by Rose Levy Beranbaum
from Rose’s Heavenly Cakes
(John Wiley & Sons, 2009)
Serves 12

Jenn Giblin, pastry chef of Blue Smoke, came up with this stellar version of sticky toffee pudding. She uses stout beer, giving it the most compelling flavor of any I have tasted. The cake, which in England is referred to as a pudding, dissolves in your mouth. The toffee sauce is the ideal accompaniment; it absorbs deliciously about an eighth inch into the top of the cake.

An additional and unusual accompaniment, from pastry chef Letty Flatt, is vanilla ice cream flavored with root beer extract.

convert Ingredients
For the batter
1 cup stout beer, preferable Guinness extra stout
1 teaspoon baking soda
About 6 large dates, pitted
6 tablespoons unsalted butter [65F° to 75°F (19C° to 23°C)]
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups (sifted into the cup and leveled off) bleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

For the butterscotch toffee sauce
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar, preferable Muscovado
1 vanilla bean
16 tablespoons unsalted butter [65F° to 75°F (19C° to 23°C)]
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the pecan and crème fraîche topping
1 1/4 cups pecan halves
3/4 cup crème fraîche, lightly whipped

Method
1. Prepare one 9 by 13-inch baking pan, bottom coated with solid shortening, lined with parchment (no need to coat the parchment or sides). Have ready a baking sheet, lined with plastic wrap and coated with nonstick cooking spray plus a baking sheet or cutting board.

2. Set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) for at least 20 minutes. [If using a Pyrex or dark pan, bake at 300°F (150°C)].

Prepare the dates
1. In a small saucepan, bring the beer to the boiling point. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the baking soda. It will fizz up a lot. Pour the beer mixture over the pitted dates. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

2. Remove the dates to a food processor and add a little of the beer mixture. Process until a paste is formed. Gradually add the rest of the liquid through the feed tube. The mixture will be very smooth, dark, and glossy. Scrape it into a bowl and keep it covered until ready to use.

Make the batter and bake the cake
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the eggs in three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. (The mixture may appear curdled, but after adding the flour, it will be smooth.)

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the batter and mix on low speed for 10 to 15 seconds just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add half the date mixture and mix just until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture, then the remaining date mixture, and finally the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until the batter is uniform in color and no streaks remain.

3. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Using a silicone spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly with an offset spatula. The pan will be about one-third full.

4. Bake for 15 minutes, rotate the pan halfway, and continue baking for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until a wire cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the center and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center.

5. Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pan and the cake, pressing firmly against the pan, and invert the cake onto the prepared baking sheet. Reinvert it onto the second sheet or cutting board. Serve at once or reheat for 5 minutes in a 350°F (175ºC) oven. The cake will be about 1 1/4 inches at the sides and 1 1/2 inches in the center.

Make the butterscotch toffee sauce
1. While the cake is baking, make the toffee sauce. In a small saucepan, place the brown sugar. With a small sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise in half. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the sugar. Rub the seeds in with your fingers. Remove and reserve the pod. With a silicone spatula, stir in the butter.

2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the heavy cream, lemon juice, salt, and the reserved vanilla pod. The mixture will be slightly grainy but will become totally smooth on standing. Reheat, if necessary, and remove the vanilla pod before serving.

Make the pecan topping
1. Spread the pecans evenly on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for about 7 minutes to enhance their flavor. Stir once or twice to ensure even toasting and avoid overbrowning. Cool completely. Break or chop them coarsely and set aside.

Complete the sticky toffee pudding pudding
1. Cut the sticky toffee pudding into thirds the long way and fourths the short way. Set each portion on a serving plate. Pour 3 tablespoons of the toffee sauce on top of each serving, allowing it to cascade over the sides and pool onto the plate. Sprinkle the lightly toasted pecan pieces over billowy dollops of crème fraîche.

Variation:  individual sticky toffee puddings
Bake as individual puddings in small ramekins or brioche molds filled about half full. (Using 3/4-cup ramekins will yield 12 puddings; the standard 1/2-cup brioche mold will yield 18 puddings.)

