Category: Baked Goods + Desserts + Drinks

This didn’t come out as pretty as I had hoped. I forgot to dip the set panna cotta gelée ramekins in warm water before unmolding for a smoother finish, but at least they came out deliciously purple. This was adapted from Gourmet Magazine. I took advantage of the fresh seedless grapes at Fairway and the leftover gelatin packets in my cupboard. I rarely make desserts but the last couple of summers, I’ve gotten the hang of making gelée and panna cotta. To test the waters, I only made two of these and excluded the grappa on both the gelée and the panna cotta–they still turned out yummy.

Ingredients:
For gelée:
1 tsp of unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup all-natural grape juice
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup seedless grapes, thinly sliced crosswise
oil for greasing ramekins

For panna cotta:
1 tsp unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup plain yogurt
a pinch of salt

1. Make gelée. Sprinkle gelatin over half of the grape juice in a heavy saucepan and let stand for 1 minute to soften. Bring to a simmer and stir to dissolve gelatin. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining grape juice with the grapes and the lemon juice. Lightly oil the ramekins and put in a shallow baking pan. Divide grape mixture evenly among ramekins and chill in freezer for about 30 minutes or until gelée is set.
2. Make panna cotta while gelée sets. Stir in gelatin and half of the cream in another heavy saucepan and let stand for 1 minute to soften. Bring to a simmer and stir to dissolve the gelatin. Add the rest of the cream with sugar and return to a simmer until sugar is dissolved. Whisk together yogurt and salt in a bowl until smooth. Pour in cream mixture and whisk until combined well.
3. Pour mixture into ramekins over set gelée and chill, covered with Saran wrap, until firm, about 8 hours.
4. To unmold, run a thin sharp knife along the edge of the ramekin to loosen. Dip in a small bowl of very warm water for about 6 seconds. Invert a plate over each ramekin and then invert panna cotta gelée onto plates, gently lifting off ramekins.

Related post/s:
Gelée with blackberries
Making gelée with sake
Coffee panna cotta

Adapted from joyofbaking.com

Ingredients:
2 eight-inch pie crusts, thawed
6 large eggs
2 cups fresh pumpkin meat, shredded
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt

1. In a large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Add the remaining ingredients for the filling and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the pie crusts and place on a large baking pan to catch any spills.
2. Bake the pie for about 45 minutes or until the filling is set and the crust has browned (the center will still look wet). Place the baked pie on a wire rack to cool. Serve at room temperature, with whipped cream if you’re into that stuff.

After my first successful try at making gelée, I decided to try this Martha Stewart Living recipe. I served it as dessert when family friends from Manila visited New York City. It didn’t match the jerk chicken main course but that’s why I think they were tickled to be eating it to end their night.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup apple juice
1 packet unflavored gelatin
1 cup full-bodied red wine, like Zinfandel
1/4 cup sugar
1 pint blackberries

1. Prepare an ice-water bath. Set aside.
2. Add 1/2 cup water and apple juice in a bowl. Sprinkle with gelatin. Let soften for about 5 minutes.
3. Combine wine and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat while stirring to dissolve sugar. Add blackberries, leaving some for garnish, and simmer in reduced heat. Crush blackberries as you stir.
4. Remove saucepan from heat. Slowly stir in hot wine mixture with the gelatin mixture. Transfer bowl to ice-water bath and stir gently to cool.
5. Pour mixture into a plastic bowl to mold. Chill until firm and ready to use.
6. When ready, unmold gelée and top with a blackberry and a mint leaf.

Related post/s:
Jerk Chicken

I used to buy this ginger citrus iced tea from Balthazar’s Bakery in the summer. When we moved offices from SoHo to Chinatown, it was one of the small pleasures I started to miss. Now I make my own. It takes patience to make your own ginger-citrus juice, but you can use any ginger tea bag you like. In Chinatown, you can buy ginger honey crystals from a brand called Prince of Peace. They’re pretty strong and very gingery.

Ingredients:
1 large knob of ginger, peeled, crushed
fresh lemon juice
fresh mint leaves
orange peels
ice cubes

1. In a small saucepan, boil a pitcher-full of water with the ginger and orange peels. When water is boiling, lower the fire and simmer until water is reduced. Mix in lemon juice and mint leaves. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
2. When ready to serve, strain and pour the cooled ginger-orange mixture into a carafe. Serve with ice. Garnish with leftover mint leaves and orange peels.