The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (87 page)

sour cherry charlottes

MAKES 6

3½ cups frozen sour cherries (about 1 pound)

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

24 slices (about 1 loaf) very thin white sandwich bread, crusts removed

¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted

Sour Cherry Compote (recipe follows)

1.
Toss together cherries, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Set aside; let cherries thaw slightly, about 35 minutes.

2.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a pastry brush, generously brush one side of each slice of bread with the butter. Reserve 6 slices; cut remaining slices in half to form 36 rectangles. Line sides and bottom of each cup of a jumbo (6-cup) muffin tin with 6 rectangles, overlapping bread and placing buttered side against tin.

3.
Toss cherry mixture to combine. Spoon into bread-lined cups. Top each with a reserved bread square, buttered side down; press firmly onto cherries.

4.
Bake charlottes until tops and sides are golden and crisp, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer tin to a wire rack; let stand until charlottes have cooled slightly and are just firm, 15 to 20 minutes. Using an offset spatula or knife, loosen sides of charlottes from tin, and unmold; invert onto serving plates. Serve warm, with warm sour cherry compote on the side.

sour cherry compote

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

3 cups frozen sour cherries (a little less than 1 pound)

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Put cherries, sugar, and vinegar into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cherries have burst and mixture begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Serve warm.

chilled cantaloupe soup with tarragon syrup

SERVES 6

for the soup

1 large ripe cantaloupe (about 4 pounds), seeds and rind removed, cut into chunks, plus thin wedges for garnish

¼ cup sour cream

2 tablespoons honey, or to taste

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Pinch of coarse salt

for the syrup

¾ cup sugar

4 sprigs tarragon, plus more for garnish

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1.
Make the soup: Working in 2 batches, purée cantaloupe, sour cream, honey, lemon juice, and salt in a blender until smooth. Press through a fine sieve into a bowl. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.

2.
Make the syrup: Bring sugar and ¾ cup water to a boil in a saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Boil until syrup has reduced to
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cup, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat; add tarragon. Transfer to a bowl; refrigerate until cold, 1 hour.

3.
Purée syrup, tarragon, and lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use; stir just before serving.

4.
Divide soup among bowls. Drizzle with tarragon syrup; garnish with cantaloupe wedges and tarragon sprigs.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 173 CALORIES, 2 G FAT, 7 MG CHOLESTEROL, 40 G CARBOHYDRATE, 44 MG SODIUM, 1 G PROTEIN, 1 G FIBER

peach-raspberry clafouti

SERVES 6 TO 8

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for dish

1½ cups Lillet Blanc or white wine

1¼ cups sugar

1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved

2 pounds firm, ripe peaches (5 to 7), halved and pitted

6 ounces fresh raspberries

4 large eggs

¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest

1.
Butter a 12-inch round baking dish; set aside. Bring Lillet, 1½ cups water, ¾ cup sugar, and the vanilla bean and seeds to a boil in a large, wide saucepan over high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add peaches, cut side down, and cover with a round of parchment paper, placing it directly on top of peaches. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer until peaches are very tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 30 minutes.

2.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Using a slotted spoon, transfer peaches, cut side up, to prepared dish; reserve ¼ cup poaching liquid (discard the vanilla bean). Arrange raspberries among peaches.

3.
Whisk eggs, remaining ½ cup sugar, and the salt in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in flour. Whisk in milk, melted butter, vanilla extract, orange zest, and reserved poaching liquid. Pour around fruit.

4.
Bake until edges are puffed and golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 20 minutes before serving. The clafouti can be refrigerated, covered, up to 1 day.

sour cherry clafouti

SERVES 6

3 cups pitted fresh sour cherries (canned or frozen may be used)

3 tablespoons Cognac

Unsalted butter, for pie plate

½ cup sugar

¾ cup whole milk

¼ cup heavy cream

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

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cup all-purpose flour

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Stir together cherries and Cognac; set aside.

