Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (345 page)
SERVES 6
Blueberries or blackberries can be substituted for the raspberries in this recipe. You may also substitute frozen fruit for fresh, but it will slightly compromise the texture. If using frozen fruit, reduce the amount of sugar in the puree by 1 tablespoon. The thickened fruit puree can be made up to 4 hours in advance; just make sure to whisk it well in step 4 to break up any clumps before combining it with the whipped cream. For the best results, chill your beater and bowl before whipping the cream. We like the granular texture and nutty flavor of Carr’s Whole Wheat Crackers, but graham crackers or gingersnaps will also work. You will need six tall parfait or sundae glasses for this recipe.
2 | pounds strawberries, hulled (6 cups) |
12 | ounces (2¹⁄ |
³⁄ | cup sugar |
2 | teaspoons unflavored gelatin |
1 | cup heavy cream, chilled |
¹⁄ | cup sour cream, chilled |
¹⁄ | teaspoon vanilla extract |
4 | Carr’s Whole Wheat Crackers, crushed fine (¹⁄ |
6 | sprigs fresh mint (optional) |
1.
Process half of strawberries, half of raspberries, and ¹⁄
2
cup sugar in food processor until mixture is completely smooth, about 1 minute. Strain berry puree through fine-mesh strainer into large liquid measuring cup (you should have about 2¹⁄
2
cups puree; reserve excess for another use). Transfer ¹⁄
2
cup of puree to small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over top; let stand at least 5 minutes to soften and stir. Heat remaining 2 cups puree in small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to bubble, 4 to 6 minutes. Off heat, stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Transfer to medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours.
2.
Meanwhile, chop remaining strawberries into rough ¹⁄
4
-inch pieces. Toss strawberries, remaining raspberries, and 2 tablespoons sugar together in medium bowl. Set aside for 1 hour.
3.
Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip cream, sour cream, vanilla, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar on low speed until bubbles form, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and whip until whisk leaves trail, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high; whip until mixture has nearly doubled in volume and holds stiff peaks, about 30 seconds. Transfer ¹⁄
3
cup of whipped cream mixture to small bowl; set aside.
4.
Remove berry puree from refrigerator and whisk until smooth. With mixer on medium speed, slowly add two-thirds of puree to whipped cream mixture; mix until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Using spatula, gently fold in remaining puree, leaving streaks of puree.
5.
Transfer uncooked berries to fine-mesh strainer; shake gently to remove any excess juice. Divide two-thirds of berries evenly among six tall parfait or sundae glasses. Divide creamy berry mixture evenly among glasses, followed by remaining uncooked berries. Top each glass with reserved plain whipped cream mixture. Sprinkle with crushed crackers and garnish with mint sprigs, if using. Serve immediately.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Pavlova is simple to prepare, yet it’s often plagued by soggy, sickly sweet meringue and unripe fruit—and cutting it for serving is one messy proposition. We were seeking a pavlova made of pure white, perfectly crisped meringue, its texture softened by whipped cream and its sweetness balanced by a topping of fresh fruit. We also wanted to find a way to preserve the pavlova’s elegance as we served it. First off, we decided to take a restaurant approach and make individual pavlovas for a tidier presentation. Then we focused on making and baking the meringue. Whipping room-temperature egg whites with a small amount of cream of tartar and vanilla before slowly adding the sugar gave us a voluminous, billowy, and stable meringue. To shape the meringues, we simply portioned ¹⁄
2
cup of the mixture into small mounds on a baking sheet, then used the back of a spoon to create concave centers for holding the whipped cream and fruit. Baking the meringues at 200 degrees for an hour and a half yielded perfectly dry, crisp, white shells, but they required gradual cooling in the turned-off oven to ensure their crispness. While we especially liked the flavors of tropical fruit on the pavlovas, fresh berries and peaches made fine options, too. And for the whipped cream topping, we cut some of the heavy cream with sour cream for a topping with a slight tang that provided a cool and refreshing counterpoint to the sweet fruit and meringues.
SERVES 6
Be mindful that the fruit is the garnish here, so it’s worth taking the time to cut it into tidy pieces. Sour cream gives the whipped cream a slight tang; omit it if you prefer simple whipped cream. Avoid making pavlovas on humid days or the meringue shells will turn out sticky.
MERINGUES AND FRUIT
4 | large egg whites, room temperature |
³⁄ | teaspoon vanilla extract |
¹⁄ | teaspoon cream of tartar |
1 | cup (7 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon sugar |
1 | mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into ¹⁄ |
2 | kiwis, peeled, quartered, and sliced thin |
1¹⁄ | cups pineapple, cut into ¹⁄ |
TOPPING
1 | cup heavy cream, chilled |
¹⁄ | cup sour cream, chilled |
1 | tablespoon sugar |
1 | teaspoon vanilla extract |
1. FOR THE MERINGUES:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2.
Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip whites to soft, billowy mounds, about 1 minute. Gradually add 1 cup sugar and whip until glossy, stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.
3.
Scoop six ¹⁄
2
-cup mounds of meringue onto prepared sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Gently make small, bowllike indentation in each meringue using back of spoon. Bake until meringues have smooth, dry, and firm exteriors, about 1¹⁄
2
hours. Turn oven off and leave meringues in oven until completely dry and hard, about 2 hours. (Meringue shells can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.)
