by Kathy Douglas | Jul 16, 2018 | Frozen Desserts
It’s hot out there and time to cool off with this tasty treat. Deliciously creamy lemon gelato dotted with fresh seasonal peaches and stuffed in a crispy ginger cookie we coated in Bourbon Vanilla Sugar. You can’t get any cooler than these summer ice cream sammies.
Cookies
INGREDIENTS
1 ⅓ cups bread flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup Bourbon Barrel Foods Bourbon Vanilla Sugar or Turbinado sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and ginger.
Using a stand mixer, or hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until the butter is light and fluffy and the sugar has dissolved. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and combine until smooth.
On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and blend until just incorporated. Cover and refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough into 1” diameter balls, then roll the dough balls in the Bourbon Vanilla or Turbinado sugar. Place the dough 2″ apart on the prepared baking sheets. Use a flat-bottom glass or cup, flatten the dough balls to ⅜” thick. Place the dough in the oven and bake for 14-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven, and cool on the sheet tray for five minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Lemon Peach Gelato
INGREDIENTS
2 small fresh peaches
2 cups whole milk
1 cup cream
1 large lemon
6 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
Cut the peaches in half and remove the pit and any hard interior pieces. Cut the peach halves into a small dice. Place on a parchment lined sheet tray, in one layer, preferably not touching. Place in the freezer.
Combine the milk and cream in the saucepan. Using a vegetable peeler, carefully remove in strips the yellow part only on the outside of the lemon and add to the saucepan with the milk/cream mixture. Place over medium heat and cook until steaming, be careful not to let the mixture boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and allow the lemon to infuse for 20 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until the mixture turns light yellow and the sugar has dissolved into the eggs. Pour the infused milk through a fine mesh strainer into the egg mixture, a small amount at a time, whisking until thoroughly combined.
Pour the mixture into a clean saucepan, and place over medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until a thick custard forms that coat the back of the wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Be careful not to overheat.
Place a smaller bowl in a large bowl filled with ice. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into the small cold bowl. Stir occasionally to cool the mixture, then cover and place in the refrigerator and keep cold until well chilled, about 3-4 hours or preferably overnight.
Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. When the gelato is almost completed, add in the small diced frozen peaches. Place in a freezer container and freeze 2-3 hours.
To Assemble
Set the gelato out of the freezer for 10-20 minutes or spreadable. Spread two tablespoons of gelato on the side of one cookie. Top with another and freeze until solid, about 30 minutes. Make 10 cookie sandwiches with extra gelato.
by Kathy Douglas | Jul 10, 2018 | News & Events
FRESH CHEF EXPERIENCE WILL BE ON THE COOKING STAGE
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Grilled Spicy Chicken Thighs with Peppers & Onions
Easy Lemon & Cilantro Cream Sauce
Cold Smoked Potatoes and Corn
by Kathy Douglas | Jul 9, 2018 | Desserts
A summer fruit tart recipe is the best way to use the season’s ripest yield. Topped with a combination of fruits to bring out summer’s sweetness, we like our shortbread crust filled to the brim with Grand Marnier and Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream.
INGREDIENTS
Shortbread Pastry Crust
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
¼ cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
Pastry Cream
1 ¼ cups whole milk
3 large egg yolks
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
2 teaspoons Grand Marnier, optional
Topping
½ cup apricot jam or preserves
3 cups of summer fruit such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, plums, pineapple, peaches
INSTRUCTIONS
To make the shortbread crust: In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the salt. Place the butter in a mixer bowl, add the sugar, and beat until light and fluffy. Lightly whisk the egg then add to the butter mixture, beating until just incorporated. Add the flour mixture all at once and mix just until the dough forms into a ball. Dump out on a floured surface and flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, or place in a zip-top bag. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or just until firm.
Lightly butter an 8” or 9” tart pan with a removable bottom or an 8” or 9” tart ring. Roll the dough into an 8” or 9” circle then add to the pan or ring and evenly pat the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of the container or pastry ring. Cover with plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for a least one hour.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400˚F. Lightly prick bottom and sides of the pastry crust with the tines of a fork and place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Bake the crust for 5 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 350˚F and continue baking the crust for about 15 minutes more or until dry and lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the pastry cream: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the sugar and egg yolks together. Sift the flour and cornstarch together into the egg mixture and mix into a smooth paste.
In a saucepan, add the milk and heat until the liquid starts to foam up. Remove from heat and slowly temper small amounts at a time into the egg mixture, constantly whisking to keep a smooth mixture. Pour the egg mixture into a clean medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until just boiling, whisking constantly. When it boils, remove from heat and immediately whisk in the vanilla bean paste and Grand Marnier. Pour into a clean bowl and quickly cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a layer from forming. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until very cold. When ready to use, whisk to remove any lumps that may have formed.
Topping: Heat the apricot jam with one tablespoon of water in a small saucepan over medium heat until liquid. Remove from heat and strain the jam through a fine strainer to remove any fruit lumps.
To Assemble Tart: Be sure to assemble the tart on the day it will be eaten. Remove the tart from the sides of the pan and remove the bottom of the pan, then slide the tart shell on to a platter.
