from tomatillos and rinse tomatillos under warm water to remove stickiness. Chop tomatillos and add to shallot mixture, tossing to combine.
Peel and pit avocados and cut into 3/4-inch pieces. Add avocados, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste to tomatillo mixture, gently tossing until just combined. Salsa may be made 4 hours ahead and chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap.
This recipe was created to accompany Chilled Tarragon Tomato Soup with Vegatable Confetti.
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Makes 24.
INGREDIENTS
1 baguette
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400° F.
Diagonally cut twenty-four 1/8-inch-thick slices from baguette and arrange in one layer on baking sheets. Brush tops of slices with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Toast slices in middle and upper thirds of oven until golden brown, about 5 minutes, and cool on racks. Toasts may be made 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
If fresh figs are difficult to find, a delicious alternative would be toasts or crackers spread with preserves-fig or peach, for example. If opting for preserves, use only half the honey called for in the goat cheese mixture.
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Makes 1 3/4 cups.
INGREDIENTS
11 ounces soft mild
goat cheese at room temperature (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves, or to taste
1 tablespoon honey
1 pound fresh figs
DIRECTIONS
In a bowl whisk together all ingredients except figs until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Rosemary goat cheese may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring goat cheese to cool room temperature before serving.
Mound goat cheese in center of a platter. Halve figs and arrange around goat cheese for dipping.
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Makes 2 cups.
INGREDIENTS
3 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
3 ounces fine-quality milk chocolate
DIRECTIONS
Chop bittersweet chocolate and in a double boiler or small metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water heat until melted. With a metal spatula spread melted chocolate onto a baking sheet (not non-stick) as thinly and evenly as possible. Cool chocolate until firm to the touch but not hard. (Alternatively, chill melted chocolate on sheet; if it becomes too hard let it soften slightly at room temperature.) With a pastry scraper or metal spatula held at an angle scrape chocolate slowly from sheet, letting it curl. Carefully transfer curls as formed to a plate lined with waxed paper. Make more curls with milk chocolate in same manner. Chocolate curls may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, loosely covered.