4. FOR THE FRUIT:
Gently toss mango, kiwis, and pineapple with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in large bowl. Let sit at room temperature until sugar has dissolved and fruit is juicy, about 30 minutes.
5. FOR THE TOPPING:
Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip heavy cream, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. (Whipped cream can be refrigerated in fine-mesh strainer set over small bowl and covered with plastic wrap for up to 8 hours.)
5.
To assemble, place meringue shells on individual plates and spoon about ¹⁄
3
cup whipped cream into each shell. Top with about ¹⁄
2
cup fruit (some fruit and juice will fall onto plate). Serve immediately.
Substitute 7¹⁄
2
ounces each raspberries and blueberries and 5 ounces blackberries for mango, kiwi, and pineapple.
If your peaches are firm, you should be able to peel them with a vegetable peeler. If they are too soft and ripe to withstand the pressure of a peeler, you’ll need to blanch them in a pot of simmering water for 15 seconds and then shock them in a bowl of ice water before peeling.
Substitute 5 ounces strawberries, hulled and sliced thin, 5 ounces blueberries, and 2 peaches, peeled, halved, pitted, and sliced ¹⁄
4
inch thick, for mango, kiwi, and pineapple.
After scooping ¹⁄
2
-cup mounds of meringue onto prepared sheet, gently make small, bowl-shaped indentations in each meringue using back of spoon.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Bad peaches, syrupy filling, and a soggy biscuit topping were just three of the problems we had to solve when developing our recipe for fresh peach cobbler. Our goal was an appealing dish of warm, tender biscuits set atop rich, juicy peaches. To even out the variation in juiciness from peach to peach, we macerated the fruit in sugar to draw out its juices. Sugar did indeed draw off some of the moisture from the peaches, but to guarantee a juicy cobbler that would have the same amount of liquid every time, we had to replenish some of the drained juices. Thickening the peach juice with a small amount of cornstarch gave the filling body without overwhelming the delicate texture of the peaches. For the topping, we created a biscuit with a little more dairy, which gave us a moister dough. We chose yogurt as the dairy so our biscuits would have plenty of flavor. Dropping the biscuits onto hot, parbaked peaches jump-started their baking; now we had biscuits that were cooked throughout and perfectly tender.
SERVES 6
If your peaches are firm, you should be able to peel them with a vegetable peeler. If they are too soft and ripe to withstand the pressure of a peeler, you’ll need to blanch them in a pot of simmering water for 15 seconds and then shock them in a bowl of ice water before peeling. Do not prepare the biscuit dough any sooner than the recipe indicates or the biscuits may not rise properly. If desired, plain low-fat or nonfat yogurt can be substituted for the whole-milk yogurt, but the biscuits will be a little less rich. If the dough does not come together, you can add up to 1 tablespoon more yogurt. This recipe can be doubled; use a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and increase the baking times in steps 1 and 3 by about 5 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream or
WHIPPED CREAM
.
FILLING
2¹⁄ | pounds peaches, peeled, halved, pitted, and cut into ³⁄ |
¹⁄ | cup (1³⁄ |
1 | tablespoon lemon juice |
1 | teaspoon cornstarch |
Pinch salt |
BISCUIT TOPPING
1 | cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour |
3 | tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar |
³⁄ | teaspoon baking powder |
¹⁄ | teaspoon baking soda |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
5 | tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ¹⁄ |
¹⁄ | cup plain whole-milk yogurt |
1. FOR THE FILLING:
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Gently toss peaches and sugar together in large bowl and let sit for 30 minutes, gently stirring several times. Drain peaches in colander set over large bowl and reserve ¹⁄
4
cup juice (discard remaining juice). Whisk reserved juice, lemon juice, cornstarch, and salt together in small bowl. Combine peaches and juice mixture in bowl and transfer to 8-inch square baking dish; place on prepared baking sheet. Bake until peaches begin to bubble around edges, about 10 minutes.
2. FOR THE BISCUIT TOPPING:
Meanwhile, pulse flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in food processor until combined, about 5 pulses. Scatter butter pieces over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 pulses. Transfer to medium bowl, add yogurt, and toss with rubber spatula until cohesive dough is formed (don’t overmix dough). Divide dough into 6 equal pieces.
3. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:
After removing peaches from oven, place dough mounds on top, spacing them at least ¹⁄
2
inch apart (they should not touch). Sprinkle each mound evenly with remaining 1 teaspoon sugar. Bake until filling is bubbling and biscuits are golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking dish to wire rack and let cool until warm, about 20 minutes; serve.
Reduce peaches to 2 pounds. Toss 1 cup fresh blueberries with peach and juice mixture before transferring to baking dish in step 1. Substitute 2 tablespoons stone-ground cornmeal for equal amount flour in biscuit topping and add ¹⁄
2
teaspoon grated lemon zest to food processor with dry ingredients in step 2.
Start defrosting the peaches about 2 hours before assembling and baking the cobbler.
Using frozen peaches, reduce peaches to 2 pounds. Defrost peaches completely in colander, reserving 2 tablespoons juice. Proceed as directed, increasing baking time in step 1 to 15 to 20 minutes.