2.
Butter a 9-inch glass pie plate or a fluted porcelain tart dish. Dust with 1 teaspoon sugar; set aside.

3.
Blend milk, cream, eggs, remaining sugar, the vanilla, salt, and flour in a blender on high speed 1 minute, scraping down sides halfway through.

4.
Pour ½ cup batter into prepared pie plate. Arrange the cherries evenly over batter; drizzle with the Cognac. Pour remaining batter over cherries.

5.
Bake clafouti until top is puffed and golden brown and batter is set, 45 to 60 minutes. Serve warm.

nectarine shortcakes

MAKES 8

½ pound nectarines (about 4), cut into ½-inch pieces

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon coarse salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling

1.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine nectarines, lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons granulated sugar. Let stand 15 minutes.

2.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture forms small pieces. Stir in the cream. Fold in nectarine mixture.

3.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat into an 8½-inch round. Using a 2½-inch cutter, cut out 8 rounds, and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with cream; sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Any remaining shortcakes can be stored in an airtight container up to 1 day.

roasted peaches with nougat

SERVES 4

Serve these easy-to-prepare peaches with scoops of ice cream, and drizzle with pan juices.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar

4 ripe white peaches, halved lengthwise and pitted

3 tablespoons honey

4 to 6 ounces chewy almond nougat, coarsely chopped

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F, with rack in upper third. Melt butter in a large ovenproof skillet or sauté pan over medium heat until foaming. Reduce heat to low; add sugar, stirring until it has dissolved. Add peaches, cut side down, and cook until they start to caramelize, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip, and drizzle with honey.

2.
Raise heat to medium-high. Bring pan juices to a boil. Remove from heat.

3.
Divide nougat pieces among peaches, arranging them in the center of each half. Spoon pan juices over the tops.

4.
Roast in oven until nougat melts and peaches turn golden brown and are tender when pierced with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately.

honey-roasted salted figs

SERVES 6 TO 8

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for baking sheet

¼ cup honey

10 ounces dried Turkish figs

10 ounces dried Black Mission figs

½ teaspoon coarse salt

2 small bunches assorted grapes, such as red and champagne

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Whisk oil and honey in a large bowl. Add figs; toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer on prepared sheet. Sprinkle with salt.

2.
Roast in the oven until fragrant and caramelized, 12 to 15 minutes. Immediately loosen figs from sheet with a metal spatula. Let figs cool slightly, loosening again after 5 minutes. Transfer to a platter; serve with grapes.

frozen desserts

apricot sherbet

SERVES 8

Serve this sherbet with Almond Meringue Wafers (recipe follows).

1½ pounds very ripe small apricots (about 12)

1 cup sugar

¼ cup light corn syrup

¼ cup fresh lemon juice (1 to 2 lemons)

1½ cups nonfat buttermilk

1 cup milk

1.
Quarter the apricots, and remove the pits. Place the apricot quarters in a food processor, and puree until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a medium bowl, and add the sugar, corn syrup, and lemon juice. Whisk to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and macerate about 1 hour in the refrigerator.

2.
Pass the apricot mixture through a fine sieve into a medium bowl; discard the solids. Whisk in the buttermilk and milk. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours.

3.
Freeze the mixture in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to an airtight container; freeze up to 4 days.

almond meringue wafers

MAKES 2 DOZEN

4¼ ounces sliced almonds (about 1¼ cups)

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

2.
In a food processor, pulse about 1 cup almonds with ½ cup sugar until the almonds are finely ground. Add the flour, and pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl.

3.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites, salt, vanilla, and remaining ¼ cup sugar until soft and shiny peaks form. Gently fold into the dry ingredients until just blended.

4.
Drop the batter by the tablespoon, about 1½ inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets. Arrange 3 sliced almonds on top of each cookie.

5.
Bake the cookies until the edges are lightly browned, about 14 minutes. Let the cookies cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to wire racks. Let cool completely before serving. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

rhubarb and strawberry ice cream

MAKES 1 QUART

Unlike many ice cream recipes, this one does not contain eggs.

