Crema Catalana

I've had this Spanish dessert just once in a restaurant many years ago. I don't know why I never prepared it at home but then again I've never made its French version, Crème Brûlée, either. The Spanish sweet cream is lighter than its cousin as it has fewer egg yolks and uses milk instead of heavy cream.

Read more »

Cherry And Kirsch Gratin

Early June is the best time to make cherry desserts when they're abundant and cheap. Every year I buy large containers of bing and rainier cherries for snacking. I also preserve them with sugar and cherry brandy to add to cakes, ice cream, cookies, etc. For this week's Lasang Pinoy Sundays, blame it on the A-A-A-Alcohol, I made a cherry and kirsch gratin, the recipe adapted from PURE DESSERT by Alice Medrich. I love that the cherry liqueur/white wine combination is not very strong because at least some of the alcohol evaporates in the cooking process; rather it enhances the flavor of the cherries and the custard. I a-a-azhzhure you my speech wasn't slurred after consuming a large bowl of the spiked cherry dessert.;-)

Lasang Pinoy Sundays, a weekly gallery of food photography Pinoy-style, is hosted by SpiCes.

recipe adapted from PURE DESSERT by Alice Medrich
Cherry And Kirsch Gratin
for the topping
3 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1¼ tablespoons flour
1/3 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons kirschwasser
¼ cup plus 1½ tablespoons heavy cream

for the fruit
1 cup sweet cherries
1½ tablespoons kirschwasser
½ tablespoon sugar, or to taste
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

• To make the topping: Set a medium bowl next to the stove. In a medium stainless steel saucepan, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and flour until well blended. Whisk in the wine and kirschwasser. Cook over medium heat whisking constantly until the mixture becomes a thick custard. Continue to whisk for 2 minutes (to cook the flour), or until the custard becomes less thick and slightly translucent. Immediately scrape the custard into the bowl. Stir in 1½ tablespoons cream. Place a piece of plastic film on top to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cool.
• To prepare the fruit: Pit and halve the cherries. Place them in a bowl, add the kirschwasser, sugar, and lemon juice, stir, and let macerate for at least 15 minutes or for several hours at room temperature. Preheat the broiler with the rack 6 inches from the heat. Taste and adjust sugar and lemon juice. Scrape the cherries and juices into a 4 x 6 oval dish and spread evenly. Broil until cherries are slightly tender and the juices are bubbling, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the pan and set aside to cool slightly for 10 minutes. Whip the remaining cream until almost stiff. Fold into the cold custard. Spread the mixture on top of the cherries. Slide under the broiler to brown the top, this may take only a minute or less. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Speaking of liquor, you may want to check out my Lambanog mixed drink.:-)

Buco (Young Coconut) Custard Pie

There are three baked treats in the Filipino magazine called FOOD that have been in my to-bake list: Buco Custard Pie, Ube Roll Cake, and 7-Layer Toffee Crunch Cake. Up first is Buco Custard Pie, a rather rich version of the buco pie with the addition of a layer of custard. The pie is yummy, the crust is flaky, the filling is very creamy and not overly sweet. I don't know why I added the custard layer because I am not a fan of egg pie, I guess I was just curious. It came out very yummy, we finished the pie in 2 days! For the buco filling I used the meat and water of 2 fresh young coconuts. I was lucky both have thick but still soft meat. Hacking the bucos open was a real chore. This is the first time in my life I ever opened a coconut. I had to use a hammer after draining the water into a bowl, I was so scared of shards flying...I tell you, it is hard work. In the Philippines when we bought them in the markets or by the roadsides going to the provinces the sellers opened them after draining the water into a separate plastic bag. In restaurants they are served very cold with a straw in it and a spoon to scrape the meat. At home, the housemaids did all the hacking, I never bothered watching how it's done. I'm thinking of buying a machete which is the right tool to open a coconut but where will I cut it?*sigh*. Or I'll use frozen young coconut next time.

Buco Custard Pie

crust
2½ cups pastry flour
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoonp salt
¾ cup very cold diced butter
½ cup ice water
2 egg whites

• In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in butter, I prefer using my fingertips, until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle water slowly, toss with a fork until the dough comes together. Divide dough into 2 equal parts, shape into balls, flatten and wrap individually in plastic film, and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out one dough into an 11-inch circle. Ease into a 9-inch pie pan. Smooth the dough into the bottom and sides of pan. Trim off excess to about 1 inch wider than pan. Prick bottom and sides all over with a fork. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Let cool. Brush with egg whites, set aside.

buco layer
4 cups young coconut meat cut into 1-inch strips
2 cups young coconut water, divided
1 cup evaporated milk
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
¼ cup cornstarch

• In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut meat, 1 cup coconut water, evaporated milk, sugar, and condensed milk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often for 8 minutes. Stir cornstarch into the remaining coconut water. When the coconut meat mixture begins to boil, add cornstarch mixture, stirring quickly until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

custard layer
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten in a small bowl
1 teaspoon vanilla

• In a small saucepan, combine sugar, flour, salt, and milk. Cook over low heat, stirring often until the mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat. Slowly stir in half of the mixture into the egg yolks. Beat until smooth and return to the saucepan with the remaining mixture. Cook until thick, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool slightly.

to assemble the pie:
1 egg yolk mixed with 2 tablespoons water

• Pour the buco meat filling into the crust, smooth top. Add custard on top of buco, smooth top. Roll out the second dough round into an 11-inch circle. Ease on top of the custard. Pinch edges of crust together and crimp or press with a fork. Brush top of pie with egg wash. Bake in the preheated 400°F oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.