Notes: If measuring rather than weighing, pour the beer carefully against the side of the measuring cup to prevent foaming. If there is some foam, allow it to settle so you can get an accurate measure.

If you desire more texture, reserve two of the dates and pulse them in, after you have processed the date mixture, until only small pieces remain.

Recipe © 2009 Cordon Rose, LLC. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.

by Rose Levy Beranbaum
from Rose’s Heavenly Cakes
(John Wiley & Sons, 2009)
Serves 10 to 12

I am forever grateful that the editors of Fine Cooking magazine encouraged me to create this glorious pumpkin cheesecake. I had feared that the spices usually associated with pumpkin-flavored desserts would fight with the cream cheese, but then I discovered that using turbinado sugar, with its mild overtones of molasses, and leaving out the spices made it possible to enjoy the true pumpkin flavor. Pecans are a time-honored complement to pumpkin, especially this cheesecake, and the addition of a caramel topping ties all the flavors together so perfectly that this has become one of my very favorite cheesecakes.

Plan Ahead: Make at least 1 day ahead.

convert Ingredients
For the gingersnap crust
1/2 pecan halves
1 cup gingersnap crumbs, lightly packed, preferable Swedish brand, processed to medium crumbs
1 tablespoon sugar
2 pinches salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the pure pumpkin filling
1 cup unsweetened pumpkin, preferably Libby’s
1 cup turbinado sugar
2 cups heavy cream, cold
1 pound cream cheese [65°F to 70°F (19°C to 21°C)]
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

For the caramel piping glaze
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup heavy cream, heated
1 tablespoon unsalted butter [65°F to 75°F (19°C to 23°C)]
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method
1. Prepare one 9-by-2 1/2- to 3-inch springform pan by coating with nonstick cooking spray. Set this pan in a slightly larger silicone pan or wrapped with a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil to prevent seepage. Have ready one 12-by-2-inch round cake pan or roasting pan to serve as a water bath.

2. Set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) for at least 20 minutes.

3. Spread the pecans evenly on a baking sheet and bake for about 7 minutes to enhance their flavor. Stir once or twice to ensure even toasting and avoid overbrowning.

Make the gingersnap crust
1. Place the gingersnap crumbs in a food processor. Add the pecans, sugar, and salt and process until fine crumbs, about 20 seconds. Add the melted butter and pulse 10 times just until incorporated.

2. Using your fingers or the back of a spoon, begin by pressing the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan and partway up the sides. To keep the crumbs from sticking to your fingers, it helps to place a piece of plastic wrap over the crumbs and to press them through the wrap. With a 6-inch round cake pan or a flat-bottomed straight-sided measuring cup, smooth the crumbs over the bottom and at least 1 1/2 inches up the sides. Be sure to press the bottom thoroughly so that the crumbs are evenly distributed.

Make the pumpkin filling
1. In a small heavy saucepan, stir together the pumpkin and sugar over medium heat and bring the mixture to a sputtering simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick and shiny.

2. Using a silicone spatula, scrape the mixture into a large food processor and process for 1 minute with the feed tube open. With the motor of the food processor running, add the cold cream. Add the cream cheese in several pieces and process for 30 seconds, or until smoothly incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl two or three times. Add the eggs and yolks and process for about 5 seconds, or just until incorporated.

3. Using the silicone spatula, scrape the filling into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly with a small offset spatula. Set the pan in the larger pan and surround it with 1 inch of very hot water.

4. Bake the pumpkin cheesecake for 45 minutes, turning the pan halfway around in the oven after the first 25 minutes. Turn off the oven without opening the door and let the cake cool for 1 hour.

5. Remove the pan to a wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Cover the cheesecake with a large bowl or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. To unmold, use a small propane torch to heat the outside of the pan or wipe the sides of the pan with a dish towel run under hot water and wrung out.