1 pound trimmed rhubarb, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3½ cups)

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons water

8 ounces ripe strawberries

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup milk

2 tablespoons kirsch

1.
Place the rhubarb, ½ cup sugar, and the water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low; let simmer, stirring frequently, until rhubarb is very tender and beginning to fall apart, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer to a bowl; set aside.

2.
Place the strawberries in the bowl of a food processor; puree. Strain through a fine sieve or chinois into a bowl; set aside.

3.
Scald the cream and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Do not let boil. Remove from heat, add the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

4.
In a medium bowl, combine the cooked rhubarb, strawberry puree, cream mixture, and kirsch. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

frozen lemon mousse

SERVES 8

This mousse can be made up to 3 days before serving. Ring molds may be purchased at specialty cookware stores. You can also use an 8-inch springform pan.

8 to 10 lemons

2 cups sugar

8 large egg yolks, plus 2 whole eggs

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into pieces

1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream, chilled

Candied Lemon Zest (recipe follows)

1 8-ounce container crème fraîche

1.
Prepare an ice-water bath in a large bowl. Juice 1 lemon; reserve the juice. Juice the additional lemons to yield 1 cup. Make the lemon curd: Place 1 cup lemon juice and the sugar, egg yolks, whole eggs, and butter in saucepan; whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it begins to boil, about 10 minutes.

2.
Strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl set in the ice bath. Stir periodically until cool; remove from the ice bath. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd; refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.

3.
Place 1½ cups chilled heavy cream in large mixing bowl; whisk until soft peaks form. Reserve ½ cup lemon curd for sauce; add the remaining lemon curd to the whipped cream. Fold gently until well combined.

4.
Place 8 ring molds, 3 inches in diameter and 2¼ inches high, on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Divide the mousse among the molds, filling each with about ¾ cup. Place in the freezer on the sheet until firm, at least 4 hours.

5.
Drain the candied lemon zest; reserve the syrup. Whisk
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cup syrup, reserved ½ cup lemon curd, and juice of 1 lemon in a small bowl. Place the frozen mousse on plates; let warm 4 to 5 minutes before removing the molds. Meanwhile, whisk the crème fraîche and remaining 2 tablespoons cream in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Remove the molds, spoon lemon sauce around the mousse; top with crème fraîche. Garnish with candied zest; serve.

candied lemon zest

GARNISHES 8 SERVINGS

Use the juice of these lemons for the mousse, and use some of the syrup for lemon sauce. Make this recipe a day before the mousse.

4 lemons, well scrubbed

2 cups sugar

1 cup cool water

1.
Remove the zest from the lemons with a vegetable peeler, keeping the pieces long. Remove the white pith using a paring knife. Cut into a fine julienne using a very sharp knife. Place the julienned zest in a small bowl; cover with boiling water. Let stand 30 minutes; drain.

2.
Bring the sugar and the cool water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. When the sugar is completely dissolved, add the julienned zest, reduce heat to medium low, and cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand overnight. Store the zest in the syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

malt ball bombe

MAKES 6 BALLS

Each ball, made in two half-moon metal molds, can easily serve two people.

3 pints chocolate ice cream

1¼ cups vanilla ice cream

3½ tablespoons malted milk powder

1 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped

1.
Chill 12 metal half-moon molds (½-cup capacity) in the freezer. Beat the chocolate ice cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until soft but still holding its shape, 1 to 2 minutes; work in batches if necessary. Wearing rubber gloves, remove the molds one at a time from the freezer; fill them with chocolate ice cream, pushing down on the ice cream to prevent air pockets. Make the top even and smooth; return the filled molds immediately to freezer. Let the chocolate ice cream become firm, but not too hard to spoon out, about 1 hour. Remove the molds from the freezer one at a time; use a 1-ounce ice cream scoop or round tablespoon to scoop out ice cream from the center, leaving ½-inch border around the edges. Return the molds immediately to freezer.

2.
Soften the vanilla ice cream as above. Add the malted milk powder, and stir just to combine. Remove the molds from the freezer, and fill each center with malted vanilla ice cream, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Return to the freezer, and chill until firm, 1 hour more.

