2/23/07: Mile-High Lemon Meringue Pie

Source: The Cook's Illustrated, 6/2006.

If using a hand-held mixer, you will need a very large, deep bowl and should move the beaters vigorously in step 3 to avoid underbeating the egg whites. This pie is best on the day it’s made.

Serves 8 to 10

Lemon Filling
1 1/4	cups sugar
1	cup lemon juice (from 6 lemons)
1/2	cup water
1/4	cup cornstarch
1/4	teaspoon table salt
8	large egg yolks (reserve 4 whites for meringue)
2	tablespoons grated lemon zest
3	tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into pieces and softened
1	(9-inch) pie shell , fully baked and cooled
Meringue
1/2	cup water
1	cup sugar
4	large egg whites (reserved from filling)
	Pinch table salt
1/2	teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2	teaspoon vanilla extract

1. For the filling: Whisk sugar, lemon juice, water, cornstarch, and salt together in large nonreactive saucepan until cornstarch is dissolved. Bring to simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until mixture becomes translucent and begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Whisk in yolks until combined. Stir in zest and butter. Bring to simmer and stir constantly until mixture is thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 2 minutes. Strain through fine-mesh strainer into pie shell and scrape filling off underside of strainer. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of filling and refrigerate until set and well chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

2. For the meringue: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to vigorous boil over medium-high heat. Once syrup comes to rolling boil, cook 4 minutes (mixture will become slightly thickened and syrupy). Remove from heat and set aside while beating whites.

3. With electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl at medium-low speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Add salt and cream of tartar and beat, gradually increasing speed to medium-high, until whites hold soft peaks, about 2 minutes. With mixer running, slowly pour hot syrup into whites (avoid pouring syrup onto whisk or it will splash). Add vanilla and beat until meringue has cooled and becomes very thick and shiny, 5 to 9 minutes.

4. Using rubber spatula, mound meringue over filling, making sure meringue touches edges of crust. Use spatula to create peaks all over meringue. Bake until peaks turn golden brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature. Serve.




STEP BY STEP: Weep No More

1. After the sugar syrup comes to a full boil, cook it for exactly 4 minutes.	2. Beat the egg whites with the salt and cream of tartar until they hold soft peaks.
3. With the mixer still running, carefully pour the hot sugar syrup directly into the beaten egg whites.	4. Continue beating until the meringue has cooled to room temperature and is thick and fluffy.

STEP BY STEP: Making a Meringue Mountain

1. Use a rubber spatula to press the meringue onto the edge of the pie crust. This will keep the meringue from shrinking.

2. Use the spatula to make dramatic peaks and swirls all over the meringue.

2/13/07: Mango Sqaures

Source: Allison Lam

You can use 9"x9" square pan or other sizes of baking pan for this recipe. The results will be different: 9"x9" sqaure pan produces taller, softer, and cake-like mango squares while using a bigger pan will produce thinner and crunchier texture.

Crust:

1. 1 cup of sifted all purpose flour
2. 1/2 cup of light brown sugar
3. 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, soften in room temperature
   
4. 1/2 cup of diced walnut

Topping:

1. 4 large eggs
2. 1 1/2 cups of diced dried mango
3. 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
4. 1/2 of light brown sugar
5. 1 teaspoon of baking powder
6. 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Preparing the crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. Creame the butter in standing mixture. Mix flour and sugar in a small bowl then add the mixture to the creamed butter. Mix well.
3. Add the diced walnut into the mixture and mix well.
4. Use spatula to spread the mixture evenly on a baking pan.
5. Bake the crust for 20 minutes in the preheated oven.
6. Remove the baking pan from the oven, let it cool in the room temperature while preparing the topping.

Preparing the topping:

1. Beat the eggs until fluffly. Add sugar and mix well.
2. On a seperate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Stir until well combined.
3. Spread the topping onto the cooled crust.
4. Pour hot water over the diced mango and let it drain off the excess liquid.
5. Spread the mango on top of the topping.
6. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool to the room temperature.
   

2/7/07: Orange-Flavored Crème Caramel (Crème Renversée À L'Orange)

Source: Glorious French Food - A Fresh Apporach to the Classics, by James Peterson

Makes 6 dessert servings
*To make a classic créme caramel, infuse a vanilla bean, split down the middle, in the hot milk instead of using the orange zests.

