Baked Pumpkin & Sour Cream Puddings

From Smitten Kitchen

Yield: 7 to 8 half-cup puddings

Pudding

• 1 3/4 cups (from a 15-ounce can, 415 grams) pumpkin puree (unsweetened; not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup (237 ml) whole milk
• 1/2 cup (118 ml) heavy cream
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Topping

• 1 cup (227 grams) sour cream
• 1 tablespoon (13 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) vanilla extract

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Combine pumpkin, sugar, salt and spices in a food processor and blend for 30 seconds.
  
• Transfer to a saucepan and heat over medium-high. Once glurping and simmering in the pot, cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. The mixture will thicken and get a bit darker. Reduce heat slightly and whisk in milk and cream.
  
• Off the heat, slowly whisk in eggs.
• Divide between 7 to 8 ovenproof 6-ounce pudding cups or ramekins on a baking sheet.
  
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until puddings barely jiggle when shimmied and/or a knife tip inserted into the center of puddings comes out clean. Try not to over bake.
• While they bake, combine topping ingredients in a small bowl.
  
• When the puddings are cooked through, transfer to a cooling rack on the counter and leave oven on.
  
• Spoon 2 tablespoons of sour cream mixture onto first pudding and use a small offset spatula, butter knife or spoon to quickly (it will get melty fast) spread it over the top of the first pudding.
  
• Repeat with remaining puddings.
• Return puddings to oven for 5 more minutes, then cool completely at room temperature, about 1 to 2 hours.
  
• Chill until ready to serve.

Chocolat

Chocolat‘s ‘Hot Chocolate‘

Ingredients

• 2 cups of boiling water
• 1 chile pepper, cut in half, seeds removed  (with gloves) 5 cups light cream (whole or non-fat milk if you prefer)
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1 to 2 cinnamon sticks
• 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate or
• 3 tablets of Mexican Chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar or honey (or to taste)
• l tablespoon of almonds or hazelnuts, ground extra fine
• Whipped cream

Directions

• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add chile pepper to boiling water.
  
• Cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup.
  
• Remove chile pepper; strain water and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cream or milk, vanilla bean and cinnamon stick until bubbles appear around the edge.
  
• Reduce heat to low; add chocolate and sugar or honey; whisk occasionally until chocolate is melted and sugar dissolves.
  
• Turn off heat; remove vanilla bean and cinnamon stick.
  
• Add chile-infused water, a little at a time, tasting to make sure the flavor isn’t too strong.  If chocolate is too thick, thin with a little more milk.

Serve in small cups with the ground almonds or hazelnuts and whipped cream.

Natas do Céu (Heavenly Cream)

Ingredients

• 1 package of ‘Bolacha Maria’ cookies (about 16 cookies) can sub for Nabisco tea cookies
• 1 pint of heavy cream
• 6 eggs, separated
• 2 tbs water
• 1/2 cup sugar plus 2 tbsp
• 1 teaspoon milk
• Roll out the cookies into fine crumbs and set aside.

Directions

For the egg sweet topping

• In a small sauce pan, pour in 2 tablespoons of water and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Stir.
• Heat the sugar water until it forms a light threadlike syrup but do not boil or allow to become golden.
• In a small bowl, whisk the yolks with a teaspoon of the milk. Gradually, while still whisking, drizzle in the sugar syrup, incorporating it thoroughly into the yolks. Set aside.

For the white mousse

• Beat the cream with 1/4 cup sugar until peaks form and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites, until foamy. Continue to beat on high speed while gradually incorporating 2 tablespoons of sugar.
• Beat until soft peaks form.
• Fold the egg whites into the cream until the egg whites are thoroughly incorporated.

To assemble

• Work in alternate layers starting on the bottom of glass bowl with the cookie crumbs. Pour a layer of cream followed by a layer of cookies until there’s no more left of both then ending with topping it all with the sweetened egg yolks.

