Bon Appetit Desserts (46 page)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1½ teaspoons ground ginger

1½ teaspoons ground allspice

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon cream of tartar

Powdered sugar

¼ cup brandy

¾ cup chilled heavy whipping cream

¼ cup chilled sour cream

¼ cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon brandy

¾ cup (packed) golden brown sugar

½ cup heavy whipping cream

¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

¾ teaspoon ground ginger

¾ teaspoon ground allspice

½ cup sugar

3 tablespoons water

½ tablespoon light corn syrup

Glacéed Fruits (optional; see recipe)

CAKE
: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 15½×10½×1-inch baking sheet. Line with waxed paper; butter and flour paper.

Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and ¾ cup sugar in large bowl until mixture falls in heavy ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes. Beat in melted butter, molasses, and vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder, spices, and salt over yolk mixture; fold in gently. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture in 3 additions. Spread batter evenly in prepared sheet.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cut around sides of baking sheet to loosen cake. Lay kitchen towel on work surface; dust with powdered sugar. Turn cake out onto towel; peel off paper. Brush cake with brandy. Starting at 1 long side, roll warm cake and towel jelly-roll style. Cool cake in towel.

FILLING
: Beat all ingredients in medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Unroll cake; spread with filling. Reroll cake only (not towel); place seam side down on long platter and chill.

FROSTING
: Stir brown sugar and cream in heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves and mixture simmers. Place in freezer until cold, about 15 minutes. Beat butter, powdered sugar, and spices in medium bowl until fluffy. Beat in cold brown sugar mixture. Spread frosting all over cake. Chill until set, at least 2 hours.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill.

CARAMEL
: Stir sugar, 3 tablespoons water, and corn syrup in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves, occasionally brushing down pan sides with wet pastry brush. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, swirling pan occasionally, about 5 minutes. Using teaspoon and working quickly, drizzle caramel over cake.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 6 hours ahead. Chill.

Serve cake with Glacéed Fruits, if desired.

Glacéed Fruits

A caramel coating gives fresh and dried fruits a glossy, jewel-like look. Using a candy thermometer, be sure the caramel reaches 340°F before dipping the fruit so that it hardens to the right texture when cooled. The fruits can be made up to 6 hours ahead—but no more than that, or the caramel will begin to soften and melt.
Makes 24 to 36

24 to 36 pieces assorted fresh and dried fruits (such as fresh cranberries, whole strawberries, orange segments with membranes intact, kumquats, dried apricot halves, and small grape clusters)

24 to 36 wooden skewers

4 ½ cups sugar

1 cup water

⅓ cup light corn syrup

4 thin rounds peeled fresh ginger

Line large baking sheet with foil. Wipe fruits clean. Insert 1 skewer halfway into each fruit (excluding grape clusters).

Combine sugar and 1 cup water in heavy medium 4-inch-deep saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Add corn syrup and ginger. Increase heat and bring to boil, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Attach candy thermometer to saucepan. Boil without stirring until syrup is golden amber color and candy thermometer registers 340°F, swirling pan occasionally, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

Holding skewer and working quickly, carefully dip 1 fruit into hot caramel, coating completely. If necessary, carefully tilt pan to submerge fruits in caramel. Hold fruit over pan, allowing some of excess caramel to drip off. Place fruit, still on skewer, on prepared sheet. Repeat dipping with remaining fruits and caramel. Hook stem end of each grape cluster in tines of fork; dip into caramel to coat. Place on prepared sheet.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made ahead. Let stand at room temperature up to 6 hours.

White Chocolate, Almond, and Apricot Roulade

A roulade is a soft, soufflé-like cake that’s spread with jam, buttercream, or another filling, then rolled up jelly-roll style. The frosting needs to firm up in the fridge before beating, so it’s best to prepare it a day ahead of making the cake. If you have any apricot puree left over, it would be delicious on toast the next morning.
12 servings

1 6-ounce package dried apricots

1 cup apricot nectar

½ cup sugar

1¼ cups heavy whipping cream

2 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1⅓ cups sliced almonds, toasted

10 tablespoons sugar, divided

2 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped

½ cup sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

⅛ teaspoon ground ginger

4 large eggs, separated, room temperature

1 tablespoon milk

¼ teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoons powdered sugar, divided

1⅓ cups sliced almonds, toasted

½ cup chilled heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon sugar

PUREE
: Stir all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to simmer. Cover and simmer until apricots soften, about 5 minutes. Cool to lukewarm. Puree in processor (mixture will have some tiny pieces of apricot). Transfer to medium bowl; cover and refrigerate.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 4 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.

FROSTING
: Combine cream and white chocolate in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Mix in vanilla. Transfer to bowl and chill overnight, stirring occasionally.

Using electric mixer, beat cream mixture until stiff peaks form. Fold in 1 cup apricot puree. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.

CAKE
: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 15×10×1-inch baking sheet. Line sheet with waxed paper; butter and flour paper. Finely grind almonds in processor. Transfer ½ cup ground almonds to small bowl and reserve. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and white chocolate to remaining almonds in processor and grind finely. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and ginger in another small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 6 tablespoons sugar and beat until stiff but not dry.

Using same beaters, beat egg yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in another large bowl until slowly dissolving ribbon forms when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes. Mix in milk and almond extract. Fold in almond-white chocolate mixture; fold in flour mixture. Fold in egg white mixture in 2 additions. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 17 minutes.

Sift 1 tablespoon powdered sugar over hot cake. Cut around edges of cake to loosen. Turn pan over onto kitchen towel. Lift off pan. Peel off paper. Sift remaining 1 tablespoon powdered sugar over hot cake. Fold 2 to 3 inches of towel over 1 long edge of cake and gently roll up cake in towel. Cool cake completely, about 1 hour.

Unroll cake. Spread ½ cup apricot puree over. Sprinkle with reserved ½ cup ground almonds. Spread 1¼ cups frosting over. Starting at 1 long side and using towel as aid, roll up cake. Transfer to platter. Spread remaining frosting over entire outside of cake.

GARNISH
: Press sliced almonds along sides but not top of cake. Whip cream and sugar in medium bowl to stiff peaks. Transfer to pastry bag fitted with small star tip. Pipe row of rosettes atop cake just above almonds. Refrigerate cake at least 1 hour.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 6 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated.

Black Forest Boule-de-Neige

The components of Germany’s famous Black Forest torte—chocolate and cherries—combine in this moist, fudgy cake. It’s baked in a metal bowl and covered with whipped cream, so it resembles a snowball, or
boule-de-neige
in French. Begin making this dessert at least one day ahead, as the cake needs to stand overnight. Candied violet petals are available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and some cookware shops; they can also be ordered from
cheftools.com
.
14 servings

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

⅓ cup cherry preserves

2 tablespoons kirsch (clear cherry brandy)

1½ cups dried tart cherries (about 8 ounces)

1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces

1¼ cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 large eggs

⅓ cup unbleached all purpose flour

2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream

¼ cup powdered sugar

4 teaspoons kirsch (clear cherry brandy)

¼ teaspoon almond extract

16 candied violet petals

CAKE
: Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 10-cup metal bowl with foil, extending 3 inches over sides. Spray foil with nonstick spray. Stir preserves with kirsch in medium skillet over medium heat until preserves melt. Add dried cherries; bring to boil. Cover; remove from heat. Let cool.