French Classics Made Easy (56 page)

Just remember, if the bottom of your pastry is burning, reduce your oven temperature or move the baking sheet higher in the oven.

CHOCOLATE-ALMOND MACAROONS

[MACARONS AU CHOCOLAT]

I have always found macaroons too sweet. Most recipes contain at least twice as much sugar as almonds, and I have reduced the sugar to a point where many would no longer call them macaroons (although I feel that much of the cookies’ original character still remains). The cocoa adds to the subtle, semisweet nature of this cookie.

MAKES 5 DOZEN

1⅓ cups (200g) whole blanched almonds or 1⅔ cups (200g) slivered almonds

½ cup plus 3 tablespoons (150g) sugar

⅓ cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder

2 to 3 egg whites

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F with the oven rack in the middle position. Use a nonstick baking sheet or line a regular baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick silicone liner.

2.
In a food processor, grind the almonds and sugar to a powder. Mix in the cocoa.

3.
Add 2 egg whites and mix by pulsing the processor several times to avoid overmixing. Add enough of the third egg white, if necessary, to form a sticky paste.

4.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch (#6) plain tube and form cookies the size of a quarter on the prepared baking sheet, or drop by teaspoonfuls.

5.
Bake the cookies until they have puffed slightly, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet. Remove from the sheet and store in an airtight container.

IN ADDITION

Similar nut cookies can be made using pecans, macadamia nuts, or hazelnuts. Also try making them with either toasted or unblanched almonds, both of which will change the flavor and character of the cookie.

VARIATION

M
ACAROONS

[MACARONS]

Omit the cocoa powder for a purer almond flavor.

PALM LEAF COOKIES

[PALMIERS]

Although these delicious, lightly caramelized pastries are called cookies, they really belong in a class by themselves. Sometimes called “elephant ears” in English,
palmiers
(which means “palm trees”) are a perfect way to use up any scraps of puff pastry you may have—although once you’ve tasted a
palmier,
you’re likely to make fresh puff pastry so you can bake a larger batch.

MAKES 25 TO 30

About ⅓ cup (75g) sugar

¾ pound Rough Puff Pastry (
page 230
) or ½ pound store-bought puff pastry (see Note)

Butter, for baking sheets

1.
Sprinkle the work surface with a light layer of sugar. Place the block of puff pastry on it and sprinkle it with a light layer of sugar.

2.
Roll the pastry out into a rectangle about 10 inches long and ⅛ inch thick. Continue sprinkling sugar on the dough to make sure the dough is well coated on both sides. Trim the ends square.

3.
With a pastry brush or your fingers, lightly sprinkle the surface of the dough with water (this will ensure that the folds stick together when baked). Fold two ends to meet at the center so that the 10-inch side now measures 5 inches. With a rolling pin, roll the pastry slightly to flatten the folded edges.

4.
Sprinkle the surface again lightly with water and fold in half so that the 5-inch side now measures 2½ inches. Roll lightly again to flatten the folded edge. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

5.
Preheat the oven to 475°F with the oven rack in the middle position. Butter two baking sheets.

6.
Cut the chilled dough, across the folds, into ¼-inch-wide strips. Lay the slices cut sides down on baking sheets, leaving 1½ to 2 inches between them.

7.
Bake for 5 minutes. Turn the cookies over and bake until glazed and golden brown, another 2 to 3 minutes. Cool on a rack and keep them dry in an airtight container until served. Serve on a doily-covered plate.

NOTE

I find, and you may too, that using store-bought puff pastry produces cookies saltier than those made with my recipe.

LADYFINGERS

[BISCUITS À LA CUILLÈRE]

Ladyfingers are made from a light sponge cake batter that’s firm enough to hold its shape when formed with a pastry bag and large plain pastry tube. They are best eaten within several hours of baking, and are ideal for serving with fresh fruit or sorbet. Ladyfingers are used to line molds for desserts like the Chocolate Marquise (
page 293
), and are often moistened with liqueurs to become a part of a dessert, as they do in the Marquise Alice (
page 271
).

A problem often encountered is a runny batter that does not hold its shape when formed on the pastry sheet. This is often caused by the use of vanilla extract in the recipe. For this reason I call for a very small amount. Other ways of avoiding the use of liquid vanilla are to use vanilla sugar (sugar in which a vanilla bean has been stored to give the sugar flavor) or to flavor the batter with grated orange or lemon zest. In France, powdered vanilla is used, eliminating the problem.

MAKES 20

3 eggs, separated

⅓ cup (75g) granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract or grated zest of 1 orange or lemon

⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar

½ cup plus 2 teaspoons (75g) all-purpose flour

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F with the oven rack in the middle position. Line two baking sheets with waxed paper, parchment paper, or nonstick silicone liners.

2.
In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks and granulated sugar until very thick. Beat in the vanilla.

3.
In a medium-size bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.

4.
Sift the flour into the yolk mixture. Add half the beaten egg whites and fold until partially mixed. Add the remaining egg whites and fold until smooth.