Make the caramel piping glaze
1. Have ready a 1-cup heatproof glass measure coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a medium heavy saucepan, preferably nonstick, stir together the sugar, corn syrup, and water until all the sugar is moistened. Heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is bubbling. Stop stirring completely and allow the mixture to boil undisturbed until the mixture turns a deep amber [360°F (180°C) or a few degrees lower because its temperature will continue to rise]. Remove it from the heat and as soon as it reaches temperature, slowly and carefully pour the hot cream into the caramel. It will bubble up furiously. Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to stir the mixture gently, scraping the thicker part that settles on the bottom.

3. Return the pan to very low heat, continuing to stir gently for 1 minute, until the mixture is uniform in color and the caramel is fully dissolved. Remove it from the heat and gently stir in the butter until incorporated. The mixture will be a little streaky but becomes uniform in color once cooled and stirred.

4. Pour the caramel into the prepared glass measure and allow it to cool for 3 minutes. Gently stir in the vanilla and allow the caramel to cool until no longer warm to the touch, stirring gently three or four times.

Note: The glaze keeps covered for up to 3 days at room temperature and for at least 3 months refrigerated. To reheat: If the caramel is in a heatproof glass container at room temperature, microwave it on high for 1 minute, stirring twice. Alternatively, place the container in a pan of simmering water and heat, stirring occasionally, until warm, about 7 minutes.

Apply the glaze
1. For a decorative lacing effect, you can pour the caramel glaze over the pumpkin cheesecake from the glass measure, but for the greatest precision, use a pastry bag fitted with a small decorating tip, or a resealable plastic bag with a very small semicircle cut from one corner.

Highlights for success
After the caramel is prepared, do not stir it too much, because this may eventually cause crystallization. However, corn syrup will help to prevent the caramel from crystallizing when stirred. It also lowers the caramelization temperature. I adore the flavor of caramel, so I like to have as much depth of flavor as possible without any burned flavor. I like to bring this caramel up to 360°F (180°C) for maximum flavor. Also, the darker you make the caramel, the less sweet it will seem, but you risk burning it if you don’t have an absolutely accurate thermometer. A viable alternative is to use a light-colored or transparent silicone spatula so that you can see the color of the caramel as it darkens. It’s best to have the cream hot and the butter at room temperature to avoid splattering when they are added to the hot caramel. Cold cream, however, speeds the cooling and is practical if you are pressured for time, but it must be added very slowly.

Recipe © 2009 Cordon Rose, LLC. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.

by Diane Morgan
from The New Thanksgiving Table
(Chronicle Books, 2009)
Makes 12 popovers

You’re probably reading this recipe and thinking—how could I possibly pull off popovers at Thanksgiving? The trick is to have the popover batter made, the butter melted, and the pan ready. As soon after the turkey comes out of the oven the muffin tin gets heated, buttered, and the hazelnut popovers go in. The burst of heat makes them puff and crisp—with a golden, nutty exterior and a soft, hollow interior. These popovers are divine.

convert Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and finely ground
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 1/4 cups milk
3 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Method
1. In a medium bowl, or preferably a 4-cup glass measuring cup, combine the flour, hazelnuts, pepper, and salt. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth. Whisk in the eggs and then add the parsley and chives. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of the butter. Let the batter stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Whisk before using.

2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°F (230°C). Have ready a standard 12-cup muffin pan, preferably nonstick.

3. Place the muffin pan in the oven for about 10 minutes until hot. Remove the hot muffin pan from the oven. Using a pastry brush, generously brush the muffin cups with the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Divide the batter equally among the muffin cups. Without opening the oven door at any time, bake the popovers for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350°F (175°C) and continue to bake the popovers for 7 to 10 minutes longer until puffy and golden brown. Turn the popovers out of the pan, loosening them with the edge of a paring knife, if necessary. Serve immediately.

Do Ahead: The popover batter can be made up to 2 hours in advance. The popovers are best when baked right before serving.

Recipe © 2008 Diane Morgan. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.