Serves 6

Nigella Lawson’s Chocolate Mousse

• Measure out 1-1/2 cups of mini-marshmallows into a large pan
• Add 1-1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• Toss in 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• Add 4 tablespoons of hot water
• Cook on low heat and stir often
• Once it’s smooth and silky remove it from the heat and allow it to cool a bit
• While the chocolate is cooling, grab a mixing bowl and add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
• Add 1 teaspoon of real vanilla to the cream
• Mix it up, until stiff peaks form
• Once the chocolate mixture has cooled to the touch, add it to the whipped cream
• Gently fold the chocolate into the whipped cream
• Continue folding until all is combined
• Spoon it into some pretty glasses
• Let it rest in the fridge until it’s cool all the way through

Et voilà!

Home Made Ice Cream

Home made ice cream, with only three ingredients and made in 10 minutes? 

Yes please!

• 5 fresh strawberries (Or any fruit you like)
• Wash and slice the fruit, put it in a food processor
• Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and pulse until the fruit is puréed
• Add the puréed fruit to a large mixing bowl
• Add 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of powdered (confectioner’s) sugar to the fruit
• Followed by 2-1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream
• Mix until soft peaks start to form (You want it to stay loose enough to pour easily but still holds shape)
• Pour into a container and place in the freezer for 3-5 hours until set

Chocolate Caramel Minis

Graham Cracker Crust

• 1 1/4 cups of crushed graham crackers
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• 3 tbsp of unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix together crackers, sugar, and butter by hand.
3. Divide mixture into four 4″ pie pans (or one 9″ pan*) and shape crust, pressing with thumbs.
4. Chill for 15 minutes.
5. Bake for 10 minutes.
6. Let cool.

Caramel

• 3 tbsp of corn syrup
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 1/2 tsp of fleur de sel
• 1/3 cup of water
• 1/3 cup of unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup of heavy cream
• 1 tbsp of sour cream

1. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, whisk together corn syrup, sugar, fleur de sel, and water; bring to a boil.  Cook without stirring until a candy thermometer reads 340°F or until its color is a deep amber, being careful not to overcook.
2. Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter, heavy cream, and sour cream until smooth.  (The mixture will bubble, so stand back!)
3. Pour a thin layer of caramel (about 1/2″) into pre-baked mini crusts and let cool for 30 minutes.  Refrigerate until filling is firm, about 2 hours.

Chocolate Ganache

• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
• Fleur de sel for garnish

1. Bring cream to a boil over medium heat. 
2. Place chocolate in a medium bowl and pour in hot cream; let sit for 1 minute.
3. Stir mixture in one direction until smooth.

Putting it all together

1. Pour a 1/2″ layer of ganache into mini crusts, over the chilled caramel layer.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until set.
2. Sprinkle with fleur de sel.

 

*If you use a large pie pan, layer the ganache first and then the caramel for easier cutting.

Home Made Herbed Ricotta

I’m a little obsessed with Gwyneth Paltrow or Gwynnie as I call her since she’s one of my imaginary, inspiring besties.  Anyway, that’s not what this post is about!

Reading through Goop I found this post under Make “Brunch with The Barefoot Contessa” and really it hadn’t dawned on me how easy and simple it is to make fresh Ricotta cheese from scratch! 

Recipe from How Easy is That?  By The Barefoot Contessa, via Goop.

Homemade Ricotta

Makes about 2 cups

• 4 cups of whole milk
• 2 cups of heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons of good white wine vinegar

Directions

• Set a large sieve over a deep bowl.
  
• Dampen 2 layers of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve with the cheesecloth.
• Pour the milk and stream into a stainless steel or enameled pot such as Le Creuset.
  
• Stir in the salt.
  
• Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
  
• Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar.
  
• Allow the mixture to stand for 1 minute until it curdles. It will separate into thick parts (the curds) and milky parts (the whey).
• Pour the mixture into a cheesecloth-lined sieve and allow it to drain into the bowl at room temperature for 20 to 25 minutes, occasionally discarding the liquid that collects in the bowl. The longer you let the mixture drain, the thicker the ricotta. (I tend to like mine on the thicker side but some prefer it moister.)
  
• Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth and any remaining whey.
  
• Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. 

The ricotta will keep refrigerated for 4 to 5 days!