5.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with an 11/16-inch (#9) plain pastry tube with the batter. Form the ladyfingers 4 inches long by squeezing the batter from the bag while holding the tube about ½ inch above the surface of the baking sheet. As the batter falls to the sheet, draw your hand in a steady line until the prescribed length has been reached. Stop squeezing, and with a quick down-and-up motion of the pastry tube, cut the batter off.

6.
Sprinkle the ladyfingers twice with confectioners’ sugar and bake until lightly colored, 10 to 15 minutes.

7.
Let the ladyfingers cool on the paper, and then gently pry them off. If not using immediately, store in an airtight container.

DESSERTS

Coming as they do at the end of a meal, desserts have the ability to turn an otherwise ordinary dinner into a memorable one; yet if mischosen, they can ruin the memory of a splendid one. Follow an elegant meal with an elegant dessert, such as Chocolate Marquise (
page 293
), but a rich meal with a light dessert, such as Pear Sorbet (
page 288
).

Although I have in many cases reduced the amount of sugar, butter, and cream used in updating the classic desserts, I also make a point of serving my guests small portions.

Many of the desserts in this chapter can be made partially or totally in advance. By following the advance preparation suggestions, you can make entertaining easy.

DESSERT OMELET
WITH COINTREAU

[OMELETTE AU COINTREAU]

Without question, my most successful omelet is an
omelette au Cointreau.
By adding alcohol and sugar to the eggs, they become lighter and have a creamy custard consistency when cooked to perfection. The sugar in my version of this traditional dessert is one-third of that used in the original.

Depending on the size pan you use, and the number of people you serve, you can easily increase or decrease this recipe. For each egg, use 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 tablespoon Cointreau.

SERVES 2

3 eggs

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons Cointreau, to taste

½ tablespoon butter

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1.
In a bowl, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, and Cointreau together until smooth.

2.
In a 7- or 8-inch nonstick omelet pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.

3.
Add the egg mixture to the pan and rapidly and constantly stir with a wooden spoon. If you can, gently shake the pan at the same time. When the eggs are nearly set, yet a little liquid still remains, stop stirring and shake the pan for a couple of seconds, making sure that the bottom of the pan is completely covered by the egg. At this point, the eggs should be set, yet still moist. Stop shaking the pan and allow the bottom of the omelet to firm slightly, 4 to 5 seconds. (After making several omelets, you will be able to stir and shake the pan simultaneously.)

4.
Fold the omelet into thirds by lifting the handle and tilting the pan at a 30-degree angle (see “How to Fold an Omelet,”
page 37
). With the back of the spoon, fold the portion of the omelet nearest you toward the center of the pan. Gently push the omelet forward in the pan so the unfolded portion rises up the side of the pan. Using the spoon, fold this portion back into the pan, overlapping the first fold. Turn the omelet out onto a serving plate so that it ends up folded side down. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately.

VARIATIONS

D
ESSERT
O
MELET WITH
R
UM

[OMELETTE AU RHUM]

Substitute rum for Cointreau.

S
TRAWBERRY
-F
ILLED
D
ESSERT
O
MELET WITH
C
OINTREAU

[OMELETTE AUX FRAISES ET AU COINTREAU]

Place 3 tablespoons diced strawberries across the center of the omelet before folding in step 4. Decorate with 2 strawberry halves.

S
TRAWBERRY
B
REAKFAST
O
MELET

[OMELETTE AUX FRAISES]

By omitting the Cointreau from the above variation, the omelet becomes a breakfast treat for any member of the family.

A
PPLE
O
MELET WITH
C
ALVADOS

[OMELETTE VALLÉE D’AUGE]

Substitute 2 tablespoons Calvados for the Cointreau. Place a few tablespoons of sautéed apples down the center of the omelet before folding in step 4. Decorate with additional slices of sautéed apple.

ORANGE SOUFFLEED OMELET

[OMELETTE SOUFFLÉE À L’ORANGE]

This is a quick, elegant—and often overlooked—dessert that will impress and satisfy your guests whenever you have not had time to prepare one in advance.

By beating the egg yolks and whites separately, and then folding them together, an
omelette soufflée,
which is usually cooked in an omelet pan, puffs and browns like a soufflé.

The orange souffléed omelet I serve for dessert is baked in the oven and looks very much like a Baked Alaska. The fluff y egg mixture is first mounded on an
unbuttered
ovenproof platter, and then, using a pastry bag, it is decorated with swirls of the omelet soufflé batter. Browned quickly in a hot oven, the omelet soufflé is served warm, moist, and frothy, a light, delicate ending suitable for a full or rich meal.

SERVES 6 TO 8

6 eggs, separated

½ cup plus 3 tablespoons (150g) granulated sugar

Grated zest of 2 oranges

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1.
Preheat the oven to 475°F with the oven rack in the middle position.

2.
In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with half of the granulated sugar until thickened. Stir in the orange zest.

3.
Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the remaining sugar and beat until the egg whites are very stiff. Fold the egg whites into the yolk-sugar mixture.

4.
With a spatula, mound the mixture on an ovenproof platter. Decorate the surface of the omelet using a pastry bag filled with one-sixth of the omelet mixture and fitted with a 5 16-inch (#3) star tube.