For the Caramel:
1 cup[200 g] granulated sugar

For the Custard:
2 large navel oranges
3 cups [750 ml] milk
5 large eggs
2/3 cup [135 g] granualted sugar

1. Heat the sugar for the caramel in a heavy-bottomed nonaluminum saucepan over medium heat while stirring with a wooded spoon. When the sugar melts, any lumps disappear, and it turns deep red, pour it immediately into six 6-ounce [185 ml] ramekins. Work quickly so that the caramel doesn't overcook or harden. Pour just enough caramel into the molds to coat the bottoms. You shouldn't end up using all the caramel-you just made a cupful because it's difficult to cook a smaller amount. Try not to spatter any caramel on the inside of the ramekins. (When you're done with the suacepan, put about 1 cup of water in it and boil it for a few minutes to dissolve the caramel and make it easier to wash the saucepan.)
2. Preheat the oven to 325F[165C/gas mark].
3. Peel the zest of the oranges in strips with a sharp paring knife or vegetable peeler. Try to avoid leaving the white pith attached to the zest, but don't worry if you leave a little. Blance the strips of zest, to eliminate any bitterness, by boiling them for 30 seconds in 1 cup [250 ml] of water and immediately draining in a strainer.
4. Combine the drained zests with the milk in a heavy-bottomed suacepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat, cover the pan, and set aside for 30 minutes to let the zests' flavor infuse in the milk.
5. Beat the eggs with the sugar until the mixture is smooth. Bring the milk back to a simmer, strain it into a clean suacepan or mixing bowl, and then gradually ladle it into the eggs while stirring with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring, scraping the spoon along the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure all the egg mixture gets dissolved in the milk. (Don't leave the spoon sitting in the hot milk or the spoon may impart a stale wood flavor.) Ladle off any foam.
6. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clear bowl or small pitcher to remove zests and any coagulated egg.
7. Ladle the custard mixture into the ramekins or use a small pitcher to pour it. Arrange the ramekins in a baking dish and slide the dish onto one of the oven racks. Pour enough hot tap water into the dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the baking dish loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil. Bake the custards until they're set-no ripples form on the top of the custards when you give the dish a tiny back-and-forth shake-1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
8. Take the custards out of the bain-marie (i.e., water bath) and let them cool at room temperature for 1 hour, uncovered. (If you cover them, moisture will condense on the covering and drip down on the custards.) Refrigerate, still uncovered, for 2 hours. If you're saving them longer than that, cover them with plastic wrap until you're ready to serve.
9. Just before serving, run a paring knife along the inside of the ramekins to loosen the custards. Place an individual serving plate on top of one of the custards, hold the two together, and quickly flip plate and custard over so the custard is upside-down on the plate. While holding the plate with your fingers and the ramekin with your two thumbs, give a gentle up-and-down shake to dislodge the custard. Gently life off the ramekin-a light caramel sauce will surround the custard. Repeat with the other custards.
   

2/5/07: Key Lime Bars

Source: Cook's Illustrated July 2006

If you cannot find fresh Key limes, use regular (Persian) limes. Do not use bottled lime juice. Grate the zest from the limes before juicing them, avoiding the bitter white pith that lies just beneath the outermost skin. The optional coconut garnish adds textural interest and tames the lime flavor for those who find it too intense. The recipe can be doubled and baked in a 13- by 9-inch baking pan; you will need a double layer of extra-wide foil for the pan (each sheet about 20 inches in length) and should increase the baking times by a minute or two.

Makes sixteen 2-inch bars

Crust
5	ounces animal crackers
3	tablespoons packed brown sugar (light or dark)
	Pinch table salt
4	tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly
Filling
2	ounces cream cheese , room temperature
1	tablespoon grated lime zest , minced
	Pinch table salt
1	(14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1	egg yolk
1/2	cup fresh lime juice , either Key lime or regular
Garnish (optional)
3/4	cup sweetened shredded coconut , toasted until golden and crisp

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut about 12-inch length extra-wide heavy-duty foil; fold cut edges back to form 7 1/2-inch width. With folded sides facing down, fit foil securely into bottom and up sides of 8-inch-square baking pan, allowing excess to overhang pan sides. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. TO MAKE THE CRUST: In workbowl of food processor, pulse animal crackers until broken down, about ten 1-second pulses; process crumbs until evenly fine, about 10 seconds (you should have about 1 1/4 cups crumbs). Add brown sugar and salt; process to combine, ten to twelve 1-second pulses (if large sugar lumps remain, break them apart with fingers). Drizzle butter over crumbs and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened with butter, about ten 1-second pulses. Press crumbs evenly and firmly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until deep golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling. Do not turn off oven.
3. TO MAKE THE FILLING: While crust cools, in medium bowl, stir cream cheese, zest, and salt with rubber spatula until softened, creamy, and thoroughly combined. Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk vigorously until incorporated and no lumps of cream cheese remain; whisk in egg yolk. Add lime juice and whisk gently until incorporated (mixture will thicken slightly).
4. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Pour filling into crust; spread to corners and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Bake until set and edges begin to pull away slightly from sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cover with foil and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours.
5. Loosen edges with paring knife and lift bars from baking pan using foil extensions; cut bars into 16 squares. Sprinkle with toasted coconut, if using, and serve. (Leftovers can be refrigerated up to 2 days; crust will soften slightly. Let bars stand at room temperature about 15 minutes before serving.)

STEP BY STEP: Building Key Lime Bars

1. Line pan with foil sling, then coat with cooking spray.	2. Press crumb mixture firmly and evenly into pan.
3. Pour filling into prebaked crust and spread into corners.