3.
Working with 2 molds at a time, remove from the freezer; dip in warm water for a few seconds. Use your finger to gently slide the ice cream out of the molds. Match two halves, flat sides together; wrap in plastic wrap. Gently press the halves together; return to freezer. Repeat with the remaining molds. Let the balls harden, about 1 hour.

4.
Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. When melted, remove from heat; stir the chocolate occasionally to let it cool, 8 to 10 minutes. Place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet; set aside. Remove 1 malt ball at a time from the freezer; dip in the melted chocolate. Using a spoon or small offset spatula, very quickly turn to coat the ball and lift it out of the chocolate. Place on a wire rack, and let excess chocolate drip off (chocolate will adhere to wire rack if allowed to sit too long). Gently transfer the malt ball bombe to a waxed-paper–lined tray; return to the freezer before the chocolate is completely set. Repeat the process with the remaining balls. If not serving immediately, wrap each ball in plastic wrap after it is completely frozen. Serve on plates with forks.

banana split bombe

SERVES 10 TO 12

Each of this bombe’s layers must freeze solid before the next is added. Don’t rush the freezing time, or the layers will run together.

Cooking spray

2 pints chocolate ice cream

3 medium bananas (about 1¼ pounds)

2 teaspoons milk

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Hot Fudge Sauce (recipe follows), room temperature

1 pint vanilla ice cream

1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons cold water

1.
Place a circle of parchment in the bottom of an 8 × 3-inch springform pan. Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with cooking spray to adhere the parchment; set aside. Put in freezer for 30 minutes.

2.
Beat 1½ pints chocolate ice cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until soft but still holding its shape, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a small offset spatula or a spoon, spread the ice cream evenly on the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan. Work quickly, or the ice cream will not stay on the sides very long. If the ice cream starts to fall, return the ice cream–lined pan to the freezer for 10 minutes, and then finish lining. Transfer the ice cream–lined pan to the freezer until hardened, about 45 minutes.

3.
In the bowl of a food processor combine 2 bananas, milk, ¼ cup sugar, and vanilla. Process 30 seconds or until smooth, and add the remaining banana. Pulse until there are only small pieces of banana, about the size of peas. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and set aside.

4.
Remove the pan from the freezer, and spread half, about ¾ cup, of the banana mixture into the bottom of the chocolate ice cream–lined pan. Return to the freezer until hardened, about 2 hours. Cover the remaining banana mixture with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. When hardened, remove the pan from the freezer; ladle 1 cup room-temperature hot fudge sauce over the banana layer. Return to the freezer until hardened, about 15 minutes. Set aside the remaining fudge sauce to serve with the finished bombe, or store in a plastic container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

5.
Soften the vanilla ice cream as above. Remove the pan from the freezer, and add 1 cup softened vanilla ice cream, using a small offset spatula or spoon to spread it evenly. Return the pan to the freezer, and let the ice cream harden, about 1 hour. The remaining soft vanilla ice cream can be returned to its container and stored in the freezer; it will soften quickly when you need it again.

6.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the walnuts evenly on a baking pan, and toast them in the oven, about 7 minutes, until fragrant and lightly golden. Remove from the oven, and let cool. In a medium nonstick sauté pan, combine the remaining ¼ cup sugar and the cold water. Stir over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved; stop stirring, and let boil. The sugar will begin to caramelize in the pan; you can pick up the pan and slightly swirl the sugar to allow for even caramelizing. Let the caramel turn to a dark golden brown, about 5 minutes, and immediately add the nuts to the pan. Turn off the heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir the nuts in the caramel to coat them evenly. Transfer the nuts directly onto a Silpat baking mat, and spread them into an even layer. Let cool; break into small pieces.

7.
Remove the ice cream mold from the freezer, and sprinkle an even layer of nuts over the vanilla layer. Remove the banana mixture from the refrigerator, and spread the remaining ¾ cup over the nuts. Quickly return the mold to the freezer, and let chill. When the banana layer has hardened, about 2 hours, resoften the remaining cup vanilla ice cream and spread it evenly with small offset spatula or spoon.