In the depths of the Depression, Americans badly needed sweet dreams. And that’s exactly when recipes for dream bars—rich, nutty coconut bars—first made the rounds in newspapers. Within 20 years, dream bars were so popular that manufacturers had taken to using them to promote a wide range of ingredients. A Domino sugar advertisement went so far as to promise that the housewife who used its brown sugar to make her dream bars would become known as “a cook with a touch of genius.”

Early recipes called for a simple brown-sugar pat-in-the-pan shortbread crust topped by a sticky, uncluttered filling (eggs, more brown sugar, shredded “cocoanut,” and “nut meats”). By the ’40s and ’50s, dream bars might include chocolate chips, cornflakes, graham cracker crumbs, dried apricots, or even rolled oats. A number of these fully loaded versions originated as back-of-the-box recipes (most famously for bars that incorporates sweetened condensed milk). As the ingredient list swelled, the recipes were rechristened several times over. But Hello Dolly bars, seven-layer bars, and magic bars all are a far cry from the pared-down, toffee-flavored original dream bars that I was determined to re-create.—María Del Mar Sacasa, Cook’s Country

Note: Spread the coconut mixture as evenly as possible over the pecan layer, but don’t worry if it looks patchy. Cream of coconut is available in the baking aisle alongside other coconut products.

convert Ingredients
For the dream bar crust
2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed (5 1/4 ounces) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled

For the dream bar topping
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup cream of coconut (see headnote)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed (5 1/4 ounces) dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped rough

Method
Make the crust
1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with foil, allowing the excess foil to hang over the pan edges. Coat the foil lightly with vegetable oil spray.

2. Process the flour, sugar, pecans, and salt in a food processor until the pecans are coarsely ground, about 10 seconds. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 pulses. Using the bottom of a metal measuring cup, press the mixture firmly into the prepared baking pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.

Make the topping
1. Combine the coconut and cream of coconut in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Stir in the pecans, then spread the filling over the cooled crust. Dollop heaping tablespoons of the coconut mixture over the filling, then spread into an even layer.

2. Bake until the topping is a deep golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Using the foil overhang, lift the dream bars from the pan and cut into 24 pieces. Serve. (The dream bars can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.)

Recipe © 2009 by the Editors at America’s Test Kitchen. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.

I grew up baking a version of this holiday classic of cranberry-orange pecan bread using canned orange juice concentrate. When it came time to develop a recipe for Grand Central Bakery, we updated the family favorite by replacing the concentrate with freshly squeezed orange juice and plenty of zest. The result is a a pecan bread with more subtle orange flavor that allows the tartness of the cranberries to shine through.

convert Ingredients
3 1/2 cups (1 pound, 1 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/4 cups (15 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (6 fluid ounces) vegetable oil or canola oil
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups (10 fluid ounces) buttermilk
Zest and juice from one large orange (about 1 1/2 tablespoons zest plus 1/4 cup juice)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup (1 3/4 ounces) pecans, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease and flour two 9 by 5-inch loaf pans.

2. Measure the flour, salt, and baking soda into a bowl and whisk to combine.

3. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and oil on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined; the mixture will look sandy.

4. Crack the eggs into a liquid measuring cup and whisk together. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the eggs. Increase to medium speed and continue to mix for 2 minutes more. Mix the wet ingredients, then alternate additions of the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients.

5. Whisk together the buttermilk, orange zest, and juice, and vanilla. Add one-third of the dry ingredients and incorporate on low speed, then increase the speed to medium. Mix for 1 minute. Add half of the buttermilk mixture and mix briefly to incorporate, then turn the speed down to low. Add half of the remaining dry ingredients, and incorporate before increasing the speed to medium for 1 minute. Repeat with the remaining buttermilk mixture and the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.

6. Fold the cranberries and pecans into the batter by hand, scrape the sides of the bowl, and then divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Each should be slightly more than half full.

7. Bake the cranberry-orange pecan bread for 60 to 75 minutes, rotating the pans every 20 minutes or so. The loaves will be golden brown with cracked tops, and a skewer inserted in the center should come out clean.

Recipe © 2009 Piper Davis and Ellen Jackson. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.