Spread a thin layer of apricot glaze over the bottom and up the sides of the baked tart shell to help prevent the crust from getting soggy. Let the glaze dry for 20 minutes. Spread the pastry cream onto the bottom of the tart shell over the glaze. Arrange the fruit on top and carefully brush a very light coating of fruit glaze on the fruit. Refrigerate until ready, serves 6.
by Kathy Douglas | Jun 25, 2018 | Desserts
We love our country, and we love our hand pies. Portable and delicious, these little pies will be the hit of your 4th of July event. Keeping with our festive theme, fill your tasty delights with either blueberries or cherries and top with white icing. If you want both flavors, as we did, just simply split the fruit ingredients in half and prepare in two separate saucepans.
INGREDIENTS
3 cups fresh or frozen cherries or blueberries, stemmed and pitted, fresh cherries cut in half
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoons cornstarch
Pie dough for two piecrusts – recipe follows
Flour
1 egg white
2 tablespoons turbinado or raw sugar
1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
The day prior, combine the fresh fruit with the sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. Cook over medium heat, occasionally stirring, until the juices are released, and the fruit collapses, about 20 minutes. Whisk the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water in a small bowl to blend thoroughly. Add cornstarch mixture, continuing to simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Working with one disk at a time, roll out the pie dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a sharp knife, dough cutter, or pizza cutter, cut and reroll the scraps of dough for both disks until you have eight 10×3″ rectangles. Whisk the egg white and 1 teaspoon water in another small bowl to make an egg wash.
Working with one 10×3” shape at a time, place on a work surface and brush edges with egg wash. Cut a star shape out of one side. Scoop 2-3 tablespoons fruit mixture on the other side then fold the star side of the dough over filling to form a 5×3″ packet. Crimp all edges with a fork to seal. Place on prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough and filling.
Brush tops with egg wash, then sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Place back in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°. Bake the hand pies until tops and bottoms are golden browns, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Whisk the confectioner’s sugar with vanilla and 1 tablespoon water. Add more water or sugar to reach the desired consistency for icing. Drizzle over the hand pies and let the icing set for 15-20 minutes before serving. Make 8 hand pies.
Pie Crust
INGREDIENTS
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
8-10 tablespoons cold water
INSTRUCTIONS
Add the flour, salt, and sugar in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse to mix thoroughly. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of peas. With the food processor running, add the water then pulse until the dough comes together.
Dump out onto a floured surface and using your hands gather together to form a large disk. Cut in half and place each half in two floured plastic bags. Form and flatten into a disk in the bag. Refrigerate over-night.
by Kathy Douglas | Jun 18, 2018 | Desserts
Cool down after a hot day with this irresistible seasonal dessert. This refreshing and creamy herbaceous gelato pairs exceptionally well with a sweet Blueberry Sauce and Iced Lemon Cookies. Made with basil, it’s a delicious alternative flavor with an incredibly refreshing taste. Our easy blueberry sauce is made with Perfect Purée of Napa Valley’s Spearmint & Lime or Key Lime which can be ordered online direct or through Amazon.
Blueberry Sauce
INGREDIENTS
1 quart blueberries
½ cup Perfect Purée of Napa Valley’s Spearmint & Lime or Key Lime*
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium saucepan, mix the blueberries with the syrup. Cook over moderate heat until the blueberries begin to burst and collapse about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Transfer to a blender and puree; strain through a fine mesh strainer. Stir in the lemon juice, cool to room temperature and refrigerate.
Basil Gelato
INGREDIENTS
2 cups whole milk
1 cup cream
2 cups packed basil leaves
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
6 egg yolks
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the milk, cream, and basil in a blender. Blend until completely smooth. Add to a saucepan over medium heat and cook until just starting to simmer. In a large bowl whisk the sugar, salt, and egg yolks together until pale yellow. Temper the warm cream/milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Transfer the mix to back to a saucepan and over medium heat cook, continually stirring, until the eggs thicken and the sauce thickly coats the back of a spoon. Set a smaller bowl inside a larger bowl that is filled with ice. Remove the custard from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into the smaller cold bowl. Set the bowl in an ice water bath to rapidly chill. Chill, occasionally stirring, until cold, then refrigerate overnight or for 8 hours.
Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze until ready to use.
Lemon Butter Cookies
INGREDIENTS
Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Icing
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Finely grated lemon zest, for garnish
1 tablespoon sugar crystals
INSTRUCTIONS
Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter an 8”x8” baking pan, line the bottom and up two sides with parchment paper. Butter the parchment and then flour the pan, tapping out any extra flour.
Whisk together the flour and salt in a bowl; set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with a bowl beat the butter with the confectioners’ sugar until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Add the lemon zest and juice, then reduce the speed and add in the flour and salt mixture until just incorporated. Pour the dough into the pan, smooth the top and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool in the pan 10 minutes. Carefully remove from the pan using the excess parchment and set on a rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment and cut into long thin bar-shaped pieces.
Icing
When the cookies are cooling, make the frosting. In a bowl, whisk 1 cup confectioners’ sugar with the lemon juice until smooth. Use the remaining sugar by adding small amounts to thicken the icing – only if needed. In another small bowl, combine the lemon zest with the sugar crystals. Spread the lemon icing over the cooled cookies and sprinkle with lemon zest mixture. Let stand until the frosting is set, about 30 minutes.
Assembly
INGREDIENTS
Fresh Basil Leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
Add the sauce to a bowl. Top with the gelato, cookies, and a basil leaf; makes 6-8 servings.
*The Perfect Pureé of Nappa Valley products are available on Amazon or https://www.perfectpuree.com/shop/.
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